Hegseth announces operation to remove ‘narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere’
War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Thursday the launch of Operation Southern Spear, a new mission targeting narco-terror networks across Latin America. Hegseth said on X that U.S. Southern Command and Joint Task Force Southern Spear will lead a mission to defend the homeland and dismantle narco-terrorists networks across the Western Hemisphere. “This mission defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people,” Hegseth said. The U.S. carried out its 20th strike on alleged drug-tracking boats earlier this week, according to a Pentagon official. US CARRIES OUT MORE ‘LETHAL’ STRIKES ON ALLEGED DRUG BOATS IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS, SECRETARY HEGSETH SAYS U.S. forces carried out the most recent strike in the Caribbean, killing four suspected narco-terrorists. The Navy announced in January it would lead Operation Southern Spear under the U.S. 4th Fleet and Southern Command using “long-dwell robotic surface vessels, small robotic interceptor boats, and vertical take-off and landing robotic air vessels.” US DEPLOYS FORD CARRIER STRIKE GROUP TO COMBAT NARCO-TERROR IN WESTERN HEMISPHERE The U.S. will use warships in the region, including the world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford. CBS News reported that President Donald Trump was briefed on potential options for operations in Venezuela, including possible land strikes, but no final decisions have been made. Top Democrats voiced support for the strikes against narco-trafficking near Venezuela earlier this month. TOP DEMOCRAT BACKS US INTEL ON NARCO-TRAFFICKING STRIKES, FAULTS BIDEN FOR ‘NOT GOING FAR ENOUGH’ ON MADURO “I frankly think the Biden administration didn’t go far enough after the Venezuelan people voted overwhelmingly to get rid of Maduro,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said. “The Western Hemisphere is America’s neighborhood – and we will protect it,” Hegseth said.
Congressman says he was ‘blown off’ by Wisconsin college accused of blocking new TPUSA chapter
A Republican member of Congress seeking to support one of his constituents who accused her college of blocking attempts to start a new Turning Point USA chapter on campus was reportedly “blown off” by college administrators after he attempted to have a conversation with the school to better understand what was going on. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., sought to collect the facts regarding allegations from a Beloit College student that her college was preventing her from establishing a new Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapter on campus. TPUSA was the conservative campus activism nonprofit founded by assassinated activist Charlie Kirk. Additionally, the student, Jocelyn Jordan, accused her school of failing to adequately respond to a harassment campaign she and her classmates have been facing as a result of their efforts to start a new TPUSA club on campus. The alleged harassment initially included disturbing imagery posted on the group’s new Instagram page, referring to Jordan and her co-founders as Nazis, Ku Klux Klan members and White supremacists, but eventually devolved into threats. “Our office reached out to Beloit College in good faith to discuss this matter and were blown off,” Van Orden said in a statement posted on his official X account. “That is unacceptable. Every student, regardless of political belief, deserves the right to organize, speak freely, and participate fully in campus life without fear of retribution.” DOJ LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO UC BERKELEY UNREST OUTSIDE TURNING POINT USA EVENT According to Van Orden, his staff phoned the Beloit College President’s Administrative Office to set up a phone call between the congressman and the college’s President Eric Boynton on Monday. The congressman relayed that the office agreed to set up the phone call for later that afternoon. But, a few hours before the call was supposed to take place, an attorney representing the school, Eric Rumbaugh, reached out and informed the congressman and his staff that Boynton would not be participating in the call on the advice of counsel. Seeking further clarification, the congressman personally called Rumbaugh back the same day, but his call went straight to voicemail. Van Orden left a message requesting a call back, but he told Fox News Digital that, to date, Rumbaugh has not called him back. However, when reached for comment on this story, a Beloit college spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the voicemail had been returned a few hours earlier on Wednesday morning, two days after Van Orden left his voicemail with the president’s office. “Beloit College did receive an inquiry from Rep. Van Orden, and it is correct that the college’s representative returned the call to Rep. Van Orden’s office,” a Beloit College spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement. “He had had a long conversation with Rep. Van Orden’s office at that time. Rep. Van Orden called back on the afternoon of the 10th and left a message. The phone call was returned this morning, and Rep. Van Orden has not since returned our call.” Van Orden’s staff subsequently told Fox News Digital that the congressman intends to return their on Thursday. The decision by a group of Beloit College students to start a new TPUSA chapter on campus occurred in early October. A major part of TPUSA’s activism efforts include building support on campuses across the country through chapter clubs at various colleges and universities. TPUSA eventually even expanded to include high school chapters as well. MICHIGAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE APPROVES TPUSA CHAPTER AFTER STUDENT GOVERNMENT REJECTION Jordan and her classmates were directed by school