North Carolina Democrats fall silent after ICE arrests dozens with violent records
Several North Carolina Democrats who criticized or opposed federal immigration authorities in Charlotte were largely silent when asked about the dozens of criminals arrested during the operation. U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino – who hails from Watauga County and attended Appalachian State University in Boone – returned to familiar soil and was seen on-the-ground in Charlotte after weeks in Chicago. By Monday, the Department of Homeland Security recorded 130 arrests of illegal immigrants, including at least 44 with violent criminal records ranging from aggravated assault to known gang activity, in its latest “worst of the worst” cache. CHARLOTTE PROMISES TO RESIST PENDING FEDERAL IMMIGRATION RAIDS: ‘CAMPAIGN OF TERROR’ One of the more pointed reactions to the raids came from North Carolina state Rep. Aisha Dew, D-Charlotte, who said Friday that “we do not need to have Border Patrol [here].” “As I’ve already said, I’m not quite sure what border we’re patrolling here,” Dew said at a press conference, while adding that the surrounding states – South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia – don’t pose any threats to the Old North State. “[Charlotte] is a safe city. Our crime rates have gone down since the previous year. This is just another something out of the playbook,” Dew said. Dew did not respond to a request for comment after the “worst of the worst” list came out. TRUMP IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT FOCUS TO EXPAND TO NEW CITY, MAYOR INDICATES Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C., who represents most of Mecklenburg County and Charlotte, also slammed DHS’ operations on Thursday and pledged to stand up to “intimidation” of her district’s immigrant community. “I am extremely concerned about the deployment of U.S. Border Patrol and ICE agents to Charlotte,” Adams said in a statement. “Charlotte’s immigrant community is a proud part of the Queen City, and I will not stand by and watch my constituents be intimidated or harassed,” she added, accusing ICE of using excessive force in prior raids in Los Angeles and Chicago, and threatening the well-being of communities they visit. “Those tactics and values have no place in the City of Charlotte or Mecklenburg County,” Adams said. An Adams staffer answered the phone at her Washington office, but her office did not respond to an ensuing emailed inquiry. PROTESTERS SCREAM ‘GET THE F— OUT OF MY CITY!’ AT FEDERAL AGENTS DURING IMMIGRATION RAID Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles was also apprehensive of ICE’s arrival, writing in a joint statement with Mecklenburg County Chairman Mark Jerrell and Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board President Stephanie Sneed that they hope not to see the same public violence as Los Angeles and elsewhere. “The expected [DHS] operations are causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty in our community,” Lyles, Jerrell and Sneed said. “Diversity makes us stronger. And with that belief, we are unwavering in our commitment to a safe and welcoming community where everyone can grow and thrive,” they added while saying it is important for residents to understand their rights and be aware of various organizations who may be able to help with “legal guidance” on immigration matters. Jerrell and Sneed did not respond to requests for comment after the “worst of the worst” announcement. When reached for comment, a representative for Lyles pointed Fox News Digital to a separate Tuesday morning statement. FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT SWEEPS CHARLOTTE MONTHS AFTER UKRAINIAN REFUGEE KILLING SHOCKED NATION “First and foremost, the rights and constitutional protections of every person in Charlotte—regardless of immigration status—must be upheld,” Lyles said. “Our city has a long-standing commitment to fairness, dignity, and justice. I am deeply concerned with many of the videos I’ve seen, and I urge all agencies operating here to conduct their work with respect for those values.” “To everyone in Charlotte who is feeling anxious or fearful: you are not alone. Your city stands with you. We will continue working with community leaders, legal advocates, and service providers to make sure that resources, information, and support remain available.” Lyles called on the city to meet the situation with “calm, compassion and a steadfast dedication to the rights and well-being of all who call Charlotte home.” The state’s top Democrat, Gov. Josh Stein, offered a more balanced response than some in his party, like Dew. CHARLOTTE RAID TARGETING CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS LEADS TO 130 ARRESTS, INCLUDING MS-13 GANG MEMBER Stein said he is in regular contact with state and local law enforcement as the raids continue, and encouraged residents to follow the law and peacefully “bear witness to what you have seen.” “To the CBP — if you know we have violent criminals in Charlotte who are undocumented, we want them out, too,” Stein said. “Everyone wants to be safe in their homes, but the actions of too many federal agents are doing the opposite,” he claimed. Stein claimed some ICE agents are targeting residents based on skin color and said in one case a landscaper decorating a resident’s Christmas tree was detained. He said the federal immigration system is broken and blamed Congress for playing politics. Stein said he supports “strong borders” but also a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers. “Governor Stein believes that government’s top priority must be keeping people safe. He has long supported efforts to hold accountable and deport violent criminals and drug dealers,” a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “The governor continues to urge CBP to target people based on the level of threat they pose, not their skin color.”
