GOP civil war erupts over shutdown politics in critical Senate race: ‘Not a winning formula’
Republicans in Georgia are locked in a bitter civil war revolving around the government shutdown and a critical primary race for a shot at unseating Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. Though currently held by Ossoff, the Georgia Senate seat is considered highly competitive, with Republicans having a real chance of flipping the seat red in 2026. Ossoff won the seat in 2021 in a razor-thin runoff election, beating former Republican Sen. David Perdue by a margin of just 1.2%. The race is considered highly critical for Republicans to protect their Senate majority. This, however, has not kept Republicans from jumping headlong into a bitter feud over the freshly ended government shutdown last week. The controversy exploded when a political group aligned with Republican Gov. Brian Kemp released an attack ad criticizing Republican Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter over the government shutdown and suggested “political outsider” Derek Dooley, a former Tennessee football coach, is needed to set things straight. GEORGIA’S MIKE COLLINS NEEDLES OSSOFF IN NEW AD OVER SHUTDOWN’S TOLL ON AIRPORTS, WORKERS The ad asked, “What do Mike Collins, Buddy Carter and Jon Ossoff have in common? They all failed and shut down the government.” “It’s what happens when you send career politicians to D.C.,” the narrator states. The ad garnered quick criticism from sections of the Georgia Republican Party as a betrayal of President Donald Trump’s and the GOP’s national messaging on the shutdown being Democrats’ fault. Kemp, who is in the midst of his second term as governor, has endorsed Dooley in the primary race. Collins took to X, writing, “I’m not sure why the governor’s nonprofit 501(c)(4) would be using dark money to attack Republican members of the Georgia delegation by parroting the anti-Trump Democrat lie that ‘Republicans are to blame for the shutdown.’” “It’s not only contrary to the message from Speaker Johnson, Leader Thune and President Trump, but it’s also disconnected from reality,” wrote Collins. He went on: “Myself and Buddy Carter have done our job, and passed a clean, nonpartisan Continuing Resolution that funds the government.” A few days later, Collins’ campaign released a Veterans Day ad attacking Dooley for saying in an interview that he “probably went 20 years” without voting for a presidential candidate, including missing five opportunities to vote for Trump. The ad criticized Dooley for not voting while Georgia military service members “find a way to vote absentee.” VULNERABLE DEM SENATOR’S ‘GRASSROOTS’ CAMPAIGN POWERED BY OUT-OF-STATE CASH, MOSTLY BY COASTAL ELITES Dooley in turn accused Collins of “using Veterans Day to score political points,” which he said, “tells you everything you need to know about typical politicians.” He said that “like millions of others, I proudly got off the sidelines and voted for President Trump in 2024” and “unlike many career politicians in D.C., I’m focused on earning trust the right way: with honesty, humility, respect for all Georgians, and not accepting business as usual.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, Carter spokesperson Harley Adsit called the ad a “desperate attempt” by Dooley “to save his failing campaign.” Adsit accused Dooley of having “sold out to the radical left” and “pulling from Jon Ossoff’s playbook, attacking conservatives and turning his back on President Trump and Georgia’s hardworking families.” “[Carter] proudly voted to keep the government open — it’s Dooley, Jon Ossoff, and the Democrats playing shutdown politics. Georgians deserve a MAGA warrior, not puppets trying to please the establishment elite,” she added. Collins, meanwhile, told Fox News Digital: “Dooley is certainly an odd fellow.” “He’s been gone from our state for 25 years and his first attempt at gainful employment upon return is to run for office, but what’s even odder is his campaign’s decision to attack congressional Republicans and run counter to President Trump’s messaging, and frankly the reality, that Democrats indeed caused the shutdown,” said Collins, adding, “I’m not sure if he and his team’s hatred for Trump is driving their strategy or if it’s just a genuine ignorance of what’s going on at the federal level, but it is certainly not a winning formula for next November.” Meanwhile, in a statement to Fox News Digital, Dooley spokesman Connor Whitney framed him as the most viable candidate to flip the seat red by defeating Ossoff. “Political outsider Derek Dooley has the clear momentum in this race. From fundraising to grassroots support to high-profile endorsements, it is clear there is only one candidate that can take on Jon Ossoff next November,” said Whitney. He noted that Dooley himself has been “solely focused on blasting Jon Ossoff’s failed record and giving the people of Georgia a senator that actually represents their values,” adding, “that’s what he’ll continue to do when he’s the Republican nominee.” EX-GOP OFFICIAL TURNED DEMOCRAT TARGETS TRUMP IN BATTLEGROUND STATE GUBERNATORIAL CAMPAIGN LAUNCH Whichever the outcome, the infighting spells trouble for Republicans. A Georgia GOP strategist told Fox News Digital, “The party in general needs to unify and not have a