UK prime minister lays out Ukraine peace deal framework as Zelenskyy responds to resignation calls
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer put forward a framework for a peace plan between Ukraine and Russia on Sunday, though he acknowledged it relies heavily on assumed U.S. support. Starmer revealed the plan along with French President Emmanuel Macron and other European leaders during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday. In a concession to President Donald Trump’s administration, Starmer emphasized that European countries would need to “step up their own share of the burden” toward security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a peace deal. Starmer said the U.K. is prepared to deploy boots on the ground in Ukraine as well as air force assets to ensure Russia does not infringe on a peace agreement. He nevertheless stated that the plan would rely heavily on U.S. backing as well. Macron told French media that European leaders were discussing a plan that would freeze strikes from the air, sea and on energy infrastructure for 30 days in Ukraine. He said the window could be used to negotiate a wider peace deal. ZELENSKYY MEETS WITH BRITISH PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER IN LONDON FOLLOWING TRUMP OVAL OFFICE CLASH Meanwhile, Zelenskyy himself has been on damage control since a disastrous meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the White House on Friday. Zelenskyy has emphasized that he is still willing to sign a rare earth minerals deal with the White House. The Ukrainian leader remains largely unapologetic, however, saying after Sunday’s meetings in Europe that the “best security guarantees are a strong Ukrainian army.” ZELENSKYY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP, VANCE, SAYS DUSTUP ‘BAD FOR BOTH SIDES’ “The failure of Ukraine would not just mean Putin’s success, it would be a failure for Europe, it would be a failure for the U.S.,” he said. Many Republicans on Capitol Hill have rallied behind Trump’s criticism of Zelenskyy. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called on the Ukrainian leader to resign on Sunday. “He either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change,” Graham said after Friday’s meeting. TRUMP SAYS ZELENSKYY CAN ‘COME BACK WHEN HE IS READY FOR PEACE’ AFTER FIERY WHITE HOUSE EXCHANGE Zelenskyy retorted that Graham could weigh in on Ukrainian leadership when he became a Ukrainian citizen, to which Graham responded: “Unfortunately, until there is an election, no one has a voice in Ukraine.” According to the senator, he doesn’t think Americans saw the Ukrainian president as someone they feel comfortable going “into business with” following the televised dispute. Graham also stressed that the Ukrainian-American relationship is “vitally important.” However, he cast doubt on whether Zelenskyy could ever “do a deal with the United States.” Fox News’ Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
All about the Dons: House GOP bill would put Trump’s face on $100 note
FIRST ON FOX: A House GOP lawmaker is unveiling legislation on Monday to memorialize President Donald Trump on U.S. currency. Rep. Brandon Gill, R-TX, told Fox News Digital he would be introducing a bill to put Trump’s likeness on the $100 note after his current term. “President Trump could be enjoying his golden years golfing and spending time with his family,” Gill said. “Instead, he took a bullet for this country and is now working overtime to secure our border, fix our uneven trade relationship with the rest of the world, make America energy independent again and put America first by ending useless foreign aid.” BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘PURGE’ OF ‘MINORITY’ FEDERAL WORKERS He said that replacing Benjamin Franklin with Trump on the $100 bill “is a small way to honor all he will accomplish these next four years.” If passed, his bill would direct the treasury secretary to release a “preliminary design” of the bill by the end of 2026, with a goal of circulating the notes beginning in 2029. GOP LAWMAKER CALLS FOR CONGRESSIONAL HEARING OVER DC PLANE CRASH Gill, class president of the first-term House Republicans, has been an outspoken Trump supporter since he came to Congress earlier this year. His legislation comes after a similar push last week by Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., to put Trump’s face on a new $250 note. That bill has the backing of three other House conservatives. But changing faces on U.S. currency is not an easy task. The last time it was done was in 1929, when Andrew Jackson replaced Grover Cleveland on the $20 note. The Obama administration’s plans to replace Jackson’s face with Harriet Tubman’s never materialized after Trump took office for his first term. The Biden administration resumed the effort in 2021, but it was not completed. Current U.S. law would also need to be changed to allow for living people to be depicted on currency.
