Ilhan Omar fires back after Trump’s Constitution dig: ‘Unlike you, I can read’
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., struck back at President Donald Trump after he took a swipe at her understanding of the Constitution. While the two have gone head-to-head for years dating back to Trump’s first term, they have reignited their longstanding quarrel in recent weeks as Trump has suggested she should return to Somalia, where she was born. Omar’s comment comes a day after the White House shared an image on X of Trump waving goodbye through a McDonald’s drive-thru window in 2024, replying to a video of Omar saying she wasn’t uneasy about being deported. On Tuesday, Omar took a jab at Trump in response to a video where he questioned her Constitutional knowledge. “Unlike you, I can read and that’s why I know what the constitution says,” Omar said in a post on X. OMAR CELEBRATES CENSURE VOTE FAILURE, ALLEGES ‘EMERGENCY’ NEED TO GET MACE ‘HELP’ BEFORE SHE HARMS SOMEONE Although Trump did not mention Omar by name, Trump took a shot at Omar as he criticized other Democrats like Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas in a Monday interview with Fox News. “I look at somebody who comes from Somalia where they don’t have anything, they don’t have police, they don’t have military, they don’t have anything. All they have is crime,” Trump said in the clip. “And she comes in and tells us how to run our country. ‘The Constitution says this, the Constitution says that.’ The whole thing is crazy.” ‘SQUAD’ MEMBER, NANCY MACE CLASH ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ‘YOU BELONG IN REHAB’ “I have no worry, I don’t know how they’d take away my citizenship and like deport me,” Omar said in the clip the White House responded to, which originally was made on “The Dean Obeidallah Show” in October. “But I don’t even know like why that’s such a scary threat. Like I’m not the 8-year-old who escaped war anymore. I’m grown, my kids are grown. Like I could go live wherever I want.” Trump has repeatedly indicated that Omar should return to Somalia, but told reporters in September that Somalia didn’t want her back. “You know, I met the head of Somalia, did you know that?” Trump said. “And I suggested that maybe he’d like to take her back. He said, ‘I don’t want her.’” ILHAN OMAR REFUSES TO CREDIT TRUMP FOR GAZA CEASEFIRE However, Omar said that the story was not true. “From denying Somalia had a president to making up a story, President Trump is a lying buffoon,” Omar said. “No one should take this embarrassing fool seriously.” Omar’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. When asked for comment about Omar’s statement, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital: “President Trump is right.” Omar’s family fled Somalia for a refugee camp in Kenya during the Somalian Civil War in 1991. The U.S. granted her family asylum, and they lived in Arlington, Virginia, starting in 1995. The congresswoman obtained citizenship in the United States in the year 2000. She was elected to Minnesota’s House of Representatives in 2016 and then in 2018 was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She is the first Somali–American woman and one of the first Muslim women to serve in Congress.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Trump honors veterans at Arlington National Ceremony
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… -Marine-turned-psychologist’s brain breakthrough is helping veterans still fighting inside -NYC lawmaker dares Mamdani to make good on ‘pipe dream’ pledge by inviting Netanyahu -Senate reaches temporary truce to end record shutdown, but January battle looms President Donald Trump participated in a wreath-laying ceremony Tuesday at Arlington National Cemetery to commemorate Veterans Day and honor the nation’s fallen service members. He was joined by Vice President JD Vance and Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins. “This morning on these hallowed grounds where generations of American heroes rest in eternal glory, we gather to fulfill the sacred duty of every free man and woman. On Veterans Day, we honor those who have worn the uniform, who have borne the battle, who have stood to watch, and whose ranks have formed the mighty wall of flesh and blood, bravery and devotion that has defended our freedom for 250 years,” Trump said at the Memorial Amphitheater…READ MORE. VETS CLEAN HOUSE: DHS salutes veterans turned ICE agents after major arrests across the country HOUSE OF CARDS: Trump’s 50-year mortgage may burden Americans with more debt, experts say TRUMP WAS RIGHT: Russia’s gas gamble backfires as Trump’s energy vision reshapes Europe SPIES IN CLASS: Trump doubles down on 600,000 visas for Chinese students DEMS DIVIDED: Democrat lawmaker blasts Senate colleagues for caving in shutdown deal FAMILY FEUD: Family rift: Top Democrat’s own daughter publicly opposes her on shutdown deal GEARING UP: Call to duty: In battle for House, Republicans and Democrats looking to veterans CHUCK’S LAST STAND: Democrats, left