Vance heads to southern border as Trump touts sharp drop in crossings: ‘They heard my words’
Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday is heading to the southern border, a day after President Donald Trump touted a sharp drop in border crossings amid a ramping up of border security and interior arrests of illegal immigrants. Vance is touring the border in Eagle Pass, Texas, and will be joined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Eagle Pass was one of the hot spots for border crossings at the height of the historic Biden-era border crisis. Trump had centered his 2024 campaign on a promise to crack down on illegal immigration, and he deployed a slew of measures early on. On Day One, he signed executive orders to declare a national emergency at the border and deploy the military. He also ordered the resumption of border wall construction and the end of Biden parole policies. TRUMP HONORS LIVES OF LAKEN RILEY, JOCELYN NUNGARAY WHILE CELEBRATING STRIDES ON SECURING BORDER The Pentagon quickly deployed troops and opened up Guantánamo Bay to flights of migrants. The Department of Homeland Security has taken limits off of interior enforcement and expanded the use of expedited removal, while the State Department secured additional cooperation with countries to return migrants. The administration has launched a massive interior enforcement operation, where daily arrests have regularly hit 1,000+ a day, although officials have indicated they want to see numbers go even higher. NOEM SAYS DHS WILL ‘NOT BE DETERRED’ AFTER ICE HIT BY NEW LEAKS AHEAD OF VIRGINIA RAID The administration has pointed to figures showing sharp increases in interior arrests compared to the Biden era and a sharp drop in encounters at the border. In February, there were just 8,326 southern border encounters, down from 189,913 in February 2024. The administration has so far removed more than 55,000 illegal immigrants from the U.S. Trump touted those numbers in a speech to Congress on Tuesday night. “Within hours of taking the oath of office, I declared a national emergency on our southern border and I deployed the U.S. military and Border Patrol to repel the invasion of our country. And what a job they’ve done. As a result, illegal border crossings last month were by far the lowest ever recorded, ever,” he said. “They heard my words, and they chose not to come.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE He also mocked the claim by Democrats and the Biden administration that legislation was needed to fix the crisis. “But it turned out that all we really needed was a new president,” he said. Meanwhile, a Border Patrol source told Fox News that there were just 271 total encounters for the entire southern border on Tuesday, and just 14 in the Del Rio Sector where Vance is visiting. Fox News’ Brooke Taylor and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
ISIS-K member confessed to scouting Abbey Gate attack route, training Moscow attackers: affidavit
The ISIS-K member described by President Donald Trump as the “top terrorist” suspect behind the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan confessed to scouting the attack route and training gunmen involved in a terrorist attack near Moscow last year, according to a Justice Department affidavit. Muhammed Sharifullah, who was charged with providing and conspiring to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, is expected to make his first federal court appearance in Virginia Wednesday. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted. The Justice Department released photos showing FBI Director Kash Patel, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard at an airport awaiting Sharifullah’s arrival this morning in the U.S. President Trump announced Sharifullah’s capture last night during his address before a joint Congress, saying he was “pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity” that left 13 U.S. service members dead in August 2021. TRUMP REVEALS TOP TERRORIST BEHIND ABBEY GATE ATTACK APPREHENDED During the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in the summer of 2021, American and coalition forces were conducting an evacuation operation at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport. Abbey Gate was the main entry point for the operation, and thousands of civilians were in the area on Aug. 26, 2021, according to the Justice Department. Around 5:36 p.m. that day, Abdul Rahman al-Logari – a member of the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), “detonated a body-worn suicide bomb at Abbey Gate, killing 13 U.S. military service members and approximately 160 civilians,” the Justice Department said. The U.S. withdrawal was completed a few days later and the Taliban later claimed control of Afghanistan. An affidavit released by the Justice Department said FBI Special Agents interviewed Sharifullah around the start of this week, during which he revealed that he was in prison in Afghanistan from 2019 until approximately two weeks before the Abbey Gate attack. “Upon Sharifullah’s release, an ISIS-K member contacted Sharifullah to arrange for his assistance in an upcoming attack,” the affidavit cited Sharifullah as saying in an interview. “ISIS-K members provided Sharifullah with a motorcycle, funds for a cell phone and a SIM card, and instructions to open an account on a particular social media platform to communicate with them during the attack operation. After making these preparations for the attack, Sharifullah was tasked with scouting a route near Hamid Karzai International Airport for an attacker,” the affidavit said. “Sharifullah conducted