House Republicans split over whether Trump should pursue regime change in Venezuela
Republicans diverged on Tuesday when asked if the Trump administration should push for regime change in Venezuela. Despite hopes of a new direction for Venezuela, lawmakers who spoke to Fox News Digital on Tuesday were split on whether the United States should support a regime change in Caracas. Many expressed fears about repeating mistakes of the past, like toppling regimes in the Middle East, while others emphasized a need to remove a security threat in the United States’ backyard. “Yes. Maduro is an illegitimate ruler and extremely dangerous for the Western Hemisphere,” Rep. Michael Baumgardner, R-Wash., said, referring to Venezuelan President Nicholás Maduro. “Having a government we could partner with there would be in America’s national security interests.” TRUMP PUSHES PEACE IN EUROPE, PRESSURE IN THE AMERICAS — INSIDE THE TWO-FRONT GAMBLE Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., who agrees with Baumgardner, also framed his stance as a matter of national security. “If you look at who Maduro is tied to, he’s tied to Iran, China and Russia. Those are not our friends. We know they’re not going to do anything to help us. I think President Trump understands there’s an opportunity here,” Moore said. But not all Republicans agree with Moore and Baumgardner. “Looking back at our history, it isn’t something that hasn’t played out,” Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, said. “Peace through strength and strong deterrents against a horrific regime is the best approach, but going in and making it happen on our own? We’re still dealing with the effects of Iran, right?” Moore, who serves as the House GOP Conference vice chair, said he hopes Venezuela manages to enact political change but expressed pessimism in the current environment. FORMER MISS VENEZUELA BLAMES ‘SOCIALISM AND OPEN BORDERS’ FOR HER COUNTRY’S DEVASTATING COLLAPSE “I am very hopeful that the Maduro regime will be changed. Problem is, they don’t have the ability for free [and] fair elections to be able to make that happen. And that’s a big concern for me,” Moore said. Maduro, the former vice president of Venezuela, first assumed power when the country’s last president, Hugo Chavez, died in 2013. He has held onto power despite widespread criticisms of his leadership, public unrest and disputed election results. Most recently, María Corina Machado, the clear public favorite for office, fled the country in 2025 after receiving international recognition for having won the Venezuelan presidential election. She received this year’s Nobel Peace Prize for her resistance to Maduro. Despite the country’s political tensions, other lawmakers like Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., agreed with Moore’s hesitations about direct intervention. “My view is that we should not have regime change as a defined goal,” Burlison said. “We’ve seen that story — how it plays out. We don’t want to be spending a lot of money, time and lives in Venezuela.” TOP DEMOCRAT BACKS US INTEL ON NARCO-TRAFFICKING STRIKES, FAULTS BIDEN FOR ‘NOT GOING FAR ENOUGH’ ON MADURO Burlison hopes that the country could self-correct and said that the U.S. does have a role in destroying the influence of bad actors in the country, like drug smugglers. “We need to cut off the power from these drug cartels, seize the drugs, do what we can to reduce their power and then [Venezuela] will probably have a natural regime change because you will remove a lot of the corrupt actors that are propping up a politically corrupt system,” he said.
