DNC staffers ruthlessly mocked for fuming over remote work reversal: ‘Get yourselves together’
Democratic National Committee employees were mercilessly mocked this week after news came out that staffers were very unhappy with a recent directive from DNC Chairman Ken Martin end to remote work for employees who will now be required to show up to the office five days a week. Leadership of the union representing DNC employees put out a statement following news of the new directive, describing it as “callous.” Reports from those on the staff-wide call also described an immediate flurry of thumbs-down emojis and other signs of anger upon news of the new requirement. “It was shocking to see the DNC chair disregard staff’s valid concerns on today’s team call,” they wrote. “D.N.C. staff worked extremely hard to support historic wins for Democrats up and down the ballot last Tuesday, and this change feels especially callous considering the current economic conditions created by the Trump administration.” Martin reportedly told employees that if they don’t like the new policy, they should go find a job elsewhere. And Martin wasn’t the only Democrat who had some harsh and pointed words for the Democratic Party staffers. Neera Tanden, former President Joe Biden’s domestic policy advisor, had a similar message for DNC staffers, suggesting there were many eager folks waiting in line who would likely be more than willing to go into the office. PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS TURN ON PARTY LEADERSHIP AFTER GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN ENDS WITHOUT HEALTHCARE GUARANTEES “If you think democracy is on the line – working in the office is not a big ask,” Tanden wrote in a post on X. “And there are plenty of other people willing to step up. Get yourselves together people.” A left-wing group, the Center for New Liberalism, echoed the view that the staffers “should look elsewhere” if working from home is a “must-have.” “When you accept a job on a campaign, or with an org like the DNC, DCCC, etc, your single purpose is to win the election. It is a demanding job that requires long hours & sacrifices,” the group wrote on X. “The other part of this is that I suspect [work from home] staff are probably losing opportunities for themselves by not being in the office. Campaigns require a lot of personal sacrifice, but the people who are good at their job and work to make themselves noticed in the office usually tend to go on to do big things!” One Florida-based Democratic strategist, Steve Schale, who led Barack Obama’s statewide efforts in Florida in 2008 and returned to help his campaign in 2012, said the DNC should implement a “requirement” to ensure those who want to work at the DNC really have what it takes. “There should be a requirement that to work at the DNC that you’ve done at least two cycles on an actual battleground campaign, where terms like flex hours & hybrid work don’t exist,” Schale wrote on X. 6 HOUSE DEMOCRATS EXPLAIN BREAKING WITH PARTY TO END SHUTDOWN Meanwhile, Republicans did not spare the opportunity to slam Democratic Party staffers as well. “You can’t make this up — the DNC union is pissed that the Chairman is calling staff back into the office 5 days a week,” former Trump White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, said after learning of the anger. GOP strategist, Matt Gorman, quipped that the image of DNC staffers logging onto a Zoom call in their pajamas amid all the chaos of Biden’s reelection “is hilarious.” “The best part is that they still get two full months before they actually have to get out of bed 5 days week,” GOP National Press Secretary Kiersten Pels said. “Is this a political committee or a daycare?” Martin reportedly told his employees that the work-from-home policy the DNC implemented during COVID was never meant to be permanent, describing it as a “Band-Aid” that has long needed to be ripped off. He did say that remote work would still be allowed on a case-by-case basis, however. The staffer’s union said it is considering all options in terms of challenging the measure. The group previously ratified a collective bargaining agreement with the DNC over the summer that “reaffirms its commitment to making hybrid work available,” but also includes language that allows for a full return to in-person working as long as there is a 60-day notice period, according to the New York Times. Earlier this year, the Congressional Progressive Staff Association sent a letter to top House and Senate leaders proposing a rotating 32-hour work week for congressional staffers, arguing it would be a more “sustainable approach to work on a national level.” The proposal was widely mocked, however. “Why not be bold and ask for a 0-hour workweek?” quipped Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., at the time. “I wonder how blue-collar Americans would feel about white-collar workers demanding a 32-hour workweek.”
