Another Trump heavyweight revealed to be living on military base as Cabinet roster grows
Attorney General Todd Blanche has been living at a military installation in the Washington, D.C., area for months, joining a growing roster of senior Trump administration officials residing in military housing, three sources familiar with the arrangement confirmed to Fox News Digital. A source familiar with the arrangement did not elaborate on the reason for the move earlier this year. Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Justice for comment. Among the other top officials residing on military installations is Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who recently relocated amid reported threats linked to Iran. The living arrangements have placed senior civilian officials in housing traditionally associated with military leadership, amid security concerns ranging from reported threats tied to drug cartels to fears of Iranian retaliation. US EVACUATES 13 MILITARY AIRCRAFT FROM SECOND UK BASE AS NEW IRAN THREAT RAISES ALARM Blanche’s predecessor, Pam Bondi, also quietly relocated from her Washington apartment to military housing after law enforcement flagged threats tied to drug cartels, The New York Times reported in March. The Times also cited threats related to backlash over her handling of the Epstein files, although the Justice Department disputed that explanation. Iran has intensified efforts to target Americans, including current and former U.S. officials, as Bessent recently relocated to a military base amid threats linked to Tehran, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to Fox News Digital Wednesday. “After The Wall Street Journal published an article featuring an online photo that allowed the location of the secretary’s Georgetown home to be geo-located, security concerns began to increase, which have now forced the secretary to relocate to a military base for his safety. The news media has an obligation to act responsibly amid growing threats against public officials,” a different source familiar with the move told Fox News Digital Wednesday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth have reportedly taken up residence at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C., while White House chief of staff Stephen Miller and other administration officials have moved to military installations or protected government housing. SECRET SERVICE CHIEF SAYS THREATS AGAINST PROTECTEES UP 40%, CITES INTERNET AND MENTAL HEALTH The relocations have not all stemmed from the same threats. Some followed concerns about domestic political violence, while Bessent’s move comes amid reported threats linked to Iran. Fort McNair, a historic Army installation along the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., has emerged as one of the military properties housing senior Trump administration officials. The installation, which dates to the late 1700s, is home to the National Defense University and traditionally provides residential quarters for senior military leaders. ARMY SECRETARY DAN DRISCOLL SUBMITS RESIGNATION TO TRUMP Fort McNair’s residential quarters are divided into two housing groups, according to a 2020 National Capital Planning Commission report, while a 2024 Army filing identifies 27 historic homes built before 1919 at the installation. The Army’s housing website lists 88 historic dwelling units across Fort McNair and nearby Fort Myer combined, without specifying how many are at each base. Other officials previously reported to have used military housing include former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll. The arrangements have involved different installations.
Pence delivers scathing rebuke of Vance’s Iran war assessment, blames Trump policies for GOP losses
EXCLUSIVE – Former Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering assessment of Vice President JD Vance‘s midterm election postmortem that the war in Iran cost Republicans control of Congress, with the former vice president contending that Americans grew frustrated not because President Donald Trump launched the conflict, but because his administration failed to finish it. Pence, in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, his first following the midterms, also blamed the Republicans’ midterm shellacking on the president’s economic policies, retreat from conservative principles and what he argued is an “air of corruption” surrounding the White House. Vance, in an assessment the morning after Election Day, wrote, “The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night.” The vice president also cited an unnamed pollster in his X post who said voters who had abandoned the GOP wanted the administration to end the conflict, address inflation and the cost of living, put America first and change its relationship with Israel. RUBIO’S DEFENSE OF TRUMP’S IRAN WAR DRAWS SHARP CONTRAST WITH VANCE’S MIDTERM BLAME Asked about Vance’s assessment, Pence said, “I disagree with the vice president about the reasons for the midterm election outcome.” “There’s no question that the war in Iran became a frustration for millions of Americans, but it wasn’t because President Trump started the war or took on Iran. It’s because we stopped short and didn’t finish it,” Pence said. “As Americans saw the politics of appeasement that the administration embraced, one negotiation after another, I think people became… frustrated with the lack of progress, frustrated with the price of fuel at the pump.” But the former vice president emphasized “the reasons for this midterm election were much more complex than gasoline prices or the war in Iran. So, I respectfully disagree with my successor in that regard.” Pence added that he has “great concerns about what I’ve heard coming out of the vice president’s office with regard to Israel.” ‘HE BLAMED THE JEWS’: GOP CONGRESSMAN LEVELS EXPLOSIVE ACCUSATION AGAINST JD VANCE OVER ELECTION