Mullin vows ‘zero change’ on immigration after Republicans suffer crushing midterm losses
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin delivered a blunt message on immigration policy Tuesday, promising “zero change” following midterm elections that dealt a crushing blow to the Republican Party. Mullin made the remarks during an appearance on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle,” where host Laura Ingraham brought up President Donald Trump suggesting Republicans work with Democrats. “Amnesty will never be on the table,” Mullin said. WHITE HOUSE DOUBLES DOWN AFTER TRUMP ANGERS BASE BY FLOATING ILLEGAL ALIEN DEAL WITH DEMS He noted that the agency has been deporting roughly 3,600 individuals a day and has no plans to slow down. “We haven’t slowed down at all. We’ve re-prioritize what we’re doing by going after the worst of the worst, by getting the murderers and the rapists and child predators and drug bankers and cartel members,” he added. While Democrats secured majorities in both the House and Senate during the midterm elections, Mullin said Republicans cannot trust the opposing party to work with them. “You can’t trust the Democrat Party we’ve been working with at all. You can’t, because nothing’s enough for them,” he said. He also criticized the Democratic Party’s leadership, pointing to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and accusing the group of wanting to “defund the country.” “You got DSA that’s running the Democrat Party right now. They want to defund my agency, the Department of Homeland Security,” he said. BORDER DEM POISED TO WIELD ICE PURSE STRINGS REJECTS SOCIALIST ‘DEFUND’ PUSH “You want to defund the country that is the agency that’s tasked with keeping our homeland safe? Doesn’t make any sense,” he added. Mullin also recalled Trump’s comments about using his veto power if Democrats pass measures he opposes. “The president has made it very clear he controls the veto. So if they were to send something over that the president and the Republicans don’t agree with, he can veto it, and he will veto it,” he said. “The president will not sign anything that isn’t in the right movement for this country and the Republican Party.” Mullin also argued that maintaining a strong immigration policy is imperative to national security. “You can’t have a secured nation and you can’t have a secured city if you don’t know who’s in your country,” he said.
Anti-Israel agitators swarm Biden in Ireland and hurl object at motorcade
Former President Joe Biden was heckled Tuesday by anti-Israel agitators who threw at least one object at his motorcade and screamed obscenities during his visit to Ireland alongside former first lady Jill Biden. Biden, 83, made a surprise appearance at Trinity College in Dublin, where his son, Hunter Biden, accepted the Gold Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Public Discourse, The Independent reported. A mob of agitators gathered outside the venue while the event took place. INSIDE THE PROTEST PLAYBOOK TO VILIFY ISRAEL ON ‘GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION’ As Biden exited the building, someone threw an object that was blocked by an umbrella near Biden. Local police arrested two people at the scene. Video posted online shows law enforcement officers detaining people as the crowd chanted, “Blood, blood, blood on your hands!” ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS LABEL MAMDANI A ‘TRAITOR,’ ACCUSE HIM OF ‘GENOCIDE’ OUTSIDE OCT 7 VIGIL Biden was escorted into a waiting vehicle as the chaos unfolded, and the motorcade quickly drove away. The agitators then heckled the police officers at the scene. “Shame on you!” they were heard chanting. Throughout his presidency, Biden faced intense criticism from progressive Democrats, human rights advocates, and anti-Israel activists over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war and his administration’s unwavering support for the Jewish state. AOC TRASHES DEMOCRATS FOR CLOSING RANKS AROUND BIDEN, REJECTING PRIMARY CHALLENGERS Critics repeatedly dubbed him “Genocide Joe” over continued U.S. military assistance to Israel, arguing that defense funding enabled Israeli forces to kill and displace civilians in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, military experts have noted that Israel took unprecedented measures to minimize civilian casualties while targeting Hamas terrorists embedded in urban areas. Fox News Digital reached out to the former president’s office for comment.
