RNC brings on new senior leadership to ‘work around the clock’ to support Trump agenda, elect Republicans
EXCLUSIVE: The Republican National Committee has staffed up with new senior leadership to support President Donald Trump‘s agenda and work to elect Republican candidates “who will fight to Make America Great Again,” Fox News Digital has learned. RNC Chair Michael Whatley brought on a slate of new senior staff to the GOP — all bringing campaign expertise stemming from several election cycles and experience in the private sector. RNC CHAIR WHATLEY VOWS TO BE ‘TIP OF THE SPEAR’ TO PROTECT TRUMP AFTER COASTING TO RE-ELECTION VICTORY “After a historic victory in 2024, taking back the White House and securing majorities in both chambers of Congress, Republicans are just getting started delivering on promises made,” Whatley told Fox News Digital. “As America enters the new golden age under President Donald J. Trump’s leadership, I am thrilled to announce our extraordinary RNC team, who will work around the clock to support President Trump’s agenda and elect Republican candidates who will fight to Make America Great Again,” he said. The RNC has brought on Mike Ambrosini to serve as chief of staff. Ambrosini previously served as the director of the RNC’s State Party Strategies. He also served in the first Trump administration and held roles in Congress, the private sector and served as the executive director of the Michigan Republican Party. RNC officials told Fox News Digital that Ambrosini is “the perfect person to bring everyone to the table, navigate challenges and implement a winning strategy.” Whatley also brought on Rob Secaur as the new RNC political director. Secaur served as deputy political director for the 2024 Trump campaign, after serving as an RNC regional political director. SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE CHAIR SPELLS OUT HIS 2026 MISSION To run messaging, Whatley tapped Zach Parkinson as RNC communications director. Parkinson served as the RNC’s research director and deputy communications director, overseeing the GOP’s opposition research and rapid response efforts. Parkinson also provided research for the Trump 2024 campaign, served as deputy communications director for the Trump 2020 campaign and worked in communications and research roles at the Trump White House from 2017 to 2019. Meanwhile, to run GOP finance, Mallory Gerndt has been elevated to finance director from her current role on the RNC finance team, where she has served since 2017. Gerndt was the deputy finance director for the RNC throughout the 2024 election cycle. RNC officials told Fox News Digital that Gerndt has a reputation for “setting and meeting fundraising goals to help deliver for President Trump’s America First agenda.” HOUSE GOP CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE CHAIR MAKES 2026 PREDICTION Whatley also announced Zach Imel as RNC data director. Imel served as director of external data and voter contact for Team Trump during the 2024 campaign. Previously, Imel oversaw RNC data efforts during the 2022 and 2020 cycles. Whatley also brought on Brent Brooks to serve as digital director. Brooks, according to GOP officials, has played “a key role” in raising millions of dollars and developing the “VotePro” campaign portal, which the RNC billed as a “crucial app that empowered millions of Republican voters to get involved, take action, cast their ballots, and win in 2024.” As for RNC efforts across the nation, Whatley has tapped Tom Smithfield to serve as state party strategies director. Smithfield served as state party strategies deputy director during the 2024 cycle and as deputy national field director in 2022. Smithfield also served as deputy state director for Trump Victory in Pennsylvania in 2020 and for the Pennsylvania GOP in 2018. Whatley told Fox News Digital that as Trump “delivers on his promises,” Republicans plan to also “look to the future.” “The RNC will play a pivotal role,” Whatley said. “Our team will continue to grow the party, get out the vote, secure our elections and keep on winning.”
