AOC accuses Trump of engaging in ‘increasingly erratic’ behavior
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., claimed that President Donald Trump has been exhibiting “increasingly erratic” behavior. She made the comment in response to a question from Migrant Insider editor Pablo Manríquez, who asked, “How big of a factor is Donald Trump’s cognitive decline, given what we’re seeing at Davos?” “I think that the president has been acting in increasingly erratic ways,” Ocasio-Cortez replied, according to the video shared on X. AOC ACCUSES VANCE OF BELIEVING ‘AMERICAN PEOPLE SHOULD BE ASSASSINATED IN THE STREET’ “I think it is really damning when we think about the degree to which mass media outlets reported on Joe Biden,” she said, pointing to how the Democratic Party ultimately nominated Kamala Harris in the 2024 race. “Yet, we are seeing behavior from Donald Trump that is increasingly erratic and alarming,” she said, asserting that “everyone’s pretending that this is normal.” The congresswoman said America’s “global partners” are seeing “the entire government apparatus and a party that is willing to watch someone decompensate in front of the world and do nothing about it.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment. “While deranged Democrats like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez push these blatant lies, President Trump is dominating on the world stage and brokering historic deals to advance the interests of the American people,” White House spokesperson Liz Huston said in a statement. “Don’t forget that after Joe Biden’s brain unraveled on the 2024 presidential debate stage and nearly the entire Democrat party subsequently panicked and demanded Biden drop out of the race, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez was one of the few delusional holdouts backing and pleading for Joe Biden to remain as their presidential nominee as late as July 8, 2024,” she added. TRUMP CLAIMS WHITE HOUSE DOCTORS REPORT HIM IN ‘PERFECT HEALTH,’ SAYS HE ‘ACED’ THIRD STRAIGHT COGNITIVE EXAM “Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez’s peanut-sized brain either forgot this happened or she thinks the American people are too stupid to remember,” Huston said. In July 2024 — after President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance against Trump, but before Biden dropped out of the presidential race later in July — Ocasio-Cortez expressed her support for the incumbent. “Joe Biden is our nominee. He is not leaving this race. He is in this race, and I support him,” she said at the time. Earlier this year, Trump declared in a Truth Social post, “The White House Doctors have just reported that I am in ‘PERFECT HEALTH,’ and that I ‘ACED’ (Meaning, was correct on 100% of the questions asked!), for the third straight time, my Cognitive Examination, something which no other President, or previous Vice President, was willing to take.” “P.S., I strongly believe that anyone running for President, or Vice President, should be mandatorily forced to take a strong, meaningful, and proven Cognitive Examination. Our great Country cannot be run by ‘STUPID’ or INCOMPETENT PEOPLE!” he added. TRUMP PITCHES COGNITIVE TESTS FOR LEADERS, QUESTIONS IF HARRIS, WALZ, NEWSOM COULD PASS In a Truth Social post last year, Trump referred to Ocasio-Cortez as “one of the ‘dumbest’ people in Congress.”
Vance tells Minneapolis to ‘stop fighting’ ICE as White House doubles down on crackdown
Vice President JD Vance stops in Minnesota Thursday, which is ground zero in the heated battle over President Donald Trump’s aggressive illegal immigration crackdown. A White House official told Fox News that Vance will use his trip to “highlight the Administration’s commitment to restoring law and order in Minneapolis.” The official said that Vance will meet with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during his stop, “to reinforce the White House’s unwavering support for federal immigration officials.” He also plans to hold a roundtable discussion with community leaders and hold a news conference. Apparently not on Vance’s itinerary: any olive branches to top Democratic officials and protesters who are fiercely opposed to the aggressive efforts by the massive deployment to Minnesota of masked ICE agents, who have raided homes as they search people for proof of citizenship. FBI DIRECTOR PATEL WARNS ELECTED OFFICIALS ‘NO ONE’ IS EXEMPT FROM FEDERAL SCRUTINY AMID MINNESOTA INVESTIGATION “I’m headed from here to Minneapolis, where we’re going to talk with some of our ICE agents, talk with local officials about how we can turn down the chaos. And my simple piece of advice to them is going to be, look, if you want to turn down the chaos in Minneapolis, stop fighting immigration enforcement and accept that we have to have a border in this country. It’s not that hard,” Vance said a couple of hours ahead of his arrival in Minnesota. But he added, “Certainly one of my goals is to calm the tensions, to talk to people, to try to understand what we can do better.” The vice president’s trip to Minneapolis comes two weeks after the fatal shooting by an ICE agent of Renee Good, a Minnesota woman and mother of three, went viral, sparking protests and a national debate over the agency’s efforts to carry out Trump’s push for the mass deportation of millions of undocumented migrants. And Richard Carlbom, chair of the Minnesota Democrats, argued that “JD Vance isn’t serious about accountability. He’s here to do Trump’s dirty work: defending disgusting ICE actions like the tragic killing of Renee Good and using Minnesota as a political backdrop.” MINNESOTA DEMOCRATS CRITICIZE DOJ SUBPOENAS, CLAIM WEAPONIZATION OF JUSTICE SYSTEM The White House says Vance “will point out how Minneapolis’s sanctuary city policies have degraded public safety and endangered ICE officers. He will also celebrate the essential work ICE agents have done to take dangerous, criminal illegal aliens off of America’s streets.” Good’s death and the continued ICE raids have fueled demonstrations, with protesters facing off against federal immigration officers. Hours ahead of Vance’s arrival, Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino said at a news conference in Minneapolis that “our agents are being violently assaulted by agitators and anarchists.” Hundreds of military police troops are on alert for deployment to Minneapolis after Trump last week warned that if Minnesota’s political leaders don’t stop what he argued were “professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT.” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other prominent Democrats, including state Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, were served Tuesday with subpoenas from the U.S. Department of Justice over an alleged conspiracy to obstruct or impede federal law enforcement during ongoing ICE operations. DHS SAYS ICE AGENTS RAMMED BY VEHICLES AMID MINNEAPOLIS ENFORCEMENT SURGE: ‘AGGRESSIVELY ASSAULTED’ “Minnesota will not be intimidated into silence and neither will I,” Walz fired back in a statement. And he charged, “Families are scared. Kids are afraid to go to school. Small businesses are hurting. A mother is dead, and the people responsible have yet to be held accountable. That’s where the energy of the federal government should be directed: toward restoring trust, accountability, and real law and order, not political retaliation.” Earlier Thursday, before his arrival in Minnesota, Vance asked, “What is wrong with Minneapolis authorities? They so hate the idea of enforcing immigration laws that they’re telling their people not to get sex offenders out of their community. It’s crazy. And it’s why we see so much chaos in Minneapolis, but not elsewhere.” Vance has been one of the most vocal members of the Trump administration defending ICE and targeting the backlash over the federal crackdown, and his trip to Minnesota is another sign that the White House isn’t backing down on its mass deportation push. After Good’s death, Vance charged that Democrats were “rallying the mob against legitimate law enforcement operations.” VOTERS SHARPLY DIVIDED OVER ICE SHOOTING IN MINNESOTA: POLL At a White House news briefing earlier this month, the vice president claimed that Good had been “brainwashed” and argued that the Minneapolis mother of three had links to a “broader, left-wing network.” Vance’s trip comes amid flagging support for ICE in a slew of recent national polls. The most recent survey, a New York Times/Siena Poll conducted Jan. 12–17 and released on Thursday, showed a slight majority approving of the job Trump is doing on the southern border with Mexico and his administration’s deportation efforts. But the president’s overall approval on the issue of immigration was underwater in the poll, with nearly two-thirds disapproving of how ICE was handling their job and 61% saying ICE’s tactics had gone too far. Vance’s stop in Minnesota also comes amid the sprawling federal fraud investigation that has led to charges against dozens of people in the state’s large Somali-American community. The fraud scandal has put Democratic leaders in the state on the defensive and convinced Walz to end his bid this year for re-election to a third term as governor. The Trump administration is keen to highlight the scandal, and Vance is expected during this stop to spotlight the recent creation of a new assistant attorney general position “to crack down on widescale fraud and abuse of taxpayer-funded programs as seen in Minnesota and several other states.” The vice president was previously in Minnesota in September, in the wake of a mass shooting at a Minneapolis-area Catholic Church. Vance traveled
State Dept moves to expand Mexico City Policy, targeting abortion, DEI and gender ideology in foreign aid
FIRST ON FOX: The State Department is finalizing an expansion of the Mexico City Policy Friday that will bar U.S. foreign assistance from subsidizing abortion and, in a major broadening, from supporting what the administration calls gender and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, Fox News Digital learned Thursday. The Mexico City Policy is a Reagan-era U.S. rule that conditions foreign aid on recipient groups certifying they will not provide or promote abortion as a method of family planning. President Ronald Reagan first rolled the policy out in 1984 at a United Nations population conference to prevent U.S. foreign aid from being used to promote abortion in other nations. The State Department Friday is expected to finalize three rules to expand the Mexico City Policy to protect foreign assistance from subsidizing not only abortion as a method of family planning, but also gender and DEI ideology, Fox News Digital learned. PRO-LIFE LEADERS FIRMLY REJECT TRUMP’S CALL FOR HYDE AMENDMENT ‘FLEXIBILITY’ IN HEALTHCARE TALKS Under previous iterations of the Mexico City Policy, U.S. funding was barred from supporting organizations that provide or promote abortion as a method of family planning. During President Donald Trump’s first term, the policy was expanded to cover roughly $8 billion in global health assistance. The newly finalized rules go further, and cover all nonmilitary foreign assistance to the tune of more than $30 billion. Foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and international organizations receiving U.S. assistance will be required to certify that they do not provide or promote abortion as a method of family planning, promote gender ideology, promote discriminatory equity ideology, or engage in unlawful diversity, equity and inclusion–related discrimination, according to the policy framework. TRUMP URGES GOP TO BE ‘FLEXIBLE’ ON HYDE AMENDMENT, IGNITING BACKLASH FROM PRO-LIFE ALLIES U.S.