POSTMORTEM “If the world knows nothing else, the world should know that America stands with Israel. Israel is our most cherished ally. It is the only democracy in the Arab world,” Pence a longtime strong supporter of Israel, emphasized. Pence said he’s “very troubled at the way that criticism of Israel on the left and on the right collapses too often into antisemitism and antisemitic rhetoric. There’s no place in America for antisemitism on the left or on the right and the people that are wringing their hands about U.S. support for Israel, I get the feeling sometimes they’re just using that as a thinly veiled excuse for their antisemitism.” A Vance ally, responding to Pence’s criticism, told Fox News Digital, “Former Vice President Pence had to retreat into the think tank world because his politics never developed past the Bush-era neocon warmongering that dragged us into the Middle East in the first place. He is laughably out of touch with how people feel in the real world.” Pence, who served as vice president in Trump’s first term, pointed to the president’s second term tariffs, the administration’s handling of abortion medication and the first family’s growing wealth as factors in the GOP’s electoral defeat, arguing that Republicans must return to traditional conservative principles to reclaim their congressional majorities. VANCE, CRUZ, DESANTIS DIAGNOSE GOP’S MIDTERM DISASTER AS 2028 BATTLE BEGINS While the high cost of living and the war in Iran were key issues in the midterms, the Fox News Voter Poll also highlighted that 55% of respondents said government corruption was a “crucial” factor in their vote for Congress, with another 36% saying it was a major factor. Pence argued that “I don’t think you can ignore the air of corruption that’s emerged around this administration, the self-dealing. The American people saw a First Family seeing their wealth increase by more than $3 billion including more than a billion dollars in cryptocurrency.” Asked by Fox Digital if he thought the president and his family had improperly profited from being in the White House, Pence answered, “I wouldn’t have any way of knowing and wouldn’t care to speculate.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment, but didn’t receive a response at the time this story was published. The former vice president, referring to the midterm results which saw the Democrats storm back to grab a large House majority, take control of the Senate, and win a majority of the nation’s governorships, said it “wasn’t just a rout, it was a reckoning.” “I believe our voters rejected President Trump’s redirection of our movement toward protectionist tariffs, toward policies of appeasement toward Russia and even Iran, toward marginalizing the right to life, and I think the era of corruption around the Trump administration was very concerning to millions of Americans, including our voters,” Pence claimed. “I don’t think the American people turned left. I think they were turned off, and that’s what explains the outcome of this election.” REPUBLICANS TURN ON TRUMP AFTER DEVASTATING MIDTERM LOSSES HAND DEMOCRATS CONTROL OF CONGRESS Looking forward, Pence said Republicans “now more than ever…need to recommit our party to the conservative principles that have defined our movement for more than 50 years.” “There’s no question that the direction the president has taken our party was roundly rejected by the voters,” he charged. “The key for success for the party and more importantly, the key for success for the country, is to return the Republican Party to advancing and advocating the conservative principles that have always made America strong and prosperous and free.”
Texas Democrats put DEI back on agenda after sweeping to power
Texas Democrats are opening their incoming state House majority with a push to clear the way for DEI offices and programs to return to public universities across the state — a move state Republicans are expected to block but that puts the culture-war issue front and center after massive Democratic Party gains in the state. HB 358 and SB 125 would repeal a 2023 law banning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) offices and programs at public universities, but the bills face steep odds with Republicans still retaining control of the Texas Senate. Still, the effort signals Democrats’ broader intent to roll back one of the GOP’s signature education policies after campaigning heavily on the war in Iran, immigration and affordability. Even if the repeal effort fails, conservative policy experts in Texas warn that Democratic appointments to university governing boards could weaken enforcement of the state’s DEI restrictions without changing the law. “With Republicans in firm control of the Texas state Senate, it’s highly unlikely that any bill seeking to bring back the corrosive and wasteful higher ed DEI regime will make it to the Governor’s desk,” Chuck DeVore, chief national initiatives officer for the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), told Fox News Digital. “What will likely happen is that relabeled and disguised DEI programs and classes will make a comeback over the next four years as the Governor’s board of regents appointees gradually get a majority. We look forward to suing to ensure adherence to Texas law.” FEDERAL JUDGE KICKED OFF ‘BOTCH JOB’ ANTI-DEI CASE AFTER STUNNING APPEALS COURT REBUKE The 2023 anti-DEI law, signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, barred public universities from maintaining DEI offices or assigning employees or contractors to perform their duties. It also prohibited compelling or soliciting DEI statements from faculty or students, restricted certain preferences based on race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin and banned mandatory DEI training for students and employees. The law includes exceptions for academic instruction, scholarly research and registered student