Rep Ro Khanna demands prosecution of ICE agent in Minneapolis fatal shooting
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., called for the arrest and prosecution of the ICE agent who fatally shot Renee Good in a residential neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota on Jan. 7. Khanna also urged Congress to back his legislation with Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, to require ICE agents to wear body cameras, display visible identification, stop wearing masks during operations and be subject to independent oversight. In a post shared on X, the former Obama administration official said: “I am calling for the arrest and prosecution of the ICE agent that shot and killed Renee Good.” “I am also calling on Congress to support my bill with @JasmineForUS to force ICE agents to wear body cameras, not wear masks, have visible identification, and ensure ICE has independent oversight,” Khanna added. MINNESOTA BUREAU OF CRIMINAL APPREHENSION DROPS OUT OF ICE-INVOLVED SHOOTING INVESTIGATION An ICE agent shot and killed the 37-year-old Minneapolis woman during a federal enforcement operation in south Minneapolis. Federal officials have said agents were attempting to make arrests when the woman tried to use her vehicle as a weapon against officers, prompting an ICE agent to fire in self-defense. Good’s death sparked widespread protests in Minneapolis and across the U.S. as demonstrators called for changes to federal immigration enforcement. Local officials, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, criticized the federal account of the incident and rejected the claim that the officer acted in self-defense. Minnesota has since sued the Trump administration, claiming the immigration enforcement surge in the state is “unlawful” and “unprecedented.” “What we are seeing right now is not normal immigration enforcement,” Frey said. “The scale is wildly disproportionate, and it has nothing to do with keeping people safe.” The Trump administration pushed back sharply against the lawsuit, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accusing Minnesota leaders of undermining public safety and obstructing federal law enforcement. MINNESOTA SUES TRUMP ADMIN OVER SWEEPING IMMIGRATION RAIDS IN TWIN CITIES Federal officials, including DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, maintained that the agent fired in self-defense. Noem critisized Democrats on Sunday amid an Illinois lawmaker’s push to impeach her following the deadly shooting.
Jack Smith to testify next week at a public House Judiciary Committee hearing
FIRST ON FOX: Former special counsel Jack Smith will testify in a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee next week, giving Republican and Democratic lawmakers on the panel a chance to grill him in a public setting on his prosecutions of President Donald Trump. Smith will appear before the committee on Jan. 22, one month after he sat for a closed-door deposition with the committee and testified for eight hours about his special counsel work, a source familiar told Fox News Digital. Smith had long said he wanted to speak to the committee publicly, and although Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, first demanded the deposition, the chairman also said an open hearing was on the table. KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM JACK SMITH’S TESTIMONY TO HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE Smith investigated Trump and brought two indictments against him over the 2020 election and alleged retention of classified documents. Trump pleaded not guilty and aggressively fought the charges, and Smith dropped both cases when Trump won the 2024 election, citing a Department of Justice policy that discourages prosecuting sitting presidents. In a public hearing, House lawmakers will be able to question Smith in five-minute increments, whereas in the deposition, each party questioned Smith in one-hour sessions. Politico first reported that Smith would appear for a hearing sometime this month. Smith gave little new information during his initial meeting with the committee and defended his work. “I made my decisions in the investigation without regard to President Trump’s political association, activities, beliefs, or candidacy in the 2024 presidential election,” Smith said, according to a transcript of the deposition. “We took actions based on what the facts, and the law required, the very lesson I learned early in my career as a prosecutor.” JACK SMITH DEFENDS SUBPOENAING REPUBLICANS’ PHONE RECORDS: ‘ENTIRELY PROPER’ Smith said he followed DOJ policy when his team made the controversial decision to subpoena numerous Republican senators’ and House members’ phone records as part of his 2020 election probe. Smith noted the subpoenas sought a narrow set of data. “If Donald Trump had chosen to call a number of Democratic senators [to delay the election certification proceedings], we would have gotten toll records for Democratic senators. So responsibility for why these records, why we collected them, that’s — that lies with Donald Trump,” Smith said. The Republicans have said the subpoenas were unconstitutional violations of the speech or debate clause, and they have broadly said the Biden DOJ abused its authority by bringing, in their view, politicized criminal charges against a former president and presidential candidate. Trump, who has long decried Smith as a “thug” and said he belongs in jail, has said he welcomes Smith at a public hearing. Asked about Smith’s appearance next week, a representative for Smith provided a statement from one of his lawyers, Lanny Breuer. “Jack has been clear for months he is ready and willing to answer questions in a public hearing about his investigations into President Trump’s alleged unlawful efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his mishandling of classified documents,” Breuer said.