Patel camp decries Durbin accusations as ‘politically motivated’ attempt to derail FBI confirmation
FIRST ON FOX: A team member for President Donald Trump’s FBI director nominee, Kash Patel, pushed back Wednesday on allegations that Patel played a role in the firings of bureau personnel just hours after swearing not to do so during his confirmation hearing late last month – dismissing accusations from the panel’s top Democrat as a politically motivated effort to derail his confirmation. A senior transition team official for Patel refuted the allegations made by the ranking Senate Judiciary Committee Democrat, Dick Durbin, that Patel had orchestrated the firings after his confirmation hearing. This person told Fox News that Patel had left Washington the night of his confirmation hearing to fly home to Las Vegas, where he has “been sitting there waiting for the process to play out.” The official also refuted the notion that Patel has had anything to do with the firings of bureau personnel, as alleged by Durbin in Senate floor remarks the previous day. FBI AGENTS SUE TRUMP DOJ TO BLOCK ANY PUBLIC IDENTIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES WHO WORKED ON JAN. 6 INVESTIGATIONS “Mr. Patel has been going through the confirmation process, and everything he has done since his nomination has been above board,” the official said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “And any insinuation otherwise is false.” In addition to his trip home to Vegas, Patel has also spent time hunting away from Washington, this person said, providing photographed evidence of Patel’s activities. The news comes one day after Durbin’s team cited “highly credible” whistleblower reports his office had received in recent days, which they said indicated that Patel had been “personally directing the ongoing purge of FBI employees prior to his Senate confirmation for the role.” Durbin’s staff also sent a letter Tuesday to the Justice Department’s inspector general, Michael Horowitz, requesting an investigation into these allegations. MORE THAN HALF A MILLION LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL BACK PATEL AS FBI DIRECTOR “I have received highly credible information from multiple sources that Kash Patel has been personally directing the ongoing purge of career civil servants at the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Durbin said in the letter to Horowitz. “Although Mr. Patel is President Trump’s nominee to be FBI Director, he is still a private citizen with no role in government.” If true, Durbin has alleged that Patel’s reported actions could put him on the hook for perjury. FBI AGENTS SUE TRUMP DOJ TO BLOCK ANY PUBLIC IDENTIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES WHO WORKED ON JAN. 6 INVESTIGATIONS Patel claimed during his Senate confirmation hearing late last month that he would use his role to protect agents against efforts to weaponize the bureau. “All FBI employees will be protected against political retribution,” Patel told Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., during that hearing. Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have sought to discredit Patel’s confirmation in the days and weeks ahead of his confirmation – which they reiterated last week in a press conference, after announcing they would delay his committee confirmation vote by a full week. Durbin told Fox News last week that their aim in delaying the hearing is to raise more public awareness about Patel’s previous actions, in hopes that doing so will shore up new opposition from some Republicans in the chamber. Ultimately, lawmakers noted they can only delay Patel’s committee vote through next week. Beyond that, they said, it is up to Republicans.
6 times judges blocked Trump executive orders
Federal judges have blocked President Donald Trump’s executive orders related to stemming the flow of illegal immigration, as well as slimming the federal bureaucracy and slashing government waste. “Billions of Dollars of FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE, has already been found in the investigation of our incompetently run Government,” Trump wrote on TRUTH Social on Tuesday. “Now certain activists and highly political judges want us to slow down, or stop. Losing this momentum will be very detrimental to finding the TRUTH, which is turning out to be a disaster for those involved in running our Government. Much left to find. No Excuses!!!” Judges in U.S. district courts – the lowest level in the three-tier federal court system – have mostly pushed back on Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency. Here are the six times judges have blocked Trump’s executive orders so far: AS DEMOCRATS REGROUP OUTSIDE DC, GOP ATTORNEYS GENERAL ADOPT NEW PLAYBOOK TO DEFEND TRUMP AGENDA The Trump administration quickly pushed to withhold Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) money sent to New York City to house migrants, saying it had “significant concerns” about the spending under a program appropriated by Congress. The Justice Department had previously asked the appeals court to let it implement sweeping pauses on federal grants and loans, calling the lower court order to keep promised money flowing “intolerable judicial overreach.” McConnell, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, is presiding over a lawsuit from nearly two dozen Democratic states filed after the administration issued a memo purporting to halt all federals grants and loans, worth trillions of dollars. “The broad categorical and sweeping freeze of federal funds is, as the Court found, likely unconstitutional,” McConnell wrote, “and