empty-handed in shutdown, turn fury on Schumer INCREASED COSTS: ‘Woke lawfare’ exposed: Lawyer admits massive climate suit is attempt at backdoor carbon tax PUMP THE BRAKES: NY governor pours cold water on Mamdani free bus plan ‘FULL FORCE’ OF LAW: Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Latino voter group Jolt for allegedly registering illegal immigrants DRAWING THE LINE: Red state judge chooses new congressional map in fight that could reshape House control POLITICAL FIGHT: From combat boots to the campaign trail: Army veteran marches into Michigan congressional race PRICED OUT!: Top 3 reasons housing has become so unaffordable in the US and it’s not what you think Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Newsom claims Trump is ‘handing the future to China’ at Brazilian climate confab that WH skipped
California Gov. Gavin Newsom was the most prominent American official to attend the COP30 global climate conference in Belém, Brazil, this week — using the platform to criticize the absent Trump administration. The White House mocked the trip, noting California’s continued rank among the highest in U.S. energy costs. Newsom’s office put out a summary of his visit to the conference, saying it shows California is “leading by example” and proving that “climate action and economic growth go hand in hand.” “As Donald Trump abandons American climate leadership, California continues and accelerates its climate action, urging global investors to embrace the technologies and infrastructure driving the clean energy future,” his office said in the release. NEWSOM SET TO RALLY TEXAS DEMS WITH VICTORY LAP DAYS AFTER PROP 50 PASSES: ‘CALIFORNIA STEPPED UP’ On Tuesday, Newsom was scheduled to deliver remarks in his role as co-chair of America Is All In, which describes itself as a broad coalition of non-federal actors in the U.S. committed to ambitious climate action. Later, he was scheduled to attend a state-governor’s coalition called U.S. Climate Alliance, and then travel into the Amazon rainforest to meet with “community stewards.” “While Donald Trump is handing the future to China, California is proving that climate action, business growth, supporting workers, and good-paying jobs go hand in hand,” Newsom said. “We’re not turning backwards to the failed policies of the past — California is fighting for a clean-energy future, even as President Trump bends the knee to his Gulf-State patrons and takes a nap as the world burns.” NEWSOM SAYS TRUMP HAS ‘RELENTLESS, UNHINGED’ OBSESSION WITH CALIFORNIA DURING STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS Newsom made the case during remarks at the coinciding Milken Institute Global Investors Symposium in Sao Paulo that California has proved it can balance climate and environmental stewardship with economic growth. “We’re running the fourth-largest economy in the world [on] 67%; two-thirds clean energy,” he said. Newsom claimed that nine out of 10 days this year, California operated on 100% non-fossil-fuel energy for at least part of the day: TRUMP OFFICIALS URGED TO BOYCOTT UN CLIMATE SUMMIT AS TRUMP SEETHES CLIMATE CHANGE IS A ‘CON JOB’ “I don’t know if there’s another jurisdiction in the world that can lay claim to that.” “We are proving the paradigm: The genius of ‘and,’ not the tyranny of ‘or’,” he said in remarks to Milken CEO Rich Ditizio. Meanwhile, back in Washington, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers cited California’s consumer energy costs, and claimed that Newsom would not be attending such a summit if he was sincere about the issue as thousands of acres reportedly had to be cleared for a “special purpose highway” into the rainforest. NEWSOM WARNS AMERICANS ‘YOU WILL LOSE YOUR COUNTRY’ UNDER TRUMP AT CALIFORNIA SUMMIT Belem officials denied the highway, Avenida Liberdade, was built expressly for the summit, according to reports. “Governor Newscum (sic) flew all the way to Brazil to tout the Green New Scam, while the people of California are paying some of the highest energy prices in the country: Embarrassing,” Rogers said. “It’s time for Newscum and other countries to drop the climate façade. President Trump will not allow the best interest of the American people to be jeopardized by the Green Energy Scam. These Green Dreams are killing other countries, but will not kill ours thanks to President Trump’s commonsense energy agenda,” she added. NEWSOM UNVEILING CALIFORNIA REDISTRICTING EFFORT TO COUNTER TRUMP-BACKED PUSH IN TEXAS At the conference, former Washington Gov. Jay Inslee claimed to the COP30 conference that the U.S. has not pulled out of the Paris climate accords. “One part of the United States has, and that’s the federal government,” he told Germany’s Deutsche Welle. At a business conference in Greece this week, Energy Secretary Chris Wright commented on the Trump administration’s absence, calling the confab “essentially a hoax.” “It’s not an honest organization looking to better human lives,” Wright said, adding that he may drop in on the 2026 conference to deliver some “common sense.”