-based NGOs operating overseas will face similar certification requirements, Fox Digital learned. Democratic presidents typically rescind the rule, as President Joe Biden did days after taking office in 2021. Republican presidents usually reinstate it, as Trump did in January 2025. “These excessive conditions on foreign and development assistance undermine the United States’ efforts to advance gender equality globally by restricting our ability to support women’s health and programs that prevent and respond to gender-based violence,” Biden said in 2021 when defending rescinding the rule after the first Trump administration wrapped up. The Mexico City Policy got its name due to Reagan first unveiling the policy at a U.N. conference that was held in Mexico City in 1984. The rule later became known as the “global gag rule” because it conditioned U.S. aid on groups that agreed not to provide or promote abortion as family planning, which opponents argued effectively “gags” their speech and advocacy overseas. PRO-LIFE GROUPS WARN TRUMP HYDE AMENDMENT IS ‘NON-NEGOTIABLE’ AFTER FLEXIBILITY REMARKS The expected new rules come as the annual March for Life will be held in Washington, D.C., Friday. It attracts thousands of pro-lifers in the cold winter months to march through the streets of the nation’s capital to champion protecting the unborn. Vice President JD Vance is slated to join the pro-lifers and deliver remarks. Trump repeatedly has touted the policy, saying in 2017 that his first administration was working “to protect the unborn” by reinstating the Mexico City Policy. The addition of gender and DEI ideology to the framework follows the Trump administration’s year of work to roll back what it describes as the use of federal policy and funding to advance progressive social ideology. “We’ve ended the tyranny of so-called diversity, equity and inclusion policies all across the entire federal government,” Trump celebrated in March 2025. “Our country will be woke no longer.”
Pro-life organization calls on HHS and FDA to suspend abortion pill approval, tighten safety rules
FIRST ON FOX: Live Action, a pro-life organization, is demanding that the Trump administration take action on the distribution of and reporting on mifepristone, often colloquially called “the abortion pill.” The group is holding a press conference on Capitol Hill on Thursday to discuss concerns surrounding the abortion drug, as well as a new investigative video from Live Action that the group says documents “the dangerous real-world distribution of this drug by Planned Parenthood and affiliated providers.” The group alleges “reckless distribution” practices and argues the adverse effects of the drug are not being documented properly, if at all. In a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, Live Action said it aims to show “clear evidence of regulatory noncompliance and patient harm” and to issue a call for immediate action from HHS and the FDA. The letter urges HHS and the FDA to suspend the approval of mifepristone, prohibit the distribution of abortion pills through mail-order services and telehealth, reinstate comprehensive adverse-event reporting requirements, and release a full public accounting of the scientific and clinical evidence used to expand access to the drug. PRO-LIFE GROUPS WARN TRUMP HYDE AMENDMENT IS ‘NON-NEGOTIABLE’ AFTER FLEXIBILITY REMARKS “For more than two decades, mifepristone has remained on the market under an approval process that was politically accelerated, shielded from transparency, and repeatedly expanded without regard for patient safety, adverse event reporting, or statutory compliance,” the letter, signed by Lila Rose, Live Action founder and president, reads. The FDA currently allows mifepristone to be prescribed via telehealth appointments and distributed by mail under its risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) program. The FDA advises against buying mifepristone online outside its REMS program, warning that those who do “would be bypassing important safeguards specifically designed to protect their health.” “As previously stated, HHS is conducting a study of reported adverse events associated with mifepristone to assess whether the FDA’s risk mitigation program continues to provide appropriate protections for women,” HHS press secretary Emily Hilliard told Fox News Digital. “The FDA’s scientific review process is thorough and takes the time necessary to ensure decisions are grounded in gold-standard science. Dr. Makary is upholding that standard as part of the Department’s commitment to rigorous, evidence-based review,” she added. WYOMING SUPREME COURT RULES LAWS RESTRICTING ABORTION VIOLATE STATE CONSTITUTION The letter also references an April 2025 report issued by the Ethics & Public Policy Center (EPPC). The report claims that nearly 11% of women experience adverse side effects within 45 days of taking mifepristone, including sepsis, infection and hemorrhaging. “The real-world rate of serious adverse events following mifepristone abortions is at least 22 times as high as the summary figure of ‘less than 0.5 percent’ in clinical trials reported on the drug label,” the EPPC report summary states. Live Action also put out a video purportedly showing real calls with 27 Planned Parenthood locations across the U.S. In the video, a woman speaks with various Planned Parenthood locations about obtaining the abortion pill. The video appears to feature Planned Parenthood