US Institute of Peace officially renamed for Trump as White House moves to dismantle agency: ‘Congratulations’
The U.S. Institute of Peace has been formally rebranded as the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, marking the latest step in the president’s months-long effort to dismantle the congressionally created agency. The name change comes after a turbulent year for the organization, which the Trump administration has sought to shut down while shifting its authority to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The institute has been fighting the move in federal court, but layoffs proceeded after an appeals court stayed a lower-court ruling that temporarily blocked the administration’s plan. The agency’s website briefly went offline Wednesday morning before returning with promotion for Trump’s upcoming peace-agreement ceremony between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. TRUMP CAPS WEEK WITH BOLD MILITARY MOVES FROM PENTAGON NAME CHANGE TO CARTEL CRACKDOWN White House spokesperson Anna Kelly defended the renaming, telling Fox News Digital the former institute had been “a bloated, useless entity that blew $50 million per year while delivering no peace.” “Now, the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, which is both beautifully and aptly named after a President who ended eight wars in less than a year, will stand as a powerful reminder of what strong leadership can accomplish for global stability,” Kelly said. She added Trump “ended eight wars in less than a year,” framing the institute’s new name as recognition of his “peace through strength” approach. “Congratulations, world!” Kelly said. DAVID MARCUS: THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR MARKS THE END OF AMERICA AS THE WORLD’S POLICEMAN Secretary Marco Rubio echoed that sentiment in a post responding to the announcement. “President Trump will be remembered by history as the President of Peace,” Rubio wrote. “It’s time our State Department display that.” The U.S. Institute of Peace was created by Congress in 1984 as a nonpartisan organization supporting conflict-prevention and peace-building efforts abroad. The dismantling and rebranding into a Trump-named entity represents one of the most sweeping agency overhauls of Trump’s second term. Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that the administration’s shutdown effort was unlawful. But the ruling was stayed on appeal, clearing the way for terminations to move forward in July as the administration restructured the agency and continued transferring functions elsewhere. The institute did not immediately respond to Axios’ request for comment on the rebranding or the status of its ongoing legal challenge. The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Model, DJ linked to violent Tren de Aragua gang leader sanctioned by Trump administration
An actress and model who moonlights as a DJ and is romantically linked to the leader of the bloodthirsty Venezuelan Tren de Aragua (TdA) transnational gang was sanctioned by the Trump administration on Wednesday. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the designation against Jimena Romina Araya Navarro, also known as Rosita. Navarro, a Venezuelan model with millions of social media followers, has helped launder money for TdA along with other entertainers, the department said. She also helped Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as “Niño Guerrero,” escape from Tocorón prison in Venezuela in 2012, the agency said. TRUMP’S STRIKE ON CARTEL VESSEL OFF VENEZUELA SENDS WARNING TO MADURO: ‘NO SANCTUARY’ “Under President Trump, barbaric terrorist cartels can no longer operate with impunity across our borders. The Tren de Aragua network’s narco-trafficking and human smuggling operations have long posed a grave threat to our nation,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “At the direction of President Trump, we will continue to use every tool to cut off these terrorists from the U.S. and global financial system and keep American citizens safe.” Navarro reportedly performs in nightclubs in Colombia, with a portion of the proceeds from the events going to TdA leadership, the Treasury Department said. She has also performed at the Bogotá nightclub Maiquetia VIP Bar Restaurant, which is owned by her former bodyguard and manager, Eryk Manuel Landaeta Hernandez. She is additionally a shareholder and the president of a Venezuela-based company, Global Import Solutions S.A. Hernandez was arrested by Colombian authorities in October 2024. He allegedly organized events featuring international artists and DJs, including Navarro, where drugs were sold for TdA and the proceeds were laundered, authorities said. MADURO CLAIMS US SEEKS ‘REGIME CHANGE THROUGH MILITARY THREAT’ AMID CARIBBEAN BUILDUP Hernandez also allegedly laundered money for Guerrero and sanctioned senior TdA leader Mosquera Serrano. He owns the creative, arts and entertainment services company Eryk Producciones SAS and reportedly served as the gang’s financial and logistics chief in Colombia. Additional sanctions were levied against TdA leaders Richard Jose Espinal Quintero, Noe Manases Aponte Cordova, and Asdrubal Rafael Escobar Cabrera and Cheison Royer Guerrero Palma, Niño Guerrero’s half-brother, who was expanding the gang’s activity into Chile. Kenffersso Jhosue Sevilla Arteaga, known as “El Flipper,” was also sanctioned. He was arrested in Cúcuta, Colombia, in November 2025 and “was involved in extortions, kidnappings, and homicides,” the Treasury Department said. The Trump administration has targeted TdA members in the United States in an effort to deport them to Venezuela. An April intelligence assessment from the National Intelligence Council said some Venezuelan officials have facilitated the migration of TdA members into the United States. In February, the gang was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department.
