DOJ’s Epstein disclosure draws fire for website glitches, missing documents, redactions
The Department of Justice’s efforts to release all of its files related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking cases by the legal deadline fell short of expectations on Friday, resulting in complaints ranging from technological glitches to excessive redactions and missing documents. Just after 3 p.m., the highly anticipated website containing the documents went live with a message informing visitors they were “in line.” The page never advanced and would occasionally crash. Once the files became visible, some people were reporting that they still could not access the website. “Got me waiting in line for these Epstein files like it’s a 2019 Yeezy drop,” one user wrote on X. SCHUMER ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF EPSTEIN FILES ‘COVER-UP’ AMID DOCUMENT DISPUTE The law required that the files be searchable, but New York University law professor Ryan Goodman was among those who observed that the search bar feature on the website was also not reliably capturing content. Some on the left pointed out that President Donald Trump’s name was initially not showing up in any of the documents. Trump was one of many of Epstein’s affluent friends before Epstein faced charges. The search bar appeared to be working as of Friday night. The most common criticism, however, focused on what critics described as an incomplete release and extensive redactions. The DOJ has said it was required to redact information that could identify victims or minors. In a letter to Congress, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche touted the DOJ’s effort to fulfill its obligations under the Epstein Files Transparency Act as “historic.” Blanche said the documents underwent a rigorous review and redaction process involving more than 200 lawyers and that certain DOJ components produced tranches of files this week that required more time to review. He said he expected the rest of the files to be uploaded to the website within two weeks. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., highlighted the statutory language of the Epstein Files Transparency Act on X. “Unfortunately, today’s document release by @AGPamBondi and @DAGToddBlanche grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law that @realDonaldTrump signed just 30 days ago,” Massie wrote. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., a co-sponsor of the legislation, said he and Massie were “exploring all options,” including potential contempt proceedings or other actions against DOJ officials. “It is an incomplete release with too many redactions,” Khanna said. DOJ PUBLISHES TROVE OF EPSTEIN FILES, SAYS MORE TO COME AFTER FRIDAY DEADLINE Tim Young, a media fellow with the conservative Heritage Foundation, panned the redactions in a post on X and took a jab at Attorney General Pam Bondi over the DOJ’s botched rollout of already public files earlier this year. Bondi had given right-wing social media influencers binders of files in February, but the records were a dud and enraged a faction of Trump’s base. Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., appeared on MS NOW Friday evening and accused the administration of “breaking the law.” Still, the DOJ has stood by its work as exemplary, saying in a statement online that “President Trump’s DOJ is delivering historic transparency while protecting victims.” Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ for comment.
Here is what‘s in the Department of Justice’s latest Epstein files drop
The Department of Justice began releasing final documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein Friday, with a massive trove of documents that predominantly shows photos and heavily redacted materials categorized into four different sections. The DOJ on Friday afternoon released four different data sets of thousands of photos, New York grand jury material and evidence related to investigations of Epstein. The documents and photos were released on the DOJ’s website. Epstein was a well-connected financier who rubbed elbows with those at the highest echelons of government and private industry. He was convicted of sex trafficking minors in 2008 and served just more than one year of incarceration, which also included a controversial work-release arrangement under a plea agreement. He was arrested again in 2019 on charges of sex trafficking before he was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell from suicide that same year, officials reported. DOJ PUBLISHES TROVE OF EPSTEIN FILES, SAYS MORE TO COME AFTER FRIDAY DEADLINE The first data set shows thousands of photos of the interiors and exteriors of Epstein’s properties, including in New York and on his private island, Little St. James. The second data set released shows Epstein in personal photos with high-profile individuals, including former President Bill Clinton. The photos in the second data set show Epstein shirtless while sitting on a sofa, standing near a helicopter and many photos of him on boats. A photo in the set included Clinton shirtless in a hot tub. When asked about the photo, Clinton spokesperson Angel Ureña