messy primary.” “Every day we have a primary fight is another day that Ossoff gets to vote the way that he did on the shutdown. It’s another day that he gets to stay out of the spotlight and we’re not hitting him,” the strategist said. “So, every day this goes on is a day that Jon Ossoff has won. And it just makes our jobs tougher come the summer when we finally have our nominee.” The strategist said Dooley is “kind of running out of time,” adding that he needed to have significantly out-fundraised Collins and Carter to establish himself as a “legit candidate.” The strategist said this exchange has demonstrated that Dooley “doesn’t understand” the dynamic of Trump’s Republican Party. “In Trump’s Republican Party, you earn trust by fighting, not hiding on Election Day. You’ve got to show that you’re part of the movement,” the strategist said, adding, “So, Dooley is in a bad spot right now.” Meanwhile, the strategist said, “Collins has a record, Collins has been elected before, Collins has stood
250 border agents to deploy to Louisiana for ‘Swamp Sweep,’ report says
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is preparing to send 250 border agents to New Orleans for a two-month immigration crackdown operation called “Swamp Sweep,” according to documents obtained by The Associated Press and three people familiar with the matter. “Swamp Sweep,” which is expected to begin on Dec. 1, is reportedly aimed at arresting approximately 5,000 people across southeast Louisiana and into Mississippi. The reported operation marks the latest in a series of DHS illegal immigration crackdowns in cities across the country, including Chicago and Los Angeles. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican who is closely aligned with President Donald Trump, recently discussed the possibility of federal agents working in his state during an appearance on “America Reports.” He noted that his state was “working closely with our federal partners” on immigration and crime crackdowns. DHS ‘BLITZES’ CHICAGOLAND, NETTING ‘MANY ARRESTS’ AS NOEM ONSITE FOR IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN “We do know that New Orleans is a place under which we’ve had illegal criminal activity, alien activity, in and around that city. Chief Conley, who is the chief of police from Kenner, has consistently had problems with illegal aliens conducting very violent crime in and around the city, in his city, and has been consistently working with the feds to try to crack that down,” Landry told Fox News’ Sandra Smith on Monday. “Look, people around Louisiana want their communities to be safe, irrespective of whether it’s criminal or illegal. Aliens conducting violence or American citizens or Louisiana citizens. If you go out there and break the law, we’re gonna put you in jail,” Landry later added. NEW ICE DETENTION FACILITY ‘LOUISIANA LOCKUP’ OPENS AT NOTORIOUS PRISON Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley, who Landry said is working closely with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Louisiana State Police, recently spoke about a community safety operation that federal agents were also involved in. According to Conley, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and ICE took “13 to 15 people into their custody.” “You know, we’ve gotten complaints for the last three years on the lawlessness and the nuisance crimes that have been occurring at the lakefront. We’ve had a strong presence, we patrolled it, we’ve sighted people, but it just wasn’t enough. The conduct was escalating, citizens were getting harassed and bullied, strong-armed, and enough is enough,” Conley said in a video posted to the Kenner Police Department’s X page. U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, who has overseen other immigration enforcement operations under Trump, has reportedly been tapped to lead operation Swamp Sweep. Documents reviewed by the AP show that Border Patrol teams are set to go across neighborhoods in southeast Louisiana, stretching from New Orleans through Jefferson, St. Bernard and St. Tammany parishes and as far north as Baton Rouge. There are also plans for federal agents to go into southeastern Mississippi. In preparation for the operation, federal agents have been securing several staging sites. The AP, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that part of the FBI’s New Orleans field office has been designated as a command post. Additionally, a naval base will reportedly be used to store vehicles, equipment and “less lethal” munitions, such as tear gas and pepper balls. The outlet said documents it reviewed showed that DHS asked to use the naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in New Orleans for up to 90 days beginning this weekend. Fox News Digital reached out to DHS for comment on the report. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
House Dem, 79, indicates he may not retire after judges strike down Texas congressional map
Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, suggested that he no longer plans to retire after federal judges ruled against a Republican-backed plan to alter Texas’ congressional districts on Tuesday. Doggett had announced his qualified retirement earlier this year after Texas Republicans revealed a new redistricting map that would have pitted Doggett, 79, against fellow Texas Democratic Rep. Rep. Greg Casar, 36. Now, that map’s future is in jeopardy, however. “To borrow from Mark Twain, I can happily say that the reports of my death politically are greatly exaggerated,” Doggett said in a video posted to social media. “I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity to continue to represent the only town I’ve ever called home, at a time when democracy faces the greatest challenges that it has ever faced at any point in my lifetime,” Doggett’s statement continued. “Thank you.” ABBOTT CLEARS FINAL REDISTRICTING HURDLE AS TEXAS SENATE PASSES NEW TRUMP-APPROVED MAP Doggett’s newfound confidence comes after a federal panel of judges ruled 2-1 that the GOP redistricting map appeared to constitute an illegal, race-based gerrymander. “The public perception of this case is that it’s about politics,” U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown, a Trump appointee, said in the majority opinion, joined by U.S. District Judge David Guaderrama, an Obama appointee. “To be sure, politics played a role in drawing the 2025 map,” the judges said. “But it was much more than just politics. Substantial evidence shows that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 map.” ABBOTT SIGNS TEXAS REDISTRICTING MAP INTO LAW, SECURING MAJOR GOP VICTORY AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS Judge Jerry Smith, a Reagan appointee, dissented without explanation. The ruling is a significant blow to the Trump administration. It comes as President Donald Trump and his Republican allies have raced to pad the party’s razor-thin House majority in the run-up to the 2026 midterm elections — including by imploring some states to launch rare, mid-decade redistricting efforts. As part of that push, legislators in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio have each redrawn their congressional maps. FEDERAL JUDGES BLOCK TEXAS FROM USING REDRAWN CONGRESSIONAL MAP Other states, including Florida and Kansas, are currently weighing similar efforts. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton vowed on Tuesday to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court for review. He said Texas would also be seeking an emergency stay from the high court that would temporarily stay the lower court’s ruling. Gov. Greg Abbott sharply criticized the court’s ruling Tuesday, saying in a statement that Texas legislators “redrew our congressional maps to better reflect Texans’ conservative voting preferences — and for no other reason.” “Any claim that these maps are discriminatory is absurd and unsupported by the testimony offered during ten days of hearings,” he added.
FBI ‘stonewalled’ House Trump assassination attempt investigation, congressmen allege
The FBI “stonewalled” the House investigation into Thomas Crooks’ attempted assassination of President Donald Trump, two Republican lawmakers were quoted as telling the New York Post. Earlier this week, the newspaper reported on social media posts believed to be linked to the 20-year-old shooter. The Post described the messages as including numerous endorsements of political violence and a sharp turn away from being an advocate for Trump. Reps. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania and Pat Fallon of Texas said the FBI never shared those files with members of Congress who were investigating the attempted assassination in July 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania, according to the New York Post. “We were stymied so much by the feds on what we could look at, what we couldn’t look at,” Kelly told the Post. “We knew we were going to get stonewalled on a lot of stuff.” AMERICA NEEDS A FRESH INVESTIGATION OF WOULD-BE ASSASSIN THOMAS CROOKS — AND THE FBI’S BUNGLED FIRST PROBE “I think that there’s so many unanswered questions about it,” Kelly added. “They don’t want people to handle the truth.” “We all know it wasn’t done, it wasn’t complete and the reason for that is they can’t handle the truth,” Kelly also reportedly said in reference to how the FBI treated the congressional probe. Authorities told Congress they found no evidence that Crooks followed any particular ideology on his laptop, but according to the Post’s source, there was a clear timeline of Crooks’ changing ideology and violent rhetoric that remains to be addressed. “The danger Crooks posed was visible for years in public online spaces,” an unnamed source said to have uncovered more than a dozen of Crooks’ accounts told the paper. “His radicalization, violent rhetoric and obsession with political violence were all documented under his real name. The threat wasn’t hidden.” While the FBI has not publicly identified a political motive, Crooks’ online comments over several years shifted from pro-Trump to anti-Trump, according to digital records described by the Post. Whatever caused that shift remains unclear, but before he focused his murderous intent on the president, his posts about rage and violence were reportedly directed at Democrats. “I don’t think any of us came out of that feeling, ‘You know what we really got the answers we were looking for,’” Kelly told the Post about the House committee’s meetings with the FBI. Their report was released in December. TRUMP RALLY GUNMAN ACTED ALONE, FBI SAYS — BUT QUESTIONS ABOUT MOTIVE PERSIST Fallon called for a new investigation in light of the Post’s reported findings, telling the newspaper that he doesn’t recall the FBI sharing those details when he was a part of the congressional investigation committee. “I don’t think it would do any harm at all,” he added. “You can’t investigate these things enough.