Senate GOP warns Chinese vapes could be used by CCP to spy on Americans, launder cartel cash
FIRST ON FOX: A group of Senate Republicans warned the Trump administration that floods of “illicit Chinese e-cigarettes” entering the country carried a darker side effect. Several Senate Republicans alerted Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in a letter first obtained by Fox News Digital that the Chinese government was reaping massive profits from the devices. And given that connection between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (CSTMA), it’s possible that so-called smart vapes could be used as spying devices. TRUMP UNDERCUTS GOP PUSH TO ATTACH SAVE ACT TO SHUTDOWN BILL AS CONSERVATIVES THREATEN MUTINY The lawmakers charged that the “highly sophisticated” vapes had the ability to connect to a person’s cellphone and have become extremely commonplace. “These devices have the capacity to initiate data breaches or malware infections and can also access and collect sensitive user data,” they wrote. “Given the interconnected relationship between Chinese industry and state intelligence services, the targeting of U.S. military personnel with these devices raises profound national security concerns.” President Donald Trump made the crackdown against Chinese vapes one of the many side quests that his administration pursued last year, going so far as to try and crush the supply of the devices at ports across the country. MOST SHOCKING EXAMPLES OF CHINESE ESPIONAGE UNCOVERED BY THE US THIS YEAR: ‘JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG’ Last year, for example, the Trump-led Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the capture of roughly $90 million worth of vape products from China in one fell swoop. The lawmakers, which included Sens. Steve Daines, R-Mont., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Katie Britt, R-Ala., Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and nine others, lauded Trump’s “aggressive, multi-agency enforcement actions” against the influx of vapes, but noted that the “magnitude and consequence requires a comprehensive strategy and response.” SCHUMER NUKES GOP PUSH FOR ‘JIM CROW-ERA’ VOTER ID LAWS IN TRUMP-BACKED SHUTDOWN PACKAGE It’s not just a spying threat either. The Republicans contended that the funding generated by the sale of vapes could be funneled toward military or technological initiatives in China meant to undermine American interests. They also noted that the vapes have been linked by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to Mexican cartels, specifically using the devices and operations as a money laundering front. That trade-based money laundering scheme, the lawmakers said, was part of a plan to move fentanyl proceeds on behalf of the cartels. “Given the scale and severity of this threat, we urge the Treasury Department and USTR to use their respective enforcement and diplomatic authorities to combat illegal Chinese e-cigarettes,” they wrote.
Fulton County, Georgia to sue after FBI seizes 2020 election records
Lawyers in Fulton County, Georgia, are preparing to file a lawsuit over the FBI’s recent search of an election hub and its seizure of records linked to the 2020 election. Fulton County Commissioner Marvin S. Arrington Jr. on Monday announced the county’s intent to challenge the search in court. Arrington said the county will file a motion in the Northern District of Georgia challenging “the legality of the warrant and the seizure of sensitive election records, and force the government to return the ballots taken.” “I’ve asked the county attorney to take any and all steps available to fight this criminal search warrant,” Arrington said in a statement, according to several reports. “The search warrant, I believe, is not proper, but I think that there are ways that we can limit it. We want to ask for forensic accounting, we want the documents to stay in the State of Georgia under seal, and we want to do whatever we can to protect voter information.” FBI AGENTS SEARCH ELECTION HUB IN FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA The announcement comes after FBI agents executed a warrant at the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center in Union City, Georgia, on Jan. 28. The center was opened by state officials in 2023 and was designed to streamline the election process. The search warrant for the center, which was reviewed by Fox News, allowed the seizure of records, voting rolls and other data tied to the 2020 election. Fulton County is the most populous county in Georgia and includes the capital city of Atlanta. The county was at the center of voter fraud complaints in the wake of the 2020 election, which President Donald Trump lost. The claims did not survive court scrutiny. DOJ TORCHES DEMOCRATS FOR ‘SHAMELESSLY LYING’ ABOUT MINNESOTA VOTER ROLL REQUEST In December 2025, the Department of Justice sued Fulton County for access to ballots related to the 2020 election. However, the county is