Arab Americans for Trump group changes name after president’s Gaza takeover proposal
A pro-Trump group is changing its name after President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the U.S. “take over” Gaza. The group formerly known as Arab Americans for Trump, is now going by the name Arab Americans for Peace. “We believe that his ideas, as well-intentioned as they might be, rubbed a lot of people the wrong way,” Bishara Bahbah, the founder of the organization formerly known as Arab Americans for Trump, told Reuters. “We’re opposed to any transfer of Palestinians, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, out of their homeland.” On Tuesday, during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump introduced the idea of the U.S. taking control of the Gaza Strip. TRUMP SAYS US WILL ‘TAKE OVER’ GAZA STRIP, REBUILD IT TO STABLIZE MIDDLE EAST “The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too,” Trump said during Tuesday evening’s joint press conference. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexplored bombs and other weapons on the site.” The president emphasized the need to “do something different” in Gaza, where Hamas and Israel have fought for nearly 16 months. “If you go back, it’s going to end up the same way it has for 100 years,” Trump warned during the press conference. Trump’s plan to build “an economic development” in the war-torn Gaza Strip has been met with mixed reactions. The group now known as Arab Americans for Peace is far from alone in its rejection of the idea. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., slammed Trump’s proposal, saying that it did not put “America first.” Hamas, whose Oct. 7 massacre kicked off the latest war with Israel, called Trump’s proposal a “recipe for creating chaos.” The terror group that has controlled Gaza since 2006, one year after Israel gave up the strip of land and expelled its citizens from the area. “What President Trump stated about his intention to displace the residents of the Gaza Strip outside it and the United States’ control over the Strip by force is a crime against humanity,” a senior Hamas official also told Fox News on Wednesday. ‘PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH’: TRUMP AND NETANYAHU EXPECTED TO DISCUSS IRAN, HAMAS AT WHITE HOUSE MEETING Prime Minister Netanyahu praised Trump’s idea during an appearance on “Hannity” on Wednesday. “I think it will create a different future for everyone,” Prime Minister Netanyahu told “Hannity.” “The actual idea of allowing for Gazans who want to leave, to leave. I mean, what’s wrong with that?” Netanyahu asked. “They can leave. They can then come back. They can relocate and come back, but you have to rebuild Gaza. If you want to rebuild Gaza, you can’t have — this is the first good idea that I’ve heard.” After nearly 16 months of war, Hamas and Israel are engaging in a ceasefire deal, which has already seen the release of several hostages, including an American citizen. In the first phase of the deal, 33 hostages are set to be released. Details of the second phase have not been made public. Israel’s war against Hamas became a divisive issue within Democratic circles ahead of the 2024 election. The “uncommitted” movement in Michigan encouraged protest votes against former President Joe Biden when he was running for a second term. After Biden ended his reelection bid and former Vice President Kamala Harris took his place, the group Abandon Harris – which started as Abandon Biden – endorsed Jill Stein and urged Americans to vote against pro-Israel candidates. There were also several anti-Israel protests during the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The organization then-known as Arab Americans for Trump played a large role in Trump’s campaign outreach to the Arab American community in 2024. Many believe the group played an instrumental role in Trump’s ability to break Republicans’ losing streak in Dearborn, Michigan, which has a large Arab-American population. Trey Yingst contributed to this report.
