Blame game intensifies in Congress as government shutdown threat inches closer
Democrats and Republicans in Congress are gearing up to blame each other for a potential partial government shutdown next month, even as negotiations to avoid the pitfall continue. “The federal government will run out of money on March 14. Republicans, who control Congress and thus decide whether the government shuts down, will bring to the floor tomorrow arguably one of the worst budget bills ever,” Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, wrote on X recently. With just over 10 days left in session before the deadline, congressional Republicans are tentatively looking at passing a short-term extension of last year’s federal funding, known as a continuing resolution (CR), while potentially modifying it to account for priorities set by President Donald Trump, Fox News Digital was told. It could also include extra funding for military readiness to ease defense hawks’ concerns. BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘PURGE’ OF ‘MINORITY’ FEDERAL WORKERS Trump himself weighed in on Truth Social on Thursday night: “We are working very hard with the House and Senate to pass a clean, temporary government funding Bill (“CR”) to the end of September. Let’s get it done!” But Republicans have drawn a red line at Democrats’ demands for added assurances that Trump will not move to unilaterally cut cash flows already appropriated by Congress. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., said in a closed-door GOP meeting last week that the Democrats’ price was too high, a lawmaker at the meeting told Fox News Digital. On Friday, the top two Democratic negotiators released a blistering statement accusing Republicans of “walking away from bipartisan negotiations to fund the government — and raising the risk of a shutdown in so doing.” And Democratic lawmakers for weeks have already been positioning to place the blame on Republicans if no agreement is reached. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., dodged a question from Fox News Digital earlier this week about whether Democratic leaders would encourage their members to reject a funding bill if it did not meet their demands. “The appropriations process at this moment is in the hands of [House Appropriations Committee ranking member Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn.] on behalf of House Democrats,” he said. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote on X this week, “Republicans are spending precious time trying to cater to the wishes of Trump’s billionaire buddies INSTEAD OF working to avoid a disastrous government shutdown that would hurt tens of millions of American families. Democrats are fighting for families.” Since Republicans took back control of the House in 2023, any government funding bill that’s been signed into law has needed Democratic support in both chambers to pass. But this year, some Democrats are arguing that Republicans will fully own a shutdown, since they now control both chambers of Congress and the White House. KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN Republicans, however, have accused Democrats of being unreasonable and are readying to blame them if a shutdown occurs. “If that happens, that’s because the Democrats do not want to do the necessary work of getting waste and inefficiency out of our government,” Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., told Fox News’ Bill Hemmer. House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., suggested liberals were still playing hardball earlier this week during his weekly press conference. “If they are interested in collaborating with us and us putting up votes to fund government, then they have to work with us. If they walk away, that is a signal that they have this on their own… We’re not interested in putting up votes just because,” he said. “We’re interested in funding a government that protects vulnerable populations, protects our communities, makes investments in our national security and defense. Those are the things that Democrats care about. If Republicans don’t want to partner with us, then, clearly they must have a strategy to fund this on their own, using their own votes.” Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash., said Democrats “are at the table negotiating in good faith to fund the government.” “But Republicans are the majority in the House and Senate. If they want our votes, they need to work with us,” she said, warning Republicans not to “follow [Elon Musk] toward a shutdown.”
Texas lawmaker proposes bill to ban gender transition treatment for everyone, including adults
A Texas state lawmaker introduced legislation that would amend the state’s ban on gender transition procedures or treatment for minors to also apply to adults in the Lone Star State. H.B. 3399 filed by Rep. Brent Money, a Republican, would change the language in the current law banning gender-transitioning procedures or treatment for children by replacing the word “child” with “person.” Money’s proposal would prohibit medical procedures “for the purpose of transitioning a person’s biological sex” or “affirming the person’s perception of the person’s sex” if the perception is not consistent with the person’s biological sex. PENTAGON SAYS TRANSGENDER TROOPS ARE DISQUALIFIED FROM SERVICE WITHOUT AN EXCEPTION Surgeries and puberty-blocking drugs would be banned for all Texans under the bill, with exceptions for a doctor prescribing puberty-blocking drugs to a child with parental consent to normalize puberty and for surgery on a person born with a “verifiable genetic disorder of sex development.” People who have already started puberty-blocking medications must be weaned off the drugs in a “medically appropriate” manner that “minimizes the risk of complications.” Texas has an estimated 93,000 transgender adults, making it the state with the third-most, behind only California and Florida, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA’s School of Law. About 30,000 Texans between the ages of 13 and 18 are transgender, also making it the state with the third-most, behind California and New York. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, signed a bill in 2023 banning gender-transitioning treatment for transgender youth after the measure was approved by the state legislature. The law was challenged in the Texas Supreme Court, with the lawsuit that sought to block the law arguing that the ban has devastating consequences for transgender teenagers who are unable to obtain treatment recommended by their doctors and parents, according to Fox 7. WASHINGTON TEEN REFUSES TO COMPETE AGAINST TRANS BASKETBALL PLAYER, FACES CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT But the court upheld the ban last summer in an 8-1 decision. Only one justice dissented, saying the state Supreme Court was allowing the state to “legislate away fundamental parental rights.” Texas is one of at least 25 states with laws restricting or banning gender-transitioning treatment for transgender minors.