Nonprofit revenue totals surge amid growing scrutiny after major fraud cases
Hundreds of billions of dollars flowed through U.S. nonprofit organizations in 2024, tax filing data show, as major fraud cases — including in Minnesota — put new focus on how taxpayer-backed funds are overseen. The figures come from ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer and were independently reviewed by Fox News, which confirmed the state-by-state revenue totals. According to the data, California’s 213,720 nonprofits reported a collective $593.4 billion in revenue, the highest total of any state. For nonprofit organizations, revenue refers to total income reported on tax filings – not profit or money pocketed by individuals – and can include government grants and reimbursements, donations, service fees, investment income and contracts for public services. COMER VOWS MINNESOTA FRAUD PROBE WILL EXPAND TO OTHER STATES AMID MOUNTING SCRUTINY Following California was New York, where 132,097 nonprofits reported a collective $445.8 billion in revenue. Pennsylvania’s 85,346 nonprofits reported $247.3 billion, while Texas’ 157,840 nonprofits reported $219.6 billion. Other notable states include Washington, where 44,332 nonprofits reported $139.5 billion in revenue; New Jersey, where 56,332 nonprofits reported $113 billion; and Minnesota, where 41,267 nonprofits reported $124.2 billion — placing the state among the top revenue totals nationwide despite its smaller population. The figures circulated widely on social media on Monday after an X user highlighted the totals using the term “NGOs.” The “NGO” label is oftentimes applied to international organizations but is sometimes used online to describe domestic nonprofit groups, which are the focus of the ProPublica database. JASON CHAFFETZ: DEMOCRATS TURNED OUR TREASURY INTO A ‘PIGGY BANK FOR FRAUDSTERS’ Although nonprofit revenue does not indicate wrongdoing, the heavy reliance on taxpayer-backed federal and state programs has drawn scrutiny as investigators uncover fraud in multiple publicly funded initiatives. That scrutiny comes as the Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced it is sending additional federal prosecutors to Minnesota to help crack down on large-scale fraud involving taxpayer-funded programs, following a series of high-profile cases tied to nonprofit organizations and social services spending. “The Department of Justice is dispatching a team of prosecutors to Minnesota to reinforce our U.S. Attorney’s Office and put the perpetrators of this widespread fraud behind bars,” Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News on Wednesday, vowing “severe consequences” in Minnesota. COMER SAYS WALZ ‘RETALIATED’ AGAINST WHISTLEBLOWERS WHO WARNED OF MINNESOTA FRAUD FOR YEARS She also said her department stands “ready to deploy to any other state where similar fraud schemes are robbing American taxpayers.” Bondi’s remarks come as the DOJ continues a sweeping welfare fraud investigation that began under former Attorney General Merrick Garland. In 2022, Garland announced the first wave of indictments in what he said was a $250 million scheme involving the Minnesota-based nonprofit Feeding Our Future, which authorities accused of exploiting taxpayer-funded child nutrition programs and described at the time as the largest pandemic-related fraud uncovered to date. ‘TIP OF THE ICEBERG’: SENATE REPUBLICANS PRESS GOV WALZ OVER MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL Under Bondi, the DOJ has continued pursuing cases tied to Feeding Our Future, along with related investigations involving alleged juror bribery and health care fraud. Bondi has said the scope of the misconduct is larger than previously understood and warned that additional criminal charges are expected, bolstered by the deployment of more federal prosecutors to Minnesota. To date, the department has charged 98 people in fraud-related cases in Minnesota and secured 64 convictions. The vast majority of defendants have been of Somali descent. Health and Human Services said this month that it froze billions of dollars in federal funding for childcare programs and other social services in five Democrat-led states, including Minnesota, while it investigates their use of taxpayer dollars. MINNESOTA AG BLASTS HOUSE HEARING ON FRAUD SCANDAL IN HIS STATE : ‘A LOT OF BULLS— FROM REPUBLICANS’ A viral video posted by YouTube creator Nick Shirley in December amplified the attention on fraud in Minnesota. In the video, Shirley is seen visiting Somali-run daycare centers and finding they were closed. The videos have attracted millions of views on social media. Some of the daycare centers have since disputed the suggestions in Shirley’s video and said they have never committed fraud. ProPublica’s data reflect reported tax filings and does not allege wrongdoing. Fox News Digital’s Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.