Jack Smith subpoenaed for deposition with House Judiciary Committee
FIRST ON FOX: House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, subpoenaed former special counsel Jack Smith on Wednesday for a deposition, escalating Republicans’ investigation into one of President Donald Trump’s top political foes. Jordan directed Smith to appear before the committee on Dec. 17, according to a copy of the subpoena reviewed by Fox News Digital. “Due to your service as Special Counsel, the Committee believes that you possess information that is vital to its oversight of this matter,” Jordan wrote in a letter accompanying his request. The forthcoming deposition, which is set to take place behind closed doors, comes as House and Senate Republicans have zeroed in on Smith’s election-related investigation of Trump, describing it as a scandal that unnecessarily swept up hundreds of Republican lawmakers, GOP entities, Trump allies and media outlets as part of the probe. Smith has repeatedly stood by his work as special counsel, which eventually involved bringing two sets of criminal charges against Trump over the 2020 election and over alleged retention of classified documents. Smith dropped both cases after Trump won the 2024 election, citing a Department of Justice policy that discourages prosecuting sitting presidents. Smith has already offered to publicly testify before the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, but a source familiar with Jordan’s request said a deposition is the chairman’s preferred format because each party on the committee can question Smith for an hour at a time and build a better record. In a public hearing, lawmakers typically question a witness in five-minute intervals. Jordan’s subpoena also included a sweeping demand for all documents and communications related to Smith’s time as special counsel, a request that comes after the DOJ told Smith’s lawyers in a letter on Nov. 12, reviewed by Fox News Digital, that it would make a “unique” accommodation to Congress by authorizing Smith to “provide unrestricted testimony to the Committee, irrespective of potential privilege.” Fox News Digital reached out to a Smith representative and committee Democrats for comment. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Democrats’ surge in Tennessee throws new uncertainty onto GOP’s 2026 House map
The results from the hotly contested special election in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District are in, handing a decisive victory to Republicans. But both Republicans and Democrats are drawing political ammunition from the outcome. President Donald Trump proclaimed it was a “great night for the Republican Party!!!” after GOP nominee Matt Van Epps defeated Democratic rival Aftyn Behn in the high-stakes race to succeed former GOP Rep. Mark Green, who resigned from office in June to take a private sector job. But Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin, pointing to Van Epps’ roughly 9-point margin in a solidly-red district Trump carried by 22 points a year ago, argued that “Democrats are on offense and Republicans are on the ropes.” With the GOP clinging to a razor-thin majority in the House, the special election was seen as a must-win for Republicans. And now, both parties are drawing conclusions on what the results mean for next year’s midterm elections, when the House majority is up for grabs. TRUMP-BACKED REPUBLICAN KEEPS CRUCIAL CONGRESSIONAL SEAT IN GOP HANDS And there’s a divide among Democrats, with moderates questioning whether Behn, who was dubbed the “AOC of Tennessee” in a comparison to progressive champion Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was too far to the left for the district — which is located in central and western Tennessee, stretching from Kentucky to Alabama, and including parts of Nashville. With so much on the line, outside groups aligned with both parties shelled out millions of dollars to run ads in the race. And the DNC and the rival Republican National Committee (RNC) each poured resources into the showdown, which included dispatching staffers onto the campaign trail. DECISION DAY: TRUMP, SPEAKER JOHNSON, AOC BLITZ CAMPAIGN TRAIL ON EVE OF KEY SHOWDOWN House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., spent the entire day on election eve with Van Epps, joining the GOP nominee at a slew of rallies and stops across the district. He was joined by RNC Chair Joe Gruters. Van Epps, a military combat veteran who piloted helicopters and former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services, said in his victory speech that his win “represented a defining moment for Tennessee and for the direction of the country.” And Van Epps told Fox News Digital that his win was “a resounding victory.” Trump, whose endorsement of Van Epps helped the candidate win the GOP nomination in a competitive primary last month, described Tuesday’s victory as a “BIG Congressional WIN.” Van Epps told supporters at his Election Night watch party that “we are grateful to the President for his unwavering support that charted this movement and catapulted us to victory. President Trump was all-in with us. That made the difference.” While falling short of flipping the seat, which would have been catastrophic for the GOP, Democrats see a silver lining. WATCH: WHAT AFTYN BEHN TOLD FOX NEWS DIGITAL ON ELECTION EVE “Aftyn Behn’s overperformance in this Trump +22 district