Epstein estate to begin handing files to House investigators after ‘birthday book’ subpoena
Jeffrey Epstein’s estate is expected to begin handing documents over to Capitol Hill lawmakers on Monday, pursuant to a subpoena issued by the House Oversight Committee last month. Trustees tasked with handling the late pedophile’s matters were ordered to turn over a tranche of files, including his infamous “birthday book,” as part of House lawmakers’ investigation into Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. A committee aide told Fox News Digital on Monday that they expect the first production of documents from the Epstein estate that day, but they did not elaborate on what the first tranche might contain. A lawyer representing the executors of Epstein’s estate confirmed to Fox News Digital that files would be handed over Monday. HOUSE MOVES TO EXPOSE EPSTEIN FILES, AUTHORIZES OVERSIGHT PROBE “As the Co-Executors have always said, they will comply with all lawful process in this matter, and that includes the subpoena issued by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,” the attorney said. “As part of the Estate’s compliance with that subpoena, the Co-Executors have arranged to produce documents, records and other materials to the Committee on an agreed-on schedule, commencing today as requested by the Committee.” Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., sent a letter on Aug. 25, requesting a slew of documents by Sept. 8. “It is our understanding that the Estate of Jeffrey Epstein is in custody and control of documents that may further the Committee’s investigation and legislative goals. Further, it is our understanding the Estate is ready and willing to provide these documents to the Committee pursuant to a subpoena,” Comer wrote at the time. Subpoenaed documents include all entries in a book compiled by Maxwell for Epstein’s 50th birthday, Epstein’s will and information on his 2008 non-prosecution agreement. Lawmakers hope that the “birthday book,” which allegedly includes personalized messages from Epstein’s friends and associates, will shed light on his personal connections. The information is likely to be dated, however, with the book having been compiled in 2003. Information is also being sought on Epstein’s financial transactions, call and visitor logs, and “any document or record that could reasonably be construed to be a potential list of clients involved in sex, sex acts, or sex trafficking facilitated by Mr. Jeffrey Epstein,” according to a copy of the subpoena viewed by Fox News Digital. Comer has subpoenaed a litany of individuals, as well as the Department of Justice (DOJ), for information related to Epstein. HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE RELEASES THOUSANDS OF EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS He is also bringing in Alexander Acosta, a former Trump administration labor secretary who also served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida when Epstein entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the federal government in 2008, for a transcribed interview on Sept. 19. Comer and other members of the House Oversight Committee met with Epstein survivors last week. About 33,000 pages of files turned over by the DOJ have already been released by the House Oversight Committee, though the vast majority of those were already public knowledge.
From ‘legislative terrorists’ to center of Trump’s DC revolution: Where key conservative caucus is now
A small group of Republican lawmakers who did not feel their leaders were pushing a conservative enough agenda first began meeting in secret a decade ago, huddling in small rooms both inside and outside the U.S. Capitol, while closely guarding their membership for fear of punishment by top House GOP leaders. Fast-forward to Thursday morning, and the House Freedom Caucus (HFC) was welcoming its members, top GOP donors, Trump administration officials and even Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to an ornate room inside Washington, D.C.’s Willard Hotel to mark its decade anniversary and its first annual policy summit. “It’s a big celebration and an anniversary for them, and I want to be a part of it,” Johnson told Fox News Digital just before addressing the group. “Some of my closest friends are in this room.” The caucus that former House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, once called “legislative terrorists” is now at the center of key Republican policy fights in Washington. And while they’re still a source of frustration for many GOP lawmakers – who find the group to be disruptive to Republicans’ agenda – HFC is hiding no more and has the ear of some of the most powerful people in D.C. GOP LAWMAKERS CLASH OVER STRATEGY TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CRISIS “This was never our goal, you know, but we wanted to have an impact,” Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., a founding member of HFC who left Congress and returned in 2025, told Fox News Digital of the event at the Willard. “There’s always a lot of agreement in the conference, like, ‘Oh yeah, we would