administrators that there were a list of requirements they needed to meet before they could formally establish the club, among them – finding a faculty advisor. Every faculty member the students have asked thus far, including the dean of students, refused to help them, according to Jordan, who said she was advised to establish a group that does not have the Turning Point name attached to it. Jordan also said a leading member of the student government on campus said that even if they were to find a faculty advisor, they still would not be able to establish a Turning Point chapter on campus because actions from the national level TPUSA organization supposedly violated Beloit College’s “Student Statement of Culture” policy. In response to the accusations, a Beloit College spokesperson denied that faculty were blocking Jordan and her classmates from establishing a TPUSA chapter, telling Fox News Digital that the school has been “in full accordance with campus policies” and that all potential clubs must follow the same list of requirements. After Jordan and her classmates began promoting their club on social media in mid-October, a harassment campaign targeting the students for their efforts quickly followed. Jordan said the university dismissed the students’ initial harassment concerns, telling them there was nothing faculty could do because they could not identify who was making the harassing posts. When the harassment devolved into threats, Jordan filed a subsequent police report, a move that appeared to spur greater action from the college, which eventually banned one of the main harassers from campus, who Jordan said was an alumnus working in food service on campus at the time. “As a student, I should feel comfortable coming to campus no matter what beliefs I have, no matter what I identify as, no matter who I want to be. And, at this moment, I don’t feel comfortable,” Jordan told Fox News Digital. In addition to denying that the school was preventing Jordan and her classmates from starting their Republican student club, the school insisted that it is “committed to fostering respectful, open inquiry and encouraging a diversity of perspectives on campus.” “The college takes all allegations of threats and harassment against students seriously, including recent ones related to the students interested in forming a Turning Point USA chapter,” the college told Fox News Digital. “Beloit College expects all members of our community to practice compassion and respect towards each other. We are an educational institution, and students learn best
Newsom’s sanctuary policies under fire after drunk illegal immigrant kills elderly man
After a 71-year-old California man was killed in a hit-and-run involving an illegal alien driving under the influence, the Trump Department of Homeland Security asked: “How many Americans must be killed before [Gov. Gavin Newsom]’s sanctuary state of California works with federal law enforcement—instead of against them?” Mexican illegal Humberto Munoz-Gatica, 57, was driving under the influence when he struck 71-year-old Barry William Tutt in Orange County, California, last Friday, according to a Homeland Security statement. Munoz-Gatica left the scene after the collision and was later located with the help of witnesses and arrested, according to a statement by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. He is now facing charges related to hit-and-run and suspicion of driving under the influence. Tutt, meanwhile, was found severely injured at the scene by sheriff’s deputies. He was transported to a local hospital and later succumbed to his injuries, according to the department. OUTRAGE ERUPTS AFTER BOOZED-UP ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ALLEGEDLY MOWS DOWN BLUE STATE COUPLE – ‘HOW MANY MORE?’ In its statement, DHS said it has lodged a request for authorities to hold Munoz-Gatica and turn him over to ICE. DHS posted on X, asking: “How many Americans must be killed before @GavinNewsom’s sanctuary state of California works with federal law enforcement—instead of against them?” In the statement, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin lamented that “unfortunately, Gavin Newsom’s California is a sanctuary state and does not cooperate with ICE.” She called this killing “yet another example of sanctuary and open border policies putting American lives at risk.” PREVIOUSLY DEPORTED BLUE STATE DRIVER CHARGED WITH MURDERING SIX PEOPLE IN CRASH: REPORT In response, Brandon Richards, a spokesperson for Newsom, told Fox News Digital that “Despite the Trump Admin’s repeated false claims, California cooperates with the federal government when it comes to criminals — as has been reported by Fox regularly.” According to DHS, Munoz-Gatica has previously been convicted of grand theft. The agency said he entered the country on a tourist visa that expired in 2008. He was arrested by ICE under the Obama administration in 2011 but then released into the country. “This criminal illegal alien from Mexico, Humberto Munoz-Gatica, was released by the Obama Administration. He NEVER should have been here,” DHS said. Newsom, who is widely rumored to have 2028 presidential aspirations, has emerged as one of the Democratic Party’s most vocal critics of the Trump administration, particularly regarding ICE and immigration enforcement. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT DODGES DEPORTATION FOR DECADE BEFORE ALLEGEDLY KILLING MAN IN DUI HIT-AND-RUN In the midst of widespread anti-ICE riots and protests in Los Angeles in June, Newsom issued a statement in which he blamed “continued chaotic federal sweeps, across California, to meet an arbitrary arrest quota.” He called the operations “as reckless as they are cruel,” saying that “[President] Donald Trump’s chaos is eroding trust, tearing families apart, and undermining the workers and industries that power America’s economy.”
