Trump and GOP eye midterm convention cities in high-stakes bid to hold House, Senate
President Donald Trump likes the idea of holding the GOP’s first ever midterm convention later this year in Nevada or Texas, people involved in the discussions tell Fox News Digital. But those sources say that the president’s initial preferences don’t mean that other cities are off the list of convention host city contenders. As Fox News Digital first reported, the Republican National Committee (RNC) last week took a big step toward holding the convention by approving a change to the party’s rules that would allow Chair Joe Gruters to convene a convention during a midterm election year. Gruters, speaking with reporters after the RNC greenlighted the midterm convention, called it a “Trump-a-palooza” where “we can really highlight all the incredible things that this president has done.” FIRST ON FOX: GOP TAKES BIG STEP TOWARDS HOLDING MIDTERM CONVENTION 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, 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. GOP CALLS TRUMP ITS ‘SECRET WEAPON’ — BUT POLLS SHOW WARNING SIGNS HEADING INTO MIDTERMS Details on the date and location of the midterm convention are expected to be revealed in the weeks ahead and will likely be announced by the president. In the meantime, here’s a possible list of five strategic cities for the midterm convention. The locations, which anchor key battleground states or could serve as gateways to shifting demographic blocks, are aimed at giving Republicans an electoral edge in the midterms. The city that touts that it’s the world’s entertainment capital due to its nightlife, shows and its long role as the nation’s legalized gambling mecca is also the largest city in swing state Nevada, which Trump narrowly carried in 2024. Nevada will once again play a crucial role in the 2026 midterms, with Republicans aiming to flip three Democrat-held House seats. And the state will also likely hold a competitive gubernatorial election, as GOP Gov. Joe Lombardo seeks a second term. Holding their midterm convention in Las Vegas might give the GOP a ballot box boost, similar to the likely bounce Trump received as he narrowly won battleground Wisconsin in 2024 after Republicans held their national nominating convention in Milwaukee. And a party gathering in Las Vegas could help the GOP further appeal to the growing block of Hispanic voters and “service-class” workers who have been increasingly attracted to the party’s economic agenda and messaging. Though Texas has been reliably red for a couple of decades, Republicans are working to protect GOP Sen. John Cornyn’s seat this year in a state that Democrats have long tried to stay competitive. TRUMP VOWS HEAVY CAMPAIGN PUSH FOR GOP, CITES ‘MIDTERM CURSE’ FOR SITTING PRESIDENTS And the GOP aims to go on offense in Texas as they defend their House majority, looking to flip up to five congressional seats from blue to red after Lone Star State Republicans took the lead in the redistricting battle. Plus, similar to Las Vegas, holding a convention in Texas puts Latino voters front and center for Republicans. Holding their convention in the nation’s fifth most populous city may boost Republicans as they strive to win back control of Arizona’s governor’s office in the midterms, as well as defend a handful of GOP-controlled House seats as they defend the majority in the chamber. Choosing Phoenix as host city would also allow the GOP to hammer home themes of border security and inflation in the crucial southwestern battleground. And hosting in Phoenix, similar to Las Vegas and Dallas, would give Republicans an opportunity to showcase outreach to Latino voters. With ballot box showdowns for a Democrat-held open Senate seat and governor’s office, swing state Michigan is a top GOP target. And with four competitive House races, the results in the Great Lakes State may determine if Republicans keep their majority. Holding the convention in Detroit also allows the GOP to focus on manufacturing, energy prices and trade. Republicans view Sen. Jon Ossoff as the most vulnerable Democratic senator seeking re-election this year. And the GOP’s also defending the governor’s office, as popular Gov. Brian Kemp is term-limited. Plus, naming Atlanta as host city would give Republicans a chance to showcase their efforts to court Black voters.