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the FBI and the offices of Kelly and Fallon for comment. “The FBI’s investigation into Thomas Crooks identified and examined over 20 online accounts, data extracted from over a dozen electronic devices, examination of numerous financial accounts, and over 1,000 interviews and 2000 public tips,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X last week. “The investigation, conducted by over 480 FBI employees, revealed Crooks had limited online and in person interactions, planned and conducted the attack alone, and did not leak or share his intent to engage in the attack with anyone,” he added. Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
House Dem slammed for ‘sick’ defense of colleague caught texting Epstein during 2019 hearing
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., was ridiculed as “dishonest” and “sick” after arguing from the House floor that his former law school student and colleague was only “taking a phone call from her constituent” when she was texting disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein during a 2019 House hearing. Republicans on Tuesday, led by Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., introduced a resolution to censure Plaskett for “inappropriate coordination with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein,” which it says “reflects discreditably on the House of Representatives.” Plaskett was caught texting Epstein, whose primary residence was in the U.S. Virgin Islands, during a 2019 hearing when former Trump attorney Michael Cohen was testifying about his work with the former president amid an ongoing probe into Trump’s business dealings and matters tied to the 2016 election. “They want to give them another headline! Which is, that they’ve arraigned a Democratic member for taking a phone call from her constituent, Jeffrey Epstein, in the middle of a hearing. And, of course, I don’t think there are any rules here against taking phone calls in a hearing,” Raskin exclaimed on the House floor Tuesday afternoon amid Congress’s efforts to pass a bill aimed at censuring Plaskett. DEMOCRAT FOUND TEXTING JEFFREY EPSTEIN FACES HOUSE CENSURE, COMMITTEE REMOVAL THREATS “Are we saying just because they were on a phone call, they’re guilty of something? We should strip them of their committee assignments. We should censure them. Have we gotten to that point? I mean, come on,” he continued. “Look, this is the House of Representatives. The United States of America. Let’s stick by the Constitution. Let’s stick by due process.” The White House’s Rapid Response team quickly shot back at Raskin on social media, posting a clip of his remarks that they described as “sick.” Raskin’s defense, while novel, was not alone, however. Several Democrats spoke from the House floor in defense of the congressional delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands on Tuesday, railing against Democrats for “besmirch[ing]” their colleague. “Jamie Raskin — one of the worst to ever disgrace the halls of Congress — says Stacey Plaskett was just ‘taking a phone call from her constituent’ when she colluded with a convicted sex offender during a committee hearing,” the White House Rapid Response team said in response. “These people are SICK!” Meanwhile, independent journalist Lee Fang, who was formerly with The Intercept, called Raskin’s comments “incredibly dishonest,” noting that court filings revealed Plaskett had much closer ties to Epstein than the average constituent. “Just incredibly dishonest. Plaskett helped Epstein while serving in the Virgin Islands gov w/ tax credits, went on to work directly for Epstein’s fixer, then received lavish campaign support from Epstein and his aides to clinch her election victory,” Fang said in response to Raskin’s comments. EPSTEIN REFERENCED TRUMP IN PRIVATE EMAILS TO GHISLAINE MAXWELL AND OTHERS, NEW RECORDS SHOW Fang previously reported in 2023 that Plaskett, despite attempting to distance herself from the disgraced financier and claiming she had no knowledge of campaign donations made to her from Epstein, that was not the case. “Plaskett not only repeatedly sought financial contributions from Epstein and had multiple face-to-face encounters with him, but she also worked directly for a St. Thomas-based law firm that played a role in cultivating influence for Epstein’s clandestine activities,” Fang wrote at the time. He also added that Plaskett’s involvement with Epstein could potentially even go further back because she previously served as an attorney on the Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority that granted Epstein hundreds-of-millions in alleged “improperly obtained tax exemptions over the course of two decades.” “The spin is outrageous,” conservative influencer CJ Pearson said of Raskin’s defense. “You can’t make this up!” quipped Eric Daugherty, assistant news director at Florida’s Voice News. “Let the person that hasn’t colluded with a convicted sex offender to rig the questions in a hearing cast the first stone,” Red State writer Bonchie wrote on X. “Why is Raskin trying to downplay his colleague chatting with a convicted sex offender? Is it because he knows his colleague Hakeem also wanted dinner with Epstein? Or is it because he’s worried about what else will be revealed about Dems…?” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson posted on X. Conservative journalist, filmmaker and podcaster, Mel K, highlighted the fact Raskin was Plaskett’s professor at American University’s law school in her response to Raskin’s House floor comments, which questioned if the Maryland Democrat was “for real.” Plaskett, defended by Raskin and others on the House floor, also stood up and defended herself, arguing there was no “public knowledge at that time” Epstein was under federal investigation despite “I began to get innumerable texts from friends, from foes, from constituents about what was happening in that hearing. And I got a text from Jeffrey Epstein, who, at the time, was my constituent, who there was not public knowledge at that time that he was under federal investigation,” Plaskett said Tuesday after news of her hearing texts went viral. “I heard recently from someone that I was taking advice from him,” Plaskett added in her defense from the House floor Tuesday. “Let me tell you something. I don’t need to get advice on how to question anybody from any individual. I have been a lawyer for 30 years.” The resolution to censure Plaskett and strip her of her duties failed Tuesday night in a House vote.
DHS launching massive immigration operation in Louisiana, Mississippi: ‘Swamp Sweep’
The Department of Homeland Security is preparing to deploy roughly 250 federal border agents to Louisiana and Mississippi in a sweeping operation aimed at arresting nearly 5,000 people in the two states, The Associated Press reported Tuesday, citing internal documents and people familiar with the operation. The two-month immigration initiative, dubbed “Swamp Sweep,” is expected to begin Dec. 1 and will center heavily on southeastern Louisiana, according to the report. The crackdown marks one of the largest single-state deployments of immigration authorities under the Trump administration to date. Agents are expected to start arriving in New Orleans on Friday to position equipment, vehicles and other logistics before fanning out into communities across Louisiana. Operations will stretch from New Orleans through Jefferson, St. Bernard and St. Tammany parishes, reaching north toward Baton Rouge, The AP said. Additional enforcement is being planned in southeastern Mississippi, though details remain limited. DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. TRUMP’S LOOMING CHICAGO TAKEOVER PUTS VIOLENT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIMES IN SPOTLIGHT: ‘INCOMPETENT MAYOR’ “For the safety and security of law enforcement we’re not going to telegraph potential operations,” spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told the outlet. ILLINOIS DEMOCRAT LEADERS BLAST TRUMP PUSH TO SEND NATIONAL GUARD TO CHICAGO Spokespeople for Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves — both Republicans who have previously backed President Donald Trump and his agenda — also did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital. Reeves announced in August that he “approved the deployment of approximately 200 Mississippi National Guard Soldiers to Washington, D.C., to support President Trump’s effort to return law and order to our nation’s capital.” In May, Landry similarly touted a partnership with “the federal government to crack down on criminal illegal aliens in the great State of Louisiana.” TRUMP’S WEEK SHAPED BY CRIME AGENDA, POTENTIAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT TO CHICAGO The expansion into Louisiana and Mississippi comes as the Trump administration accelerates its nationwide immigration enforcement strategy. Federal immigration officers have already been sent to major cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago and, most recently, Charlotte, North Carolina. Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan told Fox News earlier Tuesday that additional operations are being prepared for New York City, signaling the crackdown is poised to widen even further in the weeks ahead. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump designates Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally during crown prince’s White House visit
President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that the U.S. will designate Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally, unveiling a defense and economic partnership with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a White House dinner marking 80 years of U.S.