directed Fox Digital to a statement he posted to X in response to the Epstein drop. “The White House hasn’t been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton,” he wrote. “This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they’ll try and hide forever. So they can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn’t about Bill Clinton. Never has, never will be. Even Susie Wiles said Donald Trump was wrong about Bill Clinton.” Ureña said there are “two types of people” involved in the Epstein scandal: those who did not know of Epstein’s crimes and cut him out of their lives upon his conviction and a second group of people who “continued relationships with him after” his crimes came to light. “We’re in the first. No amount of stalling by people in the second group will change that,” the Clinton spokesman continued. “Everyone, especially MAGA, expects answers, not scapegoats.” MASSIE SETS LITMUS TEST FOR DOJ’S EPSTEIN DISCLOSURES AS DEADLINE SLIPS The third data set released by the Department of Justice included heavily redacted photos of potential victims, documents from Epstein’s 2019 grand jury records that were also heavily redacted and potential victim exhibits. SCHUMER ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF EPSTEIN FILES ‘COVER-UP’ AMID DOCUMENT DISPUTE The fourth data set in the document drop mostly showed evidence and exhibits from the investigations into Epstein, including documents from 2005 and 2006, when Palm Beach, Florida, police and the FBI began investigating Epstein for potential sex trafficking. President Donald Trump signed a bipartisan law in November that required the Department of Justice to release all “unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials” within 30 days of Trump’s signature. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Friday morning during an appearance on Fox News that the Department was set to “release several hundred thousand documents today,” adding that the DOJ anticipates releasing “more documents over the next couple of weeks.” The Epstein Files Transparency Act specifically directs the Justice Department to release all unclassified records and investigative materials related to Epstein and longtime partner Ghislaine Maxwell and files related to individuals who were referenced in Epstein’s previous legal cases, details surrounding trafficking allegations, internal DOJ communications as they relate to Epstein and any details surrounding the investigation into his death.
White House pressures Smithsonian for internal records, warns funding could be withheld: report
The White House is escalating pressure on the Smithsonian Institution, demanding extensive internal records and warning that congressionally authorized funding could be withheld if the museum system does not comply by a mid-January deadline, according to a report by Bloomberg. In a letter sent Thursday to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch, Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought said the administration wants assurances that Smithsonian leadership is prepared to present American history in a positive light as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026. “We wish to be assured that none of the leadership of the Smithsonian museums is confused about the fact that the United States has been among the greatest forces for good in the history of the world,” the letter said, according to Bloomberg. “The American people will have no patience for any museum that is diffident about America’s founding or otherwise uncomfortable conveying a positive view of American history.” AMERICAN HISTORY WON’T BE DISPLAYED ‘IN A WOKE MANNER’ AT SMITHSONIAN, TRUMP SAYS The report said the White House set a Jan. 13 deadline for the Smithsonian to turn over the requested records, warning that the administration could use the Office of Management and Budget’s apportionment authority to delay or withhold federal funding if the institution fails to comply. This marks an intensification of a dispute that began earlier this year, when President Donald Trump signed an executive order accusing the Smithsonian of operating “under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology” and directing that the institution eliminate exhibits or programs that “degrade shared American values.” The White House letter, according to Bloomberg, accused the Smithsonian of slow-walking previous information requests and providing only cursory details about its programming, particularly with respect to future exhibitions planned between 2026 and 2029. The administration said it wants detailed schedules and budgets as part of its review. MICHELLE OBAMA PORTRAITIST’S EXHIBIT WITH TRANS STATUE OF LIBERTY PULLED AFTER PRESSURE FROM VANCE The Smithsonian oversees some of the nation’s most prominent museums, including the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian. Founded by Congress in 1846, the Smithsonian is governed by a Board of Regents that includes members of Congress and the chief justice of the Supreme Court. The funding warning builds on earlier criticism from the Trump administration of Smithsonian exhibit content. In a July 5 Fox News Digital