surveillance on a route, specifically checking for law enforcement and American or Taliban checkpoints. “Sharifullah communicated to other ISIS-K members that he believed the route was clear and that he did not think the attacker would be detected while proceeding through that route. ISIS-K members then instructed Sharifullah to leave the area of HKIA,” it continued. “Later that same day, Sharifullah learned of the attack at HKIA… and recognized the alleged bomber as an ISIS-K operative he had known while incarcerated.” TRUMP PUSHES TO RECOVER ‘BILLIONS OF DOLLARS’ OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT LEFT BEHIND IN AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL The affidavit also alleged that Sharifullah trained gunmen who were involved in a terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall concert venue in Moscow in March 2024, which left around 130 people dead. “In an interview with FBI Special Agents after waiving his Miranda rights on or about March 2, 2025, Sharifullah stated the following: Sharifullah received an order from a known ISIS-K senior leader to provide instructions on how to properly use AK-style rifles and other weapons to would-be attackers in Moscow,” it said. “Sharifullah shared video instructions with several individuals. Following the attack, Russian authorities arrested four gunmen in connection with the attack. Sharifullah recognized two of those individuals as the same people to whom he provided the firearms training video.” National security advisor Michael Waltz told “Fox & Friends” Wednesday that the Abbey Gate victims’ family members were “emotional” when Trump called them to inform them of Sharifullah’s capture. “The president said to these families at Arlington, ‘we are going to get this guy.’ We shared the intelligence with Pakistan, and he’s rolled up, and he will be tried in a U.S. court,” Waltz said. Bondi added Wednesday that “Under President Trump’s strong leadership on the world stage, this Department of Justice will ensure that terrorists like Mohammad Sharifullah have no safe haven, no second chances, and no worse enemy than the United States of America.” Patel also said his agency “will never forget the loss of these American heroes” at Abbey Gate and “will continue to hunt down those who viciously murdered our warriors… and bring them to justice.” Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Boatman who earned whopping Rs 30 crores during Mahakumbh Mela recalls experience: ‘Life was tough…’
Inspired by the earnings of boat operators during the 2019 Ardh Kumbh, a boatman’s family in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj took a bold entrepreneurial step during the recently concluded Mahakumbh Mela 2025, generating a staggering profit of Rs 30 crore.
Congressman and former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner dies
Turner, a Democrat, was sworn into his first term in the U.S. House in January.
China, reacting to Trump tariffs, promises to ‘fight till the end’ in trade war ‘or any other type of war’
China has vowed to “fight till the end” against President Donald Trump’s tariffs, warning that it is ready for any “type” of war with the U.S. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on Tuesday that pushed back against tariffs against the Chinese government that Trump bumped up from 10% to 20% earlier this week over Beijing’s failure to address the flow of fentanyl entering the U.S. “If war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end,” ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in the statement. China has already responded to the tariffs by imposing a 15% tariff on American agricultural goods. Jian’s statement, which was quoted by the Chinese Embassy in Washington, argued that the fentanyl issue is a “flimsy excuse” to raise tariffs on Chinese imports. Jian cautioned that “intimidation does not scare us” and “bullying” would not work. TRUMP’S LATEST TARIFFS: HERE IS WHAT WIL COST CONSUMERS MORE “Pressuring, coercion or threats are not the right way of dealing with China,” Jian said. “Anyone using maximum pressure on China is picking the wrong guy and miscalculating.” The tariffs against China went into effect on Tuesday. Trump increased the tariffs on Monday with an executive order that stated the Chinese government has failed “to blunt the sustained influx of synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, flowing from [their country],” and that such failure constitutes an “unusual and extraordinary threat.” Trump also said that the crisis jeopardizes the “national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.” LUTNICK SAYS TRUMP TARIFF WITH CANADA, MEXICO LIKELY ENDS WITH MEETING IN THE MIDDLE, POSSIBLE DEAL SOON Beijing, however, claimed that only the U.S. is responsible for the fentanyl crisis inside the U.S., though left the door open for “cooperation” in solving the fentanyl crisis. “If the U.S. truly wants to solve the fentanyl issue, then the right thing to do is to consult with China by treating each other as equals,” Jian said in the statement. The Chinese government has opposed the tariffs since they were announced. The Trump administration is already imposing 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods, which were announced last month and also went into effect on Tuesday. Trump addressed the tariffs during his address before a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, saying that while the objective is to make the nation “rich” and “great again,” there will “be a little disturbance” for American consumers. Fox News Digital’s Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.
