House conservatives rally behind push to impeach Judge Boasberg over role in Trump investigation
The House Freedom Caucus is rallying behind one of its own members’ push to impeach U.S. District Judge James Boasberg. Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, introduced an impeachment resolution against Boasberg last month for his role in Arctic Frost, a code name for ex-special counsel Jack Smith’s probe into President Donald Trump and the 2020 election. Gill argued Boasberg acted in a partisan fashion when he signed off on subpoenas and gag orders related to the investigation, including subpoenas for phone records from several Republican legislators in Congress — the news of which was made public in documents released by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, this year. But it’s not immediately clear whether the push to impeach Boasberg is strong enough to launch an actual pressure campaign on House GOP leaders. FROM ‘LEGISLATIVE TERRORISTS’ TO CENTER OF TRUMP’S DC REVOLUTION: WHERE KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS IS NOW “It absolutely should be done,” House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital last week. “I think this is levels above what we thought was going on. His bias is pretty clear, someone with that kind of bias cannot exist in the federal judiciary.” But Harris signaled it would not be an issue the conservative group would pressure House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on anytime soon. “No, we have other issues as well. We’re concentrated right now on the fiscal issues,” Harris said when asked if he would bring the issue to House leaders. “But we have discussed that, and there is broad support to impeach the judge.” DEM-APPOINTED MARYLAND SUPREME COURT JUSTICE IN HOT SEAT OVER POLITICALLY CHARGED HALLOWEEN DISPLAY Still, his conservative caucus appears largely supportive. “I think there’s considerable movement over here, particularly in light of, actually the genesis here, Arctic Frost … the massive concerns we have with what the judge is doing — just making up facts out of thin air and assumptions based on motives that have no basis,” House Freedom Caucus Policy Chairman Chip Roy, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who is also running for governor of South Carolina, told Fox News Digital, “I hope so,” when asked if this impeachment push would be stronger than the last. “He’s so partisan. He’s one of the rogue judges that exist today,” Norman said. “There are consequences for what he did.” Meanwhile, Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., pointed out that he was one of the earliest supporters of impeaching judges who conservatives saw as casting overly partisan rulings in the Trump era. “I think a lot of these judges have gone way out of bounds and violated their oaths. I’m in support of it, yeah,” he told Fox News Digital. He was more cautious when asked if it would yield results. “I don’t tend to have confidence in anything around here until I see action taken. Talk is cheap,” Crane said. BOASBERG’S ROLE IN ‘ARCTIC FROST’ PROBE SPARKS FURY FROM GOP SENATORS, DESPITE LOCAL RULES Gill was one of several House Freedom Caucus members to introduce impeachment resolutions against Boasberg this past spring, when he issued an order temporarily blocking Trump’s deportation flights to El Salvador. At the time, however, Johnson warned Republicans that impeachment was not the most practical way to curb “rogue judges” — pointing out that removal would require support in the Senate that simply was not there. Instead, House GOP leaders rallied around a bill by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., subcommittee chair of the House Judiciary panel’s subcommittee on courts. That legislation, aimed at limiting the power of district court judges to issue nationwide injunctions, passed the House in early April but was never taken up in the Senate. Issa himself cautioned against moving too quickly toward impeachment when asked by Fox News Digital last week. “We have a number of rogue judges, and I think before we talk about impeachment, with so many people seeing wrongdoing, both the House and the Senate need to hold appropriate hearings and evaluate just what the proper definition of good behavior is and whether not just one, but multiple judges, may have clearly violated that,” Issa said. “I think that’s the right way to approach it.” Issa said he was “looking at” holding a hearing on the matter when lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill after Thanksgiving. Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. Courts system, which declined to comment for this story.