DNC staffers ruthlessly mocked for fuming over remote work reversal: ‘Get yourselves together’
Democratic National Committee employees were mercilessly mocked this week after news came out that staffers were very unhappy with a recent directive from DNC Chairman Ken Martin end to remote work for employees who will now be required to show up to the office five days a week. Leadership of the union representing DNC employees put out a statement following news of the new directive, describing it as “callous.” Reports from those on the staff-wide call also described an immediate flurry of thumbs-down emojis and other signs of anger upon news of the new requirement. “It was shocking to see the DNC chair disregard staff’s valid concerns on today’s team call,” they wrote. “D.N.C. staff worked extremely hard to support historic wins for Democrats up and down the ballot last Tuesday, and this change feels especially callous considering the current economic conditions created by the Trump administration.” Martin reportedly told employees that if they don’t like the new policy, they should go find a job elsewhere. And Martin wasn’t the only Democrat who had some harsh and pointed words for the Democratic Party staffers. Neera Tanden, former President Joe Biden’s domestic policy advisor, had a similar message for DNC staffers, suggesting there were many eager folks waiting in line who would likely be more than willing to go into the office. PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS TURN ON PARTY LEADERSHIP AFTER GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN ENDS WITHOUT HEALTHCARE GUARANTEES “If you think democracy is on the line – working in the office is not a big ask,” Tanden wrote in a post on X. “And there are plenty of other people willing to step up. Get yourselves together people.” A left-wing group, the Center for New Liberalism, echoed the view that the staffers “should look elsewhere” if working from home is a “must-have.” “When you accept a job on a campaign, or with an org like the DNC, DCCC, etc, your single purpose is to win the election. It is a demanding job that requires long hours & sacrifices,” the group wrote on X. “The other part of this is that I suspect [work from home] staff are probably losing opportunities for themselves by not being in the office. Campaigns require a lot of personal sacrifice, but the people who are good at their job and work to make themselves noticed in the office usually tend to go on to do big things!” One Florida-based Democratic strategist, Steve Schale, who led Barack Obama’s statewide efforts in Florida in 2008 and returned to help his campaign in 2012, said the DNC should implement a “requirement” to ensure those who want to work at the DNC really have what it takes. “There should be a requirement that to work at the DNC that you’ve done at least two cycles on an actual battleground campaign, where terms like flex hours & hybrid work don’t exist,” Schale wrote on X. 6 HOUSE DEMOCRATS EXPLAIN BREAKING WITH PARTY TO END SHUTDOWN Meanwhile, Republicans did not spare the opportunity to slam Democratic Party staffers as well. “You can’t make this up — the DNC union is pissed that the Chairman is calling staff back into the office 5 days a week,” former Trump White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, said after learning of the anger. GOP strategist, Matt Gorman, quipped that the image of DNC staffers logging onto a Zoom call in their pajamas amid all the chaos of Biden’s reelection “is hilarious.” “The best part is that they still get two full months before they actually have to get out of bed 5 days week,” GOP National Press Secretary Kiersten Pels said. “Is this a political committee or a daycare?” Martin reportedly told his employees that the work-from-home policy the DNC implemented during COVID was never meant to be permanent, describing it as a “Band-Aid” that has long needed to be ripped off. He did say that remote work would still be allowed on a case-by-case basis, however. The staffer’s union said it is considering all options in terms of challenging the measure. The group previously ratified a collective bargaining agreement with the DNC over the summer that “reaffirms its commitment to making hybrid work available,” but also includes language that allows for a full return to in-person working as long as there is a 60-day notice period, according to the New York Times. Earlier this year, the Congressional Progressive Staff Association sent a letter to top House and Senate leaders proposing a rotating 32-hour work week for congressional staffers, arguing it would be a more “sustainable approach to work on a national level.” The proposal was widely mocked, however. “Why not be bold and ask for a 0-hour workweek?” quipped Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., at the time. “I wonder how blue-collar Americans would feel about white-collar workers demanding a 32-hour workweek.”