Social media reactions reveal why both parties celebrated after GOP candidate won special election
After Republican candidate Matt Van Epps defeated Democrat candidate Aftyn Behn in Tuesday’s special election race for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, both parties cheered the results. Republicans touted a rejection of far-left radical policies and their ability to retain the GOP-held seat vacated by retired GOP Congressman Mark Green. Democrats, on the other hand, cheered the slim nature of Van Epps’ victory in a district President Donald Trump won by more than 20 points last year, as Green did in his last two elections. Van Epps won Tuesday night by a nine-point margin. DEMOCRATS’ SURGE IN TENNESSEE THROWS NEW UNCERTAINTY ONTO GOP’S 2026 HOUSE MAP “Last night was the latest flashing red light, indicating that Americans are fed up with Republican policies, particularly how much they have to pay for the things they really need,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said after the race was called. “A deep red Tennessee district that Trump won by 22 points, swung by double digits in Democrats’ direction.” Progressive strategists and organizations described Behn’s campaign, despite her loss, as “amazing,” “well run” and “great,” noting she “gave Democrats in the South and across the country a reason to believe.” After the results were called, President Trump touted Van Epps as a “fantastic” addition to Tennessee’s congressional delegation and called the win “BIG” for the GOP. The president pointed out that “Radical Left Democrats threw everything at him, including Millions of Dollars,” but Van Epps was still able to pull out a victory. “Millions of dollars of dark money wasted,” longtime attorney and legal commentator Mark Pulliam noted. “Aftyn Behn discovered that Middle Tennessee will not elect lunatic leftists to Congress.” Behn’s campaign was riddled with criticism about her history of radical activism, such as pushing to “dissolve” the Nashville police department and defending rioters and looters who took to the streets during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. “I’m currently involved in a transformative justice seminar, and so it’s how to imagine a world without police and what that looks like and what community mechanisms look like,” Behn said during an interview with a local activist group prior to entering elected office. A video of Behn being dragged out of Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s office by police during an attempted sit-in and comments about how she “hate[s]” the city she hoped to represent in D.C., citing her distaste for Nashville’s country music scene and other elements that make Nashville a popular city, also haunted Behn during her run. DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST SAYS TENNESSEE NOMINEE WAS ‘FRINGE OF A FRINGE,’ DOMED PARTY’S CHANCES CNN’s Manu Raju noted in an interview ahead of Tuesday’s election how, during her campaign, Behn was dubbed the “AOC of Tennessee.” “Aftyn Behn (D) lost tonight’s special election in TN, but make no mistake: She’s the median Democrat, a lunatic radical progressive,” CNN conservative political commentator Scott Jennings said of Tuesday night’s election results. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Dems continue to run the most Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs candidates they can find.” Former Congressman David McIntosh, the co-founder of the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy and a member of FedSoc’s Board of Directors, said Jennings “nails it” in his post-election analysis. “It wasn’t exactly a nail-biter, but 9 points is not a landslide,” The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh pointed out. “It should have gone Republican by like 40 points yesterday. Looking at it objectively, that’s what should have happened when you consider who [Behn] is.” However, despite the reservations permeating throughout the GOP following Tuesday’s election, Trump and other Republican leaders praised the victory. Republican National Committee Co-Chair KC Crosbie, said Behn “way underperformed” Tuesday and said she is hopeful heading into the midterms. “I’ve seen a lot of the spin that the Democrats have been trying to put on it today, but if you look at the 2025 special elections, I mean Democrats in 2025 overperformed by 18 points. [Behn] way underperformed last night, and it’s because their message is so far off,” Crosbie said. “They are just bowing to the far-left, woke side of their party and people just aren’t buying into their message. … So, we feel really good going into the midterms.” “Tennesseans voted in this resounding win to reject socialism, to reject the far-left radical ideology and to support common-sense conservatism,” Van Epps told Fox News following his election victory Tuesday. “We are so happy with our margin of victory, and I think it’s setting the tone for 2026. And we are going to win decisively there and hold the House.” “Common sense prevails,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., added. “We had a great candidate in Matt Van Epps, and you can’t deny the Donald Trump effect.” Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has indicated he hopes to swear in Van Epps as soon as this week after his special election win.
