Anti-ICE Minnesota agitator arrested days after daring Bondi to do so
William Kelly, one of the anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agitators who disrupted a service at Cities Church in Saint Paul, Minn., on Sunday, has been arrested. “A THIRD subject has now been arrested connected to targeting Cities Church in Minneapolis Sunday. William Kelly is now in custody,” FBI Director Kash Patel declared in a Thursday post on X. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem noted in a post, “William Kelly is being charged with conspiracy to deprive rights, a federal crime, for his involvement in the St. Paul church riots.” VIDEO SHOWS ANTI-ICE AGITATOR BERATING CHRISTIANS IN MINNESOTA CHURCH SERVICE “William Kelly is now in custody,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi noted in a Thursday post on X. “Our nation was settled and founded by people fleeing religious persecution. Religious freedom is the bedrock of this country. We will protect our pastors. We will protect our churches. We will protect Americans of faith,” she noted in the post. Kelly had said days earlier in a video, “Come and get me Pam Bondi, you f—in’ traitorous b—-.” ANTI-ICE PROTESTER WILLIAM KELLY DARES PAM BONDI TO ARREST HIM AFTER MINNESOTA CHURCH DISRUPTION In posts that feature the profanity-laced video, Kelly, who apparently goes by “dawokefarmer2” on social media, wrote, “And for the record they invited us into their church and the police never asked us to leave.” Williams has shared video of himself berating people at the church. ANTI-ICE AGITATOR WHO STORMED MINNESOTA CHURCH SERVICE ALSO HARASSED CONGREGANTS AT PETE HEGSETH’S CHURCH He asserts that “all these pretend Christians, all these comfortable White people… are living lavish, comfortable lives, while children are dragged into concentration camps.” “You’re sinners. You’re pretending to be Christians. But we know you live an easy life, don’t you? A very easy life while people are starving,” he said.
Border Patrol union chief touts high morale despite clashes with agitators: ‘They are patriotic’
National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez told Fox News Digital that, despite heavy criticism from the media and Democrats, as well as the consistent presence of agitators, officers’ morale remains high and there is “no shortage of volunteers” to assist with deportation operations. Perez told Fox News Digital during an interview that though the “majority of our agents are stationed on the southwest border,” members of his union understand the threat that criminal illegal immigrants pose to the entire nation after four years under the Biden administration. “Unfortunately, you throw a dart at the map, and it’s very likely that some of the people that Biden let in are there,” he explained. Though distinct from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers who are primarily responsible for interior removal operations, Perez said there has been “no shortage of volunteers” for deployments for operations in cities across the country, including Minneapolis, Portland and Los Angeles. BORDER PATROL COMMANDER PROVIDES UPDATE ON MINNEAPOLIS OPERATIONS “We’ve got plenty of agents that are willing to go out there to go and help because they see the challenges that our ICE officers and our other our law enforcement partners are going up against and they want to be there to help,” he explained. “They’re very well-trained, they’re very eager, they are patriotic, and they want to do their duty to secure the border and help secure America.” Perez said that because the Biden administration wanted the flow of migrants entering the country to be processed quickly, “there are very few records for us to rely on that are accurate.” “There’s just so many people that were let in, to the tune of millions of people, and they were interspersed throughout the United States,” he said, adding, “A lot of these people weren’t required to put information that we could vet because the administration wanted them out quick.” Perez said that though Border Patrol agents have found themselves being deployed to communities far from home, they have approached operations with the same ethic. At the same time, he said the vitriol from some has had some impact on officers in his union. DHS SAYS ICE AGENTS RAMMED BY VEHICLES AMID MINNEAPOLIS ENFORCEMENT SURGE: ‘AGGRESSIVELY ASSAULTED’ “The rhetoric coming from the left, it does impact our families because of the doxing and the protesters thinking that it’s okay because politicians are asking them to protest. They’re seeing what they’re doing as agitators, and they continue to up the ante and say, ‘Hey, go after these ICE officers, interfere, impede,’ and there’s consequences to that,” he said. Despite this, Perez said that Border Patrol officers are as resolved as ever, and they are “not going to back down.” Despite the backlash from protesters, the media and politicians, he said that Border Patrol officers in his union feel that “we’ve got more support now than we’ve ever had” because of the administration. ‘SCOURGE’ OF SEXUAL PREDATORS, VIOLENT CRIMINALS BEING REMOVED FROM MINNEAPOLIS STREETS DESPITE BACKLASH “From the human aspect, we know the type of people that we’ve come across, and we don’t want them in the cities and communities of America because we know that the damage they can cause,” he explained. “We’ve got so many murderers, rapists, burglars, robbers, and we want to get them out of our country.” “Our Border Patrol agents live in the communities that they serve, the communities that they patrol and protect. And so, when we go out into other municipalities across the country, we take that into account because that is somebody else’s home, that’s somebody’s city that they live in, and we want them to be safe.”
