New GOP senator tears into Dems ‘seeking to delay’ Pete Hegseth DOD confirmation
FIRST ON FOX: New Republican Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana laced into Democrats over what he said are attempts to delay confirmation hearings for Trump nominees, in particular that of the Department of Defense pick Pete Hegseth. Banks urged Senate Committee on Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., to move forward with Hegseth’s scheduled confirmation hearing on Jan. 14 as planned and not to be swayed by Democrats’ requests. “As you are aware, Senators who are going to oppose the Hegseth nomination no matter what are seeking to delay and deny President Trump his Secretary of Defense being confirmed quickly. If they are successful, this will harm America’s national security during the crucial transition of power later this month,” he wrote to Wicker on Wednesday. TRUMP DETAILS STRATEGY TO GET NECESSARY VOTES WITH ONE-BILL APPROACH TO BORDER, TAXES The Republican’s letter comes after fellow committee member, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., sent his own correspondence to Wicker, arguing the committee needs more information and documentation from the nominee to properly consider him. “I am deeply concerned that the Senate Armed Services Committee is considering the nomination of Pete Hegseth for this critically significant position without full information regarding his capacity and experience to lead our military and steward a budget of nearly $850 billion,” Blumenthal said, referencing allegations that Hegseth mismanaged finances while leading a veterans’ nonprofit. The Connecticut Democrat added, “I do not see how this committee can, in good conscience, consider Mr. Hegseth’s nomination without a full review of his conduct while leading these organizations – the only civilian management experience of his career.” SENATE DEMS TO JOIN REPUBLICANS TO ADVANCE ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION BILL NAMED AFTER LAKEN RILEY Blumenthal said he requested additional documents of Hegseth’s be reviewed, “including credit card transactions and other uses of resources.” Additionally, the Democrat claimed Hegseth “refuses to make himself available to meet with me and my Democratic colleagues in advance of his nomination hearing.” However, a source familiar told Fox News Digital that Hegseth reached out to Democrats in early to mid-December to meet. The only Democrat who was willing to was Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who sat down with him last month. BORDER STATE DEMOCRAT RUBEN GALLEGO BACKS GOP’S LAKEN RILEY ACT AHEAD OF SENATE VOTE The others, the source said, waited until days before the scheduled Jan. 14 hearing to respond. As is the case for these types of nominees, Hegseth is scheduled to be in hearing preparation in the days leading up to it. In his letter to Wicker, Banks blasted Blumenthal’s request. “Senator Blumenthal’s letter to you and the rest of the Committee is the latest attempt to accomplish their goal. In his letter, he raises unsubstantiated and anonymous accusations against Mr. Hegseth about his time as a leader of two organizations that advocated for America’s veterans. Senator Blumenthal’s letter purposely omits the fact that veterans who have worked with Mr. Hegseth professionally are on the record supporting his nomination,” he wrote. RFK JR. TO MEET WITH SLEW OF DEMS INCLUDING ELIZABETH WARREN, BERNIE SANDERS The Republican acknowledged that Blumenthal has the right to question Hegseth on the floor and ultimately oppose his confirmation. But, “He does not have the right to delay the Armed Services Committee’s important work for the national security of the United States,” Banks said. Wicker did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Machado has urgent message for President-elect Donald Trump
After meeting with President Biden at the White House on Monday, Edmundo Gonzalez, the man who won Venezuela’s presidential election in July, traveled to Argentina and then Panama with the ballots to prove that he, not Nicolás Maduro, is Venezuela’s democratically elected leader. “We elected by a landslide, a good man and Edmundo Gonzalez. We have the proof of that victory, and the whole world knows it,” María Corina Machado, a top leader in the Venezuelan opposition, told Fox News. “We won.” Maduro’s inauguration is slated for Friday. The Venezuelan opposition has called for massive street protests to peacefully demand that Maduro, whose mafia-style autocratic leadership has nearly bankrupted the oil-rich nation, not be inaugurated. 