SCOOP: Resolution punishing Al Green circulates House after Dem is thrown out of Trump speech
FIRST ON FOX: A resolution by Rep. Troy Nehls, R-TX, is being circulated among Republican lawmakers on Wednesday to punish the House Democrat who was thrown out of President Donald Trump’s speech for protesting. Nehls is leading the censure resolution against Rep. Al Green, R-TX, and is expected to make it public sometime today, a source with knowledge of the document told Fox News Digital. It accuses Green of having “willfully disrupted the joint session, remained defiant,” and “brought disrepute to the United States Congress,” according to a draft text viewed by Fox News Digital. The 77-year-old Democrat was removed from Trump’s joint address to Congress on Tuesday night after repeatedly disrupting the beginning of the president’s speech. ‘SHE’S REALLY THIS DUMB’: HOUSE DEM RIPPED AFTER CALLING TRUMP ‘ENEMY OF THE UNITED STATES’ He shouted, “You have no mandate,” at Trump as he touted Republican victories in the House, Senate and White House. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA, had Green removed by the U.S. Sergeant-At-Arms. Green remained defiant when he stopped to speak with the White House press pool on the first floor of the U.S. Capitol after being thrown out of the second floor House chamber, where Trump was speaking. “I’m willing to suffer whatever punishment is available to me. I didn’t say to anyone, don’t punish me. I’ve said I’ll accept the punishment,” Green said, according to the White House press pool report. “But it’s worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are going to stand up against this president’s desire to cut Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.” Republicans, meanwhile, responded to Green and other Democratic attempts to disrupt the speech with fury. The House Freedom Caucus announced on Wednesday morning that it would be filing its own censure resolution against Green. “What they’ve shown is ridiculous to the American people,” House GOP Policy Committee Chair Kevin Hern, R-OK, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday night. “I can’t see how any American would think that’s right.” Rep. Buddy Carter, R-GA, told Fox News Digital, “The Democrats’ behavior last night was disappointing. There must be consequences for Rep. Al Green’s outburst, which displayed a clear lack of decorum and respect for the Office of the Presidency.” STATE TROOPERS, NYPD DESCEND ON AOC’S ‘RED LIGHT’ NEIGHBORHOOD TO CLAMP DOWN ON RAMPANT PROSTITUTION, CRIME House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-LA, told Fox News Digital that leadership would be “looking at” whether to punish Green. Johnson signaled to reporters on Tuesday night that such a move would have his support. Fox News Digital reached out to Green’s office for a response but did not immediately hear back.
SCOTUS rules on nearly $2 billion in frozen USAID payments
ALT 1 – SIDING WITH USAID GROUPS : The Supreme Court on Wednesday denied the Trump administration’s request to block a lower court’s order for the administration to pay nearly $2 billion in foreign aid money, delivering a near-term reprieve to international aid groups and contractors seeking payment for previously completed projects. In a one-paragraph ruling, the Court noted that the Feb. 26 deadline imposed by the lower court had already expired, so that court must now present new instructions. “Given that the deadline in the challenged order has now passed, and in light of the ongoing preliminary injunction proceedings, the District Court should clarify what obligations the Government must fulfill to ensure compliance with the temporary restraining order, with due regard for the feasibility of any compliance timelines,” the Court said. Chief Justice John Roberts had agreed last Wednesday to pause a lower court’s decision requiring the Trump administration to pay by 11:59 p.m. all outstanding invoices to foreign aid groups, an amount totaling roughly $1.9 billion – a timeline the Justice Department had argued was “impossible” to comply with. Roberts did not give a reason for agreeing to pause the order issued by U.S. District Judge Amir Ali, a Biden appointee, though the chief justice had widely been expected to refer the matter to the full court for review. Importantly, the pause prevented