fighting the lawsuit and claiming that the DOJ did not make a valid argument for accessing the ballots. “They got copies of our voter rolls and all the original ballots,” Arrington said, according to WLUK-TV. “Now we cannot verify that we’ve received everything back because there was no chain-of-custody inventory taken at the time the records were seized.” Trump confirmed last week that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was present during the FBI’s search of the Fulton County facility for matters related to election security. Trump and several others were indicted by a grand jury in Fulton County Superior Court in 2023 over allegations that they engaged in a racketeering scheme to illegally overturn the 2020 election. However, the case never made it to trial, as Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was disqualified from prosecuting it. The Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council, an independent entity, later moved to dismiss the indictment. Despite Democrats’ scrutiny of the recent search, FBI Director Kash Patel has defended the bureau’s actions, saying investigators conducted an “extensive” investigation before the search took place. “The FBI follows the facts and the law, and President Trump and the attorney general have given us a clear mandate to reduce crime in this country and investigate anything that rises to the level of probable cause,” Patel said on “Saturday in America.” “The FBI and the DOJ went in and collected numerous pieces of evidence that the judge authorized us to collect,” Patel later added. The director said investigators were reviewing a “voluminous” amount of information collected during the search as the probe remains ongoing. Fox News Digital reached out to Arrington and the DOJ for comment. Fox News’ David Spunt and Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch, Ashley Oliver, Alec Schemmel and Madison Colombo contributed to this report.
Maryland House approves new congressional map as Senate leaders warn of risks
Maryland House lawmakers voted Monday to advance a new congressional map backed by Democrats, a move that has drawn resistance from state Senate leaders who warn it could carry political and legal risks. The proposal, approved by the Democratic-controlled House, is designed to reshape Maryland’s lone Republican-held congressional district and could alter the balance of the state’s U.S. House delegation. Democrats currently hold seven of Maryland’s eight seats in Congress. Under the new map, party leaders believe they would be better positioned to unseat Republican Rep. Andy Harris and potentially claim all eight districts. House leaders moved forward with the plan at the urging of Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, who has pointed to mid-decade redistricting efforts in other states as justification for revisiting Maryland’s boundaries outside the usual census cycle. TRUMP RIPS INDIANA GOP LEADER OVER REDISTRICTING FIGHT, WARNS REPUBLICANS COULD FACE ‘MAGA PRIMARY’ The push comes as President Donald Trump last year encouraged Republican-led states, including Texas, to redraw congressional maps in hopes of shoring up the GOP’s narrow House majority. Del. C.T. Wilson, a Democrat sponsoring the bill, said the changes are necessary “to help ensure that this administration finally has a Congress that puts his power in check.” Republicans opposed to the map focused on how Harris’ district, which largely covers Maryland’s rural Eastern Shore, would be reconfigured to reach across the Chesapeake Bay and take in more Democratic-leaning voters. REPUBLICAN RIFT PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN OVER TRUMP-DRIVEN RED STATE REDISTRICTING “It is about nothing except party politics,” said Del. Jason Buckel, the House minority leader. Democratic Del. Marc Korman countered that similar geographic configurations have existed before, noting that the district crossed the bay multiple times beginning in the 1960s and that Republican candidates — including Harris — prevailed during those periods. Despite House approval, Senate President Bill Ferguson has repeatedly cautioned that targeting Harris’ seat could place Democratic-held districts at risk and invite renewed court challenges. Ferguson has pointed to a 2021 congressional map that was struck down by a judge as an example of how aggressive redistricting can backfire. Maryland ultimately adopted revised boundaries in 2022 after litigation was dropped. The Senate president has also warned that reopening the process could disrupt Maryland’s election timeline, with a Feb. 24 filing deadline and a June 23 primary approaching, and could leave final district lines in the hands of the courts. Maryland’s debate mirrors broader redistricting battles playing out nationwide, as both parties attempt to gain advantage ahead of the next election cycle. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he plans to call a special legislative session on redistricting in April.