House GOP leaders block Massie’s Hegseth impeachment push
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is safe from an impeachment vote in the House of Representatives after GOP leaders successfully stopped a looming vote led by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. A vote to refer Massie’s resolution to the House Judiciary Committee for consideration — which effectively killed it in its tracks — passed on Tuesday evening by a 211-204 margin, averting a potential impeachment vote on Wednesday. President Donald Trump celebrated the failed impeachment effort in a Truth Social post, calling Massie a “major LOSER” and praising Hegseth’s record on military operations in Venezuela and Iran and recruitment. HEGSETH IMPEACHMENT VOTE LOOMS AS HOUSE REPUBLICANS PRIVATELY WARN IT COULD PASS “The Democrats’ attempt to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has miserably FAILED!” Trump wrote, calling the outcome the “EXONERATION of a Great American Patriot.” The GOP had been worried about having a significant number of absences on their side after their brutal midterm election performance last week, but it appears Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., wrangled one more victory on his way out the leadership door. Massie’s resolution is a wide-ranging piece of legislation accusing Hegseth of misusing his office via eight impeachment articles, spanning issues including the Iran war, U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and his retaliation against Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., over a video calling on troops to disobey “unlawful orders.” Hegseth railed against the effort and criticized Massie personally during a news conference Tuesday morning. HEGSETH LABELS IMPEACHMENT PUSH A POLICY DISPUTE, BUT DO LAWMAKERS’ ALLEGATIONS RISE TO HIGH CRIMES? “What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight, and it’s not accountability. It’s a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment,” Hegseth said. The outgoing Kentucky Republican was able to force Tuesday night’s vote over the objections of House GOP leaders by filing a privileged resolution, a mechanism aimed at bypassing the will of the chamber’s majority. A privileged resolution must be considered within two legislative days of being filed. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: HOW MIDTERMS MAY CHANGE THE HOUSE IMPEACHMENT EQUATION FOR HEGSETH All Democrats present backed moving forward with the impeachment on Tuesday evening, as expected. All Republicans but Massie voted to kill the resolution. But some were worried earlier in the day about weak attendance potentially clearing the path for an actual impeachment vote. “I’m going to vote no,” Rep. Jake Ellzey, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. “I don’t know if any Republicans other than Massie will be in support of his articles of impeachment, but I don’t even know how many Republicans will be here by the time of the vote. The real question is how short are we. Numerically, if they’re all here and we’re not, what happens then?” Ellzey called the impeachment effort “a ridiculous waste of time.” Even House Republicans who are critical of Hegseth were hesitant to support Massie’s resolution. “I think it’s an effort to scapegoat Pete Hegseth for Congress shirking their own duty and, frankly, the president taking action that, in my view, is unconstitutional. but it’s also not unprecedented,” Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, who is opposed to the Trump administration’s involvement in Iran, said. “What would be unprecedented is to hold the secretary of defense accountable for a decision the president makes. Or, frankly, it would have been unprecedented for the secretary of defense to kind of break ranks on something that is clearly not unprecedented in terms of what has become the standard operating procedure for administrations going back to the Korean War.” Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a vocal critic of Hegseth’s, told reporters Tuesday, “I’m personally not a fan of the secretary. I don’t think he was the right guy in the job. But, also, when you read Massie’s impeachment, I don’t agree with it.”
Ilhan Omar huddles with her DC-based lawyers during her first day back on Capitol Hill amid federal probes
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., returned to Capitol Hill this week and brought two lawyers with her after a scandal-plagued fall recess. Fox News spotted the two attorneys exiting her Washington, D.C., office Tuesday after what appeared to be a roughly two-hour meeting with the congresswoman. Omar hired two high-profile attorneys, Amy Jeffress and Joshua Matz, both of whom are partners at Heckler Fink LLP, amid dueling investigations. After emerging from Omar’s office on Tuesday, Fox News asked about their confidence in Omar’s defense against the federal government. OBAMA ADMIN FIRST LAUNCHED THE INVESTIGATION INTO ILHAN OMAR’S ALLEGED BROTHER MARRIAGE The attorneys were also asked about the recent news that both the Obama and Biden administrations had been the first to investigate Omar after she claimed that the Trump administration was politically targeting her. They remained silent. This is the first sighting of Omar back on the Hill after two federal departments opened investigations into the Somali-born congresswoman looking into both her immigration status and previous financial filings. In October, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) raided her Washington, D.C., home as part of what Fox News Digital learned was an investigation into whether she or her father committed fraud when filling out her immigration paperwork. She spent the final weeks of her campaign asking