Arizona lawmakers’ flight makes emergency landing in Kansas City after passenger disruption
An American Airlines flight carrying four members of Arizona’s congressional delegation to Washington, D.C., diverted Tuesday to Kansas City, Missouri, after a passenger became disruptive. The airline told Fox News Digital that Flight 1218 left Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Nov. 11, 2025, and was rerouted because of “a disruptive customer.” “On Nov. 11, American Airlines flight 1218, with service from Phoenix (PHX) to Washington, D.C. (DCA), diverted to Kansas City (MCI) due to a disruptive customer,” American Airlines told Fox News Digital. “Law enforcement met the flight and removed the customer, and the flight later re-departed for DCA, where it landed normally. “We thank our customers for their patience and our crew members for their professionalism.” WITH THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN THREATENING AIR TRAVEL, A GOP BILL SEEKS TO KEEP FLIGHTS RUNNING Rep. Greg Stanton, a Democrat from Arizona, posted on X that he and three Republican colleagues — Reps. Eli Crane, Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar — were aboard when the incident occurred. “Flying to DC rn to vote no on CR that fails to lower health care costs. @RepEliCrane, @RepAndyBiggsAZ & @RepGosar all on this flight. We’re making emergency stop in Kansas City to remove disruptive passenger. None of my colleagues is the disruptor. Freedom Caucus losing its mojo,” Stanton wrote. HOUSE DEMOCRAT SIDES WITH TRUMP OFFICIALS ON AIR TRAFFIC CUTS AMID SHUTDOWN CHAOS Flight data shows the Airbus A320 had been airborne for roughly two hours and 40 minutes before diverting to Kansas City International Airport around 6:15 p.m. local time. Video posted to X by another passenger shows Kansas City police officers boarding the plane to remove a woman who apologized as she was led away, saying, “We live in a fascist state.” AMERICAN AIRLINES PASSENGER RESTRAINED, KNOCKED TO FLOOR WHILE BARGING INTO COCKPIT: VIDEO The flight departed again about an hour later and landed at Reagan National Airport shortly after 10 p.m. “On a serious note, thank you Kansas City police for handling the situation professionally and without incident,” Stanton later wrote. Stanton said he was headed to Washington to vote against the Republican continuing resolution to end the government shutdown, while his GOP colleagues supported the plan. President Trump signed the legislation Wednesday, formally reopening the federal government after a 43-day shutdown, the longest in U.S. history. The House passed the Senate’s funding bill, 222-209, restoring federal paychecks, funding air traffic controllers and replenishing nutrition programs.
Trump shares adorable moment with kids visiting Oval Office: ‘My name is Donald’
President Donald Trump paused a busy Oval Office day to greet visiting children, handing out small gifts and saying, “My name is Donald,” in a sweet moment captured and shared online by communications advisor Margo Martin. The short clip, viewed hundreds of thousands of times within hours of being posted, struck a lighter note during a packed news cycle after the government shutdown, giving supporters and critics alike a glimpse of the president’s softer side. The video racked up nearly 500,000 views within two hours of being posted to Martin’s X account. Martin often shares behind-the-scenes footage of Trump that can’t be seen anywhere else. In the video, a speaker off camera says, “He wants to know what your name is.” ANDREA BOCELLI GIVES TRUMP IMPROMPTU OVAL OFFICE PERFORMANCE DURING WHITE HOUSE VISIT” The president then responded, “My name is Donald,” with a grin. In the video, Trump offers challenge coins to the children, journalist Salena Zito’s grandchildren. The White House told Fox News Digital the children had stopped by to say hello. The video is the latest in a pattern of sweet moments Trump has shared with some of his youngest supporters, including coloring with kids at the Easter Egg Roll earlier this year. He is the grandfather of eleven grandchildren. TRUMP DANCES WITH MALAYSIAN PERFORMERS AS HE KICKS OFF ASIA TOUR IN LIVELY FASHION “She said yes — she’s smart,” Trump said in the video, laughing before adding with a grin, “She’s so cute.” One commenter said under the video, “that’s a grandpa doing grandpa stuff,” and another added, “kindness transcends politics” with a folded hands emoji. Moments like this have routinely dominated social feeds, as viral interactions caught on camera can break through the news cycle and deliver massive digital reach for the White House. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The video ended with the president offering pens to Zito’s grandchildren. “OK, do you want a pen?” President Trump asked. “One of them. One, two, three.”