Top wildest moments from presidential addresses to entire Congress, from Reagan to Biden
As President Trump prepares to deliver his first address to joint sessions of Congress since taking office in January, here are several of the wildest moments from joint addresses from presidents in the past. Dem. Sen. Joe Manchin bucks party to stand and clap for Trump in 2018 West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat who later became an independent, went viral on social media after he stood when President Trump entered the chamber, and stood and applauded some of Trump’s policy proposals when other Democrats remained sitting. “That’s the way I was raised in West Virginia. We have respect,” Manchin said about his actions at Trump’s first State of the Union address. “There is some civility still yet. There should be civility in this place.” HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED DURING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S 6TH WEEK IN OFFICE President Biden blasts GOP lawmakers in 2023 address, prompting jeers from Republicans in the crowd “Some of my Republican friends want to take the economy hostage — I get it — unless I agree to their economic plans,” Biden said to Congress, prompting a shake of the head from then-GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the background and shouts from the crowd and shots of other Republicans shaking their heads. “Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans, some Republicans, want Medicare and Social Security to sunset,” Biden continued, which caused an even more pronounced shake of the head from McCarthy, who mouthed “no” as Republicans continued to jeer. “I’m not saying it’s the majority,” Biden continued, which resulted in even more boos from the raucous crowd. “Let me give you — anybody who doubts it, contact my office. I’ll give you a copy — I’ll give you a copy of the proposal,” Biden continued to say over increasingly louder shouting from the crowd, which included GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, stood up and gestured her frustration. ” That means Congress doesn’t vote — I’m glad to see — no, I tell you, I enjoy conversion.” Biden’s speech continued to devolve from there as Republican outrage interrupted him on multiple occasions. Reagan surprises the crowd with first-ever acknowledgment of a guest in the audience Guests in the audience acknowledged in presidential speeches to joint sessions of Congress have become commonplace in recent years, but President Ronald Reagan’s 1982 address was the first time the practice was rolled out. Reagan’s speech came just weeks after Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into Washington’s 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac River shortly after taking off in an accident that killed 78 people. Three people survived the crash thanks to civilians on the ground who rushed to their aid, including Congressional Budget Office assistant Lenny Skutnik, who stripped off his shoes and clothes and dove into the frigid waters. Reagan honored Skutnik in his speech, which made honoring people in the crowd a more common theme in the years to come. “Just 2 weeks ago, in the midst of a terrible tragedy on the Potomac, we saw again the spirit of American heroism at its finest — the heroism of dedicated rescue workers saving crash victims from icy waters,” Reagan said. “And we saw the heroism of one of our young government employees, Lenny Skutnik, who, when he saw a woman lose her grip on the helicopter line, dived into the water and dragged her to safety.” Rep. Boebert heckles Biden over Afghanistan withdrawal during 2022 address “You put them in, 13 of them,” GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert shouted at Biden as he talked about Afghanistan veterans who ended up in caskets due to exposure to toxic burn pits. Boebert was referencing the 13 U.S. service members killed during Biden’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Boebert was wearing an outfit that said “Drill Baby Drill” in opposition to Biden’s energy policies and her outburst drew some boos from the audience. At another point, Boebert and Greene started chanting “build the wall” when Biden was talking about immigration. ZELENSKYY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PUBLIC SPAT WITH TRUMP, VANCE, SAYS DUSTUP ‘BAD FOR BOTH SIDES’ Rep. Joe Wilson yells ‘You lie!’ at President Obama One of the most remembered outbursts from a State of the Union address came in 2009 when South Carolina GOP Congressman Joe Wilson interrupted President Obama’s address, which at the time was far less common than it later became. “There are also those who claim that our reform effort will insure illegal immigrants,” Obama said, talking about his controversial Obamacare plan. “This, too, is false. The reforms I’m proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally.” “You lie!” Wilson shouted from his seat on the Republican side of the chamber, causing widespread yelling from other members in the audience. Wilson later apologized to Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel. “This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the president’s remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill,” Wilson said in a written statement. “While I disagree with the president’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility.” Speaker Pelosi tears up Trump’s 2020 speech Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sparked a social media firestorm and cemented herself in State of the Union infamy in February 2020 when she stood up and tore Trump’s speech into pieces after he had finished. When Fox News asked Pelosi afterward why she did it, she responded, “Because it was the courteous thing to do considering the alternatives.” She added, “I tore it up. I was trying to find one page with truth on it. I couldn’t.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Pelosi’s outburst came on the heels of Trump’s first impeachment trial, which ended in a Senate acquittal the day after the speech. “Speaker Pelosi just ripped up: One of our last surviving Tuskegee Airmen. The survival of a child born at 21 weeks. The mourning families of Rocky Jones and Kayla Mueller. A service