foreign aid groups from filing a motion of civil contempt against the Trump administration— a legal maneuver that employees from the affected groups said in interviews this week could have expedited their process to claw back the unpaid debt. TRUMP TEMPORARILY THWARTED IN DOGE MISSION TO END USAID At issue is how quickly the Trump administration needs to pay the nearly $2 billion owed to aid groups and contractors for completed projects funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), at a time when the administration has issued a blanket freeze on all foreign spending in the name of government “efficiency” and eliminating waste. In a new court filing Monday, Acting U.S. Solicitor General Sarah Harris said that while the plaintiffs’ claims were likely “legitimate,” the time U.S. District Judge Amir Ali gave them to pay the outstanding invoices was “not logistically or technically feasible.” Harris also argued Monday that the order could be a violation of executive branch authorities granted by the Constitution to an elected president. Ordering the Trump administration to make payments on a timeline of the lower court’s choosing, and “without regard to whether the requests are legitimate, or even due yet,” Harris said, “intrudes on the president’s foreign affairs powers” and executive branch oversight when it comes to distributing foreign aid. HERE’S WHY DOZENS OF LAWSUITS SEEKING TO QUASH TRUMP’S EARLY ACTIONS AS PRESIDENT ARE FAILING Plaintiffs, for their part, rejected that notion in full. They argued in their own Supreme Court filing that the lower court judge had ordered the Trump administration to begin making the owed foreign aid payments more than two weeks ago – a deadline they said the government simply failed to meet, or to even take steps to meet – indicating that the administration had no plans to make good on fulfilling that request. The Trump administration “never took steps towards compliance” with Judge Ali’s order requiring the administration to unfreeze the federal funds to pay the $1.9 billion in owed project payments, attorneys for plaintiffs argued in their own Supreme Court filing. They also rejected the administration’s assertion in court last week that it would need “multiple weeks” to restart the payment system. Rather, they said, the Trump administration had moved too quickly to dismantle the systems required to send payments to foreign aid groups in the first place— and to purge the many USAID staffers who could have facilitated a smoother, faster repayment process. “All of these invoices have already been approved by the front-line managers at USAID, and it’s really these payment bottlenecks that the government has itself created” that have caused the problems with repayment, one individual with knowledge of the USAID payments and contractors affected told Fox News Digital in an interview. LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS The high court challenge comes as many of the foreign aid groups who sued the administration earlier this year have already been stripped of the bulk of their funding. This aligns with President Donald Trump’s stated plans to cut some 90% of USAID foreign aid contracts, and to slash an additional $60 billion in foreign aid spending. The White House has not yet released a list of which contracts and grants were scheduled for elimination or those to be continued. But critics have argued that the abrupt withdrawal of U.S. investment and presence around the world risks economic harm, reputational damage, and new security risks, both at home and abroad. Scott Greytak, a director at the group U.S. Transparency International, said in a statement that cutting such a large amount of U.S. foreign aid carries significant economic and security risks. The elimination of U.S. funding for certain projects, especially in countries with higher risks for corruption, could “open the door for increased cross-border corruption, fraud, and other crimes,” he said. This could create new obstacles for U.S. businesses seeking to open or expand into foreign markets, said Greytak, whose group has active chapters in more than 100 countries globally, and could serve “as an invitation for U.S. competitors, especially China, to fill the vacuum created by the absence of U.S. engagement.” This is a breaking news story. Check back soon for updates.