Trump lays wreath at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day
President Donald Trump participated in a wreath-laying ceremony Tuesday at Arlington National Cemetery to commemorate Veterans Day and honor the nation’s fallen service members. He was joined by Vice President JD Vance and Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins. The president is scheduled to deliver remarks. This is a developing news story; check back for updates.
Democrats, left empty-handed in shutdown, turn fury on Schumer
Frustration is boiling over among Democratic ranks against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., after walking away from the longest government shutdown on record largely empty-handed. Some argue that Schumer squandered key leverage and failed to steer his caucus through the chaos to victory. “I think that people did what they could to get us out of the shutdown, but what has worked in the past isn’t working now,” Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said. “And so, we need to meet the moment, and we’re not doing that.” Slotkin, like others in the Senate Democratic caucus, “wanted something deliverable on the price of healthcare.” The core of their shutdown strategy was to force Republicans and President Donald Trump to make a deal on expiring Obamacare subsidies, but that didn’t happen. SENATE VOTE TO END GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IGNITES DEMOCRAT CIVIL WAR Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., argued that getting rid of Schumer would be difficult. “Chuck Schumer is part of the establishment,” Sanders told MSNBC. “You can argue, and I can make the case, that Chuck Schumer has done a lot of bad things, but getting rid of him — who’s going to replace him?” Other Democrats weren’t so resigned. Graham Platner, a Democratic Senate candidate running to replace Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, placed the collapse of Senate Democrats’ unified front squarely on leadership. “The Democratic Party at the leadership level has become entirely feckless,” Platner said in a video posted by Our Revolution, a political action organization started as an offshoot of Sanders’ presidential campaign. “What happened last night is a failure of leadership in the most clear terms,” he said after the Senate passed the bipartisan deal Monday, sending it to the House. “Sen. Schumer is the minority leader. It is his job to make sure his caucus is voting along the lines of what’s going to be good for the people of the United States. He could not maintain that.” Schumer and congressional Democrats walked away from the shutdown stalemate in the Senate largely empty-handed, save for some victories on ensuring furloughed federal workers would receive back pay, the reversals of firings made by the Trump administration during the shutdown and future protections for workers. Still, they fell far short of their goal to extend the expiring subsidies, which are set to sunset at the end of this year. Those subsidies, initially passed as an emergency response to COVID-19 in 2021, were always supposed to be temporary. But Democrats fear that their sudden expiration could leave millions of policyholders with substantially higher premiums overnight if allowed to expire. But as mounting pressure grew — and no sign of Republicans wavering on the subsidies — eight Democrats voted to put the government on the path to reopening. To some onlookers, Schumer had held the party line for as long as possible. SENATE DEMOCRATS EYE EXIT FROM RECORD-BREAKING SHUTDOWN AS PRESSURE INTENSIFIES Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., one of the eight Democrats who voted with Republicans to reopen the government, said she respected Schumer’s leadership. “He’s done a good job,” Masto said. “He kept us in the loop and was open to our conversations.” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., argued that the problem wasn’t Schumer, it was his colleagues. “Sen. Schumer didn’t want this to be the outcome, and I pressed hard for it not to end like this,” Murphy said. “He didn’t succeed, let’s not sugarcoat that. But the problem is, the problem exists, inside the caucus. The caucus has to solve it.” Republicans, however, spent much of the shutdown arguing that Schumer had waged the shutdown to appease his base — a base that had wanted to see some sort of resistance to Trump. “This is how it always would end,” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said on Monday evening. “Chuck Schumer has a political problem. He’s afraid of being primaried from the left. And so, the Democrats inflicted this shutdown on the American people in order to prove to their radical left-wing base that they hate Donald Trump.” “I think a lot of Americans have suffered as a result of this political stunt,” Cruz added. SCHUMER’S SHUTDOWN SCHEME EXPLAINED: DEMS DOUBLE DOWN ON OBAMACARE CREDITS AS STANDOFF DRAGS ON On the other hand, many Democrats made it clear they believed Schumer had failed to effectively mount resistance to Trump’s agenda on healthcare. CNN data analyst Harry Enten compiled polls dating back to 1985 comparing the popularity of Democratic leaders among Democratic voters. Schumer, he found, was the least popular of them all. “Chuck Schumer — his days are over. If he cannot keep his caucus together, he needs to go,” Sunny Hostin, a co-host of “The View,” told audiences on Monday. “Chuck Schumer has not met this moment, and Senate Democrats would be wise to move on from his leadership,” Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., said. California Gov. Gavin Newsom summed up his thoughts in a one-word post to X. “Pathetic,” Newsom said.