like to get there,’ but… sometimes you kind of need the difficult people to help move it a little bit further to the right than what you thought you might be able to.” And rather than being a thorn in the side of Republican leaders, HFC is trying to work hand-in-hand with President Donald Trump to push for conservative policies. They are not going against the grain any longer, House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital. “We’re driving the grain,” he said. “We work with the president to advance his agenda in the most conservative way possible, and we’ve been successful.” Border czar Tom Homan, who also addressed the event along with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought, told Fox News Digital that HFC was key to advancing Trump’s border agenda. “They’re on the right side,” Homan said. “They want to secure the border because they know a secure border, a strong border, gives us strong national security… they want us to enforce the laws.” In late 2023, a group of HFC members were key to successfully pushing out a House speaker mid-congressional term for the first time in U.S. history. They’ve also played significant roles in pushing Republican spending bills and the recent One Big, Beautiful Bill Act to the right – at least in the House. Even in the middle of their two-day event on Thursday, some HFC members threatened to sink a GOP-led spending bill as a warning shot to House leaders to keep on a conservative path. The approach has been seen as divisive for years, and this year is no different. “They act as if they are the only principled conservatives in the conference. It’s almost as if they would rather be in the minority,” one House Republican, granted anonymity to speak freely, told Fox News Digital. “They love the attention they get when they hold out, only to fold in the end. It’s why no one respects them.” Another GOP lawmaker said, in the context of current talks to avert a government shutdown, “The Freedom Caucus is not what it was two years ago or even four years ago. I don’t know what you call them, but Andy Harris speaks for himself.” GOP GOVERNOR NOMINEE PUSHES REDISTRICTING TO OUST STATE’S LONE HOUSE DEM “What is the goal of the Freedom Caucus? Is it to win? Is it to fold?” they asked. “I mean, have they lost their teeth? From an outside perspective, no, I still think they get heard.” Current HFC members brushed off the criticism. “We’re willing to negotiate with Donald Trump and the Senate to beat Democrats with the most conservative bill possible, so please keep assuming that we’re dead, and please keep writing that obituary, because we’re winning,” HFC Policy Chair Chip Roy, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. Harris said of the critics, “If winning is folding, then I’ll fold every time.” Indeed, the group does have the ear of the White House. Former HFC Chair Scott Perry, R-Pa., who gave opening remarks during a portion of the summit exclusively viewed by Fox News Digital, revealed that White House aides attended the group’s recent meeting with conservative senators. “Last night, with representatives from the White House, we were asked, ‘What is the plan?’ I’m not exaggerating, this is your Freedom Caucus, the ‘legislative terrorists’ in the room where it happened,” Perry told the audience. But the group is expected to see some high-profile departures in the next congressional term: Roy is running for Texas attorney general, and Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., and Byron Donalds, R-Fla., are both running for governor, among others. Roy told Fox News Digital of the turnover, “We’ve had a conversation. We have things we want to do to help kind of make sure and ensure the longevity. Right now, we’ve got to make sure the good people are running. We have to make sure we continue to grow the ranks of the Freedom Caucus.” And newer members have signaled they’re ready to fill the ranks of those left behind. “Now that I’ve been here, and it’s my third year, and I get comfortable with this, it gives me a lot more confidence to know what is the right path or what’s the wrong path,” said Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., whose profile in HFC has risen in his short time in Congress. “And I think
Trump’s DC crime crackdown overwhelmingly benefits Black Americans as homicides hit zero
President Donald Trump‘s federalization of the D.C. police department and crackdown on Washington crime overwhelmingly benefited Black Americans, who are common victims of violent crimes, crime data found. “You go 13 days without a homicide occurring, those homicides would have invariably been very heavily Black,” John Lott, founder and president of the Crime Prevention Research Center, told Fox News Digital in a Wednesday phone interview. “And so those lives, you have Blacks who didn’t die, who otherwise would have died.” Lott published data in August focusing on Washington, D.C.’s 13-day run of zero homicides following Trump federalizing the city’s police department, deploying National Guard members to the streets, and unleashing federal law enforcement agencies to assist with arrests