Trump turns up heat on fellow Republicans in push to redraw congressional maps ahead of midterms
President Donald Trump is amplifying his political targeting of Indiana Republicans who have been resisting calls from the president to move forward with congressional redistricting. Trump on Tuesday, for a third straight day, vowed to back primary challenges against state Republican lawmakers in the solidly red Midwestern state who didn’t support his push to draw new maps in Indiana, which would create another GOP-leaning congressional district. “A RINO State Senator, Rodric Bray, who doesn’t care about keeping the Majority in the House in D.C., is the primary problem. Soon, he will have a Primary Problem, as will any other politician who supports him in this stupidity,” Trump warned in a social media post. Despite pressure from Trump and his political team, Bray, the Republican leader in the state Senate, announced last week that there wasn’t enough support in the chamber to move forward with redistricting. Indiana is the latest battlefield in the high-stakes redistricting showdown pitting Trump and Republicans versus Democrats to shape the 2026 midterm landscape in the fight for the House majority. INDIANA REPUBLICANS REJECT TRUMP-BACKED REDISTRICTING PUSH Republicans currently control seven of Indiana’s nine congressional districts, and any new map passed by the GOP supermajority in the legislature would likely shift the state’s 1st Congressional District from blue-leaning to a red-leaning seat. Trump on Sunday lambasted Bray and another Republican state senator, calling for their ouster. The president returned to social media a day later, charging, “Because of these two politically correct type ‘gentlemen,’ and a few others, they could be depriving Republicans of a Majority in the House, A VERY BIG DEAL!” RULING BY RED STATE JUDGE REDISTRICTING SETBACK FOR REPUBLICANS Trump is twisting elbows in his attempt to make Indiana the latest Republican-controlled state to change their congressional maps. The president has called state lawmakers and Vice President JD Vance visited the state earlier this autumn to discuss redistricting. And Fox News has confirmed that Trump has invited some of the Indiana Republicans who are holding out against redistricting to White House meetings in the coming days. The news was first reported by Politico. Trump, in his Sunday post, also took a jab at Republican Gov. Mike Braun of Indiana, arguing that the governor “perhaps, is not working the way he should to get the necessary Votes.” Braun on Monday wrote on social media that “I just had a great call with President Trump! I told him I remain committed to standing with him on the critical issue of passing fair maps in Indiana to ensure the MAGA agenda is successful in Congress.” And the governor claimed that “the Indiana State Senate is hiding behind closed doors and refusing to even bring redistricting to a vote. Hoosiers deserve to know where their legislators stand and expect them to show up for work, not walk out and hide in the dark.” Trump on Tuesday called Braun “a good man,” but warned he “must produce on this, or he will be the only Governor, Republican or Democrat, who didn’t.” NEWSOM TAKES VICTORY LAP AFTER LANDSLIDE REDISTRICTING VICTORY IN CALIFORNIA The push by the president in Indiana is part of a broad effort by Trump’s political team and the GOP to pad the party’s razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in next year’s midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats. Trump is aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections. Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio have drawn new maps as part of the president’s push. And Florida and Kansas are also mulling redrawing their maps. “We must keep the Majority at all costs,” Trump wrote Monday. But on Tuesday, a three-judge federal panel delivered a blow to Trump and Republicans, by ruling that the state can’t use the newly drawn map in next year’s elections. Texas Republicans say they’ll appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Democrats are fighting back. California voters two weeks ago overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50, a ballot initiative which will temporarily sidetrack the left-leaning state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission and return the power to draw the congressional maps to the Democrat-dominated legislature. That is expected to result in five more Democratic-leaning congressional districts in California, which would counter the passage earlier this year in Texas of a new map that aims to create up to five right-leaning House seats. Illinois and Maryland, two blue states, and Virginia, where Democrats control the legislature, are also taking steps or seriously considering redistricting. And in a blow to Republicans, a Utah district judge last week rejected a congressional district map drawn up by the state’s GOP-dominated legislature and instead approved an alternate that will create a Democratic-leaning district ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
23 House Dems defy Jeffries, vote to rebuke progressive over controversial election move