2 AMERICANS ARRESTED IN VENEZUELA ON EVE OF MADURO INAUGURATION OVER ‘TERRORISM’ CLAIMS “What we need is for all American institutions understand that Venezuela is the most important conflict in the Western Hemisphere for national security of the U.S.,” Machado said via Zoom from her safe house in Venezuela. “We can be the best ally the United States will have in the Americas, first of all, because we also are desperate to solve the migration problem in our region. We want those Venezuelans to come back in billions and voluntarily. And that will happen when they’ll see there’s a future in their country.” Machado had the following message for President-elect Donald Trump: “Venezuela has a huge energy potential that will never be taken advantage of… We’re going to turn Venezuela from the criminal hub of the Americas into the energy hub of the Americas and have a strong partnership with the United States.” Gonzalez, who Venezuela elected president in July, also met with incoming National Security Advisor Cong Michael Waltz of Florida while in Washington. Maduro has warned Gonzalez will be arrested if he returns to Venezuela. VENEZUELA’S MADURO TO START THIRD TERM IN OFFICE AMID RIGGED ELECTION: ‘BLATANT VIOLATION’ “I want you to know how important it is also for the safety of the American people,” Machado explained. “Solving this conflict in Venezuela, I believe that what happens in the next days in Venezuela depends not only the democracy, the future of our democracy, but the future of democracy in the region.” Machado said the fall of the Assad regime in Syria is a cautionary tale for those in the military and judiciary who still support Maduro. The regime has sent secret police units to encircle her family members’ homes, sent a drone over her mother’s house and kidnapped President-elect Gonzalez’s brother-in-law on Tuesday. “Maduro has lost everything but fear and repression. Maduro lost all popular support, all legitimacy, and even he’s weakened or isolated internationally. What has he left? Russia, Iran, Hezbollah,” Machado, a former member of Venezuela’s National Assembly, asked. The Maduro regime also arrested two Americans one day after Gonzalez met with President Biden at the White House, accusing them of being mercenaries sent by the U.S. government. The State Department issued the following statement: “We are concerned about the reports of U.S. citizens detained in Venezuela. We are working to gather more information. Due to privacy and other considerations, we have no further comment on these cases. Any claims of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false. The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela.” The State Department spokesman went on to warn U.S. citizens not to travel to Venezuela, because “Maduro and his associates have shown in the past, they may detain and jail, without justification or due process, U.S. citizens who enter Venezuela.”
‘Highly qualified’: Former state AGs urge Senate to confirm Bondi to lead Justice Department
FIRST ON FOX: A group of more than 60 former Democratic and Republican attorneys general sent a new letter to Senate leaders Thursday urging the confirmation of Pam Bondi to head up the Department of Justice, praising what they described as Bondi’s wealth of prosecutorial experience— including during her eight years as Florida’s top prosecutor—that they said makes her especially qualified for the role. The letter was previewed exclusively to Fox News Digital and includes the signatures of more than 20 Democratic attorneys general or attorneys general appointed by Democratic governors. The group praised Bondi’s work across the party and state lines during her time as Florida’s attorney general and as a state prosecutor in Hillsborough County, where she worked for 18 years. “Many of us have worked directly with Attorney General Bondi and have firsthand knowledge of her fitness for the office,” the former attorneys general said in the letter. “We believe that her wealth of prosecutorial experience and commitment to public service make General Bondi a highly qualified nominee for Attorney General of the United States.” MORE THAN 100 FORMER JUSTICE DEPT OFFICIALS URGE SENATE TO CONFIRM PAM BONDI AS AG The letter praised what signatories described as Bondi’s “unwavering” commitment to public safety and the rule of law in her time in the Sunshine State, where she sought to crack down on violent crime, protect consumers and combat the opioid crisis— which was at its height when she was elected as attorney general in 2010. Bondi “was and remains a valued and respected member of the State Attorney General community,” they wrote. “Thus, we are confident that she will serve with distinction as United States Attorney General.” The letter comes just hours after the Senate Judiciary Committee announced the official dates for Bondi’s confirmation hearing later this month. TRUMP’S AG PICK HAS ‘HISTORY OF CONSENSUS BUILDING’ Bondi is expected to be confirmed in the Republican-majority chamber. Earlier this week, a group of more than 100 former Justice Department officials sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee urging her confirmation. Still, the new letter of support from the state attorneys general comes just hours after the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., issued a statement Wednesday evening expressing fresh reservations about Bondi following their meeting — citing in particular Bondi’s work defending President-elect Donald Trump in his impeachment proceedings and following the 2020 election. “The role of the Attorney General is to oversee an independent Justice Department that upholds the rule of law and is free of undue political influence,” Durbin said in a statement. “Given Ms. Bondi’s responses to my questions, I remain concerned about her ability to serve as an Attorney General who will put her oath to the Constitution ahead of her fealty to Donald Trump.”