UN Ambassador Waltz reveals Trump’s Middle East peace plan is ‘the only way forward’
EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told the U.N. that President Trump’s historic Middle East peace plan is “the only way forward” as he negotiates a resolution that would codify the Trump administration’s Gaza deal in the international body in a way that is “fully consistent with an America First agenda.” Fox News Digital spoke exclusively to Waltz after he convened partners and allies to discuss the United States’ intention to present a resolution to the U.N. Security Council on Gaza. The resolution will endorse the Board of Peace, set parameters for Gaza’s transitional governance and launch the International Stabilization Force outlined in the president’s 20-point Gaza peace plan. MIKE WALTZ SEES TRUMP’S GAZA PLAN AS ‘ONCE-IN-A-GENERATION OPPORTUNITY FOR PEACE’ “Only President Trump has the ability to bring all sides together, just as he did at Sharm El-Sheik,” Waltz told Fox News Digital. “He’s the only person who can truly bridge the divides between the Israelis, the Palestinians and others in the region.” AS TRUMP ADMIN PUSHES GAZA PEACE PLAN, HISTORY SHOWS UN PEACEKEEPING’S MIXED RECORD Waltz said the president’s plan is “the best chance for real peace in the Middle East in a generation.” “And, frankly, it’s a real test for the United Nations — to step up, support the president’s plan and start implementing it,” Waltz told Fox News Digital. “We’ve seen the death and destruction the war in Gaza caused,” Waltz said. “If we can rally the international community to come together and resolve it using the tools of the U.N., that’s absolutely the right thing to do, and it’s fully consistent with an America First agenda. “This process of securing peace in Gaza with a Security Council resolution is really about getting the U.N. back to basics,” Waltz continued. “That’s what we’re calling it — back to basics. It’s about strictly focusing on establishing and keeping peace and, in this case, supporting what the president has already set in motion.” President Trump’s plan to end the Gaza conflict calls for Gaza to be a de-radicalized, terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors. It also calls for Gaza to be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza and more. Under the peace plan, Israeli forces would withdraw from the region, and a temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people of Gaza will be created. US MILITARY TO OVERSEE NEXT PHASE OF PEACE DEAL FROM COORDINATION BASE IN ISRAEL That government will be under the oversight of a new international transitional body called the “Board of Peace,” chaired by President Trump and other members and heads of state. The resolution would essentially make the plan international law, a U.N. source said. As for timing, a U.N. source told Fox News Digital that negotiations typically take months in the United Nations, but the U.S. Mission is hoping to get this done in “weeks.” “We are looking to move quickly,” the source said. “The ceasefire is fragile. We don’t want things to fall apart in any way, shape or form. The sooner we get this resolution done, the sooner countries can begin contributing troops to the stabilization force.” The source also told Fox News Digital that representatives from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Qatar — not members of the Security Council — presented the resolution with Waltz and the U.S. Mission to the broader Security Council. “We think that’s really strong,” the source said. “This is about getting humanitarian aid in, stabilizing, governing and rolling up our sleeves and getting to work and having the international community pay for it.” EXPERTS URGE TRUMP TO BAN TERROR-LINKED UN AGENCY FROM HIS GAZA PEACE PLAN The source said the resolution would create a mechanism, led by Jared Kushner, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio that would ensure “the dollars are going to be used efficiently with a private sector mentality in mind.” Rubio has said the Trump administration is “seeing things we never thought we’d see before, like the number of countries willing to participate in this effort, be it through money or personnel, or both or expertise. “We’ve never seen this sort of international cohesion behind something,” Rubio said. “So, we have to be pursuing those opportunities because they’re really great, historic and important.” Meanwhile, the source said the U.S. is “in the thick of negotiations” but is “moving lightening-fast by U.N. terms.” “They do not want to be part of opposing the best chance we’ve had for peace in a generation,” the source said. “And they don’t want to play the part of bureaucratizing and then being responsible for the fighting resuming.” The president has described the peace plan as “the start of a grand concord and lasting harmony for Israel and all the nations of what will soon be a truly magnificent region.” “I believe that so strongly,” Trump said of the plan. “This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East.”