facilities in Alaska, Colorado, Kansas, Oregon, Minnesota, New Mexico and New York, with some states appearing multiple times. The first section shows the woman asking whether the clinics need to see ultrasounds before prescribing the pill in order to assess the gestational age of the fetus. Many of those answering the phones at the Planned Parenthood locations said women could obtain the pill without an ultrasound through a telehealth appointment. In the second section, the woman who called was told that Planned Parenthood would not test for Rhesus (Rh) incompatibility. Rh is a protein that some people carry in their blood, and it can cause issues in future pregnancies. A form from Planned Parenthood of Greater New York dated March 2020 states that, “There is a chance you might make Rh antibodies and have problems with future pregnancies. Research has not proved this.” MORE THAN 20 GOP ATTORNEYS GENERAL CALL ON RFK JR, FDA TO REINSTATE SAFEGUARDS FOR ABORTION DRUGS Live Action’s video also purportedly showed that those who answered the phone at multiple Planned Parenthood locations assured the women that they did not need to give their medical history or attend an in-person follow-up. It was unclear if the individuals who spoke with the woman had medical training. One suggested that the woman speak to a medical professional to get more accurate information on specific questions. Those who answered the phone for clinics in multiple states also said the caller would be able to have the pills sent to another person’s house. When asked whether the pills needed to be taken right away, most said they did not, with many assuring the woman calling that she could change her mind or wait to make a decision. However, the person on the phone at one clinic said that the woman had until 12 weeks to take the pill and advised that it would not be effective after that time. Live Action released its letter and accompanying video ahead of the annual March for Life, which is scheduled for Jan. 23. Vice President JD Vance, who recently announced that he and his wife, Usha, are expecting their fourth child, is slated to speak at the march, as he did in 2025. Other speakers include House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Planned Parenthood said its health centers that offer medication abortion “follow all applicable laws and regulations and always ensure care provided reflects the latest credible research and upholds the highest standard of patient care.” “In accordance with Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s medical standards and guidelines — which are developed and updated with medical experts across the field of sexual and reproductive health care using rigorous scientific evidence — providers at Planned Parenthood health centers explain the associated risks and benefits to patients seeking medication abortion, just as they do with
Minnesota agitators arrested in wake of church invasion, Bondi says
Federal authorities have arrested two anti-ICE agitators after a mob stormed a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Thursday. Bondi named Nekima Levy Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen as the suspects. FBI Director Kash Patel says the pair are charged with violating the FACE Act, which prohibits interfering with the exercise of religion at a place of worship. “Minutes ago at my direction, HSI and FBI agents executed an arrest in Minnesota. So far, we have arrested Nekima Levy Armstrong, who allegedly played a key role in organizing the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota,” Bondi wrote on X. “A second arrest has been made at my direction. Chauntyll Louisa Allen has been taken into custody,” she announced minutes later. NYT SLAMMED OVER REPORT SAYING PROTEST AT MINNESOTA CHURCH SERVICE ‘ADDS TO TENSIONS OVER ICE TACTICS’ “We will share more updates as they become available. Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP,” she added. Armstrong, whose website identifies her as a civil rights lawyer and “scholar-activist,” helped to organize the storming of Cities Church in in St. Paul on Sunday. Allen is a member of the St. Paul School Board who also helped organize the protest. Armstrong continued to harass people connected with the church as recently as Wednesday, when she accused one of its pastors of having a “conflict of interest” due to working for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ST PAUL PASTOR DENOUNCES ANTI-ICE AGITATORS WHO DISRUPTED CHURCH SERVICE, SAYS ‘WE’RE HERE TO WORSHIP JESUS’ Armstrong claimed in a Facebook post that one of the church’s pastors is a leader at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The demonstration is one of many throughout the Twin Cities in protest of the federal government’s surge of immigration enforcement officials to crack down on widespread fraud taking place in the state. The Sunday attack saw dozens of agitators storm Cities Church during its service. Video from the incident showed activists screaming at congregants, including children. ANTI-ICE AGITATOR DEFENDS INVADING CHURCH, CLAIMS ‘IT’S WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE’ Before the Sunday service disruption, Armstrong caused controversy through her far-left views and activism. She has also been a key organizer of the boycotts against Target over its decision to scale back its diversity, equity and inclusion programs. In a September 26 post, Armstrong had high praise for Joanne Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur, who was convicted of the murder of State Trooper Werner Foerster in 1977. Armstrong called her “a brave, wise, powerful, and revolutionary Black woman.” Fox News’ Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.