is historic and a flashing warning sign for Republicans heading into the midterms,” Martin argued. “The fact that Republicans spent millions to protect this Trump +22 district and still lost so much ground should have the GOP shaking in their boots. Democrats are all gas and no brakes as we head into next year, organizing everywhere and competing in elections across the country.” And Behn, a state representative and former healthcare community organizer, told Fox News Digital on Election Day that “what starts here changes this country.” Asked if she would be a winner even without winning the election, she said, “For me, we’ve already won over the hearts and minds of so many Tennesseans and across the country.” But Republicans dispute the Democrats’ narrative. “Special elections are strange because a lot of people take for granted in a deep red district like this that the Republican is just going to win automatically. Nothing’s automatic,” Johnson told Fox News Digital at a Van Epps rally on the eve of the election. Johnson pointed to Rep. Ron Estes of Kansas, who narrowly won a special election in 2017, just five months after Trump carried the district by nearly 30 points in his 2016 White House victory. Estes went on to win re-election in the 2018 midterms by 19 points. A few months after Estes’ victory, Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina won a 2017 special election by 3 points in a district Trump carried by 17 points the previous November. But Norman went on to win re-election in the ensuing midterms by 16 points. Johnson, aiming to motivate low-propensity Trump supporters, who often don’t vote when the president’s not on the ballot, emphasized that “we need everybody to turn out.” Turnout in special elections is often low, but that wasn’t the case on Tuesday. According to unofficial results, roughly 180,000 votes were cast, close to the turnout in the district in the 2022 midterms, when Green won re-election by over 20 points. DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS, GO ALL IN ON FINAL 2025 CONGRESSIONAL BALLOT BOX SHOWDOWN While Democrats are confident that the results in Tennessee, along with their decisive victories last month in the 2025 elections, are a sign of things to come in the 2026 midterms, Johnson told Fox News’ Chad Pergram on Wednesday that “we have a great record to run on in ’26. And I’m very bullish about the midterms. I’m convinced we’re going to defy history and grow this majority.” While Behn was laser focused on the issues of affordability and healthcare during her campaign, Republicans blasted her as a “radical” and highlighted past controversial comments she made. “She does not represent the values of Tennessee or of America. She is as far left as you can get. She’s a radical,” Van Epps claimed in a Fox News Digital interview. Johnson argued on Monday that Behn was a “radical” and “a dangerous far leftist. And she will be a rubber stamp for Hakeem Jeffries and AOC and all the radicals in Congress.” Simon Bazelon of the Welcome PAC, a Democrat-aligned
FBI probes possible ties of National Guard shooter to shadowy sect, a ‘catalyst’ for jihad
Late last month, when former Afghan commando fighter Rahmanullah Lakanwal vanished without warning from his home in Bellingham, Wash., his wife, Khamila, called his phone, trying to learn where he had gone, according to people familiar with the matter. “Where are you?” she asked in one call, speaking in their native language of Pashto, according to people briefed on the communications. He told her, “I’m busy with some friends.” Hours later, she called again. This time, he allegedly answered differently. FOUR YEARS AFTER ABBEY GATE, VETERANS WHO SAVED CIVILIANS DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY “I’m with Tablighis.” He continued, “I’m doing Tabligh,” according to sources. To his wife, the word “Tablighi” had immediate meaning, family contacts said, setting off alarm bells that she shared with Lakanwal’s older brother, Ismail Khosti. In Afghanistan, surnames may vary among family members as they choose different tribal or geographical affiliations. The family is from Lakan district in Khost province. Tablighi is an Arabic word that means to “inform” or “convey” and it refers today to Tablighi Jamaat, a global Islamic missionary movement established in 1926 in British India as a revivalist wing of the strict Deobandi religious school of thought that today fuels the tyrannical interpretation of Islam practiced by the Afghan Taliban and Pakistani militant groups. Much like its sister group, the Muslim Brotherhood, established in 1928, and other Muslim groups preaching the extremist Wahhabi and Salafi interpretations of Islam, counterterrorism experts say it acts like a conveyor belt to extremism. Based in Pakistan and India, Tablighi Jamaat’s influence is transnational, with networks operating in mosques and informal religious circles in at least 150 countries, including the U.S. It denounces terrorism publicly, but a report, “Tablighi Jamaat and Its Role in the Global Jihad,” by Brussels-based think tank the South Asia Democratic Forum warned the group serves as a “catalyst, gateway, springboard or antechamber” for Islamic radicalization. Several Muslim nations, including Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Iran, have banned Tabligi Jamaat, along with Russia, which disbanded a terror cell in 2020. In 2021, Saudi Arabia