Trump says US should spend ‘less time worrying about Putin,’ calls his former advisor an ‘ineffective loser’
U.S. President Donald Trump criticized his former national security advisor on Sunday and said the U.S. government should spend less time worrying about Russian President Vladimir Putin amid Moscow’s ongoing war against Ukraine. Trump made the comments Sunday night in a pair of posts on his social media platform Truth Social after Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, who served as Trump’s national security adviser during his first administration, criticized the president for “coddling Putin” while putting increased pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “H.R. MCMASTER IS A WEAK AND TOTALLY INEFFECTIVE LOSER!” Trump wrote. ZELENSKYY SAYS IRE WITH TRUMP BEGAN WITH PRO-TRUMP RHETORIC “We should spend less time worrying about Putin, and more time worrying about migrant rape gangs, drug lords, murderers, and people from mental institutions entering our Country – So that we don’t end up like Europe!” he said in a follow-up post. McMaster had criticized Trump and Vice President JD Vance after their meeting with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. During the negotiations, Trump and Vance heavily criticized the Ukrainian president in a tense exchange between the two countries’ leaders before the U.S. president cut the meeting short and sent Zelenskyy on his way. RUSSIA REVELS IN OVAL OFFICE SPECTACLE AFTER ZELENSKYY SPARS WITH TRUMP, VANCE “It is impossible to understand why President Trump and Vice President Vance seem determined to put more pressure on President Zelensky while they seem to be coddling Putin – the person who inflicted this terrible war in Ukraine,” McMaster said Friday on X. The blowup in the Oval Office was sparked by Zelenskyy’s request for security guarantees as the war continues after Russia invaded Ukraine more than three years ago. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Russian leaders and Russian state media appeared joyous after the testy exchange. But several leaders from Europe and elsewhere came to Zelenskyy’s defense after the exchange, and the Ukrainian president thanked each of them for their support on social media.
Hegseth directs DOD civilian workforce to comply with Musk’s DOGE productivity email
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed the Department of Defense (DOD)’s civilian workforce to comply with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) productivity email, listing five things they accomplished after initially telling them not to reply. On Sunday, Hegseth released a video message explaining the shift. “Our civilian patriots who dedicate themselves to defending this nation working for the Department of Defense are critical to our national security,” Hegseth said. “As we work to restore focus on DOD’s core warfighting mission under President Trump’s leadership, we recognize that we cannot accomplish that mission without the strong and important contributions of our civilian workforce.” Musk, who’s heading up DOGE, shared Hegseth’s video on X, writing, “Much appreciated @SecDef Hegseth!” He also included a saluting emoji and an American flag emoji. DOD TELLS CIVILIAN WORKFORCE TO IGNORE ELON MUSK’S REQUEST TO REPORT PRODUCTIVITY Hegseth signed a memorandum on Friday to all DOD civilian employees, ahead of an anticipated email expected to be sent from the DOD on Monday requesting the five bullet points of accomplishments. OPM’S SECOND EMAIL TO FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ASKS WHAT THEY DID LAST WEEK—AND ADDS A NEW REQUIREMENT: REPORT Hegseth told employees to reply to the email within 48 hours and include their accomplishments and add their supervisors as recipients. He said in the video that the responses would be collected within the department to satisfy the requirement sent out by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). OPM sent an email last weekend, seeking the same five bullets, though the DOD’s Office of Personnel and Readiness told its civilian workforce to ignore the request. ELON MUSK SAYS ‘BAR IS VERY LOW’ AFTER ORDERING FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TO FILL OUT PRODUCTIVITY REPORTS OR RESIGN The DOD is taking a different approach to the request this week after working with OPM to get better guidance on what is expected. “The Department of Defense initially paused this directive … but now requires all DOD civilian employees to submit five bullets on their previous week’s achievements,” Hegseth said in his memorandum. He told employees Monday’s email is something DOD employees should respond to, though responses should not include sensitive or classified information. Hegseth also said non-compliance may lead to further review.