ICE looking into expanding migrant detention facilities, ACLU says
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) says that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is looking to expand its migrant detention facilities with the start of the new Trump administration just days away, according to a report. Trump has vowed to carry out the largest deportation operation in the history of the U.S. and part of that program is expected to involve the use of ICE detention facilities, some of which the ACLU says raise concerns over migrant safety. ICE detains approximately 37,000 people each day via a network of more than 120 immigration detention facilities nationwide, per an ACLU Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, citing ICE documents. The ACLU says that the Trump administration plans to ramp up those numbers to 100,000 per day. NEW YORK VOTERS WANT STATE TO SUPPORT TRUMP DEPORTATIONS, POLL FINDS Although ICE owns five detention facilities of its own, the ACLU says ICE relies on other entities such as non-profits and inter-governmental agreements with private prison companies to hold the majority of people in its custody. In the ACLU FOIA lawsuit filed in September, the ACLU sued ICE for information on a possible expansion of migrant detention facilities around the country. According to Border Report, citing documents received by the ACLU, facilities in six states responded to the ICE request, including facilities in and around Harlingen and El Paso, Texas, as well as in San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Nevada and Salt Lake City, Utah. The facilities that are being considered in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley include the Willacy County Jail in Raymondville, which is run by the GEO Group; the Brooks County Detention Facility in Falfurrias; the Coastal Bend Detention Center in Robstown; and the East Hidalgo Detention Center in La Villa. RACHEL MORIN’S MOM PLEADS SENATORS ‘HEAR OUR CRIES FOR HELP’ IN MASS DEPORTATIONS HEARING TESTIMONY ACLU senior attorney Eunice Cho told Border Report that it’s important for the American public to know exactly what ICE is planning to do, both in terms of enforcement and in terms of detention of people from our immigrant communities. The GEO Group and CoreCivic operated the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, which was shut down last year, but Cho says CoreCivic says it would be willing to reopen the facility, a potential move that worries migrant advocates who have alleged mistreatment of immigrants at the facility. “We have serious concerns about expanding immigration detention in South Texas. Many of these facilities… have very serious histories of conditions, violations and abusive conditions in those detention facilities,” Cho told Border Report. She says the ACLU wants more information on exactly what ICE plans to do. “We are concerned, of course, with the potential growth of the immigration detention system,” Cho said. Fox News Digital has reached out to ICE and the ACLU for comment. The exact details of President-elect Trump’s deportation plan aren’t exactly clear, although both he and incoming “Border Czar” Tom Homan have said that criminal migrants will be targeted first. Trump has also appointed hardliner South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to serve as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Homan, meanwhile, has said that family detention centers for migrants are also “on the table.” Family detention ended in 2021, soon after President Biden took office, and that included closing three ICE facilities with about 3,000 beds, according to Fox 5 DC.
