Trump wears ‘happy Trump’ pin alongside American flag during White House oil executive meeting
President Trump sported a unique accessory at the White House on Friday, a custom lapel pin depicting what he called a “happy Trump.” The president wore the small pin, which appeared to be a cartoon-style depiction of Trump in a navy suit and red tie just beneath his customary American flag lapel pin, while meeting with oil and gas executives in the East Room of the White House. Fox News’ Senior White House Correspondent Peter Doocy noticed the accessory and asked the president about it. “I see the American flag lapel pin,” Doocy said. “What is the other lapel pin?” FOX NEWS POLITICS NEWSLETTER: 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM TRUMP’S PUSH TO PUT US OIL FIRMS BACK IN VENEZUELA Trump explained that the pin was a gift. “Somebody gave me this. You know what that is? That’s called a ‘happy Trump,’” the president said, holding up the pin. “And consider the fact that I’m never happy. I’m never satisfied. I will never be satisfied until we make America great again. But we’re getting pretty close.” TRUMP PAUSES OIL EXEC SUMMIT TO PEEK AT WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM’S PROGRESS Trump added, “Somebody gave it to me. I put it on.” The lighthearted moment quickly gained traction on social media, with users on X praising the pin and the president’s sense of humor. “Trump is wearing a ‘Happy Trump’ pin today,” one user wrote, alongside laughing emoji. “How can you not love this guy?” “Where can I get a happy Trump pin?” another asked. “Only our wonderful President Trump! He is wearing a “Happy Trump” pin because he says he’ll never be happy until America is Great Again…but we’re getting close! Hilarious!” a third user wrote. TRUMP ANNOUNCES VENEZUELA IS TURNING OVER MILLIONS OF BARRELS OF OIL TO US GOVERNMENT “IMMEDIATELY” The exchange came as Trump hosted nearly two dozen oil executives at the White House Friday to discuss investment in Venezuela after the U.S. military’s successful capture of the nation’s dictatorial president, Nicolás Maduro. The lineup of oil companies included Chevron, Exxon, ConocoPhillips, Continental, Halliburton, HKN, Valero, Marathon, Shell, Trafigura, Vitol Americas, Repsol, Eni, Aspect Holdings, Tallgrass, Raisa Energy and Hilcorp. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum also attended the meeting. Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Why the FBI can exclude state authorities from Minnesota shooting probe
The FBI has asserted authority over the investigation into a shooting by an ICE agent in Minnesota, effectively sidelining the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and spurring questions about who has jurisdiction in the case. Federal officials have said the FBI’s jurisdiction is clear when a federal officer’s actions are being reviewed, but state leaders in Minnesota insisted Friday that they will pursue their own parallel inquiry into the incident. The dispute arose after the Minnesota BCA revealed after the shooting that the FBI had shut the BCA out of the investigation. The incident involved an ICE agent appearing on video to shoot and kill 37-year-old Renee Good as she accelerated her vehicle in his direction. CELLPHONE VIDEO RELEASED IN DEADLY MINNEAPOLIS ICE AGENT SHOOTING It is common for the FBI and state and local agencies to pool resources to investigate crimes that could fall under all their jurisdictions, but Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday the federal government did not view the shooting as one of those cases. “They have not been cut out; they don’t have any jurisdiction in this investigation,” Noem said. Noem framed the incident as an attack on a federal agent, a point Democratic Gov. Tim Walz criticized as a predetermined outcome to an ongoing probe. Democrats have widely condemned the shooting as murder and an improper use of lethal force, but Noem and others in the Trump administration disagreed. “The officer feels as though his life was in jeopardy,” Noem said. “[The vehicle] was used to perpetuate a violent act. This officer took action to protect himself and to protect other law enforcement officers.” The FBI declined to comment on the investigation. A federal law enforcement source told Fox News Digital the incident was a textbook example of a federal case that the FBI had jurisdiction over. The source also pointed to a letter Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote to California’s leaders in October asserting that