Arizona lawmakers’ flight makes emergency landing in Kansas City after passenger disruption
An American Airlines flight carrying four members of Arizona’s congressional delegation to Washington, D.C., diverted Tuesday to Kansas City, Missouri, after a passenger became disruptive. The airline told Fox News Digital that Flight 1218 left Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Nov. 11, 2025, and was rerouted because of “a disruptive customer.” “On Nov. 11, American Airlines flight 1218, with service from Phoenix (PHX) to Washington, D.C. (DCA), diverted to Kansas City (MCI) due to a disruptive customer,” American Airlines told Fox News Digital. “Law enforcement met the flight and removed the customer, and the flight later re-departed for DCA, where it landed normally. “We thank our customers for their patience and our crew members for their professionalism.” WITH THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN THREATENING AIR TRAVEL, A GOP BILL SEEKS TO KEEP FLIGHTS RUNNING Rep. Greg Stanton, a Democrat from Arizona, posted on X that he and three Republican colleagues — Reps. Eli Crane, Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar — were aboard when the incident occurred. “Flying to DC rn to vote no on CR that fails to lower health care costs. @RepEliCrane, @RepAndyBiggsAZ & @RepGosar all on this flight. We’re making emergency stop in Kansas City to remove disruptive passenger. None of my colleagues is the disruptor. Freedom Caucus losing its mojo,” Stanton wrote. HOUSE DEMOCRAT SIDES WITH TRUMP OFFICIALS ON AIR TRAFFIC CUTS AMID SHUTDOWN CHAOS Flight data shows the Airbus A320 had been airborne for roughly two hours and 40 minutes before diverting to Kansas City International Airport around 6:15 p.m. local time. Video posted to X by another passenger shows Kansas City police officers boarding the plane to remove a woman who apologized as she was led away, saying, “We live in a fascist state.” AMERICAN AIRLINES PASSENGER RESTRAINED, KNOCKED TO FLOOR WHILE BARGING INTO COCKPIT: VIDEO The flight departed again about an hour later and landed at Reagan National Airport shortly after 10 p.m. “On a serious note, thank you Kansas City police for handling the situation professionally and without incident,” Stanton later wrote. Stanton said he was headed to Washington to vote against the Republican continuing resolution to end the government shutdown, while his GOP colleagues supported the plan. President Trump signed the legislation Wednesday, formally reopening the federal government after a 43-day shutdown, the longest in U.S. history. The House passed the Senate’s funding bill, 222-209, restoring federal paychecks, funding air traffic controllers and replenishing nutrition programs.
Trump shares adorable moment with kids visiting Oval Office: ‘My name is Donald’
President Donald Trump paused a busy Oval Office day to greet visiting children, handing out small gifts and saying, “My name is Donald,” in a sweet moment captured and shared online by communications advisor Margo Martin. The short clip, viewed hundreds of thousands of times within hours of being posted, struck a lighter note during a packed news cycle after the government shutdown, giving supporters and critics alike a glimpse of the president’s softer side. The video racked up nearly 500,000 views within two hours of being posted to Martin’s X account. Martin often shares behind-the-scenes footage of Trump that can’t be seen anywhere else. In the video, a speaker off camera says, “He wants to know what your name is.” ANDREA BOCELLI GIVES TRUMP IMPROMPTU OVAL OFFICE PERFORMANCE DURING WHITE HOUSE VISIT” The president then responded, “My name is Donald,” with a grin. In the video, Trump offers challenge coins to the children, journalist Salena Zito’s grandchildren. The White House told Fox News Digital the children had stopped by to say hello. The video is the latest in a pattern of sweet moments Trump has shared with some of his youngest supporters, including coloring with kids at the Easter Egg Roll earlier this year. He is the grandfather of eleven grandchildren. TRUMP DANCES WITH MALAYSIAN PERFORMERS AS HE KICKS OFF ASIA TOUR IN LIVELY FASHION “She said yes — she’s smart,” Trump said in the video, laughing before adding with a grin, “She’s so cute.” One commenter said under the video, “that’s a grandpa doing grandpa stuff,” and another added, “kindness transcends politics” with a folded hands emoji. Moments like this have routinely dominated social feeds, as viral interactions caught on camera can break through the news cycle and deliver massive digital reach for the White House. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The video ended with the president offering pens to Zito’s grandchildren. “OK, do you want a pen?” President Trump asked. “One of them. One, two, three.”