Trump says whether he would sign Epstein files bill
President Donald Trump said, “I’m all for it,” when asked by a reporter if he would sign a bill that would force the Justice Department to release all its files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Trump made the remark in the White House on Monday as the House of Representatives is preparing to vote on the bill Tuesday afternoon. “We have nothing to do with Epstein. The Democrats do. All of his friends were Democrats,” Trump said. “All I want is I want for people to recognize a great job that I’ve done on pricing, on affordability, because we brought prices way down, but they go way lower. On energy, on ending eight wars and another one coming pretty soon, I believe. We’ve done a great job, and I hate to see that deflect from the great job we’ve done. So I’m all for it.” When asked again about signing the bill if it reaches his desk, Trump added, “Sure I would.” HOUSE GOP BRACES FOR EPSTEIN FILES VOTE AS CONCERNS REMAIN DESPITE TRUMP’S GREEN LIGHT “Let the Senate look at it. Let anybody look at it. But don’t talk about it too much, because honestly… it’s really a Democrat problem,” Trump also said. “The Democrats were Epstein’s friends, all of them. And it’s a hoax. The whole thing is a hoax, and I don’t want to take it away from really the greatness of what the Republican Party has accomplished over the last period of time.” GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital Monday evening said they would vote for the bill and were optimistic their colleagues would as well — though many of them said they still had concerns about how it was written. TRUMP CALLS ON HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO VOTE TO RELEASE EPSTEIN FILES: ‘WE HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE’ It comes after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who had been against the bill but had been pushing parallel transparency efforts in Epstein’s case, said he hoped it would undergo material changes when it reached the Senate to give more protection for innocent people whose names may appear in the files against their wishes. The legislation is coming to the House floor on Tuesday afternoon via a mechanism called a discharge petition led by Rep Ro. Khanna, D-Calif., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump urged House Republicans to vote in favor of releasing the documents. Trump also argued that if the Democrats “had anything,” it would have surfaced prior to last year’s presidential election. “Nobody cared about Jeffrey Epstein when he was alive and, if the Democrats had anything, they would have released it before our Landslide Election Victory,” Trump said. “Some ‘members’ of the Republican Party are being ‘used,’ and we can’t let that happen. Let’s start talking about the Republican Party’s Record Setting Achievements, and not fall into the Epstein ‘TRAP,’ which is actually a curse on the Democrats, not us. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind and Sophia Compton contributed to this report.
Potential GOP challenger warns Hochul that a corporate tax hike would be a ‘disaster’ for New York’s economy
EXCLUSIVE: While Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman weighs a gubernatorial bid, Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., is reportedly considering a corporate tax hike – a move the New York Republican described to Fox News Digital as a “tax on the middle class.” Blakeman said a decision about his political future is coming “very soon” as he travels across New York state to determine if he has the “support to get to the next level.” But as Blakeman mulls his political future, he is sounding the alarm on Hochul for reportedly planning to raise taxes on corporations to shore up funds for the state’s budget gap and to deliver on Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani‘s socialist campaign agenda, according to Politico. “This is a tax on the middle class,” Blakeman told Fox News Digital. “It will make things less affordable. It will drive up inflation, and it will make New York less competitive. Corporations are already leaving our state in record numbers. Jobs are leaving our state. People are leaving our state. This corporate tax increase will drive more high net-worth individuals and corporations out of New York State and will be an economic disaster.” NEW YORK LEADER PLEDGES MORE COPS, TOUGHER ICE PARTNERSHIP IF NYC ELECTS SOCIALIST MAYOR Kyle Strober, executive director of the Association for a Better Long Island, the region’s leading economic development advocacy organization, told Fox News Digital that a corporate tax increase could be “potentially devastating” to Long Island’s economy. STEFANIK DECRIES HOCHUL AS ‘WORST GOVERNOR IN AMERICA’ IN FIERY 2026 CAMPAIGN LAUNCH “Long Island, whose economy is closely aligned with New York City, is already confronting multiple challenges, including high taxes, high costs of living, and a lack of housing driving potential employees and employers outside the region,” Strober said, adding that a corporate tax hike would “only serve to drive away additional businesses and high-income earners, who pay the majority of the state’s tax revenue.” “When this occurs, the tax burden is shifted to Long Island’s hard working middle class. It becomes self-evident that this tax proposal would fly in direct conflict of making New York more affordable for our middle class, a stated goal of Albany leadership,” he explained. The ABLI led efforts in 2021 and 2025 to oppose tax hike proposals out of Albany, particularly tax hikes