GOP senators join Democrats to stop Trump from policing Venezuela
President Donald Trump suffered a rare defeat from his own party on Thursday when a handful of Senate Republicans rebelled to curb his usage of military force in Venezuela. The attempt to reassert Congress’ war powers authority, led by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., survived despite broad support among most Senate Republicans, who argued that Trump’s use of the military in Venezuela was justified. Among the defectors were Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who co-sponsored the resolution, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, Todd Young, R-Ind., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo. But Thursday’s successful vote, which also handed Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., a rare defeat on the floor, is just the first step before the resolution officially passes. The Senate will have to take another vote, this time with the 60-vote filibuster threshold, before it becomes official. TRUMP EMBRACES US INTERVENTION IN VENEZUELA, OPENS DOOR TO BROADER LATIN AMERICA PUSH Kaine’s resolution would effectively end any further military operations involving Venezuela without explicit congressional approval. It was one of many bids since Trump took office last year by the bipartisan group to claw back Congress’ authority in weighing in on military action. The outcome of the vote remained an open question, even just moments before the final gavel. The defectors were on the fence on whether to rein Trump in following a classified briefing with administration officials on Operation Absolute Resolve, the codename of the mission to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Their issues weren’t necessarily with the actual operation itself, but with what comes next. And more specifically, if there would be further military activity in the country. “We were told that there are currently no boots on the ground. Is it an option? What I heard was that everything is an option,” Hawley said. KENNEDY SAYS MILITARY ACTION ON GREENLAND WOULD BE ‘WEAPONS-GRADE STUPID’ AS GOP RESISTS FORCE But top administration officials, and several congressional Republicans briefed on the matter throughout the week, argued that the strikes in Venezuela were justified and that the military was used to assist in a law enforcement operation to capture Maduro. Still, Senate Republican leadership was confident they would have the votes needed to kill the bipartisan resolution. “Republicans support what the president has done,” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said. “It was an incredible act and the military was absolutely superb.” Before the vote, Kaine and Paul were already looking ahead at other opportunities to curb the administration’s use of military force without congressional approval. WHITE HOUSE SAYS ‘RANGE OF OPTIONS,’ INCLUDING US MILITARY, ON TABLE AS TRUMP RENEWS PUSH TO ACQUIRE GREENLAND Greenland reemerged as a hot topic on the Hill this week, following comments from Trump officials that indicated that military action wasn’t off the table to capture the colossal, resource-rich Arctic territory, where the U.S. already has a military base. Several Republicans like the idea of purchasing the territory from Denmark but have not yet committed to claiming it by force. There are other countries that have entered or long been in Trump’s crosshairs for conquest, too, that the duo want to ensure Congress has a say on. “We’re going to be working with others to file resolutions about Cuba, Mexico, Colombia and Greenland,” Kaine said. “And Nigeria — people didn’t pay attention but there was a U.S. military strike in Nigeria.” Paul said he would likely support future war powers resolutions, given his strong feelings about Congress’ constitutional authority. “I’ve supported most of them, all of them,” Paul said. “I probably will continue to support them, because I — there’s some symbolism to this too, and symbolism is over, who should initiate and declare war, which I feel strongly about.”