Trump staffers load boxes of items seized by FBI in 2022 Mar-a-Lago raid onto Air Force One
President Donald Trump reclaimed items seized during a 2022 raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, which was executed by former special counsel Jack Smith. Trump staff members were seen loading boxes onto Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews Friday after the Department of Justice (DOJ) returned them to the president’s possession. “The Department of Justice has just returned the boxes that Deranged Jack Smith made such a big deal about. They are being brought down to Florida and will someday be part of the Trump Presidential Library,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social Friday evening. “Justice finally won out. I did absolutely nothing wrong. This was merely an attack on a political opponent that, obviously, did not work well. Justice in our Country will now be restored.” JUDGE UNSEALS FBI FILES IN TRUMP CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASE, INCLUDING DETAILED TIMELINE OF MAR-A-LAGO RAID The FBI agents seized 33 boxes of documents in August 2022 from Mar-a-Lago, spurring a legal battle that Trump has called a “scam.” Former Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith to oversee the investigation, resulting in 40 felony counts against Trump, including his alleged violation of the Espionage Act, making false statements to investigators and conspiracy to obstruct justice. The FBI at the time told a judge there was “probable cause to believe” that classified documents at Mar-a-Lago were being improperly stored and that investigators would find “evidence of obstruction.” Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges and slammed the case as an “Election Inference Scam” promoted by the Biden administration and “Deranged Jack Smith.” “The FBI is giving the President his property back that was taken during the unlawful and illegal raids,” White House communications director Steven Cheung said. “We are taking possession of the boxes today and loading them onto Air Force One.” TRUMP LAWYERS CLAIM MAR-A-LAGO SEARCH DONE WITHOUT PROBABLE CAUSE AS PROSECUTORS SLAM ‘CONSPIRACY THEORY’ Trump counselor Alina Habba told reporters during a gaggle Friday the boxes were with the FBI and contained personal items. For example, Habba said the FBI raided Trump’s son Barron’s closet and wife Melania’s closet and went through drawers, making a mockery of the justice system. She reiterated that personal items like pictures, newspaper articles and things “completely irrelevant” to lawsuits were removed from the home and are now being returned to Trump. FEDERAL JUDGE POSTPONES TRUMP’S CLASSIFIED RECORDS TRIAL WITH NO NEW DATE Returning the items to the president, she explained, brought the issue full circle. “I personally actually carried some of the boxes with the team to get them back to where they belong, which is where they were unlawfully taken from, and that is Florida,” Habba said. “So, it is truly an honor and full circle to be on this trip. “The boxes are going back, and frankly, this was a hoax, as we knew. So, I think that the biggest message in America today is that justice is going to be restored.”