on the top 1% of New Yorkers and raising the corporate tax rate. Hochul has faced pressure from the socialist wing of the Democratic Party to raise taxes so Mamdani can deliver on his ambitious campaign promises, including fast and free buses, universal childcare and city-run grocery stores. Mamdani campaigned on raising taxes on the top 1% of New Yorkers and hiking up the state’s corporate tax from 7.25% to 11.5% to match the rate in New Jersey. Any tax hikes would require Hochul’s approval in Albany. MAMDANI LAUGHS OFF CRITICISM THAT HIS TAX HIKE PROPOSALS WILL COMPEL NEW YORKERS TO FLEE While the comparably moderate governor endorsed Mamdani after he secured the Democratic nomination, Hochul has maintained that she won’t raise taxes on the top 1% of New Yorkers – despite Mamdani’s supporters heckling Hochul to “Tax the rich!” “This has become a one-party state ruled by the far-left, woke, progressive part of the Democratic Party, now led by Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City, who is an avowed social democrat,” Blakeman said, charging that Mamdani sounds like a “communist.” “He is anti-American values,” Blakeman said. “He is against business. He will destroy the economy of the greatest financial city in the world, the financial capital of the world: New York City. And that will have a material effect on my county, which borders New York City.” Blakeman said Hochul raising taxes on corporations would be a “disaster.” And when asked how the state should approach Mamdani following his election night success, Blakeman said Republican leadership needs to step up and “push back” in New York state. “When he wants to do crazy things, like give free bus rides to everybody, which will be nothing more than homeless shelters on wheels, when he doesn’t want to prosecute criminals for committing crimes, when he wants to increase taxes and increase the corporate tax rate, and he wants the tax the rich, which will drive people out of New York State, and they’ll take jobs with them, we have to push back.” AS NYC ELECTS SOCIALIST MAMDANI, NEIGHBORING COUNTY DOUBLES DOWN ON TRUMP-STYLE LEADERSHIP WITH BLAKEMAN’S WIN While New York City handed power to its far-left flank on Election Day, neighboring Nassau County re-elected Blakeman, an ally of President Donald Trump. “I won because I adhered to American values, American principles. I didn’t raise taxes a penny in four years. I hired 600 new law enforcement professionals. I declared Nassau County wasn’t a sanctuary county. I showed leadership and I reached out to communities that in the past, the Republican Party has ignored,” Blakeman said, explaining how he built a broad coalition of support among diverse communities. When reached for comment, Hochul campaign spokesperson Sarafina Chitika told Fox News Digital that the governor has “cut middle class taxes while putting inflation refund checks in New Yorkers’ pockets.” “Bruce Blakeman is the number one fanboy for Trump’s tariffs that are raising costs for families and making everything more expensive for small businesses – while the governor remains laser-focused on lowering costs, Blakeman’s shilling for Donald Trump’s tariff tax hikes,” Chitika charged. Since winning his re-election earlier this month, Blakeman said business and political leaders have encouraged him to launch a campaign for governor, given his executive experience. But while rumors swirl about Blakeman’s political future, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., another Trump loyalist, has already launched her gubernatorial campaign and secured support from New York Republican Party Chair Ed Cox and 36 New York conservative county chairs.
Longtime Obamacare critic says Trump plan won’t solve program’s fatal flaws
The underlying problems with Obamacare will persist — even if Republicans tweak the way its subsidies work, said Avik Roy, a healthcare policy expert and one of Obamacare’s most vocal critics. In Roy’s view, Republican proposals to redirect financial assistance straight to policyholders instead of routing them directly to insurance companies would do little to drive costs down without broader reforms. “Imagine if there was agricultural regulation such that you couldn’t buy a steak for less than $300,” Roy said. “And then you said, ‘Oh, we’re going to solve that problem by giving everybody more food stamps so they can afford a sirloin at the grocery store.’” “Would that solve the problem? Actually addressing the core root of why a steak costs $300 — wouldn’t you want to solve that problem first?” OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES AT CENTER OF DEM SHUTDOWN FIGHT ‘FUEL’ HEALTHCARE COST INFLATION, CONSERVATIVES SAY Amid congressional divisions over what to do about expiring COVID-era financial assistance to Obamacare plans, some Republicans have floated providing those credits directly to policyholders through Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). By giving Obamacare users more say in how to spend that money, Republicans hope to introduce some competition and drive down costs in the long run. Congress greatly expanded subsidies for Obamacare in 2021, helping enrollees cover the costs of their health insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that those subsidies are set to expire at the end of 2025, Democrats worry millions of Americans will find themselves facing significantly higher premiums overnight at the end of the year unless they’re continued in some way. Instead of abolishing them outright, President Donald Trump urged Republicans to adopt the direct-to-policyholder change