Red state judge chooses new congressional map in fight that could reshape House control
In a blow to Republicans, a Utah district judge 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. Republicans currently control all four of the red state’s congressional districts, but Utah District Judge Dianna Gibson ruled late Monday that a map drawn up by GOP lawmakers “unduly favors Republicans and disfavors Democrats.” Utah is the latest battlefield in the high-stakes redistricting showdown between President Donald Trump and Republicans versus Democrats to shape the midterm landscape in the fight for the House majority. The faceoff over redistricting in Utah, a state Trump carried by nearly 22 percentage points in last year’s presidential election, was triggered by a lawsuit by the League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government, which prompted Gibson to throw out the state’s current congressional map. NEWSOM TAKES VICTORY LAP AFTER LANDSLIDE REDISTRICTING VICTORY IN CALIFORNIA Gibson’s move required state lawmakers to draw a new map, which the legislature approved last month. The judge had ordered lawmakers to draw a map in compliance with a 2018 ballot measure approved by Utah voters that reformed redistricting standards, in order to prevent the drawing of districts to favor a political party, which is a practice known as gerrymandering. Gibson rejected the Republican lawmakers’ map and instead ruled in favor of one of two presented by the plaintiffs. It keeps nearly all of heavily populated Salt Lake County in one congressional district. The current congressional map divides the Democratic-dominated county among all four of the state’s districts. The judge had said she would rule by Monday, which was the day Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson said any new congressional map must be in place to be used in next year’s elections. Democrats have not controlled a congressional seat in Utah since the current map went into effect at the beginning of the decade. “The DNC applauds the decision to choose a fair, impartial map that reflects the diversity and ideological makeup of the state. Utah Republicans gerrymandered the maps because they knew they were losing power in the state. Republicans doubled down when they chose to submit another gerrymandered map, but today, they were once again thwarted by impartial Courts,” Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin argued in a statement. And Martin vowed that “Democrats will continue to fight for fair maps in Utah, regardless of what Donald Trump and Utah Republicans try next.” TRUMP-BACKED REDISTRICTING PUSH TURNS MIDWESTERN STATE INTO NEXT POLITICAL BATTLEGROUND Republicans, who have argued that Gibson does not have legal authority to enact a map not approved by the legislature, criticized the ruling. “Judge Gibson has once again exceeded the constitutional authority granted to Utah’s judiciary. After stretching the law to justify taking control of redistricting, she has now rejected Map C — the only option that respected the Legislature’s constitutional role — and imposed a map of activists who are not accountable to Utahns,” Utah Republican Party chair Robert Axson argued. And Axson charged, “This is not interpretation. It is the arrogance of a judge playing King from the bench.” The ruling in Utah comes six days after California voters 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 the reliable red state of Texas of a new map that aims to create up to five right-leaning House seats. “California stepped up. Now, we are taking this fight across the country — helping Democrats in other states push back against Trump’s election rigging,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement to Fox News Digital last week, as he pointed to the push by Trump and Republicans for rare mid-decade redistricting. It’s 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 the 2026 midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats. Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio have drawn new maps as part of the president’s push. 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. Illinois and Maryland, two blue states, and Virginia, where Democrats control the legislature, are moving towards redistricting or are seriously considering, as are the red states of Indiana, Kansas, and Florida.