MAGA Republicans defend TikTok as ‘conservative platform’ as fate hangs in balance with Supreme Court
MAGA Republicans are offering an outpouring of support for TikTok ahead of a ban looming over the social media platform that is set to take effect later this month. “Trump won the election because he listened to first-time voters like myself and joined TikTok to get his message to us directly,” RNC Youth Advisory Council Chair Brilyn Hollyhand told Fox News Digital of the impending ban. “He didn’t need paid influencers or cringey trends like his failed opponent. All he had to do was go where Gen Z was, TikTok, and lay out his plan.” Representatives of TikTok, which is owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, are set to deliver arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to request the nation’s highest court to delay a ban on the app that is set to take effect a day ahead of the inauguration. President Biden signed legislation into law in April that gave TikTok’s parent company until Jan. 19 to sell it or face a U.S. ban. If the Supreme Court does not halt the ban, U.S. TikTok users will no longer be able to download the app, and internet providers will be prohibited from allowing access to the site. WILL TRUMP WHITE HOUSE RESCUE TIKTOK FROM LOOMING BAN? PRESIDENT-ELECT HAS DONE A 180 ON THE APP The looming ban originated out of concern that American users’ data is gathered by the Chinese government, but MAGA Republicans and content creators who spoke with Fox Digital balked at the reasoning as insincere. “I have done, if not, the deepest possible dive on all of the concerns associated with the platform, especially for my daily show when I share my opinions and commentary on what’s going on in culture and politics,” TikTok creator and TPUSA commentator Isabel Brown, who has more than 500,000 followers on TikTok, told Fox Digital in a phone interview. “And we’ve confronted this potential ban of the platform for at least nine months to a year now … the complaints that I’m hearing, from particularly politicians, largely center around national security.” TRUMP SAYS FATE OF TIKTOK SHOULD BE IN HIS HANDS WHEN HE RETURNS TO WHITE HOUSE “But I have a very hard time believing that the true argument to censor TikTok is based in a national security concern when we still have documented evidence of virtually every single American social media company. Meta, Twitter, YouTube, etc, selling your data under the table to your own government and/or the Chinese Communist Party and even the Russian government as well.” “Heck, we even have records of Airbnb selling American data to the Chinese Communist Party. So there doesn’t seem to be a lot of willingness to truly protect the cyber and personal information security of American citizens from the government en masse, it seems to only be focused on TikTok as a platform itself,” Brown continued. TIKTOK DIVESTMENT COULD BE ‘DEAL OF THE CENTURY’ FOR TRUMP, HOUSE CHINA COMMITTEE CHAIR SAYS President-elect Donald Trump’s supporters praising TikTok comes after the former and upcoming president made big inroads with Gen Z, especially young male voters, in the last cycle. A Fox News Voter Survey published after the election found that men aged 18-44 supported Trump at 53% compared to Vice President Kamala Harris at 45%. “We’re talking about an app that nearly 200 million Americans, 75% of whom are Gen Z, use every single day as our primary source of news, and according to some studies, even as our primary web browser search tool, so more than Google … and I have found that the opportunity for virality – to have a conversation with as many people as possible – on Tiktok is unparalleled on any other social media platform,” Brown said. A Republican strategist told Fox News Digital that TikTok is by all intents and purposes a “conservative platform.” “By all means, TikTok is a conservative platform now – if you take a look at how Trump dominated his competition, there’s no argument against the value this platform has, and I don’t think there’s a world where Trump doesn’t fulfill his promise to save it,” the strategist said. The GOP insider added that “the fact that [Sen. Mitch] McConnell and [former Vice President Mike] Pence want to ban this thing means it needs to be saved.” Ahead of the new year, Sen. Mitch McConnell filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court, urging justices to reject ByteDance’s request to delay the ban. “The topsy-turvy idea that TikTok has an expressive right to facilitate the CCP censorship regime is absurd,” McConnell’s counsel Michael A. Fragoso wrote in the friend of the court brief. “Would Congress have needed to allow Nikita Khrushchev to buy CBS and replace The Bing Crosby Show with Alexander Nevsky?” While former Vice President Mike Pence’s nonprofit, Advancing American Freedom, filed a similar amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court last month. “The CCP does not respect