Ilhan Omar defends MEALS Act despite ties to massive Minnesota fraud scheme
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said she has no regrets about supporting the MEALS Act during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the program becoming linked to Minnesota’s alleged $250 million “Feeding Our Future” fraud scheme. “Do you regret pushing for that bill, the MEALS Act? Do you think it led to the fraud?” Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital asked Omar on Capitol Hill. “Absolutely not, it did help feed kids,” Omar said. Omar introduced the MEALS Act on March 11, 2020, to modify the Department of Agriculture’s food and nutrition programs to allow certain waivers on requirements for school meal programs, including those that raised federal costs during school closures related to the pandemic. WALZ URGES NOEM TO ‘REASSESS’ IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT STRATEGY IN MINNESOTA AFTER ALLEGED CITIZEN ARRESTS Minnesota has faced scrutiny for alleged mismanagement of federal funds accessed through these waivers, including in distributing money for the “Feeding Our Future” program, which authorities believe to be the largest fraud scheme in the history of the pandemic. INSIDE MINNESOTA’S $1B FRAUD: FAKE OFFICES, PHONY FIRMS AND A SCANDAL HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT The scheme allegedly exploited the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to waive many of its standard requirements for the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the pandemic, including relaxing its requirement for non-school-based distributors to participate in the program. Fox News Digital first reported on the status of the fraud in July. FBI Director Kash Patel described it at the time as “one of the worst” in Minnesota history — and as of November 2025, more than 75 individuals have been charged in connection with the scheme, according to federal prosecutors. President Donald Trump has recently announced a flurry of new actions to crack down and investigate fraud schemes in Minnesota, which he has assailed as a “hub of money laundering activity,” and cited as the basis of his decision to terminate deportation protections for hundreds of Somali migrants. Senior Trump administration officials announced fresh investigations this month, including a new Treasury Department probe into how taxpayer dollars were allegedly diverted to the terrorist organization al-Shabaab, according to Secretary Scott Bessent. Trump and other officials have zeroed in on these alleged fraud schemes, arguing that the criminal activity is a result of mismanagement and “incompetence” from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat and former vice presidential candidate. ‘INCOMPETENCE OR DERELICTION’: MINNESOTA LAWMAKER RIPS TIM WALZ AS STATE FRAUD LOSSES MOUNT “It’s not surprising that the president has chosen to broadly target an entire community,” Walz said of Trump’s efforts, adding, “This is what he does to change the subject.” Conspirators falsely claimed to have served millions of meals during the pandemic, but instead used the money for personal gain. They also are accused of fabricating invoices, submitting fake attendance records and falsely distributing thousands of meals from hundreds of so-called food distribution “sites” across the state. Some of the individuals are part of Minnesota’s Somali diaspora, which is the largest in the U.S., though the ringleader of the scheme is not. “Stealing from the federal government equates to stealing from the American people — there is no simpler truth,” FBI’s special agent in charge, Alvin Winston, told Fox News Digital in a statement. Charging documents show that roughly 300 “food sites” in the state served little or no food, with the so-called “food vendors” and organizations fabricated to launder money intended to reimburse the cost of feeding children. FBI officials told Fox News that the investigation and resulting trials and indictments continue to impact the state, and have already touched off legislative reform in Minnesota. They added that the investigation into the fraud remains ongoing, and that additional charges are expected, though they did not immediately share more details. “The egregious fraud unveiled in the Feeding our Future case epitomizes a profound betrayal of public trust,” Patel told Fox News Digital earlier this year. “These individuals misappropriated hundreds of millions in federal funds intended to nourish vulnerable children during a time of crisis, redirecting those resources into luxury homes, high-end vehicles and extravagant lifestyles while families faced hardship,” he added. Trump suggested earlier this month that Omar, who fled Somalia as a child, “shouldn’t be allowed to be a congresswoman,” prompting fierce backlash from some Democrats and from Minnesota’s congressional delegation. Omar, for her part, said Trump’s remarks were “vile.” “His obsession with me is creepy,” she said on social media. “I hope he gets the help he desperately needs.” ICE REJECTS OMAR CLAIM SON WAS PULLED OVER BY FEDS, PRESSED FOR CITIZENSHIP PROOF: ‘ABSOLUTELY ZERO RECORD’ Ballasy later pressed Omar about another incident dominating headlines. “Congresswoman, the ICE director is saying now that your son was not pulled over by ICE. He’s saying there’s no evidence,” Ballasy said to Omar on Capitol Hill. The head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rejected a viral claim from Omar that her son was pressed for proof of U.S. citizenship by agency personnel after stopping at a Minnesota Target over the weekend. Omar had told CBS’ Twin Cities affiliate that her son was subjected to a traffic stop-type encounter by ICE agents but was ultimately let go without further issue after he was able to produce a U.S. passport or passport card. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons pushed back on the assertion on Tuesday, telling Fox News Digital the incident never happened. “How do they know that?” Omar countered. “How do they know that? Is he saying he has documentations of all the people they pulled over? Because we’ve been asking for that information. We haven’t gotten it from them, so if ICE is confirming now that they collect data and refusing to provide it to members of Congress, then that’s an interesting admission.” “ICE has absolutely zero record of its officers or agents pulling over Congresswoman Omar’s son,” Lyons said. “It speaks volumes that Congresswoman Omar is leveling this accusation with absolutely zero proof.” Lyons called Omar’s comments to the local outlet a “ridiculous effort” to demonize federal law enforcement.