Tulsi Gabbard thanks Trump for ‘unwavering leadership’ in Oval Office clash with Zelenskyy
Tulsi Gabbard, the new director of national intelligence, thanked President Donald Trump Friday for his “unwavering leadership” after his clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in the Oval Office earlier in the day. “Thank you @realDonaldTrump for your unwavering leadership in standing up for the interests of the American people, and peace,” Gabbard wrote on X Friday evening, hours after the fiery exchange. “What you said is absolutely true: Zelensky has been trying to drag the United States into a nuclear war with Russia/WW3 for years now, and no one has.” Tensions increased during the Oval Office meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy and Vice President JD Vance about a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine after Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin couldn’t be trusted and had breached other agreements. ZELENSKYY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP, VANCE, SAYS DUSTUP ‘BAD FOR BOTH SIDES’ Trump and Vice President JD Vance then accused Zelenskyy of not being grateful for the support the U.S. has provided over the years and said the Ukrainian leader was in a “bad position” at the negotiating table. “You’re playing cards,” Trump said. “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III. You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country.” After Vance told Zelenskyy Ukraine had manpower and military recruiting problems, Zelenskyy said war means “everybody has problems, even you,” adding the U.S. would feel the war “in the future.” “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel,” Trump responded. “We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.” Zelenskyy was asked to leave the White House after the exchange, a press conference was canceled and a deal for Ukraine to give the U.S. its rare earth minerals was left unsigned. Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude for America’s help after the meeting. “Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit,” he wrote on X. “Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.” The Ukrainian president told Fox News’ Bret Baier in an interview after the meeting he believes Ukrainian-U.S. ties can be salvaged. “Yes, of course, because it’s relations more than two presidents,” he said in the exclusive interview on “Special Report.” “It’s the historical relations, strong relations between our people. And that’s why I always began … to thank your people from our people. “Of course, thankful to the president and, of course, to Congress,” he said, “But, first of all, to your people … we wanted very much to have all this strong relations and where it counted. We will have it.” Zelenskyy said he was “not sure we did something bad” when asked about the heated exchange but conceded the dustup was “bad for both sides.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trump also received support from Republicans like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said Trump was “standing up for America,” while Democrats like Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly wrote on X, “To be clear, the only winner in this shouting match in the Oval Office is Putin. Almost can’t believe this happened.”
Ukraine ambassador’s reaction to fiery Trump-Zelenskyy Oval Office clash goes viral
During a heated exchange between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on Friday, Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova appeared distraught with her head in her hand. The moment was captured in a number of viral photos and videos as Trump questioned Zelenskyy about not wanting a ceasefire with Russia at a live White House press event. As shaky microphones hovered above the spatting leaders, Markarova lowered her head to her right hand and closed her eyes. ZELENSKYY BREAKS SILENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER FIERY OVAL OFFICE EXCHANGE WITH TRUMP: ‘THANK YOU AMERICA’ President Trump addressed Zelenskyy, saying, “You’re saying you don’t want a ceasefire. I want a ceasefire because you get a ceasefire faster than an agreement.” The Ukrainian president chimed in, “I said to you … with guarantees. Ask our people about [a] ceasefire, [about] what they think.” Trump starkly halted the conversation, saying “that wasn’t with me.” ZELENSKYY LEAVES WHITE HOUSE AFTER BEING ‘KICKED OUT’ FOLLOWING HEATED MEETING The leaders were expected to sign a deal sharing Ukraine’s rare earth minerals and discuss a peace deal with Russia when the conversation turned contentious. After questions were posed by Zelenskyy about diplomacy, Vice President JD Vance reprimanded him for “try[ing] to litigate” in front of the American media, calling his actions “disrespectful.” “Do you think that it’s respectful to come into the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country,” Vance asked Zelenskyy. Sources close to Zelenskyy noted tensions were high prior to the meeting, Fox News Digital previously reported. Zelenskyy reportedly rejected the mineral security agreement before Friday’s meeting due to the absence of security guarantees protecting Ukraine from another Russian invasion. Even though the Ukrainian president warned he would need those assurances to sign the deal, sources said the dismissal angered Trump and Vance. Just minutes after reporters asked