EXCLUSIVE: Elon Musk PAC thanks Trump for ‘saving the American Dream’ in new million-dollar ad
FIRST ON FOX: Elon Musk’s PAC is going live on the national airwaves for the first time with a $1 million spot thanking President Donald Trump for delivering on his campaign promises, such as deporting illegal immigrants and “draining the swamp” with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Musk himself was tapped to lead. This is the first-ever television ad buy from Musk’s PAC. “After four long years of humiliation, of failure at home and embarrassment abroad, our long national nightmare is finally over,” the ad from America PAC says while displaying past viral footage of former President Joe Biden, such as him tripping on the stairs of Air Force One. “Strength is back. Common sense is back. AMERICA IS BACK,” it continues. GOP REBELS FIRE WARNING SHOT IN SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: NO DOGE, NO DEAL Trump led his joint address to Congress on Tuesday night, echoing this. “Members of the United States Congress, thank you very much. And to my fellow citizens, America is back,” the president said, and was immediately met with a chorus of Republican cheers. “Thank you, President Trump, for saving the American Dream,” the ad from America PAC concludes. SENATE BID TO PREVENT BOYS FROM PLAYING GIRLS’ SPORTS GETS STUCK ON FILIBUSTER The 60-second ad is airing in Washington, D.C., and throughout the country during the week after Trump’s address. It is backed by a $1 million television ad purchase. The spot goes through various areas of accomplishments for the new president in his first several weeks, during which Trump’s team has debuted countless executive orders and hit the ground running on key policy items. The group was founded by Musk last year in order to back candidates who support conservative agenda items, like lower spending, secure borders and free speech. FLASHBACK: DEM SENATOR EMBROILED IN CONFLICT OF INTEREST ROW TARGETED SCOTUS IN ETHICS CRUSADE Musk is notably the owner of X, as well as the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. More recently, he became a special government employee as he continues to guide DOGE through aggressive auditing of federal entities. He was recognized by Trump during the Tuesday joint address for his assistance in taking on the federal bureaucracy and spending. “I have created the brand new Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, perhaps you’ve heard of it — perhaps — which is headed by Elon Musk, who is in the gallery tonight. Thank you, Elon. You’re working very hard.” The billionaire Trump ally and DOGE head has quickly earned the ire of Democrats for his unapologetic and aggressive approach to slashing spending and transforming the executive branch and its agencies. In fact, Musk’s image was featured in demonstrations against Trump during his address on Tuesday, with Democratic lawmakers holding signs that read “Musk steals.” SEE THE STAR-STUDDED LIST OF TRUMP ALLIES DESCENDING ON DC TO CHART FURTHER 100-DAY WINS He was even mentioned in the Democrats’ rebuttal to Trump’s address, delivered by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-MI. “Is there anyone in America who is comfortable with him and his gang of 20-year-olds using their own computer servers to poke through your tax returns, your health information, and your bank accounts? No oversight, no protections against cyberattack, no guardrails on what they do with your private data,” she said. “We need a more efficient government. You want to cut waste? I’ll help you do it. But change doesn’t need to be chaotic or make us less safe.”
Red state sheriff credits Trump’s border policies for already helping his small county: ‘Big impact’
South Dakota Sheriff Pat West told Fox News Digital he is already feeling the impact of Trump’s crackdown on border security ahead of President Donald Trump‘s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night. West, the Meade County sheriff and a guest of Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D. for Trump’s speech, said the supply of drugs crossing the southern border is no longer meeting the high demand for drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl in South Dakota, which he said proves “the impact that’s already taking place with that secure border.” “We are seeing a big impact on the border. Methamphetamine and fentanyl [are] our biggest problems that we’ve had in the past, and it’s been running rampant. The shutdown of the border recently has already made an impact on us up north in South Dakota,” West said. Johnson touted Trump’s progress in his first six weeks in office to secure the border. THEME OF TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS REVEALED ‘SHE’S REALLY THIS DUMB’: HOUSE DEM RIPPED AFTER CALLING TRUMP ‘ENEMY OF THE UNITED STATES’ “I know that people think that the federal government never gets its work done, but we have seen illegal border crossings down 95% just in the last 40 days of the Trump administration. That has been the White House and Congress working together. Great law enforcement officers like Sheriff West are seeing those impact in South Dakota communities,” Johnson said. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks told CBS News last month that illegal crossings at the southern border are down 94% from the same period last year. Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, echoed that statistic in a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), saying known “gotaways” are down 95% at the southern border. “Overall our drug problem is connected to a lot of our other crimes that we have in the community. By controlling the border, it eliminates the amount of unnecessary methamphetamine and fentanyl that is coming across the border and then ultimately getting to South Dakota,” West added. West said he hopes Trump continues to fund border security “because that’s extremely important for our home front.” “The other thing is to continue to support law enforcement and military. I’ve got two boys in the United States Marine Corps, so that gets pretty close to me. But he’s putting the right people in the right positions to support the military and keep us secure.” West solved a sex trafficking case in South Dakota last year when he found a missing 13-year-old girl who had been abducted by a 33-year-old male sex offender. He also arrested a man who was in possession of approximately 2 grams of methamphetamine and 20 grams of fentanyl, which is about 200 pills. “Illicit drugs, especially fentanyl and methamphetamine, continue to be a scourge on our communities. The devastation these drugs cause can’t be measured. We will continue to do all we can to get this poison off the streets in Meade County and hold those who bring this poison here accountable,” West said in a statement following the arrest.