2028 power move: Turning Point’s Erika Kirk throws support behind JD Vance as MAGA ‘heir apparent’
Vice President JD Vance speaks Sunday at Turning Point USA’s America Fest conference. But the vice president landed a major endorsement when the annual conference, held by the increasingly influential conservative group, kicked off on Thursday. Ericka Kirk, widow of the assassinated Turning Point co-founder Charlie Kirk, endorsed Vance in the 2028 presidential election during her speech in front of thousands of activists gathered in Phoenix, Arizona. “We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible,” in 2028, she said. “Forty-eight” refers to the number of the next president. ERIKA KIRK OPENS FIRST TURNING POINT ANNUAL SUMMIT SINCE HUSBAND’S ASSASSINATION Kirk, who took over the reins of Turning Point after her husband’s murder, also emphasized, “We are building the red wall.” “We’re going to make sure that President Trump has Congress for all four years,” she added, as she pointed to next year’s midterm elections, when Republicans will defend their majorities in the House and Senate. SUCCEEDING TRUMP IN 2028: SIX REPUBLICANS TO KEEP YOUR EYES ON The backing of the vice president by Turning Point, which is particularly influential among younger conservatives and whose political arm has built up a powerful grassroots outreach operation, could give Vance a major boost should he decide to run for president in the 2028 election. A longtime adviser to President Donald Trump told Fox News Digital that “it wasn’t a surprise to see her endorse, given that while he was still alive, Charlie couldn’t have been more explicit about supporting Vance in 2028.” POTENTIAL 2028 DEMOCRATS SPARK SPECULATION AT MAJOR PARTY GATHERING “Last night simply reaffirmed that Turning Point’s entire political machinery will be behind him if he decides to run. It’s another big get for the vice president and a warning shot to other potential candidates,” added the adviser, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely. Vance and Charlie Kirk were close friends, and the vice president credits Kirk with his political rise. Vance honored his late friend by flying with Kirk’s casket back to Arizona from Utah, where he was assassinated in September, aboard Air Force Two. And Vance hosted Kirk’s popular podcast as it returned following Kirk’s death. While Vance has yet to say anything publicly on whether he’ll launch a 2028 campaign to succeed the term-limited Trump, he is considered by many on the right to be the president’s heir apparent to eventually take over the MAGA mantle.
Democrats’ last-minute move to block GOP funding plan sends lawmakers home early
Senate Republicans tried to advance a funding package as their last act of the year, but a last-minute block by Senate Democrats sent lawmakers home frustrated as the deadline to fund the government creeps closer. Lawmakers have spent the last month since the government shutdown building consensus on a five-bill spending package that would go a long way toward preventing another one come Jan. 30. The package would have funded the departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Commerce, Justice, Interior, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, which represent a massive chunk of Congress’ overall funding responsibilities. TRUMP GETS 417 NOMINEES CONFIRMED BY SENATE IN 2025, SURPASSES BIDEN’S FIRST-YEAR TOTAL IN RECORD PACE But a deal never materialized, and the lights of the Senate chamber went out for the last time of the year as lawmakers beelined from Washington, D.C., back to their home districts. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., remained hopeful that when the Senate returned, Democrats would cross the aisle to finish the job. “The Democrats are indicating that they want to do them, they just didn’t want to do them today,” Thune said. “So hopefully, when we get back, we’ll test that proposition, and hope that we’ll take them to face value, and hopefully we’ll get moving, and get moving quickly, because we’ve got a lot to do.” Before the last gavel rang through the chamber, however, there was still hope that a deal could be reached. As the clock ticked deeper into the night and the smell of jet fumes grew stronger in the Senate, top Republicans kept working the phones and trying to negotiate a path forward on the package. SENATE SENDS $901B DEFENSE BILL TO TRUMP AFTER CLASHES OVER BOAT STRIKE, DC AIRSPACE Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, told Fox News Digital that Republicans had cleared the decks on their end after several weeks of holds on the package from fiscal hawks demanding amendment votes on earmarks, among other thorny issues. When asked if Senate Democrats would play ball, she said, “I don’t know.” “I’m about to call one of the people,” Collins said before ducking into her office. When she emerged, Collins said that there was only one hold left. And that last remaining blockage appeared to be from Sens. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., and Michael Bennet, D-Colo., who were incensed by the Trump administration’s plan to break up the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo. Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought called the facility in a post on X “one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country,” and vowed a comprehensive review was underway and that any “vital activities such as weather research will be moved to another entity or location.” Hickenlooper suggested that he and Bennet would lift their hold only if they received a guaranteed outcome on an amendment vote — a proposition Republicans have time and again this year for several other Democratic issues that they said they couldn’t do. “We need to find some Republican supporters. All we’re trying to do is just protect the budget that was already there,” Hickenlooper said. “So, whatever disagreement there is between the state, the governor of Colorado, and the President of the United States, that shouldn’t affect a scientific institution. Science should be free of that kind of politics.” DOJ FACES FRIDAY DEADLINE TO RELEASE EPSTEIN FILES AS LAWMAKERS PUSH FOR TRANSPARENCY Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was more blunt. “What the president did to Colorado is disgusting, and Republicans ought to get him to change,” Schumer said. Republicans opted to open the floor late following a signing ceremony at the White House for the annual, colossal defense package in order to finish the confirmation process for a tranche of President Donald Trump’s nominees. It was a bid to buy time to keep negotiations alive in the hopes of a breakthrough. They even tacked on a handful of extra votes to keep the machine whirring, but in the end, Senate Democrats wouldn’t budge. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations subcommittee, remained hopeful ahead of the vote and said the goal was “to stay until we get it finished.” “If we want the Senate to matter, we should figure it out,” Britt said. Failure to advance the package on Thursday does not guarantee another government shutdown next month, but it does tee up what will likely be a brutal January in the upper chamber. Lawmakers are still scrambling to find a deal on expiring Obamacare subsidies, which are set to expire on Dec. 31, and they will have to contend with the funding deadline at the end of the month. And anything that can pass in the Senate has to make its way through the House and ultimately be approved by Trump. Despite the inability to move forward with the funding package, for now, it appears that neither side wants to thrust the federal government into another shutdown. “I don’t think either side wants to see that happen,” Thune said. “I think that’s toxic for both parties. So I’m hoping that there will be goodwill, and we’ll figure out how to fund the government.”
Judge tosses Trump-linked lawsuit targeting Chief Justice Roberts, dealing setback to Trump allies
A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit filed by a pro-Trump legal group seeking access to a trove of federal judiciary documents, including from a body overseen by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts – putting an end to a protracted legal fight brought by Trump allies seeking to access key judicial documents. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee assigned to the case earlier this year, dismissed the long-shot lawsuit brought by the America First Legal Foundation, the pro-Trump group founded by White House policy adviser Stephen Miller after Trump’s first term; Miller, now back in the White House, is no longer affiliated with AFL. McFadden ultimately dismissed the case for lack of jurisdiction, saying Thursday that two groups responsible for certain regulatory and administrative functions for the federal judiciary are an extension of the judicial branch, and therefore protected by the same exemptions to federal laws granted to the judiciary. “Nothing about either entity’s structure suggests the president must supervise their employees or otherwise keep them ‘accountable,’ as is the case for executive officers,” McFadden said. TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER ON VOTING BLOCKED BY FEDERAL JUDGES AMID FLURRY OF LEGAL SETBACKS The lawsuit by AFL was first reported by Fox News Digital earlier this year. It named both Chief Justice Roberts in his capacity as the official head of the U.S. Judicial Conference, and Robert J. Conrad, the director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, and sought access to a trove of judicial documents from both bodies under the Freedom of Information Act. AFL accused both groups of performing regulatory actions that the lawsuit argued exceeded the scope of the “core functions” of the judiciary, and which it argued should subject the groups to the FOIA requests as a result. AFL cited recent actions the Judicial Conference and Administrative Office had taken in 2023 to “accommodate” requests from Congress to investigate allegations of ethical improprieties by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, and subsequently to create or adopt an “ethics code” for justices on the high court. “Under our constitutional tradition, accommodations with Congress are the province of the executive branch,” AFL argued. “The Judicial Conference and the Administrative Office are therefore