Newsom praises ‘very productive’ Trump meeting as he seeks more federal wildfire money
California Gov. Gavin Newsom hailed President Donald Trump following a “very productive” meeting at the White House on Wednesday. Newsom traveled to Washington to push for increased federal funding for recovery efforts after wildfires devastated tens of thousands of acres in the Los Angeles area. The governor held two meetings on Capitol Hill before traveling to the White House and petitioning Trump for “unconditional disaster aid,” his office said. “As we approach one month since the devastating wildfires across Southern California, we continue to cut red tape to speed up recovery and clean up efforts as well as ensure rebuilding efforts are swift,” Newsom said in a statement. “We’re working across the aisle, as we always have, to ensure survivors have the resources and support they need.” “Thank you President Trump for coming to our communities to see this first hand, and meeting with me today to continue our joint efforts to support people impacted,” he added. TRUMP MEETS WITH CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, FIRE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO SEE LA WILDFIRE DAMAGE FIRST HAND “The Governor expressed his appreciation for the Trump Administration’s early collaboration and specifically thanked EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin for his agency’s swift action, including over 1,000 personnel on the ground focused on debris removal,” Newsom’s office added in a statement. NEWSOM CALLS TRUMP’S CLAIMS ‘PURE FICTION’ AFTER HE POINTED FINGER OVER CALIFORNIA FIRE TRAGEDY Trump met with Newsom as he arrived in Los Angeles late last month — just four days after his inauguration as president — to survey the fire damage. Newsom approved some $2.5 billion in recovery work, which he hopes will be reimbursed by the federal government. After the outbreak of the fires early last month, Trump repeatedly criticized Newsom’s handling of the immense crisis. He has accused the governor of mismanaging forestry and water policy and, pointing to intense backlash over a perceived lack of preparation, called on Newsom to step down. “Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!” Trump charged in a social media post on Jan. 8, as he repeated a derogatory name he often labels the governor. Trump also placed blame for the deadly wildfires on Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, another Democrat, and the policies approved by state lawmakers in heavily blue California. In an executive order issued last month, he described management of the state’s land and water resources as “disastrous.” Trump had threatened to withhold wildfire aid until certain stipulations were met in California, including changes to water policy and requiring an ID to vote, but now appears willing to work with Newsom. The president declared that “we’re looking to get something completed. And the way you get it completed is to work together.”
Ex-Navy SEAL introduces CARTEL Act to pull back veil on border drug, human trafficking
A Navy SEAL veteran-turned-congressman is fighting to pull back the curtain on the growing threat of Mexican drug cartels and other organized crime groups, introducing legislation Thursday aimed at providing Americans with transparency about the dangers they pose. “Thanks to the Biden administration’s open-border policies, dangerous cartels have been running our borders and profiting from human and drug trafficking,” Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. Luttrell introduced the CARTEL Act, which mandates that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) report whether individuals listed in the Terrorist Screening Database were released into the United States. MEXICAN CARTELS TARGETING BORDER PATROL AGENTS WITH KAMIKAZE DRONES, EXPLOSIVES AMID TRUMP CRACKDOWN: REPORT The legislation also mandates the transparent tracking of individuals associated with cartels who have attempted illegal crossings. The bill comes just a few weeks after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that moved the U.S. toward designating drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. The order says the organizations “threaten the safety of the American people, the security of the United States, and the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere.” “The Cartels have engaged in a campaign of violence and terror throughout the Western Hemisphere that has not only destabilized countries with significant importance for our national interests but also flooded the United States with deadly drugs, violent criminals, and vicious gangs,” the order adds. MEXICO AGREES TO DEPLOY 10,000 TROOPS TO US BORDER IN EXCHANGE FOR TARIFF PAUSE The order highlighted both Mexican cartels and other gangs throughout Latin America, such as Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and El Salvador’s MS-13, which have raised alarms in recent years after reports of gang activity spreading to the United States. Luttrell, who served seven years as a Navy SEAL, believes the legislation will offer Americans transparency on just who is trying to enter the country, while also mandating that CBP provide a comprehensive report to Congress showing which terrorist organizations and cartels are working to enter the country. The CARTEL Act is co-sponsored by representatives Bryan Steil, R-Wis., Daniel Webster, R-Fla., Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., Jen Kiggans, R-Va., and Randy Weber, R-Texas. “Americans deserve to know exactly who is trying to enter our country,” Luttrell said. “The CARTEL Act will provide critical transparency and accountability in the fight to secure our borders and protect our communities.”