exclusive, White House official Lindsey Halligan accused the Smithsonian of using taxpayer dollars to promote “one-sided, divisive political narratives,” pointing specifically to content in the National Museum of American History’s Entertainment Nation exhibit. LIZ PEEK: TRUMP DECLARES WAR ON WOKE — AND THIS BELOVED MUSEUM IS IN HIS CROSSHAIRS “American taxpayers should not be funding institutions that undermine our country or promote one-sided, divisive political narratives,” Halligan told Fox News Digital at the time. She said exhibits should present history “in a way that is accurate, balanced and consistent with the values that make the United States of America exceptional.” The Smithsonian said then that it is “committed to continuous and rigorous scholarship” and was reviewing exhibit content to ensure it meets institutional standards. Bloomberg reported that the latest letter frames the records request as part of the administration’s preparations for the semiquincentennial, which Trump has signaled he wants to use to emphasize patriotism and a unifying national narrative. The Smithsonian receives roughly two-thirds of its annual budget from federal appropriations, according to previous reporting by Fox News Digital. The White House and the Smithsonian did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
New Epstein documents include photos of Bill Clinton shirtless in hot tub, socializing with Michael Jackson
A photo of former President Bill Clinton topless in a dimly lit hot tub with his arms folded behind his head was included in a massive trove of Jeffrey Epstein files released Friday by the Department of Justice (DOJ). In another photo, Clinton is seen wading in a pool next to Ghislaine Maxwell and a woman whose face was redacted by authorities. Subsequent photos showed Clinton posing with American pop stars Michael Jackson and Diana Ross and seated on a plane next to a female wearing an American flag pin whose face was redacted. He was also seen smiling arm-in-arm with the late disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Epstein at what appeared to be a dinner party, wearing a festive shirt. GOP ACCUSES DEMOCRATS OF ‘FABRICATING’ TRUMP-EPSTEIN LINK WITH SELECTIVE DOCUMENT LEAKS, INTERNAL MEMO SHOWS The locations where the photos were taken were not included, and no context was provided. White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson took to social media Friday afternoon to comment on the never-before-seen photos of the former POTUS. “Here is Bill Clinton in a hot tub next to someone whose identity has been redacted. Per the Epstein Files Transparency Act, DOJ was specifically instructed only to redact the faces of victims and/or minors,” Jackson wrote. “Time for the media to start asking real questions.” DOJ FILES MOTION TO UNSEAL EPSTEIN DOCS IN LATEST STEP TOWARD RELEASE Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, Angel Ureña, accused the White House of trying to “hide [things] forever,” in a statement on X, implying President Donald Trump continued a relationship with Epstein after his crimes were revealed. “The White House hasn’t been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton. This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they’ll try and hide forever,” Ureña wrote in the post. “So they can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn’t about Bill Clinton. Never has, never will be. Even Susie Wiles said Donald Trump was wrong about Bill Clinton. “There are two types of people here,” he continued. “The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continued relationships with him after. We’re in the first. No amount of stalling by people in the second group will change that. Everyone, especially MAGA, expects answers, not scapegoats.” The DOJ dumped thousands of documents and hundreds of photos on its website Friday, all supposedly obtained by authorities during investigations into Epstein and Maxwell’s sex trafficking cases. Other photos showed interior and exterior views of Epstein’s properties, personal photos of Epstein with various people and heavily redacted potential victim exhibits. COMER WARNS CONTEMPT AS CLINTONS FACE JANUARY DATES FOR EPSTEIN-PROBE DEPOSITIONS While more than a dozen politically known individuals appeared in the files, Clinton and other notable figures’ inclusion in the files does not necessarily imply wrongdoing. The document drop was triggered by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required the DOJ to make the files public 30 days from its Nov. 19 signing by President Donald Trump. Some files may be withheld by the DOJ if disclosure would jeopardize an ongoing investigation or prosecution, to safeguard victims’ privacy or to avoid publishing sensitive child sexual abuse material. Ross’ communications teams did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Trump admin targets Maduro’s inner circle, family