Nearly two dozen House Democrats defied their party leaders’ wishes Tuesday to vote in favor of rebuking a progressive lawmaker for what critics called an unfair move to tip the scales in his district’s next election. The House voted to pass a resolution of disapproval against Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García, a measure that was led by one of his fellow Democrats — moderate Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash. It passed in a 236 to 183 vote, with 23 Democrats voting with the GOP to rebuke García. Four lawmakers voted “present” — Reps. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., and Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio. The Democrats who voted with Republicans include Reps. Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Mich., Sharice Davids, D-Kan., Laura Gillen, D-N.Y., Angie Craig, D-Minn., Kathy Castor, D-Fla., Jared Golden, D-Maine, Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., and Perez. DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER DOUBLES DOWN ON FELLOW DEM, ACCUSING THEM OF ‘ELECTION SUBVERSION’ “I’m on the Ethics Committee — I just generally, for stuff that should be referred to the Ethics Committee, I voted present,” Subramanyam told Fox News Digital of his vote. Houlahan said, “I worry that we’re in an endless cycle of tit-for-tat. What [Garcia] did was not correct. But my choice was to say that this needed to be taken up in the Ethics Committee. That’s why I voted the way I voted, because I don’t want people to continue to bring up resolutions against each other for every single thing that happens.” Craig and Perez declined to elaborate on their votes. Perez had accused García of “undermining the process of a free and fair election” by abruptly changing course on his re-election bid hours before the filing deadline in his deep-blue Illinois district. Critics of the move said the timing ensured García’s chief of staff was the only person able to file to run instead. The division caused a political headache for House Democratic leadership, which opposed the resolution. House Democrats who voted in favor of rebuking García did so against the expressed wishes of Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who said Monday that Americans were “focused on the high cost of living in the United States of America.” “I do not support the so-called resolution of disapproval, and I strongly support Congressman Chuy García. He’s been a progressive champion for disenfranchised communities for decades, including during his time in Congress. And he’s made life better for the American people,” Jeffries said. He released an additional statement on Tuesday morning alongside Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., urging opposition to the resolution. CHARLIE KIRK VOTE SPLITS DEMOCRATS, PROMPTING HYPOCRISY OUTCRY FROM HOUSE GOP: ‘AMERICANS WON’T FORGET’ “He is a good man who has always prioritized the people he represents, even while experiencing unthinkable family tragedy. We unequivocally oppose this misguided resolution and urge our colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus to reject it,” they wrote. García said his decision was due to health reasons for himself and his family, as well as a desire to spend more time with his grandchildren. Democrats’ bid to kill the measure failed on Monday night, with Perez and Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, voting with Republicans to proceed with the vote. DEMOCRAT CIVIL WAR ERUPTS AFTER MODERATE ACCUSES PROGRESSIVE OF UNDERMINING ‘FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS’ Perez laid out her case during debate on the measure shortly thereafter. “I like Chuy García. I think his reasons for retiring are noble. We are not here to adjudicate the character of Chuy García. I’m asking the body to consider a set of facts laid before us tonight about how he chose his successor and deprived Americans the right to choose their elected representative,” she said. “One week before the filing deadline, Congressman Chuy García filed for re-election and submitted the necessary signatures for that petition. But three days before the filing deadline, he also began collecting signatures for his chief of staff, who shares his last name. Just hours before the filing deadline, Representative García’s chief of staff submitted the paperwork to run with at least 2,500 signatures attached to it, and Chuy García’s signature was the very first one listed in the petition.” During his own comments, García suggested his wife’s recent multiple sclerosis diagnosis was part of his decision to withdraw, while disputing other accusations against himself. “I filed to run for Congress because this work is more important than ever, and I wanted to deliver for my community and to be part, hopefully, of a new House majority next year. I followed the rules of Illinois and its election law … And contrary to claims that were made earlier today, I did not circulate any petitions that I was accused of circulating. I only circulated when I filed on the first day,” García said. “But as I looked ahead, I had to be honest about what the next term would demand and what my family needed. I saw the big picture — supporting my wife as we managed her illness, taking better care of my own health and being present for the grandson that we just adopted two weeks ago. It was a tough decision, but I made that choice.”