and crime sweeps of the city. There were no recorded homicides in the city beginning the afternoon of Aug. 13 through the early morning hours of Aug. 26, according to police data, with the streak ending when a 31-year-old man was fatally shot Aug. 26. TRUMP DECLARES DC A ‘CRIME FREE ZONE’ AMID HIS FEDERAL CRACKDOWN Using the city’s homicide rate from the first seven months of 2025, Lott found there was a 0.37% probability of such a homicide-free streak occurring on its own. The figure is based on D.C. crime data that is currently under Department of Justice investigation for claims the police department manipulated crime data to publish more favorable stats. The streak of no homicides overwhelmingly benefits Black Americans, the data found. Between 2019 and 2021, Black victims accounted for 96% of all homicides in the District, the report found. “You have others that are there that are going out and claiming that Trump’s policies are racist. Who are the victims of these crimes?” Lott asked, referring to Democrat politicians who have rejected Trump’s plans to roll out similar crime crackdowns in other cities notorious for crime woes. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, for example, recently argued that incarceration of criminals is “racist” and “immoral.” TRUMP CLAIMS ‘WE’RE AGAINST CRIME. DEMOCRATS LIKE CRIME’ “We cannot incarcerate our way out of violence; we’ve already tried that, and we’ve ended up with the largest prison population in the world without solving the problems of crime and violence,” Johnson said during an August press conference, the New York Post reported. “The addiction on jails and incarceration in this country, we’ve moved past that,” he said. “It is racist, it is immoral, it is unholy, and it is not the way to drive violence down.” The zero homicide count during the 13-day August period follows the city experiencing a 16-day run of zero homicides between Feb. 24 to March 13. Lott noted, however, crimes typically increase in the summer months — when residents spend more time outdoors and the days are longer — compared to the winter months. “Homicides usually peak during the summer months, yet D.C. does not provide an accessible historical breakdown by month,” Lott reported of the data. “As a result, including unusually low months such as February and March in the totals for the first seven months of 2025 — or even in the full-year total for 2024 — artificially lowers those figures compared to the August period we are examining. If we had the data to adjust for this seasonal variation, the results would likely appear even more statistically significant.” ‘RADICAL’ DC OFFICIALS TREATED OFFICERS ‘LIKE CRAP,’ POLICE LEADER SAYS – 7 ATTACKS THAT LED TO TRUMP TAKEOVER Trump repeatedly has floated sending the National Guard into Chicago to combat the city’s crime, while Johnson and Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker have shunned such talk as unnecessary. “If it sounds to you like I am alarmist, that is because I am ringing an alarm,” Pritzker told the media in August. “Donald Trump wants to use the military to occupy a U.S. city to punish its dissidents and score political points. If this were happening in any other country, we would have no trouble calling it what it is: a dangerous power-grab.” “The president of the United States is doing this for theatrics,” Pritzker added. “This is not because we’ve asked for it. It is not because there is some justice that he is going to seek. It is because he wants to create chaos.” Chicago has long been a notoriously dangerous U.S. city, with summer weekends often resulting in dozens of shooting injuries and deaths. The homicide rate for the city in 2024, however, sat at about 17.4 homicides per 100,000 people, which is far lower than rates in more dangerous cities such as Memphis, Tennessee — which saw 40.6 homicides per 100,000 people in 2024. If the Trump administration is aiming to save the most lives, however, heading to Chicago before Memphis, Tennessee, would fulfill that goal, Lott explained. BLUE CITIES IN TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS AFTER DC POLICE TAKEOVER “Should you look at the murder rate or the number of lives to be saved? If saving most lives is the goal, in 2024, Chicago (recorded) 573 murders, Memphis 242,” Lott wrote in an X post comparing the two cities. Trump’s presidential campaign included repeated vows to bring crime down across the U.S. following the nation’s bloody trends that began in 2020 amid the defund the police protests and riots that summer. He federalized D.C. Aug. 11 under section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which allows the president to assume emergency control of the capital’s police force for 30 days. There have been 1,914 total arrests in D.C. as of Sept. 5 since the crackdown began in August, including illegal immigrants, those with outstanding warrants, individuals carrying illegal firearms or drugs and other crimes. Lott said the operation will also have indirect benefits to D.C. residents, especially its poorest locals who have suffered with stores closing in recent years due to crime and costs of operating in a city rocked by crime. “Anybody who goes to a CVS or Walgreens knows everything’s behind plexiglass there,” he said. “You want to go and buy something, you