WATCH: Former ICE director reveals what goes into agency’s decisions on cities to target
While some Democrats have accused the Trump administration of politically targeting Democratic cities for enforcement, former acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Sandweg shared insight about how the agency selects the next city for operations. Sandweg, who served as acting ICE director under President Barack Obama from 2013 to 2014, told Fox News Digital during an interview that the existence of sanctuary policies harboring illegal aliens does play a major role in determining cities for targeting. However, Sandweg said that this is not for purely political reasons. “The biggest driver would be immigrant population, how significant a population is there in that particular community. And then the second thing is, is there something like a sanctuary policy that would increase the number of at-large targets, meaning people who ICE wants to take into custody who are not currently in a prison or jail,” he explained. “Those are the traditional factors that ICE would rely on in making determinations about where to do at-large surges.” In 2025, the Trump administration surged ICE agents to cities like Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Portland and Chicago. All of these were major cities with significant immigrant populations, and all had sanctuary policies. Sandweg said that he expects crackdowns such as these to be “just beginning.” VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE TO VISIT MINNEAPOLIS, SOURCE SAYS, AMID UNREST OVER ICE OPERATIONS “You want to go where the criminals are … and so, you’re going to be looking at data about where is it that we can find the biggest bang for our buck,” he explained, adding, “Traditionally, that’s going to be in larger urban cities, just because they’re higher density population, and you’re more likely to find your criminal populations there.” When it comes to the role of sanctuary cities in ICE’s targeting process, Sandweg said that “sanctuary policies are not all equal.” “ICE is really good at getting people in prisons and jails. There isn’t a person booked into a prison or jail in the United States today that ICE doesn’t get visibility on,” he explained. “While we’re paying a lot of attention to these kinds of very public standoffs between protesters and DHS agents in Minneapolis and other places, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes the public doesn’t understand, including the picking up of people in prisons and jails, federal, state, local, across the country.” DHS WEBSITE TRAFFIC SURGES 68% AS THOUSANDS USE TRUMP’S SELF-DEPORTATION APP FOR VOLUNTARY DEPARTURE Though he said that some sanctuary jurisdictions are willing to cooperate with ICE in arresting illegals with serious criminal charges, such as violent crimes, there are some that are not willing to do that. Sanctuary jurisdictions that refuse to honor requests by ICE to hold illegal aliens, called “detainers,” present their own operational challenge, said Sandweg. This, in turn, can potentially lead to the agency deciding to surge more agents and resources to the area. US CITIZENS ARE ONLY ARRESTED BY ICE IF THEY VIOLATE A STATUTE ICE ENFORCES: TOM HOMAN “There are jurisdictions … that have very restrictive sanctuary policies, where you’re sitting there scratching your head saying, these are bad guys, why won’t they give us custody of this person in jail?” he said. “In those jurisdictions, you’re going to find more targets because those people, ICE normally would take custody of them in jail or prison.”