Gubernatorial candidate in key 2028 White House election cycle state announces record fundraising haul
FIRST ON FOX: An Iowa House Republican is announcing a record-setting fundraising haul in his quest for higher office. Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, raised $4.3 million in seven months of campaigning for governor through 2025, with roughly 2,000 individual contributions. It’s the most a Republican candidate in Iowa has raised in an off-year without any major elections, his campaign told Fox News Digital. REPUBLICAN SEN. JONI ERNST OF IOWA MAKES IT OFFICIAL: SHE’S NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION NEXT YEAR Whoever wins the governorship in Iowa this November will be a key player in the next presidential election cycle, when national attention will surge to Des Moines ahead of the Iowa caucuses in the race to replace President Donald Trump. “Our campaign set this record of $4.3 million raised because Iowans believe in our vision to take our state to new heights and advance President Trump’s America First agenda in Iowa,” Feenstra said in a statement. Feenstra, a member of the influential House Agriculture and Ways and Means committees, was first elected to Congress in 2020. He currently represents Iowa’s heavily rural 4th Congressional District. TOP GOP SENATOR STEPS UP EFFORTS TO PROTECT REPUBLICAN MAJORITY IN 2026 MIDTERMS The Midwest lawmaker is considered the polling and fundraising frontrunner for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in this year’s race to succeed retiring longtime GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds. The conservative governor, who has served in office since 2017, announced last April that she wouldn’t seek re-election in 2026. Also running for the Republican nomination are Adam Steen, former director of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services, state Rep. Eddie Andrews, and former state Rep. Brad Sherman. Iowa Auditor Rob Sand is seen as the frontrunner to become the gubernatorial Democratic nominee. The Cook Report, a leading nonpartisan political handicapper, rates the Iowa gubernatorial race as Lean Republicans. Another top handicapper, Inside Elections, ranks the race as Likely Republican.
Senate Dem John Fetterman supports prospect of US Greenland purchase, citing ‘massive strategic benefits’
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., expressed support for the idea of the U.S. buying Greenland, which is linked to the nation of Denmark. “I believe Greenland has massive strategic benefits for the United States. I do not support taking it by force. America is not a bully. Ideally, we purchase it — similar to our purchases of Alaska or the Louisiana Purchase. Acquiring Greenland is a many decades-old conversation,” the senator noted in a Wednesday post on X. In a Fox News appearance last year, Fetterman had similarly noted that he would not support forcibly seizing Greenland but expressed an openness to the prospect of purchasing the land. He pointed to the Louisiana Purchase and the Alaska Purchase. FETTERMAN OPEN TO POTENTIAL GREENLAND ACQUISITION, DECLARES SUPPORT FOR LAKEN RILEY ACT President Donald Trump has been eyeing the island, categorizing the U.S. acquiring the territory as a national security matter. In a 2024 Truth Social post, he asserted, “For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.” DEM SENATOR INTRODUCES BILL TO STOP TRUMP FROM INVADING ‘ANOTHER COUNTRY ON A WHIM’ OVER GREENLAND During a Sunday news gaggle aboard Air Force One, he said, “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security. And the European Union needs us to have it.” Trump had previously floated the idea of acquiring Greenland, as well as Canada, earlier in his second term, but the commander-in-chief resurfaced the idea of U.S. control of the Artic territory more recently after the U.S. operation in Venezuela that captured Nicolás Maduro. Since then, the president said the U.S. is in charge of Venezuela and will be for the foreseeable future until a secure transition of power can take place. In a Fox News appearance on Monday, Fetterman described the U.S. capture of Maduro as a “good thing,” calling the operation “surgical.” FETTERMAN DEFENDS TRUMP’S VENEZUELA MILITARY OPERATION AGAINST CRITICISM FROM FELLOW DEMOCRATS CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Removing Maduro was positive for Venezuela. As a Democrat, I don’t understand why we can’t acknowledge a good development for Venezuelans — and how deft our military’s execution of that plan was,” he noted in a Tuesday post on X.