Pete Buttigieg, other Democrats endorse Amy Klobuchar for Minnesota governor
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and several other Democratic figures have endorsed U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar in her bid for Minnesota governor. Klobuchar, who has represented Minnesota in the U.S. Senate since early 2007, formally launched her gubernatorial campaign on Thursday. “I’m thrilled to support my friend @AmyKlobuchar for governor of Minnesota. I’ve worked alongside her and seen firsthand how she shows up, listens, and takes action to get results for the people she serves. Minnesotans deserve steady, caring leadership now more than ever — and they will be very well served with Amy leading their state,” Buttigieg wrote in a post on X. KLOBUCHAR LAUNCHES MINNESOTA GOVERNOR BID AFTER WALZ ENDS RE-ELECTION RUN AMID MASSIVE FRAUD SCANDAL Years ago, the two were among the field of candidates eyeing the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. During a Democratic presidential debate that year, a moderator noted that Klobuchar had been unable to name the president of Mexico during an interview — Klobuchar owned up to the “error,” but Buttigieg, who was standing at a podium directly next to her during the debate, pressed the issue. “But you’re staking your candidacy on your Washington experience. You’re on the committee that oversees border security. You’re on the committee that does trade. You’re literally … part of the committee that’s overseeing these things, and were not able to speak to literally to the first thing about the politics of the country to our south,” Buttigieg said. KLOBUCHAR HITS BACK AT ‘PERFECT’ PETE BUTTIGIEG AS FEUD FLARES AT VEGAS DEBATE U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia — who was failed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s running mate in the 2016 election — also backed Klobuchar for governor. “I’m proud to support my friend @amyklobuchar. She has proven time and time again that she’s got the commitment to inclusive progress that makes her the right leader for Minnesota—first in the Senate, now as candidate for Governor,” he said in a post on X. U.S. Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota, who is running for U.S. Senate, also backed Klobuchar for governor. FREY, KLOBUCHAR CALL FOR ICE TO LEAVE MINNEAPOLIS FOLLOWING DEADLY CBP SHOOTING IN CITY “I’m proud to support my friend @AmyKlobuchar to be our next Governor. Amy has delivered for our state and embodies what it means to be a public servant,” Craig wrote in a post on X.
CCP-connected millionaire allegedly bankrolls Minneapolis agitator groups through dark money network
As agitators and federal law enforcement continue to clash in Minneapolis, the funding behind the groups fueling the anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unrest is beginning to come to light. One of the alleged financial backers of these agitators is a Chinese Communist Party advocate traced to a multitude of dark money organizations known to fuel far-left, CCP-influenced extremism in the U.S. and across the globe. Earlier this week, a Fox News Digital investigation found several organizations are acting as lead voices in physically mobilizing agitators in Minneapolis, as well as communicating through multiple channels to encourage agitators to take to the streets in Minnesota and other cities. The Party for Socialism and Liberation and The People’s Forum are two of the core groups who allegedly have been behind facilitating and pushing agitators to organize on multiple occasions. Both organizations are largely subsidized by American former tech mogul Neville Roy Singham, according to reports and congressional probes. Despite Singham facing federal investigations stretching back decades, a former federal prosecutor tells Fox News Digital that the multi-millionaire’s move to China essentially shields him from being subpoenaed by U.S. authorities. SELF-DESCRIBED MINN ANTIFA MEMBER CALLS FOR ‘ARMED’ MEN TO STOP IMMIGRATION AGENTS HE CALLS ‘MASS MURDERERS’ Singham, therefore, remains virtually untouchable as his dark money networks continue to wreak havoc on U.S. soil, the former prosecutor added. Singham sold his IT consulting company in 2017 for $785 million and moved to Shanghai was the focus of a 2023 New York Times exposé that unveiled his alleged connections to the CCP and his determination to finance extremist groups to embolden his radical ideology. The Times reported that Singham has funneled over a quarter-billion dollars to dark money organizations in the U.S. with little to no footprints, and some of these organizations are vaguely named with office addresses under suspicious locations like general UPS