Republican drops primary challenge against incumbent Sen Cassidy after Trump-backed candidate enters race
Louisiana state Rep. Julie Emerson announced on Thursday that she was nixing her U.S. Senate bid in light of President Donald Trump-backed U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow entering the GOP primary. “With Congresswoman Letlow’s entrance into the race, the path to victory that was visible a couple of months ago has diminished. I support President Trump and respect his decision to endorse Julia Letlow to defeat Bill Cassidy. Because of this, I’m choosing to end my campaign now,” Emerson said in a statement. Incumbent Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who has served in the U.S. Senate since 2015, is running for re-election. TRUMP ENDORSEMENT ROCKS LOUSIANA SENATE RACE AS LETLOW JUMPS IN After the House impeached Trump in 2021, Cassidy was one of the Senate Republicans who voted to convict during a vote that occurred after Trump had already departed from office — the Senate vote ultimately fell short of the threshold required to convict Trump. The president pledged his endorsement to Letlow in a Truth Social post on Saturday. WHO IS JOHN FLEMING, THE FREEDOM CAUCUS FOUNDING MEMBER CHALLENGING GOP SEN BILL CASSIDY? “Should she decide to enter this Race, Julia Letlow has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, JULIA, RUN!!!” the president exclaimed in the post. Letlow launched a Senate bid days later. GOP LOUISIANA STATE SENATOR SAYS HE’S RUNNING FOR US SENATE BECAUSE INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN ‘SUCKS’ “Today, I am announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate to ensure the nation we leave our children is safer and stronger. Louisiana deserves a conservative Senator who will not waver. I am honored to have President Trump’s endorsement and trust. Let’s Geaux!” she declared in a Tuesday post on X. Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming and state Sen. Blake Miguez are also running in the Republican U.S. Senate primary in the state.
NEA insider blows whistle on ‘toxic’ culture and far-left politics inside teachers union: ‘It’s a cult’
FIRST ON FOX: As the National Education Association, one of the most prominent teachers unions in the country, continues to face criticism over placing far-left agenda items over the needs of children, a whistleblower organization spoke to Fox News Digital about the “toxic” politics inside headquarters. “It’s a very liberal place, there’s only a handful of conservatives that work at NEA, and if you are, it’s like you just don’t say anything, because it’s a very toxic environment if you do say something,” an NEA employee, who is remaining anonymous due to concerns of retribution, told Fox News Digital. “It’s crazy, they’ll send out this weekly newsletter of ‘Trump’s a fascist’ and blast it to all the states.” The whistleblower described a workplace where staff members are often subject to staff meetings and breakout sessions focused on “social justice and White supremacy and all that nonsense” that feel more like “brainwashing” than they do education. “It’s a cult. It’s 100% a cult and if you don’t have their mindset, you’re the enemy.” GOT A SCOOP ON CAMPUS? SEND US A TIP HERE Earlier this month, Fox News Digital exclusively reported on a federal NEA filing showing the union funneled millions of dollars to far-left activist groups, ballot initiatives and social justice organizations. Among the largest expenditures was more than $3.5 million sent to Education International, a global teachers federation where NEA President Becky Pringle serves as a vice president. “Why are we sending money internationally?” The whistleblower told Fox News Digital. “They’re not American teachers.” In November, Fox News Digital first reported on NEA training sessions instructing members on a variety of far-left causes, including how to go through a gender transition at work, best practices for using gender pronouns and combating transphobia, while also being provided with literature labeling conservative opposition as “villains.” “They don’t care about the students, they care about pushing these leftist, liberal Democrat people [politicians] so that they can get more money and just fund all these stupid initiatives,” the whistleblower told Fox News Digital. PARENTS’ RIGHTS GROUP RELEASES SCATHING ‘LOOKOUT’ WARNING TARGETING TOP 2 TEACHERS UNIONS: ‘INDOCTRINATION’ Additionally, Fox News Digital obtained an email sent on Jan. 16 from NEA Executive Director Kim Anderson that included more heated rhetoric directed at ICE and President Donald Trump. “Masked ICE agents are operating with impunity in Minneapolis, attacking students on school grounds and abducting neighbors from locations that are considered places of safety and care, including churches and hospitals,” the email said. “ICE agents are harassing, frightening, abusing, detaining and killing our neighbors. They abuse power and disregard the rule of law.” The email continued, “Violent ICE raids disproportionately targeting Black and brown students, families, and communities, have forced public schools to close their doors. Keeping students safe from ICE also keeps them from their classrooms, their friends, and the support they deserve.” The email referred to Trump’s actions enforcing immigration law as “Un-American” and an “authoritarian threat.” “People talk about turning down the temperature and how rhetoric is getting people killed, like it is, and they’re doing it, they’re the ones saying all this crazy nonsense,” the whistleblower told Fox News Digital. Mika Hackner, director of research at the North American Values Institute, told Fox News Digital that a union’s purpose is “to advocate for and to represent