After Trump speech, AOC tells Democrats to organize in GOP districts against Medicaid cuts
Socialist firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is calling on Democrats to organize in GOP-heavy districts to push back against the Trump agenda and what she claims will be drastic cuts to Medicaid. Ocasio-Cortez took to Instagram Live late Tuesday night to rebut President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress and told her followers that Trump spewed a lot of misinformation but, ultimately, he and Republicans are coming for Medicare to buttress the pockets of billionaires like Elon Musk, who she labeled as an “a—hole.” She said that Trump craftily didn’t mention cuts to Medicare in his speech because that is his goal, and Democrats should host town halls and various other events in GOP districts to resist such cuts and expose local lawmakers. STATE TROOPERS, NYPD DESCEND ON AOC’S ‘RED LIGHT’ NEIGHBORHOOD TO CLAMP DOWN ON RAMPANT PROSTITUTION, CRIME “These Republicans, I’m telling you all, they are getting scared,” Ocasio-Cortez said to her 8.7 million followers on the platform in the 54-minute video. “Trump not mentioning Medicaid at the State of the Union is the game. He doesn’t talk about it. [It’s] what he fears and he knows it’s dynamite. The House Republicans know that it’s dynamite for them and that’s why they’re talking about not hosting town halls.” “We need to be creatively organizing in Republican districts. And I don’t want to hear, okay, Republicans don’t listen. They are afraid of this. I’m telling you.” Ocasio-Cortez called on Democrats to host town halls in Rep. Nicole Malliotakis’ districts of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York, Rep. Mike Lawler’s district of Westchester County in New York and Rep. Jeff Van Drew’s district in New Jersey. AOC’S ‘RED LIGHT DISTRICT’ PLAGUED BY CRIME AS DEMOCRAT WHO HELPED HER RISE TO POWER SAYS SHE ‘DISAPPEARED’ “If you’re near a Republican, if you are in a Republican district and your Republican is not hosting a town hall, it’s time to do community town halls,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “It’s time to do community teachings. It’s time to do community town halls. It is time to start advertising their absence.” Medicaid has quickly emerged as a political lightning rod as House Republicans negotiate on a massive bill to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda. Trump has said he is committed to protecting Medicare and Medicaid. The White House has emphasized reforms aimed at reducing waste within these programs. Some Republican lawmakers are worried about the level of spending cuts being sought by fiscal hawks to offset the cost of Trump’s policies, arguing the current deal could force potentially unworkable cuts on Medicaid and other federal safety net programs. WATCH: Trump talks creation of DOGE, praises Elon Musk in speech to Congress Ocasio-Cortez emphasized that Democrats should take advantage of these doubts and hammer home the pitfalls of potential cuts to Medicaid. “If Democrats can step on a rake, Republicans can step on a rake. And I am telling you, they are stepping on one of the biggest rakes in modern American history,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “They are messing with social security y’all. I need you to understand how much of a political no-go that has been for both parties for a very long time, for a reason. Because your stuff will collapse.” Ocasio-Cortez said that for those who say the U.S. doesn’t have enough money to pay for social safety nets, they should look at Musk and other billionaires making bank by getting government contracts. “We let a–holes like Elon Musk cut Medicaid and cut social security in order for him to pay for his own tax cuts and his own billion dollars in private federal contracts.” “This guy takes billions and billions of your tax dollars, of your public funds. And it’s not just Elon. All these guys, a lot of a lot of these tech guys that were standing behind Trump at the inauguration.” She likened them to defense contractors like Boeing and Lockheed Martin and said she believes that healthcare is a human right. “They are robbing us of the tiny slivers of what we have left in our collective public social safety net in order to get $1 billion defense contracts… They fund propaganda for it and they buy platforms like Twitter and, yeah, Meta, and all these other things.” She said the stakes are high, and it will take people going out and speaking to Republicans and convincing them of the Democrat message. “We cannot give up on winning the hearts and minds of our fellow Americans.” Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.