Thune guarantees voter ID bill to hit the Senate despite Schumer, Dem opposition: ‘We will have a vote’
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is ready to put Senate Democrats to the test on voter ID legislation. The Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act has earned the backing of 50 Senate Republicans, including Thune, which is enough to break through a key procedural hurdle. Whether it can pass from the Senate to President Donald Trump’s desk is, for now, an unlikely scenario if lawmakers take the traditional path in the upper chamber. Still, Thune wants to put Democrats on the spot as midterm elections creep closer. “We will have a vote,” Thune told Fox News Digital. SCHUMER SAYS DEMS WILL FIGHT VOTER ID PUSH ‘TOOTH AND NAIL,’ BALKS AT DHS ROLE IN ELECTIONS His comments came as he crisscrossed his home state of South Dakota, where he and Republicans in their respective states are out selling their legislative achievements as primary season fast approaches. Thune viewed the opportunity of a floor vote as a way to have Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus explain to voters why they would block a legislative push to federally enshrine voter ID and proof of citizenship to register to vote. “We will make sure that everybody’s on the record, and if they want to be against ensuring that only American citizens vote in our elections, they can defend that when they have to go out and campaign against Republicans this fall,” Thune said. COLLINS BOOSTS REPUBLICAN VOTER ID EFFORT, BUT WON’T SCRAP FILIBUSTER But the political makeup of the Senate will prove a tricky path to navigate if Republicans want to pass the bill. Though the majority of the Senate GOP backs the bill, without at least a handful of Senate Democrats joining them, it is destined to fall victim to the 60-vote filibuster threshold. And Schumer has time and again made clear that he and the majority of Senate Democrats view the legislation, which passed the House last week, as a tool of voter suppression that would unduly harm poorer Americans and minority groups. So Senate Republicans are looking at their options. One, which Thune already threw cold water on, is nuking the Senate filibuster. The other is turning to the talking, or standing, filibuster. It’s the physical precursor to the current filibuster that requires hours upon hours of debate over a bill. FETTERMAN SLAMS DEMOCRATS’ ‘JIM CROW 2.0’ VOTER ID RHETORIC AS PARTY UNITY FRACTURES Some fear that taking that path could paralyze the Senate floor. Thune acknowledged that concern, having previously made it himself, but noted another wrinkle. “A lot of people focus on unlimited debate, and yes, it is something that could drag on for weeks or literally, for that matter, months,” Thune said. “But it’s also unlimited amendments, meaning that every amendment — there’s no rules — so every amendment will be 51 votes.” He argued that there are several politically challenging amendments that could hit the floor that would put members in tough reelections in a hard spot and possibly cause them to pass, which “could also be very detrimental to the bill in the end.” Thune didn’t shut down the idea of turning to the talking filibuster, especially if it ended in lawmakers being able to actually pass the SAVE America Act. But in the Senate, outcomes are rarely guaranteed on politically divisive legislation. “I think that, you know, this obviously is a mechanism of trying to pursue an outcome, but I don’t know that, in the end, it’ll get you the outcome you want,” Thune said. “And there could be a lot of ancillary damage along the way.”