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… -US judge dismisses Trump-linked lawsuit against Justice Roberts, in a blow to Trump allies -Conservative groups declare 2025 a tipping point on ‘climate hysteria’ as Trump unleashes energy agenda -Schumer accuses Trump admin of Epstein files ‘cover-up’ amid document dispute The Treasury Department announced new sanctions Friday that target seven family members and associates tied to Nicolás Maduro’s regime, which the Trump administration continues to put in its crosshairs. The action, carried out by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), seeks to address corruption and deceptive practices involving the Venezuelan state. “Today, Treasury sanctioned individuals who are propping up Nicolás Maduro’s rogue narco-state. We will not allow Venezuela to continue flooding our nation with deadly drugs,” Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said…READ MORE. ELITE UNDER SIEGE: Trump administration appeals ruling restoring $2.7B in federal funding to Harvard COLOR CODING: Law group asks Trump admin to get rid of race in CDC tool used by local officials to steer funds based on DEI LEGACY REWRITTEN: Trump’s name added to Kennedy Center following unanimous board vote to rename historic building ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL’: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s pregnant daughter rips ‘unconstitutional’ TSA after ‘invasive pat-down’ MAGA MOVE: 2028 power move: Turning Point’s Erika Kirk throws support behind JD Vance as MAGA ‘heir apparent’ ‘INTOLERABLE’: Rubio identifies ‘single most serious threat’ to the US from the Western Hemisphere ENEMY WITHIN: Deadly attack on US troops tests Trump’s counter-ISIS strategy and reliance on Syria’s new leader NAMES OR NOTHING: Massie sets litmus test for DOJ’s Epstein disclosures as deadline slips BIG TECH LEASH: Graham leads bipartisan demand for tech reform vote to ‘bring social media companies to heel’ TRUST BUT VERIFY: 134 House Republicans demand ‘assurances’ as US eases Syria sanctions NO REGRETS HERE: Ilhan Omar defends MEALS Act despite ties to massive Minnesota fraud scheme DEMS SAY NO: Democrats’ last-minute move to block GOP funding plan sends lawmakers home early PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN: ICE is nice: AMfest attendees overwhelmingly call for DHS to target their hometowns as Dems spurn agents FREEDOM VOW: Ex-Hamas hostage freed after 505 days in Gaza tunnels warns ‘evil is spreading’ across the world Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Fox News Poll: Views on the year ending are merriest since 2020
As 2025 winds down, voters’ outlook on the year ending has improved, not only compared to 2024, but also year-over-year since 2020. Almost half say this was a good year for them personally, even as fewer, around one-third, say it was good for the country, according to the latest Fox News survey released Friday. Though concerns persist, such as the future of the country and affording holiday gifts, the upward shift reflects a gradual rebound in optimism since the pandemic-era lows. Nearly half of voters, 45%, say 2025 was a good year for them. That’s up from 40% last year, and the highest since 2019 when it was 47%. At the same time, 54% say this was a bad year for their family, up from 50% last year. FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS SOUND ALARM ON HEALTHCARE COSTS A record-low – 23% said 2020 was a good year for their family. In fact, the 2020 pandemic was the first time in almost a decade that the question veered to the negative: from 2012 to 2019, voters felt more positive than negative. While still largely net negative, views on how the country fared in 2025 are also rosier than in recent years. Thirty-five percent say it was a good year for the U.S., up from 28% last year. Two-thirds think it was a bad year for the country — a number that has held steady since 2022 and went as high as 78% in 2020. FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS SAY GO SLOW ON AI DEVELOPMENT — BUT DON’T KNOW WHO SHOULD STEER Republicans (65% their family, 63%of the country) are more likely than Democrats (28%, 9%) and independents (39%, 28%) to be upbeat about 2025 and say it was a good year personally and nationally. Positivity among Republicans (+31 points for their family, +44 points for the country) and independents (+6, +7) is up since 2024, while ratings have fallen for Democrats (-22, -33). “Obviously, most of the shifts from 2024 to 2025 are due to how partisans have reacted to the change from a Democratic to a Republican administration,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who helps conduct Fox News surveys with Democratic partner Chris Anderson. “It’s not so much that prices have changed or wages have moved, it’s that Republicans feel better with their guy in the White House and Democrats feel worse.” Evaluations of 2025 are more favorable among men than women, college-educated voters than those without a degree, and households earning $50,000 or more than those with lower incomes. Voters are divided, however, on the U.S.’s future: 48% are hopeful while 52% are not, yielding a net negative 4 points — a reversal from a +10 positive rating last year (55% hopeful, 45% not hopeful). Still, these numbers are better than in 2021 (when the question was first asked), when 43% felt hopeful about what was next and 54% did not (-11 net negative rating). Just