executive agencies,” and must therefore be overseen by the president, not the courts, they said. GORSUCH, ROBERTS SIDE WITH LEFT-LEANING SUPREME COURT JUSTICES IN IMMIGRATION RULING McFadden disagreed, rejecting the group’s argument that “courts” under FOIA refers only to judges. He concluded that both the Judicial Conference and the Administrative Office are components of the judicial branch and therefore exempt from FOIA. “Indeed, if America First were right that only judges and ‘law clerks,’ who ‘directly report to the judge,’ count as part of ‘the courts,’ numerous questions arise, and senseless line drawing ensues,” he said in a memo opinion accompanying his order. “Rather, FOIA’s exclusion reflects that courts include a full range of ‘judicial adjuncts,’ from ‘clerks’ to ‘court reporters,’ who perform ‘tasks that are an integral part of the judicial process.’” Plaintiffs for AFL, led by attorney Will Scolinos, had argued in their lawsuit earlier this year that the Judicial Conference’s duties are “executive functions” and functions they allege must be supervised by executive officers “who are appointed and accountable to other executive officers.” Courts “definitively do not create agencies to exercise functions beyond resolving cases or controversies or administratively supporting those functions,” the group had argued. The U.S. Judicial Conference is the national policymaking body for the courts. Overseen by the chief justice, it issues policy recommendations and reports to Congress as needed. TRUMP IS THREATENING TO ‘FEDERALIZE’ DC WITH NATIONAL GUARD AND MORE. HERE’S HOW THAT COULD PLAY OUT The Administrative Office for the U.S. Courts, meanwhile, operates under the guidance and supervision of the Judicial Conference. Its role is to provide administrative support to the federal courts on certain administrative issues and for day-to-day logistics, including setting budgets and organizing data, among other things. The news comes as President Donald Trump, in his first year back in the White House, has relied heavily on executive orders to advance his agenda — a strategy that has accelerated implementation of campaign promises but also prompted a surge of legal challenges. Trump’s actions sparked hundreds of federal lawsuits this year alone, sending tensions skyrocketing between the executive branch and the courts, including federal judges who have blocked or paused some of Trump’s biggest priorities in his second term.
134 House Republicans demand ‘assurances’ before US eases Syria sanctions
FIRST ON FOX: More than 100 House Republicans are demanding increased oversight of Syria as the U.S. prepares to repeal longstanding sanctions against the country. Reps. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., and Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., are leading 134 fellow GOP lawmakers in calling for guarantees that the Syrian government will adhere to terms in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that set the stage for repealing those sanctions, while warning the U.S. needs to be prepared to reverse that if Syria falters on its progress. “Many Members of Congress, committed to seeking peace, prosperity, and tolerance for religious minorities in the region, worked with the Trump Administration and House leadership to secure assurances that snapback conditions regarding the repeal of Syrian sanctions would be enforced if Syria does not comply with the terms highlighted in the repeal language,” their joint statement read. WAR SEC. HEGSETH ISSUES STATEMENT AFTER TWO U.S. SOLDIERS KILLED IN SYRIA ARE IDENTIFIED “The mass murder of the Syrian Christians, Druze, Alawites, Kurds, and other religious and ethnic minorities must be a thing of the past.” They said Congress was committed “to keeping a watchful eye on the new al-Sharaa Administration to ensure protections for religious and ethnic minorities in Syria.” It comes after two members of the Iowa National Guard serving in Syria were killed in an ambush by an ISIS gunman. WHY SYRIA PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN TRUMP’S PLANS FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa took power in Syria after the previous government led by Bashar al-Assad was toppled in 2024. The new leader has sought friendlier relations with the West, even visiting the White House in November of this year. The House GOP lawmakers said they “look forward” to being invited to Damascus themselves to see that his administration “has created a safe environment for the religious and ethnic minorities historically persecuted in the region.” “We look forward to confirming that these terms have not been squandered by the Syrian government–whether by their President or by rogue military officials–and seeing for ourselves that the al-Sharaa Administration has created a safe environment for the religious and ethnic minorities historically persecuted in the region,” they said. “As Members of Congress, we understand that the Syrian government’s adherence to the conditions laid out in the NDAA’s sanction repeal language is essential for lasting peace in the Middle East and Syria’s prosperity.” President Donald Trump signed the NDAA into law on Thursday evening.