–Saudi relations. Trump welcomed guests at the official dinner and thanked bin Salman for his visit and investment in the U.S. The crown prince gave brief remarks, thanking Trump and expressing his gratitude while saying he was looking forward to a continued partnership between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. Before announcing the new designation, Trump reflected on the nations’ long relationship, recalling a 1945 meeting between President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and King Abdul Aziz. “It’s a special privilege to welcome his royal highness to Washington this year, as we mark the 80th anniversary of the first meeting between [a] U.S. President and a Saudi king,” Trump said. “The two became immediate and warm friends … and right now you have the best friend you’ve ever had.” SAUDI ARABIA IS ALREADY AMERICA’S TOP ARMS BUYER, AND NOW TRUMP WANTS TO ADD F-35S He added that ever since the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have been “enduring partners,” they were “making that partnership closer and stronger than ever before” Tuesday night. Trump said the partnership reached a new level after a day of meetings and signings with bin Salman. He praised Saudi Arabia’s modernization, calling it “an economic engine and a modern-day miracle,” and said new agreements in energy, minerals and artificial intelligence were “unprecedented.” He added that Saudi Arabia had agreed to boost its investment in the U.S. from $600 billion to $1 trillion, a move he said would create American jobs and further strengthen the growing alliance. TRUMP SET TO HOST SAUDI ARABIA’S POWERFUL CROWN PRINCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE THIS WEEK “So, that’s why tonight I’m pleased to announce that we’re taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, which is something that is very important to them,” Trump said. He added that both countries had just signed “a historic strategic defense agreement,” calling it proof of “a stronger and more capable alliance” that would serve “the highest interest of peace.” The announcement followed Trump saying Saudi Arabia would invest $1 trillion in the U.S., doubling an earlier pledge. SAUDI CROWN PRINCE BIN SALMAN HIKES COMMITTED US INVESTMENT TO NEARLY $1T “He said, ‘I am going to up that to $1 trillion,’” Trump told the audience. “So, he’s investing $1 trillion into the United States … and now you have the hottest country anywhere in the world.” Trump also pointed to what he called the largest arms purchase in history — $142 billion in American military equipment and services — and said the move “will mark and make both of our nations safer and cement the kingdom’s role as a key force for stability and security in the Middle East.” The president said the new defense pact would make both nations safer and referenced a recent U.S. military operation using B-2 bombers against what he described as an Iranian nuclear threat. SAUDI ARABIA’S 40-YEAR-OLD DISRUPTOR: HOW MBS REWIRED THE KINGDOM IN 10 SHORT YEARS “Saudi Arabia has never been as safe as it is right now,” he said. “You always had a little cloud over your head. … That cloud is not there anymore.” After the announcement, Trump tied the agreement to his broader Middle East peace agenda, citing the end of the war in Gaza, the return of hostages and a U.N. resolution endorsing his “Board of Peace” initiative. “This is a board like no other,” he said. “It will have the heads of major countries … and I was honored to be chosen the chair.” TRUMP, SAUDI CROWN PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN TO MEET AT WHITE HOUSE AMID DIPLOMATIC SHIFTS IN REGION Bin Salman thanked Trump for the “warm and great welcome,” calling the day “special” and emphasizing the growing economic relationship between the two countries. The crown prince also said he believed this is a huge opportunity and vowed to remain focused on implementing and increasing opportunities between both countries. Trump closed by saying the alliance marked the strongest moment in U.S.–Saudi relations since Roosevelt’s meeting with King Abdul Aziz. “Someday, maybe we’ll talk about us as being two wonderful men,” he said. “Forget about great — wonderful is OK — but two wonderful men that did tremendous work for their countries.”
NYC Mayor-elect Mamdani doubles down on Netanyahu arrest pledge
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani reiterated this week that he would honor the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should the leader visit the city, a stance he first announced before winning office. Mamdani’s made his remarks as outgoing Mayor Eric Adams met with Netanyahu and encouraged him to attend Mamdani’s upcoming inauguration, according to local reports. During a live appearance on ABC7, Mamdani described NYC as a “city of international law” that would uphold the ICC’s 2024 arrest warrants, which accused Netanyahu of intentionally attacking civilians and using starvation as a method of warfare. “I’ve said time and again that I believe this is a city of international law, and being a city of international law means looking to uphold international law,” he said. “And that means upholding the warrants from the International Criminal Court, whether they’re for Benjamin Netanyahu or Vladimir Putin. RESURFACED VIDEO SHOWS MAMDANI URGING END TO NEW YORK FUNDING OF ISRAELI ‘SETTLER CRIMES’ “We are a global city, but what New Yorkers are looking for is consistency in the way we talk about our values and follow through with them,” he said. “That’s why these warrants from the International Criminal Court are worth fully exploring — every legal possibility to actually follow through on.” ZOHRAN MAMDANI SAYS NYC SHOULD UPHOLD ICC ARREST WARRANT FOR NETANYAHU IF HE VISITS CITY Prior to his election victory, Mamdani also told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum on “The Story” in October that he would arrest Netanyahu if legally permitted, saying New York “wants to uplift and uphold” such principles. Mamdani said he would not pursue a new law to ensure Netanyahu could be arrested, while also criticizing President Donald Trump. “Unlike Donald Trump, I’m someone who looks to exist within the confines of the laws that we have,” he said. “So, I will look to exhaust every legal possibility, not create my own laws, to do so.