Trump warns US may launch land operations inside Venezuela ‘very soon,’ says regime sent ‘killers’ to America
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. is preparing to take its campaign against narco-terrorism directly “on land” inside Venezuela, warning that the Nicolás Maduro regime has already sent “killers, murderers … gang members” and other violent offenders into the U.S. during past years of mass migration. Speaking in the Oval Office during a Q&A session with reporters, Trump said U.S. forces are escalating operations against the trafficking networks behind the synthetic opioids and narcotics he blames for hundreds of thousands of American deaths. “We’re knocking out drug boats right now at a level that we haven’t seen,” Trump said. “Very soon we’re going to start doing it on land too.” The president said American intelligence agencies have mapped the routes, safe houses and production sites used by narcotics manufacturers operating inside Venezuela. TRUMP SAYS US WILL BEGIN STOPPING VENEZUELAN DRUG TRAFFICKERS BY LAND: ‘GOING TO START VERY SOON’ “We know every route. We know every house. We know where they manufacture this crap, the poison … they’ve been feeding us,” he said. Trump has repeatedly accused the Maduro government of weaponizing migration. On Wednesday, he repeated his claim that Venezuela “sent us killers, murderers … drug dealers at the highest level … gang members and people from their mental institutions,” alleging the country had “emptied their prisons into our country.” He argued that this occurred because the U.S. had previously been run by “stupid people … really stupid people.” TRUMP ENDS VENEZUELA TALKS, MILITARY OPTIONS LOOM, NEW REPORT Trump tied the potential escalation to the fentanyl and synthetic opioid crisis, saying traffickers have “been killing our people by the millions. I think last year we lost close to 300,000 people.” He said American families devastated by overdoses were demanding a more aggressive response after years of “poison” entering the country through transnational networks. Trump also confirmed he had spoken only “briefly” with President Maduro and told him “a couple of things. “We’ll see what happens with that,” Trump said, emphasizing that the pressure campaign underway extends beyond diplomacy. Trump also defended the decision to strike drug-smuggling vessels and suggested the same standard applied to operators of land-based narcotics hubs. “I support the decision to knock out the boats,” he said. “Whoever is piloting those boats, they’re guilty of trying to kill people in our country.” The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Americans want US to lead globally but doubt military can win major wars overseas, survey finds
A new national defense survey shows Americans are increasingly alarmed by global threats and more willing to see the United States assert leadership on the world stage even as doubts grow about the military’s readiness to deter adversaries and win wars overseas. The 2025 Reagan National Defense Survey, released Wednesday by the Ronald Reagan Institute, found 64% of Americans want the U.S. to be more engaged and take the lead internationally, a clear majority that cuts across political lines. But that desire for greater U.S. leadership comes alongside a darker view of the Pentagon’s capabilities. Just 49% believe the U.S. military can win a war overseas, and only 45% say it can effectively deter foreign aggression. TAIWAN FM HAILS IMPORTANCE OF US RELATIONSHIP, SAYS GROUP VISITS ‘CONTRIBUTE TO PEACE AND STABILITY’ In an interview, Rachel Hoff, policy director at the Reagan Institute and one of the survey’s authors, said the public’s desire for U.S. global involvement has held steady over the years, but its expectations shift as questions become more specific. “The American people really do support an engaged American presence on the international stage,” Hoff said. At the same time, she noted, the public believes the U.S. “[has] the most powerful military in the world” and that American superiority “ultimately leads to a more peaceful and secure world.” The survey’s findings underscore an ongoing tension in public opinion. Americans want the U.S. to lead, but they also see