for money to defend herself in the investigations and accusing Trump of targeting her for political reasons. About an hour after Omar’s lawyers exited her office Tuesday, the congresswoman departed with husband Tim Mynett. She was approached by Fox News about the ongoing investigation and asked whether she is concerned it could affect her ability to effectively represent her constituents in Congress. “I am not,” Omar said. She was then asked if there was any chance she would step down from Congress despite just winning re-election to let the investigation “play out.” The congresswoman smiled and waved at the camera but did not respond as the elevator doors closed with her inside. SCANDAL-PLAGUED ILHAN OMAR EASILY SECURES 5TH TERM IN DEEP BLUE MINNESOTA DESPITE IMMIGRATION FRAUD PROBE Omar also refused to respond to Fox’s question about whether she had spoken to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries about the investigation. The attorneys seen exiting her office earlier, Jeffress and Matz, have both represented high-ranking Democratic elected officials and have taken on multiple cases against President Donald Trump, his allies and supporters. Jeffress served as former President Joe Biden’s attorney in his lawsuit against the Justice Department earlier this year. She also served as counsel for then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on Capitol Hill. She is also married to U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper of the District of Washington, who ruled in May that Trump’s addition his name to the John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center was illegal. ILHAN OMAR LASHES OUT AT ‘BIGOT’ TRUMP AFTER WINNING RE-ELECTION DESPITE INVESTIGATION Matz served as counsel to House Democrats during both failed impeachment attempts against Trump during his first term in office. Matz also represented E. Jean Carroll in two civil cases against Trump’s denial of her sexual assault claims against him. Matz also represented those opposed to the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, which banned teachers from teaching students about gender identity and sexual orientation. Omar has not yet formally announced a meeting with any members of Congress about the two ongoing federal probes. Her only formal address to the public on the investigations was posting to social media, including a video in which she encouraged her supporters to keep sending money in light of the new investigations against her. Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.
Hegseth labels impeachment push a policy dispute, but do lawmakers’ allegations rise to high crimes?
War Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed back against an impeachment effort Tuesday, accusing lawmakers of trying to turn disagreements over President Donald Trump’s military policies into impeachable offenses. Congress is preparing to vote on eight articles alleging the Pentagon chief violated federal law and abused his authority. “One disgruntled congressman wants to shred it over policy disagreements. That’s what it is: policy disagreements, not high crimes, not misdemeanors, not treason, not bribery, not the kinds of offenses the founders intended when they wrote the impeachment clause,” Hegseth said at a Pentagon press conference Tuesday morning. “The proper remedy for a policy disagreement, it’s legislation, it’s debate, it’s the next presidential election,” he added. But the impeachment resolution introduced Monday by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., goes beyond objections to the administration’s military strategy. It alleges that Hegseth violated congressional war powers, authorized unlawful military operations and retaliated against a sitting senator for exercising his constitutional rights. HEGSETH RIPS IMPEACHMENT PUSH FROM OUTGOING REPUBLICAN AS ‘FARCE,’ ‘STUNT’ The clash puts the limits of impeachment at the center of a growing fight over Trump’s national security agenda, testing whether lawmakers can make a constitutional case for removing Hegseth or are just using impeachment to challenge military and policy decisions they oppose. Massie’s eight articles center on several of the Trump administration’s most controversial national security decisions, with three accusing Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution during the war against Iran. The outgoing Kentucky Republican alleges that Hegseth initiated hostilities without congressional authorization, continued military operations after Congress directed their termination and disregarded statutory deadlines requiring the withdrawal of U.S. forces. Other articles accuse Hegseth of failing to comply with laws intended to minimize civilian casualties, including in connection with a strike on an Iranian school, and conducting unlawful maritime strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean. 7 REPUBLICANS REBEL AGAINST TRUMP, VOTE WITH DEMS TO REIN IN IRAN WAR POWERS The resolution also alleges that Hegseth retaliated against Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., over a video urging service members to refuse unlawful orders, and unlawfully directed military operations in Yemen and the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Massie has rejected the suggestion that the impeachment effort is simply a referendum on Hegseth’s job performance or the administration’s military policies. “The question is whether he committed impeachable acts,” Massie wrote on X Monday. “And the answer is yes, eight times.” Constitutional law scholar Jonathan Turley largely agreed that the impeachment effort was on shaky ground, arguing that six of Massie’s eight articles should be dismissed outright. “In my view, six of the eight articles should