Ryan Routh trial: Jury selection begins in Trump assassination attempt case
Jury selection begins Monday in Fort Pierce, Fla., in the high-profile federal trial of Ryan Routh, who is accused of plotting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in September 2024. Jury selection is expected to wrap up Wednesday. Prospective jurors are drawn from voter rolls and driver’s license records in the Southern District of Florida. They are brought in and questioned under oath — a process known as voir dire — to determine whether they can be fair and impartial. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida is leading the prosecution. Both prosecutors and Routh, representing himself, will question jurors directly — an unusual dynamic that could make proceedings unpredictable. TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT RYAN ROUTH CHALLENGES PRESIDENT TO ROUND OF GOLF Both sides can challenge jurors “for cause” if bias is clear. They also get a limited number of peremptory strikes, where they can dismiss jurors without giving a reason, so long as it’s not discriminatory. A 12-person jury, plus alternates, will be seated. Federal law requires a unanimous verdict for conviction. Routh is charged with attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, along with assaulting a federal officer and a string of gun violations. Federal prosecutors say the counts carry a potential life sentence if he’s found guilty. He has pleaded not guilty to all federal charges, as well as separate state counts of terrorism and attempted murder. Trump is not a defendant in this case. TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT RYAN ROUTH CAN’T SEE CLASSIFIED INFO RELATING TO CASE, JUDGE RULES Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon approved Routh’s request to act as his own attorney, though court-appointed lawyers will remain on standby to step in if needed. Federal public defenders representing Routh sought Cannon’s recusal, citing her prior involvement in Trump’s classified documents case. Court filings show that request was denied, keeping Cannon — randomly assigned to the case — on the bench. Prosecutors say Routh spent weeks plotting the attack, even camping out near Trump’s golf course for 12 hours with a rifle. A Secret Service agent spotted the weapon and opened fire after Routh allegedly aimed at him, forcing Routh to drop the gun and run. Months later, investigators said they found a letter addressed “Dear World,” in which Routh admitted regret that he failed to kill Trump. Court filings also allege that just weeks before his arrest in August 2024, Routh was trying to obtain anti-aircraft weapons and hire someone to monitor Trump’s flights. SECRET SERVICE THWARTS POTENTIAL THREAT NEAR TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE GROUNDS WITH RAPID RESPONSE CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Opening statements are scheduled to begin Sept. 11 and the trial is expected to last two weeks. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump administration for comment.
Rand Paul rips JD Vance’s assertion that executing cartel members is the ‘best use of our military’
Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky strongly objected after Vice President JD Vance asserted in a Saturday post on X that “Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military.” “JD ‘I don’t give a s[—]’ Vance says killing people he accuses of a crime is the ‘highest and best use of the military.’ Did he ever read To Kill a Mockingbird? Did he ever wonder what might happen if the accused were immediately executed without trial or representation??” Senator Paul wrote. “What a despicable and thoughtless sentiment it is to glorify killing someone without a trial.” In a Truth Social post last week, President Donald Trump shared video footage of what he said was “a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists” who he said “were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States.” SEN. RAND PAUL FAVORS THE PROSPECT OF ABOLISHING THE FEDERAL RESERVE Someone responded to Vance by writing that, “Killing the citizens of another nation who are civilians without any due process is called a war crime.” But the vice president swiftly fired back. DEM SEN JOHN FETTERMAN BACKS USE OF MILITARY FORCE TO COMBAT DRUG TRAFFICKING INTO US “I don’t give a s[—] what you call it,” Vance declared. GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio pushed back against Paul. RUBIO SAYS TRUMP ‘WANTS TO WAGE WAR’ ON VENEZUELAN DRUG TRAFFICKERS: ‘BLOW THEM UP IF THAT’S WHAT IT TAKES’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “What’s really despicable is defending foreign terrorist drug traffickers who are *directly* responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans in Kentucky and Ohio. JD understands that our first responsibility is to protect the life and liberty of American citizens,” Moreno wrote on on X.