DHS rips Dem-run county after illegal immigrant, alleged murderer released: ‘Blood on their hands’
The Trump administration says “sanctuary politicians” in Northern Virginia “have blood on their hands” after an illegal immigrant with a lengthy criminal history was released by police and allegedly killed a man in his home a day later. A man was found shot dead in his Northern Virginia home on Wednesday. The suspected shooter, 23-year-old Marvin Morales-Ortez — an illegal immigrant from El Salvador residing in the United States — had been in custody Tuesday on malicious wounding and brandishing a firearm charges, but police released him after the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office dropped the charges. Officers investigated the murder scene Wednesday afternoon and night, according to local media. Following a manhunt, Morales-Ortez was eventually tracked down and arrested. Court records showed Morales-Ortez had been charged with at least seven crimes in Fairfax County at the time of his latest arrest and was a suspected MS-13 member. “The charges were nolle prossed due to insufficient evidence to move forward with the criminal case,” a spokesperson for the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, headed by George Soros-backed Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano, told Fox News Digital. “The victim told police that they had moved out of the country and would not be coming to court to cooperate in proceedings, regardless of timing. Sadly, without the victim’s necessary testimony, we could not move forward.” ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CAUGHT AND RELEASED BY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION NOW CHARGED IN WASHINGTON VEHICULAR HOMICIDE Both Fairfax County Police and Descano’s office said that the decision on whether to follow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers ultimately falls under the purview of the sheriff’s office, led by Stacey Kincaid. Fox News Digital reached out to the sheriff’s office for an explanation about how it handles ICE detainers and whether it cooperates, or not, with federal immigration enforcement. “The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office follows all local, state, and federal laws when determining whether a person is subject to release from the ADC. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is automatically notified any time a person is booked into the ADC. In this instance, ICE was aware of Morales Ortez’s incarceration and elected not to seek a judicial warrant to ensure he remained in custody,” Fox News Digital was told. “Accordingly, and consistent with our policies and the law, once the court issued an order dismissing his cases, Mr. Morales Ortez was released.” Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger, according to local Virginia news outlet WJLA-TV, is currently considering Kincaid for a top Virginia State Police position. ICE ARRESTS CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF FLEEING HEAD-ON CRASH THAT SEVERELY INJURED MARYLAND WOMAN In response to this incident, a Homeland Security spokesperson said they “have blood on their hands.” “This is nothing more than sanctuary politicians trying to pass the blame for their REFUSAL to protect American citizens,” the spokesperson said. “To honor a detainer, officials do NOT need a judicial warrant. The sanctuary politicians of Fairfax have blood on their hands. They should have turned this serial criminal illegal alien over to ICE law enforcement–instead they chose to RELEASE him back into Virginia neighborhoods.” While Morales-Ortez has been charged with at least seven crimes in Fairfax County since 2020, including assault and first-degree murder, he was only found guilty in one theft case, according to local media and court records, which indicated that Morales-Ortez was fined $300 but has yet to pay. Virginians 4 Safe Communities, a public safety group critical of Descano, slammed the Northern Virginia county’s Soros-backed top cop amid news of Morales-Ortez’s alleged murder and the fact he was released from custody just a day before committing it. “For Steve Descano’s office, letting violent criminals out to commit more crimes isn’t a bug, it’s a feature. But he bungles so many cases you can’t always tell where the incompetence ends and the ideology begins,” Sean Kennedy, Virginians for Safe Communities president, told Fox News Digital. “That a dangerous offender would go free and create more victims is so commonplace in Fairfax that may have become numb to it. Descano exploits that.” Under President Donald Trump’s second administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests in Virginia have nearly tripled compared to the previous administration. Last month, Homeland Security (DHS) called out some of the state’s “worst of the worst” dangerous and violent illegal immigrant offenders captured in just a week’s time. The undocumented immigrant offenders highlighted by DHS came from Central America and the Caribbean, including El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic. Meanwhile, their crimes ranged from drug smuggling to domestic violence, rape, “carnal abuse,” making terroristic threats, extortion and more.