a military struggling to maintain an edge over rising authoritarian adversaries. One of the most notable long-term trends in the survey is the decline in trust in the armed forces. Only 49% of Americans now say they have “a great deal” of confidence in the military, down 21 points since 2018. SENATE MOVES TO REIN IN TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S FLUCTUATING UKRAINE POLICY Hoff said the downturn is broad-based. “It’s happened among Americans of all political stripes, both men and women, people of different age demographics,” she said. Though the numbers appear to have stabilized in the last two years, the shift marks one of the most significant drops in confidence for any major public institution. When asked what Americans attribute this erosion to, Hoff said the survey consistently highlights one theme. “It all has to do with something around kind of the politicization of the military,” she said. “The American people really want to keep politics out of the military and keep the military focused on its core warfighting mission.” Another major finding was support for sending U.S. weapons to Ukraine has risen to 64%, up nine points since last year. Roughly two-thirds of Americans also say they want Ukraine to win the war. And 45% support backing Kyiv until it regains all Russian-occupied territory. Hoff said the shift reflects a renewed focus on Ukraine’s fate and a notable change among Republican voters. “There’s been a real increase in support for sending U.S. weapons to Ukraine,” she said, adding that it has been “particularly notable among Republicans.” She pointed to the political environment under President Donald Trump. “With Donald Trump back in the White House with his administration leading on peace talks between the Russians and the Ukrainians, we’re seeing not just a desire for America to be in a peace-building role, but, in fact, for Ukraine to emerge as victorious,” she said. While fewer Americans support fighting until full territorial sovereignty is restored at 45%, Hoff said that nuance doesn’t alter the core view that the public sees Ukraine as a friend and Russia as an adversary. “They want to see peace in the region. … They perceive Ukraine as an ally, they perceive Russia as an adversary,” she said. The survey shows a dramatic surge in public backing for defending Taiwan. Sixty percent of Americans now say they would support committing U.S. forces to Taiwan’s defense if China invaded, up from 48% last year. Nearly every potential U.S. response the survey tested — including sanctions, moving military assets, sending equipment and establishing a no-fly zone — rose by around ten points. Hoff said the reason is clear: Americans increasingly view China as the United States’ primary strategic threat. “Almost every response to a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan that we poll test … has gone up around 10 points just in the last year,” she said. “The American people are really clear-eyed about who our friends are and who our adversaries are.” This year’s survey again shows China as the top perceived threat to the U.S., far ahead of Russia, Iran or North Korea. Rising concern about Beijing’s military power, cyber capabilities and global influence appears to be driving the growing support for defending Taiwan. The survey comes as the Pentagon reevaluates its defense strategy and the resources required to counter China and Russia. Hoff said the data provide a straightforward message that the public expects leadership and credible strength. “The American people see the threats around the world. They understand who our friends and adversaries are. They want the U.S. to lead globally and to stand up in defense of freedom,” she said. “They want an American military that’s resourced and postured to do so.” Asked what the Pentagon should take from the findings, Hoff said defense leaders can be confident that the public supports a robust American presence worldwide. “Americans really want the U.S. to be engaged, to be supporting our allies and partners,” she said. And they want a military “poised to balance American interests and advance American interests across each of these regions … to restore deterrence and restore peace.”