federal officers acting in their job capacity could not face state charges. “The Department of Justice views any arrests of federal agents and officers in the performance of their official duties as both illegal and futile,” Blanche wrote. “Numerous federal laws prohibit interfering with and impeding immigration or other law-enforcement operations. … Further, the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the United States Constitution precludes a federal officer from being held on a state criminal charge where the alleged crime arose during the performance of his federal duties.” The supremacy clause protects federal officers from state prosecution when those officers are performing their job duties, though the officers do not have complete immunity, which has long been a point of contention. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said during a press conference Friday that she felt Minnesota prosecutors did have authority over the ICE agent’s case. “We do have jurisdiction to make the decision with what happened in this case,” Moriarty said. “It does not matter that it was a federal law enforcement agent.” Moriarty did, however, acknowledge “complex legal issues” involved in cases involving a federal law enforcement officer. Moriarty, who was joined by Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison, called on the public to provide any evidence or tips to state prosecutors, saying the FBI deprived them of even reviewing evidence and that Minnesota prosecutors would conduct their own investigation. Ellison cast doubt on the FBI’s ability to conduct a fair inquiry and said a state probe was necessary. Ellison wanted, “to the degree that it’s possible, to set forth a process which, when it’s over, fair-minded people can say, ‘Well as good and just of a job that could be done was done,’” he said. MINNESOTA SCHOOLS SHUT DOWN, TEACHERS UNION DEMANDS ICE LEAVE CITY Blanche said in a statement Thursday that “following any officer-involved shooting, standard protocols ensure that evidence is collected and preserved.” Multiple sources also told Fox News Digital the federal government was skeptical of Minnesota’s desire to conduct a good-faith investigation. They cited remarks from state leaders, including Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who said that claims that the ICE agent acted in self-defense were “bull—-.” One retired agent who worked at the FBI for two decades told Fox News Digital in a recent interview about the Brown University shooting investigation, which initially was being conducted at the local level, that the bureau can take the reins of an investigation once it identifies a federal violation. “It just comes down to what kind of crime it is,” the retired agent said. “If they can’t tie a federal nexus to it, the bureau doesn’t have a dog in the fight.”
FBI names Christopher Raia co-deputy director after Dan Bongino’s departure
FBI veteran Christopher Raia has been named co-deputy director of the federal law enforcement agency, the bureau confirmed Friday to Fox News Digital. Raia, who runs the bureau’s New York City field office, will move to Washington, D.C., and begin his job on Monday serving as co-deputy director with Andrew Bailey. Raia’s elevation comes after Dan Bongino announced he was leaving the position and returning to “civilian life.” His last day on the job was Jan. 3. Bongino was a conservative commentator and podcaster before President Donald Trump nominated him for the position. DAN BONGINO OFFICIALLY LEAVES FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR ROLE AFTER LESS THAN A YEAR, RETURNS TO ‘CIVILIAN LIFE’ “It’s been an incredible year thanks to the leadership and decisiveness of President Trump,” Bongino wrote on X Saturday. “It was the honor of a lifetime to work with Director [Kash] Patel, and to serve you, the American people. See you on the other side.” Bongino made the announcement he was leaving last month, thanking Trump, Patel and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi “for the opportunity to serve with purpose.” BONDI, PATEL TAP MISSOURI AG AS ADDITIONAL FBI CO-DEPUTY DIRECTOR ALONGSIDE BONGINO Bongino and Bondi had previously clashed over the release of the Epstein files, and a source told Fox News over the summer he had considered resigning over the Justice Department’s handling of the situation. Bongino didn’t give a reason for his resignation less than a year after he started as deputy director, but Trump said last month the 51-year-old “wants to go back to his show.”