organizations. After the law took effect Jan. 1, 2024, UT Austin closed its Multicultural Engagement Center and discontinued its Monarch program, which provided advising, mental-health support and scholarships to illegal immigrants and other noncitizen students. The University of Houston System stopped requiring DEI statements in hiring and promotions, while UT Health San Antonio ended a faculty loan-repayment program for professors from “underrepresented backgrounds.” VP VANCE TOUTS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S DISMANTLING OF DEI At a May 2024 Texas Senate higher education subcommittee hearing, UT System Chancellor J.B. Milliken told lawmakers the system had closed 21 DEI offices, eliminated 311 full- and part-time positions focused on DEI and canceled 681 contracts, programs and training sessions. Critics have nevertheless accused some universities of preserving DEI initiatives under different names or organizational structures. Texas A&M University drew scrutiny after dissolving its Office for Diversity but transferring six of its eight employees to other campus positions. Former Vice President for Diversity Annie McGowan received a 10% raise, a new position and nine months of paid leave. Critics accused the university of preserving DEI operations under different titles. Texas A&M maintained that the office and its DEI-related duties had been eliminated and that the raises were unrelated to DEI. Kate Bierly, a higher education campaign director at TPPF, told Fox News Digital that Democrats could undermine Texas’ 2023 anti-DEI law without repealing it. She warned that newly appointed university regents could weaken enforcement through administrative inaction, potentially allowing prohibited practices to resume. She observed that numerous university regents’ terms expire Feb. 1, 2027, giving Democratic Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa an opportunity to nominate replacements who could influence how universities enforce the DEI ban. CONGRESS TO PUT AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION IN HOT SEAT OVER DEI RULES TIED TO LAW SCHOOL ACCREDITATION But Hinojosa would face another obstacle: Republican control of the Texas Senate, which must confirm university regent appointments. Bierly said the Texas Constitution allows certain unpaid gubernatorial appointees, including regents, to remain in office after their terms expire. Because the 90th Legislature convenes in January 2027, before the regents’ terms expire, she said incumbents could remain in place until the end of the 91st Legislature’s regular session in 2029 if their successors are not confirmed. “If the Senate declines to confirm nominees who would undermine the state’s DEI reforms, existing regents can continue serving rather than automatically surrendering their seats when their terms expire,” Bierly said. “This holdover period ends on the last day of the first regular legislative session that begins after the term expires. So as a result, the current regents can hold over to 2029 if no successor has qualified by then. After that, the office becomes vacated.” DeVore said the holdover provision could become a political liability for Senate Republicans, giving Democrats “an actual useful campaign cudgel” if the chamber refuses to confirm Hinojosa’s nominees. Democrats could accuse Republicans of obstructing the governor’s appointments to university governing boards, he said. That pressure could force a compromise at some point, DeVore added, but also warned that DEI is “a death issue for a Republican primary” and that any Republican who supports a compromise could be “toast in the primary.” DEMOCRAT GINA HINOJOSA STUNS ABBOTT, MAKES HISTORY AS FIRST LATINA TEXAS GOVERNOR Texas’ restrictions reflect a broader national effort to dismantle DEI programs in government and higher education. The Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling against race-based admissions preferences at universities preceded a broader federal crackdown on DEI. After returning to office in 2025, President Donald Trump moved to dismantle DEI programs across the federal government and directed federally funded schools to end race-based preferences in admissions, hiring, scholarships and other programs. Republican-led states have pursued similar restrictions at public universities, making Texas’ fight part of a broader national backlash against institutional DEI. Texas’ political landscape has shifted dramatically following Republican election losses. Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton are leaving office, while Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, lost his Republican Senate primary to Paxton. Democrats won the governorship, attorney general’s office and
Dem rep blames ‘horrific’ traffic for missing Hegseth impeachment vote: ‘I am so sorry’
Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., apologized in a social media video Wednesday for missing a key House vote on an effort to impeach War Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying she encountered heavy traffic and a police motorcade while trying to reach the Capitol. “Let me start by saying, I am so sorry,” Stansbury said in the video posted Wednesday. “There is no one who is more disappointed in myself than me, that I was not here the moment that gavel dropped.” The House voted 211-204 Tuesday to refer the impeachment resolution introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., to the Judiciary Committee, effectively blocking the effort. Stansbury was among 11 Democrats who missed the vote, along with seven Republicans. HOUSE GOP LEADERS BLOCK MASSIE’S HEGSETH IMPEACHMENT PUSH Stansbury said she was driving toward the Capitol ahead of the vote when she encountered “horrific” rush-hour traffic on Independence Avenue, where a lane closure had contributed to congestion. “As the vote was approaching, I ran back to my car,” Stansbury said. “I