effectively and fairly its union members” and that it’s “difficult to see how the NEA can do this when it ensures that a particular political position and worldview is woven into the fabric of its organization.” Another area the whistleblower flagged is union revenue, claiming NEA leadership is especially focused on protecting dues collection by shifting members to “auto-pay” in states where payroll deductions face pushback. “That’s the biggest thing they’re worried about right now,” the whistleblower said, claiming the union is fighting efforts that prevent dues from being “take[n]… directly out of your paycheck.” On the day following Trump’s victory over former Vice President Kamala Harris, endorsed by the NEA, in the 2024 presidential election, the whistleblower told Fox News Digital the NEA offices were filled with distraught employees. “Everybody in the office had their doors closed. They were crying. It was a whole thing. It was wild, grown-ass people crying over an election.” In a statement to Fox News Digital after publication, an NEA spokesperson said, “The positions of the NEA are determined through democratic processes by the educators and other dedicated public employees who make up our membership. NEA staff go to work every day to support our members as they educate and care for students. NEA members and staff hold a wide variety of views, but one thing remains constant: we believe in the value of a quality public education for every student and every community in this country.” Erika Sanzi, senior director of communications for Defending Education, told Fox News Digital in November that the union’s federal charter should be re-evaluated given the organization has become more of a political operation than a union pushing for better student outcomes. Sanzi explained, “Their federal charter was granted because they promised to ‘elevate the character and advance the interests of the profession of teaching; and to promote the cause of education in the United States.’ Seeing as their leadership — and by extension, the organization itself — has morphed into a far-left insane asylum that is actively destroying the cause of education, that charter is no longer defensible.” “Few organizations have done more to erode trust in American public education than the National Education Association,” Terry Stoops, director of state affairs at Defending Education, told Fox News Digital this week. “The National Education Association has little interest in improving the lives of America’s public school educators. Instead, it’s committed to dispensing millions of dollars in membership dues to Democrats, while infiltrating classrooms and corrupting young minds with the grotesqueries of the far Left.”
Trump says US should have tested NATO by invoking Article 5 over border security
President Donald Trump on Thursday said the United States should have considered testing NATO by forcing member countries to respond to America’s southern border crisis. Trump speculated in a post on Truth Social that the U.S. could have invoked Article 5 — the alliance’s collective defense clause that deems an attack on one member as an attack on all — thereby putting NATO “to the test.” “Maybe we should have put NATO to the test: Invoked Article 5, and forced NATO to come here and protect our Southern Border from further Invasions of Illegal Immigrants, thus freeing up large numbers of Border Patrol Agents for other tasks,” he wrote. The president’s comments came after he has recently questioned NATO’s commitment to aiding the U.S. DENMARK RAMPS UP DEFENSES IN GREENLAND AS TRUMP ZEROS IN ON CONTROL OF TERRITORY “We will always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us,” the president wrote on social media earlier this month. After meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, Trump announced that he had the “framework of a future deal regarding Greenland.” Trump wrote on Truth Social that if finalized, the deal “will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations.” DAVOS BRACES FOR TRUMP AMID TENSIONS OVER NATO, GREENLAND AND GLOBAL DEFENSE Following the meeting, Trump said he would scrap a plan to impose tariffs on a group of NATO members who sent troops to Greenland amid the president’s efforts to acquire the island. Trump had asserted that those countries would be subjected to a 10% tariff on all goods beginning Feb. 1. In an exclusive interview with Fox News this week, Rutte said Trump was “totally right” about needing to shore up security in the Arctic region, noting that the chance of Russia or China becoming a threat in that region was increasing. Rutte applauded Trump’s leadership in getting NATO countries to pay more money for the alliance’s defenses. “I would argue tonight with you on this program he was the one who brought a whole of Europe and Canada up to this famous 5%,” Rutte said, “which is crucial for us to equalize our spending, but also protect ourselves. And this is the framework which you see in his post that we will work on.” NATO members were previously spending 2% of GDP on defense, but have now agreed to spend 5% of GDP on defense and national security infrastructure. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment. Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
Trump snubs Canada by withdrawing country’s invite to join ‘most prestigious Board of Leaders ever’