Anti-ICE agitators threaten agents in chaotic Minnesota protests: ‘You’re going to f—ing die’
Anti-ICE agitators have erupted en masse in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of a protester who the Trump administration says tried to run over an agent. Video of the chaotic scenes unfolding in Minneapolis shows agitators harassing federal agents, with some throwing snowballs at them and some shouting phrases such as “We’re going to f—ing kill you” and “I hope you suffer.” One video shows several federal vehicles driving down a Minneapolis street surrounded by protesters on either side of them. Many of the protesters can be seen lobbing snowballs at the vehicles while the crowd chants, “ICE out now.” In another video, reposted by the White House’s official rapid response X account, a protester outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building can be seen confronting a law enforcement vehicle, shouting, “We’re going to f—ing find you, and we’re going to f—ing kill you! You’re going to f—ing die, b–ch!” TRUMP DEFENDS ICE AGENT, SHOWS NYT REPORTERS VIDEO OF DEADLY MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING The White House referred to these individuals as “left-wing agitators.” Another video posted on X shows a protester telling U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commander Gregory Bovino, “I hope you suffer, I hope you suffer a long, terrible death.” In response, Bovino informs the protester that federal law enforcement is conducting “Title 8 enforcement, ma’am.” Title 8 enforcement involves civil immigration arrests of illegal aliens without criminal offenses. Other videos show protesters cursing federal officials. In one instance, a protester whacks an official with a sign as he shoves a protester back. The protester is then grabbed by several officers and taken to the ground. ICE DIRECTOR FIRES BACK AT ‘SQUAD’ LAWMAKERS OVER ‘POLITICAL RHETORIC’ AFTER FATAL MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING In response, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLauglin told Fox News, “We are seeing a coordinated campaign of violence against our law enforcement, particularly in Minneapolis.” McLaughlin said federal officials in the city have seen five instances of protesters ramming law enforcement vehicles with their cars and an “8000 percent increase in death threats.” DHS wrote on X that “dangerous criminals – whether they be illegal aliens or U.S. citizens – are turning their vehicles into weapons to attack ICE.” “The brave men and women of DHS law enforcement will not be deterred and will continue arresting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens,” wrote DHS. This comes after an anti-ICE protester, later identified as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, was shot and killed by a federal official after she allegedly attempted to run him over. WALZ PREPARES NATIONAL GUARD AFTER WOMAN KILLED IN ICE OPERATION: ‘NEVER BEEN AT WAR’ WITH FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Federal authorities said Good had tried to run over ICE agents who were part of a 2,000-strong team sent to the Twin Cities to investigate fraud in the state and deport illegal immigrants. “This appears to be an attempt to kill or to cause bodily harm to agents, an act of domestic terrorism,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said during a news conference late Wednesday in Minneapolis. “The ICE officer, fearing for his life and the other officers around him and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots. He used his training to save his own life and that of his colleagues.” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Good was shot in the head and later pronounced dead at Hennepin County Medical Center.
Trump says US is making moves to acquire Greenland ‘whether they like it or not’
President Donald Trump warned Friday during a meeting with nearly two dozen oil executives that Russia and China will not move in on the nations of Venezuela or Greenland on his watch. “We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not,” Trump said Friday. “Because if we don’t do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we’re not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor.” Trump’s comments came as he hosted nearly two dozen oil executives at the White House to discuss investments in Venezuela after the capture of dictatorial president Nicolás Maduro Saturday morning. “We don’t want to have Russia there,” Trump said of Venezuela Friday when asked if the nation appears to be an ally to the U.S. “We don’t want to have China there. And, by the way, we don’t want Russia or China going to Greenland, which, if we don’t take Greenland, you can have Russia or China as your next-door neighbor. That’s not going to happen.” SENATE DEM JOHN FETTERMAN SUPPORTS PROSPECT OF US GREENLAND PURCHASE, CITING ‘MASSIVE STRATEGIC BENEFITS’ Trump added that he would like to make a deal with Denmark, saying, “if we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way.” Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. “And, by the way, I’m a fan of Denmark, too, I have to tell you. … But, you know, the fact that they had a boat land there 500 years ago doesn’t mean that they own the land. I’m sure we had lots of boats go there also,” he said. The U.S. military carried out a successful operation in Veneuzla Saturday morning, capturing Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on sweeping narco-terrorism conspiracy and drug trafficking charges. The operation was swiftly followed by Trump putting “anyone who would threaten American sovereignty or endanger American lives” on notice. Trump has for years floated the U.S. acquiring Greenland due to its strategic position between North America and Europe in the Arctic Circle, and he was pressed about revisiting such plans after the Venezuela operation. Both nations are also rich in resources, including oil and rare earths. Trump defended the desire to own Greenland even when the U.S. already has a military presence on the island, saying, “When we own it, we defend it.” US MAY BE INVOLVED IN VENEZUELA FOR YEARS, TRUMP SAYS “We need Greenland from a national security situation. It’s so strategic. Right now. Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place,” Trump said from Air Force One Sunday as he traveled back to Washington from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. China has shown a growing ambition in the Arctic, including publishing its first Arctic policy white paper in 2018, when it labeled itself a “near-Arctic state.” Greenland played a pivotal role during the Cold War because it was along the shortest routes between North America and the Soviet Union and conducted missile detection. “If you take a look outside of Greenland right now, there are Russian destroyers, there are Chinese destroyers and bigger. There are Russian submarines all over the place. We’re not going to have Russia or China occupy Greenland, and that’s what they’re going to do if we don’t. So, we’re going to be doing something with Greenland either the nice way or the more difficult way,” he added. Trump told the media Sunday that “we’ll worry about Greenland in about two months,” but global discussions surrounding the Danish territory have intensified since. European leaders, including in Denmark, have recoiled at Trump’s calls to acquire Greenland, arguing that NATO allies work together to ensure the Arctic is secure. WHITE HOUSE SAYS US WILL SHAPE VENEZUELA’S FUTURE AS TRUMP EMBRACES ‘AMERICAN DOMINANCE’ Arctic security must be “achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies, including the United States, by upholding the principles of the U.N. Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them,” the top leaders from the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark said in a joint statement. “Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.” Trump added Friday that “NATO has got to understand” that “we’re not going to allow Russia or China to occupy Greenland, and that’s what’s going to happen if we don’t.”
NAACP posts split image comparing ICE agents to KKK members: ‘Different mask, same agenda’
The NAACP took to social media Thursday to share a contentious split image of a masked ICE agent and a hooded Ku Klux Klan (KKK) member, comparing the government agency to a White supremacist terrorist group. Along with the shocking photo, the NAACP posted, “Different mask, same agenda.” “Fear. Terror. Division. Unlawful arrests. No due process. Now Murder. Quit hiding. Your agenda is being exposed,” the post read. “The PEOPLE have a clear response: No Fear. No Failure. No Division.” Nearly 70,000 people reacted to the photo on Facebook, which garnered nearly 10,000 comments and 30,000 shares. The KKK was founded in 1865 in Pulaski, Tennessee, following the South’s defeat in the Civil War, and targeted Black freedmen and their allies. CROCKETT WARNS OF NATIONWIDE PROTESTS OVER ICE SHOOTING: ‘STATE-SANCTIONED EXECUTION’ Members used threats and violence in an attempt to restore White supremacy, spreading terror across the South with little risk of prosecution, according to the National Park Service (NPS) website. Congress took action to prosecute Klansmen in the 1870s, but there was a resurgence in 1915, near Atlanta, Georgia, with a new focus on anti-immigration, anti-Catholicism, prohibition and antisemitism. Researchers estimate that there are as many as 150 Klan chapters currently active in the U.S., with between 5,000 and 8,000 members nationwide, according to the NPS. PHILADELPHIA SHERIFF RIPS ICE AS ‘FAKE, WANNABE LAW ENFORCEMENT,’ THREATENING ARRESTS: ‘DON’T WANT THIS SMOKE’ The NAACP’s post came amid protests related to the death of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three, who was shot and killed by an ICE agent Wednesday after allegedly attempting to drive into the officer during an immigration operation. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials described the shooting as an act of “self-defense,” noting Good was a member of the immigration activist group “ICE Watch,” which aims to monitor, track, interfere and oppose ongoing federal immigration enforcement operations. ICE Watch-style networks have been linked to multiple confrontations with federal law enforcement, including incidents where vehicles were used to block or strike officers. JONATHAN TURLEY SLAMS MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR’S ‘RECKLESS’ RESPONSE TO ICE SHOOTING Footage taken by the agent who was allegedly targeted by the SUV showed another ICE agent approaching Good’s stopped SUV, attempting to open the driver’s side door, before the car lunged forward toward him. “After nearly 10 vehicle rammings targeting ICE and CBP officers this week, the NAACP is smearing and demonizing ICE law enforcement, likening them to the KKK,” DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Our officers wear masks to protect themselves from being doxxed and targeted by known and suspected terrorist sympathizers. Not only is ICE law enforcement facing a more than 1,300 percent increase in assaults against them, but we’ve also seen thugs launch websites to reveal officers’ identity.” “The men and women at CBP, ICE, and all of our federal law enforcement agencies put their lives on the line every day to arrest violent criminal illegal aliens to protect and defend the lives of American citizens,” McLaughlin added. “Make no mistake, this type of demonization is contributing to the surge in assaults of law enforcement officers.” Democrats initially claimed the woman was not trying to hit the federal agent, labeling the shooting a “murder.” “[The ICE agent] properly defended himself from being run over by organized leftist protesters who were impeding an active law enforcement operation,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a social media post, referencing the newly released video. “The reason trust in the media is at an all-time low is because they intentionally lie to the public to advance the Democrats’ narrative. That’s exactly what they did in this case in Minnesota.” The NAACP did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Julia Bonavita and Alexic McAdams contributed to this report.