Boston’s Mayor Wu offers condolences to family of suspect shot after allegedly trying to stab people
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu raised eyebrows over the weekend after she expressed condolences to the family of a knife-wielding suspect who was shot and killed by an off-duty officer after he allegedly tried to stab two people on Saturday night. The suspect, whose identity was not released by police, brandished a knife near a Chick-fil-A on Boylston Street, a busy part of the Massachusetts capital. He was fatally shot by an off-duty police officer who saw him targeting the two victims, police said. During a Saturday night press conference, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said that the officer identified himself to the suspect and asked him to drop his weapon. “The individual was trying to stab the two individuals in the store, and the off-duty officer identified himself as a police officer, instructing them to drop the weapon, at which point the individual did not comply,” Cox explained. “The officer discharged his weapon to stop the threat, and the individual was struck. The armed individual was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.” BOSTON COUNCILWOMAN SOUNDS OFF AFTER TOM HOMAN’S CPAC PROMISE TO ‘BRING HELL’: ‘WE DON’T SCARE EASY’ Cox added that he was “proud of police officers who activate themselves, whether it’s on duty or off duty, to try to save lives.” After Cox and Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden both expressed some sadness over the loss of life during the incident, Wu notably did not express sympathy for the two people who were nearly stabbed by the suspect, just those “impacted” by the incident, which happened in “one of the busier parts” of Beantown. “My condolences, and all of our thoughts, are with the family of the individual whose life has been lost,” Wu said. “And I’m also thinking of all the people who were impacted here today in one of the busier parts of the city with this tragedy.” “I’m glad that the officer is safe and very grateful for a quick response from all of our first responders here again,” she said. Wu’s remarks were called out by critics across the country on social media shortly after she spoke. Journalist Jonathan Choe wrote that “[i]t’s all upside down in Boston.” BOSTON COUNCILWOMAN BACKS OFF AFTER RIDICULING TOM HOMAN’S EMPLOYMENT HISTORY IN FIERY POST: ‘I UNDERSTAND’ “When is the last time you heard of a mayor apologizing to the family of a knife wielding attacker who allegedly tried to kill multiple people?” Choe questioned. “What about the people who were nearly killed?” “Boston, I’m going to say this as simply as I can: You desperately need a new mayor. Trust me,” conservative commentator Charlie Kirk said in a different X post. Fox News contributor Joe Concha, a former Boston resident, also weighed in on the incident. “How exactly did Boston vote for this again?” Concha wrote. “I lived in the Back Bay area. It was one of the safest parts of the city. And she’s offering condolences????” “Condolences from the mayor of Boston – wait for it – to a knife-wielding man trying to kill people!” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said. “Thankfully this guy was stopped in his tracks by a brave law enforcement officer.” The incident came as Boston officials, including Wu and Cox, have attracted criticism from conservatives for implementing sanctuary city policies. Catherine Vitale, a former city council candidate, told “Fox and Friends” last week that she believes Wu “doesn’t care” about crime in Boston. “There’s tons of crime almost every single day. There’s a shooting. We don’t always hear about them, but we hear them because we’re there. I don’t think that most of the crime actually even gets reported on. People don’t get arrested. Charges don’t get pressed on people who are looting stores,” Vitale said. Wu is expected in Washington, D.C., this week as one of four Democratic mayors slated to testify before Congress on sanctuary policies. Fox News Digital reached out to Wu for additional comment but did not immediately hear back. Fox News Digital’s Taylor Penley contributed to this report.