Arizona Dem tears into her own party over trend she deems antisemitic: ‘Sick and tired’
A trend of Democrats rejecting money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), one of the nation’s most influential pro-Israel groups, is garnering intraparty backlash after an Arizona state representative slammed the shift as “antisemitism under the guide of campaign virtue.” Democrats have been pulling back from AIPAC and cozying up with other, more liberal Jewish groups, like J Street, highlighting a shift in the historical bipartisan consensus that saw both parties treat support for Israel as a given. This changing consensus, particularly within the Democratic Party, became more clear following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel by Hamas terrorists. While some Jewish groups have criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approach to the subsequent war that followed the attack, AIPAC has stood behind Netanyahu’s strong response. AIPAC’s unwavering support for Israel after Oct. 7, 2023, was followed by a coalition of far-left Democrats, including Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and other members of the “Squad,” who called for lawmakers to “REJECT AIPAC.” Since then, a handful of other Democratic Party lawmakers have also rejected or returned money from AIPAC. ATLANTIC CALLS OUT DEMS FOR FAILING TO TAKE ‘OWN ADVICE’ AND MODERATE THEIR POLICIES “I’m getting really sick and tired of Democratic candidates who are announcing they will not “accept” AIPAC money, as it’s apparently the cool thing to say when you are running now,” Democratic Arizona state Rep. Alma Hernandez said on X Wednesday. “Let’s be clear: most voters have no idea what that even means. AIPAC itself doesn’t make candidate contributions; its supporters, many of whom, like me, are pro-Israel Democrats. I can assure you that most of you who are publicly announcing this would NEVER receive a dime from any of us.” Following the cohort of radical Democrats in Congress launching their “REJECT AIPAC” coalition, other Democratic Party members of Congress took action to reject AIPAC money as well. Less than a year after his 2024 election victory, which was financially supported by AIPAC, Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky., said he would no longer take donations from AIPAC. Rep. Deborah Ross, D-N.C., and Rep. Valerie Foushee, D-N.C., made the same commitment earlier this year. Last month, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., refunded past donations from AIPAC and pledged to reject any future funding from the group. HOUSE DEM LASHES OUT AT PRO-ISRAEL ‘MOTHERF—ERS’ DURING FIERY SPEECH: ‘WE AIN’T GOING ANYWHERE’ Hernandez had a stark message for any more Democrats thinking about doing the same. “There are plenty of elected officials and candidates who have privately sought support over the years, and yes, I have the receipts of your text and emails,” Hernandez said in her post on X. “So, to any of you who are thinking of jumping on that wagon because you think it sounds like the cool thing these days, think again. “Don’t mask antisemitism under the guise of campaign virtue.”