mailboxes. The 71-year-old U.S. citizen turned Shanghai resident reportedly shares office space with the Maku Group, a Chinese media company that is funded by Singham and is associated with pro-CCP propaganda, including a mission to “tell China’s story well.” MINN ANTI-BORDER PATROL RIOT BACKFIRES AS AGITATORS ALLEGEDLY HURL OBJECTS AT COPS, ARRESTS EXPOSE RAP SHEETS Singham’s first run-in with federal investigations dates back to 1974, when the FBI investigated him for potentially being “engaged in activities inimical to U.S. interests.” Fast-forward several decades to 2025, when Singham and the organizations he funded face a slew of congressional investigations from multiple committees in both the House and the Senate. Committee chairs also sent multiple letters to top administration officials under the Biden and Trump administrations pushing for further examination of Singham’s dark money network. Last June, the House Oversight Committee, led by Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., launched an investigation into Singham for his alleged involvement in funding the anti-ICE riots that took place in Los Angeles last summer. ‘MOB MENTALITY’ ENDANGERS OFFICERS AMID ANTI-ICE UNREST AND CHAOS IN MINNEAPOLIS, RETIRED COPS WARN “Mr. Singham, who resides in the People’s Republic of China, has a long track-record of assisting far-left entities, such as Code Pink, that oppose U.S. interests and support U.S. adversaries,” committee lawmakers wrote in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi. The Oversight Committee noted that the Party for Socialism and Liberation, one of the organizations behind the current riots in Minneapolis, “has organized and is affiliated with a series of destructive protests and civil unrest,” and pointed to Singham’s involvement with the group. The Party for Socialism and Liberation did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. THE FAR-LEFT NETWORK THAT HELPED PUT ALEX PRETTI IN HARM’S WAY, THEN MADE HIM A MARTYR Last April, the House Ways and Means Committee, led by Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., sent a letter to then-IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel, inquiring about “specific tax-exempt organizations that promote CCP propaganda and related initiatives,” including The People’s Forum, another organization that has allegedly been organizing agitators in Minneapolis. “Mr. Singham is actively fueling CCP propaganda and financing indoctrination efforts abroad by providing hundreds of millions of dollars to groups that mix progressive advocacy with CCP talking points,” the letter read. “Despite this foreign activity and engagement with CCP-tied organizations across the world, Mr. Singham’s American-based nonprofit organizations continue to do business as usual, supporting political activity and pro-CCP propaganda.” In July 2024, then-Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who now serves as President Donald Trump’s secretary of state, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., wrote a letter to then-Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting information regarding any investigations into organizations Singham is associated with, including The People’s Forum. MINN. ‘ANTIFA’ MEMBER CLAIMS HE’S ‘ON THE RUN’ AFTER CALLING FOR ‘ARMED’ MEN TO CONFRONT IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS The People’s Forum did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. While there have been numerous investigations launched by lawmakers, Singham’s residence in China has built a barrier between him and any subpoena that would bring him before Congress for questioning. “A subpoena can’t be enforced essentially outside of our borders,” former federal prosecutor Andrew Cherkasky told Fox News Digital. “It is very difficult to get somebody who is overseas to sit in front of Congress or in some cases to participate in criminal proceedings.” AGITATORS SWARM TIM WALZ’S OFFICE IN MINNESOTA CAPITOL TO DEMAND IMMIGRATION JUSTICE “That said, if you’re an American citizen, hold an American passport, [then] the State Department does have certain capabilities to essentially force you back to the homeland,” Cherkasky added. “If there’s a criminal prosecution, an indictment, an arrest warrant, it can cause all sorts of extradition and return to the United States.” Cherkasky, a former Air Force JAG, also said there is no question that demonstrations taking place in Minneapolis are without organized, targeted support. “It’s undeniable that the protests that are going on in Minneapolis are supported by organizations or groups of people that are essentially collaborating to get these folks out there and engage in what turns out to be repeated acts of criminal misconduct,” Cherkasky added. DOJ SERVES