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Canada was no longer welcome to his newly established Board of Peace. In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump rescinded Canada’s invitation, informing Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney that his country could no longer join the “most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled.” “Dear Prime Minister Carney: Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada’s joining, what will be, the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time,” Trump wrote. Trump unveiled the board during a speech and signing ceremony Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, with leaders from Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Central and Southeast Asia joining him on stage. TRUMP FLOATS ‘BOARD OF PEACE’ TO REPLACE UN, SIGNALS MAJOR GLOBAL POWER SHIFT The president’s rebuff came after he said Wednesday that the United States should control Greenland to build a large-scale “Golden Dome” missile defense system, which he said would also protect Canada, which he argued depends on U.S. security. “We’re building a Golden Dome that’s going to, just by its very nature, going to be defending Canada. Canada gets a lot of freebies from us, by the way. They should be grateful also,” Trump said during the forum in Davos. “But they’re not. I watched your prime minister yesterday. He wasn’t so grateful. They should be grateful to us, Canada. Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements,” he said, referring to remarks Carney made earlier this week. US TRADE REP SHRUGS OFF WORLD LEADERS’ SWIPES AT TRUMP AMID DAVOS BACKLASH While Carney did not mention Trump by name, he warned in his remarks that the rules-based international order is breaking down as “great powers” increasingly wield economic and security leverage to coerce allies. The prime minister argued that “middle powers” like Canada must heed the “wake-up call” that compliance does not guarantee safety, urging instead a strategy focused on diversification, collective action and respect for sovereignty. Trump said he will chair the new peace board, which will also feature senior political, diplomatic and business figures, including his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and billionaire Marc Rowan. The president has invited Russia, Belarus, France, Germany, Vietnam, Finland, Ukraine, Ireland, Greece, Israel and China, to join the board. Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.
Newly minted Virginia AG who fantasized about opponent’s family dying roasted over glaring typo
Newly sworn-in Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones drew swift online mockery Thursday after his office released a statement referring to him as “Attoney General,” an error that critics seized on as emblematic of his first major move in office. The error appeared in a graphic accompanying Jones’ announcement defending Virginia’s in-state tuition law for undocumented students. Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, Jones’ predecessor, struck a lighter tone in a post that quickly gained traction online. “Go easy folks,” Miyares wrote on X with a screengrab of the faux-pas circled in red. “Perhaps someone on the staff was just saying ‘Hey, Tony’ in a Jersey accent?” JAY JONES OVERCOMES MOUNTING SCANDALS TO DEFEAT JASON MIYARES FOR VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL The Virginia GOP offered a sharper jab, saying it “took him a whole day to fix this,” suggesting the mistake lingered longer than it should have. The Republican National Lawyers Association (RNLA) mocked both Jones’ error and the timing of the correction. “Jay Jones is struggling,” RNLA posted. “This time he moved so quickly to change the letterhead from his last embarrassment that he forgot how to spell his new title.” SPANBERGER TAKES SWIPE AT TRUMP ADMIN, SAYS VIRGINIANS WORRIED ABOUT ‘RECKLESSNESS COMING OUT OF WASHINGTON’ National Review senior editor Jim Geraghty argued the typo barely registered compared to Jones’ broader record. “The thing is, misspelling ‘attorney’ probably isn’t even in the worst 200 things that Jay Jones has ever sent electronically,” Geraghty quipped. Other users leaned into sarcasm, including one account that joked Jones was “the Valedictorian of the Quality Learing Center.” A newly updated post now sits on Jones’ official government X page, the graphic’s typo scrubbed. Jones began his term under heightened scrutiny after facing backlash on the campaign trail over resurfaced text messages where he fantasized about the death of political opponent House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his children. Despite the controversy, Jones was elected in what was considered a blue wave election last November alongside Democrat Gov. Abigail Spanberger. The misspelling appeared to overshadow Jones’ announcement that he was moving to defend Virginia’s in-state tuition law, framing the decision as resistance to the Trump administration. “On day one, I promised Virginians I would fight back against the Trump Administration’s attacks on our Commonwealth, our institutions of higher education, and most importantly – our students,” Jones said in the release. “Virginians deserve leaders who will put them first, and that’s exactly what my office will continue to do.” Critics argued the optics of the typo undercut Jones’ message, with the error quickly becoming an easy target amid a contentious fight over in-state tuition and immigration policy. When reached by Fox News Digital, Jones’ office did not acknowledge the typo. “In his first week in office, Attorney General Jay Jones has gotten to work protecting the Commonwealth from Donald Trump’s actions that would raise costs on Virginia families and defending Virginians’ rights from the Trump administration’s attacks,” a spokesperson for the Attorney General wrote in an email to Fox News Digital. “He has acted quickly to block overreach and stand up for the people of Virginia. Attorney General Jones is already scoring wins on affordability and accountability while delivering real results for the Commonwealth.”