Deadly strike on US troops tests Trump’s counter-ISIS plan — and his trust in Syria’s new leader
A deadly insider attack that killed two U.S. service members in Syria is prompting fresh scrutiny of the Trump administration’s counter-ISIS approach and its rapid embrace of Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa. While Republican lawmakers largely urge a stronger campaign to contain ISIS, the shooting has exposed vulnerabilities inside Syria’s fledgling security institutions and raised new questions about whether the U.S. can rely on Syrian forces as the administration seeks to stabilize the country. The incident has now become a flash point in a broader debate: whether the administration is underestimating ISIS’s resilience, overestimating the reliability of Syria’s fledgling institutions and potentially risking a withdrawal that could give the terror group room to rebound. 2 US ARMY SOLDIERS, INTERPRETER KILLED IN SYRIA AMBUSH ATTACK, TRUMP WARNS OF ‘VERY SERIOUS RETALIATION’ Syrian officials say the gunman was part of the new post-Assad security apparatus and had been flagged internally for extremist leanings. He reportedly was in the process of being reassigned when he opened fire on American personnel, killing two service members and injuring an American civilian before being shot dead. The attack immediately raised questions about the strength of U.S.–Syrian cooperation — a partnership that hinges on Washington’s willingness to trust a government led by a man who was, until recently, a wanted terrorist himself. Trump officials have argued that al-Sharaa is essential to stabilizing Syria after Bashar al-Assad’s downfall, but critics say the weekend shooting reveals glaring cracks in that strategy. TRUMP TO HOST SYRIAN PRESIDENT IN HISTORIC WHITE HOUSE MEETING AMID PUSH FOR REGIONAL PEACE Indiana Republican Sen. Jim Banks defended Trump’s approach, saying on Fox News that the president “rooted out and took out the ISIS caliphate in his first term” and “is going to do that again” in his second. But Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, pushed back sharply. “There’s been some discussion, the president has claimed repeatedly he defeated the caliphate, ISIS etc., and that’s not the case at all,” Reed said on “Fox News Sunday.” “Our intelligence agencies tell us that ISIS is still the most capable and dangerous Islamic terrorist group who have already demonstrated that their intent is to strike even within the United States.” Reed and others argue that the ambush underscores why a U.S. presence in Syria remains necessary despite political pressure from Trump’s base to reduce deployments abroad. But some Republicans counter that the attack proves the opposite — that the mission has become strategically dubious and unacceptably dangerous. ISRAEL RELEASES BODY-CAM VIDEO OF DEADLY SYRIA RAID TARGETING MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD-AFFILIATED TERRORISTS “The soldiers who died are obviously heroes … but the purpose of whether or not they should be there or not is a big question,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Paul, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, said the attack should force a reconsideration of why U.S. troops remain in the country at all. “A couple hundred troops in Syria are more of a trip wire than a strategic asset. I don’t think they deter war.” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., added that U.S. troops “should not be sent to foreign countries to be killed in foreign lands like Syria… Bring our troops home!!!” The administration, however, has indicated it intends to double down. Tom Barrack, Trump’s envoy to Syria, said the killings “underscore the need for continued cooperation” with al-Sharaa’s government. Trump himself said al-Sharaa was “devastated” by the attack and vowed “very serious retaliation.” But national security specialists caution that the administration may be moving too quickly to normalize ties with Syria’s new leadership. Michael Makovsky, CEO of the Jewish Institute of National Security of America (JINSA), said Washington appears reluctant to confront the fact that the shooter came from within al-Sharaa’s own security forces. “The administration is very invested right now in Shaara, and seems to want to minimize that the killer was from Shaara’s security forces,” Makovsky said. He warned that “a lot of bad people” remain embedded in the new Syrian institutions and that early cooperation should not come with premature sanctions relief. “His security forces have committed a lot of atrocities against minorities … I’m worried the administration is not focused on that.” Trump has vowed retribution for what he called “an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria.” But the White House has not clarified what specific steps it is considering. The White House did not provide additional clarification on what types of retaliation the U.S. would pursue in response to the attack, and referred Fox News Digital back to Trump’s initial statement. However, Trump later told reporters Monday that “they’ll be hit hard” when asked about the U.S. response. He also voiced support for al-Sharaa, and said he still has confidence in Syria’s new leader. Mona Yacoubian, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the administration’s response will depend on what investigators determine about the attacker’s affiliations. Syria’s Interior Ministry spokesman, Noureddine al-Baba, said the gunman had been scheduled to be relieved of duty Sunday after authorities identified he held “extremist” views. Al-Baba told The Associated Press that the government had been forced to recruit quickly amid severe security shortages following Assad’s ouster. The fact that the shooter, who was ultimately shot during the attack, was part of the Syrian security forces adds another layer of complexity, Yacoubian said. If the gunman was part of a specific cell affiliated with a group like ISIS, that could prompt the Trump administration to launch strikes targeting leadership of the respective group or the group’s infrastructure, according to Yacoubian. Regardless, Yacoubian said that the attack raises alarms in terms of the vetting process for security forces and will prompt the Trump administration to dramatically increase their vetting and understanding of the security forces as it continues to partner with Syrian national forces. U.S. forces in Syria currently work in tandem with both Syrian
Noem announces pause on immigrant visa lottery that allowed alleged Brown shooter to enter US
The man accused of committing a mass shooting at Brown University entered the country under the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program lottery in 2017 and was given a green card, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a post on X. Noem also said that she is instructing U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to pause the visa program following President Donald Trump’s direction. “The Brown University shooter, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente entered the United States through the diversity lottery immigrant visa program (DV1) in 2017 and was granted a green card. This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country,” Noem asserted in the post. “In 2017, President Trump fought to end this program, following the devastating NYC truck ramming by an ISIS terrorist, who entered under the DV1 program, and murdered eight people,” she continued. “At President Trump’s direction, I am immediately directing USCIS to pause the DV1 program to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program.” CLAUDIO MANUEL NEVES-VALENTE IDENTIFIED AS BROWN UNIVERSITY AND MIT SHOOTING SUSPECT, FOUND DEAD Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a Portuguese national who was found dead on Thursday from “a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” according to officials, was the suspect in both the Brown University shooting and in the separate murder of an MIT professor. Valente was a Brown University student more than two decades ago, according to school President Christina Paxson. CLAUDIO MANUEL NEVES-VALENTE RESPONSIBLE FOR BROWN SHOOTING, MIT PROFESSOR’S MURDER, AUTHORITIES SAY “Neves Valente was enrolled at Brown as a graduate student from Fall 2000 to Spring 2001, but he has no active affiliation with Brown and has not been affiliated with Brown since 2003. He was not a current student, was not an employee and did not receive a degree from the University, attending for only three semesters as a graduate student until taking a leave in 2001 and formally withdrawing effective July 31, 2003,” she noted. WHO WAS NUNO LOUREIRO? MIT PROFESSOR GUNNED DOWN IN APARTMENT NEAR UNIVERSITY “Neves Valente was admitted to Brown’s Graduate School to study in the Sc.M-PhD program in physics,” Paxson indicated.