This state isn’t just growing — its economy is getting richer per resident
Everything’s bigger in Texas — including its economy. And it’s not just because more people are moving there. Strip out population growth and Texas is generating thousands of dollars more per resident than it did just three years ago. That kind of growth matters politically. It signals rising living standards, a stronger tax base and greater leverage to fund infrastructure, education and other priorities without raising taxes. Texas’ success story gives Republicans a clear example to argue that low taxes, light regulation and strong energy production deliver real economic advantages, not just population churn. TAX FIGHT PUTS CALIFORNIA ON COLLISION COURSE AS BILLIONAIRES LEAVE FOR RED STATES Those gains show up clearly in the data. The Lone Star State saw a 10.1% increase in economic output on a per-capita basis from 2021 to 2024, based on calculations using Bureau of Economic Analysis and U.S. Census figures. CALIFORNIA’S LOOMING CAPITAL FLIGHT PROBLEM COULD RESHAPE STATE IN 3 KEY AREAS In dollar terms, Texas boosted economic output per resident from roughly $64,000 to nearly $71,000. Even states with far larger economies, including California, didn’t see the same growth per person, with California’s rising far more modestly, from about $80,000 to $84,000. Looking at growth for residents helps distinguish economies that are truly getting stronger from those that are simply getting bigger. Texas falls firmly in the former camp, undercutting the argument that its rise is merely a demographic mirage. Even within the fast-growing Sun Belt, Texas outpaces peers like Florida and Arizona, which also benefit from migration but posted smaller per-resident gains. That distinction carries political weight heading into 2026. With the midterm election cycle approaching, Texas’ per-resident gains give Republicans a concrete way to argue that their policy mix delivers stronger growth as Democrats push for a larger federal role. Everything may be bigger in Texas — but the data suggest its economy is also getting stronger.
Trump admin slams Dems’ ‘call 911 on ICE’ push as reckless, links policy to riots and violent arrests
EXCLUSIVE: The Trump administration fired back at local Democratic leadership in a Washington, D.C., suburb, that had called on residents to dial 911 to report sightings of ICE and federal immigration enforcement. On Tuesday, Arlington County Board of Supervisors Chairman Matt de Ferranti, a Democrat from the Rock Spring neighborhood, had advised constituents that doing so would help local officials know of ICE’s presence and help “pursue Arlington County’s law enforcement mission: preventing violence in our community.” The Trump administration said the directive is uniquely dangerous because it will not only endanger the public but also help incite the unrest being seen around the country: De Ferranti had gone on to obliquely criticize ex-Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s 287(g) immigration enforcement pact with the Trump administration, and his overall comments led to a firestorm in return, including from across the Anacostia River at DHS headquarters. “Inciting people to call 911 when they see ICE is reckless and will directly harm public safety,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital when asked about the situation. DEMS BLASTED FOR TRYING TO ‘DEPORT’ ICE FROM SWING COUNTY, REFERENCING ‘BLOOD MONEY’ RENT “Arlington Board Chair Matt de Ferranti is intentionally stoking the flames and turning the temperature up with this rhetoric — This is inciting rioters to obstruct law enforcement operations and assault federal law enforcement.” The secretary said such requests from local officials put DHS officers, agitators and the public-at-large in danger. “Not to mention,” she said. “Obstructing and assaulting law enforcement is a felony and federal crime.” TRUMP URGES DHS, ICE TO PUBLICIZE ARRESTS, SAYS CRACKDOWN IS ‘SAVING MANY INNOCENT LIVES’ She said that officials like those in Arlington who have policies that prohibit cooperation with federal law enforcement both waste local police resources and time while also putting constituents in danger. However, in comments to Fox News Digital, de Ferranti maintained that his recommendation was not rooted in disrupting enforcement but to help the situation. “I was clear on the reason for the recommendation to call 911: not to obstruct or interfere with ICE operations, but to ensure local law enforcement is aware of situations in which there is the potential for violence, as we have seen,” de Ferranti said. “ICE agents sometimes wear masks or are not in identifiable