free speech, either in China or in America. The First Amendment is not, and should not be read as, a means of granting the Chinese government the power to do what the American government could not: manipulate what Americans can say and hear,” the group wrote. Advancing American Freedom President Tim Chapman told Fox News Digital that Trump’s first administration “had this right the first time” when Trump initially worked to ban TikTok before the former and upcoming president reversed his opinion on the app. “The Trump administration had this right the first time when they planned to ban TikTok through executive authority for the very same concerns that exist today. Political strategists salivating over clicks and followers does not mean that the national security implications have changed,” Chapman said. TRUMP JOINS TIKTOK, THE APP HE ONCE TRIED TO BAN AS PRESIDENT Emily Wilson, political commentator and host of podcast “Emily Saves America,” told Fox News Digital that she can see both sides of the argument surrounding the looming TikTok ban but that instituting a ban would be “hypocritical against free speech.” “The
FBI informant who made up Biden bribe story gets 6 years in prison
A former FBI informant who prosecutors say fabricated a phony story of President Biden and his son Hunter Biden accepting $10 million in bribes from the Ukrainian gas company Burisma was sentenced Wednesday to six years in federal prison. Alexander Smirnov, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, has been behind bars since he was arrested last February on charges of making false statements to the FBI. The indictment came in connection with special counsel David Weiss’ investigation into Hunter Biden. Weiss later indicted Hunter on tax and gun-related charges, but President Biden granted him a sweeping pardon in December before his son was to be sentenced. The Justice Department tacked on additional tax charges against Smirnov in November, alleging he concealed millions of dollars of income he earned between 2020 and 2022, and Smirnov pleaded guilty in December to sidestep his looming trial. BIDEN CLAIMS HE ‘MEANT WHAT I SAID’ WITH PROMISE NOT TO PARDON HUNTER, HOPES IT DOESN’T SET PRECEDENT Smirnov was accused of falsely telling his FBI handler that executives from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma had paid then-Vice President Biden and his son $5 million each around 2015. Smirnov’s explosive claim in 2020 came after he expressed “bias” about Joe Biden as a presidential candidate, according to prosecutors. The indictment says investigators found Smirnov had only routine business dealings with Burisma starting in 2017 — after Biden’s term as vice president. Prosecutors noted that Smirnov’s claim “set off a firestorm in Congress” when it resurfaced years later as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Biden. The Biden administration dismissed the House impeachment effort as a “stunt.” SPECIAL COUNSEL WEISS TELLS LAWMAKERS POLITICS ‘PLAYED NO PART’ IN HUNTER BIDEN PROBE Before Smirnov’s arrest, Republicans had demanded the FBI release the unredacted form documenting the unverified allegations, though they acknowledged they couldn’t confirm if they were true. “In committing his crimes he betrayed the United States, a country that showed him nothing but generosity, including conferring on him the greatest honor it can bestow, citizenship,” Weiss’ team wrote in court papers. “He repaid the trust the United States placed in him to be a law-abiding naturalized citizen and, more specifically, that one of its premier law enforcement agencies placed in him to tell the truth as a confidential human source, by attempting to interfere in a Presidential election.” Prosecutors agreed to pursue no more than six years against Smirnov as part of his plea deal. In court papers, the Justice Department described Smirnov as a “liar and a tax cheat” who “betrayed the United States,” adding that his bogus corruption claims against the Biden family were “among the most serious kinds of election interference one can imagine.” In seeking a lighter sentence, Smirnov’s lawyers wrote that both Hunter Biden and President-elect Trump, who was charged in two since-dropped federal cases by Special Counsel Jack Smith, “have walked free and clear of any meaningful punishment.” His lawyers had asked for a four-year prison term, arguing that their client “has learned a very grave lesson,” had no prior criminal record and was suffering from severe glaucoma in both eyes. Smirnov’s sentencing Wednesday in Los Angeles federal court concluded the final aspects of Weiss’s probe, and the special counsel is expected to submit a report to Attorney General Merrick Garland in accordance with federal regulations. Garland can decide whether to release it to the public. Smirnov will get credit for the time he has served behind bars since February. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Growing conservative movement in Canada is fighting back against ‘California on steroids,’ says strategist