Trump’s trade representative pick to appear before Senate Finance Committee
President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as the next U.S. trade representative, Jamieson Greer, is slated to appear before the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday. Greer, who previously served as the chief of staff to the trade representative during Trump’s first term, played a key role in implementing tariffs during Trump’s first administration, the president said when unveiling Greer’s nomination. Specifically, Trump said Greer assisted with imposing tariffs on China and other nations and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico. A lawyer and Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps veteran with one deployment to Iraq, Greer’s role as U.S. trade representative would require him to negotiate with foreign governments on trade deals and disputes and membership of international trade bodies like the World Trade Organization. ‘MAKING AMERICA EXPENSIVE AGAIN’: DEMS FIND A TAX THEY DON’T LIKE IN TRUMP TARIFFS Greer’s confirmation hearing comes just after Trump announced he would impose new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China. The White House announced Friday that in response to an “invasion of illegal fentanyl” to the U.S., it would impose a 25% tariff on all goods entering the United States from Mexico and Canada, a 10% tariff on Canadian energy and a 10% tariff on all goods entering the U.S. from China. Tariffs against China went into effect Tuesday, although Trump agreed to push back tariffs against Mexico and Canada by at least one month after discussions with each respective country about securing the border. While Trump acknowledged on Friday the tariffs might result in “temporary, short-term disruption,” Democrats claim American taxpayers will end up hurting and paying the price. According to one Washington think tank, the nonpartisan Peterson Institute for International Economics, these rounds of tariffs are expected to cost U.S. households roughly $1,200 a year annually. Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
House subcommittee holding hearing on how regulatory policy impacts natural disasters following LA fires
A subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives will hold a hearing on Thursday on how regulatory policy impacts the prevention of natural disasters, with a focus on the deadly wildfires that ravaged Southern California last month. The GOP-led House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform and Antitrust will kick off the hearing, titled “California Fires and the Consequences of Overregulation,” at 10 a.m. on Thursday. Not only will the hearing examine how regulatory policy in the Golden State has affected the prevention of natural disasters, specifically wildfires, it will also address how “excessive regulation” on insurance and permitting slows down recovery. Days after the fires began, California Gov. Gavin Newsom suspended regulations related to rebuilding, waiving permitting requirements based on the California Coastal Act and the California Environmental Quality Act to allow for a quicker rebuilding process. CALIFORNIA GOV. NEWSOM TO SEEK MORE FEDERAL FUNDS FOR LA FIRE RECOVERY DURING DC MEETING WITH TRUMP In the wake of the fires, a March 2024 announcement from California’s largest private insurer, State Farm, stating that it was discontinuing coverage for 72,000 home and apartment policies resurfaced, generating backlash and questions surrounding the accessibility of insurance in that area specifically. The insurer said a letter sent to the California Department of Insurance (CDI) shortly after that announcement was an “alarm signaling the grave need for rapid and transformational action.” Now, State Farm is asking the CDI to “immediately approve” a 22% rate increase for non-tenant homeowners, a 15% increase for renters and condo owners, and 38% for rental dwellings. ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM The increased rates are to help “avert a dire situation,” State Farm said, and would go into effect on May 1, 2025. “As of February 1st, State Farm General (Fire only) has received more than 8,700 claims and has already paid more than $1 billion to customers,” the insurer wrote in a release on its website. “State Farm General will ultimately pay out significantly more, as collectively these fires will be the costliest disasters in the history of State Farm General.” KELSEY GRAMMER SAYS CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS ‘TOOK THEIR EYE OFF THE BALL’ IN WILDFIRES CATASTROPHE The hearing comes a day after Newsom traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with President Donald Trump and Congressional members in efforts to secure more federal funding for wildfire recovery. The Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency, Wade Crowfoot, who oversees water and fire policy across the state, also attended the meeting. Witnesses at the hearing include Steve Hilton, founder of Golden Together; Steven Greenhut, R Street Institute resident senior fellow and western region director; and Edward Ring, who oversees Water and Energy Policy at the California Policy Center. Fox Business’ Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
First on Fox: Pro-Democrat outside group targets Republican lawmakers with ‘Hands off Medicaid’ blitz