Swalwell’s ‘I should be working’ gym, pool videos resurface as Dem rival hammers his missed House votes
One of Rep. Eric Swalwell’s, D-Calif., top Democratic opponents in the race for California governor unleashed a “savage” campaign ad using Swalwell’s own words against him. Billionaire gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer, who was also unsuccessful in running for president in 2020, used multiple videos Swalwell posted on social media during the 2025 government shutdown by the pool and at the gym as an attack on his missed votes in Washington, D.C. The Swalwell videos, which were initially intended as an attack on Republicans and blaming them for why he wasn’t working during the 40+ day shutdown, repeatedly say, “I should be working.” “Eric Swalwell’s job is to vote in Congress,” the ad starts out in between videos of Swalwell in the pool and at the gym telling his followers that he “should be working” right now. “In 2025, Eric Swalwell missed 95 votes. That’s more than Rep. Raul Grijalva missed. Rep. Grijalva died in March 2025.” UNEARTHED PHOTO OF SWALWELL MEETING WITH TOP CCP OFFICIAL RAISES ALARM BELLS: ‘VERY DISTURBING’ According to GovTrack.US, Swalwell missed 102 out of 139 roll call votes, or 73%, between Sept. 19, 2025 and Feb. 9, 2026. In late November, he announced his run to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom as California’s next governor. In Steyer’s ad, the billionaire’s campaign claims Swalwell has missed 68% of votes since declaring his candidacy. “He hasn’t been showing up to work, and now he’s asking for a promotion,” the advertisement concluded, as it continued showing clips of Swalwell bench pressing and talking about how he should be in a suit on Capitol Hill and not pumping iron. ICE DIRECTOR FLIPS SCRIPT ON SWALWELL AFTER DEM LAWMAKER DEMANDED HIS RESIGNATION “Savage,” Democratic commentator Kaivan Shroff posted on X. “Steyer going negative on Swalwell this early is the latest piece of evidence Dem primaries this cycle are going to be nastier than they’ve been in a while,” senior Huffington Post editor Kevin Robillard posted on X. “Brutal ad,” Washington Free Beacon reporter Jon Levine posted on X. Swalwell began posting these videos last summer, complaining that Republicans had sent him home for political reasons. “I should be working right now. I should be in Congress. I should be voting to lower your costs. But, instead, I’m in a pool because Republicans sent everyone home because they don’t want to release the Epstein files,” Swalwell said in a late July video he posted to his social media accounts from a glistening pool on the water. “We could be working to lower your costs, make sure healthcare is affordable, and make sure we are restoring the rights of everyone in our community. I should be working right now.” “Swalwell has, however, kept constituents informed of his workouts even if he is not actually working,” Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley posted on X last summer. “It turns out that the shutdown was not the problem since he is being outvoted by deceased colleagues.” According to Swalwell and other Democrats, at the time, Republicans sent everyone in Congress home early to avoid voting on an Epstein transparency app, later passed. However, Republicans said that Democrats were trying to ram through measures already being pursued by the executive branch at the time. The pool video was part of a series of other “I should be working right now” videos from Swalwell at the time, including one he took while throwing out the first pitch for his hometown’s minor league baseball team and another one of him bench pressing 135 pounds at the gym. Fox News Digital reached out to Swalwell and his representatives for comment on the criticism about him missing votes, but did not hear back in time for publication.
Tom Emmer blasts Democrats’ double standard on SAVE Act: ‘They require photo IDs’ at their own DNC
EXCLUSIVE: House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., is accusing Democrats of being hypocritical in their opposition to Republicans’ latest election integrity bill. The No. 3 House Republican ripped the rival party after nearly all of them voted against the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act last week, specifically over its provision mandating federally accepted photo identification at the polls. It’s also sometimes referred to as the “SAVE Act.” “These guys are doing the same old broken record about voter suppression,” Emmer told Fox News Digital. “Why aren’t they screaming about photo IDs at the airport? Why aren’t they screaming about photo IDs when you check out a book at the library?” NOEM BACKS SAVE AMERICA ACT, SLAMS ‘RADICAL LEFT’ OPPOSITION TO VOTER IDS AND PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP Emmer pointed out that a photo ID was required for attendees to watch former Vice President Kamala Harris accept the Democratic Party’s nomination for the White House in Chicago last year. “By the way, if they think it’s voter suppression, why do they require photo IDs at the Democrat National Convention to get in?” Emmer said. “I mean, I think Americans are so much smarter than these people can understand, can let themselves understand,” he said. The SAVE America Act passed the House on Wednesday with support from all Republicans — an increasingly rare sight in the chamber — and just one Democrat, Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas. A previous iteration of the bill, just called the SAVE Act, passed the House in April of last year with support from four House Democrats. Whereas the SAVE Act would have created a new federal proof-of-citizenship mandate in the voter registration process and imposed requirements for states to keep their rolls clear of ineligible voters, the updated bill would also require photo ID to vote in any federal election. That photo ID would also have to denote proof-of-citizenship, according to the legislative text. DEMOCRAT CLAIMS SAVE ACT WOULD BLOCK MARRIED WOMEN FROM VOTING; REPUBLICANS SAY THAT’S WRONG Democratic leaders in the House and Senate have both panned the bill, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calling it “voter suppression” and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., dismissing it as “a modern-day Jim Crow.” Jeffries also specifically took issue with a provision that would enable the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to initiate removal proceedings if an illegal immigrant was found on a state’s voter rolls, arguing DHS would weaponize the information. But voter ID, at least, has proven to be a popular standard in U.S. elections across multiple public polls. A Pew Research Center poll released in August 2025 showed a whopping 83% of people supported government-issued photo ID requirements for showing up to vote, compared to just 16% of people who disapproved of it. A Gallup poll from October 2024 showed 84% of people supported photo ID for voting in federal elections.