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Judge orders DOJ to hand over grand jury records to Comey
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -Trump says Mamdani meeting in the works: ‘We’ll work something out’ –Zeldin overhauls Biden-era water rule to end ‘weaponization’ that led ‘puddles’ to trigger pricy permits -Rapper Nicki Minaj and U.N. ambassador join voices against Christian persecution in Nigeria A judge on Monday ordered the Department of Justice to hand over grand jury material to former FBI Director James Comey, an unusual move that the judge said was necessary because of the department’s “highly unusual” activity during the secret grand jury proceedings. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick scolded the DOJ in the order for what he said was a glaring mishandling of evidence presented to grand jurors and possible misstatements by the case’s lead prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan. “The Court is finding that the government’s actions in this case — whether purposeful, reckless, or negligent — raise genuine issues of misconduct, are inextricably linked to the government’s grand jury presentation, and deserve to be fully explored by the defense,” Fitzpatrick wrote…READ MORE. LONGSHOT: Traders bet Supreme Court won’t back Trump on tariffs, dimming rebate hopes CHECKS AND BALANCES: Ex-judges blast top Trump DOJ official for declaring ‘war’ on courts LIGHTS OUT PLOT: China’s energy siege of Taiwan could cripple US supply chains, report warns RED DRAGON RISING: China military reaches ‘war footing’ with new missile silos and advanced AI warfare systems ‘PUBLICITY STUNT’: ‘Radical Left’ shutdown message ignites firestorm as Democrats push for federal probe ‘NO DOWNSIDES’: Shutdown chaos reignites debate over privatizing US air traffic control PATRIOTIC CHEER: Iconic DC landmark unveils first Christmas tree as part of push to revive holiday spirit Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Lawmakers warned PennDOT of illegal immigrant-CDL crisis before bust; GOP demands answers from Shapiro
EXCLUSIVE: Pennsylvania lawmakers warned Harrisburg officials of a potential crisis on their hands before Monday’s arrest of an Uzbek illegal immigrant trucker in Kansas who held a PennDOT commercial driver’s license (CDL). Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee Chairman Jarrett Coleman shared a letter with Fox News Digital that he sent just days earlier to PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll asking for answers to how illegal immigrants were receiving CDL licenses despite stated rigorous identity checks. Coleman, R-Allentown, said Monday’s incident was “deeply disturbing but not surprising” and another example of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration “prioritiz[ing] political optics over public safety.” He said Pennsylvanians deserve accountability in situations like this and if the administration will not provide public answers, then there is a “much bigger problem on our hands.” TRUCKERS WARN OF ‘FOREIGN INVASION’ AS DHS CRACKS DOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT DRIVERS “Public safety is not negotiable,” he said. “Ten days ago, I and several colleagues formally requested answers from PennDOT about what safeguards they have in place to prevent individuals who are in this country illegally, and in some cases have criminal records, from obtaining CDLs.” ICE ARRESTS ILLEGAL-IMMIGRANT TRUCKER FROM UZBEKISTAN OVER ALLEGED TERROR TIES The letter had been prompted by reports that a dozen illegal immigrants netted in an October bust of about 80 noncitizen truckers in Oklahoma were issued their licenses by Harrisburg. “Gov. Shapiro is quick to jump in front of cameras and tout his leadership, but when it comes to answering basic questions about how his administration is protecting Pennsylvania drivers, we get silence,” Coleman said. “This isn’t just bureaucratic delay. It’s stonewalling. And it’s dangerous.” Coleman led the letter, which was cosigned by Sens. Doug Mastriano, R-Gettysburg, Kristin Phillips-Hill, R-Dallastown, and Dawn Keefer, R-Dillsburg. EXPERT REVEALS HOW ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER MAY HAVE GOTTEN COMMERCIAL LICENSE BEFORE FATAL FLORIDA CRASH It requested Carroll provide more than a dozen datapoints, including whether PennDOT has even reviewed the files of the CDL holders arrested by ICE since October, and whether those drivers were properly verified at the time of issuance. Carroll was also asked whether PennDOT is using required federal “systematic alien verification for entitlements” to verify immigration status, and whether it was complying with a directive from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to halt all issuances of “non-domiciled CDLs.” BLUE STATE IN THE HOT SEAT AFTER ICE BUSTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WITH ‘NO NAME GIVEN’ ON LICENSE Since the letter was sent, a federal judge rebuked Duffy and overturned his suspension of license issuance. Coleman also asked Carroll about any internal audits, oversight mechanisms, corrective action plans or assessments of public safety risks from their current modus operandi. A spokeswoman for Carroll confirmed PennDOT received Coleman’s letter and is in the process of responding. She assured that whenever “non-citizen applicants apply for a CDL in Pennsylvania, PennDOT follows applicable federal and state processes, reviewing the necessary immigration and naturalization documents and confirming the non-citizen’s legal status in real-time using [DHS’] SAVE database before issuing a license — if the applicant clears the SAVE process, which confirms the applicant is residing in the U.S. under legal status, and successfully meets all other criteria, a license is issued. “PennDOT completes these two checks to confirm legal status with the federal government every time it issues a license to a non-citizen,” the spokeswoman said. BLUE STATE INVESTIGATES HOW ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER GOT LICENSE BEFORE DEADLY FLORIDA CRASH Carroll, a state lawmaker from former President Joe Biden’s home county of Lackawanna, said he has the “greatest level of faith in our driver’s license and motor vehicle folks” when it comes to properly verifying “substantial documentation” required for REAL IDs and licenses. Later Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Republican Party issued its own demand for Shapiro to speak out on the growing issue. State Republican Party Chairman Greg Rothman, a state senator from Cumberland County, called it “not just a policy failure [but] a national security breach right here in Pennsylvania. “How in the world did someone with terrorist ties pass every check to get behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler in our state?” Rothman said the Uzbek national, Akhror Bozorov, also obtained REAL ID verification from PennDOT. “The people who signed off on this need to be found, fired, and Gov. Shapiro must answer for this.” Shapiro’s office hit back at critics and suggested they instead question the Trump administration about the situation. “If officials are concerned about this, they should redirect their attention to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who manages the federal database that is checked before any Pennsylvania licenses are issued to non-citizens,” said Rosie Lapowsky, a spokeswoman for Shapiro. “The PAGOP is formally requesting that federal and state oversight authorities launch a full investigation into the decision-making process that allowed Bozorov to receive a CDL,” the state party added in a statement. Bozorov’s license—an image of which was obtained by Fox News Digital—listed a ZIP code corresponding to Philadelphia’s Somerton neighborhood, a suburban-style area in the city’s northeast once home to figures like MSNBC’s Chris Matthews and, more recently, an increasing number of Russian and Arabic residents. In response to Bozorov’s initial arrest, PennDOT spokeswoman Alexis Campbell told Fox News Digital that “when non-citizen applicants appear at a Driver License Center in Pennsylvania, PennDOT reviews immigration and naturalization documents, which are confirmed in real-time against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) website before issuing any driver’s license.”