EXCLUSIVE: A leading nonprofit public advocacy group that focuses on healthcare and aligns with Democrats is launching an ad blitz targeting Republican House lawmakers as part of what it touts as its $10 million “Hands Off Medicaid” campaign. The group, called Protect Our Care, says their push aims to expose what they say is the choice for members of Congress between protecting Medicaid “or giving away new tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy.” The media launch was shared first with Fox News on Thursday. Protect Our Care says its ads will run on cable news in Washington, D.C., so they can target Republican congressional offices as the House GOP aims to assemble a sweeping budget resolution to pass parts of President Donald Trump’s agenda. GOP REBELS PUSH FOR $2.5 TRILLION IN CUTS IN TRUMP BUDGET BILL And the spots will also run digitally in the districts of Republican Reps. David Schweikert of Arizona (AZ-01), David Valadao of California (CA-22), Young Kim of California (CA-40), Ken Calvert of California (CA-41), Nick LaLota of New York (NY-01), Andrew Garbarino of New York (NY-02), Mike Lawler of New York (NY-17), Ryan Mackenzie of Pennsylvania (PA-07), Rob Bresnahan of Pennsylvania (PA-08) and Dan Newhouse of Washington state (WA-04). The GOP lawmakers – in competitive districts – may face difficult re-elections in the 2026 midterms as Republicans defend their current fragile majority in the chamber. FIRST ON FOX: GOP SENATORS LEAPFROG HOUSE REPUBLICANS IN TRUMP BUDGET BILL BATTLE The group says the ads will run through next week as House Republicans work to finish their budget resolution, which the group argues could lead to tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and cuts to Medicaid and other critical programs for working class and low-income people. “It’s unfathomable why anyone would want to gut Medicaid, but Republicans are openly floating cuts to care for seniors, working people and kids., Protect Our Care chair Leslie Dach charged in a statement to Fox News. Dach claimed that “the American people overwhelmingly support Medicaid and will not stand for these extreme attempts to rip away coverage from those who need it most just to give billionaires another tax cut.” And the narrator in one of the two commercials the group is launching asks, “Which do you think should happen? A billionaire gets a bigger yacht or this child has Medicaid to get the healthcare they need?” “Some in Congress want to cut their care to pay for this,” the narrator argues. “Call your member of Congress. Tell them to protect Medicaid.” As congressional Republicans aim to reduce the nation’s massive budget deficit and enact Trump’s domestic agenda, some conservative members are mulling changes to Medicaid, the nearly 60-year-old federal government program that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited incomes. HOUSE DELAYS KEY VOTE ON TRUMP BUDGET BILL AFTER CONSERVATIVE FURY OVER SPENDING CUTS That could potentially put some congressional Republicans at odds with the new president. Trump, on the presidential campaign trail the past two years and the past couple of weeks since returning to power in the White House, has repeatedly pledged not to cut Medicaid, except for cases of fraud and abuse. And House Speaker Johnson has made clear he doesn’t seek to reduce any benefits. “We’re not talking about in any way reducing benefits,” Johnson said recently as he discussed potential changes to Medicaid, along with Medicare and Social Security. “What we’re talking about is efficiencies in the programs to make them work better for the people who receive those benefits and to make them longer lasting to sustain the programs.” Fox News’ Kelley Phares and Tyler Olson contributed to this report.
Sean Duffy tells Hillary Clinton to ‘sit this one out’ after she chimes in on his DOGE announcement
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will work on upgrading the aviation system, and then fired back at former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after she weighed in. “Big News – Talked to the DOGE team. They are going to plug in to help upgrade our aviation system,” Duffy noted in a post on X. Clinton chimed in, tweeting, “They have no relevant experience. Most of them aren’t old enough to rent a car. And you’re going to let them mess with airline safety that’s already deteriorated on your watch?” TRANSPORTATION SEC SEAN DUFFY SAYS FAA SYSTEMS ARE ‘ANTIQUATED,’ CALLS FOR MORE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS Duffy fired back at Clinton, the Democrat who lost the 2016 presidential election to Donald Trump. “Madam Secretary, with all due respect, ‘experienced’ Washington bureaucrats are the reason our nation’s infrastructure is crumbling. You need to sit this one out,” Duffy declared. Business tycoon Elon Musk — who is spearheading the DOGE effort to uncover government waste, fraud, and abuse — indicated that the team will seek to swiftly implement “safety upgrades to the air traffic control system.” “With the support of President @realDonaldTrump, the @DOGE team will aim to make rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic control system. Just a few days ago, the FAA’s primary aircraft safety notification system failed for several hours!” he noted in a post when responding to Duffy’s announcement. ‘SQUAD’ DEM AYANNA PRESSLEY TRASHES ELON MUSK, CALLING HIM A ‘NAZI NEPO BABY’ Someone replied to Musk, noting, “My brother first developed the method of accurately navigating airlines by GPS, 45 years ago. He expected an automated air traffic system long ago. It’s time to do it now. Get rid of 75-year-old ATC radar. Put all the planes on a 3-D map. All paths straight to landing.” Musk replied, noting that he agrees. DOGE TARGETS MEDICARE AGENCY, LOOKING FOR FRAUD CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The exchange comes after back-to-back fatal aviation incidents in the U.S. last week, including the collision between a military helicopter and a passenger jet near the Ronald Reagan Washington National airport (DCA) and a Learjet 55 medevac jet that crashed in Philadelphia, killing at least seven people.