Canada’s conservative movement could gain significant momentum in this election year as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation amid mounting pressure from domestic critics and tariff threats from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Meanwhile, American conservative strategist Matt Shupe has been leading efforts in Calgary, training activists, consultants and volunteers on how to build winning campaigns, positioning the movement for potential gains in the post-Trudeau era. “From my own experience in Canada, I would describe it as California on steroids,” Shupe, 39, who most recently was the spokesperson for ex-MLB star Steve Garvey’s mayoral campaign in Los Angeles, told Fox News Digital in an interview. TRUMP SAYS US SUBSIDIES TO CANADA MAKE ‘NO SENSE,’ SUGGESTS CANADIANS WANT ‘TO BECOME THE 51ST STATE’ Shupe, who began political consulting 10 years ago and founded Praetorian Services, said Trudeau’s resignation is reminiscent of President Biden’s exit from the 2024 presidential race. “They took a page out of the DNC playbook with what they did with Biden,” Shupe said of Canada’s liberal flank. “If American politics serves as any sort of analog, that didn’t work for Kamala.” Shupe noted that his conversations with Canadians suggest progressive policies have pushed even many liberals toward the center. Working with the Leadership Institute, a conservative mentorship and training organization, Shupe said leaders plan to apply lessons and data from U.S. elections to strengthen the prospects of Canadian conservatives. “The [conservative] movement has primarily attracted young people because they don’t have the prospects,” he said. “They’re taxed so heavily there, the cost of living is so high compared to their income, and the cost of owning a home is so hard. Whenever I go there and talk to people my age or younger, even a little older, they all have the same complaints as people I talk to in San Francisco.” Meanwhile, Canada’s firebrand conservative candidate Pierre Poilievre, who could become the nation’s next leader, has been compared to the likes of President-Elect Donald Trump, vowing to crack down on immigration, inflation and the budget deficit. “I think you’re seeing that with the left in Canada and in the United States, is that they just took everything too far, and they hit a threshold with people that it’s just gone too far,” he said. CANADA’S TRUDEAU ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION FOLLOWING PARTY PRESSURE AMID CRITICISMS OF TRUMP, BUDGET HANDLING Poilievre, whose Conservative Party has nearly three times the support of committed voters (47% compared to 18% for the Liberals) in this year’s general election, was first elected to the House of Commons in 2004. The 45-year-old Calgary native became leader of the Canadian Conservatives in 2022 and has seen his party grow in popularity as Canadians have grown tired of 53-year-old Trudeau, whose Liberals formed the government in 2015. The incoming Trump administration will likely soon deal with a Poilievre government as the Conservatives are poised to win the next Canadian election, which could come as early as this spring. When the House of Commons resumes sitting on March 24, the opposition parties are likely to defeat the minority Liberal government in a vote of no-confidence, which would trigger a national vote that presently favors the Conservatives. In his Peterson interview, Poilievre acknowledged that Trump, who has proposed a 25% tariff against Canadian imports, “negotiates very aggressively, and he likes to win.” But as prime minister, the Conservative leader said he would seek “a great deal that will make both countries safer, richer and stronger.” TRUMP REACTS TO TRUDEAU RESIGNATION: ‘MANY PEOPLE IN CANADA LOVE BEING THE 51ST STATE’ Trudeau, after nearly a decade in power, has faced months of declining approval ratings amid growing frustration over rising inflation and the soaring cost of living. “I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust nationwide competitive process,” Trudeau told reporters Monday. “Last night, I asked the president of the Liberal Party to begin that process. This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it is become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election.” “As you all know, I am a fighter, and I’m not someone who backs away from a fight. Particularly when the fight is as important as this one is. But I have always been driven by my love for Canada, by my desire to serve Canadians and by what is in the best interests of Canadians, and Canadians deserve a real choice in the next election,” Trudeau added. “And it has become obvious to me with the internal battles that I cannot be the one to carry the liberal standard into the next election.” Fox News Digital’s Christopher Guly contributed to this report.