Trump rips congestion pricing, calls for immediate end: ‘A disaster for New York’
President Donald Trump called for New York City to end its congestion pricing model, calling it a disaster. “Congestion Pricing in Manhattan is a DISASTER for New York,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It’s got to be ended, IMMEDIATELY! It’s never worked before, and it will never work now. I love New York, and hate to see it being destroyed so rapidly with such obviously foolish “policy.” Thank you for your attention to this matter!” New York began congestion pricing in January 2025. TRUMP’S WILD MAMDANI FLIP — THE INSULTS THAT CAME BEFORE THE LOVE FEST The program uses electronic license plate readers and charges most drivers a $9 toll during peak periods to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street in an attempt to reduce congestion and raise funds to improve mass transit. Months after it began, the city said it reduced traffic in the impacted areas by 8% to 13%. Trump has long voiced criticism of the congestion pricing program. NEW YORK CITY URGES JUDGE TO BLOCK TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM ELIMINATING ITS CONGESTION PRICING PROGRAM He tried and failed to end it, and threatened to withhold federal funds from the city if officials didn’t kill it. On Jan. 5, the one-year anniversary of the program. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul touted it as successful. “The opposition’s kind of calmed down, right?” Hochul said at a press conference. “Anybody noticed that it’s calmed down because people like getting across the bridges faster. They like coming to the city with more time on their hands. They’re happy not to sit in traffic.” Fox News Digital reached out to the office of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Senate advances $174B package as Minnesota ICE shooting fuels DHS funding fight
The Senate took its first step toward averting a government shutdown, but there’s still a long way to go on an increasingly shorter path to keep the lights on in Washington, D.C. Lawmakers advanced a $174 billion, three-bill package through its first procedural hurdle on Monday evening with an 81-14 vote, teeing up a vote to send the tranche of funding bills, known as a minibus, to President Donald Trump’s desk later this week. The package, which easily sailed through the House last week, similarly cruised through the key test vote on a wave of bipartisan support — a sign that neither party wants to thrust the government into another shutdown just months after the longest closure in history. HOUSE PASSES NEARLY $180B FUNDING PACKAGE AFTER CONSERVATIVE REBELLION OVER MINNESOTA FRAUD FEARS Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., noted that Senate Democrats weren’t looking for another shutdown last week and said that “Democrats want to fund the appropriations, the spending bills, all the way through 2026.” “We want to work in a bicameral, bipartisan way to do it and the good news is our Republican appropriators are working with us,” Schumer told ABC Sunday morning. While the successful procedural vote acted as a good sign for final passage of the package, it doesn’t mean that lawmakers are completely out of the woods when it comes to preventing another shutdown. They have until Jan. 30 to fund the rest of the government, and some in the Senate believe that they won’t have time to finish their work before the deadline. That means another continuing resolution (CR) will likely be in the cards. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said a short-term funding bill is inevitable. DEMOCRATS’ LAST-MINUTE MOVE TO BLOCK GOP FUNDING PLAN SENDS LAWMAKERS HOME EARLY He noted that, so far, the Senate has only passed three funding bills. If the latest package is successful, that would put lawmakers at the halfway mark of the dozen bills needed to avert a shutdown. “Of course there’s gonna be a short-term CR,” Kennedy said. “There’s gonna be a CR, it’s just a question of how big is the CR going to be?” There is another, smaller funding package that could soon make its way through the House. But the $77 billion two-bill bundle that includes funding legislation for Financial Services and National Security still won’t be enough to prevent a shutdown. Notably, the package lacks the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations bill, which was supposed to be included. That bill is a perennial headache for lawmakers and often acts as a lightning rod for political enmity. CONGRESS ROLLS OUT $174B SPENDING BILL AS JAN 30 SHUTDOWN FEARS GROW “The DHS bill is always one of the most difficult ones,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said. “And creates more, seems like more of a kind of a political conflict of all the appropriations bills.” Following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minnesota last week, that political division reached another level. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Committee, argued that what happened to Good “has crystallized for the American people the real danger that exists out there in the way that ICE and [Customs and Border Protection] are operating.” Murphy suggested that he would want to see constraints built into the DHS bill that deal with CBP, such as beefed up training for officers. “I understand we have to get Republican votes,” Murphy said. “So I’m not proposing we fix this overnight, but I think it should be clear to Republicans that if they want Democratic votes for a DHS appropriations bill, they’re going to have to work with us on our concerns. That’s how the Senate works.”