through a post on Truth Social earlier this month. “I am recommending to Senate Republicans that the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars currently being sent to money-sucking Insurance Companies in order to save the bad healthcare provided by Obamacare, BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN PURCHASE THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER, HEALTHCARE, and have money left over. In other words, take from the BIG, BAD Insurance Companies, give it to the people,” Trump wrote. DEMOCRATS HOLD THE GOVERNMENT HOSTAGE OVER SUBSIDIES AMERICANS DON’T WANT Roy believes implementing Trump’s proposal would solve the short-term concerns about the expiring subsidies. “That would be an improvement. People need to be able to afford insurance. Those subsidies would help people buy insurance,” Roy said. “But you still haven’t solved the problem of why the insurance is expensive in the first place.” Roy noted that in order to enact the idea, Congress will first have to change the legal structures around HSAs. “You’re not allowed to buy health insurance with your HSA. That’s not allowed. You can use them to pay for various healthcare products like prescription drugs at Walgreens or CVS, your copay at your primary care physician’s office, an X-ray or MRI. There’s literally a list of things that the IRS puts out every year of the things you’re allowed to spend your HSA dollars on,” Roy said. Although Roy supports making insurance purchases possible through HSAs, Roy believes that prices will remain high because Obamacare’s regulations stretch across the board, keeping most plans similarly priced. “Obamacare basically does not allow anybody to sell health insurance to individuals that does not conform to Obamacare’s regulatory requirements,” Roy said. HOUSE REPUBLICANS DIVIDED OVER OBAMACARE AS GOP EYES FIX AFTER SHUTDOWN Roy argued only bipartisan deregulation would help meaningfully lower costs in the future. Open enrollment for the expanded Obamacare subsidies began on Nov. 1. The program’s current framework runs through Dec. 31, at which point financial assistance through the expanded tax credits will sunset.
Rep Raskin says Democrats have ‘huge’ tent with room for MTG after her recent rift with Trump, GOP leaders
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said the Democratic Party would welcome fellow Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., after the conservative congresswoman has become increasingly critical of her party in recent weeks, a comment that elicited boos from the crowd. Raskin made the comments while speaking at the 2025 “Blue Bash Brunch” Democratic fundraiser in Miami on Sunday, in which he said his party has a big tent that welcomes all “patriots” who would stand up for the Constitution. “Let me just say a couple more things to you, great Florida Democrats,” Raskin said. “One of them is, we are a big tent. We must be a huge, vast tent.” “I say, this is a party that’s got room for Marjorie Taylor Greene, if she wants to come over,” Raskin said, to a mixed reaction from the crowd. “We got room for anybody who wants to stand up for the Constitution and for the Bill of Rights today.” TRUMP GIVES EX-ALLY GREENE NEW NICKNAME AFTER DROPPED ENDORSEMENT, SAYS SHE BETRAYED ‘ENTIRE REPUBLICAN PARTY’ The audience booed at the congressman’s suggestion that Greene — a longtime conservative firebrand and staunch supporter of President Donald Trump until their recent falling out — should be brought into the fray. Greene has stepped up criticism of GOP leadership in recent months, taking aim at the party’s approach to health care and other issues. She has also broken from her party regarding Israel, calling the Jewish State’s military campaign in Gaza a “genocide” and “humanitarian crisis.” She has also been at odds with Trump and her party’s leaders over her call for the full release of documents related to the case of deceased sex predator Jeffrey Epstein, although the president has since reversed course on his pressure campaign to stop the release after House lawmakers secured enough support to force a full vote on a bipartisan resolution to release the files. MARJORIE GREENE SAYS TRUMP’S ‘TRAITOR’ LABEL COULD PUT HER LIFE IN DANGER Greene’s feud with Trump led to the president pulling his endorsement of the Georgia Republican and calling her a traitor, an accusation Greene rejects, saying last week she was being targeted “to make an example to scare all the other Republicans before next week’s vote to release the Epstein files.” “I remain the same today as I’ve always been and I will continue to pray this administration will be successful because the American people desperately deserve what they voted for,” Greene responded on X. Raskin urged Democrats to be open to expanding the party to include different ideological views. He described himself as a “liberal” and “progressive” due to his support for liberty and progress. “But my favorite thing to call myself today is a conservative, because I want to conserve the land, the air, the water, the climate system, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, the National Labor Relations Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Voting Rights Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act,” he said. “Everything that party of authoritarians wants to destroy is everything we’re going to conserve and defend in America,” the congressman continued. “We are the party of the conservatives, the liberals and the progressives. All the patriots today are in the party of democracy. That’s who we are.”