House votes overwhelmingly to force DOJ to release Jeffrey Epstein files
The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to force the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein. It was the product of a months-long pressure campaign by Democrats and the bill’s leaders, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif. Several of Epstein’s survivors were present in the House chamber during the vote as well and appeared to erupt in cheers when the resolution passed. All but one House lawmaker present in the chamber voted in favor of the bill, which passed 427 to 1. The lone “no” vote was Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., who posted on X shortly thereafter to explain his decision. HOUSE GOP BRACES FOR EPSTEIN FILES VOTE AS CONCERNS REMAIN DESPITE TRUMP’S GREEN LIGHT “As written, this bill reveals and injures thousands of innocent people – witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc. If enacted in its current form, this type of broad reveal of criminal investigative files, released to a rabid media, will absolutely result in innocent people being hurt. Not by my vote,” Higgins wrote. “The Oversight Committee is conducting a thorough investigation that has already released well over 60,000 pages of documents from the Epstein case. That effort will continue in a manner that provides all due protections for innocent Americans. If the Senate amends the bill to properly address privacy of victims and other Americans, who are named but not criminally implicated, then I will vote for that bill when it comes back to the House.” House GOP leaders had voiced concerns about the bill up until the final hours before the vote. Nearly all House Republicans voted for it, as demands for transparency and President Donald Trump’s green light on the legislation gave them little recourse otherwise. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters at his weekly news conference on Tuesday that he would vote in favor of the bill, despite concerns about what he saw as limited protections for victims and other innocent people whose names may be released against their own wishes. “Who’s going to want to come forward if they think Congress can take a political exercise and reveal their identities? Who’s going to come talk to prosecutors? It’s very dangerous. It would deter future whistleblowers and informants,” he said. “The release of that could also publicly reveal the identity, by the way, of undercover law enforcement officers who are working in future operations.” House GOP leaders had also been supportive of a parallel investigation led by the House Oversight Committee that’s led to the release of thousands of pages of documents from both the DOJ and Epstein’s estate. Massie, Khanna and the bill’s supporters argued it was the best recourse to get justice for Epstein’s victims, and they have criticized Johnson’s favored route as toothless. They have also contended the bill provides sufficient protections for Epstein’s victims. Several other House Republicans told Fox News Digital on Monday night that they shared the speaker’s concerns and hoped that the Senate would make changes to the legislation. Khanna and Massie, however, warned the Senate not to go too far during a press conference on Tuesday morning alongside several of Epstein’s victims. JEFFREY EPSTEIN SAGA CONTINUES AS CONGRESS RETURNS FROM RECESS “Don’t muck it up in the Senate. Don’t get too cute. We’re all paying attention,” Massie warned. “If you want to add some additional protections for these survivors, go for it. But if you do anything that prevents any disclosure, you are not for the people, and you are not part of this effort. Do not muck it up in the Senate.” It’s not yet clear what Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., will do with the legislation. His counterpart, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., signaled he would seek to force its consideration in the Senate. “Once the House passes the bill to release the Epstein files today, I will move for the Senate to immediately take it up and pass it — period,” Schumer said in a statement. “Republicans have spent months trying to protect Donald Trump and hide what’s in the files. Americans are tired of waiting and are demanding to see the truth. If Leader Thune tries to bury the bill, I’ll stop him.”