got in my car, and I began driving towards the Capitol and as I approached the Capitol, it was rush hour on Independence Avenue. They closed one of the lanes. I was stuck in the right-hand lane.” The congresswoman said she could see the Capitol from her vehicle and instructed her staff to notify House officials that she was delayed. A police motorcade escorting a bus away from the Capitol complex then blocked traffic in both directions, she said. “I should have been there sooner,” Stansbury acknowledged. “I understand that it is my responsibility, and I am sincerely sorry, but there were definitely factors that were out of my control.” DEMOCRATS RALLY BEHIND GOP LAWMAKER’S HEGSETH IMPEACHMENT PUSH, SIGNAL MORE TO COME IN JANUARY Several Democrats who missed the vote were returning from an Elect Democratic Women event about 1.5 miles from the Capitol when they encountered bumper-to-bumper traffic on Independence Avenue, Axios reporter Andrew Solender reported, citing multiple lawmakers. Some lawmakers found alternative ways to reach the Capitol after traffic brought their vehicles to a standstill, according to Solender. One got out and walked, while another was dropped off on the Senate side of the Capitol to avoid the congestion. The 11 Democrats who missed the vote were Stansbury and Reps. Marilyn Strickland of Washington, Julia Brownley and Lou Correa of California, Laura Gillen of New York, Steven Horsford of Nevada, Jonathan Jackson of Illinois, Nancy Pelosi of California, Brittany Pettersen of Colorado, Haley Stevens of Michigan and Frederica Wilson of Florida. Stansbury also acknowledged that Democrats lacked the votes to advance the impeachment effort even if she had been present. “We did not have the numbers to move forward to impeach Pete Hegseth at this moment,” she said, also noting that a conviction in the Senate would require a two-thirds majority. HEGSETH THWARTS GOP-LED IMPEACHMENT PUSH AS QUESTIONS SWIRL OVER WHETHER ALLEGATIONS RISE TO HIGH CRIMES Massie’s resolution included eight articles of impeachment accusing Hegseth of misconduct related to U.S. military operations, including the war in Iran and strikes in Yemen and Venezuela. Hegseth rejected the allegations during a Pentagon news conference Tuesday, characterizing the impeachment effort as an attack on the military. “This is not patriotism,” Hegseth said. “This is sabotage.” President Donald Trump also defended Hegseth and celebrated the House vote, describing the outcome on social media as an exoneration of the defense secretary. The vote comes as Democrats prepare to take control of the House and Senate in January, potentially setting the stage for another impeachment attempt.
Trump threatens to double tariffs on Mexico if migrant caravans not stopped
President Donald Trump is using his tariff leverage to urge Mexico to stop a migrant caravan from reaching the U.S. southern border. “Huge CARAVANS are forming and beginning their illegal march through Mexico,” Trump wrote in a Thursday morning Truth Social post. “Many of the people in these Caravans are those that various countries don’t want – ‘Send them to America,’ they say – But they will not be accepted! “MEXICO MUST STOP THEM, NOW, and if they do not do so, the Tariffs on Mexico will be IMMEDIATELY DOUBLED,” he added. “MEXICO, THE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS, THE VERY LIBERAL NEW GOVERNOR OF TEXAS, OUR GREAT BORDER PATROL, & ICE, HAVE BEEN SO INFORMED. There will be no leniency!” AFTER GOP’S BRUTAL MIDTERMS, ‘CHUCK NORRIS OF FLORIDA POLITICS’ TELLS PARTY TO ‘GET UP AND FIGHT’ Trump’s post began with the suggestion the midterm elections have emboldened the mass migration efforts that he has had to shut down since his first administration. “Here we go again!” Trump’s post began. “With the perceived loss by the Republicans in the Midterms – I WAS NOT ON THE BALLOT- the INVASION of our Country is taking place again.” The group of migrants, an estimated 1,500 people mostly from Central America, set off Tuesday from the southern city of Tapachula near the Guatemala border. REPUBLICAN AGS STAND READY AS ‘LAST LINE OF DEFENSE’ AGAINST LEFTIST POLICIES AFTER DISMAL MIDTERMS FOR PARTY Democratic state attorneys general gains in the midterms could help unwind some of Trump’s immigration law enforcement that he had admitted might have come off as “too tough” for voters earlier this month. Democratic Texas Attorney General-elect Nathan Johnson could drop the state’s defense of SB4, a Republican-backed Texas law that allows state authorities to arrest and prosecute people suspected of illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. The New Orleans-based Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in April allowed the law to take effect as a challenge proceeds. Current Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who chose not to seek re-election in a failed Senate bid, remains in office until Johnson is sworn in on Jan. 1, 2027. With the loss of Texas, Florida remains the largest reliably red state on the political map, and Florida AG James Uthmeier spoke out forcefully against Democratic efforts to loosen enforcement on immigration. “I don’t think we can entertain amnesty in a conversation,” he told “The Will Cain Show” on Wednesday evening. “We have to be a country focused on rule of law. In Florida we’ve deported a record number, tens of thousands of criminal illegal aliens, child predators, murderers, people who have committed violent crimes, and we’re at an all-time crime low. We’re safer than ever after shutting down the border.” In another matter, the Supreme Court is weighing whether to take up Iowa’s appeal of a ruling blocking a law that would allow state officials to arrest and prosecute people who are in the U.S. illegally. The state’s Democratic AG-elect Nate Willems, could decline to defend the law if the Supreme Court takes the case. Reuters contributed to this report.