Chicago crime, National Guard push move to forefront of Trump’s week
President Donald Trump’s strategy to address crime in U.S. cities may come into sharper focus this week, as he reiterates his call to deploy the National Guard more widely. Over the weekend, Trump doubled down on his plan to curb crime and crack down on illegal immigration, specifically in Chicago. “Do you know how many people were killed in Chicago last weekend? Eight. You know how many people were killed in Chicago the week before? Seven. You know how many people wounded? Seventy-four people were wounded. You think there’s worse than that? I don’t think so,” Trump told reporters at the White House when asked about Chicago. TRUMP ROILS CHICAGO DEMOCRATS WITH APOCALYPSE NOW MEME HINTING AT NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT His remarks came amid questions about a meme he shared on Truth Social the previous day, which critics said threatened Chicago with deportations of illegal immigrants and the use of the U.S. military. The meme featured an AI image of Trump styled as Robert Duvall’s character in “Apocalypse Now,” a Vietnam War-era movie about a U.S. military officer who went rogue in the Cambodian jungle. The words “Chipocalypse Now” were also seen on the image. “‘I love the smell of deportations in the morning…’” Trump wrote in the post, referring to a famous quote from the movie. “Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR,” he added. When asked again about the post on social media, Trump told reporters that “we’re not going to war.” DEMOCRATS SLAM TRUMP FOR ‘WAR’ THREATS TARGETING US CITIES: ‘NOT YOUR WAR ZONE’ “We’re going to clean up our cities. We’re going to clean them up so they don’t kill five people every weekend,” he said. “That’s not war. That’s common sense,” he added before boarding Marine One to watch the U.S. Open men’s singles final. Trump’s focus on Chicago comes as his administration extends a National Guard deployment in Washington, D.C., citing concerns over crime and homelessness in the capital. He has repeatedly characterized Washington, D.C., as “one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world.” In August, Trump said he was considering sending the National Guard to Chicago calling the Windy City “a mess.” He said on Aug. 22 that his administration will “straighten that one out probably next,” adding that “it won’t even be tough.” Meanwhile, the White House has not offered additional details of a potential deployment of troops to Chicago. Trump has also threatened to send troops to Baltimore and has cited crime in Portland and Boston to justify a broader crackdown. Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
Trump to call on Americans to pray for nation as 250th birthday approaches: ‘One Nation Under God’
EXCLUSIVE – President Donald Trump will announce the launch of America Prays at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. today while tying the faith-driven initiative to the nation’s 250th birthday. The inspiring program calls on Americans to dedicate time every week to pray for the country and to underscore faith as central to the nation’s founding and future. “President Trump has revived one of America’s most prominent and powerful founding principles — we are one nation under God,” White House Spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital. “As we approach the 250th anniversary of the greatest country in the world, President Trump invites Americans to pray for our nation and for our people. America is stronger with the power of prayer.” The initiative also suggests people join with at least 10 others each week to pray. TRUMP TO SPEAK AT MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN EDUCATION The announcement will follow Trump’s appearance at the Iowa State Fairgrounds back in July, where he kicked off America250, the official year-long celebration. “As we prepare to celebrate two and a half centuries of freedom, I am inviting America’s great religious communities to pray for our nation and for our people,” Trump said at the time. “From the beginning, this has always been a country sustained and strengthened by prayer. If we bring religion back stronger, you’re going to see everything get better. So as we chart our course toward the next 250 years, let us rededicate ourselves to one nation under God.” The launch of America Prays Monday extends that message into a faith-driven initiative. SEN. TIM SCOTT OUTLINES IMPORTANCE OF FAITH IN EVERYDAY AMERICAN LIFE Faith leaders have rallied around the president’s effort. Franklin Graham, President of Samaritan’s Purse, noted: “Our greatest battles are fought on our knees, and through America Prays we can join together to ask God to guide and protect this land.” TRUMP HEADS TO THE HEARTLAND TO KICK OFF A YEAR CELEBRATING AMERICA’S INDEPENDENCE Pastor Clint Pressley of the Southern Baptist Convention added that prayer is “a public testimony that we depend on God for wisdom and strength.” The America Prays initiative has also drawn partnerships from across the faith community, including Samaritan’s Purse, Pray.com, Hallow, National Religious Broadcasters, Faith and Freedom Coalition and dozens of churches and ministries nationwide. Organizers say the effort reflects the same spirit that has defined America since its founding: a people united in faith, asking for God’s blessing on the nation as it enters its next 250 years.