DHS targets ‘worst-of-the-worst’: Christmastime sweep nets sexual predators, drug kingpins
EXCLUSIVE: Department of Homeland Security officials said agents were out tracking down and arresting hundreds of criminal illegal immigrants, including domestic abusers, drug proliferators and robbers over the holidays. ICE and the U.S. Border Patrol have routinely conducted geographically targeted raids, beginning earlier this year in Los Angeles and Chicago; as the latest roundup focused on Ohio and California, officials told Fox News Digital. Emanuel Guijosa-Nonato, a Mexican national with a criminal record who illegally entered the U.S. multiple times, was nabbed following convictions for aggravated assault against a police officer, disorderly conduct, driving under the influence, and illegal re-entry. DHS ARRESTS ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ ILLEGAL MIGRANTS, INCLUDING MURDERERS AND PEDOPHILES, IN WEEKEND OPERATION Guijosa-Nonato was one of at least 280 criminal illegals who were captured during the Ohio piece of the law enforcement surge, dubbed “Operation Buckeye.” Another illegal immigrant arrested in Buckeye was Andres Blanco-Hernandez, who was wanted on assault and domestic violence charges. “Operation Buckeye resulted in the arrest of more than 280 criminal illegal aliens convicted of assaulting a police officer, criminal firearm possession, and drug trafficking,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. TRUMP IMMIGRATION AGENCY FLAGS 182 NATIONAL SECURITY RISKS, ISSUES RECORD 196K NOTICES TO APPEAR IN 2025 During the operation, agents also captured Wilmar Edgardo Lozano-Alcantara, a criminal illegal immigrant from El Salvador convicted of drug possession, robbery, and trespassing. Venezuelan national Melvin Alejandro Rodriguez-Rodriguez was himself nabbed by authorities on assault allegations. Fernandez Flores from nearby Honduras was captured by ICE as well. Flores was previously convicted of making a false police report and arrested for larceny and obstructing police. HOUSTON ICE OPERATION NETS OVER 3,500 CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS IN SIX WEEKS DURING SHUTDOWN In California, where some DHS arrests in that mission were previously reported, federal authorities said nearly 120 additional illegal immigrants convicted of crimes were captured in less than a week, during what would otherwise be part of the Twelve Days of Christmas. From December 26 through New Year’s Eve, pedophiles, registered sex offenders, abusers and serial drunk drivers – all of whom are in the U.S. illegally – were brought to justice, DHS said. McLaughlin blamed Gov. Gavin Newsom for the need for such an operation, saying in a statement that “criminal illegal aliens flock to California because they know Governor Newsom and his fellow sanctuary politicians will allow them to terrorize innocent American families.” CONVICTED MURDERER, CHILD PREDATORS ROUNDED UP IN CHRISTMAS WEEKEND ICE CRACKDOWN: ‘GREATEST GIFT’ Newsom and other California officials have criticized DHS’ presence in the state, stemming back to when the agency stormed into Los Angeles and was met with violent riots. Two of the worst offenders in that sting came from Mexico. DHS ARRESTS DOZENS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WITHIN 24 HOURS OF LAUNCHING NEW ORLEANS OPERATION Registered sex offenders Juan Perez and Rogelio Sanchez-Hidalgo were both previously convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14. In response to Newsom being blamed by McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the governor fired back in comments to Fox News Digital. “We know all too well the chaos and terror federal immigration officials bring to our communities and American citizens,” Diana Crofts-Pelayo said, while providing a new nickname for Noem. “Kosplay Kristi should stick to the facts,” Crofts-Pelayo said. “Her indiscriminate and racially motivated mass detention agenda has ripped away legal status and arrested Americans and widely targeted hardworking people with no criminal history, all while trampling on the very rights that protect us from wrongful detention and deportations.” “And let’s not forget – California law allows coordination with ICE for people charged with or convicted of serious or violent crimes – with our state prison system coordinating their transfer to federal agents once released.”