Trump leaves world guessing after labeling Maduro a terrorist, hinting at talks with Venezuela
President Donald Trump is keeping the world guessing about his next move in Venezuela, simultaneously labeling President Nicolás Maduro the head of a terrorist organization and hinting the U.S. may be open to talks with the Venezuelan leader. The moment captures a familiar pattern in Trump’s foreign policy of blending threats and outreach to keep opponents uncertain of U.S. intentions. His allies say the ambiguity is leverage; critics call it improvisation that risks miscalculation. “We may be having some conversations with Maduro, and we’ll see how that turns out. They would like to talk,” Trump told reporters over the weekend. The comment came shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organization, a move that expands U.S. legal authorities to pursue Maduro and his inner circle under counterterrorism statutes — and potentially as military targets. TRUMP AGREES MADURO’S DAYS AS VENEZUELA’S PRESIDENT ARE NUMBERED IN ‘60 MINUTES’ INTERVIEW Trump suggested the designation allows the U.S. military to target Maduro’s assets and infrastructure inside Venezuela. “It allows us to do that, but we haven’t said we’re going to do that,” the president said. Days earlier, Trump had hinted he’d made up his mind about whether to start a direct conflict. “I sort of have made up my mind — yeah. I mean, I can’t tell you what it would be, but I sort of have,” he said. The U.S. now has more military assets in the region than it has in decades, topped off by the arrival of the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, on Sunday. The Department of War, the renamed Pentagon under Trump, has carried out 21 strikes on maritime targets allegedly carrying drugs toward the U.S. Trump also said he doesn’t believe he needs congressional authorization to carry out the strikes. TRUMP REVEALS MADURO ‘WOULD LIKE TO TALK’ AS MILITARY OPTIONS REMAIN ON THE TABLE FOR VENEZUELA “We like to keep Congress involved. I mean, we’re stopping drug dealers and drugs from coming into our country. … We don’t have to get their approval. But I think letting them know is good,” he said. “Headed by the illegitimate Nicolás Maduro, the group has corrupted the institutions of government in Venezuela and is responsible for terrorist violence conducted by and with other designated FTOs as well as for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe,” Rubio posted on X about the new designation. The ambiguity surrounding Venezuela is the latest instance of Trump’s unpredictable approach to foreign policy, a hallmark that has kept allies and adversaries uncertain of U.S. intentions for years. TRUMP TOUTS ‘12 OUT OF 10’ MEETING WITH XI, DOWNPLAYS REPORTS OF VENEZUELA STRIKES Trump’s remarks fit a familiar pattern of publicly signaling both confrontation and conciliation in ways that leave world leaders guessing about his next move. Since his first term, he has used such ambiguity to keep counterparts off balance, a strategy that has, at times, produced diplomatic breakthroughs and, at others, strategic confusion. In 2017, Trump threatened North Korea with “fire and fury” before pivoting months later to a summit with Kim Jong Un in Singapore, the first direct meeting between U.S. and North Korean leaders. In 2018, his shifting public tone on the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi — alternating between defending and condemning Saudi Arabia’s leadership — again confounded U.S. partners. The following year, his abrupt decision to pull U.S. forces from northern Syria stunned both advisors and allies. His stance on the Russia–Ukraine war has been similarly mercurial. At times, Trump has called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator” and railed against continued U.S. aid to Kyiv. At others, he has mused that Vladimir Putin “played” him and floated plans to sell American weapons to Ukraine through allied funding, a swing that left officials in Washington and Europe unsure whether Trump intends to end the war through pressure or compromise. Most recently, in mid-2025, Trump entered indirect talks with Tehran over sanctions relief and regional de-escalation before ordering surprise airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, a reversal that underscored his tendency to keep adversaries guessing about U.S. red lines. And on Tuesday — five months after the strikes and over seven years since he pulled the U.S. out of the 2015 Iran deal — Trump again suggested he would be open to talking with Iran about a potential deal on its nuclear ambitions. “I am totally open to it,” he said. Trump’s relationship with China has followed the same whiplash rhythm. He has threatened massive new tariffs and warned of “total decoupling,” only to later describe President Xi Jinping as a “great friend,” tout Beijing as a partner in fighting drugs and stabilizing markets and promise to expand student visas for Chinese students. Whether Venezuela becomes the next stage for Trump’s blend of diplomacy and deterrence remains uncertain, which, for Trump, may be precisely the point.