has caused and continues to cause irreparable harm to a vast portion of this country.” The administration has since rescinded that memo, but McConnell found Monday that not all federal grants and loans had been restored. He was the first judge to find that the administration had disobeyed a court order. The Democratic attorneys general allege money for things like early childhood education, pollution reduction and HIV prevention research remained tied up even after McConnell ordered the administration on Jan. 31 to “immediately take every step necessary” to unfreeze federal grants and loans. The judge also said his order blocked the administration from cutting billions of dollars in grant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Boston-based First Circuit Court of Appeal on Tuesday rejected the Trump administration’s effort to reinstate a sweeping pause on federal funding. The federal appeals court said it expected U.S. District Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island to clarify his initial order. U.S. District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, on Monday ordered lawyers to meet and confer over any changes needed to an order issued early Saturday by another Manhattan judge, Obama-appointee Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, that banned Elon Musk’s DOGE team from accessing Treasury Department records. Vargas instructed both sides to file written arguments if an agreement was not reached. The order was amended on Tuesday to allow Senate-confirmed political appointees access to the information, while special government employees, including Musk, are still prohibited from accessing the Treasury Department’s payment system. On Friday, 19 Democrat attorneys general, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, sued Trump on the grounds that Musk’s DOGE team was composed of “political appointees” who should not have access to Treasury records handled by “civil servants” specially trained to protect sensitive information like Social Security and bank account numbers. Justice Department attorneys from Washington and New York told Vargas in a filing on Sunday that the ban was unconstitutional and a “remarkable intrusion on the Executive Branch” that must be immediately reversed. They said there was no basis for distinguishing between “civil servants” and “political appointees.” They said they were complying with the Saturday order by Engelmayer, but they asserted that the order was “overbroad” so that some might think even Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was banned by it. “Basic democratic accountability requires that every executive agency’s work be supervised by politically accountable leadership, who ultimately answer to the President,” DOJ attorneys wrote, adding that the ban on accessing the records by Musk’s team “directly severs the clear line of supervision” required by the Constitution. Over the weekend, Musk and Vice President JD Vance reacted to the escalating conflict between the Trump administration and the lower courts. “If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal. If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that’s also illegal,” Vance wrote broadly. “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.” Musk said Engelmayer is “a corrupt judge protecting corruption,” who “needs to be impeached NOW!” Boston-based U.S. District Judge George O’Toole Jr., who was nominated by former President Bill Clinton, kept on hold Trump’s deferred resignation program after a courtroom hearing on Monday. O’Toole on Thursday had already pushed back the initial Feb. 6 deadline when federal workers had to decide whether they would accept eight months of paid leave in exchange for their resignation. A “Fork In the Road” email was sent earlier last week telling two million federal workers they could stop working and continue to get paid until Sept. 30. The White House said 65,000 workers had already accepted the buyout offer by Friday. The country’s largest federal labor unions, concerned about losing membership, sued the Office of Personnel Management, asking the court to delay the deadline and arguing the deferred resignation program spearheaded by Musk is illegal. Eric Hamilton, a Justice Department lawyer, called the plan a “humane off ramp” for federal employees who may have structured their lives around working remotely and have been ordered to return to government buildings. TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP EXECUTIVE ORDER BLOCKED BY THIRD FEDERAL JUDGE The Trump administration on Tuesday said it is appealing a Maryland federal judge’s
New poll reveals which Trump policies Americans love and hate
Americans are giving a big thumbs up to some of the early actions taken by President Donald Trump during the opening weeks of his second administration. However, a new national poll also indicates that the public also gives a thumbs down to other moves made by Trump during his avalanche of action since returning to the White House on Jan. 20. Trump has signed 63 executive orders since his inauguration, according to a count from Fox News, which far surpasses the rate of any presidential predecessors during their first weeks in office. According to a Marquette Law School Poll national survey released on Wednesday, the most popular action sampled is Trump’s executive order mandating the federal government recognize only two sexes – male and female. TRUMP HITS WARP SPEED HIS FIRST WEEK BACK IN OFFICE Sixty-three percent of adults nationwide supported the move, with just 37% opposed, the survey indicates. The gender order, signed by Trump