GOP lawmakers call on Trump to arrest Walz after governor warns of National Guard move
Republican lawmakers are urging President Donald Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after the Democrat warned he could deploy the National Guard in response to federal immigration enforcement actions in his state. “Invoke the Insurrection Act. Arrest Tim Walz,” Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., said in a post to X on Wednesday evening. Miller’s calls to apply the law, which gives the president powers to arrest suspects obstructing federal law enforcement, follow Walz’s suggestion that he might deploy the National Guard to push back on President Donald Trump’s use of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). NOEM ALLEGES WOMAN KILLED IN ICE SHOOTING ‘STALKING AND IMPEDING’ AGENTS ALL DAY “We do not need any further help from the federal government. To Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, you’ve done enough. I’ve issued a warning order to prepare the Minnesota National Guard,” Walz said in a press event. Walz’s warning on Wednesday came on the heels of a deadly encounter between ICE and a woman. A law enforcement officer shot Renee Nicole Good, 37, when she confronted agents from inside her car in Minneapolis, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). “We have soldiers in training and prepared to be deployed if necessary. I remind you, a warning order is a heads-up for folks,” Walz said. “Minnesota will not allow our community to be used as a prop in a national political fight.” FAMILIAR PROTEST GROUPS MOBILIZE IMMEDIATELY AFTER ICE SHOOTING OF MINNESOTA PROTESTER Under Minnesota law, Walz has the power to deploy the National Guard for the “defense or relief of the state, the enforcement of the law, [or] the protection of persons” in the state. Other Republicans reacting to Walz’s warning also believe such an action could trigger the use of the act. “Someone remind him: Donald Trump is the Commander in Chief. And federal authority supersedes state authority. That’s not an opinion, that’s the Constitution,” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said in her own post. FORMER DHS CHIEF DECRIES MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR’S ‘UNHINGED’ ICE RHETORIC AFTER DEADLY SHOOTING “What Walz is threatening has a name: insurrection. Mr. President, the law is on your side. Use it,” she added. Walz’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reporter’s Notebook: House attempts to override Trump vetoes on Colorado water project, Florida Everglades
The House will try Thursday to override President Donald Trump on two bills he vetoed recently. One is the “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act,” which provides water to southeastern Colorado. The other is the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act. It hands over a portion of the Florida Everglades to the tribe. Both bills passed the House and Senate unanimously. The president criticized Colorado Democrat Gov. Jared Polis as a “bad” governor when explaining his reasons for vetoing that bill. The president caught criticism from Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., whose district would benefit from the water project. Trump and Boebert have been at loggerheads since she was one of the most outspoken voices pushing for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The House will debate and vote on overriding the Colorado water project Thursday. We only expect debate on the Florida issue on Thursday. CAPITOL HILL REVOLT THREATENS TRUMP’S VENEZUELA PLAYBOOK AMID CARIBBEAN STRIKE OVERSIGHT It takes a two-thirds vote of those casting ballots to override a veto. The House currently has 431 members. So if every member votes, it takes 288 yeas to override. So you don’t know the magic number until the vote is closed, because it’s contingent on the total number of members casting ballots. There is a good chance that the House could override the president’s veto – considering the fact that the House approved the bill unanimously. TRUMP RALLIES HOUSE GOP AT KENNEDY CENTER DAYS AFTER MADURO CAPTURE These two vetoes are the first ones of Trump’s second term. The president vetoed 10 bills during his first term. Eight veto overrides failed. Lawmakers never attempted the override on one of them. But Congress overrode the veto of the annual defense policy bill in late 2020 and early 2021. HOUSE GOP SPENDING BILLS PACK BILLIONS IN EARMARKS, SPARKING BACKLASH FROM FISCAL HAWKS Successful veto overrides are rare. There have only been 112 veto overrides in the history of the republic. That’s out of 1,531 “regular” presidential vetoes. So that’s about 4%. Here’s another footnote: The Senate also votes Thursday to rebuke the president over war powers and U.S. action in Venezuela. A similar measure came close to passing in the fall, before the recent operation in Venezuela. It’s unclear whether the war powers resolution will pass. However, if the House overrides the president’s veto on the Colorado water bill, and the Senate votes in favor of the war powers resolution, that would mark two rare rebukes by the Republican president in one day.