Trump urges Republicans to ‘nationalize’ voting
President Donald Trump urged Republicans to “take over” and “nationalize” voting on Monday. Trump made the comments during an interview with former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino. Under the Constitution, states set the rules for both federal and state elections, establishing “the times, places, and manner of holding elections for the House of Representatives and the Senate.” “The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over,’” Trump told Bongino. “We should take over the voting … in at least many, 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting. We have states that are so crooked and they’re counting votes.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pounced on the idea during remarks on the floor of the Senate. JEFFRIES SAYS GOP ‘DONE EFF’D UP IN TEXAS,’ VOWS THEY WON’T WIN FIVE SEATS: ‘THEY CAN’T IGNORE IT’ “Just a few hours ago, Donald Trump said he wants to nationalize elections around the country. That’s what Trump said. You think he believes in democracy? He said, ‘We want to take over, the Republicans ought to nationalize the voting,’” Schumer said Monday. “Does Donald Trump need a copy of the Constitution? What he is saying is outlandishly illegal.” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson later clarified Trump’s comments in a statement to ABC News. She argued Trump was expressing his desire for the U.S. to have free and fair elections. “President Trump cares deeply about the safety and security of our elections – that’s why he’s urged Congress to pass the SAVE Act and other legislative proposals that would establish a uniform standard of photo ID for voting, prohibit no-excuse mail-in voting, and end the practice of ballot harvesting,” Jackson said. TRUMP LAUNCHES MIDTERM PUSH IN IOWA, WARNS LOSSES WOULD DERAIL AGENDA: ‘WE GOTTA WIN’ Trump’s comments come amid a desperate battle for advantage in the 2026 midterm elections. The GOP and Democrats battled over Congressional redistricting plans throughout last year, with Texas redrawing maps to create five new GOP-favored seats and California countering with its own new maps. More redistricting battles are continuing across the country as the midterms near. Republicans currently hold a razor-thin majority in the House, and midterm elections are historically unfavorable for the sitting president’s party. Trump kicked off an aggressive midterm campaign schedule with a rally in Iowa last week, warning supporters that losing control of Congress would jeopardize his tax cuts, border policies and broader second-term agenda as he urged Republicans to turn out and “win the midterms.” “If we lose the midterms, you’ll lose so many of the things that we’re talking about, so many of the assets that we’re talking about, so many of the tax cuts that we’re talking about, and it would lead to very bad things,” Trump told the crowd. Fox News’ Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
Planned Parenthood drops lawsuit challenging Trump administration’s Medicaid cuts
Planned Parenthood announced it is voluntarily dropping its lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s ability to withhold Medicaid payments under a provision in President Donald Trump’s tax bill. The organization sued in July after President Donald Trump signed a spending bill that included prohibiting federal funding from going to abortion providers, a section of the legislation that Planned Parenthood attorneys argued unfairly targeted their clinics and would leave patients with even fewer health care options. In December, a federal appeals court ruled that the administration could continue to withhold Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. A separate lawsuit filed by a group of mostly Democratic states suffered a similar setback in January but remains ongoing, and a related case filed in Maine was voluntarily dismissed in October. SOUTH CAROLINA GOP LAWMAKERS INTRODUCE BILL TO CRIMINALIZE ABORTION AS MURDER A third lawsuit filed in Maine by a network of medical clinics that was also impacted by the spending bill was voluntarily dismissed in October. Planned Parenthood moved on Friday to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts. “The goal of this lawsuit has always been to help Planned Parenthood patients get the care they deserve from their trusted provider. Based on the 1st Circuit’s decision, it is clear that this lawsuit is no longer the best way to accomplish that goal,” the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts and Planned Parenthood Association of Utah said in a joint statement. Under the tax provision in Trump’s spending bill, Medicaid payments would be stopped if providers like Planned Parenthood primarily offered certain services, including abortion, and received more than $800,000 from Medicaid in 2023. Planned Parenthood was not specifically named in the legislation, but the organization’s leaders have said the law is intended to affect their clinics across the country, as Republicans at the federal and state level continue to target the organization. Federal law bans taxpayer money from covering most abortions, but many Republicans have long argued that abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood used Medicaid money for other health services to subsidize abortion. Planned Parenthood said 23 of their health clinics have been forced to close due to Trump’s spending bill. More than 50 clinics closed in 18 states last year, with most located in the Midwest. PRO-LIFE LEADERS FIRMLY REJECT TRUMP’S CALL FOR HYDE AMENDMENT ‘FLEXIBILITY’ IN HEALTHCARE TALKS “President Trump and his allies in Congress have weaponized the federal government to target Planned Parenthood at the expense of patients — stripping people of the care they rely on,” Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement. “Through every attack, Planned Parenthood has never lost sight of its focus: ensuring patients can get the care they need from the provider they trust,” she continued. “That will never change. Care continues, as does our commitment to fighting for everyone’s freedom to make their own decisions about their bodies, lives, and futures.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jeffries says GOP ‘done eff’d up in Texas,’ vows they won’t win five seats: ‘They can’t ignore it’
Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries unloaded on Republicans Monday, saying they “done eff’d up in Texas,” accusing the GOP of overreaching on redistricting and predicting they will fall well short of flipping five congressional seats. During a news conference at the U.S. Capitol, Jeffries was asked about a recent Texas state senate race in which a Democrat flipped a seat in a district President Donald Trump carried in 2020. Jeffries was also pressed on whether Democrats could win four of the five redistricted congressional seats in Texas. “Yes, Republicans done eff’d up in Texas, and they know it,” Jeffries said. “We knew it months ago, and it’s because of a variety of reasons.” DESANTIS LAUNCHES FLORIDA REDISTRICTING PUSH TO POTENTIALLY ADD MORE GOP HOUSE SEATS Jeffries argued Republicans were never positioned to gain five seats but instead created a scenario in which they attempted to take seats from Democrats, believing there would be no response. “California responded decisively, and we will pick up five seats as a result of Prop. 50,” he said, referring to a California ballot measure that reshaped redistricting rules and boosted Democratic chances in multiple congressional districts. “It remains to be seen what happens in Texas, but I can guarantee you they won’t win five seats,” Jeffries continued. “They’re going to struggle to win three based on 2024 performance alone.” DEMS SCORE BIG IN TYPICALLY RED TEXAS DISTRICT THAT TRUMP EASILY WON IN 2024 Democrats scored another win Saturday when Taylor Rehmet captured a Texas state senate seat in a district long dominated by Republicans. Rehmet, a labor union leader and Air Force veteran, defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss in the Fort Worth-area district. Jeffries praised Rehmet’s campaign, calling the victory decisive. WHY 2026 SHOULD TERRIFY REPUBLICANS AFTER TENNESSEE SPECIAL ELECTION “It was a shellacking for Republicans in Texas that even caught Ron DeSantis’ attention,” Jeffries said. “They can’t ignore it. Republicans have been losing elections, and Democrats have been winning elections since January of last year.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the Republican Party of Texas for comment. The Texas redistricting fight is part of a broader national battle for control of the House ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, with similar clashes unfolding in Virginia, North Carolina and California as both parties jockey for seats that could ultimately determine the majority.
Trump administration blocked from ending Temporary Protected Status for Haitians
A federal judge in Washington has blocked the Trump administration from closing down a humanitarian program that allowed around 350,000 Haitians to live and work legally in the U.S., according to reports. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes granted an emergency request Monday to pause the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians while a lawsuit challenging the decision goes ahead, the Associated Press reported. TPS allows eligible immigrants from countries facing unsafe conditions to stay in the U.S. and get work authorization, though it does not provide a path to citizenship. The Haitian designation was set to expire Feb. 3. In a two-page order, Reyes said the termination would be “null, void, and of no legal effect” during the stay, preserving recipients’ ability to work and shielding them from arrest and removal. FEDERAL COURT RULES NOEM TERMINATING TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR VENEZUELANS IN US WAS ILLEGAL The judge also said the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their case and found it “substantially likely” that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had preordained the decision because of “hostility to nonwhite immigrants.” TPS can be granted by the Homeland Security secretary when conditions in a foreign country are deemed unsafe because of natural disasters, armed conflict or other extraordinary circumstances. Haiti first received the designation in 2010 after a catastrophic earthquake and has remained under TPS because of political instability, natural disasters and surging gang violence. The designation has been extended several times. FEDERAL JUDGE HALTS TRUMP TPS POLICY, ACCUSES DHS OF MAKING MIGRANTS ‘ATONE FOR THEIR RACE’ “If the termination stands, people will almost certainly die,” attorneys representing Haitian TPS holders had warned in a December court filing. They cited violence, disease and food insecurity in Haiti. The lawsuit also alleges that Noem failed to properly assess whether the country is still unsafe and that the decision was motivated by “racial animus.” At the time, the Department of Homeland Security disputed those claims and said conditions in Haiti had improved. TRUMP CUTS FAMILY REUNIFICATION PROGRAMS FOR SEVEN COUNTRIES CITING FRAUD AND SECURITY CONCERNS Government attorneys argued that allegations of racial bias relied on statements taken out of context and insisted Noem provided “reasoned, facially sufficient explanations” for ending the protections. A DHS notice issued in November had also pointed to the authorization of a new force to combat gangs and determined that continued TPS for Haitians was against the national interest. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said that “Haiti’s TPS was granted following an earthquake that took place over 15 years ago.” “It was never intended to be a de facto amnesty program, yet that’s how previous administrations have used it for decades,” McLaughlin said in a statement. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