Obama Presidential Center job listings push ‘anti-racism’ pledge ahead of opening
The Obama Presidential Center is just months away from opening in Chicago, officially accepting job applications for individuals who share the organization’s commitment to “anti-racism and equity,” according to its website. “When people come here, we want them to feel what makes the South Side so special,” former President Barack Obama said in a video message posted to social media Tuesday announcing the job openings. “The mix of warmth and grit, the sense of humor that can brighten any day, the creativity that turns challenges into opportunities, and the joy that shows up in every block, every place of worship and every family reunion.” The presidential center, which is expected to open on Chicago’s South Side in June, is looking to fill 150 job positions stretching from custodians to “ambassadors of hope” who greet visitors. Applications are open until Jan. 31. The Obama Foundation’s website underscores its commitment to being an “anti-racist” organization throughout its main web page focused on careers, as well as within the job descriptions for the available roles. DEI AND WOKE IDEOLOGY ARE ON LIFE SUPPORT UNDER TRUMP’S RETURN TO DC, BUT COULD COME ROARING BACK WITH REBRAND Within its job description advertising for a full-time security officer, for example, the website notes that it is an equal opportunity employer that is “deeply committed to creating an actively anti-racist organization, leveraging our global reach to combat systemic racism and inequity wherever it exists.” The center describes its team as “equal parts dreamers and doers” and who “care as much about how we achieve our goals as we do about the goals themselves.” “We are also committed to creating an anti-racist organization in order to do our part to help combat racism and inequity in all forms, in communities across our nation and around the world,” the Obama Foundation’s main webpage for careers states. TAXPAYERS ON THE HOOK FOR LAWN CARE, FIXING HINGES AT PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES. TRUMP-LED REFORMS AIM TO STOP IT The Obama Foundation directed website visitors and potential hires to read its lengthy statement on anti-racism and equity, which highlighted that the organization is working to build a network committed to addressing systemic racism and gender discrimination, stressing that combating inequity requires not just policy changes but sustained cultural and institutional commitment. “That’s why our goal is to make sure every member of the Foundation team is committed to anti-racism, sets expectations for how we will engage, and makes space for the work,” the statement said. “We’re focused on making sure our actions match our intent – removing barriers for diverse vendors, building anti-racism and equity into our hiring practices, and recruiting diverse cohorts for our leadership programs. We also want to be strong partners, working with members of the predominantly Black community that is our home, and the future home of the (Obama Presidential Center).” OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER BREAKS SILENCE OVER CONTROVERSIAL BUILDING DESIGN Fox News Digital reached out to the Obama Foundation Friday morning inquiring if there’s a mechanism or process to determine a potential hire is aligned with their “anti-racist” vision, and if it will accept applications from noncitizens, but did not immediately receive a reply. Obama’s presidential center underscoring its commitment to anti-racist policies comes after President Donald Trump took a hatchet to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within the federal government upon his return to the Oval Office, which has had a cascading effect throughout private industry. Trump signed an executive order on day one of his second administration, for example, titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” which directed federal agencies to stamp out DEI-style programs across the federal government. The following day, Trump signed a second order aimed at “restoring merit-based opportunity,” including changes to federal contracting and related compliance. “We’ve ended the tyranny of so-called Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies all across the entire federal government and indeed the private sector and our military. And our country will be woke no longer,” Trump said in March during a joint address to Congress celebrating his early wins of the administration. PROTESTERS RAGED, CRITICS MOCKED — NOW OBAMA SAYS HIS LIBRARY’S ACTUALLY OPENING Obama’s presidential center is set to open its doors in June after years of delays, including lawsuits and federal reviews that pushed the timeline back from its initial 2021 expected opening. The center will include a handful of attractions, including the presidential library, a museum, auditorium, a Chicago Public