Top Republican with ‘army’ of supporters makes major announcement as Shapiro launches re-elect campaign
Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano is sitting out the 2026 elections, criticizing the state’s political climate in a sharply worded open letter. Mastriano, who represents Chambersburg, Gettysburg and McSherrystown in the legislature, rose to prominence by spearheading opposition to COVID-19 lockdowns engineered by then-Gov. Tom Wolf; where violations were often litigated by then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Wolf’s cabinet, like then-Health Secretary Rachel Levine and Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. The retired Army colonel and veteran of Desert Storm’s Battle of 73 Easting – the last contemporary tank battle – confirmed to Fox News Digital late Wednesday that he will not seek the Republican nomination for governor despite vocal public support on the conservative right. This opens up the field to state Treasurer Stacy Garrity. FETTERMAN’S NEW BOOK DETAILS EXPLOSIVE FEUD WITH GOV JOSH SHAPIRO OVER PAROLE BOARD DISPUTE “God has not called us to run for governor in this season,” he said. “Maybe 2028. Maybe 2030. But not now. That does not mean we are stepping away.” In an accompanying “Open Letter to the People of Pennsylvania” shared with Fox News Digital, Mastriano took jabs at both Shapiro and intraparty critics and promised that his “Walk As Free People” movement started during the lockdowns is not going anywhere. “[Doug] and his wife Rebbie remain committed to leading and strengthening the grassroots conservative movement across the Commonwealth,” Mastriano added in a statement to Fox News Digital. SHAPIRO KICKS OFF 2026 RE-ELECTION AS 2028 WHITE HOUSE BUZZ SWIRLS “This movement was never about one person or one campaign,” Mastriano said in a statement issued from Gettysburg. “It has always been about faith, freedom, and the people of Pennsylvania.” Since the lockdowns, Mastriano and other lawmakers have held rallies and protests around the state, from tiny Jerome, outside Johnstown, to the steps of the Capitol in Harrisburg. Supporters, who often donned “Walk as Free People” or “Mastriano’s Army” shirts, also held occasional picnics in a lockdown-averse township outside Lancaster. WHITE HOUSE RACE UNDERWAY: WITH 2026 LOOMING, BOTH PARTIES ARE ALREADY PLAYING FOR 2028 Mastriano said that although he lost to Shapiro in 2022, the race saw the highest Republican turnout since 1962, and collected 29,000 ballot signatures. Supporters claimed during the 2022 race that Mastriano would also have become the first GOP gubernatorial candidate to win without party endorsement intervention in the primary since Gov. Dick Thornburgh – who later became President Ronald Reagan’s attorney general. “He further challenged Republican Party leadership, rejecting what he described as ‘backroom deals’ and ‘premature endorsements,’ and said future candidates must earn support directly from voters,” the senator’s open letter went on, referencing his reservations about how the race was viewed by the establishment. JOSH SHAPIRO CALLS KAMALA HARRIS BOOK CLAIMS ABOUT HIM ‘UTTER BULL—-‘ IN FIERY INTERVIEW RESPONSE Mastriano also took aim at Shapiro, calling his governorship a “machine… corrupt and riddled with scandal, propped up by Hollywood elites and out-of-state billionaires who neither understand Pennsylvania nor respect its values.” “Josh Shapiro is not strong, not serious, and not fit to lead,” Mastriano said, going on to suggest that former Vice President Kamala Harris “distanced herself” from him after vetting her potential running mates and instead choosing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Mastriano also condemned members of the media who “spent years trying to destroy [the Walk as Free People] movement while admitting they gave Shapiro a free pass.” JOSH SHAPIRO DEFENDS CLAIM THAT KAMALA HARRIS TRYING TO ‘COVER HER A—’ WITH CRITICAL BOOK EXCERPT He added that while he will not seek higher office at this time, his work in the Senate will continue and proof of his movement’s veracity lies in its successful work helping elect Sen. David McCormick, R-Pa., and re-electing President Donald Trump. When reached for comment, a representative for the Shapiro campaign directed Fox News Digital to a statement from the Pennsylvania Democrats that said the commonwealth is now “stuck with” Garrity. “Today, it became clear that Pennsylvania Republicans will be stuck with yet again another Republican extremist, Stacy Garrity, as their candidate for governor. Garrity is an election denier who has never stated Donald Trump lost the 2020 election and peddled the dangerous lies that led to the January 6th insurrection,” the statement read in part, appearing to obliquely reference Mastriano’s decision.