as views of the past differ by political party, expectations about the future do, too. Three-quarters of Republicans feel hopeful about what’s ahead, while three-quarters of Democrats say they’re not. Independents are also negative, with about 6 in 10 lacking hopefulness. And although Republicans felt good about 2025, optimism for the future is down 11 points compared to 86% last year, while Democratic and independent pessimism remains as high — or higher — than it was in 2024. This is the reverse of four years ago, when about 6 in 10 Democrats were hopeful, while roughly 7 in 10 Republicans and 6 in 10 independents were not. With the holiday season in full swing, so is shoppers’ anxiety as more than half are worried about how they will pay for gifts this year (52%) while slightly less than half are not (48%). Concern is highest among moms (68%), voters under 30 (68%), Hispanic voters (66%), women without a college degree (64%), and households earning under $50,000 (62%). Those financial pressures may help explain why most voters (81%) say it’s at least sometimes okay to re-gift something they were given: 62% feel it is sometimes okay, while 19% say it’s always acceptable. Some 19% think it’s never okay. Acceptance of re-gifting has grown since 2013, when 73% said it was at least sometimes okay and one-quarter said it was never acceptable. White women, voters under age 45, those with a graduate degree, parents, and Republicans are among those most likely to say re-gifting is acceptable today. CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE Conducted December 12-15, 2025, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,001 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (116) and cellphones (630) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (255). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.
Biden admin marked illegal immigrant, alleged murderer as ‘non-enforcement priority,’ DHS reveals
FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is calling out both the Biden administration and one Northern Virginia county’s “sanctuary policies” after an illegal immigrant with a lengthy criminal history was released by police and allegedly killed a man in his home a day later. A man was found shot dead in his Northern Virginia home in Fairfax County on Wednesday. The suspected shooter, 23-year-old Marvin Morales-Ortez — an immigrant from El Salvador residing illegally in the United States — had been in custody Tuesday on malicious wounding and brandishing a firearm charges, but police released him after the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office dropped the charges and Morales-Ortez committed a murder the next day. Morales-Ortez illegally entered the United States in September 2016, along with his mother, near Hidalgo, Texas, according to DHS. Morales-Ortez was then “released into the country by the Obama administration,” the agency added. Meanwhile, in 2022, the Biden administration dismissed Morales-Ortez’s immigration proceedings and eventually marked him as “a non-enforcement priority,” according to DHS. “There is blood on the hands of Fairfax County politicians for pushing policies that released this illegal alien from Salvadoran from jail and onto the streets of Virginia,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Fairfax county refused to honor ICE’s detainer and release him into their custody. Just hours after being released from jail, he committed murder in cold blood. Sanctuary policies have deadly consequences. We pray for the victim and his family.” ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CAUGHT AND RELEASED BY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION NOW CHARGED IN WASHINGTON VEHICULAR HOMICIDE Officers investigated the murder scene Wednesday afternoon and night, according to local media. Following a manhunt, Morales-Ortez was eventually tracked down and arrested. Court records showed Morales-Ortez had been charged with at least seven crimes in Fairfax County at the time of his latest arrest and was a suspected MS-13 member. Morales-Ortez was arrested on Sept. 14 and, according to the office of George Soros-backed district attorney, Steve Descano, the charges were eventually dropped because the victim in the case left the country and indicated they would not cooperate with court proceedings. “The charges were nolle prossed due to insufficient evidence to move forward with the criminal case,” a spokesperson for the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, headed by George Soros-backed Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano, told Fox News Digital. “The victim told police that they had moved out of the country and would not be coming to court to cooperate in proceedings, regardless of timing. Sadly, without the victim’s necessary testimony, we could not move forward.” Both Fairfax County Police and Descano’s office said that the decision on whether to follow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers ultimately falls under the purview of the sheriff’s office, led by Stacey Kincaid. Fox News Digital reached out to the sheriff’s office for an explanation about how it handles ICE detainers and whether it cooperates, or not, with federal immigration enforcement. TWICE-DEPORTED HONDURAN ACCUSED OF STABBING PASSENGER ON CHARLOTTE LIGHT RAIL FACES FEDERAL CHARGES “The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office follows all local, state, and federal laws when determining whether a person is subject to release from the ADC. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is automatically notified any time a person is booked into the ADC. In this instance, ICE was aware of Morales Ortez’s incarceration and elected not to seek a judicial warrant to ensure he remained in custody,” Fox News Digital was told. “Accordingly, and consistent with our policies and the law, once the court issued an order dismissing his cases, Mr. Morales Ortez was released.” Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger, according to local Virginia news outlet WJLA-TV, is currently considering Kincaid for a top Virginia State Police position. Virginians 4 Safe Communities, a public safety group critical of Descano, slammed the Northern Virginia county’s Soros-backed top cop amid news of Morales-Ortez’s alleged murder and the fact he was released from custody just a day before committing it. “For Steve Descano’s office, letting violent criminals out to commit more crimes isn’t a bug, it’s a feature. But he bungles so many cases you can’t always tell where the incompetence ends, and the ideology begins,” Sean Kennedy, Virginians for Safe Communities president, told Fox News Digital. “That a dangerous offender would go free and create more victims is so commonplace in Fairfax that may have become numb to it. Descano exploits that.”
US launches ‘vengeance’ attack on ISIS targets after National Guard soldiers killed
The U.S. conducted military strikes against the Islamic State in Syria on Friday, following on a promise by President Donald Trump to avenge the deaths of two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed in a terrorist attack in that country last week. American military forces employed more than 100 precision munitions to strike more than 70 targets of suspected ISIS sites at several locations across the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria as part of “Operation Hawkeye Storm,” referring to Iowa, which is known as the Hawkeye State. “Earlier today, U.S. forces commenced OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on U.S. forces that occurred on December 13th in Palmyra, Syria,” War Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X. IOWA NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIERS IDENTIFIED AS VICTIMS IN DEADLY SYRIA ISIS ATTACK “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” he added. “The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people.” The secretary noted that anyone targeting Americans anywhere in the world will spend the rest of their days watching over their shoulder and will be targeted for death. Trump vowed revenge on the terror group after the soldiers — Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa — and interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat of Michigan — were killed Saturday while conducting a key leader engagement, part of their mission in support of ongoing counter-ISIS/counter-terrorism operations in the region. The gunman was killed by partner forces. TRUMP ADDRESSES TRIO OF ATTACKS IN SYRIA, BROWN UNIVERSITY AND AUSTRALIA AT WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS EVENT “Because of ISIS’s vicious killing of brave American Patriots in Syria, whose beautiful souls I welcomed home to American soil earlier this week in a very dignified ceremony, I am hereby announcing that the United States is inflicting very serious retaliation, just as I promised, on the murderous terrorists responsible,” he wrote on Truth Social on Friday. He said U.S. forces were striking ISIS strongholds in Syria, “a place soaked in blood which has many problems, but one that has a bright future if ISIS can be eradicated.” He added that the Syrian government was in support of Friday’s strikes. Trump also reminded anyone wishing to harm Americans anywhere in the world of what awaits them. “All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned — YOU WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE IF YOU, IN ANY WAY, ATTACK OR THREATEN THE U.S.A,” he wrote. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said U.S. forces will pursue terrorists who seek to harm Americans and partner forces. “This operation is critical to preventing ISIS from inspiring terrorist plots and attacks against the U.S. homeland,” he said in a statement. After the deadly Dec. 13 attack, the Syrian government helped carry out 10 operations in Syria and Iraq resulting in the deaths or detention of 23 terrorist operatives, CENTCOM said. U.S. forces provided support during those raids, which led to the confiscation of electronics and individual interviews that led to the intelligence behind Friday’s operation. A CENTCOM review is ongoing regarding the exact ties of the gunman who had joined the Syrian Security Forces two months before and who was in the process of being removed for suspected jihadist ties.