From combat boots to the campaign trail: Army veteran marches into Michigan congressional race
On the heels of a nine-month deployment to Iraq, Army Veteran Captain Michael Bouchard told Fox News Digital that he is ready to take the fight to Washington, D.C. Last week, Bouchard announced his campaign to represent Michigan’s 10th Congressional District in the race to replace Rep. John James, R-Mich., who is retiring from Congress to run for governor next year. Ahead of Veterans Day, the Army veteran, paratrooper and Bronze Star recipient shared his vision for Michigan with Fox News Digital. “This race, it’s gonna be tough,” Bouchard said. “I’m ready for that fight. I just got back from fighting a war abroad, and I didn’t take a vacation. I’m here. I’m ready to go right now for the people of this district and for everyone who loves this country.” Throughout his military career, Bouchard said he felt the impact and ramifications of the decisions made in the nation’s capital. SCOOP: COMBAT VETERAN LAUNCHES CONGRESSIONAL RUN IN BID TO FLIP LONGTIME DEMOCRAT-HELD SEAT RED “I spent about nine years in the Army, most of it was active duty,” Bouchard said. “I was an infantry officer in the 101st Airborne Division, and I did intel for the 82nd. And then after that, I got out and joined the National Guard. And as soon as I got back, they asked me to go to Iraq, so I spent the last nine months in Iraq. I got back from Iraq two weeks ago, and we’re hitting the ground running.” FIRST ON FOX: RETIRED AIR FORCE COLONEL WHO PILOTED LAST FLIGHT OUT OF AFGHANISTAN REVEALS NEW MISSION After former President Joe Biden completed the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, when 13 U.S. service members were killed in the Kabul airport bombing, Bouchard said he expected Russia, China and North Korea to become “more aggressive in their spheres of influence.” About six months later, Russia invaded Ukraine. “Peace through strength isn’t just a slogan to me,” Bouchard told Fox News Digital. “I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it. I’ve led soldiers on the frontline that serve under what those decisions mean.” Bouchard said his military background has been central to his decision to run for Congress. The Michigander said he has witnessed first-hand what happens when leaders step up and “stand for this country,” as well as what happens when they don’t. “I’ve led soldiers at the ground level. I’ve led negotiations at the strategic level. And I’ve made life and death decisions to hunt down our enemies abroad. And then the other part is, I have served at our border here. So I’ve faced down terrorists abroad, and I’ve defended our country here,” Bouchard said. Speaking to Fox News Digital ahead of Veterans Day, Bouchard said he is committed to supporting military families, expanding career resources and improving healthcare efficiency at the Department of Veterans Affairs. “When someone’s in the military, their whole family serves,” Bouchard said before adding, as someone who just returned from serving in Iraq, “I can tell you those systems are really hard to go through, that they’re not efficient and available to everyone who gets out, so that needs to be reformed a little bit, and I want to help pass some policy that addresses that.” Bouchard is a third-generation Michigander and the son of Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard. His grandfather served in the Army during World War II before working for General Motors for 33 years. “I love this state. I grew up here. I was born here. I live in this district, and this is home to me,” Bouchard said. Bouchard described the residents of Michigan’s 10th Congressional District as the “salt of the earth,” explaining that Michiganders ultimately want to work hard, raise a family, send their kids to good schools and live their lives without politics coming into play. “I want to rebuild this economy to, not just win future wars, but to prevent them. I think if we truly stand up this economy to what it can be, we won’t have the future war that everyone keeps talking about because we have built the best equipment in this district,” he said. Given his background, Bouchard said security is his number one priority, but housing affordability is also top of mind. “Right now, housing costs are through the roof,” he said. “The interest rates are too high, and people can’t afford to buy the home that they want. There are a lot of things that we can do at the federal level to reduce that regulation, cut red tape and make it easier for people who are starting families to buy a house, move into the house that they want and own that home.” Bouchard emphasized that maintaining Republican control of the House runs through Michigan’s 10th Congressional District. “This race has national ramifications,” he said. “If we lose this seat and a couple others, we will lose the House. If that happens, I’m worried that the Democrats are gonna impeach the president for the next two years, so I want to stand with him and prevent that from happening.”