Observers stunned as Nikki Haley takes harder line than Trump on Chinese student visa plan
Former Trump U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley warned Thursday that President Donald Trump’s plan to allow 600,000 Chinese students to study in the United States would be a “massive mistake.” “That would be a huge gift to China and a threat to the United States,” Haley wrote on X. Haley’s criticism surprised many conservatives who said they did not expect her to take a harder line than Trump on China and immigration. “I did not have Nikki Haley being to Trump’s right on immigration issues on my 2025 bingo card,” wrote X user S.A. McCarthy, an editor at The American Spectator magazine. TRUMP’S CHINESE STUDENT VISA PUSH SETS OFF ALARM BELLS AMID RISING CCP ‘INFLUENCE’ IN US “I rarely agree with Nikki Haley. I think she is far too much of a throwback to failed George W. Bush era thinking,” wrote conservative analyst Greg Lawson. “BUT, on this specific issue, she is right.” Others questioned the economic logic behind the policy. “America has a shortage of workers in tech and we are training foreign nationals?” one user asked. “Holy s—! I haven’t agreed with anything Nikki Haley has said in I don’t remember when,” wrote another. “It is insane for the Trump administration to allow 600K foreigners into American colleges — not because they are Chinese, but because the cost of college is already too high. Reduce demand = reduce costs.” “When Nikki Haley is to the right of you, you’re making a big mistake,” another user quipped. “Ladies and gentlemen, Trump is now to the left of Nikki Haley,” added another. Trump first floated the 600,000 figure in August, alarming critics who have long warned about Chinese espionage at U.S. universities. More than 277,000 Chinese students studied in the U.S. during the 2023–2024 academic year, according to federal data. The White House later clarified that the 600,000 figure referred to two years’ worth of visas, meaning the proposal represented a continuation of current policy rather than a doubling of admissions. REP. GREENE RAISES RED FLAG AFTER TRUMP INDICATES US WILL ACCEPT 600,000 CHINESE STUDENTS Trump defended the plan Monday on Fox News. “We do have a lot of people coming in from China. We always have — China and other countries,” he said. “We also have a massive system of colleges and universities. And if we were to cut that in half, which perhaps makes some people happy, you would have half the colleges in the United States go out of business. “I actually think it’s good to have outside countries. Look, I want to be able to get along with the world — not the French, though.” Fox News host Laura Ingraham pushed back. “The Chinese, they spy on us, they steal our intellectual property,” she said. “Do you think the French are better?” Trump replied. “Yeah,” Ingraham shot back. “I’m not so sure,” Trump said, citing French tariffs. “It’s not that I want them, but I view it as a business. One thing you don’t want to do is cut half the students from all over the world who are coming into our country and destroy our entire university system. I don’t want to do that.” China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law requires all citizens and organizations to assist the Chinese Communist Party’s intelligence efforts in the name of national security, a key concern among U.S. lawmakers warning that Chinese students and researchers can be pressured to steal sensitive data on behalf of Beijing.
DOJ joins lawsuit against Newsom over ‘racial gerrymander’ of California map
The Department of Justice intervened Thursday in a lawsuit against Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom that is challenging California’s efforts to redraw the state’s congressional map in time for the next election. DOJ Civil Rights Division lawyers argued in a complaint that race was “used as a proxy” in California to justify creating districts favorable to Democrats, a move that served to offset the redistricting showdown in Texas that resulted in more Republican-leaning districts. “In the press, California’s legislators and governor sold a plan to promote the interests of Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections,” the DOJ lawyers wrote. “But amongst themselves and on the debate floor, the focus was not partisanship, but race.” CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS SUE TO STOP NEWSOM, DEMOCRATS FROM PUSHING REDISTRICTING PLAN They added the Constitution “does not tolerate this racial gerrymander” and cited several remarks from lawmakers and others involved in the process about how they prioritized creating a Latino-majority district to counter Texas’ perceived attempt to “silence the voices of Latino voters.” The federal government has authority to enforce the Voting Rights Act, which has a provision designed to make sure voters are not disenfranchised based on their race. But the law’s language has long been a point of controversy and is now under review by the Supreme Court in a separate redistricting case about Louisiana’s map. California’s ballot measure, called Proposition 50, passed on Election Day, and clears the way for the state legislature to redraw districts that could flip five Republican seats. Newsom said in celebratory remarks after the measure’s passage that it was California’s answer to Trump “trying to rig the midterm elections before one single vote is even cast.” ‘DERANGED OBSESSION’: NEWSOM HIT WITH LAWSUIT OVER ‘RETALIATORY’ CALIFORNIA REDISTRICTING PUSH “One thing he never counted on, though, was the state of California,” Newsom said. “Instead of agonizing over the state of our nation, we organized in an unprecedented way, in a 90-day sprint.” California Assembly Member David Tangipa, a Republican, responded by suing, and the DOJ joined in that lawsuit Thursday. A spokesperson for Newsom told Fox News Digital, “These losers lost at the ballot box and soon they will also lose in court.” The legal battle comes as redistricting fights have intensified in the lead-up to the 2026 midterm elections. In addition to Texas and California, Louisiana’s fight before the Supreme Court could affect its map by the next election, depending on when the high court rules. In Utah, Republicans were just dealt a blow by a state judge who approved a new map that will tip one of the state’s four districts in favor of Democrats.