Peltola campaign loses in court on rejected absentee ballots as she maintains narrow lead
Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola lost in her legal effort to get access to records identifying rejected absentee ballots during the ongoing count, and then lost some of her narrow lead in the latest ballot drop Wednesday night. An Alaska judge on Wednesday ruled against the Peltola campaign’s request for the records in the midterm’s final uncalled Senate race, ruling the demand was “simply not reasonable” while election officials continue counting votes. Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews sided with the Alaska Division of Elections, finding the agency is “currently busy processing ballots from the 2026 general election” and “simply lacks the capacity to generate the report” from the voter registration database. “Even if the request were otherwise considered reasonable outside the peak election time of year, it is simply not reasonable nor required right now,” Matthews wrote, adding that “the timing of the Campaign’s request could simply not be worse.” MARY PELTOLA’S CAMPAIGN, DEMS BACKED COVERT SCHEME TO FIELD SPOILER CANDIDATES IN ALASKA SENATE RACE: REPORT Peltola’s campaign had sued last week seeking information about which absentee ballots were flagged for rejection and why. Campaign attorney Abha Kelly told the court the process was “going incredibly smoothly” and that the campaign was not seeking confidential data or trying to disrupt the count. She argued the request would simply centralize transparency that observers already have in a decentralized way. DUNLEAVY CALLS ALASKA VOTING SYSTEM ‘VERY CONFUSING’ AS RAZOR-THIN SENATE RACE FROZEN IN TIME State attorneys countered that the records are not public, citing voter privacy interests. “Voters have a privacy interest in that because people who want to vote absentee presumably don’t want to mess it up and don’t want to be publicly exposed as having messed that up,” Assistant Attorney General Margaret Paton-Walsh said. PELTOLA INSISTS ‘I KNEW NOTHING’ ABOUT ALLEGED ‘DECOY DAN’ SCHEME AS SULLIVAN ALLEGES SHE IS ‘STILL LYING’ The state also said producing a customized report would impose a significant burden during peak election work. Matthews added at the Tuesday hearing that the case was “not about who won or lost the election” but about access to public records under the Public Records Act. The Sullivan campaign was allowed to intervene. With roughly 86% of the expected vote counted and more than 248,000 ballots tallied, Peltola held 121,487 first-choice votes (48.9%) to incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan’s 117,512 (47.3%), a lead of 3,975 votes. Neither candidate is above 50%, so the race remains on track for ranked-choice tabulation after absentee counting concludes around Nov. 18, with certification expected Nov. 25. The race could still come down to the other candidates, including Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., who has 4,100 votes, while Gerald Heikes has 5,426. Those third- and fourth-place totals exceed the current margin between the top two candidates and could prove decisive when lower finishers are eliminated and second-choice preferences are redistributed under Alaska’s ranked-choice system. The vote to repeal that voting system is failing at 52.5% to 47.5%, which is also still too close to call over a week after Election Day. Fox News’ Melissa Chrise, Matt Finn, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Top House Dem sparks backlash with plan for deported Dreamers that goes beyond bringing them back