Trump doubles down on plan for 600,000 Chinese student visas despite MAGA backlash
President Donald Trump on Monday defended his administration’s plan to offer 600,000 visas to Chinese students — a move that has drawn criticism from within conservative circles. Fox News’ Laura Ingraham pressed Trump during an interview on “The Ingraham Angle,” questioning how the proposal was “pro-MAGA” if it crowded out spots for American students and whether universities were “getting rich” from Chinese money. Trump argued that foreign students — particularly from China — are vital to keeping U.S. universities financially stable, adding that cutting the number of Chinese students in half would cripple the system. “We do have a lot of people coming in from China. We always have, China and other countries. 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 would go out of business,” he said. SURVIVOR OF CHINA’S CULTURAL REVOLUTION WARNS AGAINST LETTING 600,000 CHINESE STUDENTS STUDY AT US COLLEGES “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,” he added. “The Chinese, they spy on us, they steal our intellectual property,” Ingraham shot back. “Do you think the French are better?” Trump said. “Yeah,” Ingraham replied. “I’m not so sure,” Trump said, citing French tariffs. Trump continued to frame the issue in economic terms, saying Chinese students pay far more in tuition than Americans and help sustain the system. TRUMP IGNITES CONSERVATIVE BACKLASH AFTER OPENING DOOR TO 600,000 CHINESE STUDENTS: ‘WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?’ “It’s not that I want them, but I view it as a business,” he said. “One thing you don’t want to cut half of the people, half of the students from all over the world that are coming into our country, destroy our entire university and college system. I don’t want to do that.” Trump met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea last week, saying the two leaders reached agreement on “almost everything.” Following the meeting, China reportedly held off on some of its toughest export restrictions for critical minerals, while the U.S. delayed plans to impose triple-digit tariffs. The remarks mark a reversal from earlier this year, when the Trump administration said it would “aggressively revoke” Chinese student visas amid espionage concerns. In August, Trump changed course and announced plans to expand the program dramatically. More than 277,000 Chinese students studied in the U.S. during the 2023–2024 school year, according to the Institute of International Education — the second-largest foreign student population after India. That figure is down from a peak of over 372,000 in 2019–2020. The comments come as the State Department has intensified its visa crackdown, revoking more than 80,000 nonimmigrant visas — including about 8,000 student visas — since the start of Trump’s term. Officials say many were revoked over criminal activity or participation in rallies against U.S. support for Israel. Former national security advisor Michael Flynn criticized Trump’s comments on X, writing: “Sorry Mr. @POTUS if we didn’t allow 600K Chinese spies to steal even more intellectual property and other ideas about how to dominate are our way of life, it wouldn’t make a dent in U.S. colleges and universities.” “We simply don’t need to help the Chinese anymore with their plans to be the sole superpower this century,” Flynn added. “They’ve been ripping us off for years. Because of that they have significant advantages over us now—and they have zero desire nor intent to make America great again.” China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law requires all citizens to cooperate with Chinese Communist Party intelligence efforts in the name of national security. China expert Gordon Chang, whose father fled Mao Zedong’s communist government after earning a master’s degree in the U.S., called the visa proposal “wrong-headed.” “Taking away spots in schools from Americans and giving them to future Chinese Communists is wrong, and admitting students who have been weaponized by the CCP to commit acts of espionage is extraordinarily dangerous,” Chang told Fox News Digital. “American presidents for decades have allowed China’s regime to maintain in our country organizations and extensive networks of agents and diplomats that surveil, intimidate, and coerce Chinese and other students.”