be nonstarters, including the Iranian articles,” Turley wrote on X Tuesday. Turley acknowledged that Congress has a legitimate constitutional interest in asserting its war powers, but argued that Massie was attempting to use impeachment to settle a longstanding dispute over presidential authority. Presidents of both parties, including Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, have claimed broad authority to launch military operations without congressional approval, he noted. “Massie is not going to ‘litigate’ the matter through impeachments,” Turley wrote, arguing that Trump was exercising authority long claimed by his predecessors. GOP REP THOMAS MASSIE INTRODUCES 8 ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST WAR SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH Vice President JD Vance, however, argued Tuesday that lawmakers were using impeachment as a substitute for exercising their legislative powers. “Has Pete Hegseth committed impeachable crimes? The question is absurd and the answer is: obviously not,” Vance wrote on X. “Congress has so many tools for registering its policy disagreements. Rather than use them, they’re going to try to impeach Pete Hegseth,” he continued. Vance suggested the effort was driven less by the war with Iran than by opposition to Hegseth’s broader changes at the Pentagon, including shifting U.S. forces away from Europe and Ukraine and reorganizing the military’s senior leadership. TRUMP’S PENTAGON SHAKE-UP REVIVES A PRESIDENTIAL POWER PLAY WITH A LONG HISTORY “This isn’t about Iran, this is about the fact that Pete took on the bureaucracy at the Pentagon,” Vance wrote. DRAMATIC FOOTAGE SHOWS ALLEGED NARCO BOAT ERUPT IN FIREBALL DURING US MILITARY STRIKE Turley dismissed the article of impeachment concerning Maduro’s capture, pointing to court precedent involving the U.S. seizure of former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega. But Turley drew a distinction between those disputes over executive authority and two allegations he considered more serious: the maritime strikes against suspected drug traffickers and Hegseth’s treatment of Sen. Mark Kelly. “The ‘double tap’ allegation would be a war crime, if true,” Turley wrote, noting that Trump and Hegseth have denied issuing such orders. The effort to punish Kelly over a video urging troops to refuse unlawful orders also raised serious questions about a sitting senator’s free speech rights and potential undue command influence, Turley argued. Still, he stopped short of concluding that either allegation met the constitutional threshold for impeachment, saying more evidence was needed. DEMOCRATS RALLY BEHIND GOP LAWMAKER’S HEGSETH IMPEACHMENT PUSH, SIGNAL MORE TO COME IN JANUARY “I will be looking for the underlying evidence on those two articles,” he wrote, describing both as potentially problematic but difficult to establish as “high crimes and misdemeanors.” The Constitution authorizes impeachment for treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors, a standard that does not require proof of a criminal offense. Congress has historically treated serious abuses of official power as potential grounds for impeachment, though the precise boundaries remain contested. That distinction complicates the argument that the allegations can be dismissed simply because they involve military policy. Lawmakers can disagree with a defense secretary’s decisions without those disagreements constituting impeachable misconduct, but allegations that an official knowingly violated the law or abused the powers of his office present a different constitutional question. Hegseth, meanwhile, has maintained that the operations cited in the resolution were lawful and directed by the president. “I stand behind every one of these operations. I was proud to execute them, and I would do it again tomorrow,” Hegseth said Tuesday. President Trump also rallied behind his
Florida AG subpoenas DSA over potential illegal funding from Cuba and China
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Tuesday that his office issued an investigative subpoena to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) to investigate whether the organization accepted contributions from “foreign sources of concern,” including entities in Cuba and China. “Our laws prohibit accepting contributions from foreign sources of concern,” Uthmeier said in a video statement. “We will not allow foreign adversaries to influence Florida through the backdoor of non-private fundraising.” The subpoena demands documents related to recent DSA delegations to China and Cuba, where organization members met with Cuban government officials, to determine if the DSA violated Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, according to Uthmeier. DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA ACTIVISTS SIGNED PLEDGE TO SUPPORT, DEFEND ‘CHINESE SOCIALISM’ Uthmeier did not detail specific criminal allegations or name individuals accused of violating state law. The DSA has repeatedly praised the Cuban regime and routinely advocates for lifting American sanctions and ending the U.S. embargo against Havana. RNC WARNS DEMOCRATS FACE ‘POLITICAL SUICIDE’ AFTER DSA PRAISES FIDEL CASTRO, DEMANDS RUBIO’S PROSECUTION The organization has sent multiple delegations to Cuba in recent years. During a 2023 trip, DSA members met privately with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and sought to establish formal communication channels with government ministries, according to a State Department report released in July. The legal action comes shortly after several DSA-backed candidates won races across federal, state, and local levels in last week’s elections. Fox News Digital reached out to the DSA for comment.