GOP reaches key 50-vote threshold for Trump-backed voter ID bill as Senate fight looms
Senate Republicans now have enough support within their conference to pass Trump-backed voter ID legislation, but a major hurdle remains. The Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act has secured the backing of 50 Senate Republicans, following a pressure campaign by the White House and a cohort of Senate conservatives over the past several weeks. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has led the charge in the upper chamber, ramping up his efforts last week as the bill moved through the House. SCHUMER SAYS DEMS WILL FIGHT VOTER ID PUSH ‘TOOTH AND NAIL,’ BALKS AT DHS ROLE IN ELECTIONS Lee told Fox News Digital that he was “ecstatic” about the progress made in shoring up support for the legislation and hoped the Senate would move as quickly as possible to consider it. “I would love to see us turn to it next week, perhaps the day after the State of the Union address,” Lee said. “I think that would be good timing. But I think this needs to get done sooner rather than later.” That multifaceted campaign — both on social media and behind closed doors in the Senate — proved successful, drawing support from Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and several others. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, became the 50th senator to back the bill. That gives Republicans the internal support they need to advance the legislation procedurally, but only if they turn to the standing, or talking, filibuster. Before leaving Washington, D.C., for a weeklong break last week, Lee and other supporters, including Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., pitched the voter ID proposal and potential pathways to pass it to colleagues. “We had some good senators stand up and say, ‘No, we got to fight for this,’” Johnson told Fox News Digital. “I’m with them. We need to fight for this.” COLLINS BOOSTS REPUBLICAN VOTER ID EFFORT, BUT WON’T SCRAP FILIBUSTER Still, the effort faces heavy resistance from Senate Democrats, who are nearly unified in their opposition. The only potential outlier is Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who has pushed back against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s, D-N.Y., characterization of the bill as “Jim Crow 2.0” but has not said whether he would ultimately support the SAVE America Act. Despite that possibility, Schumer and most of his caucus plan to block the legislation. “We will not let it pass in the Senate,” Schumer told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “We are fighting it tooth and nail.” Not every Senate Republican is onboard, either. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has announced she will vote against the measure, while Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., have not signed on as co-sponsors. One option to bypass Democratic opposition would be nuking the filibuster and its 60-vote threshold — a move some congressional Republicans argue has effectively become a “zombie filibuster,” since legislation can be blocked simply by withholding votes rather than holding the floor. HARDLINE CONSERVATIVES DOUBLE DOWN TO SAVE THE SAVE ACT Despite previous pressure from President Donald Trump to eliminate the filibuster, the move does not have the votes among Republicans to succeed — a point Thune underscored last week. “There aren’t anywhere close to the votes — not even close — to nuking the filibuster,” Thune said. That leaves a return to the standing, or talking, filibuster — the precursor to today’s procedural hurdle. Under that approach, Senate Democrats would be required to hold the floor and publicly debate their opposition, as senators did for decades before the modern filibuster became standard practice. The idea appears to be gaining traction among some Republicans, though critics warn it could effectively paralyze the upper chamber for days, weeks or even months, depending on Democrats’ resolve. Lee said that many senators he’s spoken with are open to the idea, and that those who were reluctant didn’t believe it wouldn’t work. “I understand why people might have questions about a procedure that we’re not familiar with,” Lee said. “It doesn’t mean we don’t have to do it, because we do.” Meanwhile, Trump has suggested he could take matters into his own hands if Congress cannot pass the SAVE America Act. In a Truth Social post last week, Trump called the legislation a “CAN’T MISS FOR RE-ELECTION IN THE MIDTERMS, AND BEYOND.” “This is an issue that must be fought, and must be fought, NOW! If we can’t get it through Congress, there are legal reasons why this SCAM is not permitted,” Trump wrote. “I will be presenting them shortly, in the form of an Executive Order.”