DHS funding heads to House vote after Johnson quells GOP revolt over ethanol
Republicans set up a House-wide vote on a $1.2 trillion spending package on Thursday, including funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), after Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., worked overnight to quell a rebellion over Midwestern Republican energy demands. The House Rules Committee voted 9-4 to advance two spending bills needed to avoid a government shutdown that is set to begin on Jan. 30. While a compromise appears to have eased concerns for GOP lawmakers in the Midwest, the DHS funding portion is still causing ire among progressives and conservatives alike over its measures on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). One bill would fund the departments of War, Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services, and the second is aimed at DHS — including ICE. According to comments from lawmakers made to Fox News Digital, as many as 20 Republicans had threatened to kill the spending package during a key procedural vote later on Wednesday. They demanded the inclusion of a provision to allow the year-round sale of E15 ethanol, a type of gasoline blend. Under the current Clean Air Act, E15’s sales are limited due to failing to overcome Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. Johnson, emerging from the Rules Committee early on Thursday, said he had reached an agreement with the would-be rebels. “It’s a very positive development,” Johnson told Fox News Digital. “We decided among a good representation of the conference late last night that we would create the E15 Domestic Energy Council. It will be composed not just of members from across the conference with different views but also stakeholders — refiners, people in the industry.” That council, Johnson also explained, would take a closer look at the demands made by Midwest Republicans and weigh them against the environmental protections the country has in place. He said he expected those talks to be a “worthwhile endeavor” but didn’t expand on what kind of resolution he expects to see. A source close to the matter told Fox News Digital that the agreement would mandate the working group meet regularly next month with the goal of recommending legislation by Feb. 25. SENATE ADVANCES $174B PACKAGE AS MINNESOTA ICE SHOOTING FUELS DHS FUNDING FIGHT The bill will next face a procedural vote known as a “rule vote,” when the entire House weighs whether to allow for debate and final consideration of a given measure or set of bills. Rule votes traditionally fall along party lines even if the underlying bills have bipartisan support, meaning Johnson can afford to lose no more than two GOP votes and still advance the legislation. If passed, the two separate spending packages will later be joined together for consideration in the Senate. ICE FUNDING BILL DRAWS FIRE FROM LEFT AND RIGHT AS SHUTDOWN DEADLINE NEARS Questions remain whether House GOP leadership will be able to unite Republicans around other aspects of the legislation, as concerns have emerged among conservatives about new requirements for ICE. Those provisions, demanded by Democrats, include requiring ICE agents to wear body cameras and undergo additional training on how to interact with the public. It also keeps funding levels largely flat over levels from FY2025 and even reduces some of the allocations for ICE’s removal activities. But that’s not enough for a significant number of Democrats. Many made it clear they won’t support the bill, claiming that the legislation doesn’t do enough to rein in ICE’s operations after Renee Nicole Good was killed in a fatal confrontation with ICE agents in Minnesota earlier this month. “All the guardrails in the world don’t make sense if the administration isn’t going to follow the law and the language that we pass. Members have to take that into account,” House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., said. “Ultimately, members are going to vote [for] what’s in the best interest of their districts.” Democrats attempted to shoehorn left-wing priorities into the legislation during the House Rules Committee meeting, including measures targeting President Donald Trump’s agenda on Greenland, Venezuela and ICE. CONGRESS ROLLS OUT $80B SPENDING BILL AS DEMS THREATEN DHS FUNDING AMID SHUTDOWN FEARS Among them are amendments to prevent any of the funding in the bill from being used to invade a NATO-protected country and a measure to prohibit federal funds from being used in military actions against Venezuela after Trump executed a military operation to capture the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro. Amendments to the DHS bill also sought to reduce the salary of Secretary Kristi Noem to $1 or eliminate the funding of the agency altogether. Those amendments were largely symbolic protests, however, and were not included in the final bill.