Jeffries says DHS Secretary Noem ‘should be run out of town’ amid ICE shooting backlash
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., directed some heated remarks at a Trump administration Cabinet official whose department has been dominating headlines in recent weeks. “What is clear is that Kristi Noem is completely and totally unqualified. She should have never been confirmed by Senate Republicans,” Jeffries said of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary during a Monday press conference. “It’s disgraceful that she’s there. She should be run out of town as soon as possible.” Criticism against Noem, DHS, and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has intensified on the left in the wake of a deadly ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis last week. An ICE agent shot and killed a U.S. citizen, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, who allegedly presented a threat to ICE agents as they attempted to conduct enforcement operations. Partisan fissures have since erupted over which side was acting improperly when the deadly incident occurred. ANTI-ICE AGITATORS THREATEN AGENTS IN CHAOTIC MINNESOTA PROTESTS: ‘YOU’RE GOING TO F—ING DIE’ “Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE, they’re totally out of control. And the American people want these extremists to be reined in,” Jeffries said on Monday. He said Good “should be alive today” and accused both Noem and the ICE agent who shot Good of a “depraved indifference toward human life.” A DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital in response, “How silly during a serious time. As ICE officers are facing a 1,300% increase in assaults against them, Rep. Jeffries is more focused on showmanship and sewing division than cleaning up his crime-ridden New York district.” “Rep Jeffries has the power to make change as the Minority leader and we hope he would get serious about doing his job to protect American people, which is what this Department is doing under Secretary Noem. We won’t hold our breath,” they said. HOUSE REPUBLICAN CALLS FOR HEARING AFTER DEADLY ICE SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS Video of last week’s incident appears to show Good’s car making contact with the ICE agent who shot her before he opened fire. Arguments have since raged over whether she was deliberately getting in the way or even weaponizing her car, or whether she was trying to drive away. Federal officials like Noem have defended the agent as acting in self-defense while accusing Good of trying to actively impede ICE activity in the Democrat-controlled city. Democrats, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have accused ICE and Republican officials of stoking fear and tension in the city while demanding the federal government cease current operations there immediately. Now Democrats in Congress have been threatening to withhold support from funding DHS unless significant reforms are made — a threat Jeffries alluded to during his press conference. “What’s in front of us right now is a spending bill that will go either one of two ways. Either Republicans will continue their my-way-or-the-highway approach as it relates to the Homeland Security bill — and if that happens, then it’s going to be on them to figure out a path forward,” Jeffries began. “Alternatively, particularly in the face of the tragedy…there’s some commonsense measures that need to be put in place so that ICE can conduct itself in a manner that is at least consistent with every other law enforcement agency in the United States of America, at the state, local and federal level.” The deadline to finish federal funding and avert a partial government shutdown is at the end of day on Jan. 30. Fox News Digital reached out to DHS for a response.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Trump declares himself Venezuela’s ‘acting president’
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -Conservative group targets CFPB rule forcing race, sex disclosure in mortgages -In 2026, energy ‘wars’ new frontier is AI, and US must win that battle, API chief says -Dems who praised cop for killing J6 protester now condemn ICE for shooting MN agitator President Donald Trump branded himself as the “president” of Venezuela in a social media post Sunday night, after signaling that the U.S. would oversee Caracas, Venezuela, for years. Trump shared a doctored image that looked like a Wikipedia page that identified him as “Acting President of Venezuela” since January 2026, after the U.S. conducted strikes in Venezuela and seized its dictator, Nicolás Maduro. Trump said Jan. 3 that the U.S. would run Venezuela until a safe transition could occur, and he told The New York Times in an interview published Wednesday that he anticipated that the U.S. would oversee Venezuela “much longer” than six months or a year. Even so, he did not share a more detailed estimated timeline…READ MORE. ‘NO BASIS IN STATUTE’: Arizona Sen. Kelly sues War Secretary Hegseth over military pension cuts following video message CHARGED: DOJ charges illegal immigrant with Tren de Aragua ties after Border Patrol shooting in Portland FOLLOW THE MONEY: Trump pledges to uncover leftist groups countering ICE FED UP: Powell reveals what it would take to step down from the Fed as pressure mounts GROWING THE UNION: Trump’s Greenland push escalates as GOP lawmaker moves to make it America’s 51st state FACTS FIRST: WATCH: House Republican calls for hearing after deadly ICE shooting in Minneapolis MIDTERM MESSAGE: Democrats ‘doomed to fail’ without populist economic message, Warren warns YOUTH SHAKEUP: Record number of Americans identify at political independents, rejecting 2 major parties, poll finds ‘ASTOUNDING’: Oregon election system faces scrutiny as state moves to address 800,000 inactive voters: ‘Astounding’ CHASING ‘INFLUENCE’: Delegate-heavy New York moves to shake up voting primary schedule, chasing ‘influence’ ‘ONLY US CITIZENS’: Texas sends voter rolls to DOJ to look for ineligible registrations LOOKING TO STEP UP: Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins jumps into Sunshine State gubernatorial race to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis RED FLAGS: Minnesota fraud scandal sparks push to scrutinize billions in Biden-era energy grants Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Trump announces ‘final’ 25% tariff on countries doing business with Iran regime