Likely end of government shutdown in sight as House lawmakers poised to clear final hurdles
The House of Representatives appears to be on a glide path to ending the longest government shutdown in history, with lawmakers racing back to Capitol Hill after six weeks out of session. The House Rules Committee will meet to consider the Senate’s amended federal funding plan sometime after 5 p.m. Tuesday, two sources told Fox News Digital. In other words, the 42-day shutdown — which has led to thousands of air travel delays, left millions of people who rely on federal benefits in limbo, and forced thousands of federal workers either off the job or to work without pay — could come to an end before the end of this week. The House Rules Committee is the final hurdle for most legislation before it sees House-wide votes. Lawmakers on the key panel vote to advance a bill while setting terms for its consideration, like possible amendment votes and timing for debate. MIKE JOHNSON SPEAKS OUT AFTER SENATE BREAKTHROUGH ON GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN The funding bill at hand is expected to advance through the committee on party lines. Democrats on the panel are likely to oppose the measure in line with House Democratic leaders, while Republicans have signaled no meaningful opposition. Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., the two Republicans on the committee who have most often opposed GOP leaders’ legislation for not being conservative enough, both suggested they would be supportive of the funding measure. Roy told Fox News Digital on Monday night that he would vote “yes” on the bill on the House floor, meaning he would likely not oppose it in the House Rules Committee. The Texas Republican is currently running to be attorney general of the Lone Star State. Norman told Fox News Digital via text message Tuesday morning, when asked about both his Rules Committee and House floor votes, “My support is based on READING the FINE PRINT as it relates to the 3 bills especially VERIFYING the top line spending limits as we previously passed.” “If ‘THE FINE PRINT MATCHES’ what’s being reported, I will be a yes,” Norman said. THE 5 LONGEST GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS IN HISTORY: WHAT HAPPENED, HOW THEY ENDED The South Carolina Republican, who is running for governor, was referring to three full-year spending bills that are part of the latest bipartisan compromise passed by the Senate on Monday night. Terms of the deal include a new extension of fiscal year (FY) 2025 federal funding levels through Jan. 30, in order to give congressional negotiators more time to strike a longer-term deal on FY 2026 spending. It would also give lawmakers some headway with that mission, advancing legislation to fund the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration; the Department of Veterans Affairs and military construction; and the legislative branch. They are three of 12 individual bills that are meant to make up Congress’ annual appropriations, paired into a vehicle called a “minibus.” In a victory for Democrats, the deal would also reverse federal layoffs conducted by the Trump administration in October, with those workers getting paid for the time they were off. It also guarantees Senate Democrats a vote on legislation extending Obamacare subsidies that were enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic, which are set to expire at the end of this year. JOHNSON WARNS US ‘BARRELING TOWARD ONE OF THE LONGEST SHUTDOWNS’ IN HISTORY Extending the enhanced subsidies for Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), was a key ask for Democrats in the weekslong standoff. No such guarantee was made in the House, however, so Democrats effectively folded on their key demand in order to end the shutdown — a move that infuriated progressives and left-wing caucus leaders in Congress. The full House is expected to take up the measure sometime after 4 p.m. on Wednesday, according to a notice sent to lawmakers. There will first be a “rule vote” for the bill where lawmakers are expected to green-light debate on the House floor, followed by a vote on the measure itself sometime Wednesday evening. House schedules for both Tuesday and Wednesday were left intentionally fluid to allow for lawmakers to return to Washington amid nationwide flight delays and cancellations, mostly imposed by the shutdown. The House was last in session on Sept. 19, when lawmakers passed legislation to keep the government funded through Nov. 21. It passed with support from one House Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, and opposition from two Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Victoria Spartz, R-Ind. No further House Republicans have signaled public opposition to the new measure so far.