Khanna, Massie, Greene urge Senate to pass Epstein bill unchanged, warn of ‘reckoning’
House lawmakers gearing up to vote Tuesday on a bill that would force the Justice Department to release all its files relating to Jeffrey Epstein are pressuring the Senate to pass the measure without any amendments. The legislation is coming to the House floor Tuesday afternoon via a mechanism called a discharge petition led by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. A discharge petition allows a bill to get a House-wide vote against leaders’ wishes, provided the petition gets support from most lawmakers in the chamber. In this case, the petition last week earned support from most lawmakers in the chamber, including from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. “This has never been political. This is not about questions of Trump or Biden. This is a question of doing the right thing for survivors. We’re going to get a vote today. I expect an overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives. And I don’t want the DC swamp playing any games,” Khanna said Tuesday as he appeared at a press conference alongside Massie, Greene and some of Epstein’s survivors. “They need to pass this in the Senate, and they should not amend it. President Trump has said he would sign the Epstein Transparency Act. It’s going to get overwhelming support in the House. It should go straight to the Senate, and it should be signed. No amendments, no adding loopholes. Justice is long overdue,” he added. HOUSE GOP BRACES FOR EPSTEIN FILES VOTE AS CONCERNS REMAIN DESPITE TRUMP’S GREEN LIGHT Massie reiterated Khanna’s statements. “As Ro said, don’t muck it up in the Senate. Don’t get too cute,” Massie warned the upper chamber. “We’re all paying attention. If you want to add some additional protections for these survivors, go for it. But if you do anything that prevents any disclosure, you are not for the people, and you are not part of this effort. Do not muck it up in the Senate.” GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital Monday evening said they would vote for the bill and were optimistic their colleagues would as well — though many of them said they still had concerns about how it was written. It comes after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who had been against the bill but pushed parallel transparency efforts in Epstein’s case, said he hoped it would undergo material changes when it reached the Senate to give more protection for innocent people whose names may appear in the files against their wishes. “These women have fought the most horrific fight that no woman should have to fight, and they did it by banding together and never giving up,” Greene said Tuesday. “And that’s what we did by fighting so hard against the most powerful people in the world, even the President of the United States, in order to make this vote happen today.” “I was called a traitor by a man that I fought for five, no, actually, six years for. And I gave him my loyalty for free. I won my first election without his endorsement, beating eight men in a primary, and I’ve never owed him anything. But I fought for him for the policies and for America First,” Greene said, days after President Donald Trump pulled his endorsement of the Georgia Republican. “And he called me a traitor for standing with these women and refusing to take my name off the discharge petition.” “Let me tell you what a traitor is,” Greene added. “A traitor is an American that serves foreign countries and themselves. A patriot is an American that serves the United States of America and Americans, like the women standing behind me.” TRUMP SAYS WHETHER HE WOULD SIGN EPSTEIN FILES BILL “And today, you are going to see probably a unanimous vote in the House to release the Epstein files. But the fight, the real fight will happen after that. While I want to see every single name released so that these women don’t have to live in fear and intimidation, which is something I’ve had a small taste of in just the past few days. Just a small taste,” she added. “They’ve been living it for years, but the real test will be will the Department of Justice release the files, or will it all remain tied up in investigations?” Khanna also called Tuesday the “first day of real reckoning for the Epstein class.” “We’re here to stand with forgotten and abandoned Americans against an Epstein class that had no regard for the rules or the laws,” Khanna continued. “Because survivors spoke up, because of their courage, the truth is finally going to come out. And when it comes out, this country is really going to have a moral reckoning.” “How did we allow this to happen? There should be no buildings named after people in this Epstein class. There should be no scholarships named after them. They shouldn’t be enjoying the perks of being affiliated with corporations or universities, or writing op-eds or being lionized. And many of the survivors will tell you some of these people still are celebrated in our society. That’s disgusting. There needs to be accountability,” he also said. Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Blue school district hit with federal complaint alleging it ‘sidestepped’ law depriving parent of transparency
FIRST ON FOX: A pro-Trump legal group has filed a federal complaint against a Maryland school district alleging that parent access to review classroom materials was slowed or denied, in violation of federal law. In a letter sent to Montgomery County Public Schools and the Department of Education’s Civil Rights Division, America First Legal alleges that a parent in the school district, Mom’s For Liberty director of development Rosalind Hanson, submitted a request to inspect her child’s school curriculum, in accordance with the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, and that MCPS staff “incorrectly processed” the request “rather than following the PPRA’s federally mandated parental inspection procedures.” The complaint states that PPRA has established a “federal right” for parents to inspect “all instructional materials” being disseminated to their children and that “The Family Life and Human Sexuality curriculum” in this case “clearly falls within this definition, as it consists of lesson plans and resources used to instruct students as part of the educational program.” “This is not a state records issue — it’s a federal violation,” Alice Kass, counsel for America First Legal, told Fox News Digital. “Parents have a right to know what their children are being taught, and Montgomery County cannot hide behind procedural loopholes to avoid transparency.