UN Ambassador Waltz reveals Trump’s Middle East peace plan is ‘the only way forward’
EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told the U.N. that President Trump’s historic Middle East peace plan is “the only way forward” as he negotiates a resolution that would codify the Trump administration’s Gaza deal in the international body in a way that is “fully consistent with an America First agenda.” Fox News Digital spoke exclusively to Waltz after he convened partners and allies to discuss the United States’ intention to present a resolution to the U.N. Security Council on Gaza. The resolution will endorse the Board of Peace, set parameters for Gaza’s transitional governance and launch the International Stabilization Force outlined in the president’s 20-point Gaza peace plan. MIKE WALTZ SEES TRUMP’S GAZA PLAN AS ‘ONCE-IN-A-GENERATION OPPORTUNITY FOR PEACE’ “Only President Trump has the ability to bring all sides together, just as he did at Sharm El-Sheik,” Waltz told Fox News Digital. “He’s the only person who can truly bridge the divides between the Israelis, the Palestinians and others in the region.” AS TRUMP ADMIN PUSHES GAZA PEACE PLAN, HISTORY SHOWS UN PEACEKEEPING’S MIXED RECORD Waltz said the president’s plan is “the best chance for real peace in the Middle East in a generation.” “And, frankly, it’s a real test for the United Nations — to step up, support the president’s plan and start implementing it,” Waltz told Fox News Digital. “We’ve seen the death and destruction the war in Gaza caused,” Waltz said. “If we can rally the international community to come together and resolve it using the tools of the U.N., that’s absolutely the right thing to do, and it’s fully consistent with an America First agenda. “This process of securing peace in Gaza with a Security Council resolution is really about getting the U.N. back to basics,” Waltz continued. “That’s what we’re calling it — back to basics. It’s about strictly focusing on establishing and keeping peace and, in this case, supporting what the president has already set in motion.” President Trump’s plan to end the Gaza conflict calls for Gaza to be a de-radicalized, terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors. It also calls for Gaza to be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza and more. Under the peace plan, Israeli forces would withdraw from the region, and a temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people of Gaza will be created. US MILITARY TO OVERSEE NEXT PHASE OF PEACE DEAL FROM COORDINATION BASE IN ISRAEL That government will be under the oversight of a new international transitional body called the “Board of Peace,” chaired by President Trump and other members and heads of state. The resolution would essentially make the plan international law, a U.N. source said. As for timing, a U.N. source told Fox News Digital that negotiations typically take months in the United Nations, but the U.S. Mission is hoping to get this done in “weeks.” “We are looking to move quickly,” the source said. “The ceasefire is fragile. We don’t want things to fall apart in any way, shape or form. The sooner we get this resolution done, the sooner countries can begin contributing troops to the stabilization force.” The source also told Fox News Digital that representatives from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Qatar — not members of the Security Council — presented the resolution with Waltz and the U.S. Mission to the broader Security Council. “We think that’s really strong,” the source said. “This is about getting humanitarian aid in, stabilizing, governing and rolling up our sleeves and getting to work and having the international community pay for it.” EXPERTS URGE TRUMP TO BAN TERROR-LINKED UN AGENCY FROM HIS GAZA PEACE PLAN The source said the resolution would create a mechanism, led by Jared Kushner, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio that would ensure “the dollars are going to be used efficiently with a private sector mentality in mind.” Rubio has said the Trump administration is “seeing things we never thought we’d see before, like the number of countries willing to participate in this effort, be it through money or personnel, or both or expertise. “We’ve never seen this sort of international cohesion behind something,” Rubio said. “So, we have to be pursuing those opportunities because they’re really great, historic and important.” Meanwhile, the source said the U.S. is “in the thick of negotiations” but is “moving lightening-fast by U.N. terms.” “They do not want to be part of opposing the best chance we’ve had for peace in a generation,” the source said. “And they don’t want to play the part of bureaucratizing and then being responsible for the fighting resuming.” The president has described the peace plan as “the start of a grand concord and lasting harmony for Israel and all the nations of what will soon be a truly magnificent region.” “I believe that so strongly,” Trump said of the plan. “This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East.”