Former Rep. Gohmert blasts Jack Smith for allegedly targeting his personal phone records in J6 probe
EXCLUSIVE: Former Rep. Louie Gohmert blasted ex-Special Counsel Jack Smith for allegedly targeting his personal phone records as part of his investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots, telling Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that his action “destroys the checks and balances that the founders counted on.” Fox News Digital exclusively reported Thursday morning that Smith targeted then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s personal, private phone records, as well as Gohmert’s. JACK SMITH SOUGHT THEN-HOUSE SPEAKER MCCARTHY’S PRIVATE PHONE RECORDS IN J6 PROBE, FBI DOCS REVEAL Fox News Digital exclusively reviewed the document that FBI Director Kash Patel recently shared with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson containing the explosive revelations. Grassley and Johnson have been leading a joint investigation into Smith’s “Arctic Frost” probe. According to the document, Smith, on Jan. 24, 2023, allegedly sought the “toll records for the personal cell phones of U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (AT&T) and U.S. Representative Louie Gohmert (Verizon.)” The information was included as part of a “significant case notification” drafted by the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division May 25, 2023. “It is astounding that Jack ‘Frost’ Smith went on this persecution,” Gohmert told Fox News Digital Thursday. “Apparently, this guy has never read the Fourth Amendment because you have to describe with particularity what it is you’re going after — there should be probable cause, and they had no probable cause. They were going on a witch hunt.” Smith had sought Gohmert’s personal cellphone records from November 2020 through the end of January 2021. “They don’t have any regard for the Fourth Amendment,” he said. “It makes Watergate look like school yard folly.” But Gohmert said it is the “principle.” “It is the separation of powers that is the problem,” Gohmert explained. “People and whistleblowers contacted me regularly from within the DOJ and the FBI about overreach within the FBI and DOJ. By grabbing my records, they could stifle reporting of potential crimes by people within the agencies.” JACK SMITH TRACKED PRIVATE COMMUNICATIONS, CALLS OF NEARLY A DOZEN GOP SENATORS DURING J6 PROBE, FBI SAYS “You can’t just go seize members of Congress’ records even with a warrant because of that separation of powers,” Gohmert said. “There has to be a wall and that’s what troubles me more than anything.” Gohmert told Fox News Digital that he didn’t remember who he spoke with during the time period Smith sought records, but said that “the last thing I want is for someone who trusted me to keep their name private to have some jack-booted thug like Jack ‘Frost’ Smith grab my records and find out who is tattle tailing on him.” He added: “It violates and destroys the checks and balances that the founders counted on.” Gohmert, though, told Fox News Digital that he trusts the current Justice Department and FBI leadership. “I trust the DOJ and trust the people running the FBI,” he said. “We’ll see if there were any crimes committed and, if following the Constitution, they can be properly prosecuted.” HAGERTY PRESSES VERIZON OVER FBI’S ACCESS TO HIS PHONE RECORDS DURING JACK SMITH PROBE Meanwhile, McCarthy said he will take legal action against Smith. “Jack Smith’s radical and deranged investigation was never about finding the truth,” McCarthy told Fox News Digital. “It was a blatant weaponizing of the Justice Department to attack political opponents of the Biden administration. Perhaps no action underscores this point more than the illegal attempt to access the phone records of sitting members of the House and Senate — including the Speaker of the House.” “His illegal targeting demands real accountability,” McCarthy continued. “And I am confident Congress will hold hearings and access documents in its investigation into Jack Smith’s own abuses.” HAGERTY PRESSES VERIZON OVER FBI’S ACCESS TO HIS PHONE RECORDS DURING JACK SMITH PROBE “At the same time, I will ask my own counsel to pursue all areas of redress so this does not happen to anyone else,” McCarthy said. The revelations come after Fox News Digital exclusively reported in October that Smith and his “Arctic Frost” team investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots were tracking the private communications and phone calls of nearly a dozen Republican senators as part of the probe, including Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and GOP Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania. An official told Fox News Digital that those records were collected in 2023 by Smith and his team after subpoenaing major telephone