called the group a “danger to society.” In the U.S., its missionaries operate freely. Fox New Digital has learned that Lakanwal’s brother has shared details from the phone calls, previously unreported, with FBI agents. Now, FBI and Department of Homeland Security investigators are scouring the country to see if anyone tied to the Tablighi Jamaat network radicalized Lakanwal, facilitated his cross-country trip or offered assistance, encouragement or financial support for his Thanksgiving eve ambush of West Virginia National Guard service members Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, as they quietly patrolled 17th Street NW, near the White House. Beckstrom died from her injuries. Wolfe remains critically injured. TRUMP ADMIN ‘ACTIVELY RE-EXAMINING ALL OF THE AFGHANS IMPORTED INTO THE COUNTRY’ FOLLOWING DC SHOOTING On Sunday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem hinted at this new information, saying on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” “We believe he was radicalized since he’s been here in this country. We do believe it was through connections in his home community and state.” Amid reports that Lakanwal was isolated, depressed and psychologically distressed, counterterrorism experts said the new details add a critical dimension to the investigation, noting that untreated trauma, isolation and grievances can create psychological conditions for extremist ideology to gain a foothold, creating “wound collectors,” a term that retired FBI special agent Joe Navarro coined to describe extremists, from Usama bin Laden to “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski, who use perceived injustices to justify violence with “no statute of limitations on their suffering.” While Tablighi Jamaat’s leaders say their movement is apolitical, focused on dawah, an Arabic word for evangelizing or proselytizing, counterterrorism experts have said the movement’s insular missionary culture has appeared along the early radicalization paths of some extremists, including “American Taliban” John Walker Lindh, a convert to Islam who attended Tablighi Jamaat retreats in northern California in the 1990s, including at the Santa Clara County fairgrounds. After U.S. forces dropped bombs in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks, CIA paramilitary officers captured Lindh in a prison near Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, among imprisoned Taliban militants who revolted, overpowering guards and killing CIA paramilitary officer Mike Spann, the first U.S. casualty of the war. Convicted in 2002 for serving as a soldier for the Taliban, Lindh was freed from jail in 2019 and is free on probation in the U.S. today, tracked by the FBI. While the Trump administration issued an executive order last month to designate some of Muslim Brotherhood’s chapters as terrorist organizations, Tabligi Jamaat hasn’t been on its radar for action. ALLEGED DC SHOOTER ENTERED US UNDER AFGHAN RESETTLEMENT PUSH MAYORKAS VOWED WOULD BE DONE ‘SWIFTLY AND SAFELY’ Ironically, Deobandi Islam is the religious ideology of the Taliban fighters that Lakanwal and his brother battled for years as members of the “Zero Units,” covert forces within the Afghanistan’s intelligence service, the National Directorate of Security, funded, trained and supported by the CIA’s secret “Special Activities Division” to fight the Taliban. While these Afghan fighters battled extremist interpretations of Islam in Afghanistan over the past 24 years, following the 9/11 attacks, counterterrorism experts note that organizations and mosques established by followers of the Muslim Brotherhood and Tablighi Jamaat have spread worldwide. Tablighi Jamaat representatives in Pakistan and India didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment. The irony is not lost on Lakanwal’s brother, Khosti, a former company commander in NDS-03, known as the Kandahar Strike Force, where his brother worked as a paramilitary officer, former colleagues said. Over the past several days, he has told former Afghan military and intelligence veterans that he is “ashamed” of his brother’s murderous rampage and he wants the full truth to emerge of how he ended up on 17th Street NW, turning his weapon on the very troops he had spent years protecting. Literally translated, Lakanwal’s brother said, “This was a wrong action,” using the Pashto word ghalat to describe something that is wrong to do. He told his former colleagues, “I am ashamed of this action,” using the word
DHS launches new immigration crackdown operation in New Orleans
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched its newest immigration crackdown operation in New Orleans aimed at capturing “criminal illegal aliens.” In its announcement of Operation Catahoula Crunch, DHS said the federal crackdown was targeting illegal immigrants who were arrested for crimes and then subsequently released due to sanctuary policies. The department said that such polices “force” local law enforcement to “ignore” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrest detainers. “Sanctuary policies endanger American communities by releasing illegal criminal aliens and forcing DHS law enforcement to risk their lives to remove criminal illegal aliens that should have never been put back on the streets,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “It is asinine that these monsters were released back onto New