Biden approves $500M Ukraine security package 11 days before Trump takes office
The Biden administration on Thursday announced an additional $500 million of military aid to Ukraine in a security package rushed out the door before President-elect Trump takes office. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the final time at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where he made the announcement. Both officials used the occasion to urge the incoming Trump administration to continue to support Kyiv’s fight against Russia. “If Putin swallows Ukraine, his appetite will only grow,” Austin warned at the 25th meeting of about 50 member nations who have joined forces to support Ukraine with an estimated $122 billion in weapons and support. “If autocrats conclude that democracies will lose their nerve, surrender their interests, and forget their principles, we will only see more land grabs. If tyrants learn that aggression pays, we will only invite even more aggression, chaos, and war.” INSIDE PUTIN’S MINDSET: WHAT TEAM TRUMP CAN EXPECT FROM MOSCOW WHEN NEGOTIATING OPTIONS ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR The latest U.S. security assistance to Ukraine includes missiles for fighter jets, support equipment for F-16s, armored bridging systems, small arms and ammunition and other spare parts and communications equipment. The weapons package is funded by the presidential drawdown authority (PDA), meaning the weapons will come from U.S. stockpiles, expediting their delivery to Ukraine. ZELENSKYY SAYS TRUMP COULD BE ‘DECISIVE’ IN BRINGING AN END TO THE WAR Officials noted this is the Biden administration’s seventy-fourth tranche of equipment to be provided from Defense Department inventories for Ukraine since August 2021. This latest package leaves about $3.85 billion in funding to provide future arms shipments to Ukraine; if the Biden administration makes no further announcements, that balance will be available to Trump to send if he chooses. Zelensky pleaded for the next administration to continue U.S. support for his country’s defensive war against Russian invaders. UKRAINE RECEIVES US NATURAL GAS SHIPMENT FOR THE 1ST TIME AMID FRESH SUPPLY FEARS “We’ve come such a long way that it would honestly be crazy to drop the ball now and not keep building on the defense coalitions we’ve created,” Zelenskyy said. “No matter what’s going on in the world, everyone wants to feel sure that their country will not just be erased of the map.” Member nations of the coalition supporting Kyiv, including the U.S., have ramped up weapons production since the Ukraine war exposed that stockpiles were inadequate for a major conventional land war. The U.S. has provided about $66 billion of the total aid since February 2022 and has been able to deliver most of that total — between 80% and 90% — already to Ukraine. “Retreat will only provide incentives for more imperial aggression,” Austin said Thursday. “And if we flinch, you can count on Putin to push further and punch harder. Ukraine’s survival is on the line. But so is the security of Europe, the United States, and the world.”
Americans flock to the Capitol to pay respects to former President Carter ahead of funeral: ‘Job well done’
Americans traveled from all over the country on Wednesday to visit former President Jimmy Carter, who was lying in state at the U.S. Capitol, ahead of his funeral on Thursday. A handful of visitors spoke with Fox News while waiting in line to view Carter’s casket – some knew him personally and others simply admired the late president. Catherine, of nearby Gaithersburg, Maryland, said it was important that she pay her respects to Carter because he was inspirational in how he spent much of his life helping others. “One of the reasons that I respect him is that he showed a lot of us older folks that when you retire, you don’t just stop working,” she said to Fox News’ Rich Edson. “You can use your resources, your experience to help other people, and that’s what I hope to do.” AN ‘EXTRAORDINARY MAN’: FORMER PRESIDENT CARTER LIES IN STATE AT CAPITOL AHEAD OF STATE FUNERAL Georgia native Riley Cagle said he made the trip to Washington, D.C., because Carter was a “dear friend of [her] family” and he wasn’t able to attend his funeral in the Peach State. While Cagle didn’t know him personally, he said his aunt was one of Carter’s best friends and that she was in attendance when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. His grandparents also knew Carter and had shared various “amazing” stories about him while he was growing up – such as his love for pineapple sandwiches. “Man, they just don’t make them like him anymore,” Cagle said, adding that they didn’t “make them like him back then either.” Natalie, another visitor from Maryland, said Carter was “the epitome of a faithful and humble servant” and congratulated him on a “job well done.” JIMMY CARTER, 39TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DEAD AT 100 The respect for Carter transcended political lines as Ted McConnell, an