RNC eyes ‘America First’ midterm convention to boost Trump, GOP ahead of critical elections
FIRST ON FOX — The Republican National Committee (RNC) is taking a big step toward holding its first-ever midterm convention. The RNC on Thursday advanced a change to the party’s rules that would allow Chairman Joe Gruters “to convene a special ceremonial convention outside a presidential election cycle,” according to a memo shared first with Fox News Digital. National political conventions, where party delegates from around the country formally nominate their party’s presidential candidates, normally take place during presidential election years. But with Republicans aiming to protect their narrow control of the Senate and their razor-thin House majority in this year’s elections, President Donald Trump announced in September that the GOP would hold a convention ahead of the midterms “in order to show the great things we have done” since recapturing the White House. SHOWDOWN FOR THE HOUSE: DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS BRACE FOR HIGH-STAKES MIDTERM CLASH The new memo highlights “the possibility of an America First midterm convention-style gathering aligned with President Trump’s vision for energizing the party this fall.” The party in power, in this case the Republicans, normally faces stiff political headwinds in the midterms. And the hope among Trump and top Republicans is that a midterm convention would give the GOP a high-profile platform to showcase the president’s record and their congressional candidates running in the midterms. The RNC’s rules are based on holding a convention every four years. The proposed rule change will allow the RNC to hold a midterm convention. If adopted, the rule states that the convention must be called at least 60 days in advance, and no business would be conducted during the gathering. RNC CHAIR BETS ON ‘SECRET WEAPON’ TO DEFY MIDTERM HISTORY, PROTECT GOP MAJORITIES The proposed change was adopted Thursday evening by the RNC’s Rules Committee during the party’s winter meeting in Santa Barbara, California. It’s unclear if the full RNC membership will vote on the rule change when it gathers Friday at the confab’s general session. If the rule isn’t adopted by the full RNC, it’s expected to be approved at the party’s spring meeting. Gruters, in a statement to Fox News Digital, highlighted that the RNC’s winter meeting “shows how completely united Republicans are behind President Trump and our efforts to win the midterms. The RNC has been aggressively focused on expanding our war chest, turning out voters and protecting the ballot in this fall’s elections. We’re building the operation needed to protect our majorities and give President Trump a full four-year term with a Republican Congress.” Details on the date and location of the midterm convention will come at a later date and will likely be announced by the president. But a Republican source told Fox News Digital it’s probable the convention would be held at the same time as the RNC’s summer meeting, which typically occurs in August. The rival Democratic National Committee (DNC) may also hold a midterm convention. Sources confirmed to Fox News Digital last summer that DNC chair Ken Martin and other party leaders were quietly pushing the idea of a convention ahead of the midterms. Democrats held a handful of midterm conventions in the 1970s and 1980s.