Republican Sen Cynthia Lummis will not seek re-election in 2026, citing the ‘energy required’
Republican Cynthia Lummis will not be seeking re-election for her U.S. Senate seat in 2026, saying it’s been “an incredible honor to represent Wyoming” in a statement shared on X. “It’s an incredible honor to represent Wyoming in the U.S. Senate, and throughout my time here, Wyoming has been my one-and-only priority,” Lummis posted to X. “Deciding not to run for reelection does represent a change of heart for me, but in the difficult, exhausting session weeks this fall I’ve come to accept that I do not have six more years left in me. “I am a devout legislator, but I feel like a sprinter in a marathon,” the senator wrote. “The energy required doesn’t match up.” SEN CYNTHIA LUMMIS: TRUMP IS ENDING BIDEN’S WAR ON ENERGY AND ONE STATE IS KEY TO THAT STRATEGY The announcement comes as many legislators have announced resignations ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, which many political commentators have noted may be a referendum on President Donald Trump‘s second administration. Lummis has been a champion for cryptocurrency legislation in the Senate, penning the GENIUS Act. The Wyoming Republican has also been an advocate for American energy during her tenure, including coal, oil and gas. Sworn in Jan. 3, 2021, Lummis is the first woman to serve as a senator for the Equality State. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I am honored to have earned the support of President Trump and to have the opportunity to work side by side with him to fight for the people of Wyoming,” Lummis concluded. “Thank you, Wyoming!” Lummis’ office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Ilhan Omar defends MEALS Act despite ties to massive Minnesota fraud scheme
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said she has no regrets about supporting the MEALS Act during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the program becoming linked to Minnesota’s alleged $250 million “Feeding Our Future” fraud scheme. “Do you regret pushing for that bill, the MEALS Act? Do you think it led to the fraud?” Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital asked Omar on Capitol Hill. “Absolutely not, it did help feed kids,” Omar said. Omar introduced the MEALS Act on March 11, 2020, to modify the Department of Agriculture’s food and nutrition programs to allow certain waivers on requirements for school meal programs, including those that raised federal costs during school closures related to the pandemic. WALZ URGES NOEM TO ‘REASSESS’ IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT STRATEGY IN MINNESOTA AFTER ALLEGED CITIZEN ARRESTS Minnesota has faced scrutiny for alleged mismanagement of federal funds accessed through these waivers, including in distributing money for the “Feeding Our Future” program, which authorities believe to be the largest fraud scheme in the history of the pandemic. INSIDE MINNESOTA’S $1B FRAUD: FAKE OFFICES, PHONY FIRMS AND A SCANDAL HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT The scheme allegedly exploited the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to waive many of its standard requirements for the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the pandemic, including relaxing its requirement for non-school-based distributors to participate in the program. Fox News Digital first reported on the status of the fraud in July. FBI Director Kash Patel described it at the time as “one of the worst” in Minnesota history — and as of November 2025, more than 75 individuals have been charged in connection with the scheme, according to federal prosecutors. President Donald Trump has recently announced a flurry of new actions to crack down and investigate fraud schemes in Minnesota, which he has assailed as a “hub of money laundering activity,” and cited as the basis of his decision to terminate deportation protections for hundreds of Somali migrants. Senior Trump administration officials announced fresh investigations this month, including a new Treasury Department probe into how taxpayer dollars were allegedly diverted to the terrorist organization al-Shabaab, according