their first questions, the heated disagreement unfolded. Reporters watched in shock as the meeting came to an abrupt halt, and Zelenskyy was rushed out of the White House. Minutes later, Trump posted to Truth Social, saying, “President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE.” Zelenskyy subsequently posted to X, thanking America and Trump for their support and allowing the visit. “Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that,” he wrote in the post. Markarova was ambassador for roughly a year when Russia invaded Ukraine, thrusting her into the spotlight. In September, Fox News Digital exclusively reported that House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote a letter to Zelenskyy seeking Markarova’s firing after she allegedly organized a U.S. taxpayer-funded tour of an American manufacturing site for Zelenskyy in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state, ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Johnson, R-La., said the tour “purposely excluded” Republicans, calling it “election interference.” “The facility was in a politically contested battleground state, was led by a top political surrogate for Kamala Harris and failed to include a single Republican because — on purpose — no Republicans were invited,” Johnson wrote in the letter. He said the “shortsighted and intentionally political move” prompted Republicans to “lose trust” in Markarova’s ability to fairly and effectively serve as a diplomat. “She should be removed from her post immediately,” Johnson wrote. The Embassy of Ukraine to the United States of America did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Caitlin McFall and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Iowa governor signs bill removing transgender protections from civil rights code
Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill on Friday that removes protections for transgender people in the state’s civil rights code. While not every state has protections for transgender people, Iowa Democrats added them to the civil rights code in 2007. Iowa is the first state to remove gender identity protection from its state civil rights code. The new law follows President Donald Trump’s executive orders only recognizing two sexes, restricting sex change operations and restricting trans people in the military, as well as state efforts to ban trans women from women’s bathrooms and women’s sports. TRUMP ORDER RESTRICTING SEX-CHANGE PROCEDURES FOR MINOR IN LINE WITH ‘DO NO HARM,’ DOCTOR SAYS The bill also defines male and female based on the person’s reproductive organs at birth. Iowa’s civil rights code will still include protections for race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin and disability status. Reynolds described the bill in a video she uploaded to X on Friday. “Today I’m signing into law a bill that safeguards the rights of women and girls,” she said. “It’s commonsense to acknowledge the obvious biological differences between men and women. In fact, it’s necessary to secure genuine equal protection for girls. It’s why we have men and women’s bathrooms, but not men and women’s conference rooms. Girls’ and boys’ sports, but not girls’ math, boys’ math.” She said that “these commonsense protections were at risk because, before I signed this bill, the civil rights code blurred the biological line between the sexes.” Reynolds acknowledged that it is a “sensitive issue for some, many of whom have heard misinformation about what this bill does. The truth is that it simply brings Iowa in line with the federal civil rights code, as well as most states.” She added that every Iowan, “without exception, deserves respect and dignity. We are all children of God and no law changes that.” Trump signaled his approval of the law on Thursday, shortly before it was signed. PENTAGON SAYS TRANSGENDER TROOPS ARE DISQUALIFIED FROM SERVICE WITHOUT AN EXEMPTION “Iowa, a beautiful State that I have won BIG every time, has a Bill to remove Radical Gender Ideology from their Laws,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Iowa should follow the lead of my Executive Order, saying there are only two genders, and pass this Bill – AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. Thank you Iowa!” Critics of the law say it will allow transgender people to be discriminated against in all aspects of life. Democratic Iowa state Rep. Aime Wichtendahl, who identifies as a transgender woman, said, “The purpose of this bill and the purpose of every anti-trans bill is to further erase us from public life and to stigmatize our existence. The sum total of every anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ bill is to make our existence illegal.” Protesters also filled the state Capitol’s rotunda on Thursday, holding up signs like “Trans rights are human rights” and shouting, “No hate in our state!” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Keenan Crow, who directs policy and advocacy for the LGBTQ advocacy group One Iowa, told The Associated Press that the group will take any legal action “available,” adding that they’re still trying to understand how the law will be enforced. All Democrats in the state House and Senate voted against the bill and were joined by five House Republicans. The law goes into effect July 1. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Off the Rails at the White House