Israeli defense minister orders IDF to plan for Gazans to leave in line with Trump’s controversial proposal
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Thursday he welcomes President Donald Trump’s proposal for large numbers of Palestinians to leave the Gaza Strip as he instructed the IDF to prepare a plan in line with the controversial plan. Katz said Trump’s “bold plan” could “create extensive opportunities for those in Gaza who wish to leave.” Trump’s plan initially stated that Gaza’s population would be “permanently” relocated while the United States rebuilds the territory, but U.S. officials later walked back those comments, saying the relocation would only be temporary. TRUMP’S PROPOSED US TAKEOVER OF GAZA STRIP ELICITS POSITIVE RESPONSE ACROSS ADMINISTRATION “The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too,” Trump said Tuesday evening in a joint press conference with Netanyahu. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexplored bombs and other weapons on the site.” “Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area,” he said. “Do a real job. Do something different. Just can’t go back. If you go back, it’s going to end up the same way it has for 100 years.” ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER LAUDS TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP WHEN ASKED IF BIDEN SHOULD TAKE CREDIT FOR CEASEFIRE Katz said he believes that the plan should include multiple exit options for any country willing to receive them. “The plan will include exit options via land crossings, as well as special arrangements for departure by sea and air. Countries such as Spain, Ireland, Norway, and others, which have falsely accused Israel over its actions in Gaza, are legally obligated to allow Gazans to enter their territory. Their hypocrisy will be exposed if they refuse,” said Katz. As of now, the plan has been rejected by the Palestinians as well as many in the international community who believe it is forcible displacement and violates international law. Rights groups said it would amount to forcible displacement in violation of international law.
Freshman GOP lawmaker targets ‘propaganda’ from top adversary in first bill of congressional career
FIRST ON FOX: Freshman GOP Congressman Abe Hamadeh has introduced his first piece of legislation as a lawmaker aimed at combating the Chinese communist government’s influence in the halls of Congress. Hamadeh, who was sworn in to represent Arizona’s 8th Congressional District in Congress last month, introduced a bill that would prohibit China Daily and other CCP-backed publications from House facilities and spoke to Fox News Digital about his reasoning for the move. “The first day I came into my office, I looked and I had a bunch of newspapers on my desk from the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and included in it was The China Daily,” Hamadeh told Fox News Digital. “And, you know, I’m looking at it like, ‘Why do we get the China Daily?’ And after researching it, we discovered that this was a Chinese communist owned newspaper that’s a registered foreign agent.” “And I just find it unacceptable that it’s being passed around the halls of Congress for free, using our internal mail system, using third parties to pass out the propaganda. So, honestly, it was my first welcome to Congress and that’s kind of why I think I honed in on it to be my first piece of legislation because I don’t think we should have foreign propaganda in the halls of Congress.” BILL MAHER DECLARES CHINA ‘THE NEW ISLAM,’ SAYS LEFT CAN’T BE HONEST ABOUT THE COUNTRY’S THREAT The legislation would call on the Chief Administrative Officer of the House to immediately cease the distribution of CCP state-run media material and restrict the spread of the materials on House email while still allowing members to maintain private access if they wish. Hamadeh told Fox News Digital that the “reason why the Chinese are doing it is because they know that they can influence members of Congress, they can influence their staff.” USPS SUSPENDS INBOUND PACKAGES FROM CHINA, HONG KONG POSTS “You see on Capitol Hill, it’s filled with a lot of young staffers who are energetic, but they may not know that this publication is owned by a foreign adversary of ours,” Hamadeh said. “ So, you know, the communist Chinese, it’s information warfare that they’re conducting on us, psychological operations and there’s a reason why they’re passing it out for free. They’re trying to influence the highest echelons of the United States government and it’s unacceptable.” China Daily has drawn the ire of conservatives over the last few years, including criticism from then GO Sen. Marco Rubio, who is now Trump’s Secretary of State, who last year called on mainstream media CEOs to sever ties with the English-language newspaper owned by the CCP. Rubio said China Daily’s goal is to “subvert U.S. news media by amplifying the goals and ambitions of the party.” The outlet has published several articles claiming the U.S.’s “anti-China” reporting on the persecution of Xinjiang Uyghurs is an “outright lie.” “I want to get a vote on the record to see what other members of Congress, how they feel about a foreign publication like the China Daily being passed to their offices,” Hamadeh told Fox News Digital. “Nobody is saying that they don’t have to read the China Daily if they want to read it on their own privately, if they want to pay for a subscription, that’s fine. But to have it passed around through taxpayer dollars is unacceptable and to have them pass it around using our resources is unacceptable.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Hamadeh told Fox News Digital he hopes to have bipartisan support for his bill to rid Congress of “foreign propaganda.” “Remember what Joe Biden was so focused on, he got rid of the New York Post at the White House, one of the oldest newspapers in existence in the United States,” Hamadeh said. “He got rid of The New York Post. And yet here we are allowing the China Daily to freely operate in the halls of Congress. It’s unacceptable.” “We understand that communist China is a threat. I understand it very well in Arizona. My district has all the Taiwanese companies moving into the district away from the sphere of China’s influence for a reason. So, you know, this is a start. There is obviously legislation out there that people are doing at a state level and even at the federal level. Some of them are trying to ban the ability for the communist Chinese to buy our farmlands and to buy land near our key assets like military bases. This is common sense, and that’s why I’m introducing it, because it should be an easy it should be an easy resolution to pass.”