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Tuesday he supports bringing deported DACA recipients back to the U.S. and providing what he called “remedial assistance,” prompting critics to accuse him of wanting to pay deported immigrants. Jeffries replied “certainly” when asked during a “PBS NewsHour” interview whether he would support bringing deported DACA recipients back to the U.S. He also said those he believes were treated unfairly by the Trump administration should receive “remedial assistance.” “Anyone, whether they are a citizen, whether they were here lawfully, whether they’re DACA recipients, who’ve been treated unfairly and unjustly by the administration, we need to provide remedial assistance to them and undo the damage that’s been done to the country, to law-abiding immigrant families and to the American people over this last 20 months or so,” Jeffries told PBS News. JEFFRIES VOWS DEMOCRATS WON’T ‘GIVE A DIME’ TO TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS DACA offers eligible immigrants brought to the country illegally as children temporary protection from deportation and the ability to apply for work authorization, but does not grant legal immigration status, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Jeffries did not specify whether the “remedial assistance” he proposed would include financial compensation. His office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on Wednesday. Podcaster Benny Johnson similarly criticized Jeffries in a social media post on Wednesday, alleging that Democrats “always put foreigners before Americans.” “Hakeem Jeffries says he wants to re-import DACA recipients that have already been deported and pay them,” Johnson said. “This is the future under Democrat control. They will always put foreigners before Americans.” “DISGUSTING: Incoming House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) supports bringing back DEPORTED DACA recipients and providing them with money and assistance to ‘undo the damage that’s been done to the country,’” conservative account Red Wave Press added on X. “Hakeem Jeffries wants to bring back deported DACA recipients and pay them. Under far-left control, American citizens will always come second and be expected to pay for it. Every. Single. Time,” another X user posted. “EVERY TIME Dems want any form of amnesty, it’s to make them voters, and use those voters to open the floodgate, then get citizenship to millions more,” Eric Daugherty, chief content officer of Florida’s Voice, claimed Wednesday in an X post responding to Jeffries’ remarks. Jeffries also claimed during the interview that the U.S. currently has a “broken immigration system” that “needs to be fixed.” BORDER DEM POISED TO WIELD ICE PURSE STRINGS REJECTS SOCIALIST ‘DEFUND’ PUSH “Well, certainly, on the immigration front, we have a broken immigration system. It needs to be fixed,” Jeffries said. “It should be fixed in a comprehensive way.” “Immigration enforcement should be fair, just and humane,” the New York Democrat added. “We’re not going to provide a dime to the administration’s violent mass deportation machine. Let’s work together, perhaps beginning with moving the Dream and Promise Act this Congress as a foundation for the type of work that can be done in the next Congress.” DHS CHIEF FIRES BACK AT JAYAPAL OVER CLAIM MAJORITY OF IMMIGRATION ARRESTS POSE ‘NO THREAT’ Jeffries’ comments come after Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Monday raised the possibility of Congress creating a pathway to permanent legal status for DACA recipients. HOUSE REPUBLICANS MOVE TO MAKE TRUMP’S BORDER POLICIES PERMANENT “If we want to have an immigration reform to where we can look at DACA and figure out a way that these individuals can become maybe legal permanent citizens or something like this, that’ll be up to Congress,” Mullin said. DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. TRUMP REAFFIRMS ICE ARREST POLICY AFTER CONFUSING GUIDANCE SPARKS ALARM AMONG AGENTS DHS emphasized in a March 3, 2026, X post that DACA “does not confer any form of legal status” in the U.S. “To be clear: DACA does not confer any form of legal status in this country,” DHS said in the social media post. “Any illegal alien who is a DACA recipient may be subject to arrest and deportation for a number of reasons, including if they’ve committed a crime.” “Between January 20, 2025, and September 28, 2025, ICE arrested 264 DACA recipients nationwide — and MORE than 92% were illegal aliens charged or CONVICTED of a crime in the U.S.,” the post continues. The White House on Monday left open the possibility of working with Democrats on an immigration deal for illegal immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for more than a decade without committing other crimes, though Trump and Mullin both ruled out amnesty.