Plan to end government shutdown survives key House hurdle after Trump quells GOP rebellion threats
The Senate’s compromise to end the ongoing partial government shutdown survived an important hurdle on Monday night, teeing up the legislation for a vote in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. The House Rules Committee, the final gatekeeper before most bills get a chamberwide vote, advanced the upper chamber’s deal with the White House with little internal discord among Republicans on the panel. But the measure could face issues on the House floor during a second procedural hurdle called a “rule vote,” which needs a simple majority of lawmakers to unlock debate and a vote on final passage. House votes normally fall along partisan lines, and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., will need virtually all GOP lawmakers to vote in lockstep to succeed. The current partial shutdown, affecting roughly 78% of the federal government, is in its third day after Congress failed to send its remaining spending bills to President Donald Trump’s desk by Jan. 30. REPUBLICANS, DEMS BREAK THROUGH RESISTANCE, MOVE FORWARD WITH TRUMP-BACKED FUNDING PACKAGE House lawmakers passed an initial set of bipartisan bills to finish funding the government through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2026, Sept. 30, but Democrats rebelled against the plan en masse in protest of Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. Senate Democrats walked away from the deal in protest of its funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), after federal law enforcement shot and killed a second U.S. citizen during anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demonstrations in Minneapolis. Trump has responded by removing Customs and Border Protection (CBP), whose agents shot the second person, from the Midwest city, and replacing senior officials leading the crackdown there. HOUSE CONSERVATIVES SKEPTICAL AS SENATE DEAL SACRIFICING DHS SPENDING REACHED: ‘NON-STARTER’ But Democrats are demanding further guardrails, like judicial warrants, to restrict agents in Minneapolis even further. The resulting compromise would fund areas of government that were caught up in the political standoff — the departments of War, Health and Human Services, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, and Education — while simply extending the current federal spending levels for DHS for two weeks. That two-week span is aimed at giving lawmakers time for more bipartisan negotiations on a longer-term deal. TENSIONS BOIL IN HOUSE OVER EMERGING SENATE DEAL TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN The Senate passed the new deal on Friday, but House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is sharply divided from his counterpart, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in his position. Despite Schumer and Senate Democrats negotiating the plan with Trump’s White House, Jeffries told Johnson not to rely on House Democrats’ support to pass the bill. It’s a stunning division between the top two Democrats in Congress, and one that will leave House Republicans largely on their own for much of the process of ending the shutdown. But Trump managed to quell another rebellion on the conservative side earlier on Monday, easing at least one headache for House GOP leaders. At least four House Republicans signaled they could vote against their own party during the rule vote on Tuesday over its exclusion of an unrelated measure requiring proof of citizenship in the voter registration process. The president posted on Truth Social earlier Monday demanding “NO CHANGES” to the current deal, effectively undercutting conservatives’ push for the legislation. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., had been leading a group of conservatives threatening to tank the rule vote if the SAVE America Act was not attached. But Luna told reporters on Monday night that she and Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., both changed their minds after getting assurances from the White House that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., would force a vote on the bill — called the SAVE America Act. “As of right now, with the current agreement that we have, as well as discussions, we will both be a yes on the rule,” Luna said. “There is something called a standing filibuster that would effectively allow Senator Thune to put voter ID on the floor of the Senate. We are hearing that that is going well and he is considering that…so we are very happy about that.” It’s not clear if it’s enough for other House Republicans, however, some of whom are upset over the new deal opening up the need for bipartisan discussions on reining in Trump’s immigration crackdown. Johnson can only lose one House GOP vote for the funding deal to survive a chamber-wide rule vote. In the meantime, nearly 14,000 air traffic controllers are expected to work without pay. Members of the military could also miss paychecks if the shutdown goes on long enough, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be limited in its ability to communicate public health updates to Americans.