Arizona Dem tears into her own party over trend she deems antisemitic: ‘Sick and tired’
A trend of Democrats rejecting money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), one of the nation’s most influential pro-Israel groups, is garnering intraparty backlash after an Arizona state representative slammed the shift as “antisemitism under the guide of campaign virtue.” Democrats have been pulling back from AIPAC and cozying up with other, more liberal Jewish groups, like J Street, highlighting a shift in the historical bipartisan consensus that saw both parties treat support for Israel as a given. This changing consensus, particularly within the Democratic Party, became more clear following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel by Hamas terrorists. While some Jewish groups have criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approach to the subsequent war that followed the attack, AIPAC has stood behind Netanyahu’s strong response. AIPAC’s unwavering support for Israel after Oct. 7, 2023, was followed by a coalition of far-left Democrats, including Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and other members of the “Squad,” who called for lawmakers to “REJECT AIPAC.” Since then, a handful of other Democratic Party lawmakers have also rejected or returned money from AIPAC. ATLANTIC CALLS OUT DEMS FOR FAILING TO TAKE ‘OWN ADVICE’ AND MODERATE THEIR POLICIES “I’m getting really sick and tired of Democratic candidates who are announcing they will not “accept” AIPAC money, as it’s apparently the cool thing to say when you are running now,” Democratic Arizona state Rep. Alma Hernandez said on X Wednesday. “Let’s be clear: most voters have no idea what that even means. AIPAC itself doesn’t make candidate contributions; its supporters, many of whom, like me, are pro-Israel Democrats. I can assure you that most of you who are publicly announcing this would NEVER receive a dime from any of us.” Following the cohort of radical Democrats in Congress launching their “REJECT AIPAC” coalition, other Democratic Party members of Congress took action to reject AIPAC money as well. Less than a year after his 2024 election victory, which was financially supported by AIPAC, Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky., said he would no longer take donations from AIPAC. Rep. Deborah Ross, D-N.C., and Rep. Valerie Foushee, D-N.C., made the same commitment earlier this year. Last month, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., refunded past donations from AIPAC and pledged to reject any future funding from the group. HOUSE DEM LASHES OUT AT PRO-ISRAEL ‘MOTHERF—ERS’ DURING FIERY SPEECH: ‘WE AIN’T GOING ANYWHERE’ Hernandez had a stark message for any more Democrats thinking about doing the same. “There are plenty of elected officials and candidates who have privately sought support over the years, and yes, I have the receipts of your text and emails,” Hernandez said in her post on X. “So, to any of you who are thinking of jumping on that wagon because you think it sounds like the cool thing these days, think again. “Don’t mask antisemitism under the guise of campaign virtue.”