providers. Smith has called his decision to subpoena and track Republican lawmakers’ phone records “entirely proper” and consistent with Justice Department policy. “As described by various Senators, the toll data collection was narrowly tailored and limited to the four days from January 4, 2021 to January 7, 2021, with a focus on telephonic activity during the period immediately surrounding the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol,” Smith’s lawyers wrote in October to Grassley. Grassley, R-Iowa, and Johnson, R-Wis., have been investigating the matter. An FBI official told Fox News Digital that “Arctic Frost” is a “prohibited case,” and that the review required FBI officials to go “above and beyond in order to deliver on this promise of transparency.” The discovery is part of a broader ongoing review, Fox News Digital has learned. Smith, after months of investigating, charged President Donald Trump in the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., in his 2020 election case, but after Trump was elected president, Smith sought to dismiss the case. Judge Tanya Chutkan granted that request. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Smith’s case cost taxpayers more than $50 million. Smith did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Kamala Harris-endorsed candidate in hot seat for million-dollar DC home hundreds of miles outside district
FIRST ON FOX: Former Vice President Kamala Harris’ pick for Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District, Dan Koh, is facing scrutiny for owning a million-dollar home hundreds of miles from the district in Washington, D.C. Koh, who held several senior roles in former President Joe Biden’s White House, is running in a crowded race to replace Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton, who is running for the Senate. He has received the endorsement of Harris, who called him a “fighter” who “knows how to get things done.” Though running in a suburban Massachusetts district, Koh and his wife own a $1.3 million home in a swanky neighborhood by Capitol Hill, which they purchased in 2022, according to the website for the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue. The two also own a home in Andover, Massachusetts, which sits within the 6th Congressional District, according to the North Essex Registry of Deeds. The Massachusetts home was purchased in 2019 for $810,000. KAMALA HARRIS SAYS DEMOCRATS TOOK BLACK WOMEN FOR GRANTED IN 2024 Amy Carnevale, chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party, knocked Koh over the home, telling Fox News Digital that “living full-time in D.C. with a no-show house in Massachusetts seems to be a family tradition amongst MassDems.” She also criticized another Massachusetts Democrat, Sen. Ed Markey, who she said is “known in the Bay State as the ‘Senator from Chevy Chase,’” because he “is rarely seen in his alleged hometown in Massachusetts.” “Dan Koh is now looking to follow in that tradition. What a shame for actual residents of Massachusetts who deserve better,” added Carnevale. In response, a spokesperson for Koh’s campaign told Fox News Digital that “Dan lives full-time at his home in Andover, which he and his wife have owned for over 6 years.” DEM SENATOR, 79, DRAWS PRIMARY CHALLENGE FROM REP. SETH MOULTON The spokesperson said that Koh “lived in D.C. during his time as a senior official in the White House during the Biden-Harris administration with his family.” Tax documents available on the district’s Office of Tax and Revenue’s website show that Koh and his wife still own the D.C. home as of August. Harris endorsed Koh on Oct. 28, saying: “During our time in the White House, I saw Dan’s steadfast drive to make life better — and more affordable — for working people.” “He knows how to get things done, will be the fighter you deserve, and is ready on day one,” said Harris, adding, “I’m proud to endorse him and encourage everyone in Massachusetts’ 6th District to support his campaign.” FORMER VP KAMALA HARRIS ADVOCATES FOR LOWERING THE VOTING AGE A statement by Koh’s campaign said that he is among the first candidates Harris has endorsed in the 2025-26 campaign cycle, which the campaign said demonstrates “the critical importance of electing a strong, effective Democratic leader to represent the 6th District.” Koh said he is “honored that Vice President Harris has endorsed our campaign for Massachusetts’ 6th District,” adding, “I personally witnessed the Vice President’s tireless dedication to the American people every day in the administration.” He added, “I’ll be ready on day one to bring the same brand of leadership to Capitol Hill, getting to work to deliver results for families of our commonwealth and our country.” Fox News Digital reached out to Harris for contact but did not immediately receive a response.