Sexual harassment allegation that derailed Democrat’s congressional campaign results in defamation settlement
A sexual harassment allegation in the 11th hour of a congressional campaign that derailed a Virginia Democrat has resulted in two settlements from defendants in a defamation lawsuit he filed after the campaign ended. “The matter was settled to the satisfaction of the Parties, and the terms are confidential,” Virginia House of Delegates member Dan Helmer said in a press release in late October. The press release stated Helmer reached a settlement with two of the three defendants he sued for defamation: Avram Fechter and attorney Charles King. The statement described these settlements as “an important step in finally closing the dark chapter for Delegate Helmer” and said his defamation case against the woman who he claims made the allegations, the third defendant Lissa Savaglio, is still open. Two weeks before the Democratic primary for Virginia’s 10th Congressional District last June, Helmer was leading in several polls and looked to be the frontrunner heading into the general election in the Democrat-heavy district. VA DEMS REJECT RESOLUTION CONDEMNING POLITICAL VIOLENCE WHILE HOUSE SPEAKER CUTS OFF JAY JONES REFERENCES But, just a week before the election, that changed after a media report revealed that members of the Loudoun County Democratic Committee were accusing Helmer of sexual harassment. Days later, King, an attorney for the alleged victim, released the following statement. “After a political event in 2018, Mr. Helmer groped my client’s breast,” King wrote. “In later conversations with others, Helmer sexually described the woman’s physique and talked about different sexual positions he wanted to try with her and other women.” Helmer denied the claims, but ultimately lost his race for Congress by four percentage points to Democrat Suhas Subramanyam. After the election, Helmer filed a defamation lawsuit in Fairfax County Circuit Court against King, Fechter and Savaglio. ABIGAIL SPANBERGER SEALS HISTORIC VIRGINIA WIN, ENDING GOP’S GLENN YOUNGKIN ERA In Helmer’s $15 million defamation lawsuit, he alleged a coordinated effort by Helmer’s political opponents and Loudoun County Democrats to push allegations of sexual misconduct they knew were false. Helmer’s suit claims that the alleged groping could not have physically taken place because photographs from the evening in question showed he and Savaglio did not attend the same political event. The suit also alleges that Savaglio told Helmer after the fact that he had “never acted inappropriately toward her.” “Because of a mix of personal, political, and financial motivations, Savaglio intentionally published known falsehoods to harm [me],” the lawsuit states. An attorney who spoke to Fox News Digital suggested that the settlements represented a political victory for Helmer. “They must have had enough black and white to force them to the table and force them to settle and that’s pretty remarkable,” Virginia attorney Jeffrey Breit told Fox News Digital. “It’s unusual to see that in political cases.“ “What makes it interesting in this case is defamation cases are very very hard to win nationwide and in Virginia because of so much you have to show for intent, truth, lots of issues that you have to do in a defamation case which makes them very, very hard,” Breit explained. “And so the fact that he could file a suit having lost because of what was said and force these people, one to the table, and two to settle, to me shows they had real evidence that this was false.” When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, Fechter said the terms of the settlement prohibit him from commenting on the matter. King told the Loudon-Times Mirror that he is limited on what he can comment on but did tell the outlet he is “very, very satisfied.” Fox News Digital reached out to Savaglio for comment but did not receive a response. Democrats had a big night in Virginia last Tuesday across the board on election night, including the House of Delegates where they expanded their majority control. Helmer won re-election in District 10, defeating a Republican challenger.