Library branch, a garden, athletic facility and other attractions on its roughly 20-acre campus. The building has faced sharp scrutiny and mockery from some locals, who have previously lampooned the design of the massive, mostly window-less building, with the New York Post reporting some Chicagoans refer to it as the “Obamalisk.” Obama Foundation Deputy Director Kim Patterson defended the architecture in December 2025, telling CBS News that the design of the building was intentional, including to protect artwork within the building. “The shape of the building was actually meant to mimic four hands coming together to show the importance of our collective action,” Patterson told the outlet. “There are not a lot of windows on the building, but that’s intentional, because sunlight is just not a friend to the artwork and the artifacts that are going inside of the building,” Patterson added of why the building has few windows.
Key Republican negotiator details bipartisan Obamacare fix as abortion dispute remains sticking point
A bipartisan cohort of senators is nearing a final plan to tackle rising healthcare costs, but the issue of more-stringent restrictions preventing taxpayer-funded abortions remains a major hurdle in the way to sealing the deal. The working group, led by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, has held several meetings since dueling, partisan proposals to either extend or replace expired enhanced Obamacare premium subsidies failed late last year. Now, they’re on the verge of unveiling their plan and have started sharing what exactly the rough framework would look like. But while selling the bones of the latest idea to tackle healthcare will be one thing, overcoming the issue of taxpayer-funded abortions will be another. EXPIRED OBAMACARE SUBSIDY DEAL INCHES TOWARD SENATE FLOOR VOTE AMID BIPARTISAN TALKS The Hyde Amendment, which dictates that taxpayer dollars can’t fund abortions, has proven a sticking point on both sides of the aisle. Senate Republicans argue that Obamacare doesn’t completely follow the law, while Senate Democrats contend that no modifications need to be made to the longstanding statute. “There’s no disagreement that there should not be federal funding for abortion,” Moreno said. “Nobody on either side is wanting to relitigate that question. So we’re past that mountain. The next mountain is a dispute as to whether that is actually happening today through [Obamacare].” “A group of people, very good people, say that it is happening, and there’s a group of other people who have good people, too, that say it’s not happening,” he continued. “So we have to resolve that.” CONGRESS BLOCKS OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES AFTER SHUTDOWN FIGHT, PREMIUMS SET TO SURGE That wrinkle, in particular, was further amplified by President Donald Trump, who earlier this week urged that House Republicans “have to be a little flexible” when it comes to the Hyde Amendment. That edict was met with backlash from Senate Republicans, who argued there was no room for flexibility on the issue. Moreno didn’t say whether the current plan addressed the Hyde issue, but he laid out what the skeletal framework that senators have built would look like. It would play out over two years and act as more of a temporary fix than a permanent bridge, which Moreno noted would be crucial in selling the plan to his Republican colleagues. SEN JIM JUSTICE SAYS REPUBLICANS ARE ‘LOUSY’ AT KNOWING WHAT EVERYDAY AMERICANS THINK ABOUT HEALTHCARE “That’s a key thing that I got to convince my colleagues to understand, who hate Obamacare, they hate the policy, and say, ‘Let’s take two years to actually deliver for the American people truly affordable healthcare and solve this problem for the people who are going to suffer as a result of not having these enhanced premium tax credits,’” Moreno said. “They didn’t cause the problem, politicians caused that problem.” Up front, their plan would extend the subsidies for two years and prolong the open enrollment period for the Obamacare marketplace until March 1. During the first year, an income cap would be added, which was blown away when the subsidies were enhanced under former President Joe Biden, at 700% of the federal poverty level. There would also be a requirement of either a $5 or $60 minimum premium payment as a fraud prevention method. That would be coupled with a $100,000 fine for insurance companies that are “deliberately causing fraud, and signing [someone] up without their consent.” In the second year, people would have a choice to either stick with the subsidies or switch their coverage plan in favor of a health savings account (HSA) — a key demand from Republicans and Trump. Their plan would also reinstate cost-sharing reduction payments, “which, according to [Congressional Budget Office], would reduce premiums for everybody on the exchange by 11%,” Moreno said.