uniforms. Without knowing who they are, community members have a reasonable concern for public safety.” “It is this Board’s responsibility to ensure that our community remains safe. Alerting local law enforcement by calling 911 or, if the circumstances warrant, our non-emergency number, will allow local law enforcement to know what is occurring in our community.” DHS went on to share that several violent illegal immigrants were picked up by ICE in or near Arlington. Delvan Lopez Garcia, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala, was convicted of sex assault, sex assault-carnal abuse and enticement of a minor for prostitution. BLOCKING ICE COOPERATION FUELED MINNESOTA UNREST, OFFICIALS WARN AS VIRGINIA REVERSES COURSE Joel Reyes-Aguilar, a criminal illegal alien from Honduras, was convicted of sex assault-sodomy of a girl with strongarm and molestation of a minor before being detained by ICE. An Ethiopian national named Mesfin Hussin was also picked up. Hussin had a homicide conviction. A Thai national named Somcith Sysountone had a lengthy, violent rap sheet that included sex assault-carnal abuse charges, as well as indecent liberties, probation violation, failure to register as a sex offender, and fraud-illegal use of credit cards. DHS SLAMS DEMS FOR COMPLAINING ABOUT IMMIGRATION LAW: ‘IT IS QUITE LITERALLY THEIR JOB TO CHANGE IT’ Marvin Dejesus Salinas Rodas, a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador, was picked up in Virginia after being convicted of assault and homicide-negligent manslaughter with a vehicle. At this week’s Arlington board meeting, de Ferranti urged Arlingtonians to remember that county law prohibits all residents and “public safety professionals… from interfering with the enforcement of federal immigration law.” Instead, he said, residents can alert county authorities to federal immigration enforcement and stay out of the way themselves. “That is not just to follow the law, but to do everything possible to protect our neighbors and reduce harm. That means working together to call ‘911’ when you see ICE in our community.” De Ferranti said calling 911 helps officials know that ICE is present and then pivot to “pursu[ing] Arlington County’s law enforcement mission: preventing violence in our community.” Fox News Digital reached out to de Ferranti’s office and Arlington County communications for a response to DHS’ comments.
AOC voices support for anti-ICE shutdown, declines to participate
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., pledged her “full support” for a nationwide anti-ICE protest scheduled for Friday, but said her office would not participate. Organizers of the “National Shutdown” campaign have called for “no school, no work and no shopping” on Friday, arguing that “enough is enough” in the wake of fatal shootings involving Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis amid a federal immigration crackdown across Minnesota. “The people of the Twin Cities have shown the way for the whole country — to stop ICE’s reign of terror, we need to SHUT IT DOWN,” organizers wrote on their website. Ocasio-Cortez, who has criticized the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics in the state, said her office would not be shutting down. SENATE DEMOCRATS THREATEN SHUTDOWN BY BLOCKING DHS FUNDING AFTER MINNESOTA ICE SHOOTING “Full disclosure — my office handles crucial casework and immigration cases for the community. We will be open tomorrow to continue community support and defend immigrant families,” she posted to Instagram. Ocasio-Cortez then offered her “full support for national mobilizations, general strikes, and mass movement work.” Organizers for the shutdown campaign asserted online that ICE and Border Patrol agents “are going into our communities to kidnap our neighbors and sow fear.” ILHAN OMAR HIT WITH UNKNOWN SPRAY AND OTHER HIGHLIGHTS FROM CHAOTIC MINNEAPOLIS TOWN HALL The online campaign added that “it is time for us to all stand up together in a nationwide shutdown and say enough is enough.” Pretti, a 37-year-old Department of Veterans Affairs ICU nurse, was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents on Jan. 24 while recording federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis. Good was fatally shot on Jan. 7 by an ICE officer, who fired in self-defense after she used her Honda Pilot SUV in a way that posed a threat, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Thousands of anti-ICE protesters rallied to halt federal immigration enforcement as part of an “ICE Out of MN: Day of Truth and Freedom” march across downtown Minneapolis on Jan. 23, one day before Pretti was fatally shot. Fox News Digital has reached out to Ocasio-Cortez’s office for comment.