Mamdani slammed for using kids in campaign videos after gloating about social media-free childhood
Zohran Mamdani is taking heat for using school kids in his online campaign ads even after noting how “fortunate” he was to enjoy a childhood free of social media. The 33-year-old New York City mayoral candidate, who has built his brand on viral content, was criticized by Instagram followers after he featured interviews with two kids promoting his bid for City Hall. The criticism also came as New York City launched a statewide classroom cellphone ban aimed at protecting student mental health, and ahead of the mayoral election. On Thursday, Mamdani appeared outside I.S. 5 in Queens, praising the new cellphone ban while welcoming families back for the first day of the school year. On Instagram, he also shared a post and contrasted his own childhood with today’s digital reality, writing: EX-MAYOR DE BLASIO TOUTS SOCIALIST MAMDANI AS NEW YORK CITY’S ANSWER TO TRUMP POLICIES “I consider myself fortunate—when I was a student, it was before social media had cannibalized the way that kids interact with one another,” he wrote. The post was paired with a back-to-school message about “hope and new beginnings.” But just days later, Mamdani’s campaign accounts featured the two young kids speaking directly to Mamdani and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. MAMDANI APPEALS TO NON-DEMOCRATS WITH GENERAL ELECTION PUSH, VOWS GOVERNMENT CAN MEET VOTERS’ ‘MATERIAL NEEDS’ In one clip, a girl confidently endorsed him; in another, a boy offered support while Warren sat nearby. “How old is she? So articulate, but she’s so tiny,” one follower said about the little girl. Critics wondered why Mamdani was using children in his social media ads even as he decried the effects of cellphones and social media on children. “Why are you using kids to promote your political agenda?” complained another follower commenting on the post featuring the boy’s interview. One critic wrote: “He can express his personal opinion and promote whomever he wants, using the kids to do it is unacceptable.” Mamdani’s posts featuring the two children also came days before New York Governor Kathy Hochul defended the new cellphone restrictions, arguing they will reduce distractions, improve mental health and even protect children during emergencies by preventing location-sharing. Hochul discussed the state’s ban on cellphone use in public schools on “Fox News Sunday.” The new law prohibits smartphones and smartwatches during school hours, except for medical or educational use. Mamdani, who unseated a longtime incumbent in the Democratic primary, is campaigning on sweeping progressive promises, from a $30 minimum wage to a rent freeze. Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani for comment.