to Secretary Scott Bessent. Trump and other officials have zeroed in on these alleged fraud schemes, arguing that the criminal activity is a result of mismanagement and “incompetence” from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat and former vice presidential candidate. ‘INCOMPETENCE OR DERELICTION’: MINNESOTA LAWMAKER RIPS TIM WALZ AS STATE FRAUD LOSSES MOUNT “It’s not surprising that the president has chosen to broadly target an entire community,” Walz said of Trump’s efforts, adding, “This is what he does to change the subject.” Conspirators falsely claimed to have served millions of meals during the pandemic, but instead used the money for personal gain. They also are accused of fabricating invoices, submitting fake attendance records and falsely distributing thousands of meals from hundreds of so-called food distribution “sites” across the state. Some of the individuals are part of Minnesota’s Somali diaspora, which is the largest in the U.S., though the ringleader of the scheme is not. “Stealing from the federal government equates to stealing from the American people — there is no simpler truth,” FBI’s special agent in charge, Alvin Winston, told Fox News Digital in a statement. Charging documents show that roughly 300 “food sites” in the state served little or no food, with the so-called “food vendors” and organizations fabricated to launder money intended to reimburse the cost of feeding children. FBI officials told Fox News that the investigation and resulting trials and indictments continue to impact the state, and have already touched off legislative reform in Minnesota. They added that the investigation into the fraud remains ongoing, and that additional charges are expected, though they did not immediately share more details. “The egregious fraud unveiled in the Feeding our Future case epitomizes a profound betrayal of public trust,” Patel told Fox News Digital earlier this year. “These individuals misappropriated hundreds of millions in federal funds intended to nourish vulnerable children during a time of crisis, redirecting those resources into luxury homes, high-end vehicles and extravagant lifestyles while families faced hardship,” he added. Trump suggested earlier this month that Omar, who fled Somalia as a child, “shouldn’t be allowed to be a congresswoman,” prompting fierce backlash from some Democrats and from Minnesota’s congressional delegation. Omar, for her part, said Trump’s remarks were “vile.” “His obsession with me is creepy,” she said on social media. “I hope he gets the help he desperately needs.” ICE REJECTS OMAR CLAIM SON WAS PULLED OVER BY FEDS, PRESSED FOR CITIZENSHIP PROOF: ‘ABSOLUTELY ZERO RECORD’ Ballasy later pressed Omar about another incident dominating headlines. “Congresswoman, the ICE director is saying now that your son was not pulled over by ICE. He’s saying there’s no evidence,” Ballasy said to Omar on Capitol Hill. The head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rejected a viral claim from Omar that her son was pressed for proof of U.S. citizenship by agency personnel after stopping at a Minnesota Target over the weekend. Omar had told CBS’ Twin Cities affiliate that her son was subjected to a traffic stop-type encounter by ICE agents but was ultimately let go without further issue after he was able to produce a U.S. passport or passport card. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons pushed back on the assertion on Tuesday, telling Fox News Digital the incident never happened. “How do they know that?” Omar countered. “How do they know that? Is he saying he has documentations of all the people they pulled over? Because we’ve been asking for that information. We haven’t gotten it from them, so if ICE is confirming now that they collect data and refusing to provide it to members of Congress, then that’s an interesting admission.” “ICE has absolutely zero record of its officers or agents pulling over Congresswoman Omar’s son,” Lyons said. “It speaks volumes that Congresswoman Omar is leveling this accusation with absolutely zero proof.” Lyons called Omar’s comments to the local outlet a “ridiculous effort” to demonize federal law enforcement.