Orleans streets to COMMIT MORE CRIMES and create more victims. Catahoula Crunch targets include violent criminals who were released after arrest for home invasion, armed robbery, grand theft auto, and rape,” she said. “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, we are restoring law and order for the American people.” ICE NABS CHILD RAPISTS, GUN-TOTING ROBBERS AS ASSAULTS ON OFFICERS RISE 1,153% In its announcement, DHS included several examples of illegal immigrants who were released from custody despite their criminal records. Those on the list were arrested for crimes such as aggravated assault with a firearm, domestic abuse, driving under the influence, home invasion and sexual battery, among others. New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick sparked backlash last week after saying that illegal immigration by foreign nationals in the U.S. is a “civil issue” and that her agency would not enforce certain immigration laws. “We will not enforce civil law, and so our support is to make sure they’re not going to get hurt and our community is not in danger,” Kirkpatrick said. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said on social media that she spoke with Kirkpatrick about the remarks and reaffirmed that “it is a state crime to obstruct ICE and federal immigration enforcement.” ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ALLEGEDLY DRIVING DRUNK AT EXTREME SPEED KILLED WOMAN IN VIOLENT CRASH: DHS The Trump administration has put an emphasis on its crackdown on illegal immigration, with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem accusing the Biden administration of using DHS to “invade the country with terrorists.” “If you think about what Joe Biden did with the Department of Homeland Security, he used this department to invade the country with terrorists. He opened up the borders, let anybody come in that wanted to,” Noem said at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. “He put ’em on airplanes, he let them through our airports, where if they could figure out a way to get to our shores and in our country, he just opened the door and invited them in. So, it’s our job to get ’em out.” On Tuesday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released new guidance pausing immigration from 19 countries, 12 of which were on full travel bans while the other seven were under partial restrictions. The impacted nations are Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. The immigration pause, which is effective immediately, applies to nationals from the 19 listed nations who entered the U.S. on or after Jan. 20, 2021, the date of former President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Migrants from one of the 19 countries who came into the U.S. after that date will be subjected to a re-review process that could include an interview to screen for all possible national security and public safety risks. It also impacts all green card and citizenship applications for anyone hailing from one of the now-restricted countries. Individuals from one of the 19 nations who have already passed the citizenship test will not be able to have U.S. citizenship ceremonies until after the guidance is lifted. Fox News’ Bill Melugin and Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
Venezuela resumes accepting US deportation flights after Trump closes airspace to country
Venezuela will continue accepting deportation flights from the U.S. at the request of President Donald Trump‘s administration, the country announced Tuesday. Trump threatened to declare the airspace “above and surrounding” Venezuela to be “closed in its entirety,” causing Venezuela to cancel the twice-weekly flights of migrants from the U.S. on Saturday. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced on Tuesday that, at the request of the Trump administration, those flights have now resumed. Immigrants arrive regularly at the airport outside the capital of Caracas on flights operated by a U.S. government contractor or Venezuela’s state-owned airline. More than 13,000 immigrants have returned so far this year on the chartered flights, the latest of which arrived Friday. Venezuela previously had a longstanding policy of not accepting deportation flights from the U.S. but Maduro’s regime conceded under pressure from Trump earlier this year. The deportation flights are one of the few areas of cooperation between the U.S. and Venezuela as tension between the countries grows. US ESCALATION WITH MADURO HALTS DEPORTATION FLIGHTS TO VENEZUELA U.S. strikes have targeted alleged narco-traffickers operating in the Caribbean near Venezuela. Trump has signaled that operations could expand to land-based targets as Washington increases pressure on Maduro to relinquish power. “You know, the land is much easier, much easier. And we know the routes they take,” Trump told reporters during a Cabinet at the White House. “We know everything about them. We know where they live. We know where the bad ones live. And we’re going to start that very soon too.” VENEZUELA WILL FACE ‘SEVERE, AND ESCALATING SANCTIONS’ IF IT DOESN’T ACCEPT ITS CITIZENS, RUBIO SAYS Dozens of U.S. bombers have deployed to the region alongside the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, underscoring the scale of the buildup. With U.S. bombers and the Ford already positioned in the region, much of the world is waiting to see whether Trump will green-light the next phase of strikes against Venezuelan targets. Trump presented Maduro with an ultimatum during a recent phone call, demanding that he step down or face potential U.S. military action. Maduro sought global amnesty for himself, demanded to retain control of the military and resisted an immediate exit from power, the Miami Herald reported. Fox News’ Morgan Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump announces pardon for Democratic Rep Henry Cuellar