Rubio unloads on ‘alarmists,’ touts State Dept disaster response after USAID closure
FIRST ON FOX: Those worried about shuttering the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were wrong, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who touted the agency’s record in delivering support in the wake of Hurricane Melissa that ravaged the Caribbean in October. Although USAID historically functioned as an independent agency to deliver aid to impoverished countries and development assistance, the State Department announced in March that it would absorb remaining operations and functions in an effort to streamline operations to deliver foreign assistance amid concerns that USAID did not advance U.S. core interests. The move resulted in cuts for thousands of USAID employees. Critics including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said that upending the agency would “lead to millions of preventable deaths,” while a group of House Democrats wrote a letter to President Donald Trump in February as USAID cuts got underway that changes would lead to increased maternal and child mortality. But Rubio now claims those skeptics’ fears were unfounded. ‘HYSTERIA’: WHITE HOUSE SHUTS DOWN CONCERNS OVER USAID DOCUMENT PURGE “Alarmists in politics and the media forecasted that the closure of USAID would result in catastrophe. Now, nearly a year later, they’ve been proven wrong,” Rubio said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The State Department has realigned foreign assistance with the interests of the American people, streamlined disaster response capabilities, and leveraged the ingenuity of American companies to save lives.” Specifically, Rubio pointed to the assistance the State Department provided in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, which hit Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane and was the strongest to strike Kingston since the island started tracking its storms 174 years ago. The State Department deployed a regional disaster assistance response team (DART) and activated U.S.-based urban search and rescue (USAR) teams to support response efforts in the region as part of recovery efforts. Likewise, the State Department allocated roughly $1 million to go toward administering food and other resources to those in need, using predesignated supplies housed in 12 different warehouses across the region. Ultimately, the State Department coordinated with the United Nations World Food Program to distribute 5,000 family food packs to families in Jamaica. “This new era of foreign assistance eliminates extreme ideological projects that previous administrations forced the American people to subsidize, cuts out the wasteful NGO industrial complex, and puts the American people first,” Rubio said. The Council on Foreign Relations, a nonpartisan think tank, evaluated the State Department’s response to Hurricane Melissa looking at key performance indicators including speed, logistics, funding, and interagency coordination, and concluded that the U.S. “delivered a textbook surge of humanitarian aid in the wake of a natural disaster of historic magnitude.” Sanders’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) targeted USAID in its push to eliminate wasteful spending during a review earlier in 2025. The agency attracted scrutiny for a series of funding choices, including allocating $1.5 million for a program that sought to “advance diversity, equity and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities” and a $70,000 program for a “DEI musical” in Ireland. ‘FIRED ME ILLEGALLY’: EMOTIONAL EX-USAID EMPLOYEES LEAVE BUILDING WITH BELONGINGS AFTER MASS LAYOFFS USAID was officially closed down in July — a move that attracted criticism from Democrats and former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. “Gutting USAID is a travesty, and it’s a tragedy,” Obama said in a video that was shown to departing USAID employees, according to The Associated Press. “Because it’s some of the most important work happening anywhere in the world.” Obama labeled the decision to upend USAID “a colossal mistake,” and said, “sooner or later, leaders on both sides of the aisle will realize how much you are needed.” Meanwhile, the State Department is undergoing its own transformation. In addition to absorbing USAID, the State Department has undergone a massive overhaul as part of the largest restructuring for the agency since the Cold War. Additionally, it rolled out an America First Global Health Strategy in September to deliver health aid worldwide by working directly with recipient country’s governments instead of through non-governmental organizations and other aid programs. In December, Kenya became the first country to sign a five-year, $2.5 billion Health Cooperation Framework agreement with the U.S. in alignment with this new strategy, which also aims for recipient countries to eventually bear more responsibility for their own health expenditures. Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.