The Tennessee ‘waltz’: Republicans and Democrats dance around meaning of special election results
Democrats waltzed into Tennessee and tried to swipe the seat held by Former Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., this week. Winning special elections for House seats is a delicate dance. But Rep.-elect Matt Van Epps, R-Tenn., defeated Democrat Aftyn Behn by nine points. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., noted that the Cook Political Report rates that district to favor the GOP by about 10 points. TRUMP-BACKED REPUBLICAN TOUTS ‘GREAT TURNOUT FOR US’ IN MUST-WIN SPECIAL ELECTION FOR GOP “It’s not an R-plus-25. The President won it by 22 points. It’s actually rated to be a slightly Republican district. So, winning it by nine points is almost exactly on the nose of what we might expect,” said Johnson. In other words, Republicans won the special election by the precise margin expected. That’s even though Republicans fretted that a Democratic surge could serve as a weather vane as to how popular the party is, if there are dents in the Trump coalition and what the path looks like in the 2026 midterms. “Democrats put millions of dollars in. They were really trying to set the scenario that there’s some sort of wave going on. There’s not. We just proved that there’s not,” said Johnson. Maybe. Maybe not. Special elections are special. A snapshot of where a given district stands at a point in time — often without the benefit of the regular electorate, which shows up in November every two years. That’s why House special elections are sometimes closer than what can be expected in the general. And the party out of power often dumps truckloads of cash into these contests to win. If nothing else, it forces the other party to burn lots of money too. But trying to make a race seem important gins up the base and concocts an illusion that things aren’t going well for the other side. Maybe people believe that voters are fed up and are demanding a change. A special election is kind of like checking the score of a football game partway through the second quarter. Maybe one team’s passing game is really clicking. That may dictate the outcome. But we haven’t yet seen the two fumbles in the second half. That’s to say nothing of the botched snap on the field goal and blocked punt. A lot can happen. MUSIC CITY MIRACLE: A LOOK AT AN UNUSUALLY CONTENTIOUS ELECTION IN THE VOLUNTEER STATE Frankly, flipping seats in House special elections is arduous. The party out of power in the House or opposite of who occupies the White House often makes a race of it. That can signal a weakness in the party in power or even the president as you approach the next election. One of the best examples of this came in 2017. House Democrats came close to flipping four special elections in solid Republican seats ranging from Montana to Kansas to South Carolina to Georgia. But Democrats didn’t capture any of those seats. However, Democrats did make a few of them closer than you might think. In fact, one of the best examples involved Rep. Ron Estes, R-Kan. President Donald Trump tapped former Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., to serve as CIA director and, later, secretary of state. Estes ran to succeed Pompeo. Pompeo won his district with 61% of the vote in 2016. Estes held off a challenge from Democrat James Thompson, vanquishing his opponent by six points and scoring 52% of the vote. Despite the defeat, Democrats and political observers noted the relative strength of Thompson in the special election. Many wondered if this was an omen about a 2018 Democratic wave. But the Kansas district is a Republican stronghold. Democrats gained control of the House in the 2018 midterms. However, Estes won re-election the next year by nearly 19 points. And despite the clamor surrounding special elections, there have truly only been four major “flips” in House special elections in the past 18 years. And one of those in a Hawaii special election was an anomaly where the Republican won in a three-way contest while two Democrats siphoned votes from one another. But back to Tennessee. Could Democrats have scored more success with a moderate candidate? Behn was progressive. A centrist may have had a better shot at winning a district like this, especially when one considers the success of Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., last month. DEMOCRATS’ SURGE IN TENNESSEE THROWS NEW UNCERTAINTY ONTO GOP’S 2026 HOUSE MAP Could a Van Epps win encourage other Republicans to quit? The House majority will be 220-214 once Johnson swears him in on Thursday. But some in the GOP are itching to leave. They may think there’s enough of a cushion, even though Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., departs in January. Fox is told there are several House Republicans who want to head for the exits. Some are upset at the White House controlling the entire agenda and Johnson keeping the House at bay for weeks during the government shutdown. Another factor: President Trump’s approach to the war in Ukraine. Moderate Republicans may look at the Tennessee result and insist on the party addressing healthcare in the coming weeks. That’s a looming factor considering that Democrats withheld their votes to fund the government over healthcare this fall. It’s also possible that moderate Republicans in California and New York might see the relative Democratic strength in this contest as a signpost that they face a tough re-election next year. As we said, Democrats flipped the House seven years ago after coming close in several special elections. Then there is redistricting and gerrymandering. The Van Epps win underscores the concept that drawing favorable lines for your party works. But this redistricting took place several years ago. Tennessee Republicans drew former Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., a Blue Dog, and any other Democrat out of a Nashville-area district. The GOP trifurcated Nashville and the suburbs, diluting the Democratic vote among several GOP districts. That served as a safety valve to assure a GOP win Tuesday.