Trump set to continue unprecedented level of actions, address Congress in 7th week back in office
President Donald Trump’s seventh week in office will spotlight his first joint session of Congress address since his return to the Oval Office in January. Trump is scheduled to speak before all members of Congress on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET. The speech is not officially called the State of the Union, as Trump has not been in office for a full year, though it operates in a similar fashion. The yearly presidential address is intended to showcase the administration’s achievements and policies. Trump and his administration have been working at a breakneck pace to realign the federal government with the president’s Make America Great Again policies, including Department of Government Efficiency chair Elon Musk and his team poring through federal agencies in the search for overspending, fraud and mismanagement, and prioritizing border security. The 47th president has signed at least 76 executive orders since his inauguration in January, in addition to dozens of other executive actions and proclamations. HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED DURING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S 6TH WEEK IN OFFICE The address comes after Trump and Vice President JD Vance had a fiery meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, which was cut short when Trump asked the Ukraine leader to leave. The White House meeting grew tense in approximately its final 10 minutes after Vance said that peace would be reached between Russia and Ukraine through U.S. diplomacy efforts. “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people,” Trump added at one point during the meeting. “You’re gambling with World War III. You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country.” TRUMP SAYS ZELENSKYY CAN ‘COME BACK WHEN HE IS READY FOR PEACE’ AFTER FIERY WHITE HOUSE EXCHANGE Vance interjected, asking Zelenskyy whether he had “said thank you once this entire meeting.” He also added that Zelenskyy “went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October” and that he should “offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who’s trying to save your country.” Trump said on social media after the meeting that Zelenskyy could return to the White House “when he is ready for peace.” Zelenskyy traveled to the U.K. over the weekend, joining European leaders to hash out a potential peace deal. WORLD LEADERS BACK ZELENSKYY FOLLOWING TRUMP, VANCE OVAL OFFICE SPAT U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told local media that he had spoken with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the U.K. and France taking the reins on crafting a plan for peace that will be presented to the U.S. “Let me be clear, we agree with Trump on the urgent need for a durable peace. Now we need to deliver together,” Starmer said at a press conference on Sunday. He added that the U.K. is willing to put “boots on the ground” in its support of Ukraine. “The U.K. is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air. Together with others, Europe must do the heavy lifting. But to support peace in our continent and to succeed, this effort must have strong U.S. backing,” he added. TOP CANADIAN OFFICIAL SLAMS TRUMP FOR TARIFF PLAN AS TRUDEAU LEAVES OFFICE: ‘YOU LOSE PROSPERITY’ In addition to his address to Congress and the ongoing efforts related to the war in Ukraine this week, Trump is also expected to hit Canada and Mexico with tariffs on Tuesday. Trump signed an executive order last month authorizing tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China through the new International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The tariffs included 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on imports from China. EUROPEAN LEADERS FLAMED FOR ‘CREEPY’ PRO-ZELENSKYY POSTS THAT READ EXACTLY THE SAME Both Canada and Mexico agreed to concessions with Trump the day before the tariffs were set to take effect, pledging to send additional security personnel to their respective borders with the U.S. Trump agreed to pause the tariffs on the two nations for one month in light of the border security concessions. The month’s pause ends this week, with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick saying on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” that tariffs will go into effect on Tuesday, but he did not elaborate on what the tariffs will entail. “That is a fluid situation,” Lutnick said. “There are going to be tariffs on Tuesday on Mexico and Canada. Exactly what they are, we’re going to leave that for the president and his team to negotiate,” he added.