SCOOP: White House backs impeaching ‘rogue’ judges accused of partisan rulings
FIRST ON FOX: The White House fully supports efforts on Capitol Hill to impeach federal judges who have gone “totally rogue” with partisan rulings, Fox News Digital learned. A White House official told Fox News Digital that the administration is closely tracking the Senate Judiciary Committee’s impeachment inquiry involving U.S. District Judges James Boasberg, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and Deborah Boardman, of the U.S. District Court in Maryland, as Republican lawmakers openly discuss impeaching what they describe as “activist” judges. “Left-wing, activist judges have gone totally rogue,” a White House official told Fox News Digital. “They’re undermining the rule of law in service of their own radical agenda. It needs to stop. And the White House fully embraces impeachment efforts.” The White House official continued that President Donald Trump must be able to “lawfully implement the agenda the American people elected him on,” arguing that judges who repeatedly issue partisan rulings have abused their offices and forfeited their claim to impartiality. TRUMP TEAM MOVES TO BLOCK DOJ TESTIMONY IN BOASBERG CONTEMPT PROBE, RAISING STAKES IN COURT SHOWDOWN Federal judges can be impeached when the House approves articles alleging misconduct or abuse of office, with removal certified after the Senate convicts by a two-thirds vote. Boasberg has become a prime target for Republicans over a string of rulings tied to Trump-era immigration policies — including cases involving the transfer of migrants to El Salvador and other countries rather than holding them in U.S. detention. More recently, he’s drawn fresh GOP backlash after reports surfaced that he approved warrants in former special counsel Jack Smith’s “Arctic Frost” probe that enabled investigators to seize phone records connected to some Republican lawmakers. He first faced articles of impeachment in March 2025 for preventing the administration from deporting some illegal migrants under the Alien Enemies Act, and again in November over the Arctic Frost decision. A White House official told Fox Digital that Boasberg has a history of issuing “plainly illegal” while pointing to the warrants and subpoenas he authorized in the Arctic Frost investigation. FRESH TRUMP-LINKED CASE PUTS BOASBERG BACK IN GOP CROSSHAIRS Boardman faces impeachment calls over her sentencing decision for a man found guilty of charges related to trying to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The man was sentenced to eight years when the recommended term was 30 years. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is among Republican lawmakers calling for Boasberg and Boardman to be impeached. He argued that they “meet the constitutional standard for impeachment” during a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing earlier in January, calling both “rogue judges.” The White House argued that federal judges who develop a record of issuing rogue, plainly unlawful rulings to advance or undermine a political party forfeit their impartiality, abuse their authority and warrant impeachment. Both judges have avoided commenting publicly on impeachment talk, declining a Senate invitation to testify Jan. 7. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson also threw his support behind impeaching “rogue” judges Wednesday. “I think some of these judges have gotten so far outside the bounds of where they’re supposed to operate,” Johnson said during a weekly press conference. “It would not be, in my view, a bad thing for Congress to lay down the law.” COURT SAYS BOASBERG DIDN’T KNOW ARCTIC FROST SUBPOENAS HIT LAWMAKERS, GRASSLEY CALLS THAT ‘DEEPLY TROUBLING’ The remarks are a departure from his comments in 2025, when he said impeachment was not a practical tool against judges seen as activists working against the Trump administration. “Look, impeachments are never off the table if it’s merited. But in our system — we’ve had 15 federal judges impeached in the entire history of the country — I mean, there may be some that I feel merit that, but you’ve got to get the votes for it. And it’s a very high burden,” Johnson said in May 2025. “Frankly, the bar is high crimes and misdemeanors. I mean, the last federal judge impeached, I think was caught … taking cash in an envelope. You know, it’s got to be a pretty brazen offense or a real open crime that everybody could agree to.” Democrats have pushed against Republican calls for impeachment, including Senate Judiciary Committee member Sheldon Whitehouse responding to Cruz’s comments on potentially impeaching the judges in a letter to Johnson Wednesday. “The pattern is clear: judges rule against the Administration; the President or his allies attack and spread misinformation; judges and their families receive threats, ‘swatting’ attempts, and threatening stunts like pizzas in the name of a federal judge’s murdered son. DOJ has repeatedly refused to assure us that they are investigating the pattern of threats for possible orchestration. Baseless calls for impeachment in this threat environment only add to the dangers facing these judges and their loved ones,” Whitehouse wrote in his letter to Johnson.