Trump, first lady set for Washington Trump–Kennedy Center premiere of ‘MELANIA’ ahead of global release
EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump and the first lady will attend the premiere of Melania Trump’s film, “MELANIA,” at the Trump–Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Jan. 29, Fox News Digital has learned. Washington is just one of the twenty cities across the nation hosting events ahead of the release of the highly anticipated movie. “MELANIA,” a 104-minute film, is set to hit the big screen globally Jan. 30, appearing in theaters across North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and more. But the night before, on Jan. 29, premiere events will be hosted across the nation, as Amazon brings the film to theaters. EXCLUSIVE: FIRST LOOK AT ‘MELANIA’ FILM Fox News Digital has learned that President Trump and the first lady will attend the premiere event at the newly renamed Trump–Kennedy Center in Washington Jan. 29. Premiere events also will be held in New York; Phoenix; Salt Lake City; Chicago; Miami; San Diego; Nashville, Tennessee; Orlando, Florida; Orange County, California; San Francisco/Palo Alto; Minneapolis; Philadelphia; Denver; Detroit; Kansas City, Missouri; Boston; Austin, Texas; Houston; Las Vegas; Dallas; and Los Angeles. Fox News Digital has learned that Amazon executives will attend premiere events for the film. “History is set in motion during the 20 days of my life prior to the U.S. Presidential Inauguration,” the first lady told Fox News. “For the first time, global audiences are invited into theaters to witness this pivotal chapter unfold — a private, unfiltered look as I navigate family, business, and philanthropy on my remarkable journey to becoming first lady of the United States of America.” The film takes the audience through the first lady’s life leading up to her husband’s second inauguration — from her home in Trump Tower in New York City, to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, and behind-the-scenes access in Washington. Melania Trump first had the idea for the film in November 2024, after President Trump won the election. MELANIA TRUMP, AMAZON PARTNER TO RELEASE NEW FILM ABOUT HER LIFE IN THEATERS WORLDWIDE Marc Beckman, Melania Trump’s agent and exclusive senior advisor, led negotiations on her behalf with Amazon beginning Nov. 18, 2024. Fox News Digital has learned that Disney sought to obtain the exclusive rights to the film, as well as Netflix and Paramount. Amazon and MGM had the highest bid, purchasing the license for the film for $40 million — the largest documentary deal in history. “I’m honored to be working with Amazon — they’ve been great partners from the minute we started to negotiate the deal, through production and now as we gear up for the film’s release,” Beckman told Fox News Digital. “Speaking of the deal, there has been so much speculation in the press on the bidding and how we ended up with Amazon, that we’re at a point where it’s worth clarifying a few things,” Beckman said. First, Beckman told Fox News Digital that some bidders were “interested only in a film, and others only in a series.” “Amazon ended up bidding on both, and checked all the boxes we were looking for, as they could also deliver a theatrical film release,” Beckman explained. Beckman stressed that he negotiated the deal on behalf of the first lady while dealing with “all the studios directly.” “I’ve seen reporting that Amazon paid nearly three times the nearest other bid, and that’s just false,” Beckman said. “It was an incredibly competitive bidding process with multiple rounds of bids.” FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP ROLLS OUT AI AUDIOBOOK OF FIRST MEMOIR IN SPANISH Beckman added: “Yes, Amazon had the highest bid, but they also bid on the most product — series and film.” Filming began in December 2024. The film is executive produced by Trump and Fernando Sulichin of New Element Media, with Brett Ratner of RatPac Entertainment serving as director. The film itself is produced in a “highly cinematic” way. Sources familiar with the production told Fox News Digital that the first lady did not want the film to look like a documentary but rather an “elevated film.” Fox News Digital has learned that the first lady was involved “in every aspect” of the film — from her “creative vision,” to working as a producer on the film and to ensuring the post-production marketing is executed properly. Fox News Digital has learned that the first lady has been very “hands on” from start to finish. “She is giving the audience unprecedented access to her life — and to any first lady’s life — during this 20-day period,” a source familiar with the planning of the film told Fox News Digital. Fox News exclusively obtained the trailer in December 2025, which opens with the first lady walking into the U.S. Capitol rotunda ahead of her husband’s second inauguration. She looks to the camera in her now-iconic inauguration outfit, and says, “Here we go again.” The trailer jumps from the first lady and