European leaders on edge as prospect looms of Trump pulling 20K troops from continent
European leaders are grappling with how to handle icier relations with the U.S. since President Donald Trump regained control of the White House this year. “The Europeans have a serious problem of readiness … that they’re trying to fix, but it takes time,” Camille Grand, a former NATO official who is now with the European Council on Foreign Relations, said in a Washington Post report Sunday. “If Trump decides ‘I’m going to pull out U.S. troops from Germany because I’m upset with the trade imbalance,’ that’s much more complicated to manage than to say we have a plan to do this within X years.” The comments come as European leaders have become increasingly anxious about the future of the security of the continent in the second era of Trump, with the Washington Post reporting that leaders are wary that the American president is too friendly with Moscow and that they widely expect him to pull back roughly 20,000 U.S. troops that were deployed to the continent by former President Joe Biden in the aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. “I would not be surprised if at some point [those troops] go back to their home base in America,” a NATO diplomat told the outlet while noting that those troops were sent to Europe at the height of an emergency and that their exit “would be, so to speak, a return to normalcy.” WORLD LEADERS BACK ZELENSKYY FOLLOWING TRUMP, VANCE OVAL OFFICE SPAT The current number of U.S. troops in Europe has fluctuated between 75,000 and 105,000 since 2022, according to data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), with the higher end of that number being a result of the surge of forces into the region ordered by Biden. But fears persist that those numbers could fall even more rapidly than expected under Trump, despite assurances from Trump administration officials that there are no imminent plans for a large reduction of forces on the continent. Those fears have been buoyed by recent events, including Vice President JD Vance’s remarks at a security conference in Munich in which the American leader scolded European leaders for their alleged break from shared values such as freedom of speech and Trump’s widening rift with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, American presidents from both parties have been warning European leaders for more than a decade of the potential shift of troops away from the continent as the U.S. seeks to focus more effort on confronting the emerging threat of China in the Indo-Pacific, leaving Europe in charge of a greater share of its own security. JD VANCE STEPS INTO SPOTLIGHT DEFENDING TRUMP’S FOREIGN POLICY IN OVAL OFFICE DUSTUP WITH ZELENSKYY Indeed, the U.S. military footprint in Europe has already fallen drastically since the end of the Cold War, the CSIS data shows. At the height of hostilities between the U.S. and the Soviet Union in the 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. had nearly 500,000 troops deployed to the continent. There were still roughly 350,000 U.S. troops in Europe at the start of the 1990s and the end of the Cold War, a number that fell further to more than 100,000 at the turn of the century. Despite the consistent warnings, European leaders now fear that the timeline to move troops from the continent could accelerate further under Trump, leaving holes in European security countries they are not yet able to fill. “I just worry that, given, frankly, President Trump’s mercurial nature … how much confidence really can Europe have in any degree of American protection and defense,” Nigel Gould-Davies, a former British diplomat and senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told the Washington Post.
Founder of Catholic ministry Word on Fire to attend Trump address to Congress
EXCLUSIVE: A well-known Catholic bishop will be in the audience for President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress, Fox News Digital has learned. Bishop Robert Barron, founder of Catholic media organization Word On Fire, is coming to the Tuesday night speech as a guest of first-term Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va. Moore also invited Barron to participate in a Catholic Mass with lawmakers before the address. DEM GOVERNOR THREATENS TO USE ‘EVERY TOOL’ TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST TRUMP-ERA DEPORTATIONS “Through Word on Fire, Bishop Barron has helped countless souls discover, strengthen, or return to the Catholic Church by proclaiming the Gospel ‘through the culture.’ His use of contemporary media to reach people is innovative and highly effective,” Moore said in a statement first shared with Fox News Digital. “I am honored to host him as my guest for President Trump’s joint address to Congress, and am equally thrilled to have him celebrate the Mass for my colleagues and me prior to the speech.” Barron called himself a “student of history” in his own statement shared with Fox News Digital accepting the invitation. JD VANCE STEPS INTO SPOTLIGHT DEFENDING TRUMP’S FOREIGN POLICY IN OVAL OFFICE DUSTUP WITH ZELENSKYY “I want to express my sincere gratitude to Representative Riley Moore for his kind invitation to celebrate Mass for Catholic members of Congress and to attend, as his guest, the State of the Union Address,” Barron said. Barron is bishop of the Diocese of Winona–Rochester in Minnesota. His name has traveled further, however, as a leader in bringing Catholic teachings to more people using digital media. Trump is making his first speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night since returning to the White House for his second term. Senior Trump adviser Jason Miller previewed the speech during “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Sunday morning. Miller said Trump will discuss getting his 2017 tax cuts extended, “Making sure we get to Mars,” our artificial intelligence competition against China, and reversing the high cost of living seen under the previous Democratic administration. “We need more money for the border to keep it secure,” Miller continued, adding Trump would also discuss “making sure we keep peace and stability around the world, but we have to do it with respect and strength.”