Trump jokes he’s first former McDonald’s fry cook to become president, hailing the chain’s spirit
President Donald Trump said Monday that he was the first former McDonald’s fry cook to become president — a 30-minute shift, he joked, that lasted “longer than Kamala’s.” Speaking at the McDonald’s Impact Summit 2025 in Washington, D.C., Trump used his fast-food experience to connect with franchisees and reinforce a theme he introduced on the campaign trail last fall — that his humor and work ethic set him apart from former Vice President Kamala Harris. The president told the crowd his short stint behind the fryer gave him bragging rights as the only commander in chief to have worn an apron under the golden arches. He also thanked the McDonald’s employee who verified that Harris never worked there. “I’m honored to stand before you as the very first former McDonald’s fry cook ever to become President of the United States,” Trump said. “And I actually was there for about 30 minutes, and that was 30 minutes longer than Kamala was there, despite her job at McDonald’s. That didn’t work out too well.” TRUMP MAKES SURPRISE DC RESTAURANT STOP TO SHOWCASE ‘VIRTUALLY NO CRIME’ IN CAPITAL, FACES DOWN PROTESTERS The joke carried over from an October 2024 campaign stop in Pennsylvania, where Trump put on a McDonald’s apron and worked the fryer while cameras rolled. He used the visit to rib Harris and highlight what he called his connection to working Americans. He entered the restaurant to cheers, greeting employees and supporters as he grabbed a spatula and headed for the fry station. “Hello, everybody. It’s my first day at McDonald’s — I’m looking for a job,” Trump said as he shook hands with the owner. “I’ve now worked for 15 minutes more than Kamala at McDonald’s.” TRUMP DRAWS LAUGHS FROM WORLD LEADERS MOMENTS INTO UN SPEECH He handed out fries, took drive-thru orders and talked with reporters about wages and what he called his lifelong wish to flip fries under the golden arches. He also wished Harris a happy birthday while tossing another jab her way. At the Impact Summit, Trump praised McDonald’s as a symbol of affordability and American success, calling himself one of the company’s most loyal customers and noting that his planes were stocked with burgers and fries instead of expensive catering. He credited the chain’s global reach and value meals as proof of American innovation, saying McDonald’s had done more than most corporations to support workers and keep prices steady for families. PAT MCAFEE DEFENDS HAVING TRUMP ON SHOW, SAYS HE EXTENDED INVITE TO OBAMA: ‘IT’S THE PRESIDENT’ “I’m also one of your all-time most loyal customers,” Trump said. “Other politicians fly around on campaign planes stocked with expensive catering. When Trump Force One — prior to ascending to Air Force One — flew during the campaign, we served only McDonald’s almost every time. On occasion we couldn’t find one, which is pretty hard to believe, but we really did. You fed us very well, and I even got Bobby Kennedy to eat a Big Mac. He told me he loved it.” Trump tied his praise for McDonald’s to his broader argument that the economy had rebounded and prices were easing. He said McDonald’s was helping lower costs for consumers while keeping jobs in the U.S. “In the past six months, the price of breakfast items has fallen 14%,” Trump said. “Bread prices are down, dairy prices are down, and the price of eggs has declined 86% since March. I want to give a very special thanks to McDonald’s for slashing prices for the most popular items. We’re getting prices down for this country, and there’s no better leader or advocate than McDonald’s.” He closed by urging franchise owners to stay focused on quality and affordability, calling McDonald’s a “cornerstone of the American dream.” “From the cashier starting her first job, to a franchisee opening his first location, to the young family in a drive-thru line — that’s the American dream,” Trump said. “I made the French fries, and the response was love.” Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
Duckworth fires staffer who claimed to be attorney for detained illegal immigrant with criminal history
A staffer for Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., has been fired after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said he misrepresented himself as the attorney of a detained illegal immigrant to facilitate the man’s release. Last week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons told the Illinois Democrat that her staffer, Edward York, claimed he was legally representing Jose Ismeal Ayuzo Sandoval. Sandoval, a 40-year-old illegal immigrant, had a DUI conviction and was previously deported four times to Mexico. According to ICE, the staffer made the claim to federal agents after entering an ICE facility in St. Louis, Illinois, on Oct. 29. DHS CALLS OUT NBC AFFILIATE FOR HIDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIME HISTORY IN ARREST STORY “At approximately 1:29 p.m., an individual identified as Edward York, who, according to publicly