Inside Sen. Tom Cotton’s campaign to save Tulsi Gabbard’s endangered DNI nomination
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Tom Cotton was instrumental in pushing Tulsi Gabbard’s controversial nomination to be Director of National Intelligence (DNI) past its first hurdle in the upper chamber this week, and it took a full court press to do so. Gabbard successfully advanced out of the Intel Committee this week, with all Republican members voting in her favor, despite concerns they would not. Cotton led the effort with a makeshift Gabbard confirmation “war room” and the enlisted assistance of former rebel Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, as well as former Intel Committee Chairman Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, according to a GOP Senate source with knowledge of Cotton’s efforts. The “cordial and calculated” campaign to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominee for DNI saw close work between Gabbard’s confirmation sherpa team, the White House’s legislative affairs team and Vice President JD Vance, a former senator, the source told Fox News Digital. SENATORS LEAPFROG HOUSE REPUBLICANS ON ANTICIPATED TRUMP BUDGET BILL The group assisted Gabbard in each step of the process. They helped with questions for the nominee submitted to the committee, queries from lawmakers, hearing preparation and even strategized on a last-minute op-ed to address any lingering concerns, the source said. Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman, penned an op-ed in Newsweek following her hearing, detailing, “Why I Am the Right Choice to Lead the Office of National Intelligence.” The article addressed a significant point of concern for some undecided Republicans: Her refusal to call NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden a traitor. FORMER GOP LEADER MCCONNELL FALLS WHILE EXITING SENATE CHAMBER AFTER TURNER CONFIRMATION VOTE “Given the interest by committee members about whether Edward Snowden should be called a ‘traitor,’ here’s what I shared with the Senate Intelligence Committee in the closed session about why I do not casually throw around that term: Treason is a capital offense, punishable by death, yet politicians like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former US Senator Mitt Romney have slandered me, Donald Trump Jr. and others with baseless accusations of treason,” she wrote. SENATE TEES UP TRUMP BUDGET CHIEF PICK RUSSELL VOUGHT FOR FINAL CONFIRMATION VOTE Cotton also reportedly advised the White House on how to be particularly persuasive when it comes to courting senators for their crucial votes. He remained in close touch with Trump’s administration throughout Gabbard’s process leading up to the Intel Committee’s pivotal vote, according to the GOP Senate source. Sinema, who recently retired from the Senate, spoke to two of her former Senate colleagues, Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, who both ultimately voted to advance Gabbard despite concerns they may not, the source said. Also deployed to speak with committee members was former Trump National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien. FORMER NFL PLAYER SCOTT TURNER CONFIRMED TO LEAD HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Cotton also kept in contact with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and his office during the process, which appeared precarious for Gabbard at times, as well as held meetings with the intel committee’s Republican members, the source told Fox News Digital. Before Gabbard’s committee hearing, Cotton met with the nominee, along with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, committee member Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Burr, during which they prepared her for more than an hour to address specific committee Republicans’ concerns, the source said. Now, Trump’s DNI pick will need to overcome a procedural vote in the full Senate before moving on to a final confirmation vote. However, Gabbard’s success in committee bodes well for her, given she locked down the support of several more hesitant Senate Republicans who are expected to continue supporting her on the chamber floor.