hours after his inauguration, states that it will “defend women’s rights and protect freedom of conscience by using clear and accurate language and policies that recognize women are biologically female, and men are biologically male.” The order required that the federal government, going forward, use the term “sex” rather than “gender” and mandated that “government-issued identification documents, including passports, visas, and Global Entry cards, accurately reflect the holder’s sex.” TRUMP UNPLUGGED: WHAT THE NEW PRESIDENT IS DOING THAT BIDEN RARELY DID It reversed a 2022 move by former President Joe Biden’s administration to allow U.S. citizens to be able to select the gender-neutral “X” on their passports. During his successful 2024 campaign to win back the White House, Trump repeatedly pledged to roll back protections for transgender and nonbinary people. His campaign spotlighted an ad which ran in key battleground states that claimed former Vice President Kamala Harris “is for they/them. President Trump is for you.” The poll indicates a large partisan divide, with 94% of Republicans and two-thirds of independents but just 27% of Democrats supporting the executive order. Another popular move, according to the poll: 6 in 10 said they favor expanding oil and gas production. Some of Trump’s numerous actions on immigration and border security also grabbed a thumbs up. Sixty percent said they support deporting immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally, and 59% favored declaring a national emergency at the nation’s southern border with Mexico due to migrant crossings. However, the survey also found that 57% opposed deporting immigrants who have resided in the United States illegally for a number of years, but who have jobs and no criminal record. HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS UPDATES ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS IN THE WHITE HOUSE Also getting a big thumbs down – Trump’s Day One pardon or commuting the sentences of nearly all the Trump supporters who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 to upend congressional certification of Biden’s 2020 Electoral College victory over Trump. Sixty-five percent opposed the move by the president. An equal number of respondents also do not support Trump’s repeated declarations that the U.S. will take back the Panama Canal. Additionally, Trump’s renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America is opposed by 71% of adults nationwide, according to the poll. Fifty-seven percent of Republicans support the renaming, but backing drops to just 16% among independents and 4% among Democrats. The Marquette Law School Poll, which was conducted Jan. 27-Feb. 5, indicates Trump starts his second term with a 48% approval rating and a 52% disapproval rating. “In the new poll, as in the past, approval is closely related to partisanship, with 89% of Republicans approving of Trump, a view shared by 37% of independents and 9% of Democrats,” the poll’s release noted, as it spotlighted the massive partisan divide. Fox News’ Mary Schlageter contributed to this report
‘Obama Bros’ on DOGE: ‘Some of the stuff we should’ve done’
Former aides to President Barack Obama admitted on an episode of “Pod Save America” they should have done “some of the stuff” President Donald Trump is doing with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). When discussing DOGE’s initiatives to cut federal spending, the “Obama bros” admitted to “lamenting” their situation. Jon Lovett, a former Obama speechwriter, implied he “didn’t know” the executive branch could radically cut federal spending as the Trump administration has done. “Honestly, some of this is pretty annoying because it’s some of the stuff we should’ve done. We didn’t know you could do some of this,” Lovett said. Jon Favreau, also a former Obama speechwriter, shared Lovett’s frustration, admitting the Obama administration tried to cut through bureaucracy and create government efficiency, but “it’s hard to do.” DOGE SLASHES OVER $100M IN DEI FUNDING AT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT: ‘WIN FOR EVERY STUDENT’ “We all know that government is slow. We all know government can be inefficient. We all know that the bureaucracy can be bloated. We all worked in f—ing the White House. We tried to reorganize the government. We tried to find efficiency. It’s hard to do,” Favreau said. $1,300 COFFEE CUPS, 8,000% OVERPAY FOR SOAP DISPENSERS SHOW WASTE AS DOGE LOCKS IN ON PENTAGON The liberal podcasters also complained about the federal government’s technology during the Obama era. “The technology in the federal government, at least when we were there, sucked. There was no service in the basement of the West Wing. You couldn’t use your phone because there was no service.” Favreau added. “Pod Save America” did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on which DOGE initiatives the Obama administration should have done. The podcast episode was released ahead of Trump signing an executive order on Tuesday directing agencies to coordinate with DOGE to reduce the size of the federal government. The executive order is the latest in a slew of government slashes these past few weeks, which have targeted everything from DEI funding to migrant hotel bills. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The “Obama Bros” have been on a media circuit in recent weeks, directing Democrats on how to politically engage during Trump’s second term. Former Obama spokesman and “Pod Save America” co-host, Tommy Vietor, joined “Jesse Watters Primetime” last month to discuss the future of the Democratic Party.