available information, is employed as a Constituent Outreach Coordinator for your Senate office, entered the field office lobby, and in a discussion with a federal officer, claimed to be Mr. Ayuzo’s attorney. Mr. York demanded to speak with his ‘client,’” the Nov. 12 letter from ICE states. “This staff member allegedly did so to gain access to the detainee and seek his release from custody, and he accomplished it by falsifying an official Department of Homeland Security (DHS) form.” In a letter on Monday, Duckworth addressed Lyons and said that the staffer was fired. SENATE DEM DICK DURBIN ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF ‘TERRORIZING PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES’ “Upon reviewing the matter, I can confirm that neither I nor my leadership team was aware of, authorized or directed what your letter describes as the employee’s conduct,” the message read. Duckworth then confirmed that her office “terminated the employment of said employee, effective November 17, 2025.” Lyons had given the senator a Monday deadline to provide answers about the staffer’s employment and whether he knowingly lied on government documents. Fox News’ Michael Tobin, Leo Briceno and Kyle Schmidbauer contributed to this report.
9/11 families urge Trump to press Saudis for accountability ahead of MBS visit to DC: ‘Overwhelming evidence’
Ahead of a visit to the nation’s capital by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) on Tuesday, a cohort of 9/11 survivors, first responders, and family members of those lost, are urging President Donald Trump to demand that Saudi Arabia take accountability for its alleged role in the tragic Sept. 11, 2021 attacks. Several weeks ago, United States federal district court judge George B. Daniels ruled against Saudi Arabia’s efforts to dismiss a lawsuit brought against them by the families of 9/11 victims, which alleged the country was party to the attacks. Daniels’ decision to let the case go to trial appeared to agree with the judge claiming in his August 2025 ruling that Saudi government agents provided “essential support” for the hijackers. “The backdrop to this visit is the recent ruling of a federal judge in New York that Saudi Arabia must stand trial for its role in the 9/11 terrorist attacks that murdered 3,000 of our loved ones,” 9/11 Justice President Brett Eagleson, whose father died in the attacks, said. “As Washington prepares to roll out the red carpet for the Saudi Crown Prince, we want to shine a spotlight on the facts found by the court, the overwhelming evidence of Saudi government support for the 9/11 plot, and the families’ nearly 25-year fight for justice.” The statement follows a similar call to Trump from 9/11 Families United, a separate group representing 9/11 victims and their families, which was released last week. THE QUIET WAR: HOW TERROR HAS EVOLVED SINCE SEPT 11 Fox News Digital reached out to the Saudi Embassy in Washington, as well as the White House for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication. Daniels’ August ruling implicating Saudi Arabia in the 9/11 attacks is just one of the latest developments in a multi-decade legal battle that started in 2002. While the kingdom has denied that anyone from the Saudi Arabian government directed the individuals accused of conspiring with 9/11 hijackers, Daniels said he found it “more likely than not” that there was “some connection.” The allegations center around Omar al-Bayoumi and Sheikh Al Fahad Thumairy, two individuals that the 9/11 victims allege were party to helping the hijackers. SAUDI ARABIA’S 40-YEAR-OLD DISRUPTOR: HOW MBS REWIRED THE KINGDOM IN 10 SHORT YEARS Among the allegations against Bayoumi, who has significant ties to the Saudi government according to declassified FBI documents, is that he helped the hijackers find an apartment. When the hijackers applied for the apartment, Bayoumi co-signed the lease and listed himself as the new apartment’s guarantor. According to Bayoumi, it is customary for the Islamic community to help newcomers find an apartment. Meanwhile, evidence also showed Bayoumi traveling to Washington, D.C. alongside two Saudi government officials employed by the embassy, according to Daniels’ ruling. Both of the Saudi government officials, Mutaeb Al-Sudairy and Adel Al-sadhan, also had ties to Thumairy, who they met in Los Angeles for an Islamic event between December 1998 and January 1999. After spending a few days in Los Angeles, according to Daniels, the pair of Saudi officials traveled to San Diego, where they stayed with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. A subsequent letter from Bayoumi to Thumairy thanked him for coordinating the trip that “provid[ed] us with brothers Mutaeb Al-Sudairy and Adel Al-sadhan.” Thumairy, who left the U.S. for Saudi Arabia shortly before the 9/11 attacks, is accused of having met with the hijackers when they first came to California in early 2000. He denies the allegation despite being pictured with them, according to Daniels. Bayoumi, who federal agents found in 2001 was in possession of a notepad with various airplane drawings, calculations, and notes in it, is alleged to have met them shortly thereafter. President Trump is set to host the Crown Prince for talks Tuesday. Improving diplomatic relations between the two nations has been a priority for Trump. He visited the kingdom in May, which was his first major international trip of Trump’s second term. “I hope that Saudi Arabia will be going into the Abraham Accords very shortly,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday ahead of this week’s MBS meeting in Washington, according to the Associated Press.