Senate GOP rebellion fizzles as Thune keeps power despite historic midterm massacre
There was neither an exodus nor a mass housecleaning in the Senate GOP leadership, despite frustration and rumblings of discontent among some lawmakers reeling from last week’s devastating midterm losses. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., secured another term as the top Republican behind the closed doors of the Old Senate Chamber, where lawmakers charted their course for their few remaining weeks in power and beyond. Thune, along with the bulk of his leadership team, which now includes Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, were swiftly elected after a group of Republicans failed to delay the leadership elections. It wasn’t without a fight, though, with conversations behind closed doors dragging on for over seven hours. GOP SENATOR WITHHOLDS SUPPORT FOR THUNE AS LEADERSHIP SHOWDOWN LOOMS Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., led the charge to delay, and didn’t stick around after his attempts to do so failed on a 31 to 15 vote in the Old Senate Chamber to proceed with the scheduled election. Johnson and others wanted to have a deep conversation about what had happened during the midterm elections, and a roadmap on what Republican leadership candidates could accomplish with the little time they had left in power. SENATE GOP REBELS MOVE TO DELAY LEADERSHIP VOTE, DEMAND RECKONING AFTER MIDTERM DISASTER But there was no opposition to any of the lawmakers running for leadership. “This has never been anything against John Thune,” Johnson said. “I think he has been very unfairly attacked, you know, by our base, and I don’t agree with that. What I didn’t agree with was holding the election right away, giving nobody an opportunity to really challenge any leadership position.” On Monday, Thune was adamant that he’d still run but was unsure of the outcome. “That’s the hope,” Thune said when asked if he had the Senate GOP’s support. “You never know right until they vote.” Before the vote, Johnson and a handful of others believed there should be a shakeup in leadership, but didn’t offer an alternative to Thune. “After the stunning defeat, you just can’t continue on business as usual,” Johnson said. “I mean, that kind of defeat demands change.” When asked if he’d be interested in running, Johnson said, “That’s part of the problem. Would you want it?” “I think there’s a number of people with talent,” Johnson said. “Again, I’m not — at a minimum, we need to see out of our leadership team what’s the strategy moving forward, and you can’t come off of a defeat like that and just ram through elections and oh yeah, ‘let’s just elect that leadership team by acclamation.’” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., had previously run for leader twice and most recently against Thune. But the lawmaker, who joined Johnson’s crusade for change, declined to throw his hat into the arena again. “I think we have to acknowledge the voters are not happy,” Scott said. “We have to start listening to voters.” CONGRESS RETURNS TO BRUTAL LAME-DUCK STRETCH WITH SHUTDOWN DEADLINE, LEADERSHIP RACES: ‘CLOSET IS FULL OF S—’ Scott wanted ironclad promises on the GOP’s to-do list, including ramming through judicial nominees, government funding “without a massive omnibus,” a stock trade ban, permitting reform, passing the National Defense Authorization Act, taking another crack at the SAVE America Act and balancing the budget — possibly through budget reconciliation. Johnson and Scott were joined by Sens. Ted Budd, R-N.C., Mike Lee, R-Utah, John Kennedy, R-La., Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Dave McCormick, R-Pa., in a push to delay the elections that was not met, and the would-be coup faded as the secret ballots were cast. Still, there were others outside that cohort who weren’t happy with last week and believed that there should be deeper soul-searching on what Republicans did over the last two years that led to a historic night for Senate Democrats. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., contended that much of what the GOP listed as accomplishments over their time in power is what worked against them. “And, you know, you have the kind of record that this Congress has had, I think we better have a pretty tough family conversation about what it is we’re doing,” Hawley said. “When you cut Medicaid, but you fund data centers, when you cut rural hospital funding, but you fund Planned Parenthood, when you let the cost of healthcare for working people go through the roof, but you can’t do anything for them on other issues of affordability, from fertilizer to gas,” he continued. “Yeah you know what? The public doesn’t like that very much.”