President Donald Trump announced what he described as an immediate and “final” trade order targeting Iran and its global partners. In a post shared on Truth Social, Trump said any country that continues doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran would be hit with a 25% tariff on all trade with the U.S. The president wrote: “Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America. This Order is final and conclusive. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” The post came amid heightened tension with Iran as the country entered its fifteenth day of spiraling protests in which hundreds of people have been reported to have been killed since Dec. 28. IRAN PROTESTS PROMPT NEW TRUMP WARNING OVER DEADLY GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWNS According to the Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA), the deaths of 544 people have been confirmed so far and “dozens of additional cases remain under review.” Trump’s trade tariff announcement, which could impact China, Brazil, Turkey and Russia, also came as U.S. officials urged citizens to consider leaving Iran, according to a Department of State statement. “U.S. citizens should expect continued internet outages, plan alternative means of communication, and, if safe to do so, consider departing Iran by land to Armenia or Türkiye,” the statement said. Officials also urged citizens to avoid demonstrations, keep a low profile, and remain aware of their surroundings. The statement confirmed that protests across Iran were intensifying and may turn violent, resulting in arrests and injuries. KEANE WARNS IRANIAN REGIME TO TAKE TRUMP ‘DEAD SERIOUS’ ON PROTEST KILLING THREAT AMID ONGOING DEMONSTRATIONS “Protests across Iran are escalating and may turn violent, resulting in arrests and injuries,” the statement said. “Increased security measures, road closures, public transportation disruptions, and internet blockages are ongoing. The Government of Iran has restricted access to mobile, landline, and national internet networks. Airlines continue to limit or cancel flights to and from Iran, with several suspending service until Friday, January 16,” the statement read. As previously reported by Fox News Digital, Iran may also already have over eight American citizens and residents in its captivity based on information from sources outside the Trump administration who are well-versed with Tehran’s hostage-taking policy system. Monday also saw Tehran say it was keeping communication channels with Washington open as Trump weighed how to respond to its deadly crackdown. Trump had said Sunday that Iran “wants to negotiate.” TRUMP’S IRAN BRIEFING MAY BE ‘DECEPTION CAMPAIGN’ TO MASK MOVES ALREADY UNDERWAY, EXPERT SAYS “We might meet with them. A meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what is happening before the meeting, but a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday. While airstrikes were one of many alternatives open to Trump, “diplomacy is always the first option for the president,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. “What you’re hearing publicly from the Iranian regime is quite different from the messages the administration is receiving privately, and I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages,” Leavitt said.
Former Dem Rep. Mary Peltola announces U.S. Senate run: ‘Put Alaska first’
Former Rep. Mary Peltola on Monday announced her intent to run for a U.S. Senate seat to represent Alaska, in a race to unseat two-term GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan. In a two-minute video, Peltola cited “scarcity” and inflation as problems Alaskans currently face. “Growing up, Alaska was a place of abundance. Now, we have scarcity,” Peltola said. “The salmon, large game, and migratory birds that used to fill our freezers are harder to find. So we buy more groceries, with crushing prices.” ALASKA NATIVES DEFY DEMOCRATS, CHAMPION PUSH TO REVIVE ARCTIC DRILLING THAT BIDEN SHUT DOWN Peltola previously served in the House as Alaska’s lone representative. She won a special 2022 election and full term later that same year in which she defeated four other candidates, including former Gov. Sarah Palin. She lost her House seat in 2024 to Republican challenger Nick Begich III. Peltola pointed to the state’s two late Republicans as examples of what happened to lawmakers with agendas in Washington who put politics over the needs of the state. “Our delegation used to stand up to their party and put Alaska first,” Peltola said. “Ted Stevens and Don Young ignored Lower 48 partisanship to fight for things like public media and disaster relief because Alaska depends on them.” TRUMP ADMIN ANNOUNCES BIG STEP TOWARD ‘ENERGY DOMINANCE’ WITH MASSIVE ALASKA LNG PROJECT ALLIANCE “Ted Stevens often said, ‘to hell with politics, put Alaska first’,” she added. “It’s about time Alaskans teach the rest of the country what Alaska First and, really, America First looks like.” Peltola’s announcement comes as Democrats are getting ready to try and take back both chambers of Congress in November’s midterm elections. In a video last month posted online by the Democratic-aligned super PAC Senate Majority PAC, the group chided Sullivan for voting for higher costs for health care and other essentials. In response, Sullivan, while standing on skis, boasted about tax cuts and railed about Democrats and the Biden administration for policies he said didn’t benefit Alaska. “They want what Democrats always want when they’re in charge in D.C.,” Sullivan said, referring to at least 70 executive orders signed by Biden that he said negatively impacted Alaska.