Trump backs ICE raid at Hyundai plant, but says US needs foreign experts to train Americans
President Donald Trump said Sunday that while U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was right to arrest South Korean immigrants working illegally at a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia, the U.S. should consider letting foreign experts temporarily stay to train Americans in advanced industries. Homeland Security Investigations said 475 people — mostly South Koreans — were arrested at the under-construction battery plant. Hyundai said it owns the site but insisted none of the workers were directly employed by the company. When asked about the ICE operation on Sunday, Trump told reporters the U.S. needs experts who know how to build batteries to help train Americans with no such experience. “If you don’t have people in this country right now that know about batteries, maybe we should help them along…,” Trump said, adding that industries like shipbuilding and computer manufacturing also need skilled trainers. “So, we’re going to look at that whole situation. We have a lot of industries that we don’t have any more, and we’re going to have to train people.” SOUTH KOREA REACHES DEAL WITH US TO RELEASE WORKERS DETAINED AFTER IMMIGRATION RAID He continued to explain that the best way to train people is to bring people in who know what they are doing, while also letting them stay in the U.S. for a little while to help. Still, Trump said ICE was right to arrest those in the country illegally. “We do have to work something out where we bring in experts so that our people can be trained so that they can do it themselves,” he said. Later on Truth Social, Trump urged foreign companies investing in the U.S. to respect immigration laws while pledging to make it “quickly and legally possible” for them to bring in skilled workers. SOCIAL MEDIA FIRESTORM AFTER MASSIVE GEORGIA IMMIGRATION RAID: ‘TAKING BOLD ACTION’ “Your Investments are welcome, and we encourage you to LEGALLY bring your very smart people, with great technical talent, to build World Class products, and we will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so,” he wrote. “What we ask in return is that you hire and train American Workers. Together, we will all work hard to make our Nation not only productive, but closer in unity than ever before. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” On Sunday, the South Korean government reached a deal with the U.S. to secure the release of hundreds of migrant workers detained at the factory. MASSIVE DHS RAID HITS GEORGIA HYUNDAI FACTORY THAT BIDEN TOUTED AS MAJOR VICTORY FOR ‘NEW AMERICAN JOBS’ President Lee Jae Myung’s office said South Korea will send a charter plane to bring the workers back to South Korea in the coming days. Still, South Korea’s government expressed “concern and regret” over the raid. Homeland Security Investigations chief Steven Schrank said some workers had crossed the border illegally, while others overstayed visas or entered under waivers that barred them from working. Many were employed by subcontractors at the site. The Georgia raid marked one of the largest workplace enforcement actions of Trump’s presidency, part of a broader crackdown on illegal immigration. Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom, Cameron Arcand and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump delivers ultimatum to Hamas: Accept deal and release hostages or pay the consequences
President Donald Trump issued his “last warning” to Hamas to accept his deal and release the remaining hostages or face the consequences. “Everyone wants the hostages HOME. Everyone wants this War to end,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The Israelis have accepted my Terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well.” “I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting,” he continued. “This is my last warning, there will not be another one! Thank you for your attention to this matter.” Last month, Trump said the remaining hostages would only be returned when Hamas is “confronted and destroyed.” At the time, Hamas was citing alleged progress in ceasefire talks. WHITE HOUSE DEMANDS ALL GAZA HOSTAGES RETURN HOME ‘THIS WEEK’ AMID STALLED TALKS In July, the U.S. and Israel pulled negotiators from Qatar after Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said Hamas showed a “lack of desire to reach a ceasefire” and was likely not negotiating in good faith. On Aug. 26, Witkoff told Fox News’ Bret Baier on “Special Report” that he and Trump wanted the hostages home that week. “There’s been a deal on the table for the last six or seven weeks that would have released 10 of the hostages out of the 20 who we think are alive,” he said, noting that he believes Hamas is “100%” to blame for the hold-up. TRUMP ON WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO BRING ISRAELI HOSTAGES HOME: HAMAS MUST BE ‘CONFRONTED AND DESTROYED’ Witkoff did not elaborate on what is delaying the hostages’ return, nearly two years after they were taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Fifty hostages continue to be held by Hamas, only 20 of whom are assessed to still be alive. Trump previously predicted in late August that there would be a “conclusive” end to the war in Gaza within the next “two to three weeks,” though he did not say how this would be accomplished. TRUMP: HAMAS SURRENDER, HOSTAGE RELEASE IS ‘FASTEST WAY’ TO END GAZA WAR Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that only a comprehensive ceasefire — one that ensures the return of all hostages and ends the war on Israel’s terms — will be considered. Israel is preparing a new offensive in Gaza targeting Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said, as it expanded ground operations under Operation Gideon’s Chariots II. IDF spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee warned Palestinians in parts of Gaza City to leave ahead of an expected escalation. The warning included a map marking the area and highlighting one building the IDF planned to strike, citing “the presence of Hamas terrorist infrastructure inside or nearby.” Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.