China pledges aid to Ukraine as US officials warn Beijing is quietly fueling Russia’s war
China offered new humanitarian energy assistance to Ukraine — even as a senior U.S. official said Beijing has the power to stop Russia’s invasion and has chosen not to. “China could call Vladimir Putin and end this war tomorrow and cut off his dual-purpose technologies that they’re selling,” U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said during a Friday panel on U.S. foreign policy at the Munich Security Conference, moderated by Bloomberg. “China could stop buying Russian oil and gas,” he added. “You know, this war is being completely enabled by China.” NATO AMBASSADOR SAYS UKRAINE PEACE DEAL COULD BE ‘ON THE CUSP’ AS NATIONS NEAR FINALIZATION OF SECURITY PACT Whitaker’s remarks came as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on the sidelines of the conference and pledged what both sides described as humanitarian energy assistance to help Ukraine cope with ongoing Russian strikes on its power infrastructure. Sybiha said on social media that he was grateful for China’s decision to provide an additional energy aid package. Readouts from both Kyiv, Ukraine, and Beijing described the meeting as focused on peace efforts, bilateral ties and support for Ukraine’s energy system, which repeatedly has been targeted by Russian missile and drone attacks. China has not publicly disclosed the size or scope of the aid package. Beijing repeatedly has said it seeks a “constructive” role in ending the crisis and maintains that it is not a party to the conflict. Chinese officials have denied supplying lethal military assistance to Moscow and argue they support dialogue and a political settlement. U.S. officials, however, increasingly frame China as Russia’s most important external enabler. Whitaker said in Munich that China is providing “crucial support” for Russia’s aggression. Russia relies heavily on China for critical parts and components used in drones and other war equipment, Western officials say, even as Beijing publicly distances itself from direct weapons transfers. ZELENSKYY CLAIMS US GAVE UKRAINE AND RUSSIA A DEADLINE TO REACH PEACE AGREEMENT China and Russia have deepened their partnership since the start of the war, expanding trade and financial cooperation. Moscow increasingly has relied on Chinese technology, industrial goods and financial channels as Western sanctions tightened. China is once again the largest buyer of Russian crude oil shipments. Tracking data show that roughly 1.65 million barrels per day of crude were offloaded at Chinese ports in January — the highest level since March 2024 and the second-highest monthly total since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The purchases provide Moscow with a critical revenue stream as Western governments attempt to constrain Russia’s war financing through sanctions and price caps. The juxtaposition at Munich was stark: Beijing offering to help repair Ukraine’s energy grid while simultaneously remaining a major buyer of the oil that funds the Russian war machine Western officials say is destroying it. Beijing rejects the accusation that it is enabling the war, arguing instead that sanctions and military escalation will not resolve the conflict and that it supports negotiations. By maintaining diplomatic channels with Ukraine and offering humanitarian support, Beijing preserves a foothold in potential post-war reconstruction discussions, even as its economic ties with Moscow deepen. For European governments weighing additional measures against Chinese entities accused of supplying dual-use goods to Russia, Beijing’s humanitarian outreach complicates the diplomatic picture. For Washington, however, the framing at Munich was direct: China has the economic and technological influence to change Russia’s calculus.