employee of former President Gerald Ford’s 1976 campaign, was present at the Capitol on Wednesday. “As you well know, President Ford and President Carter became compatriots and close friends after the presidency, so I’m supporting both President Ford and President Carter today,” said McConnell, who was even wearing a “Jimmy Carter for president” button. McConnell said he appreciated all the humanitarian work Carter did all over the world and was “honored to honor him in his laying(sic) in state” on Wednesday. Another man was in attendance with a similar “Jimmy for president” pin, but he actually volunteered to work on the late president’s campaign as a high schooler and attended Carter’s inauguration in 1977. Eric Stromayer told Fox News’ Chad Pergram that the lines to view Carter’s casket were moving quickly and he encouraged “those who want to give a good send off to a highly regarded president, come down and seize the opportunity.” Carter’s casket will be removed from the Rotunda at 9 a.m. on Thursday to be taken to the Washington National Cathedral ahead of his state funeral at 10 a.m. His remains will then be flown to Georgia later in the day via Special Air Mission 39 for a private ceremony in his hometown of Plains. Fox News’ Rich Edson and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
‘DOGE’ senator seeks to ensure feds can continue pursuing COVID fraudsters, debtors, as IG sounds alarm
FIRST ON FOX: A top “DOGE” senator said a government watchdog alerted her to an “alarming” rate of defaults on COVID-era “PPP” loans, and now she wants to hold fraudsters accountable. In a letter to Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR) Brian Miller wrote that the loan programs funding reported losses of $1.27 billion as of November 2024, and had snowballed since debtors’ initial payments began coming due in July 2023. “Without SIGPR to protect the taxpayer, there will be no one on watch which will allow this crisis to continue,” Miller wrote. “Of equal concern is an alarming rate of defaults by borrowers who are failing to pay even the interest payments on the loans for the Main Street Lending Program (MSLP) and the Direct Loan Program.” ‘DOGE’-MEETS-CONGRESS: GOP LAWMAKER AARON BEAN LAUNCHES CAUCUS TO HELP MUSK ‘TAKE ON CRAZYTOWN’ The inspector general added that their office has been “shedding staff” and going through legally mandated processes for an agency in the process of shutting down. There are at least 130 potential defendants identified to be probed, and without proper resources, they may never be so. Ernst warned that dishonest loan applicants could get away with $200 billion in fraud from COVID-19 relief if her bill does not pass. “Con artists took advantage of small businesses’ pain during COVID to defraud government programs designed to help hardworking Americans,” Ernst said Wednesday. “While we are $36 trillion in debt, we especially cannot afford to leave more than $200 billion floating around, especially in the hands of fraudsters. My Republican colleagues and I are making sure that all resources are available in this fight to get taxpayers’ money back and hold these criminals accountable.” BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION FAILED TO RECOUP $200B IN FRAUDULENT COVID LOANS, HOUSE COMMITTEE SAYS When the Small Business Administration initiated the Restaurant Revitalization Fund and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, they were on a “first come, first serve” basis. Critics claimed at the time that many qualifying businesses and entities were therefore turned away, and reports proliferated that gang members and drug traffickers were instead able to access the resources. One alleged fraudster used a photo of a Barbie doll as their identifier on an SBA loan application, while another raked in $8 million that could have gone to struggling restaurants – particularly in states with onerous shutdown policies. TOP DOGE SENATOR DEMANDS ANSWERS ON PLAN TO EXHAUST CHIPS FUNDING BEFORE TRUMP ARRIVES In response, Ernst has drafted the Complete COVID Collections Act, Fox News Digital has learned. The bill would extend authorization of the SIGPR through 2030 and expand its jurisdiction to cover other SBA COVID-related programs. As of Wednesday, the SIGPR is only authorized into September. The proposal also directs the Treasury to enforce collection of loans under $100,000 as stringently as high-dollar alleged scofflaws and late-debtors. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP It also brings in the Justice Department, requiring the law enforcement agency to provide regular reports to Congress on activities related to pandemic-centric programs including prosecutions, fund recovery and referrals to the DOJ from other entities. By Wednesday afternoon, Ernst’s bill gained co-sponsorship from four other Republicans: Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Todd Young of Indiana, James Lankford of Oklahoma, and John Curtis of Utah – who was just seated following the departure of Mitt Romney.