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -Here’s who Biden blames for his 2024 election loss, Trump divulges after private convo -‘Fired me illegally’: Emotional ex-USAID employees leave building with belongings after mass layoffs -‘Great job’ or ‘no idea what he’s doing’? Elon Musk email sets Capitol Hill ablaze Conversations about a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia came to a screeching halt Friday after a tense meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy led to a canceled press conference, a minerals deal off the table and Trump asking the Ukrainian president to leave, a White House official confirmed. Trump accused Zelenskyy of “disrespecting” the U.S. during their meeting Friday and said the Ukrainian leader was not ready to secure peace for his country. “I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations,” Trump said in a Truth Social post Friday. “I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”…Read more ‘YOU’VE TALKED TOO MUCH’: Trump, Vance and Zelenskyy spar over Russian war in tense exchange: ‘very disrespectful’ ‘SIDING WITH DICTATORS’: Furious Dems attack Trump, Vance after explosive Oval Office meeting: ‘Siding with dictators’ MANY ‘THANKS’: Zelenskyy breaks silence on social media after fiery Oval Office exchange with Trump: ‘Thank you America’ ‘DISGRACE’: GOP Ukraine supporters alarmed after explosive Trump, Zelenskyy meeting ‘TERRORISTS’: White House touts extradition of cartel figures amid Trump admin crackdown FINANCING TERROR: Illegal immigrant ISIS operative charged with financing terror, firearms violations and immigration fraud ‘DETERRENCE’: Top House Republican threatens to expose CCP officials if China invades Taiwan ‘MASTER DEALMAKER’: Inside Trump’s budget bill victory amid House GOP rebellion ‘CHAOTIC’: Democratic lawmaker demands Musk, OPM stop sending mass emails to staffers TICK TOCK: Pam Bondi sends fiery note to Kash Patel accusing FBI of withholding docs ‘SUPERCHARGE’: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to ‘streamline’ FAA hiring process amid air traffic control shortage LOOKING THE OTHER WAY: Gabbard says Biden admin ignored ‘highly inappropriate’ chats happening at national security agencies ‘INSUFFICIENT FUNDING’: Biden-era Coast Guard failed to ‘consistently’ stop drug smugglers: watchdog ‘FULL COOPERATION’: Virginia gov promises ‘full cooperation’ with ICE to deport illegal immigrants Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Europe needs to ‘step up’ or Zelenskyy needs to ‘step down’: What’s next after explosive Oval Office meeting
Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations came to a screeching halt Friday after an Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy erupted in anger. The world is now left wondering where negotiations go from here and whether the two world leaders can repair their relationship enough for the U.S. to broker peace. Some say Europe may need to step up and get involved to help end the hostilities, while others think Zelenskyy either needs to do major damage control or step down. “It is hard to foresee what happens next,” one European official told Fox News Digital. “The optics of it were simply terrible. … This is another sign for Europe to get its act together and support Ukraine. Mobilize Russia’s foreign assets. Purchase arms for Ukraine. Increase defense spending this year. Move forward with EU membership. There are things Europe can do to help Ukraine build leverage.” Trump said he did not believe Zelenskyy was “ready” for U.S. involvement in the peace process, and Republicans who once supported aiding Ukraine’s fight against Russia seem to have grown tired of the Ukrainian leader. TUNE IN: BRET BAIER INTERVIEWS ZELENSKYY ON ‘SPECIAL REPORT,’ 6 PM ET ON FOX NEWS Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a one-time staunch supporter of Ukraine, said after the meeting that the war-torn nation may need to seek a new leader who can work with Trump. “The question for me, for the Ukrainian people … I don’t know if Zelensky can ever get you where you want to go with the United States. Either he dramatically changes or you gotta get someone new,” said Graham. Another former State Department official said Europe needs to have an “emergency meeting” to figure out how to move forward. “I think we’re gonna have to see an emergency meeting of the Europeans with the United States, and I think there’s gonna have to be a little bit of a cooling down right now between Zelenskyy and the U.S.,” said Joel Rubin, a deputy assistant secretary of state during the Obama administration. TRUMP SAYS ZELENSKYY CAN ‘COME BACK WHEN HE IS READY FOR PEACE’ AFTER FIERY WHITE HOUSE EXCHANGE “That Oval meeting was either the bane of Zelenskyy’s political career or the bane of Ukraine,” said former Rep. Mike Garcia, a Republican who served as an informal liaison between Speaker Mike Johnson and rank-and-file House members on Ukraine. “One of those two will cease to exist in the next few months.” He added that Friday’s spat was a natural result of Zelenskyy operating under a “blank check mentality.” “The pill that Zelenskyy seems to not have swallowed yet is that he’s not going to get everything that he wants,” Garcia told Fox News Digital. “He was humiliated on the global stage in a time when his people needed him to be a little more gracious and grateful for this stuff that he’s gotten. “He needs to come back and say he