Twice-deported United cockpit suspect granted asylum after transgender persecution claim: DHS
A twice-deported Honduran national accused of trying to storm the cockpit of a United Airlines flight after allegedly claiming to have a bomb was granted asylum after telling immigration authorities he feared being killed in his home country because he was transgender, the Department of Homeland Security DHS confirmed to Fox News. Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, 34, was granted asylum by an immigration judge after his third attempted illegal entry into the United States in 2019, according to DHS, which accused him of exploiting weaknesses in the asylum system. In an excerpt of his asylum application provided by DHS, Gomez-Alberto checked “Yes” when asked whether he feared harm or mistreatment if returned to his home country. TRUMP PUTS ASYLUM LAWYERS ‘ON NOTICE’ WITH NEW FRONT IN WAR ON FRAUD “I am also afraid that I will be killed — either by private citizens or the police — in both of these countries because I am transgender,” he allegedly wrote, according to the application. “This criminal illegal alien attempted to storm the cockpit, hijack a plane and claimed he had a bomb. Thanks to law enforcement, he is now behind bars,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement. “This twice-deported criminal illegal alien was allowed into our country because of a weak asylum system that allowed him to game the system.” Gomez-Alberto was arrested after United Airlines Flight 2174 landed in New Orleans Nov. 9 after the alleged attempt at a cockpit breach. MAN ACCUSED OF THREATENING TO HIJACK UNITED FLIGHT SAYS IT WAS A DRUNKEN JOKE He is being held without bond on charges of terrorizing, communicating false information of planned arson and being a fugitive from justice, according to Fox News Digital’s earlier reporting. Newly obtained emergency radio audio, reported by Fox News Digital, captured authorities’ response. “We have him at the back door. The back door has been breached by him,” someone can be heard in the radio call saying. DHS previously confirmed that Gomez-Alberto was apprehended by Border Patrol after illegally entering the United States near El Indio, Texas, in September 2011 and Columbus, New Mexico, in October 2014. He was deported from the United States following both encounters. EXCLUSIVE: WOMAN ALLEGEDLY RAPED BY ILLEGAL ALIEN AFTER CLINTON-APPOINTED FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERED HIS RELEASE Border Patrol arrested him again in 2019 after an attempted illegal entry near San Ysidro, California. ICE released Gomez-Alberto from custody in January 2020 following an immigration judge’s order, pending removal proceedings, DHS previously said. The agency now says an immigration judge subsequently granted him asylum. ICE lodged a detainer with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 10, requesting notification before his release from custody. The Department of Justice and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. Fox News Digital’s Kelsie Cairns contributed to this reporting.
Jeffries leaves door open to investigating major Trump ally as Democrats prepare to take power
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries left the door open to a congressional investigation into Elon Musk as threats to probe both the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and other Trump allies continue to heat up under a new Democratic House majority. “We’re going to follow the facts,” Jeffries said about the potential investigation. “We’re going to apply the law. We’re gonna be guided by the Constitution.” Musk has emerged as a potential target of Democratic oversight, with some lawmakers calling for scrutiny of his time as head of the DOGE. The calls for an investigation come as Democrats have started rallying the party to look into alleged corruption under the Trump administration after coming out victorious in midterms. SCHUMER, JEFFRIES SIDESTEP QUESTIONS ON NUKING FILIBUSTER, LAUNCHING ELON MUSK PROBE AFTER BLUE WAVE Asked whether Musk should be investigated by the new Democratic majority, Jeffries declined to commit to a probe, instead pointing to the lawmakers expected to lead the party’s oversight efforts. “Jamie Raskin and Robert Garcia are going to lead our oversight efforts,” Jeffries told Fox News Digital. “And I defer to them at the moment.” Raskin, D-Md., has already signaled that DOGE could face congressional scrutiny, telling Fox News Digital last week he believes an investigation is warranted, even as he acknowledged having no specific plan. ‘LAWYER UP’: DEMS IMMEDIATELY PUT TRUMP ON NOTICE AMID REPUBLICANS’ MIDTERM BLOODBATH “I had no specific plan,” Raskin told Fox News Digital about the potential investigations. “Look … DOGE was a catastrophe for America, and at least one committee, I feel pretty certain, will investigate it. It needs to investigate it.” After taking the majority, the prospects for new investigations come with Raskin and Garcia positioned to be chairs of the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees. Raskin, Garcia, Jeffries and Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse have already begun strategizing plans for the investigative agenda. Jeffries is in the running for speaker of the House after formally announcing his bid just a day after Democrats took back the majority in the midterm elections. Democrats have not been united in their decision to back Jeffries or another candidate to represent the party as House speaker. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: HOUSE LEADERSHIP UP FOR GRABS AS GOP RECKONS WITH DEVASTATING LOSSES Leadership elections for House Democrats will be held Nov. 18 and members will vote with “secret ballots” to keep their individual nominations private. Jeffries will need a simple majority of Democrats to be nominated, but to be formally elected as House speaker, he’ll need to get 218 floor votes.