Comer accuses Oversight Dems of ‘cherry-picking’ Epstein Island files: ‘Chasing headlines’
EXCLUSIVE: House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is accusing Democrats on his panel of selectively releasing information related to Jeffrey Epstein. It came hours after committee Democrats released photos and videos capturing what they called “never-before-seen” views of Epstein’s private compound in the U.S. Virgin Islands. But Comer told Fox News Digital that many of those images published by Democrats were already released by Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe, now the head of O’Keefe Media Group. EPSTEIN ISLAND COMPOUND SEEN IN PHOTOS RELEASED BY HOUSE DEMS “Ranking Member Robert Garcia and Democrats on the Oversight Committee continue to embarrass themselves,” Comer said on Wednesday. “Throughout the course of our investigation, Democrats have cherry-picked documents and doctored some of them, and now they are chasing headlines by slapping ‘never-before-seen’ on images and video that were reported by O’Keefe Media Group months ago. The only thing ‘never-before-seen’ is such a reckless Ranking Member.” It came after Oversight Democrats publicized images from Epstein’s island, Little Saint James, including images that appear to show a room with a dentist’s chair and a chalkboard that has words like “power,” “deception,” and “appear” written on it. JEFFREY EPSTEIN SAGA CONTINUES AS CONGRESS RETURNS FROM RECESS O’Keefe himself accused committee Democrats on X of publishing the images with redactions while claiming he himself posted similar photos without information blotted out. Ranking Member Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said in a press release when that first crop came out, “These new images are a disturbing look into the world of Jeffrey Epstein and his island. We are releasing these photos and videos to ensure public transparency in our investigation and to help piece together the full picture of Epstein’s horrific crimes…It’s time for President Trump to release all the files, now.” Roughly 18 minutes after Fox News Digital reached out for a response to Comer’s statement, House Oversight Committee Democrats posted on X that they were releasing “an additional 150+ photos and videos sent to our committee from Epstein Island.” The tranche includes images of a framed photo of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell meeting the pope. Another image of a framed photo appears to show two different people’s hands latched together, while others show works of art — including a lamp whose base resembles a naked woman’s torso. One photo shows a Samsung computer that appears to reflect several different security camera angles, only three of which look functional and which show the outdoors. Another image appears to show a nightstand that holds a sleeping mask and a box of tissues, among others. A spokesperson for the House Oversight Committee majority pledged the panel will release more files soon while criticizing Democrats for what they called a selective release. ‘STONE-COLD LIAR’: TOP HOUSE DEM LASHES OUT AT COMER FOR ACCUSING HIM OF SOLICITING EPSTEIN DONATIONS “The House Oversight Committee has received approximately 5,000 documents in response to Chairman Comer’s subpoenas to J.P. Morgan and Deutsche Bank, as well as his request to the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Majority is reviewing these materials and will make them public soon, just as the Committee has already done with the more than 65,000 pages produced during this investigation,” the spokesperson said. “It is odd that Democrats are once again releasing selective information, as they have done before. The last time Democrats cherry-picked and doctored documents, their attempt to construct yet another hoax against President Trump completely collapsed.” Comer has already released thousands of pages’ worth of documents related to his committee’s Epstein investigation. Democrats have accused him of running cover for President Donald Trump, who was previously friends with Epstein but has denied and never been implicated in any wrongdoing related to the late pedophile. Republicans in turn have accused Democrats of sabotaging a bipartisan probe in order to create a false narrative about Trump.