EXCLUSIVE: Gabbard answers Democrats — and explains why Trump personally sent her to Fulton County
EXCLUSIVE: Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard detailed her ongoing election security assessment in a letter to congressional lawmakers Monday, saying President Donald Trump “specifically directed” her to be present for the execution of a search warrant in Fulton County, Georgia, last week as part of the probe. Gabbard sent a letter, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital, addressed to Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn. The letter was also sent to House and Senate leadership, as well as GOP leadership on both committees. The letter is in response to one sent in late January by Warner and Himes, in which they requested Gabbard brief them on why she was present at the FBI search of an election office in Fulton County, Georgia. Gabbard announced in April 2025 that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) was investigating electronic voting systems in order to protect election integrity. TRUMP CONFIRMS WHAT TULSI GABBARD WAS DOING AT GEORGIA ELECTION CENTER In the letter, Gabbard said Trump instructed her to be present at the FBI’s execution of a search warrant at the Office of the Clerk of the Court of Fulton County, Georgia, Wednesday. “For a brief period of time, I accompanied FBI Deputy Director Bailey and Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Pete Ellis in observing FBI personnel executing that search warrant, issued by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia pursuant to a probable cause finding,” she wrote. Gabbard said her “presence was requested by the President and executed under my broad statutory authority to coordinate, integrate, and analyze intelligence related to election security, including counterintelligence (CI), foreign and other malign influence, and cybersecurity.” “The FBI’s Intelligence/Counterintelligence divisions are one of the 18 elements that I oversee,” she said. DNI Press Secretary Oliva Coleman told Fox News Digital in a statement, “President Trump’s directive to secure our elections was clear, and DNI Gabbard has and will proudly continue to take actions within her authorities, alongside our interagency partners, including the FBI, to support ensuring the integrity of our elections.” Gabbard said senior FBI officials in twelve field offices nationwide, including Atlanta, are “dual-hatted” as Domestic DNI-Representatives under a program established through a 2011 memorandum of understanding between ODNI and the FBI, adding that she has visited several of those officials as part of her oversight of domestic threats, including risks to critical infrastructure. “While visiting the FBI Field Office in Atlanta, I thanked the FBI agents for their professionalism and great work, and facilitated a brief phone call for the President to thank the agents personally for their work,” Gabbard said. “He did not ask any questions, nor did he or I issue any directives.” FBI AGENTS SEARCH ELECTION HUB IN FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA Gabbard stressed that the ODNI’s Office of General Counsel “has found my actions to be consistent and well within my statutory authority as the Director of National Intelligence.” In late January, FBI agents were seen carrying out a search at an election hub in Fulton County, Georgia, a location that became ground zero for concerns and complaints about voter fraud beginning in 2020. The search warrant authorized the seizure of election records, voting rolls, and other data tied to the 2020 election, according to a copy of the warrant reviewed by Fox News. Gabbard went on to address specific questions initially posed by Warner and Himes, detailing how election security “is a national security issue.” “Interference in U.S. elections is a threat to our republic and a national security threat,” she writes. “The President and his Administration are committed to safeguarding the integrity of U.S. elections to ensure that neither foreign nor domestic powers undermine the American people’s right to determine who our elected leaders are.” Gabbard said Trump “tasked ODNI with taking all appropriate actions” under her statutory authorities toward “ensuring the integrity of our elections” and specifically directed her to observe the execution of the Fulton County search warrant. She added that ODNI has been “actively reviewing intelligence reporting and assessments on election integrity” since she took office. “As part of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center’s responsibility to lead, manage, and coordinate counterintelligence matters related to election security, NCSC personnel traveled with me to Fulton County to support this effort,” she wrote, noting that they were not present during