Four ‘sanctuary city’ mayors prep for grilling in Congress this week: ‘Held accountable’
The mayors of Boston, Chicago, Denver and New York City are prepping for a high-stakes hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government. “Sanctuary mayors owe the American people an explanation for city policies that jeopardize public safety and violate federal immigration law by releasing dangerous criminal illegal aliens back onto the streets,” House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said in a press release announcing the hearings, which are set to take place Wednesday. The hearing, which will take place in front of a full committee, comes as so-called sanctuary cities, jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, have come under increasing scrutiny since President Donald Trump regained control of the White House in January. While Trump has seemingly made quick work of the situation at the southern border, attention has turned to his promised mass deportation efforts, a process that can be helped along if state and local agencies work hand-in-hand with federal authorities. BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN SENDS MESSAGE TO FAR-LEFT OFFICIALS PUSHING BACK AGAINST MASS DEPORTATIONS: ‘GAME ON’ But some cities have for years now taken the opposite approach, refusing to comply with federal enforcement measures such as detainers placed on illegal immigrants by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Those sanctuary policies have often generated controversy, most notably in the wake of a handful of high-profile crimes committed by illegal immigrants who were allowed to duck deportation proceedings. “These reckless policies in Democrat-run cities and states across our nation have led to too many preventable tragedies,” Comer said in the release. “They also endanger ICE agents who are forced to take more difficult enforcement actions in jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.” Now the mayors of four of the biggest sanctuary cities will attempt to justify their policies in front of what could be a hostile Congress, with one report from Politico noting that the mayors will be seeking to sidestep the kind of “embarrassing” episode that plagued several Ivy League presidents who were testifying about antisemitism on their campuses in 2023. The report notes that all four mayors have been working with advisers and lawyers and prepping to redact documents ahead of Wednesday’s hearing, with the thought of University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill being ousted in the aftermath of her appearance at the 2023 hearing fresh in mind as they seek to avoid similar missteps. TRUMP BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN VOWS TO PROBE LEAK THAT STIFLED ICE RAID TARGETING VENEZUELAN GANG IN COLORADO The hearing could sway the political futures of Chicago’s Brandon Johnson, New York’s Eric Adams, Boston’s Michelle Wu, and Denver’s Mike Johnston. Yet the Politico report notes that not all of the mayors will be so quick to cast aside their support for sanctuary laws. “I just want to make sure that people understand that [this is] a city that has been established by immigrants and migrants who were formerly enslaved,” Johnson told reporters last week when speaking of Chicago. “It’s the global capital of the world, and we’re going to continue to show up at our very best.” Adams, meanwhile, may try to tout his recent cooperation, including his decision to sign an executive order that allowed ICE agents back into New York City’s Rikers Island jail complex. That move drew the ire of Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., who threatened to have Adams removed from office, though she later backtracked from that plan for the time being and instead vowed reforms aimed at reigning in the mayor’s power in the city. Just how those answers sit with members of the committee remains to be seen, though Comer promised that the four mayors would be pressed for answers. “The policies in Boston, Chicago, Denver and New York City prioritize criminal illegal aliens over the American people,” Comer said in the release. “This is unacceptable and their leaders must be held accountable. We will press these mayors for answers and examine measures to enforce compliance with federal immigration law.”