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE CAMPUS RADICALS COAST TO COAST America First Legal, in a press release, alleged that MCPS “buried the request in bureaucratic red tape” and processed it through an open-records law request which they say not only “sidestepped” federal law but “imposed unlawful delays and fees, and denied a parent the right to review their child’s curriculum.” The letter calls on the Maryland school district to reclassify the parent request as a PPRA investigation as opposed to a Maryland Public Information Act request, provide full access to instructional materials without charge, and clarify its procedures for processing PPRA requests in the future. In the press release, Kass added that “federal law cannot be clearer” on the issue. “Montgomery County’s refusal to process a parent’s request under the PPRA is not just wrong, it’s unlawful. School districts do not get to hide curriculum materials behind state records procedures. Parents have a federal right to inspect, and MCPS must immediately comply.” Fox News Digital reached out to MCPS for comment. DOZENS OF PARENTS RIGHTS GROUPS CALL FOR 50 STATE AUDIT TO RID K-12 SCHOOLS OF DEI: ‘CLEAN UP THE MESS’ America First Legal has placed a heavy emphasis on the rights of parents through PPRA and unveiled a toolkit earlier this year aimed at helping parents understand their rights while equipping them with a template letter to send to schools requesting full transparency on what their children are being taught. “Schools do not raise children — parents do. This resource makes clear that schools answer to parents, not the other way around,” America First Legal President Gene Hamilton told Fox News Digital at the time. “The Constitution protects that relationship, and we will ensure no bureaucracy or activist agenda can undermine it.” Montgomery Public Schools found themselves in national news headlines this summer when the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that parents can exclude their children from the school system’s lessons that contained themes about homosexuality and transgenderism if they felt the material conflicts with their religious faith. The Maryland parents who sued said in their petition to the high court that the school board introduced books to their elementary school students that promoted “gender transitions, Pride parades, and same-sex playground romance.” The parents said the school board initially allowed parents to opt their children out of lessons involving those books but then ceased doing that. Hanson and Moms for Liberty were involved in that case as well, with Hanson saying at the time in an interview with Fox News Digital, “The majority of states across the country have said you can have an opt-out for these very sensitive issues and topics, especially because of the religious component, but also because of the age appropriateness.” Fox News Digital’s Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.
Mike Johnson reveals how he’ll vote on Epstein files bill led by Trump critic Thomas Massie
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Tuesday revealed his decision on the House’s forthcoming vote on forcing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein. Johnson told reporters at his weekly press conference that he would vote in favor of the bill, despite concerns about what he saw as lackluster protections for victims and other innocent people whose names may be released against their own wishes. “I’m going to vote to move this forward,” Johnson said. “I think it could be close to a unanimous vote, because everybody here, all the Republicans, want to go on record to show their from maximum transparency.” HOUSE REPUBLICANS SAY DEMS TWISTING EPSTEIN PROBE TO SMEAR TRUMP IN NEW MEMO The vote is expected on Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m. The legislation is a bipartisan product by Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky. Massie has been known to be a frequent critic of both Johnson and President Donald Trump. Despite that, Trump gave House Republicans his blessing to vote for the bill on Sunday night. House GOP leaders had vehemently opposed the legislation for months, arguing it was written in a way that did not provide sufficient protections for innocents while also claiming it was unnecessary given the ongoing bipartisan investigation into Epstein’s crimes. JEFFREY EPSTEIN SAGA CONTINUES AS CONGRESS RETURNS FROM RECESS That probe, led by the House Oversight Committee, has produced tens of thousands of pages of documents both from the DOJ and Epstein’s estate. Johnson made clear he still held concerns about the bill’s language and said he hoped it would be changed when the legislation was sent to the Senate. “We stated our opposition as long as possible, but we’re also for maximum transparency. So what am I to do as a leader in a situation like this?” the speaker said. “I’m very confident that when this moves forward in the process, if and when it is processed in the Senate — which there’s no certainty that that will be — that they will take the time methodically to do what we have not been allowed to do in the House, to amend this discharge petition and to make sure these protections are there.” He warned it could have a “chilling effect” on future investigations as well. “Who’s going to want to come forward if they think Congress can take a political exercise and reveal their identities? Who’s going to come talk to prosecutors? It’s very dangerous. It would deter future whistleblowers and informants,” he said. “The release of that could also publicly reveal the identity, by the way, of undercover law enforcement officers who are working in future operations.” Johnson said he brought his concerns to Massie and Khanna but was told, in essence, “Jump in the Potomac.” Massie and Khanna, for their part, held a press conference alongside one of the bill’s GOP supporters, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on Tuesday morning. “Don’t muck it up in the Senate. Don’t get too cute. We’re all paying attention,” Massie warned. “If you want to add some additional protections for these survivors, go for it. But if you do anything that prevents any disclosure, you are not for the people, and you are not part of this effort. Do not muck it up in the Senate.”