President Donald Trump announced a “full and unconditional pardon” Wednesday for Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, and his wife, Imelda. “For years, the Biden Administration weaponized the Justice System against their Political Opponents, and anyone who disagreed with them. One of the clearest examples of this was when Crooked Joe used the FBI and DOJ to ‘take out’ a member of his own Party after Highly Respected Congressman Henry Cuellar bravely spoke out against Open Borders, and the Biden Border ‘Catastrophe,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Sleepy Joe went after the Congressman, and even the Congressman’s wonderful wife, Imelda, simply for speaking the TRUTH. It is unAmerican and, as I previously stated, the Radical Left Democrats are a complete and total threat to Democracy! They will attack, rob, lie, cheat, destroy, and decimate anyone who dares to oppose their Far Left Agenda, an Agenda that, if left unchecked, will obliterate our magnificent Country,” Trump continued. “Because of these facts, and others, I am hereby announcing my full and unconditional PARDON of beloved Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar, and Imelda. Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight — Your nightmare is finally over!” In January 2024, Cuellar warned fellow Democrats, including President Biden, to prepare for border security to be a top election issue in the 2024 cycle. DEMOCRAT CUELLAR WARNS BIDEN: BORDER CRISIS WILL ‘ABSOLUTELY’ BE ELECTION ISSUE IN 2024 “If they’re looking at the same polls I’ve been looking at, the American public doesn’t like what’s happening,” Cuellar said of fellow Democrats in an interview with Fox News Digital. “I represent an area where it’s almost 80% Hispanic, a lot of Democrats,” he said. “So, yeah, the polls are showing that it’s an important issue.” FLASHBACK: WE ‘NEED TO HAVE REPERCUSSIONS AT THE BORDER,’ CUELLAR SAYS Speaking of Biden, he said, “It’s in the president’s best interest politically to come up with a solution on border security.” The Department of Justice under the Biden administration indicted Cuellar and his wife in May 2024 for allegedly taking roughly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-owned energy company and a Mexican bank, according to a news release at the time. “The bribe payments were allegedly laundered, pursuant to sham consulting contracts, through a series of front companies and middlemen into shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar, who performed little to no legitimate work under the contracts,” the Justice Department said. “In exchange for the bribes paid by the Azerbaijani oil and gas company, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to use his office to influence U.S. foreign policy in favor of Azerbaijan. In exchange for the bribes paid by the Mexican bank, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to influence legislative activity and to advise and pressure high-ranking U.S. Executive Branch officials regarding measures beneficial to the bank.” Cuellar said following the pardon on Wednesday that, “I want to thank President Trump for his tremendous leadership and for taking the time to look at the facts.” “I thank God for standing with my family and I during this difficult time. This decision clears the air and lets us move forward for South Texas,” he added. “This pardon gives us a clean slate. The noise is gone. The work remains. And I intend to meet it head on. Thank you Mr. President, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.” In Trump’s post on Wednesday, he shared a letter to him apparently written by Cuellar’s daughters, titled, “Request for Compassion and Clemency for our Parents, Henry and Imelda Cuellar.” “Our parents are good, decent people who have spent their lives giving more than they’ve taken. They have loved this country deeply, served their neighbors without hesitation, and raised us to believe that kindness, faith, and hard work are the true measures of a meaningful life,” the letter said. “Now, in the later years of their lives, all we want as their daughters is time — time to be with them, to share laughter and family dinners, and to see them live without the weight of worry. We hope they can one day retire peacefully and focus on family, faith, and the simple joys they have earned through a lifetime of service. All we want now is for our family to heal, to breathe freely again, and to see our parents’ good names restored.” “With all our hearts, we humbly ask that you show mercy and compassion to our parents — either by dismissing this case or granting a full and unconditional pardon,” the letter also said. “We speak not only as their children but also as Americans who believe in the goodness of this country and in your ability to see the human side of every story.” Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind and Cameron Arcand contributed to this report.