ICE sweeps up convicted pedophiles, traffickers in massive holiday weekend sting: ‘Worst of the worst’
FIRST ON FOX: As federal immigration operations continue across the country, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), continues to nab child sex predators residing in the country as illegal immigrants. Child grooming, sex and lewd acts with minors, including some under 14, possession of child pornography, domestic assault, assault with a deadly weapon, stalking and drug trafficking were among some of DHS’s “worst of the worst” arrests from Presidents Day weekend. “Over President’s Day weekend, the brave men and women of ICE arrested heinous criminal illegal aliens across the country convicted for sex crimes against children, rape, and drug trafficking,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “These violent criminals will never be allowed to harm children and innocent Americans again.” Meanwhile, according to McLaughlin, “nearly 70%” of ICE arrests are of illegal immigrants either charged, or convicted, of a crime in the United States. “Nothing will stop ICE law enforcement from removing them from American communities,” the DHS assistant secretary concluded. ICE ASSAULTS SPIKE 1,500% AS DEMS DRAW ‘HARD RED LINE’ TO UNMASK AGENTS IN DHS BATTLE Over the weekend, several of those illegal alien criminals arrested by ICE had previous charges related to child sex abuse. Efren Guzman-Lopez, who is originally from Guatemala, was picked up in Texas following a conviction for indecency with child-sexual contact and child grooming. Another criminal illegal alien convicted of sex offenses with a child, specifically lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, was picked up this weekend in California. The individual originally from Mexico, Javier Millan-Salgado, was also listed on the sex offender registry, according to DHS. Multiple individuals in California were picked up this weekend for having “sex with a minor” as well, according to DHS, while a criminal illegal alien in Missouri, Pedro Jucub, was arrested for “sexual misconduct” with a child under the age of 15. These criminal illegal aliens were from Guatemala and Mexico. Others were arrested for acts of sexual abuse and sexual assault, including in New York and Salt Lake City. ICE RAMPS UP DEPORTATION PUSH BY BOOSTING CAPACITY TO 92,600 BEDS WITH $38.3B EXPANSION Drug trafficking, assault and domestic violence were the remaining trends among DHS’s “worst of the worst” criminal illegal aliens picked up over the Presidents Day weekend. Those on DHS’s list charged or convicted of drug trafficking included criminal illegal aliens from Honduras and Mexico. They were picked up in various states across the Midwest, Southwest and the East Coast. Alfredo Vargas and Wilfrido Varelas-Rubio , both from Mexico, were each convicted of trafficking methamphetamine in Iowa and in Montana, respectively, before being picked up by ICE this weekend. A man from Honduras, Ever Rivera-Molina, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute crystal methamphetamine in Texas prior to his arrest by ICE. On the East Coast, in Raleigh, North Carolina, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico arrested by ICE, Hermilio Salgado-Castro, was previously convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Saul Alonzo Portillo-Lopez, living in Texas when he was arrested over the weekend, had previously been convicted of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, according to DHS’s “worst of the worst” list from the weekend. Felony assault, domestic violence, stalking and assault with a deadly weapon were also among the crimes committed by those on ICE’s list. Gerson Valverde, a criminal illegal alien from Nicaragua, was arrested following a conviction for felony assault, felony aggravated family offense, and misdemeanor stalking in Saratoga County, New York. Francisco Gamez-Martinez, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested by ICE this weekend after being convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Lakeland, Florida. DHS has set up a website at WOW.DHS.Gov, where Americans can learn about the public safety threats being arrested in their communities. “The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is highlighting the worst of worst criminal aliens arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),” the website’s homepage reads. “Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, the hardworking men and women of DHS and ICE are fulfilling President Trump’s promise and carrying out mass deportations – starting with the worst of the worst – including the illegal aliens you see here.”
Trump slams Maryland governor, launches federal effort to protect Potomac after historic sewage spill