Senate DOGE chair says she speaks with Elon Musk ‘every few days’ as Trump admin slashes spending
Senate Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus Chairwoman Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said she talks to Trump-aligned billionaire Elon Musk every couple of days as he spearheads the administration’s effort to slash wasteful spending. “We communicate back and forth every few days or so,” she told Fox News Digital in an interview. “I’ll send additional ideas that we come up with.” According to Ernst, during a meeting at President Donald Trump‘s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in November, she gave Musk “an eight-page memorandum blueprint with a number of cost-saving ideas.” SCOOP: TRUMP BUDGET CHIEF VOUGHT TELLS GOP SENATORS $175B NEEDED ‘IMMEDIATELY’ FOR BORDER SECURITY “He literally is taking that and running with it,” the Iowa Republican remarked. She said she simply sends new ideas directly to Musk, and “pretty soon you’ll see a tweet out on X.” When asked whether she thought she would ever be working to audit the government with the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, as well as the owner of X, Ernst laughed, “Never in a million years.” TRUMP ON VERGE OF NEXT CABINET VICTORY WITH LATE-NIGHT TULSI GABBARD SENATE VOTE Since Trump took office last month, DOGE has taken swift action to audit agencies and departments within the executive branch, rooting out contracts, programs and spending that Trump and Musk consider unnecessary or wasteful. The effort has been met by Democrats with protests, as lawmakers have shown up outside the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of Treasury and the Department of Education to demonstrate. Some Democrats have even attempted to enter the buildings, but were prevented. NOEM, HEGSETH, BONDI PLEAD WITH CONGRESS FOR MORE BORDER FUNDING AMID LARGE-SCALE DEPORTATIONS On the other hand, Republicans have cheered the initiative. For example, Ernst told Fox News Digital that DOGE’s actions so far have been “tremendous.” As for criticisms of how DOGE’s staffers are conducting their audit and what information they are gaining access to, the Iowa Republican maintained that it is completely legal in her opinion. “This is the executive branch and they are scrutinizing the executive branch. So, of course, it’s legal,” she said. LORI CHAVEZ-DEREMER: THE LITTLE-KNOWN TRUMP NOMINEE WHO MAY NEED TO RELY ON DEMS “There is nothing in the Constitution that says the president cannot scrutinize the expenditures, especially when those dollars are going to programs that members here in Congress did not anticipate,” she noted, referencing jaw-dropping programs being uncovered by DOGE, showing significant money going towards Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), among other initiatives. Fox News Digital reached out to Musk’s DOGE for comment.