UN Security Council backs Trump’s Gaza peace plan after Waltz calls territory ‘hell on earth’
The U.N. Security Council on Monday adopted a U.S.-backed resolution to end the Gaza war and deploy an international stabilization force after Ambassador Mike Waltz urged members to support what he called “a bold, pragmatic blueprint” born from President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan. In an address to the council, Waltz described Gaza as “a hell on earth” after two years of conflict, saying the resolution offered the world a chance to replace “rubble where schools once stood” with “a path to peace.” The measure passed 14–0, with two abstentions — including Russia — and was adopted. “Voting yes today isn’t just endorsing a plan,” Waltz said. “It’s affirming our shared humanity. A vote against this resolution is a vote to return to war.” The plan, developed through U.S.-led diplomacy with Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia, establishes a multinational stabilization force to secure Gaza, oversee demilitarization and protect civilians as Israel gradually withdraws. TREY YINGST: HAMAS MUST ACCEPT TRUMP PEACE PLAN TO END WAR ONCE AND FOR ALL Waltz said many of the peacekeepers will come from Muslim-majority nations, including Indonesia and Azerbaijan. He credited Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff with brokering the deal, which has already produced what he called “tangible results” — a holding ceasefire and the release of 45 hostages by Hamas. Waltz said the United States remains committed to ensuring the return of the remaining hostages still believed to be held in Gaza. “This resolution charts a path for Palestinian self-determination after the Palestinian Authority completes key reforms,” Waltz said. “It dismantles Hamas’s grip and ensures Gaza rises free from terror’s shadow — prosperous and secure.” UN AMBASSADOR WALTZ REVEALS TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST PEACE PLAN IS ‘THE ONLY WAY FORWARD’ Following the vote, Waltz thanked Council members for what he called “a historic and constructive resolution” and praised the coalition of nations that supported Trump’s plan. He said the Board of Peace, which will be led by the president, “remains the cornerstone of our effort” to rebuild Gaza and establish accountable local governance. The board will coordinate humanitarian assistance, oversee reconstruction, and support a technocratic Palestinian committee responsible for day-to-day administration while the Palestinian Authority implements its reforms. Waltz said the stabilization force will “dismantle terrorist infrastructure, decommission weapons, and maintain the safety of Palestinian civilians.” “The path to prosperity requires security first,” Waltz said. “Security is the oxygen that governance and development need to live and thrive.” US MILITARY TO OVERSEE NEXT PHASE OF PEACE DEAL FROM COORDINATION BASE IN ISRAEL Russia abstained from the vote after circulating a rival draft. Waltz said hesitation and delay would only “cost lives,” adding that “every day without this force, aid trucks lie idle, children starve, and extremists regroup.” Trump praised the U.N. Security Council’s passage of the Gaza peace resolution Monday, calling it “one of the biggest approvals in the history of the United Nations.” In a post on Truth Social, Trump congratulated world leaders and said the creation of the Board of Peace, which he will chair, represents “a moment of true historic proportion.” Trump said the board will include “the most powerful and respected leaders throughout the world” and pledged to announce additional members in the coming weeks. He thanked both Security Council members and partner nations — including Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkey, and Jordan — for backing the plan. “This will go down as one of the biggest approvals in the history of the United Nations,” Trump wrote. “It will lead to further peace all over the world and is a moment of true historic proportion.” Trump’s message echoed the themes laid out by Waltz, who credited the president’s leadership and diplomacy for uniting regional powers behind the peace initiative. “President Trump’s historic 20-point plan marks the beginning of a strong, stable, and prosperous region,” Waltz said. “Under President Trump’s bold leadership, the United States will continue to deliver results alongside our partners to make lasting peace a reality.”