Trump warns UK it’s ‘very dangerous’ to do business with China after Starmer’s Beijing meeting
President Donald Trump warned the U.K. Thursday against strengthening ties with China, hours after Prime Minister Keir Starmer met President Xi Jinping in Beijing to reset relations after a long period of strain. Trump’s remarks came as Starmer and Xi had called for a renewed “strategic partnership,” highlighting the pressures facing them amid global instability. Speaking to Fox News while traveling to Florida for the premiere of first lady Melania Trump’s documentary, Trump was asked about the U.K. “getting into business with China.” “Well, it’s very dangerous for them to do that,” Trump said. “And it’s even more dangerous, I think, for Canada to get into business with China.” GORDON CHANG: APPEASING CHINA WON’T SAVE EUROPE — TRUMP’S HARD POWER JUST MIGHT Trump added that China was not the solution for Western economies despite his personal relationship with Xi. “I know China very well. I know President Xi is a friend of mine, and I know him very well, but that’s a big hurdle to get over,” he said, before joking that Beijing might ban Canada from playing ice hockey. “That’s not good. Canada’s not going to like that,” he added. Trump had previously criticized Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney after Carney’s visit to China and warned then that “China will eat Canada alive.” Trump’s latest comments followed an 80-minute meeting in Beijing between Starmer and Xi in which the leaders sought to thaw relations after several years of diplomatic chill. TRUMP SLAMS UK ISLAND HANDOFF DEAL THAT COULD PUT KEY US MILITARY BASE AT RISK The Associated Press reported that neither leader mentioned Trump directly in their discussions Thursday. “In the current turbulent and ever-changing international situation, China and the United Kingdom need to strengthen dialogue and cooperation to maintain world peace and stability,” Xi told Starmer, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. Xi also warned that if major powers failed to uphold international law, the world risked sliding into a “jungle.” Starmer said cooperation on climate change and global stability was “precisely what we should be doing,” The Associated Press also reported. The outlet also reported that Starmer described the meeting as “very productive,” and mentioned progress on whisky tariffs, visa-free travel to China for British citizens and cooperation on migration. TRUMP SPEAKS WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT XI, WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL CONFIRMS As previously reported by Fox News Digital, Starmer sought Xi’s help to disrupt the supply of China-made small boat engines that the U.K. leader’s office says are used to smuggle people across the English Channel. He also raised human rights concerns and the Iran nuclear program. Starmer is the first British prime minister to visit China in eight years and the fourth U.S.-allied leader to do so this month, signaling a push by Beijing to re-engage Western partners. The visit also came as the U.K. navigates trade alignment with the U.S., defense cooperation in Arctic regions and negotiations over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands. In November, the U.S. and China reached a deal easing some tariffs and export controls, boosting U.S. agricultural exports, curbing fentanyl precursor flows and relieving pressure on American semiconductor and shipping companies. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
Trump administration eases sanctions on Venezuelan oil industry after Maduro’s capture
The Trump administration announced Thursday it was easing sanctions on the Venezuelan oil industry, as the U.S. aims to ramp up production in the South American country following the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro earlier this month. The U.S. Treasury said it is authorizing transactions involving the government of Venezuela and state-owned oil company PdVSA that are “ordinarily incident and necessary to the lifting, exportation, reexportation, sale, resale, supply, storage, marketing, purchase, delivery, or transportation of Venezuelan-origin oil, including the refining of such oil, by an established U.S. entity.” The new license includes significant carve-outs, with sanctions remaining fully intact for persons or entities in Russia, Iran, North Korea or Cuba. TRUMP SIGNALS LONG ROAD AHEAD IN VENEZUELA IN HIS BOLDEST INTERVENTIONIST MOVE YET It also excludes transactions with blocked vessels, Chinese-owned or controlled entities operating in Venezuela or the U.S., and debt swaps, gold