Camelot or Cringe?: Meet JFK’s grandson turned congressional candidate for the scrolling generation
Jack Schlossberg struck a serious tone in his campaign launch video this week, but his digital footprint tells a different story. As former President John F. Kennedy’s only grandson, Schlossberg is practically political royalty. But to New York City’s chronically online electorate, he is better known as the star of hundreds of satirical, and often absurd, viral videos. Sometimes he sings bizarre love songs to Second Lady Usha Vance or trolls her husband, Vice President JD Vance. As a surrogate for former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, Schlossberg teamed up with Democratic candidates nationwide, including former Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., who lost to Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., last year. Between satirical renditions of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” and answering a lobster like a phone in a spoof news bit, Schlossberg has cultivated a following any aspiring influencer would envy, with close to 850,000 TikTok followers and nearly 770,000 on Instagram. NEW JERSEY DEMOCRAT BREAKS RANKS TO SUPPORT REPUBLICAN JACK CIATTARELLI FOR GOVERNOR “True or false: Usha Vance is way hotter than Jackie O,” Schlossberg said on X earlier this year, referencing his grandmother, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. JOE KENNEDY III BLASTS RFK JR. AFTER FIERY SENATE HEARING, FUELING KENNEDY FAMILY INFIGHTING: ‘HE MUST RESIGN’ He later described his own comments as “weird” and “creepy” on former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s podcast “The Blueprint.” “The internet is a place where it’s difficult to break through, and it’s difficult to break through if you are not saying something controversial or at least somehow unexpected,” Schlossberg explained. “I see that Democrats play that game not as well as we could, and I think I use my judgment to make posts that I think are funny or silly but have a purpose…” Despite the followers and the Kennedy connections, Schlossberg has a slim résumé. He most recently served as a political correspondent for Vogue during the 2024 presidential election. He was also a Democratic National Committee delegate in 2024 and worked as a staff assistant at the U.S. Department of State in 2016. He is a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law and Business Schools. According to his LinkedIn, Schlossberg has worked for the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation for 12 years, first as chair of the New Frontier Award, and now as chair of the Profiles in Courage Award. Schlossberg is the son of former U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy. Schlossberg honored former Vice President Mike Pence with the Profiles in Courage Award earlier this year for defying President Donald Trump’s request to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The 32-year-old Kennedy heir is a frequent Trump critic. And while he often experiments with accents in his online skits, Schlossberg did not mince words about the president in his campaign launch video. In the vertical walk-and-talk style video, Schlossberg clipped a mini microphone to his crisp, blue button-down shirt and accused Trump of turning his second term into “cronyism, not capitalism, and a constitutional crisis with one dangerous man in control of all three branches of government.” Earlier this year, fellow New Yorker Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer appointed Schlossberg to the America 250 Commission, claiming there was “no better person to push back” on Trump’s “ego” dominating the celebrations. Schlossberg has also been a vocal critic of his cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who ran a failed presidential campaign last year before endorsing Trump and securing a cabinet position as secretary of Health and Human Services. Schlossberg accused Trump of dismantling the Kennedy legacy and called RFK Jr. a “dangerous person” on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Wednesday. While it’s clear that Schlossberg rejects Trump, his campaign priorities are not so obvious. In his campaign launch video, Schlossberg said he is running to replace the retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., because New York’s 12th Congressional District “should have a representative who can harness the creativity, energy and drive” of the city and translate it into “political power and drive in Washington.” His campaign website includes a short biography and donation links, but no policy proposals, only a list of “12 promises” to the district’s residents. “I’m a big believer that if you don’t have something else to say in the race, you shouldn’t really jump in,” Democratic commentator Kaivan Shroff, a 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign alum, told Fox News Digital. “It’s unclear because he doesn’t have that policy page.” Fox News Digital reached out to Schlossberg for comment but did not immediately receive a response.