Chicago suburb slammed for rehiring police officer arrested by ICE: ‘Crazy as hell’
A Chicago suburb’s police department is under fire after it announced a Montenegran immigrant serving on the force that had been arrested by ICE for a visa-overstay will continue on the job. Officials in Hanover Park, Illinois – which straddles DuPage and Cook Counties — defended Officer Radule Bojovic, saying in a statement to CBS News he had been hired in “full compliance” with the law, and had proper federal work authorization. DHS was nonplussed, with Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin commenting, “What kind of police department gives criminal illegal aliens badges and guns? It’s a felony for aliens to even possess a firearm.” “A so-called law enforcement officer is actively breaking the law,” McLaughlin said, with her agency releasing further statements claiming Bojovic’s employment had an estimated cost to taxpayers of $205,707. BORDER PATROL CHIEF FIRES BACK AFTER CHICAGO MAYOR CALLS HIM ‘BARBARIC’ OVER TEAR GAS CLASH The agency said Bojovic was “encountered” during Operation Midway Blitz, the Chicago ICE and Border Patrol enforcement action led by Commander Gregory Bovino. Bojovic’s tourist visa reportedly expired in 2015, leading McLaughlin to wonder in a statement how he could be hired after 10 years living in the U.S. illegally. Hanover Park officials told CBS News that Bojovic was hired through the proper checks and channels and he also provided a valid work authorization card that had recently been renewed. ICE ARRESTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF DECAPITATING ILLINOIS WOMAN AFTER JUDGE SET HIM FREE Bojovic’s first day back on full duty was Tuesday, according to police statements, as officials said the man’s $2,500 bond from his DHS case was not contested. That did not quell other conservatives, including commentator Chaya Raichik, better known as “LibsOfTikTok.” “Crazy as hell,” Raichik wrote on X. “Why is an illegal alien working as a cop and getting paid by our tax dollars.” Raichik also criticized a report that Bojovic will receive back pay for the time he has been off duty. Bojovic has no criminal history in Illinois State Police and federal databases, according to Chicago’s FOX affiliate. A town in Maine is also under scrutiny after ICE claimed an illegal immigrant from Jamaica was serving as a reserve police officer in a “sanctuary jurisdiction” when he was reportedly arrested for unlawfully attempting to purchase a firearm. Fox News Digital reached out to Hanover Park Police administration as well as a deputy chief listed on a press release about the matter, for further comment.
House Republicans back Trump’s Venezuela moves for now as escalation uncertainty looms
House Republicans say they’re behind President Donald Trump and his administration’s pressure campaign on Venezuela so far, but the uncertainty over what happens next is spurring both questions and concerns among some in the GOP. Several Republican members of the House Armed Services Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee told Fox News Digital that the Trump administration has been well within its rights to act against Nicolás Maduro’s regime. But they’re eager for more information after several strikes against alleged Venezuelan drug boats and Trump’s own heightened rhetoric targeting the country’s dictatorial president. “I support the actions that are being taken,” Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., told Fox News Digital. “I absolutely support stopping the flow of drugs in this country. I’m interested in seeing what the longer-term plans are, and that’s what I want to see.” It comes amid significant speculation and debate over a pair of Sept. 2 strikes against an alleged drug boat from Venezuela. LAWMAKERS SKEPTICAL OF ALLEGED HEGSETH KILL ORDERS IN VENEZUELA — BUT ISSUE STARK WARNING The White House confirmed that the U.S. carried out two attacks — one initial hit on the boat and a follow-up strike that killed two remaining survivors. Democrats have accused the GOP administration of committing a possible war crime. Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who said the second strike was carried out on orders from U.S. Navy Admiral Frank M. Bradley, have emphatically defended the decision. “Obviously, if you’re not there, it’s kind of hard to second-guess those decisions,” Rep. Mark Messmer, R-Ind., said in pushing back on the criticism. “I think the use of our armed forces … to help deal with the flood of human trafficking and drug trafficking that’s coming out of Venezuela, we need to do all we can to help stop.” TOP DEMOCRAT BACKS US INTEL ON NARCO-TRAFFICKING STRIKES, FAULTS BIDEN FOR ‘NOT GOING FAR ENOUGH’ ON MADURO He said, however, that Trump would have to seek congressional approval before any escalation of force against Venezuela — something GOP lawmakers were torn over. “Certain things are obviously within the executive authorities, but also I think there’s things under Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 through 13 that are war powers of Congress,” said Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla. “There are certain things that he does have the ability to do. But we don’t know what the president’s plan is at this point, and he’s not forecasting it so others know. So I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves slightly … when we don’t know what the actual plan is.” Rep. Earl Baumgartner, R-Colo., said Trump had past precedent on his side in treating certain further actions against Venezuela as law enforcement actions rather than acts of war. “I think it’s within the bounds of protecting American national security under the guidance of the president. And, again, the briefings I’ve received, I think they’re on the right track in the process,” he said. WASHINGTON’S SHADOW WAR: HOW STRIKES ON CARTELS THREATEN TO COLLAPSE MADURO’S REGIME Rep. Derek Schmidt, R-Kan., said he was looking forward to getting more information on the situation but did not say directly whether Trump needed to seek Congress’ green light to escalate use of force against Maduro. “I think we have to give the president plenty of room to conduct diplomacy on behalf of the country. Not everything that ends up in print is necessarily intended for domestic consumption when you’re dealing with foreign relations,” he said. “Setting aside the legal debates, I think it would be wise to be sure that the American people are supportive of, you know, any substantial escalation before undertaking it.” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said Trump would need to seek congressional approval if he “goes to war” but argued “it currently is not a war.” “I mean, they declared war on us when they dumped that junk onto our streets. So the drug dealers, I say, send them all to hell. I’m tired of seeing families that I know lose loved ones to drug abuse,” he said. And Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., also signaled he would stick by whatever Trump decided on Venezuela. “It’s already designated a foreign terrorist organization. [Maduro is] the head of a foreign terrorist organization. He’s the illegitimate president or leader of Venezuela,” he said. “That organization has killed tens of thousands of Americans. And so I will support the actions that the president is taking in order to get Maduro to leave and install a legitimate government and bring freedom to the people of Venezuela.”