Pro-reparations progressive Democrat who wants ICE abolished mounts long shot Senate bid to succeed McConnell
Former Kentucky state Rep. Charles Booker — a progressive Democrat who has advocated far-left policies, including “Medicare for All” and the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — has launched a U.S. Senate bid to succeed outgoing Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, who announced earlier this year his current term will be his last. “Now more than ever, we need leadership that is committed to the work of ending generational poverty and uprooting structural racism, delivering on system-changing policies like Medicare for All, Universal Basic Income, Reparations, and Universal Childcare,” Booker asserted in part of a lengthy statement on his campaign website. “We need leadership that will drive the charge for bold policies like 40 for 40, so that anyone working a 40-hour work week will make a guaranteed minimum of $40,000 a year,” he declared. ‘AMERICA FIRST’ ATTORNEY GENERAL DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM MCCONNELL — HIS FORMER BOSS — AS KENTUCKY RACE DEFINES GOP FUTURE Booker declared in an X post last month that “ICE really does need to be abolished.” In another post, he wrote, “It really is a damn shame that we still don’t have universal healthcare in the U.S. of America. We need Medicare for All.” His latest bid may be a long shot. Kentuckians have not had a Democrat representing them in the Senate so far during the 21st century. It is Booker’s third run for Senate. DEM SHELLACKED BY MCCONNELL IN 2020 MOUNTS NEW SENATE BID: ‘COWARDS IN WASHINGTON ARE BOWING TO DONALD TRUMP’ In 2022, Booker was decisively defeated by incumbent Republican Sen. Rand Paul. Booker lost the 2020 Democratic U.S. Senate primary in the Bluegrass State to Amy McGrath, who lost to incumbent Republican Sen. McConnell in the general election later that year. McConnell, 83, has served in the Senate since 1985. FINAL SENATE CANDIDATE CHARLIE KIRK ENDORSED BEFORE HIS ASSASSINATION: ‘WE HAVE TO WIN’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In September, Booker announced, “For over two years, I have had the distinct honor of serving the people of Kentucky in the office of Governor Andy Beshear. “I am humbled and excited to announce that today was officially my last day.” The Booker campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Federal probe targets alleged Minnesota Somali fraud ‘network’ as COVID-aid crime rings persist
The Small Business Administration is investigating a network of Somali groups in Minnesota that it says is tied to a massive COVID fraud scandal highlighting alleged systemic failures by Gov. Tim Walz’s team to properly audit public funds. Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice-presidential nominee, has become embroiled in a scandal that has already led to charges against dozens of people – mostly Somali – and prompted allegations from civil servants in his administration who have spoken of retaliation against whistleblowers and institutional negligence. “Numerous individuals and nonprofits indicted in the $1 billion Minnesota COVID fraud scandal, including Feeding Our Future, received SBA PPP loans in addition to other state and federal funding,” Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler announced on X. “I have ordered an investigation into the network of Somali organizations and executives implicated in these schemes.” ‘DOGE’ SENATOR SEEKS TO ENSURE FEDS CAN CONTINUE PURSUING COVID FRAUDSTERS, DEBTORS, AS IG SOUNDS ALARM She added: “Despite Governor Walz’s best efforts to obstruct, SBA continues to work to expose abuse and hold perpetrators accountable, full stop.” An SBA spokesperson confirmed the probe to Fox News Digital, saying the agency is “investigating all individuals and organizations indicted as part of the $1 billion Minnesota COVID fraud scheme to identify any that may have also fraudulently obtained PPP loans – evaluating their citizenship status, the legitimacy of their nonprofit work, and other requirements for eligibility.” “The agency will provide additional details as the scope of fraud across these Somali networks are uncovered – and remains committed to clawing back all funding that was illegally obtained on behalf of American taxpayers,” SBA spokesperson Maggie Clemmons said. GOP LEADERSHIP UNLEASHES FURY ON DEM GOVERNOR AHEAD OF BLOCKBUSTER CONGRESSIONAL HEARING President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the Somali community in Minnesota was “garbage,” eliciting sharp responses from local officials including Minneapolis Councilman Jamal Osman – who claimed that “everyone knows that our president is racist, xenophobic and Islamophobic.” Walz did not reply to a Fox News Digital request for comment about Loeffler’s announcement. Previously, the governor said he would “welcome” a Treasury Department probe into whether his administration enabled millions of taxpayer dollars to reach Somali terror group Al Shabaab. “If they want to help us, I welcome that,” Walz said. “Do an investigation, find out. But I don’t think anybody really believes their motive or timing is about actually doing something about this.” SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER FAR-LEFT MAYOR GIVES VICTORY SPEECH IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE: ‘HUMILIATING’ A separate report from City Journal, which also broke the Walz story, noted