President Donald Trump ordered an all-of-government effort to protect the District of Columbia’s water supply and slammed Maryland Gov. Wes Moore as a sewage pipe interceptor rupture in Cabin John has released an estimated 240 million gallons into the Potomac River. The break was first noticed on security cameras off the Clara Barton Parkway just north of the District line Jan. 19, and within several days, crews from DC Water were able to segregate much of the spill into the paralleling Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, according to local reports. The pipe takes wastewater from several towns in the John F. Dulles International Airport area all the way to Washington, where it is processed farther downstream at the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in Anacostia, D.C. “There is a massive ecological disaster unfolding in the Potomac River as a result of the gross mismanagement of local Democrat leaders, particularly, Governor Wes Moore, of Maryland,” Trump said in a Truth Social post late Monday. TRUMP SAYS HE COULD SEND THE NATIONAL GUARD TO MARYLAND TO ADDRESS CRIME “This is the same Governor who cannot rebuild a bridge. It is clear local authorities cannot adequately handle this calamity,” Trump said, referring to the newly elongated timeline and reported projected multi-billion-dollar cost-projection overruns for the rebuilding of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge on the Baltimore Beltway. The catastrophe affects the region’s other Francis Scott Key Bridge in Georgetown, D.C., as Trump alluded to the explosion in E.coli counts downriver from the spill. “I am directing Federal Authorities to immediately provide all necessary Management, Direction, and Coordination to protect the Potomac, the Water Supply in the Capital Region, and our treasured National Resources in our Nation’s Capital City,” Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social. “While State and Local Authorities have failed to request needed Emergency Help, I cannot allow incompetent Local ‘Leadership’ to turn the River in the Heart of Washington into a Disaster Zone.” Moore spokesperson Ammar Moussa blasted Trump in response, saying he has his “facts wrong — again.” “Since the last century, the federal government has been responsible for the Potomac Interceptor, which is the origin of the sewage leak. For the last four weeks, the Trump Administration has failed to act, shirking its responsibility and putting people’s health at risk,” Moussa said. “Notably, the president’s own EPA explicitly refused to participate in the major legislative hearing about the cleanup last Friday.” “Apparently the Trump administration hadn’t gotten the memo that they’re actually supposed to be in charge here,” Moussa said. BRIDGE COLLAPSE AID BECOMES ECONOMIC WEAPON IN ESCALATING TRUMP-MOORE FEUD Trump also cited the Palisades fire in California, saying that Democratic officials have a “war on merit” with “real consequences.” He also noted that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is currently subject to a partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security. “FEMA, which is currently being defunded by the Democrats, will play a key role in coordinating the response,” he said, as many of those workers may go unpaid. Maryland state Del. Linda Foley, D-Potomac, whose district is just upstream from the spill, said at an Annapolis, Maryland, hearing that it has been characterized to her as “one of the worst ecological disasters in the eastern part of the United States.” Moussa said that Maryland, by contrast, has taken action — pointing to the shellfish fishery closure downstream to the Nice Bridge — and told Fox News Digital that Annapolis sent personnel “within hours” to help coordinate the response and protect drinking water in Montgomery County. “The Potomac isn’t a talking point, and the people of the region deserve serious leadership that meets the moment.” Moore’s Department of the Environment did issue an emergency closure for shellfish harvesting downstream of the spill, as ecological effects are being felt all the way at the Harry Nice Bridge where U.S. 301 crosses between Bel Alton, Maryland, and Dahlgren, Virginia, nearly 60 miles south of Washington. Rather than most cases where a state line runs down the center of a waterway, Maryland controls nearly all the Potomac — save for the part where the District of Columbia briefly covers the Old Line State’s historical boundaries. MARYLAND BRIDGE REBUILD COSTS SOAR TO $5.2B, MORE THAN DOUBLE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE OFFICIALS PROVIDED The unique boundary also is why eccentricities like Lady Bird Johnson Island, on the “Virginia side” of the Potomac near the Pentagon, are actually in the District of Columbia. David Gadis, CEO of DC Water, wrote in an open letter that the Potomac River is a “shared treasure” and that “any event that threatens its health understandably causes concern, frustration, and a sense of loss.” “Our immediate priorities have been containment, environmental monitoring, and stabilization – working closely with federal, state, and local partners to assess water quality, ecological impacts, and necessary remediation,” he wrote.