US move on Venezuela sparks Taiwan comparisons as lawmakers debate China threat
Lawmakers are clashing over whether U.S. military action in Venezuela could be exploited by China as it weighs its next moves toward Taiwan, underscoring a sharp divide in Congress over comparisons between American force and authoritarian aggression. Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-Md., argued that China sees an opening in the making. “They are looking at this, and they can justify what they’re doing because it’s the exact same thing that the United States is doing,” Meeks said. Meeks is the ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST CALLS OUT PARTY FOR ‘OPPOSE FIRST, THINK LATER’ RESPONSE TO TRUMP’S CAPTURE OF MADURO When asked about Meeks’ concern, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., agreed that China might look at the moment opportunistically. “China might try to use any rhetoric anytime, any place. That wouldn’t be surprising,” Mast said. “It would be par for the course that they do that.” But, in his view, the American effort in Venezuela bears little similarity to the one China has threatened against Taiwan. “It’s apples to oranges,” Mast said. Where Democrats see rhetorical parallels that might invite parallel results, Republicans like Mast see key substantive differences in China’s aggressive posture toward Taiwan that separate it from American efforts in Venezuela. China, led by President Xi Jinping, maintains that Taiwan is not an independent country and that it is instead a portion of China that will one day reunite under the mainland’s government. For years, China has conducted military exercises around Taiwan’s borders. Just last week, China fired a series of rockets into the waters surrounding Taiwan as a part of military drills, drawing alarm from U.S. lawmakers. Clark Summers, professor of international relations at Belmont Abbey College, believes China’s view of Taiwan’s legitimacy is not unlike the way the U.S. saw Nicolás Maduro’s presidency in Venezuela — a regime the U.S. maintains had hung on to power unlawfully. “At the same time that the U.S. asserts a legal authority to take action with regard to Venezuela, that largely becomes a two-edged sword in that Beijing can assert the same basic right of intervention within its own sphere of influence,” Summers said. VANCE SAYS CROCKETT ‘DOESN’T KNOW WHAT SHE’S TALKING ABOUT’ ON VENEZUELA MADURO OPERATION “I think China will claim that anything that will help them build the argument that the use of force is appropriate and just under international law,” he said. Other Republican lawmakers rejected the idea that the U.S. capture of Maduro bears any similarity to the aggression displayed by China and Russia. Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., the chair of the House Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, framed the U.S.’ efforts as a narrowly tailored law enforcement effort. “[Maduro] is indicted for drug trafficking, causing and moving drugs into the United States, killing hundreds and thousands of American lives,” Kim said. “This was a law enforcement operation, precise, targeted, very successful, very limited. Contrary to that,” Kim said. Mast echoed Kim’s thinking. “We conducted a law enforcement function. It wasn’t a function of ‘we’re taking you out because we don’t recognize you as a government.’ That’s what it would be for China, right?” Mast asked. MORNING GLORY: THE UNITED STATES IS NOW ‘RUNNING’ VENEZUELA AFTER MADURO OUSTER Democrats remain unconvinced. Meeks argued that the idea that the U.S. should use its superpower status to align its neighbors more closely with its interests reflects thinking more in line with totalitarian governments. “That fits the same rationale and the reason why Putin says he is going into Ukraine and does not want NATO there,” Meeks said. Rep. George Latimer, D-N.Y., is more concerned that when the U.S. goes to stand up to future aggressors, those countries will use Venezuela to deflect international pressure. “What’s our moral standing when Russia goes into Ukraine, as China may yet go into Taiwan, as any one powerful country after another country? They’ll look at us and say, ‘What did you do in Venezuela?’” Lawmakers in the Senate voted on Thursday to advance legislation that would prevent the Trump administration from taking additional military action in Venezuela. It’s unclear when it could be taken up by the House of Representatives.