Foreign-backed influence in schools to be exposed under GOP ‘TRACE Act’ giving parents access to curriculum
EXCLUSIVE: Congressional Republicans renewed their efforts Wednesday to give parents a window into whether their child’s education is being influenced by the Chinese Communist Party or other malign actors. Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., chair of the House DOGE Caucus, and Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., will put forward their TRACE Act on Wednesday morning, which seeks to “TRACE” foreign funding and influence – or provide “Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions in Education.” The bill would require that, as a condition of federal funding, schools must provide parents with the right to review any curriculum provided by or purchased with funds of a foreign country. It also mandates parents have the right to know or be informed of any contract or financial transaction a school or district has with any foreign country. NEW REPORT SOUNDS ALARM ON ‘STAGGERING’ AMOUNT OF FOREIGN MONEY POURING INTO US UNIVERSITIES Schools would be required to provide free copies roughly once a month and no later than 30 days after a parent submits a written request for any student curricular materials or teacher professional-development materials. The bill would also shine a light on foreign countries’ donations to schools across the country, particularly those contributions from formally designated “foreign entities of concern.” “American schools are for education, not espionage,” Bean told Fox News Digital. FBI DIRECTOR PATEL LEADS CHARGE TO ROOT OUT CHINESE INFLUENCE ON US SOIL “Yet this is what happens when our institutions of learning accept the Trojan horse of foreign funding. The TRACE Act puts parents back in charge, exposes foreign influence for what it is, and slams the door on hostile nations trying to reach America’s youth.” Bean said the House seeks to protect parental rights, secure classrooms from foreign influence and “keep American schools rooted in freedom.” “Our future is on the line, and we’re going to get this done.” ARREST OF CHINESE NATIONALS IN SWING STATE, ISRAEL’S FIGHT WITH IRAN ARE ‘WAKE UP’ CALL ON CCP THREAT: EXPERTS Mackenzie added that parents have a right to know what is being taught to their kids – “especially when overseas adversaries like China may be involved.” “Our children and our democracy depend on keeping foreign propaganda campaigns out of American classrooms, and parents are the first line of defense,” Mackenzie told Fox News Digital. He echoed Bean in that the TRACE Act will strengthen parental rights and harden classrooms against outside academic intercession. Two other House lawmakers: Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., and Erin Houchin, R-Ind., have also signed on to the bill. The issue has come to the fore in recent years, as education officials in states such as Oklahoma warn against Chinese Communist Party-linked Confucius Classrooms and other foreign-funded or globally-based initiatives. BYRON DONALDS LEADS BIPARTISAN EFFORT TO PUNISH FEDERAL WORKERS FOR FAILURE TO REPORT FOREIGN GIFTS Oklahoma’s top elected education official had called for congressional action in 2023 to blunt foreign influence in schools – and further pledged to be on the front lines of pushing back against untoward interference in children’s education. State Superintendent of Education Ryan Walters previously told Fox News Digital he believes foreign influence over education is a national security risk – especially when it comes without the knowledge of children or their parents. He challenged his state’s largest school district, alleging funding for Confucius Classrooms had been “hidden” from parents and that it was “actually the Chinese Communist Party that was funding a nonprofit that was working directly in the school.” In a statement to Fox News at the time on the matter, Tulsa Public Schools said the district “has no Confucius Classroom programs in its schools” in response to allegations it partnered with a China-linked entity. A similar bill was launched in 2024, but languished in the House. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also previously authored a Senate version of the prior legislation, but it died in committee, according to the Congressional Record.