Inside ‘MELANIA’: The unprecedented access behind Melania Trump’s first film
EXCLUSIVE: From the music, to the cinematography, to the lighting, the marketing and beyond, first lady Melania Trump has planned “every element” of her upcoming first film, “MELANIA,” with her agent and exclusive senior advisor telling Fox News Digital that her involvement in bringing her vision to life has been “unparalleled.” “MELANIA,” a 104-minute film, is set to hit the big screen globally Jan. 30, appearing in theaters across North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and more. TRUMP, FIRST LADY SET FOR WASHINGTON TRUMP–KENNEDY CENTER PREMIERE OF ‘MELANIA’ AHEAD OF GLOBAL RELEASE But the night before, on Jan. 29, premiere events will be hosted across the nation, as Amazon brings the film to theaters. Fox News Digital has learned that President Donald Trump and the first lady will attend the premiere event at the newly renamed Trump–Kennedy Center in Washington Jan. 29. Premiere events also will be held in New York; Phoenix; Salt Lake City; Chicago; Miami; San Diego; Nashville, Tennessee; Orlando, Florida; Orange County, California; San Francisco/Palo Alto; Minneapolis; Philadelphia; Denver; Detroit; Kansas City, Missouri; Boston; Austin, Texas; Houston; Las Vegas; Dallas; and Los Angeles. Fox News Digital has learned that Amazon executives will attend premiere events for the film. Marc Beckman, the first lady’s agent and exclusive senior advisor — and her right-hand-man — told Fox News Digital that the first lady has been hands-on from day one. “The first lady’s involvement and her participation in this film is unparalleled,” Beckman said. “She is fully committed from ideation of the concept itself to the creative direction across all touchpoints.” “As everyone knows, the first lady is a very visual person — she is best in class when it comes to style and design,” Beckman said. “She had the idea of getting into the film industry for many, many years.” Beckman said that from the get-go, the first lady’s idea was “to create a very rich, cinematic experience unlike anything that has been created before. This is not a documentary. This is a film.” “It is to give her fans, and Americans, and people around the world the opportunity to look into the life of a first lady who has been very, very private,” he explained. The film will give the audience a look into the first lady’s business, her philanthropic efforts and her family life, “all as she prepares to be the first lady of the United States again.” “She brings the audience into certain moments — interacting with her husband; the U.S. Secret Service for security; geopolitical moments; moments with world leaders; and — of course, for those who want it — there is tons of fashion here.” Beckman added: “I call it a fashion explosion. Vogue can’t keep up with the first lady’s fashion. She is undeniably the most fashionable first lady in history.” “She brings the audience into incredible meetings that no one has ever seen before of a first lady and a president of the United States going into office — this is unprecedented access that all Americans, and people all over the world, would love to see.” Beckman said that the film, on one hand, is about Melania Trump. “But on the other hand, it is about what a first lady of the United States has to do to get her family ready, on the personal side, to retake the office, on a professional side,” he said. Beckman detailed the original negotiations he led with major companies like Amazon, who ultimately bought the rights, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount, Netflix and Disney. EXCLUSIVE: FIRST LOOK AT ‘MELANIA’ FILM Fox News Digital has learned that Disney sought to obtain the exclusive rights to the film, as well as Netflix and Paramount. Amazon and MGM had the highest bid, purchasing the license for the film for $40 million — the largest documentary deal in history. Beckman stressed that he negotiated the deal on behalf of the first lady while dealing with “all the studios directly.” “Effectively, we created a bidding war,” he said. “I was able to have a very competitive bidding process between best-in-class companies.” Beckman said the decision to select Amazon was “not only for their financial offer, but because they had the most impressive team for what the first lady wanted to create — a quality film in theaters, and later, the docuseries.” “The docuseries will allow the first lady to unpack these stories in a much bigger, detailed way,” he said. As for the deal, Beckman said it was structured in a way that made “both sides very enthusiastic.” “Amazon has been incredible,” he said. “They have been so great and so committed to the first lady and the success of this film. We’re very grateful.” The film is directed by Brett Ratner, director of the “Rush Hour” film series, who worked hand-in-hand with Melania Trump to bring her vision to life. “Brett Ratner has been amazed — he says it is as if Mrs. Trump has been working in Hollywood for her whole life — she’s a natural,” Beckman explained. “She has been involved in setting the tone with regard to, not just the concept, but lighting and filming.” Post-production, the first lady was very hands-on alongside the director with editing, color-correcting and hand-selecting all the songs for the film. “Beyond that, the first lady is also involved in the developing of all of the marketing elements,” Beckman said, noting that she built the trailer with the director and the Amazon team, commercials, and the ad and print campaign as well. Meanwhile, the first lady’s team tapped famous fashion photographer Ellen von Unwerth for the photography of the film. “This is something the fashion industry will not expect,” Beckman said. Ellen is at the top of her game — a modern legend. Unwerth works on some of the biggest fashion campaigns for Chanel, Dior and more. She has been featured in Vanity Fair and Vogue. “They worked together years ago on a campaign and, for obvious reasons, we