NC Senate showdown escalates as Trump rallies behind Whatley to keep GOP seat
President Donald Trump heads to battleground North Carolina on Friday as he aims to keep an open Republican-held Senate seat in GOP hands in next year’s midterm elections. Trump will hold an evening event on affordability as he teams up in the crucial southeastern state with Michael Whatley, a former Republican National Committee (RNC) chair and clear frontrunner for the GOP Senate nomination in the 2026 race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. Whatley is likely to face off next year against former two-term Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper in what’s expected to be one of the most expensive and crucial Senate battles in the country, as the GOP works to hold its 53-47 majority in the chamber. And rising prices will be a top issue on the campaign trail. “President Trump won North Carolina all three times. 2016, 2020, and 2024… because he connects directly with the people of North Carolina, talking about the issues that they care about. So it is very important to have him on the ground,” Whatley emphasized this week in a Fox News Digital interview. TRUMP-BACKED RNC CHAIR JUMPS INTO ‘MARQUEE’ SENATE BATTLE Low propensity MAGA voters and other Trump supporters don’t always head to the polls in elections when the president’s not on the ballot, which is a major concern for Republicans heading into next year’s midterms. That’s why Whatley, a former state GOP chair whom Trump handpicked in 2024 to run the RNC and urged this summer to run for the Senate, would love to see the president return to North Carolina numerous times next year. GOP SENATE CAMPAIGN CHIEF AIMS TO EXPAND 2026 MAP IN THIS BLUE-LEANING STATE “He is fantastically popular in North Carolina,” Whatley said of Trump. “He has a real affinity for the state. The voters…love him, and it’ll be very, very good to get him back in North Carolina.” But more importantly, Whatley and other Republicans are aiming to frame the 2026 elections as a referendum on Trump and his agenda. “We’re certainly going to need him to be on the ballot,” Whatley emphasized. “When you think about what happens if we lose the House, if we lose the Senate, if the Democrats take over, and they go right back to investigations and hoaxes and impeachments, that is really, truly the president and his legacy are going to be on the ballot.” With inflation remaining persistent this year, Democrats have stayed laser focused on the issue of affordability, which fueled them to decisive victories in last month’s 2025 elections and over performances in a slew of special elections this year. THE GOP’S TAKE ON HIGH-PROFILE SENATE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES: ‘THEY’RE IN SHAMBLES’ And the same issue that boosted Trump and Republicans to sweeping ballot box victories in 2024 is now dragging the president’s approval ratings on the economy to record lows. Whatley argued that the president “is fighting right now to bring down gasoline prices… We’re fighting, you know, every day against the Fed, trying to get them to lower interest rates and make housing more affordable. And you know, there’s, there’s a fight every day with this administration to try and bring down the prices for everybody.” And looking ahead to next year, Whatley said, “We’re seeing signs already that the economy is starting to tick up and is starting to take hold as the President’s policies are getting in place. We need to make sure that we have the trade policies, the tax policies, the regulatory policies from this administration that are going to help our small businesses, our manufacturers and our farmers across North Carolina.” But Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin sees Trump and Republicans headed for a ballot box disaster. “Donald Trump has lost the economy, is losing his mind, and is going to lose the midterms,” Martin said in a statement ahead of Trump’s stop in North Carolina. Whatley has been busy crisscrossing North Carolina and highlighted that “we’re talking to every single community. We will be in all 100 counties across North Carolina, and we’re fighting for every single family.” And he plans to hold tight to Trump. “Our voters know Donald Trump, and they know me. I’ve worked on his campaigns since 2016. President Trump won North Carolina in all three election cycles. So we know how to win, and we have the policies that are going to win,” Whatley emphasized. And pointing to Cooper, who won election and re-election four times as attorney general before becoming governor, Whatley charged that “Roy Cooper is on the wrong side of every 80-20 issue. He has fought harder for criminals, for illegal aliens, men who want to, you know, play in women’s sports and be in women’s locker rooms. Those are issue sets that he’s going to have to defend.” But Cooper’s campaign countered, saying in a statement to Fox News Digital that the former governor “has spent his career fighting for North Carolina families by lowering health care costs and keeping their communities safe while Michael Whatley spent decades at the beck and call of DC politicians delivering for billionaires and special interests at the expense of the middle class.”