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment. SOCIALIST SHOCKWAVE: ZOHRAN MAMDANI STUNS NYC AS VOTERS HAND POWER TO DEMOCRATS’ FAR-LEFT FLANK He has previously acknowledged that the United States is not a signatory to the ICC treaty but maintains that the city should still aim to uphold ICC arrest warrants while “abiding with all of the laws in front of us.” Mamdani made his declaration as outgoing Mayor Eric Adams met with the Israeli leader for a farewell visit. In an interview with Israel Hayom, Adams said, “I believe the prime minister should visit the city. I think he should start with the inauguration ceremony of Mamdani in the presence of the City Council on January 1 to send a strong message to the largest Jewish community outside Israel. He needs to make clear to the entire community that he will continue visiting the city as often as possible, and he should begin on January 1.” In his ABC7 interview, Mamdani then reaffirmed his commitment to protecting and supporting New York’s Jewish community. “It will be my responsibility that I will uphold to not only protect Jewish New Yorkers, but to celebrate and cherish them in the city,” he added. After Adams leaves office Jan. 1, Mamdani will be the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of the nation’s largest city. Fox News’ Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
House Freedom Caucus bid to censure Democrat over Epstein links goes down in flames
A House Freedom Caucus-led bid to strip a member of the House Democratic Caucus of her role on a high-profile committee after her ties to Jeffrey Epstein were revealed earlier this month failed on Tuesday night. Lawmakers voted against censuring Del. Stacey Plaskett, D-V.I., the Virgin Islands’ nonvoting delegate in the House of Representatives, over newly surfaced text messages between her and Epstein that were exchanged during the February 2019 congressional testimony of Michael Cohen. The censure had also included language to remove Plaskett from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which oversees entities like the FBI and CIA and regularly receives classified briefings on matters of national security. Three Republicans joined Democrats to kill the measure, while three more Republicans voted “present.” It ultimately failed in a 209-214 vote. DEMOCRAT FOUND TEXTING JEFFREY EPSTEIN FACES HOUSE CENSURE, COMMITTEE REMOVAL THREATS The three Republicans who voted against censuring Plaskett were Reps. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, Don Bacon, R-Neb., and Dave Joyce, R-Ohio. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., voted “present” along with Reps. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., and Jay Obernolte, R-Calif. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who introduced the resolution, said during debate on the measure on Tuesday, “The House of Representatives has a responsibility and a duty to protect the integrity of this institution. And what we learn from the documents released by Jeffrey Epstein’s estate is nothing short of alarming.” “Those documents show that Delegate Stacey Plaskett, a sitting member of Congress, coordinated her questioning during an Oversight — an official Oversight hearing, with a man who was a convicted sex offender, a man whose crimes against minors shocked this entire nation.” Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who led Democrats’ rebuttal against the resolution, called the measure “one more pathetic effort to distract and divert attention from the fact that the president’s name appeared more than a thousand times already in the small fraction of material released on Epstein.” He also repeatedly referred to Epstein as Plaskett’s “constituent” over his primary residence having been in the Virgin Islands. KHANNA, MASSIE, GREENE URGE SENATE TO PASS EPSTEIN BILL UNCHANGED, WARN OF ‘RECKONING’ Texts exchanged during the 2019 hearing, in which Cohen accused President Donald Trump of a scheme to pay off mistresses to hide evidence of extramarital affairs during his 2016 presidential bid, show Epstein taking a heavy interest in Plaskett’s questioning. Epstein appeared to guide Plaskett’s lines of questioning at times. One text showed him saying, “Hes opened the door to questions re who are the other henchmen at trump org.” Plaskett was shown to respond, “Yup. Very aware and waiting my turn.” Republicans have seized on Plaskett’s messages with Epstein as proof of a double standard by Democrats on the late pedophile financier’s case. House Democrats have been arguing for transparency in pushing to uncover any potential improper links between Trump and Epstein but have been largely silent on Plaskett in the days since her ties to him surfaced. Neither Plaskett nor Trump has been accused of any wrongdoing