‘I will not rest’: Border state gubernatorial hopeful launches campaign weeks after Trump backed her
FIRST ON FOX: Arizona Republican Karrin Taylor Robson launched her comeback gubernatorial bid on Wednesday, setting up a likely showdown between her and another pro-Trump Republican running to take on the incumbent Democrat governor next year. Robson, a small business owner and lawyer, launched her campaign with a new ad centered on President Donald Trump’s return to the White House and her desire to help take back her state from incumbent Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. Robson lost her primary bid in 2022 to Trump-backed Republican nominee Kari Lake, who would go on to narrowly lose the gubernatorial race to Hobbs. However, Robson garnered early support from Trump less than two months ago during his visit to Arizona as president-elect. TRUMP’S HOUSE ALLIES UNVIEL BILL ‘HAND IN HAND’ WITH DOGE CRACKDOWN “I thank President Trump for his strong endorsement and look forward to working with him to secure our border and make Arizona safe again,” Robson said in a statement first obtained by Fox News Digital. “Katie Hobbs has made it harder to live, work, and raise a family safely in this state. Like President Trump, I know how to create jobs. And like President Trump, I will not rest until our border is secure and Arizona families are safe,” she continued. “Katie Hobbs and Joe Biden’s insane agenda has made life more expensive and dangerous,” Robson stated. “I will fight every day alongside President Trump for stronger borders, a stronger economy, and a stronger Arizona. President Trump said Robson would have his support if she ran for governor while he was delivering remarks at Turning Point Action’s AmericaFest in December. “Are you running for governor? I think so, Karrin, ’cause if you do you’re gonna have my support, OK?” Trump said at the time. TRUMP BUDGET CHIEF VOUGHT TELLS GOP SENATORS $175B NEEDED ‘IMMEDIATELY’ FOR BORDER SECURITY Cook Political Report ranks the general election race as a “toss-up,” likely making it one of the most competitive races in the upcoming midterms. Border security and the economy are expected to be among the top issues in the state, as the Grand Canyon State is on the frontlines of the major policy changes of the new White House. Despite a bitter primary battle in 2022, Robson ultimately endorsed Lake and Trump in their general election campaigns in 2024. However, supporters of Rep. Andy Biggs hope that the president will shift gears and back his campaign instead, given his strong political agreements with him. The congressman, who helped lead the removal of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, has so far gained the endorsements of Reps. Lauren Boebert, Paul Gosar and Eli Crane. “Andy Biggs is the greatest thing since sliced bread,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said on X last week. “Arizonans, do yourselves a big favor and elect this man as your next governor!” Meanwhile, the “Building A Better Arizona PAC” launched last month backing Robson, who formerly served on the Arizona Board of Regents. Former Arizona Republican Party Chairman Robert Graham and former Arizona Senate President Karen Fann created the group. The primary is Aug. 4, 2026. It’s unclear if Hobbs will face a major challenger in the Democratic primary. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment, but they did not respond in time for publication.
Ukraine regaining pre-2014 borders is ‘unrealistic objective,’ Hegseth says in first NATO visit
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told allies at NATO headquarters Wednesday that “returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective,” as President Donald Trump is working to bring an end to the war. Hegseth, speaking to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Belgium, also said “stark strategic realities prevent the United States from being primarily focused on the security of Europe” because the U.S. is focusing on “securing our own borders” and “deterring war with China in the Pacific.” “President Trump has been clear with the American people — and with many of your leaders — that stopping the fighting and reaching an enduring peace is a top priority,” Hegseth said about Ukraine, noting that the war is approaching its third anniversary. “He intends to end this war by diplomacy and bringing both Russia and Ukraine to the table. And the U.S. Department of Defense will help achieve this goal,” Hegseth continued. “We want a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering.” JD VANCE, TREASURY SECRETARY SCOTT BESSENT TO MEET WITH ZELENSKYY AS TRUMP TEAM SETS SIGHTS ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR In early 2014, Russia first invaded Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula before annexing the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin then launched a larger military conflict with Ukraine in 2022, which remains ongoing. “A durable peace for Ukraine must include robust security guarantees to ensure that the war will not begin again,” Hegseth said Wednesday. “The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement. Instead, any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops.” “If