Newsom shows off Trump ‘kneepads,’ concedes White House feud is ‘deeply unbecoming’
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ongoing feud with the White House was on full display Thursday in Davos when he cracked a joke about Trump “kneepads,” before acknowledging the increasingly crude exchanges between the two sides are “deeply unbecoming.” The moment began with Newsom brandishing what he described as “Trump signature series kneepads,” prompting laughter from the audience before he shifted to a more serious tone. Speaking at a special World Economic Forum session moderated by Ben Smith, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Semafor, the California governor framed his provocations as a deliberate strategy to “put a mirror up” to President Donald Trump and his allies. “It’s not what we should be doing. But you’ve got to point out the absurdity,” Newsom said. NEWSOM WARNS ‘PATHETIC’ FOREIGN LEADERS TO GROW A BACKBONE IN BIZARRE TAKEDOWN LIKENING TRUMP TO A T.REX He pointed to recent remarks from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent calling him “Patrick Bateman meets Sparkle Beach Ken” as an example of how senior Trump administration officials have increasingly leaned into personal attacks. “We’re deeply in their head. I think the affordability agenda appears to be I’m living rent-free in the Trump administration’s head,” he told Smith. Newsom admitted Trump’s “great strength,” however, is his ability to detect weakness. NEWSOM RETREATS AFTER SHAPIRO PUTS HIM ON THE SPOT OVER CHILLING ICE TERRORISM CLAIM “That’s his gift, but you punch back. You fight fire with fire. You display conviction and strength. It’s a different relationship. And so, my relationship to this moment is reflected in that. I’m not naive. These guys are going to try to take me down, not just my state,” he said. Newsom’s press office said Wednesday on X that the USA House at Davos denied the governor entry to speak with the media after Fortune, the event’s official media partner, invited him, citing pressure from the White House and State Department. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Fox News in response to the claim: “No one in Davos knows who third-rate governor Newscum is or why he is frolicking around Switzerland instead of fixing the many problems he created in California.” The exchange was part of a broader social media back-and-forth between Newsom’s press office and Trump administration allies in recent days, including the official White House “Rapid Response 47” account that mocked the governor while Trump was speaking in Davos.
‘Bond villain’: Newsom roasted as photo of him posing with ‘sugar daddy’ Alex Soros goes viral
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Trump administration have been at each other’s throats on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, during which Newsom was mocked for cozying up to “billionaire sugar daddy” Alex Soros after the California governor accused world leaders of kowtowing to President Donald Trump. Newsom attended the conference this week and slammed foreign world leaders for “rolling over” when confronted by President Donald Trump, but Newsom was criticized himself this week for cozying up to Alexander Soros, the son of billionaire philanthropist George Soros, while in Davos. “Governor Newsom, who strikes me as Patrick Bateman meets Sparkle Beach Ken, may be the only Californian who knows less about economics than Kamala Harris. He’s here this week with his billionaire sugar daddy, Alex Soros, and Davos is the perfect place for a man who, when everyone else was on lockdown, when he was having people arrested for going to church, he was having $1,000 a night meals at the French Laundry,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said during a press conference Wednesday at the USA House in Davos. “And I’m sure the California people won’t forget that.” Bessent’s comments came after Newsom lamented to a reporter earlier in the week that “people are rolling over” to Trump, adding he “should have brought a bunch of kneepads for all the world leaders” at the conference. BESSENT MOCKS NEWSOM AT DAVOS AS ‘PATRICK BATEMAN MEETS SPARKLE BEACH KEN’ But, a subsequent photo posted online by the younger Soros with Newsom at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum this week, praising the California governor’s rebuke of those bending a knee to the Trump administration in Davos, went viral among critics who, like Bessent, accused Newsom of cozying up to Soros. “Great catching up with the real star of the 2026 World Economic Forum, my friend Gavin Newsom,” the young Soros captioned his photo with the California governor. “So glad he’s here calling out world leaders for believing appeasement works when it comes to Trump. It doesn’t. It only emboldens him to become more chaotic and destructive. World leaders could take a page out of Newsom’s book. It’s time to stand tall, stand