president at the inauguration; to standing together outside of Mar-a-Lago; behind-the-scenes of the inauguration showing Barron Trump and Melania Trump’s father; to a series of images of the first lady; Air Force One; the presidential seal and more. The famous Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) lion roars and takes over the screen. The trailer then shows Melania Trump entering a room where President Trump stands at a podium during a meeting and is rehearsing a speech. AI MELANIA: FIRST LADY EMBARKS ON ‘NEW FRONTIER’ IN PUBLISHING WITH AUDIOBOOK OF MEMOIR “My proudest legacy will be that of peacemaker,” Trump said. The first lady breaks in and says: “Peacemaker and unifier.” The trailer shows the first lady getting out of a vehicle, sporting a pair of black stiletto boots, and jumping to the East Wing residence, where she stands in her stunning white and black inaugural ball gown, and smiles at the camera. The trailer invites the audience to “witness history in the making.” The trailer also shows the first lady reviewing materials with staff and more. It cuts to a scene of Melania Trump asking a security detail, “Is it
After 2 straight losses, Democrat Stacey Abrams sits out 2026 race for Georgia governor
The third time won’t be the charm for Stacey Abrams, at least in 2026. The two-time Democratic gubernatorial nominee in battleground Georgia is ruling out another run for governor this year, saying that instead she’ll focus on her work fighting what she warns is the nation’s move toward authoritarianism under President Donald Trump. “Americans are in pain but they are ready to act, and now is the moment to reconnect to what is at stake and what is possible,” Abrams said in a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s clear to me that the most effective way I can serve right now is by continuing to do this important work. For that reason, I will not seek elected office in 2026.” Abrams, a former Democratic Party leader in the Georgia state legislature and a nationally known voting-rights advocate, narrowly lost to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in the 2018 gubernatorial election. She lost her 2022 rematch with Kemp by nearly eight points. FLASHBACK: STACEY ABRAMS MULLS THIRD STRAIGHT RUN FOR GEORGIA GOVERNOR Sources confirmed to Fox News Digital last spring that Abrams was mulling a third straight run for governor in the race to succeed the now-term-limited Kemp. Abrams grabbed plenty of national attention during the 2018 Georgia race, and came close to making history as the nation’s first Black female elected governor. Her refusal to concede to Kemp after losing by a razor-thin margin boosted her among many Democrats while becoming a top GOP political target. JOSH SHAPIRO LAUNCHES 2026 GUBERNATORIAL RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN AS 2028 WHITE HOUSE BUZZ SWIRLS She launched the Fair Fight political organization following her defeat, helped Biden narrowly carry Georgia in the 2020 presidential election, and also contributed to the sweep by the Democrats in the Jan. 5, 2021 twin Senate runoff elections. Abrams raised over $110 million in fundraising for her 2022 rematch with Kemp, but was soundly defeated by the Republican incumbent. In recent years, the political machine Abrams built has faded. The Abrams-founded New Georgia Project folded last year after being fined $300,000 for illegally backing her 2018 campaign. And while Abrams last year considered a 2026 gubernatorial run, other Democratic candidates jumped into the race. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who served as director of the White House Office of Public Engagement during former President Joe Biden’s administration, is widely seen as the front-runner for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. FRAUD FALLOUT FORCES WALZ TO ABANDON GUBERNATORIAL RE-ELECTION BID Also running for the Democratic nomination is former Lieutenant Gov. Geoff Duncan, who was elected in 2018 but declined to seek re-election in 2022. The former Republican is now a moderate Democrat. Former state Rep. Ruwa Romman and former Dekalb County CEO Michael Thurmond are also in the race. In the race for the Republican nomination, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has the backing of President Donald Trump. The field also includes Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. The Cook Report, a leading non-partisan political handicapper, rates the race a toss-up, while Inside Elections rates it as tilt Republican and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rates it as lean Republican. Abrams, in her statement to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, said she’ll keep her focus on the fight to protect democracy. “The antidote to authoritarianism and its harms has always been democracy; and I have long believed that democracy requires active engagement and staunch defenders,” she wrote.”But democracy is experienced by the vast majority through the work of government — when it fails, we are all imperiled.”