connected to Epstein’s crimes, however. JEFFREY EPSTEIN SAGA CONTINUES AS CONGRESS RETURNS FROM RECESS Raskin accused Republicans on Tuesday of robbing Plaskett of her right to due process. “Without even going to the Ethics Committee, much less a court, they want to arraign her on some charges based on a newspaper article, that she did something lawful — however ill-advised — it may have been. She took a phone call from one of her constituents,” Raskin said. “Where is the ethical transgression? Where is the legal transgression? Are you saying anybody on your side of the aisle who had a phone call with Jeffrey Epstein should be censured?” Plaskett’s texts with Epstein were reported in a number of media outlets, but they were first found in a tranche of documents from Epstein’s estate and handed over to the House Oversight Committee. “I got a text from Jeffrey Epstein, who, at the time was my constituent — who was not public knowledge at that time, that he was under federal investigation — and who was sharing information with me,” she said in her own defense on Tuesday. Plaskett also pointed out her years of experience as a prosecutor when arguing she was not seeking advice on her line of questioning. It’s worth noting, however, that while the federal probe into Epstein was not public knowledge, he first faced charges related to the exploitation of underaged girls as early as 2006. The vote comes after a Democrat-led bid to refer Plaskett’s case to the House Ethics Committee, rather than moving forward with the censure resolution, failed to pass in a narrow 213-214 vote. The House of Representatives had earlier moved to force the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release all of its unclassified Epstein files in an overwhelming 427-1 vote.
Mexico’s president firmly refuses Trump’s proposal for US military strikes against cartels
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday rejected the idea of U.S. military strikes against cartels on Mexican soil, responding to President Donald Trump’s comments that he would do “whatever it takes” to stop drugs from entering the U.S. The Associated Press reported that Sheinbaum said Mexico would not allow foreign military action in its territory and reaffirmed her government’s position against any U.S. intervention. Trump said Monday he would consider authorizing U.S. strikes inside Mexico to halt the flow of drugs, calling it “OK with me” if that’s what it takes to protect American lives. He cited what he described as major success intercepting narcotics by sea and suggested similar operations could target cartel routes on land, arguing that such action would save “millions of lives” in the U.S. Sheinbaum pushed back quickly, saying the proposal echoed earlier talks with Trump about potential U.S. intervention. She said Mexico welcomes cooperation on security but that its sovereignty is nonnegotiable, stressing that any joint efforts must respect its authority within its own borders. DEM PRESSURE BUILDS FOR ANSWERS ON TRUMP’S CARIBBEAN STRIKES, COMMANDER’S SUDDEN EXIT “It’s not going to happen,” Sheinbaum told reporters, noting Trump has previously floated U.S. military intervention to combat criminal organizations. She said she told both Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio that while Mexico welcomes intelligence sharing, it will not permit foreign forces to operate within its borders. Sheinbaum said both U.S. leaders appeared to understand her position. “We operate in our territory,” she said, emphasizing Mexico’s sovereignty. TRUMP’S WAR ON CARTELS ENTERS NEW PHASE AS EXPERTS PREDICT WHAT’S NEXT Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment on the matter. The exchange came as officials from both countries worked to clarify reports of a possible U.S. incursion into Mexican territory. On Monday, individuals arrived by boat on a beach in northeastern Mexico and posted signs marking the area as restricted U.S. Department of Defense property. AMERICA FIRST: RUBIO AND TRUMP JUST DREW A RED LINE FOR NARCO-TERRORISTS Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said the Navy removed the signs after determining they were on Mexican soil. Sheinbaum said Tuesday that the International Boundary and Water Commission, the agency that defines the U.S.–Mexico border, had been called in to review the issue. Witnesses said the signs were posted on Playa Bagdad, near where the Rio Grande flows into the Gulf of America. The signs said “Warning: Restricted Area” in English and Spanish and claimed the land was controlled by the U.S. military. Sheinbaum later said the signs were installed by contractors working for a U.S. government agency, noting that the shifting riverbed often complicates the exact location of the border. The disputed area is located near SpaceX’s Starbase launch site in Boca Chica, Texas, which operates under contracts with both NASA and the Pentagon. In June, Sheinbaum said her government was investigating reports of debris from a SpaceX test explosion that landed on the Mexican side of the border. The incident also reflects broader tensions between the two countries, including Trump’s earlier directive to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, a move Mexico has strongly opposed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.