Democrats’ own words back up Trump action in Venezuela, top intel lawmaker says
FIRST ON FOX: House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford, R-Ark., will submit a resolution on Monday praising the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro — relying entirely on past comments made by Democrats to do so. Crawford observed that calls to end Maduro’s tenure in Venezuela used to carry ample bipartisan support and had been the focus of at least eight bills sponsored by Democrats in recent years. “All this resolution does is reiterate the overall consensus of Republicans and Democrats in the House of Representatives, evidenced by the legislation introduced over the last [four] years, that Nicolás Maduro was a threat to the national security of the United States and the well-being of the people of Venezuela, and therefore President Trump’s decisive action should be applauded,” Crawford said in a statement. TRUMP DECLARES HIMSELF VENEZUELA’S ‘ACTING PRESIDENT’ IN ONLINE POST AFTER MADURO OUSTER The text obtained by Fox News Digital listed out the many reasons Democrats had included in their bills. One such piece of legislation, introduced by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., called for ‘‘ending Nicolás Maduro’s usurpation of presidential authorities,” citing Maduro’s undermining of his own country’s electoral process. Another, authored by Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., slammed the Venezuelan government’s kidnapping practices, demanding Maduro’s regime be designated a “state sponsor of wrongful detention.” Crawford’s resolution comes as Democrats in Congress have blasted the Trump administration’s operation in Venezuela, characterizing the capture of Maduro earlier this month as an act of war that should have required congressional approval. Republicans have pushed back, arguing Trump used narrowly tailored force to bring a well-known criminal to justice. Crawford’s resolution highlights comments that illustrate how Democrats used to share a similar understanding. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., framed Maduro as a threat to the United States in a bill from 2024. “Elissa Slotkin introduced legislation in the 118th Congress that defined ‘Venezuelan politician Nicolás Maduro’ as a person of concern who has engaged in a ‘long-term pattern or serious instances of activity adverse to the national security of the United States,’” the bill reads. GOP EYES VENEZUELA’S UNTAPPED OIL WEALTH AS DEMOCRATS SOUND ALARM OVER TAXPAYER RISK Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., included almost identical language in a bill of her own. “[DeLauro] introduced legislation that similarly redefined Maduro’s regime as one that had ‘a long-term pattern of serious instances of conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons,’” Crawford’s bill pointed out. Crawford believes those comments fly in the face of the way Democrats are framing the attack now. He pointed to a post on X made by the top Democrat in the House. “In the aftermath of Nicolás Maduro’s arrest, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, ‘This wasn’t a law enforcement action. They’re lying to the American people when they say that,’” the bill states. MARCO RUBIO EMERGES AS KEY TRUMP POWER PLAYER AFTER VENEZUELA OPERATION Crawford included more comments in Monday’s resolution. “Representative Delia Ramirez posted to X, ‘under the guise of liberty, an administration of warmongers has lied to justify an invasion and is dragging us into an illegal, endless war,’” the text reads. Crawford believes Trump has done exactly what Democrats had demanded. “Democrats have introduced numerous pieces of legislation condemning the Maduro regime, declaring Maduro an illegitimate president, and urging the U.S. to take decisive action,” Crawford said. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the U.S. took control of the situation to secure our Western Hemisphere neighborhood, sending a powerful message to adversaries around the world, even contemplating nefarious moves in our neighborhood,” Crawford said.