Hakeem Jeffries faces progressive holdouts but no rival as House speaker race takes shape
Familiar faces populate the 110-plus new members of Congress. A few “freshmen” are returning to the House. Even if they’ve been gone for a while. There’s Rep.-elect Hilda Solis, D-Calif., who last served in Congress in 2009. She departed to become President Obama’s labor secretary. Rep.-elect Jerry Carl, R-Ala., just left Capitol Hill early last year after losing a primary to Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., who is now moving to the Senate. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: A DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY COULD EXPOSE THE LIMITS OF THE PROGRESSIVE AGENDA And then there’s Rep.-elect Melissa Bean, D-Ill. She first won a seat in the House in 2004 and lost in 2010. Now, Bean is back. Her advice to the rookies? “Make sure you get a really good scheduler and that they schedule eating because your staff will run you all day long,” Bean said. “You’re kind of like the football that they pass from one staff member to the other. The whole day goes by, and you’re starving.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is on track to become House speaker in January. But some progressives are holding out. Bean was a moderate when she served before. Yours truly asked about the natural unease between left-wing Democrats and centrists. “It’s a pretty united majority,” replied Bean. “Do you think that’s overstated tension?” I followed up. “I think it always is,” Bean answered. “But that’s a media thing, right?” So to recap for new members: Get a good scheduler? Check. Make sure you have time to eat? Check. And, blame the press. Ha. MEET THE FAR-LEFT INSURGENTS WAGING WAR ON THE DEMOCRATIC ESTABLISHMENT IN 2026 MIDTERMS But, seriously, there are some progressives who aren’t willing to publicly commit to supporting Jeffries as speaker. Most of these incoming members comprise what’s now known as “The Bloc.” It’s kind of like “The Squad” some years ago. And they’re not tipping their hand about Jeffries. They’re trying to squeeze the New York Democrat and others for legislative guarantees. “We’re not withholding votes. What we’re doing is saying we’re undecided. We’re not going to rubber-stamp anything,” said Rep.-elect Adam Hamawy, D-N.J. “I don’t think it’s about the individual. It’s about the agenda and the agenda that actually reflects the priorities of the American people,” said Rep.-elect Melat Kiros, D-Colo. “It’s about what kind of priorities, what kind of floor votes, what kind of plan do we have to actually fight for the bold change the American people sent us here to do.” “I think we need to be talking about improving the lives of working people and helping them join unions,” said Rep.-elect Claire Valdez, D-N.Y. There’s nothing groundbreaking going on here. Progressive Democrats won. Democrats won big. The Bloc wants to flex its muscles and execute its agenda. Otherwise, those members have explaining to do with their base. Thus, it’s not that extraordinary to have a group of members not automatically supporting someone for a leadership post. They’re playing the political game to get the best deal for the people they represent. They can’t just back Jeffries out of the gate. They must first extract a concession. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., witnessed these machinations before when former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., tried to manage dissent about her leadership after elections. “I actually think it’s a weaker version [of protest] this time,” said Courtney. “I think [Jeffries] did a great job of keeping the caucus really marching in the same direction in the last two years. Which was not easy.” “There’s no question that as a management matter, having a bigger majority is a lot easier than having a tiny majority. That’s just basic math,” said Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn. “As a new speaker, he’s going to need to do a lot of work to make sure he is listening to everybody and managing. So, it’s going to be a lot easier than if it had been a four-vote majority. But managing Democrats is always a challenge.” So, for all of the talk about “issues” progressives may have with Jeffries, they’re not offering up an alternative name for speaker. And, frankly, no one could beat Jeffries in this environment. PROGRESSIVES FUME AT HAKEEM JEFFRIES FOR SAYING DEMOCRATS WON’T ‘GET EVEN’ WITH TRUMP “You can’t beat somebody with nobody. And that’s kind of where I think this ‘race’ stands,” said Courtney, putting “race” in air quotes. “The worst thing that could happen is to start this Congress off like it happened in 2023, where we went through 15 ballots (before electing a speaker).” That’s a reference to House Republicans stymieing the election of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., appeared mystified at progressive machinations over Jeffries. “It is kind of odd. You get a coach who takes his team to the Super Bowl. They win by 30 points, and then they got folks who want to fire him the next day. It’s a little hard to figure out,” said Ivey. Progressives may express concerns about Jeffries. But remember that Democrats have the majority because they flipped deeply red districts. The Democrats who will represent those districts know that voters could note if they supported Jeffries — or broke with him. Rep.-elect Don Leonard, D-Ohio, appears to be one of the most outspoken incoming members. Leonard emerged from nowhere to defeat Rep. Mike Carey, R-Ohio. On Instagram, Leonard said Democratic leaders informed him in “no uncertain terms” that if he didn’t support Jeffries, the party brass would make his “life a living hell” and assure he would lose re-election. So, there are questions from the left and questions from centrists. Yours truly pressed Jeffries about whether the skepticism from progressives was real or just politics as they try to extract legislative promises out of him. “I’m going to work hard to talk to every single member about what we’ve been able to do together over the last two years and what the opportunities are for us to do together in the next two years, to deliver