Democrats accused of ‘No Kings’ hypocrisy over push to change voter-approved trans sports measures
Voters in two Democratic strongholds approved restrictions on transgender participation in girls’ sports last week, delivering rare Republican victories amid a blue wave. But Democratic officials are already discussing ways to change the measures, drawing accusations of hypocrisy from Republicans who point to their support for the “No Kings” movement. Colorado Gov.-elect Philip Weiser, who also criticized a separate ballot measure restricting gender-related surgeries for minors, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal , D-Wash., both raised objections to the measures approved in their respective states. At his first post-election news conference, he suggested Colorado’s Democratic-controlled legislature could revisit the voter-approved measures, saying that it is “statutory … and a natural and I believe appropriate role for the legislature to say ‘what are the adjustments that need to be added.” PRO-TRANS ACTIVISTS HOLD RALLY AGAINST WASHINGTON STATE BALLOT INITIATIVE TO PROTECT GIRLS SPORTS Colorado voters approved ballot measures increasing penalties for fentanyl-related offenses, restricting transgender athletes from competing in sports designated for the opposite biological sex and prohibiting gender-related surgeries for minors. The measures passed even as Democrats swept into power across the state. “I don’t believe it would be acceptable to Colorado to have every student athlete to have to go through full-body examinations or other invasions of privacy,” Weiser added of the sports-related referendum, according to the Denver Post. COLORADO MOM WHO SAID DAUGHTER WAS SECRETLY TRANSITIONED HELPS LEAD EFFORT TO BAN BOYS IN GIRLS’ SPORTS Weiser did not respond to a request for comment. Republicans in suburban Denver criticized the governor-elect, dubbing him “King Phil I” and characterizing his response as “know[ing] better than Colorado voters in a healthy democracy.” “But before the ink on the ballots is even dry, Governor-elect Phil Weiser is already signaling that the vote of the people is merely a ‘suggestion’. With Coloradans approving ballot measures to crack down on fentanyl and protect youth sports and children, Weiser walked up to the podium on Wednesday and essentially declared that the will of the majority needs to pass his personal vibe check first,” the Adams County Republican Party said in a statement. Republicans characterized Weiser’s position as “you voted for it, but I don’t like it…” “No Kings,” the Adams Republicans added, invoking the protest movement that Weiser has supported through participation in “No Kings” protests. The movement’s demonstrations have criticized President Donald Trump over what organizers characterize as authoritarian conduct. The Colorado House Republican caucus echoed the sentiment, adding in a statement: “If the Democrats truly believe there should be ‘No Kings’ in America, it is time they take their own advice.” ‘NO KINGS’ FOOT SOLDIERS IGNORE ORGANIZERS’ WARNING, GO ALL IN FOR DEMOCRATS Meanwhile, in Washington State, Jayapal condemned a similar measure approved by voters. Initiative 638 prohibits students defined as “biologically male” from competing in girls’ K-12 school sports and requires students seeking to participate on girls’ teams to provide verification of their biological sex from a health care provider. The measure passed with approximately 56% support in the reliably Democratic state. Following the election results, multiple local news outlets reported that Jayapal pledged to “take our state back” after voters approved the initiative. “We’re going to start planning for how we overturn these bad initiatives and how we go back to loving everyone with gender inclusivity the way we have for decades,” she said, according to several reports. Jayapal did not respond to a request for comment. Critics also pointed to Jayapal’s past support for “No Kings” protests, accusing her of contradicting her own rhetoric about respecting the will of voters. One critic highlighted a November 2025 social media post in which Jayapal wrote: “We have democracy for a reason. America doesn’t belong to kings it belongs to the people and we’re going to keep it that way.” “Rep. Jayapal, this you?” they asked. Jayapal also faced previous criticism over her support for the “No Kings” movement after praising remarks by Britain’s King Charles III during his visit to the United States. Washington Democratic Party Chair Shasti Conrad signaled support for a legal challenge, calling the ballot measure “unconstitutional on its face” and indicating the party would “support [for] organizations planning to challenge it in court.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Under Washington’s Constitution, lawmakers cannot repeal a voter-approved initiative during its first two years but can amend it with a two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber. After two years, the legislature can amend or repeal the measure with a simple majority. The controversy leaves Democrats in both states confronting a similar political dilemma: whether to preserve the restrictions voters approved or pursue changes through the legislative and judicial processes available to them.