payments, or cryptocurrency payments, including Venezuela’s petro. The announcement came as President Donald Trump pushes for the expansion of oil production in Venezuela. “We have the major oil companies going to Venezuela now, scouting it out and picking their locations, and they’ll be bringing back tremendous wealth for Venezuela and for the United States and the oil companies will do fine too.” Trump said during a cabinet meeting Thursday. RUBIO SAYS US HAS NO PLAN TO USE FORCE IN VENEZUELA — BUT WARNS ‘IMMINENT THREAT’ COULD CHANGE THAT Trump also announced during the meeting that commercial airspace over Venezuela would reopen, after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released an emergency notice earlier this month blocking civil flight operations by U.S. aircraft over the South American country. “I just spoke to the president of Venezuela and informed her that we’re going to be opening up all commercial airspace over Venezuela,” Trump said. “American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there and be safe. It’s under very strong control.” Earlier Thursday, Venezuela’s government approved opening the nation’s oil sector to privatization, with Acting President Delcy Rodríguez signing the reform into law — a move that reverses a core principle of the socialist movement that has ruled the country for more than two decades. Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Minnesota Attorney General Ellison denies making any ICE agreement deal with border czar Homan
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said Thursday there is no new agreement with the federal government allowing county jails to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of inmate release dates, disputing claims made earlier by border czar Tom Homan. “I did not make, and could not have made, any agreement with him about how sheriffs share with ICE information about people in their county jails,” Ellison said in a statement. Ellison’s office said Minnesota law requires state prisons — not county jails — to notify federal authorities when a person without legal status is convicted of a felony. County jails, by contrast, are independently operated by sheriffs and counties, which decide on their own whether to cooperate with ICE release notifications or detainer requests. MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR TO VISIT DC TO PUSH FOR END OF ‘UNLAWFUL ICE OPERATIONS’ AFTER TRUMP’S BLUNT WARNING Earlier Thursday, Homan said Ellison told him that county jails may alert ICE to the release dates of criminal public safety risks. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment on the matter. Homan was sent to Minnesota Monday and vowed to remain in the state while leading ICE operations “until the problem is gone,” referring to increased unrest in Minneapolis. He made the statement during a news conference Thursday morning, his first since President Donald Trump sent him to the region. TIM WALZ ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘ORGANIZED BRUTALITY’ IN IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN, SAYS ICE TACTICS ARE ‘UN-AMERICAN’ During that news conference, Homan also said he had a “very productive” meeting with Ellison, adding that the state’s top attorney agreed to notify ICE when local jails were releasing violent illegal aliens — a major request from federal law enforcement. “One ICE agent can arrest one bad guy when he’s behind the safety and security of a jail when he’s behind bars, and we know he doesn’t have weapons,” Homan said. “But when you release that public safety threat illegal alien back into the community, we have a job to do. We’re going to arrest him, so we’re going to find him. MINNESOTA DRAGS TRUMP’S ICE TO COURT IN EFFORT TO PAUSE IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN “So, now what happens is now we’ve got to arrest somebody on his turf where he has access to who knows what weapons,” Homan explained. “Now, we’ve got to send a whole team out.” He also demanded that the “hostile rhetoric” and threats against ICE officers stop, vowing that agents will remain in the Twin Cities to do their jobs. “President Trump wants this fixed, and I’m going to fix it with your help,” Homan said. Trump deployed Homan to Minnesota after heated clashes between anti-ICE agitators and federal agents across the Twin Cities. The unrest resulted in the deaths of two U.S. citizens, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, at the hands of law enforcement. Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
House conservatives skeptical as Senate deal sacrificing DHS spending reached: ‘Non-starter’