Observers stunned as Nikki Haley takes harder line than Trump on Chinese student visa plan
Former Trump U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley warned Thursday that President Donald Trump’s plan to allow 600,000 Chinese students to study in the United States would be a “massive mistake.” “That would be a huge gift to China and a threat to the United States,” Haley wrote on X. Haley’s criticism surprised many conservatives who said they did not expect her to take a harder line than Trump on China and immigration. “I did not have Nikki Haley being to Trump’s right on immigration issues on my 2025 bingo card,” wrote X user S.A. McCarthy, an editor at The American Spectator magazine. TRUMP’S CHINESE STUDENT VISA PUSH SETS OFF ALARM BELLS AMID RISING CCP ‘INFLUENCE’ IN US “I rarely agree with Nikki Haley. I think she is far too much of a throwback to failed George W. Bush era thinking,” wrote conservative analyst Greg Lawson. “BUT, on this specific issue, she is right.” Others questioned the economic logic behind the policy. “America has a shortage of workers in tech and we are training foreign nationals?” one user asked. “Holy s—! I haven’t agreed with anything Nikki Haley has said in I don’t remember when,” wrote another. “It is insane for the Trump administration to allow 600K foreigners into American colleges — not because they are Chinese, but because the cost of college is already too high. Reduce demand = reduce costs.” “When Nikki Haley is to the right of you, you’re making a big mistake,” another user quipped. “Ladies and gentlemen, Trump is now to the left of Nikki Haley,” added another. Trump first floated the 600,000 figure in August, alarming critics who have long warned about Chinese espionage at U.S. universities. More than 277,000 Chinese students studied in the U.S. during the 2023–2024 academic year, according to federal data. The White House later clarified that the 600,000 figure referred to two years’ worth of visas, meaning the proposal represented a continuation of current policy rather than a doubling of admissions. REP. GREENE RAISES RED FLAG AFTER TRUMP INDICATES US WILL ACCEPT 600,000 CHINESE STUDENTS Trump defended the plan Monday on Fox News. “We do have a lot of people coming in from China. We always have — China and other countries,” he said. “We also have a massive system of colleges and universities. And if we were to cut that in half, which perhaps makes some people happy, you would have half the colleges in the United States go out of business. “I actually think it’s good to have outside countries. Look, I want to be able to get along with the world — not the French, though.” Fox News host Laura Ingraham pushed back. “The Chinese, they spy on us, they steal our intellectual property,” she said. “Do you think the French are better?” Trump replied. “Yeah,” Ingraham shot back. “I’m not so sure,” Trump said, citing French tariffs. “It’s not that I want them, but I view it as a business. One thing you don’t want to do is cut half the students from all over the world who are coming into our country and destroy our entire university system. I don’t want to do that.” China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law requires all citizens and organizations to assist the Chinese Communist Party’s intelligence efforts in the name of national security, a key concern among U.S. lawmakers warning that Chinese students and researchers can be pressured to steal sensitive data on behalf of Beijing.
DOJ joins lawsuit against Newsom over ‘racial gerrymander’ of California map
The Department of Justice intervened Thursday in a lawsuit against Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom that is challenging California’s efforts to redraw the state’s congressional map in time for the next election. DOJ Civil Rights Division lawyers argued in a complaint that race was “used as a proxy” in California to justify creating districts favorable to Democrats, a move that served to offset the redistricting showdown in Texas that resulted in more Republican-leaning districts. “In the press, California’s legislators and governor sold a plan to promote the interests of Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections,” the DOJ lawyers wrote. “But amongst themselves and on the debate floor, the focus was not partisanship, but race.” CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS SUE TO STOP NEWSOM, DEMOCRATS FROM PUSHING REDISTRICTING PLAN They added the Constitution “does not tolerate this racial gerrymander” and cited several remarks from lawmakers and others involved in the process about how they prioritized creating a Latino-majority district to counter Texas’ perceived attempt to “silence the voices of Latino voters.” The federal government has authority to enforce the Voting Rights Act, which has a provision designed to make sure voters are not disenfranchised based on their race. But the law’s language has long been a point of controversy and is now under review by the Supreme Court in a separate redistricting case about Louisiana’s map. California’s ballot measure, called Proposition 50, passed on Election Day, and clears the way for the state legislature to redraw districts that could flip five Republican seats. Newsom said in celebratory remarks after the measure’s passage that it was California’s answer to Trump “trying to rig the midterm elections before one single vote is even cast.” ‘DERANGED OBSESSION’: NEWSOM HIT WITH LAWSUIT OVER ‘RETALIATORY’ CALIFORNIA REDISTRICTING PUSH “One thing he never counted on, though, was the state of California,” Newsom said. “Instead of agonizing over the state of our nation, we organized in an unprecedented way, in a 90-day sprint.” California Assembly Member David Tangipa, a Republican, responded by suing, and the DOJ joined in that lawsuit Thursday. A spokesperson for Newsom told Fox News Digital, “These losers lost at the ballot box and soon they will also lose in court.” The legal battle comes as redistricting fights have intensified in the lead-up to the 2026 midterm elections. In addition to Texas and California, Louisiana’s fight before the Supreme Court could affect its map by the next election, depending on when the high court rules. In Utah, Republicans were just dealt a blow by a state judge who approved a new map that will tip one of the state’s four districts in favor of Democrats.