Trump-Kennedy Center blasts ‘far-left bias’ in ratings coverage, points to No. 1 demographics tie
The Trump–Kennedy Center is pushing back on a recent media narrative that its annual Honors awards show suffered a ratings flop under President Donald Trump compared to years prior, arguing that the broadcast performed strongly despite industry-wide headwinds and a dramatically different scheduling landscape. “Comparing this year’s broadcast ratings to prior years is a classic apples-to-oranges comparison and evidence of far-left bias,” Roma Daravi, Trump–Kennedy Center vice president of public relations, told Fox News Digital of the ratings. “The program performed extremely well across key demographics and platforms, despite industry and timing disadvantages, including a Tuesday air date two days before Christmas.” The 48th Kennedy Center Honors awards show was held in Washington, D.C., Dec. 7 and honored artists such as country singer George Strait, the members of rock band KISS, Tony-award winner Michael Crawford, Grammy-winner Gloria Gaynor, and Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone. The awards show is held each year to celebrate “individuals whose unique artistic contributions have shaped our world,” according to its website. Trump hosted the event, with its broadcast held weeks late Dec. 23, 2025, on CBS and Paramount+. JONATHAN TURLEY: TRUMP’S KENNEDY CENTER NAME CHANGE WILL KEEP LAWYERS BUSY FOR YEARS The event averaged 3.01 million viewers, which is a 25% drop from 2024’s ratings when an average 4.1 million viewers tuned in, according to a report from Nielsen Live + Same Day Panel + Big Data reported by Variety in December. The ratings yielded headlines reporting that viewership “plummeted,” and late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert mocked Trump for hosting “the lowest-rated Kennedy Center Honors telecast of all time,” as Kimmel said in his Monday monologue. Daravi countered that viewership for the awards show “tied for the #1 spot among adults aged 25–54, alongside a live NBA doubleheader” while citing that overall TV usage is “down roughly 20 percent year over year.” The NBA’s Tuesday night doubleheader Dec. 23, 2025, featured the Denver Nuggets visiting the Dallas Mavericks, followed by the Houston Rockets taking on the Los Angeles Clippers. “And on social media, Honors garnered 1.5 Billion impressions in just one night—up from only 50 Million similar impressions last year,” Daravi continued. “This was a successful night celebrating the outstanding achievements of our Honorees at the Trump Kennedy Center.” Trump predicted ahead of the event that ratings would be sky-high and that he would garner more viewers than late-night host Kimmel, who is a longtime critic and political foe of Trump’s. The president also predicted critics would “say, ‘He was horrible. He was terrible. It was a horrible situation.’ No, we’ll do fine. I’ve watched some of the people that host.” CHEAP TRICK DEFENDS TRUMP-HOSTED KENNEDY CENTER PERFORMANCE AS A TRIBUTE TO KISS Trump celebrated during the event that “we’re bringing this building back to life like nobody ever thought was even possible.” The Honors awards show raised a record $23 million, nearly doubling 2024’s $12.7 million raised under the Biden administration’s final days. The 2024 broadcast was also held on a Sunday and had an NFL viewership in the lead up to the program, including a New England Patriots versus Buffalo Bills game that afternoon. BOARD VOTES KENNEDY CENTER TO BE RENAMED ‘TRUMP-KENNEDY CENTER,’ LEAVITT SAYS The broadcast was held just days after the Trump administration announced that the center’s board of trustees unanimously voted to rename it “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” Presidents appoint the majority of the board’s trustees, with Trump dismissing the previously appointed Board of Trustees “who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture” in the early weeks of his second administration. Trump is also the first and only president to serve as the center’s chairman of the board. The name change set off swift rebuke among Democrats, with nonvoting board members including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and others claiming the move was illegal as it did not earn congressional approval ahead of time. The center said that the board agreed Trump saved the institution from financial ruin during his second term. “The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees voted unanimously today to name the institution The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” Daravi told Fox News Digital of the name change. “The unanimous vote recognizes that the current Chairman saved the institution from financial ruin and physical destruction.”