Republican senators hit border, touting tougher security and tax cuts, in 2026 kickoff
Aiming to not only hold but expand their 53-47 majority in November’s midterm elections, top Senate Republicans are showcasing the plummeting rates of border crossings during a stop Friday at the nation’s southern border with Mexico. And the group, led by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, is also highlighting how President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers are “putting more money in Americans’ pockets.” The stop at the border, hosted by One Nation, a nonprofit outside group closely aligned with Thune, is seen as an unofficial kickoff by Senate Republicans ahead of the midterms to tout the sweeping “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” Trump’s signature domestic achievement last year that was passed nearly entirely along party lines in the GOP controlled Congress. At the event at the border, which was a regular stop for Republicans amid the surge in border crossings during then-President Joe Biden’s administration, the GOP senators are teaming up with members of the National Border Patrol Council. And they are highlighting how the passage of the domestic policy measure “secured transformational border security funding,” according to One Nation. THUNE PREVIEWS SENATE REPUBLICANS’ MIDTERM MESSAGE “This is a remarkable, remarkable difference in just a year,” Thune said at the event. “It’s been an incredible year of progress when it comes to the southern border and the American people are experiencing the benefit of that in the form of having safer streets and safer communities and safer neighborhoods.” But with Democrats enjoying decisive victories and overperformances in the 2025 elections and in a slew of special elections and other ballot box showdowns last year, which were fueled by their laser focus on affordability amid persistent inflation, the Republican senators are also using Friday’s trip to spotlight the tax cut and energy policy provisions in the bill, which they rebranded as the “Working Families Tax Cut.” “The Working Families Tax Cut will make buying groceries more affordable for working Americans this year,” the Senate Republicans touted on social media on the eve of the border stop. “Every Democrat voted against it.” DOUBLING DOWN: TOP HOUSE DEMOCRAT SAYS FOCUS ON HIGH PRICES ‘ABSOLUTELY GOING TO CONTINUE’ And they also highlighted that “Senate Republicans have worked closely with President Trump to lower energy prices and make life more affordable — and the results speak for themselves.” Thune, at the border, pointed to the tax cut provisions in the GOP measure, including no tax on tips and overtime and reduced rates for seniors on Social Security, along with “the jobs that are going to be created by the pro-growth policies that we put in place….are going to lead us to a place where the American people are seeing their incomes go up.” But Democrats see the cost of living as their winning issue heading into the midterms. “If the Republican agenda actually made life more affordable for working Americans, then they wouldn’t be desperately flailing as families struggle to afford groceries, health care, and housing,” Lauren French, communications director at Senate Majority PAC, the top Senate Democrat-aligned outside group, told Fox News Digital. “Instead of focusing on working people, Trump and Senate Republicans are focused on bringing chaos and instability into our communities.” Joining Thune, the longtime senator from South Dakota, at the border is Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, number two in Senate Republican leadership. There are also Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who faces a bruising GOP primary showdown in March against challengers Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt; and Republican Sens. Jon Husted of Ohio and Ashley Moody of Florida, who were appointed last year and will face voters this November. HEALTHCARE, ECONOMY AND THE ‘ONE BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’: WELCOME TO THE MIDTERMS GOP Sens. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska and Mike Rounds of South Dakota, who are up for re-election this year, are also on the trip, as are former Rep. Mike Rogers and former Republican National Committee chair Mike Whatley, the GOP Senate candidates in battlegrounds Michigan and North Carolina who are backed by Thune and the National Republican Senatorial Committee. “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,” Whatley argued last month in a Fox News Digital interview. “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 Democrats are energized as the midterm year begins, as they continue to keep their focus on the issue of affordability. “Donald Trump has lost the economy, is losing his mind, and is going to lose the midterms,” Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin claimed in a recent statement.