firm, and stand united — before it’s too late.” In response, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, posted an AI-generated version of the same photo Soros posted to his social media, but juxtaposed Newsom into a NASCAR uniform with sponsorship logos reading “Soros” and “CCP” strewn across it. “Fixed it for you,” the Texas senator captioned his photo. NEWSOM RETREATS AFTER SHAPIRO PUTS HIM ON THE SPOT OVER CHILLING ICE TERRORISM CLAIM “Gavin Newscum auditioning to be Alex Soros’ next sugar baby is a waste of time – all the money in the world could not make Newscum’s pitiful presidential dreams come true,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said. “Someone confiscate Alex Soros’ Instagram account,” Tim Miller, “Bulwark Podcast” host and MSNBC analyst wrote in response to Newsom and Soros showing off their friendship in Davos. “Tells you all you need to know about Gavin Newsom’s true allegiance” said London Center for Policy Research President and former Army intel official Lt. Col. (retired) Tony Shaffer. “Indeed – Newsom is the Soviet star in the Marxist globalists vision to return the world to Futile Mercantilism.” “Hey, you found a billionaire I want to tax,” quipped California Post opinion editor Joel Pollak, while advisor to Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., Nathan Brand, noted how Newsom “already looks like a Bond villain, and posing with Soros at the World Economic Forum in Davos doesn’t help.” On Wednesday, Newsom accused the Trump administration of blocking him from speaking at the USA House in Davos. When reached for comment, the White House neither confirmed nor denied the allegations. “No one in Davos knows who third-rate governor Newscum is or why he is frolicking around Switzerland instead of fixing the many problems he created in California,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly added when asked about the claims from Newsom. Soros, who has donated roughly $70,000 to Newsom’s political ambitions, has a history of posting and praising Newsom on social media. “Great to see the inspiring Gavin Newsom, a force who’s unafraid to push back against this Administration’s threats to our democracy and constitutional rights,” Soros wrote in September on social media along with a photo of himself and Newsom at an event for the Clinton Global Initiative. The pair also met there and took a photo together in 2023. GAVIN NEWSOM WALKS BACK CLAIM MINNESOTA ICE OPERATIONS WERE ‘STATE-SPONSORED TERRORISM’ “Great to see CA Governor Gavin Newsom in New York for the #ClimateSummit,” Soros says in another post from 2019 including a photo with Newsom. “He is doing a phenomenal job reducing carbon emissions in California!” Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office, but did not receive a response.
Trump and world leaders sign Gaza Board of Peace charter
President Donald Trump unveiled his Board of Peace on Thursday, with world leaders signing on to pursue a lasting agreement for Gaza. Trump inaugurated the board during a speech and signing ceremony at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do. And we’ll do it in conjunction with the United Nations,” Trump said in a statement. “This isn’t the United States, this is for the world,” he added. “I think we can spread it out to other things as we succeed in Gaza.” BERNIE SANDERS IMPLIES CBS IS PART OF ‘OLIGARCHY’ CONTROLLING US WHILE ON NETWORK’S ‘LATE SHOW’ Trump noted that most of the 59 leaders signed onto the deal are “very popular,” but others were “not so popular.” “That’s the way it goes,” he said. CANCER-STRICKEN CHILDREN URGE BERNIE SANDERS TO BACK LIFE-SAVING PEDIATRIC HEALTHCARE BILL Notably absent from the board was Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has said Moscow is discussing membership with Russia’s “strategic partners.” The U.K. also has yet to join the board because the legal treaty “brings up much broader issues,” the country’s foreign secretary said. “And we do also have concerns about President Putin being part of something which is talking about peace, when we have still not seen any signs from Putin that there will be a commitment to peace in Ukraine,” U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC. IRAN LOCKS NATION INTO ‘DARKER’ DIGITAL BLACKOUT, VIEWING INTERNET AS AN ‘EXISTENTIAL THREAT’ Norway and Sweden have indicated that they also won’t participate after France also declined membership. French officials stressed that while they support the Gaza peace plan, they were concerned the board could seek to replace the U.N. as the main venue for resolving conflicts. Trump himself has spoken about the board potentially making the U.N. obsolete. The president was more conciliatory during his remarks in Davos, however, assuring attendees that “We’ll do it in conjunction with the United Nations.” Canada and China also have not signed on to the board. The Associated Press contributed to this report.