these troops are deployed as peacekeepers to Ukraine at any point, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission and not covered under Article 5. There also must be robust international oversight of the line of contact,” he continued. “To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine.” ZELENSKYY CALLS TRUMP’S TERMS ACCEPTABLE FOR SECURITY PARTNERSHIP Trump, during an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier on “Special Report,” said “tremendous progress” has been made over the last week when it comes to a Ukraine-Russia peace deal. “They have tremendously valuable land in terms of rare earth, in terms of oil and gas, in terms of other things. I want to have our money secured because we’re spending hundreds of billions of dollars,” Trump said about Ukraine. “And, you know, they may make a deal. They may not make a deal. They may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday.” “I told them that I want the equivalent, like $500 billion worth of rare earth. And they’ve essentially agreed to do that. So at least we don’t feel stupid. Otherwise, we’re stupid,” Trump added. “I said to them, we have to, we have to get something. We can’t continue to pay this money, you know.” In an interview this week with The Guardian, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said “There are voices which say that Europe could offer security guarantees without the Americans, and I always say no” and that “Security guarantees without America are not real security guarantees.” Hegseth also said he is in Brussels today to “directly and unambiguously express that stark strategic realities prevent the United States from being primarily focused on the security of Europe.” “The United States faces consequential threats to our homeland. We must — and we are — focusing on securing our own borders,” he said. “We also face a peer competitor in China with the capability and intent to threaten our homeland and core national interests in the Indo-Pacific.” “The U.S. is prioritizing deterring war with China in the Pacific, recognizing the reality of scarcity, and making the resourcing tradeoffs to ensure deterrence does not fail,” Hegseth added. “As the United States shifts its attention to these threats, European allies must lead from the front.”
Nita Ambani to showcase India’s contribution to the world at Annual India Conference of Harvard University
The conference will be held at Harvard University, USA on 15-16 February and is expected to be attended by more than 1000 delegates.
Complex partial seizure ruled as cause of pausing episode during House floor speech, Dem congressman says
Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., said in a statement on Tuesday that a complex partial seizure was ruled as the cause of the episode where he paused during a House floor speech on Monday. While delivering his speech, the long-serving lawmaker abruptly stopped speaking for several seconds, before uttering a few words and then proceeding to stand silently for around 14 seconds. When he resumed speaking, his remarks were halting and punctuated with awkward pauses. FORMER GOP LEADER MCCONNELL FALLS WHILE EXITING SENATE CHAMBER AFTER TURNER CONFIRMATION VOTE After the incident occurred on Monday, Larson’s office indicated in a statement that “he had what was likely an adverse reaction to a new medication and is having tests administered by the House Attending Physician out of an abundance of caution.” The statement indicated that the lawmaker “later participated in multiple meetings in his office and was alert and engaged.” Then Larson’s statement on Tuesday indicated that a complex partial seizure was ruled as the cause of the incident. “Yesterday, at around noon, I experienced a medical incident on the House floor, when my speech momentarily paused. Following the incident, I saw the House Attending Physician, Dr. Monahan, who referred me for further evaluation. After a round of tests, it was determined that the cause of the brief pause in my speech was a complex partial seizure,” the congressman explained. DOCTORS USING AI-DRIVEN DEVICES TO HELP DETECT SEIZURE ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS The 76-year-old lawmaker has been a House member for more than a quarter-century — he took office in 1999. “Fifteen years ago, I had a heart valve replacement due to a variation in the shape of my aortic valve that I was born with. Sometimes, people with this condition can later develop symptoms such as the momentary change in speech or movement that was apparent yesterday,” Larson continued. “The doctors have prescribed medication that, according to them, will greatly reduce the chance of this happening again. I will be able to resume an active schedule, including my duties as a Member of Congress, beginning tomorrow, when I plan to be present and voting on the House floor,” he noted. STRANGE CONNECTICUT LAWS, SUCH AS RECEIVING A $99 FINE FOR SELLING SILLY STRING TO A MINOR “I am grateful to Dr. Monahan and the staff, and I extend my deepest appreciation to my family, friends, colleagues, constituents, and everyone who reached out with their well wishes and offers of support. I am looking forward to getting back to work for the people of Connecticut’s First District.”