the execution of the warrant. In the letter, Gabbard stressed that the DNI has “broad authority to coordinate, integrate, and analyze intelligence related to election security.” She also said ODNI is “the lead intelligence agency in the Joint Cyber Planning Office,” which coordinates and oversees the nation’s strategy to secure critical cyber infrastructure, “including cyber infrastructure used for elections.” The DNI told lawmakers that ODNI “will not irresponsibly share incomplete intelligence assessments concerning foreign or other malign interference in U.S. elections.” “As I publicly stated on 10 April 2025, there is information and intelligence reporting suggesting that electronic voting systems being used in the United States have long been vulnerable to exploitation that could result in enabling determined actors to manipulate the results of the votes being cast with the intent of changing the outcome of an election,” she wrote. ODNI and the intelligence community continue to collect and assess intelligence related to the threat, she added, to ensure the security and integrity of U.S. elections. Gabbard previously raised similar concerns during an April 2025 Cabinet meeting, when she said ODNI had evidence that electronic voting systems have long been vulnerable to exploitation and argued the findings supported a broader push for paper ballots. Meanwhile, in the letter, Gabbard explained that the process of assessing the intelligence “ensures that the IC’s finished intelligence products are objective, independent of political considerations, and based on all available sources.” “I will share our intelligence assessments with Congress once they are complete,” she said. Gabbard said that the National Security Act of 1947 specifically highlights that the law
DHS Secretary Noem to testify before key House committee amid spotlight on deportation agenda
FIRST ON FOX: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has agreed to appear before the House Judiciary Committee next month, marking her second commitment to testify before Congress amid heightened scrutiny of the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation agenda. Noem will sit for a hearing with the House panel on March 4, Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told Fox News Digital in a brief interview. Jordan said Noem’s appearance was part of routine oversight of Cabinet members over whom his panel has jurisdiction. He noted that it was unrelated to committee Democrats’ recent demand letter to Jordan that he bring Noem in for questioning about the two high-profile killings of U.S. citizens in Minnesota during immigration operations. BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN VOWS TO STAY IN MINNESOTA ‘UNTIL THE PROBLEM’S GONE’ Both incidents are under investigation by the FBI, but the Democrats, led by ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., accused Noem of making premature remarks as a “cover-up” for her department’s mistakes. Jordan said one of his focuses during the hearing will be on so-called sanctuary cities and states, which typically have policies in place that limit or block local law enforcement from notifying federal authorities about anyone who has been detained in a local jail who has a questionable immigration status. Jordan said sanctuary jurisdictions raised a “fundamental question.” “You’ve got a guy in your jail who’s done some bad thing — that’s why he’s in your jail. — and, oh, also happens to be here illegally, and you’re not going to work with ICE. … I think the vast majority of the country thinks that’s just stupid,” Jordan said. “So I think that’s a point we have to stress.” Noem is also set to appear on March 3 before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Both testimonies come as DHS has been caught up in hundreds of court cases challenging arrests and detentions of suspected illegal immigrants. It also comes after Noem initially said both Renee Good and Alex Pretti, the two U.S. citizens killed by immigration authorities during chaotic altercations in Minnesota, were “domestic terrorists.” Noem and other Trump administration officials’ jump to make such comments on the killings before the conclusion of an investigation spurred backlash, including from some Republicans. President Donald Trump responded by rearranging immigration operations in Minnesota, pushing out their leader, Greg Bovino, and bringing in border czar Tom Homan. NOEM SAYS DHS CAN ‘ALWAYS DO BETTER’ WHEN PRESSED ON AGENCY’S ‘MISTAKES’ BEFORE HOMAN’S DEPLOYMENT Federal authorities are continuing to investigate whether agents legally used lethal force in the two incidents. Trump recently defended Noem in a Truth Social post, accusing “Radical Left Lunatics” of targeting her “because she is a woman, and has done a really GREAT JOB!”