Jim Jordan picked as next House GOP leader: Sound off!
Click “Comments” to sound off on Jim Jordan as the pick for the next House GOP leader. Did Republicans make the right move?
Top Dem cries ‘weaponization’ as comments warning young people not to join Trump admin land her in hot water
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., is accusing President Donald Trump of escalating a coordinated “weaponization” campaign against her after he ordered the Justice Department to examine remarks she made warning young Republicans they could face “a ton of problems” if they joined his administration. In a Truth Social post over the weekend, President Trump accused Democrats of political weaponization and singled out Slotkin for “go[ing] after all young people that believe in Republican values” in her October remarks. “By copy of this statement, I am ordering the Department of Justice to look into this criminal act, immediately!” Trump wrote. In a video response posted Monday, Slotkin defended her remarks, saying she was referring to people who might be asked to violate the law or misuse taxpayer dollars and citing her First Amendment rights. “A couple weeks ago, I talked about how anyone who is violating the law or misusing taxpayer dollars should be held accountable, and if there’s young people who are thinking of joining people who are doing that, they should think twice,” Slotkin said. “If you’re not violating the law — no problem.” DEMS PIVOT FROM ‘AFFORDABILITY’ PITCH TO DHS PROBE THREATS AFTER MIDTERM WINS Slotkin said Trump began targeting her after her October remarks, first by “name-checking” her from the Oval Office before he “really ramped up his coordinated play” following Democrats’ midterm election gains. She also pointed to Attorney General Todd Blanche‘s Sunday television appearances discussing possible investigations. Slotkin said her attorney sent the Justice Department a letter Monday asking, “What are you going to do?” The Justice Department has not confirmed whether it has opened an investigation into Slotkin. During an interview Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Blanche declined to identify a specific crime when asked whether Democrats’ rhetoric could constitute one, saying, “It depends on what’s said. So, yes, it could be.” A DOJ spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Slotkin’s comments should be evaluated under the facts and law but did not confirm an investigation. OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE AT CENTER OF TRUMP’S ANTI-WEAPONIZATION FUND CASE HIT WITH MISCONDUCT CLAIM “Senator Slotkin said publicly that the prospect of future investigations should deter young people from joining this administration,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “The Department believes public service should not be met with threats of retribution, and this Department is committed to ending the weaponization of government. We follow the facts and the law.” Slotkin’s original remarks also prompted a congressional ethics complaint. Michael Bicksel, a University of Chicago student who first publicized her comments, filed the complaint with the Senate Select Committee on Ethics on Oct. 22. Bicksel argued that Slotkin had proposed using congressional investigations and potential prosecutions to deter young people from joining a Republican administration, asking the committee to determine whether her comments amounted to “improper conduct which may reflect upon the Senate.” Fox News Digital reached out to Slotkin for comment but did not hear back in time for publication. “It’s a coordinated, manufactured response,” Slotkin previously said about the backlash to her remarks concerning young Trump supporters. “They want to intimidate you to be quiet.” Slotkin made the remarks Oct. 13 during a University of Chicago discussion about how Democrats could exercise congressional power if they regained control of Congress. Fox News Digital previously reported that Slotkin advocated pursuing “signature cases” against people who enabled Trump rather than focusing exclusively on the president. She also argued that the prospect of legal trouble could deter young Republicans from joining his administration. The latest dispute follows an earlier Justice Department investigation involving Slotkin and five other Democratic lawmakers who posted a video reminding military personnel and intelligence officials that they were not required to follow unlawful orders. A federal grand jury declined to indict the lawmakers. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER In a letter to Blanche made public Monday, Slotkin’s attorney, Preet Bharara, argued that her remarks were protected by the First Amendment and the Constitution’s speech or debate clause. Bharara demanded that Blanche publicly confirm the Justice Department would not investigate the senator. “Just like last time, Senator Slotkin will not be deterred,” Bharara wrote. “She will continue to call out corruption by this administration and to exercise her First Amendment rights to speak out against the President’s many abuses of power.”