US troops in Venezuela? Trump hints major moves possible as tensions soar
President Donald Trump said he’s not ruling out sending U.S. ground troops into Venezuela amid his administration’s crackdown on criminal networks tied to the country’s top leadership and drugs that are exported from it. “No, I don’t rule out that, I don’t rule out anything,” Trump said Monday when asked if he has ruled out sending U.S. troops to Venezuela. “We just have to take care of Venezuela. They dumped hundreds of thousands of people into our country from prisons. Nobody knows better than this young lady right here,” Trump continued, referring to Department of Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem. “She’s done an incredible job with Tom Homan and all of your people.” The U.S. has carried out a series of strikes on boats that reportedly traffic narcotics in the waters off of Central and South America since September. The administration has carried out at least 21 fatal strikes on the boats since September, with the most recent strike unfolding Sunday. TRUMP REVEALS MADURO ‘WOULD LIKE TO TALK’ AS MILITARY OPTIONS REMAIN ON THE TABLE FOR VENEZUELA The strikes come as the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford arrived in the Caribbean Sea earlier in November. Trump said Sunday that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro indicated he wants talks with the U.S. as tensions mount between the nations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Sunday that a criminal network allegedly tied to Maduro and his allies, the Cartel de los Soles, will be designated a foreign terrorist organization as tensions continue to escalate. Trump added Monday that he would speak with Maduro when asked if he was prepared to directly speak with the dictator. “Yeah, I probably would talk to him. Yeah, I talked to everybody,” Trump said. The administration has defended the strikes, saying the U.S. is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels after the groups evolved into transnational terror organizations. TRUMP AGREES MADURO’S DAYS AS VENEZUELA’S PRESIDENT ARE NUMBERED IN ‘60 MINUTES’ INTERVIEW “We have a tight border right now,” Trump said. “Nobody comes in. But we had millions of people pouring through a year ago. We had millions of people pouring through our border, and many of them came from Venezuela, including Tren de Aragua, the gang. And I guess what I’m hearing, Kristi, is that there’s been a gang.” Trump has said the strikes are out of an effort to curb drugs flooding into the U.S., while experts have weighed in that the pressure on Venezuela is likely part of a larger puzzle to force Maduro’s ouster and end his regime in the country. TRUMP SAYS ‘WE’LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS’ WHEN ASKED ABOUT POSSIBILITY OF STRIKING VENEZUELA AMID RISING TENSIONS Noem added during the Oval Office meeting, which focused on the 2026 FIFA World Cup that will be hosted in North America, that Tren de Aragua is a worse gang than MS-13. Tren de Aragua is a Venezuela-based gang with syndicates in nations stretching from South America to the U.S. Trump designated the gang, and other drug cartels and transnational gangs, as a foreign terrorist organization under an executive order in February of this year. “Killers. They massacre people,” Noem said. “They cut them up into pieces and they bury them in their communities where they grew up. They’re horrible people.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “And we had a lot of them and many of them, most of them,” Trump added of alleged illegal gang members in the U.S. “Pretty soon most of them are going to be out, but they sent them in like we’re dumping ground. So, I’m not in love with the people running Venezuela. I love Venezuela. I love the people of Venezuela. But what they’ve done to this country and I really say this, what Biden and the Democrats have done to this country can never, ever be forgotten.” Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz, Emma Bussey and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.