is very grateful for what he has gotten, say ‘I am alive because of the United States. I’m willing to sit down and negotiate in good faith for a peace agreement that may not yield everything that I want and may not, you know, certainly won’t get us to the borders that we had in 2012-2013 before the Crimea invasion.’” The White House was taken by surprise at Zelenskyy’s “combativeness” after President Donald Trump accused him of being a “dictator” last week and invited him to the White House to sign a mineral deal this week. SCOOP: GOP UKRAINE SUPPORTERS ALARMED AFTER EXPLOSIVE TRUMP, ZELENSKYY MEETING “The president and vice president did not expect Zelenskyy to engage in such disrespectful behavior,” a source close to Vance said. The testy White House meeting was cut short as aides escorted Zelenskyy off the premises before closed-door negotiations had even begun. “You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards,” Trump told Zelenskyy. Vance accused Zelenskyy of trying to litigate their issues in front of the U.S. media. “Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who’s trying to save your country, please,” Vance told Zelenskyy. “Have you ever been to Ukraine? Have you seen the problems we have? Come once,” the Ukrainian president replied. Trump announced after the meeting that Zelenskyy may return to the Oval Office “when he is ready for peace.” “We had a very meaningful meeting in the White House today. Much was learned that could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure,” Trump wrote. “It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. I don’t want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”
Conservatives explode at botched Epstein document rollout: ‘Complete disappointment’
The Justice Department’s rollout of the Epstein files on Thursday and Friday drew heated criticism from many on social media from those expressing dismay at the level of detail of the files and the time it took to release them. The highly anticipated release of files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday did not include a “client list” or any new startling information, and speculation continued into Friday with the Justice Department saying that some of the documents were still being tracked down. Many conservatives took to social media to express frustration and disappointment with the rollout over the past couple of days. “I nor the task force were given or reviewed the Epstein documents being released today… A NY Post story just revealed that the documents will simply be Epstein’s phonebook,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., posted on X. “THIS IS NOT WHAT WE OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ASKED FOR and a complete disappointment. GET US THE INFORMATION WE ASKED FOR!” PEDO ACT: LAWMAKER MOVES TO PROTECT EPSTEIN FILES, ACCUSES ‘CERTAIN FBI AGENTS’ OF TRYING TO DESTROY DOCS “The fact that the Epstein files haven’t yet been released demonstrates that the President doesn’t yet have operational control of the DOJ and FBI,” Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., posted on X on Friday morning. “It could take a while to establish, or as with his first term, it might never be established.” Many on social media also took issue with the presence of several conservative influencers at the White House who were pictured outside holding binders that said “The Epstein Files Phase 1,” suggesting that new information had been released. “Pam Bondi: ‘We’re releasing the first of the Epstein files tomorrow.’ Americans: ‘Cool! Then we’ll get to read them?’ Bondi: ‘Well actually you’ll get to see fun little photo shoots of conservative personalities & influencers holding a binder!’” Daily Signal investigative columnist Tony Kinnett posted on X. “Not interested in some big theatrical rollout of the Epstein files, if they even exist anymore,” conservative commentator Matt Walsh posted on X. “Put them online for everyone to see. Hold a press conference to walk us through it. There’s a time for showmanship and a time to be direct and boring. This is definitely the latter.” “The most likely outcome of the ‘Epstein Files’ has always been that it’s mostly stuff we already knew and nothing truly game-changing,” Red State writer Bonchie posted on X. “That’s even more true for the JFK files. If that’s the case, just admit it and move on. Stop hyping this crap up and then not delivering.” BONDI SAYS EPSTEIN CLIENT LIST ‘SITTING ON MY DESK RIGHT NOW,’ AND IS REVIEWING JFK, MLK FILES Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel which explained the delay in the release of the documents and placed blame on an FBI field office in New York. Bondi said she had requested the full Epstein case file before Patel was confirmed as the head of the FBI and received about 200 pages of files — far fewer than the number of pages released last year in a civil lawsuit connected to Ghislaine Maxwell, the trafficker’s former lover and convicted accomplice. “I repeatedly questioned whether this was the full set of documents responsive to my request and was repeatedly assured by the FBI that we had received the full set of documents,” Bondi wrote. “Late yesterday, I learned from a source that the FBI Field Office in New York was in possession of thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation and indictment of Epstein.” “By 8:00 a.m. tomorrow, February 28, the FBI will deliver the full and complete Epstein files to my office, including all records, documents, audio and video recordings, and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and his clients, regardless of how such information was obtained,” Bondi added. “There will be no withholdings or limitations to my or your access.” As of Friday afternoon, no new files had been released. Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department for comment. “What you’re going to see, hopefully tomorrow, is a lot of flight logs, a lot of names, a lot of information,” Bondi said on Fox News on Wednesday night when asked about the type of information that would be released Thursday. “But, it’s pretty sick what that man did, along with his co-defendant.” Many defended Bondi against accusations of a botched document rollout, including DOGE chief Elon Musk. “People don’t understand that you don’t get instant power here,” Musk posted on X in response to a post defending Bondi for being in a position of “fighting against a leftist culture.” Patel addressed the situation late Thursday in a post on X. “The FBI is entering a new era—one that will be defined by integrity, accountability, and the unwavering pursuit of justice,” Patel wrote. “There will be no cover-ups, no missing documents, and no stone left unturned — and anyone from the prior or current Bureau who undermines this will be swiftly pursued. If there are gaps, we will find them. If records have been hidden, we will uncover them. And we will bring everything we find to the DOJ to be fully assessed and transparently disseminated to the American people as it should be. The oath we take is to the Constitution, and under my leadership, that promise will be upheld without compromise.” Fox News Digital’s Mike Ruiz contributed to this report.
VP Vance shares special message to ailing Pope Francis amid breathing crisis
Vice President JD Vance shared that although he was “surprised” by Pope Francis’ criticism on the Trump administration’s immigration policy, he believes the pontiff is “fundamentally a person who cares about the flock of Christians.” While speaking at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Vance – a convert to Catholicism – said that although he disagrees with Francis and some Catholic bishops on certain stances, he and his children pray for the pope daily. Francis, 88, is currently suffering from pneumonia and an infection in both lungs and is being treated in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. Earlier this month, Francis issued a major rebuke of the Trump administration’s plans for the mass deportations of migrants, stressing that the forceful removal of people simply for their immigration status deprives them of their inherent dignity and “will end badly.” US CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS SUES TRUMP OVER IMMIGRATION, REFUGEE FUNDING FREEZE Francis wrote a letter to the U.S. bishops, in which he appeared to criticize Vance’s religious argument in defense of the deportation policies. Despite this, Vance shared a message of unity between Catholics and Christians, saying, “I don’t think it’s good for us as Christians to constantly fight with one another over every single controversy in the church.” “Sometimes we should let this stuff play out a little bit and try to live our faith as best we can, under the dictates of our faith and under the dictates of our spiritual leaders but not hold them to the standards of social media influencers because they’re not,” he added. “My goal is not to litigate when I’m right and when they’re wrong or vice versa. My goal is to maybe articulate the way that I think about being a Christian in public life when you also have religious leaders in public life who have a spiritual duty to speak on the issues of the day.” The vice president even led attendees in a prayer for the pope. POPE FRANCIS’ CONDITION IMPROVING BUT WILL REMAIN ‘GUARDED’ UNTIL HE IS STABLE FOR SEVERAL DAYS: VATICAN “I believe that the pope is fundamentally a person who cares about the flock of Christians under his leadership, and he’s a man who cares about the spiritual direction of the faith,” said Vance. “Every day me and my children have said a prayer for the Holy Father, and we pray for his health, and we pray for his comfort as he deals with what appears to be a pretty serious health crisis.” He shared a significant memory of his of the pope’s message of courage and hope in the earliest days of the COVID-19 Pandemic, which began just weeks after his daughter’s birth. VANCE VOWS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WILL BE ‘BIGGEST DEFENDERS OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTIES,’ CATHOLICS “I will always remember the Holy Father, whether he makes his way through this illness – and I certainly hope that he does – I will always remember the Holy Father in March of 2020, at a time of incredible stress for really the entire world … the Holy Father standing in an empty Saint Peter’s Square, holding the Eucharist above his head and giving a sermon that I return to consistently, because it was incredibly meaningful to me at the time, [and] it remains meaningful today.” Concluding, Vance said, “If the Holy Father can hear us, I hope he knows that there are thousands of faithful Catholics in this room and millions of faithful Catholics in this country who are praying for him as he weathers his particular storm.”