Trump border czar leaves door open to ICE deployment in other sanctuary cities as feds leave Minneapolis
Tom Homan, the border czar appointed by President Donald Trump to crack down on illegal immigration, believes the administration may still deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in other sanctuary cities as federal agents wind down their presence in Minnesota. Homan said he thinks that possibility depends entirely on whether cities with policies shielding illegal immigrants decide to cooperate with federal immigration efforts. “I think it depends on the situation,” Homan said in an interview with CBS on Sunday. “I’ve said from day one that, you know, we need to flood the zone and sanctuary cities with additional agents. The number of agents depends on the situation on the ground [and] how many known criminal targets are out there.” GRAHAM TEASES TRUMP PLAN TO END SANCTUARY CITY POLICIES ‘FOREVER’ Homan’s comments come as the administration looks to redirect its immigration enforcement goals while, at the same time, taking its focus off of Minneapolis by ending Operation Metro Surge. Several cities voiced opposition to Trump’s immigration crackdown from the outset of his second term, making it an official position of obstructing the administration’s work. In some cases, cities limited their partnerships with ICE by denying them access to holding facilities, refusing to share intelligence, or instructing local law enforcement to disregard their operations. Minneapolis was one of them. But the Twin Cities began to draw special attention from Trump and Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem last year when links surfaced between the state’s Somali immigrant community and as much as $9 billion in state benefits fraud. In response, the administration began deploying a heavy ICE presence to Minneapolis as part of Operation Metro Surge and framed it as a way to push back on illegal alien criminals in the city. In its first press release on the operation, DHS revealed that ICE had arrested five Somalis and six Hispanic aliens with criminal backgrounds. “Today, ICE announced they have arrested some of the worst criminal illegal aliens, including child sex offenders, domestic abusers and violent gang members during Operation Metro Surge,” DHS said in a statement on Dec. 4. TIM WALZ DEMANDS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ‘PAY FOR WHAT THEY BROKE’ AFTER HOMAN ANNOUNCES MINNESOTA DRAWDOWN ICE’s presence in Minneapolis soon became a lightning rod for Trump’s crackdown on immigration, sparking widespread protests and alarm from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. In particular, Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee alongside Kamala Harris, blasted what he saw as a lack of communication with local authorities and use of excessive force. “The forcefulness, lack of communication and unlawful practices displayed by your agents will not be tolerated in Minnesota,” Walz said in a letter to Noem in December. Operation Metro Surge ended last week in the wake of two deadly confrontations between immigration enforcement and civilians that brought renewed scrutiny on DHS and also derailed congressional considerations for the agency’s 2026 funding, thrusting it into a partial shutdown on Friday. Despite the administration’s tensions in Minnesota, Homan believes officials in sanctuary cities can avoid future clashes by steering clear of repeating Minneapolis’ policies. NOEM DEPLOYS TO BOTH BORDERS, SAYS ICE WON’T BE DETERRED BY SANCTUARY OFFICIALS WHO ‘WANT TO CREATE CONFLICT’ “I’m hoping other sanctuary cities look at what happened in Minnesota,” Homan said. He believes there’s still room for agreement even amid heightened criticisms of ICE. “A lot of politicians are out there on the left [are] saying ‘OK, ICE, we agree. You should be focusing on public safety threats. You should focus on illegal aliens who have committed serious crimes in this country,’” Homan did not describe what cities might be a focus for future ICE operations.
Trump blasts Newsom’s UK pact, warns foreign leaders as 2028 buzz builds
President Donald Trump derided California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s international outreach as “inappropriate” Monday. Trump’s warning was to British leaders against partnering with the Democratic governor after Newsom signed a clean energy agreement with the United Kingdom during a European diplomacy tour. “The U.K.’s got enough trouble without getting involved with Gavin Newscum,” Trump said in an interview with Politico, adding that it was “inappropriate for them to be dealing with him.” The president’s remarks came after Newsom stepped onto the global stage at the Munich Security Conference, signing cooperation agreements with Ukraine and the United Kingdom while sharply criticizing the president’s foreign policy approach — moves likely to intensify speculation about the governor’s future presidential ambitions. NEWSOM’S DAVOS DETOUR: 5 CRINGE MOMENTS THAT OVERSHADOWED HIGH-PROFILE SUMMIT Newsom has long been viewed by political strategists and analysts as a possible Democratic presidential contender in 2028. His appearances at global forums combined with high-profile criticism of Trump have only intensified that speculation. The second-term Democrat used the high-profile security summit to position California as a “stable and reliable” alternative to the federal government, telling an international audience that the current administration is merely “temporary” and will be “gone in three years.” “Donald Trump is on his knees for coal and Big Oil, selling out America’s future to China,” a Newsom spokesperson told Fox News Digital in response to the president’s criticisms. “Governor Newsom will continue to lead in his absence. Foreign leaders are rejecting Trump and choosing California’s vision for the future.” But