House conservatives are expressing skepticism after Senate Democrats and the White House announced a deal had been reached to fund the government without a long-term Department of Homeland Security funding bill. One House member warned that Republicans should not give in to demands to “handcuff ICE.” With any deal reached in the Senate needing approval in the House of Representatives, Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital, “[Senate Minority Leader Chuck] Schumer’s current demands, compounded by a lack of conservative priorities, are an absolute non-starter” in the lower chamber. “With Chuck Schumer’s demands to handcuff ICE and his Democrat colleagues threatening to shut down the government over it, this is yet another example of the radical left prioritizing criminals over American citizens,” said Harris. Schumer, D-N.Y., and President Donald Trump labored over a deal from late night Wednesday into Thursday evening after the top Senate Democrat unleashed several funding demands and the White House accused Schumer of blocking a meeting with rank-and-file Democrats. 7 REPUBLICANS JOIN DEMS TO BLOCK MAJOR GOVERNMENT FUNDING PACKAGE AS SHUTDOWN LOOMS “The separation of the five bipartisan bills the Democrats asked for, plus the two-week DHS [continuing resolution] has been agreed to,” Schumer said in a statement. In response, one House conservative remarked to Fox News Digital, “We’re still looking at what is being discussed in the deal, but 14 days is awfully short.” “We sure think we should be getting something out of this deal when it’s Democrats who are threatening a shutdown, not Republicans,” the House member said. Not all House Republicans were against the compromise. Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., reacted on X, “I stand with @POTUS, a shutdown will only hurt the American people. I will vote YES on this package should it make it through the Senate!” In a Truth Social post on Thursday evening, Trump urged the GOP to agree to the deal, saying, “Hopefully, both Republicans and Democrats will give a very much-needed bipartisan ‘YES’ Vote.” NEW DEM PROPOSAL WOULD RESTRICT ICE’S KEY TOOL TO DETAIN CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS The president added that the “only thing that can slow our Country down is another long and damaging Government Shutdown.” “I am working hard with Congress to ensure that we are able to fully fund the Government, without delay,” Trump said. “Republicans and Democrats in Congress have come together to get the vast majority of the Government funded until September, while at the same time providing an extension to the Department of Homeland Security (including the very important Coast Guard, which we are expanding and rebuilding like never before).” The deal brokered between the two would see the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill stripped from the broader six-bill package. Schumer and Democrats have been adamant that if the bill is sidelined, they’d vote for the remaining five, which includes funding for the Pentagon. Their agreement also tees up a short-term funding extension, known as a continuing resolution (CR), for two weeks to keep the agency funded while lawmakers negotiate restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). If passed in the Senate, the deal would still need to pass the House again. With lawmakers there not expected back in Washington until Feb. 2, three days after the Jan. 30 funding deadline, a brief partial government shutdown is all but certain. HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS DRAWS LINE ON DHS, ICE FUNDING AS MINNEAPOLIS UNREST FUELS SHUTDOWN RISK Tensions have been boiling over in the House over the prospect of the Senate’s compromise on DHS. Caucus member Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital via text message on Thursday, “THE HOUSE DID OUR JOB BY PASSING THE REMAINING SIX APPROPRIATION BILLS TO THE SENATE AND THERE IS NO RATIONAL REASON TO REMOVE DHS FROM THE APPROVAL PROCESS.” Norman accused Democrats of trying to “demonize” and “bludgeon” DHS, adding, “IF THE DEMOCRATS WANT TO SHUT THE GOVERNMENT DOWN, ‘DO IT’!!” Meanwhile, Mark Bednar, a GOP strategist and former spokesperson for then Speaker Kevin McCarthy, told Fox News Digital, “President Trump wants to ensure that our troops, air traffic controllers and DHS patriots are on the job and get paid, and this path will help ensure they do that. “It’s now on Democrats to negotiate in good faith with President Trump so that the homeland is secured with a long-term funding bill — because that’s what the American people want and deserve.”