a 2015 study by a House Homeland Security Committee task force found more foreign-fighter terrorism-related travelers came from the Land of 10,000 Lakes than any other state. Of those charged with seeking to join ISIS at the time, the outlet reported that they were “sophisticated users of social-welfare benefits.” Two suspects had allegedly used federal financial aid to pay for their travel as they were preparing to depart Howard Beach, N.Y., for Syria. HOUSE GOP DEMANDS ANSWERS ON BILLIONS IN MEDICAID COSTS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS Minnesota, however, is far from the only state with PPP troubles. Federal authorities in 2020 arrested a group of New York nail salon owners near JFK Airport in a scheme that allegedly combined smuggling Vietnamese immigrants for low-wage labor with misappropriating COVID-19 relief funds, according to the New York Post. Dat Ho, Peter Nguyen and Victoria Ho were charged with conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud after allegedly inflating payroll to secure $13 million in PPP loans, according to the New York Post. BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION FAILED TO RECOUP $200B IN FRAUDULENT COVID LOANS, HOUSE COMMITTEE SAYS In May, an Iowa man – who was alleged to be a former Cuban military officer who entered the U.S. 20 years ago by crossing the border after a denied visa application – was arrested as a figurehead of an Iowa COVID-benefit fraud ring, according to an indictment statement from the Justice Department. Yovany Ciero of Mason City was convicted on dozens of counts, including wire fraud, money laundering and engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from a specified unlawful activity. Prosecutors said Ciero and co-schemers stole an estimated $2.4 million, which entailed more than 100 Cuban immigrants who obtained PPP loans under false pretenses as “self-employed businesspeople” while they worked at the same meatpacking plant. Authorities say Ciero recruited people for the scheme, and then passed that information to others who submitted the fraudulent loan applications to the feds. He faces up to life imprisonment, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa.
Major county sheriff rejects ICE detainer on illegal immigrant who allegedly killed young boy in hit-and-run
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office rejected an immigration detainer by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on a criminal illegal immigrant allegedly responsible for a felony hit-and-run that resulted in the death of an 11-year-old boy Thanksgiving morning. In a statement Dec. 2, the Department of Homeland Security said it had filed a detainer request for Mexican illegal Hector Balderas-Aheelor, after his arrest for a felony hit-and-run that killed 11-year-old Aiden Antonio Torres De Paz. A spokesperson for the San Diego Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital it received the detainer request for Balderas-Aheelor, also known as Hector Amador Balderas, on Nov. 29. The spokesperson said, in accordance with California law, “a review of the criminal history was conducted, and the Immigration Detainer was rejected.” It added that the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office “complies with the California Values Act” and directed Fox News Digital to an information page on the law that said, “The Sheriff’s Office does not hold individuals based on federal detainer warrants.” NEWSOM’S OFFICE REVEALS BLUE STATE WILL COMPLY WITH ICE AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT’S EARLY RELEASE PLANS EXPOSED ABC San Diego reported that Balderas-Aheelor was arrested Saturday in the death of Torres De Paz in Escondido. The outlet said the child had run into the street to retrieve a soccer ball when he was hit, and the driver sped off. Torres De Paz died in the hospital from his injuries on Thanksgiving Day. Balderas-Aheelor was previously removed from the United States four times, according to DHS. Commenting on the case, Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, “Thanksgiving should be a day of celebrating family and giving gratitude, but instead the family of Aiden Antonio Torres De Paz mourned this beautiful child’s death because a criminal illegal alien stole his life. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER ACCUSED IN FATAL CALIFORNIA CRASH RELEASED BY BIDEN ADMIN AFTER 2022 BORDER CROSSING “Hector Balderas-Aheelor was previously removed FOUR times before he chose to commit a felony and illegally reenter the country a fifth time,” she continued. “Now, sanctuary laws threaten to put this killer back onto California’s streets.” McLaughlin called on California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom “to do the right thing and honor ICE’s arrest detainer.” In response, Diana Crofts-Pelayo, a spokesperson for Newsom, told Fox News Digital “nothing prohibits the federal government from doing its job in this case,” and “this driver needs to be held responsible for the tragic hit-and-run.” CHICAGO SUBURB SLAMMED FOR REHIRING POLICE OFFICER ARRESTED BY ICE: ‘CRAZY AS HELL’ “Unlawfully returning to the United States after deportation is a federal criminal offense and California honors federal criminal warrants,” Crofts-Pelayo added. “The federal government admits a failure to apprehend the suspect when he unlawfully entered the U.S. California law does not prevent them from acting now.”