it was Newsom’s blunt assessment of world leaders’ attempts to work with the 47th president that drew the most attention. Addressing European heads of state and diplomats, Newsom claimed that foreign leaders “rolling over” for the White House make themselves “look pathetic on the world stage.” The governor doubled down on a jab he first debuted at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, telling reporters he “should have brought a bunch of knee pads” for world leaders who he believes have bowed down to the president’s “transactional” diplomacy. Newsom specifically took aim at what he called the “complicity” of allies who have sought to appease the President following recent controversies over Arctic sovereignty and NATO funding. “I can’t take this complicity of people rolling over,” Newsom said during a sideline appearance. “I mean, handing out crowns, the Nobel prizes that are being given away … it’s just pathetic.” NEWSOM WARNS ‘PATHETIC’ FOREIGN LEADERS TO GROW A BACKBONE IN BIZARRE TAKEDOWN LIKENING TRUMP TO A T.REX Newsom’s diplomacy tour included the signing of a clean energy memorandum with U.K. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, which the governor’s office said would facilitate nearly a billion dollars in new investment. That agreement followed a Saturday pact with the Lviv region of Ukraine, which Newsom said would involve California companies in the “rebuilding and resiliency” of the war-torn nation — specifically in defense, energy, and digital technologies. The State Department historically has encouraged “subnational diplomacy,” particularly on trade, and governors from both parties routinely lead overseas economic missions. Such agreements are typically structured as nonbinding memoranda of understanding and do not carry the force of federal treaties. However, Newsom’s appearance at the Munich Security Conference, a high-profile gathering of global defense and diplomatic leaders, paired with his direct criticism of Trump’s policies underscores how domestic political rivalries are increasingly spilling onto the global stage. Foreign policy traditionally has operated under the principle that the U.S. should speak with one voice in its dealings abroad. Newsom’s remarks, delivered before foreign heads of state while signing agreements of his own, presented an alternative vision of American leadership at a time when Washington is navigating disputes over NATO funding, Arctic sovereignty and the war in Ukraine.
Obama calls Los Angeles homelessness an ‘atrocity,’ criticizes ‘losing’ political strategy
Former President Barack Obama criticized the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles, calling it an “atrocity” given the billions of dollars elected officials have thrown at the problem over the years. Obama was speaking with YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen when he touched on criticism local residents and business owners have voiced for years. “I think it is morally — ethically speaking — it is an atrocity that in a country this wealthy, we have people just on the streets, and we should insist on policies that recognize their full humanity — people who are houseless — and be able to provide them with the help and resources that they need,” Obama said. DAVID MARCUS: I’VE SEEN ENOUGH HUMAN SUFFERING IN HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS TO KNOW TRUMP’S NEW POLICY IS RIGHT “We should recognize that the average person doesn’t want to have to navigate around a tent city in the middle of downtown,” he added. “That’s a losing political strategy.” Obama noted that building support for programs and resources to assist those living on the streets needs to come with some level of accountability for those being offered the help. “We’re not going to be able to generate support for it if we simply say, ‘You know what, it’s not their fault and so they should be able to do whatever they want,’ because that’s a losing political strategy,” he said. FORMER OBAMA OFFICIAL FREAKS OUT AT CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT OVER HER RECORD AMID HOUSING CRISIS DEBATE “That doesn’t mean that we care less about those folks,” he added. “It means if we really care about them, then we got to try to figure out how do we gain majority support and be practical in terms of what we can get through at this moment in time and build on those victories,” he added. Fox News Digital has reached out to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. California has spent billions to combat homelessness. In his State of the State address last month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom touted a 9% statewide drop in homelessness. In January, he announced new investments to create more shelters and services. “No one in this country should be without a place to call home. In California, we’re proving there is a solution,” Newsom said in January. “The strategies we’ve put in place are working, and they’re turning this crisis around — but we’re not done. We won’t stop until everyone has a safe, stable place to call home.” Newsom spokesperson Tara Gallegos told Fox News Digital that the governor agrees with Obama and was working to create a model to combat the problem that should be replicated nationwide. “That’s why Governor Newsom is the first governor in California history to make addressing homelessness a statewide priority,” she said. “He is turning around a crisis that was decades in the making by building supports and systems of care to help people exit homelessness for good.” “That’s also why, for the first time in decades, California saw a 9% decrease in unsheltered homelessness in 2025,” she added. “California is a creating a model that should be replicated nationwide — building more housing, reforming mental health systems, removing encampments, and creating stronger support and accountability.”