Fraud-plagued Minnesota sues Trump admin for withholding $243M in Medicaid payments
Minnesota filed a federal lawsuit Monday against the Trump administration, accusing federal health officials of illegally withholding $243 million in Medicaid payments from the state. Attorney General Keith Ellison and the Minnesota Department of Human Services sued the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), arguing the funding freeze violates federal law. The state is seeking a temporary restraining order to immediately block the action. The dispute stems from a January notice in which the Trump administration said it would withhold more than $2 billion annually from Minnesota’s Medicaid program over what it described as “noncompliance” with federal regulations, specifically, alleged failures to “adequately identify, prevent, and address fraud in its Medicaid program.” USDA IMMEDIATELY SUSPENDS ALL FEDERAL FUNDING TO MINNESOTA AMID FRAUD INVESTIGATION State officials say they have not been told specifically how Minnesota is out of compliance or what changes the administration wants to see. The lawsuit follows a Feb. 25 announcement from CMS that it was deferring roughly $260 million in quarterly federal Medicaid funding to Minnesota, including about $243 million tied to “unsupported or potentially fraudulent” claims. CMS said the deferral is part of a broader fraud crackdown and cited unusually high spending and rapid growth in personal care services, home- and community-based services, and other practitioner services. HEAVILY-REDACTED AUDIT FINDS MINNESOTA MEDICAID HAD WIDESPREAD VULNERABILITIES “For decades, Medicare fraud has drained billions from American taxpayers — that ends now,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement. “We are replacing the old ‘pay and chase’ model with a real-time ‘detect and deploy’ strategy, using advanced AI tools to identify fraud instantly and stop improper payments before they go out the door.” Minnesota officials contend the move improperly uses a funding “deferral” mechanism and amounts to denying the state due process before any formal finding of noncompliance. WALZ SLAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR TEMPORARILY HALTING MEDICAID FUNDING TO MINNESOTA: ‘CAMPAIGN OF RETRIBUTION’ The threatened cuts represent about 7% of Minnesota’s quarterly Medicaid funding and could force reductions in healthcare services for low-income residents, according to Ellison’s office. “Trump’s M.O. is to cut first, no matter what the law says or who gets hurt, and ask questions later, if at all,” the attorney general said. “These cuts are the latest in a long series of efforts to go around the law to punish Minnesotans — but just as we fought back and won when they illegally tried to cut funding for childcare, hungry families and our schools, we are suing them again today to make them follow the law.”
Crenshaw says political enemies came out ‘with their knives’ as Texas GOP primary looms
Rep. Dan Crenshaw is heading into Tuesday’s Texas GOP primary warning that some of the biggest names in conservative politics are trying to take him down. “You know, my enemies have all come out with their knives — Tucker Carlson or Ted Cruz — for no good reason,” Crenshaw told Fox News Digital. Despite lacking endorsements from key political figures in the Lone Star State, Crenshaw said he likes his odds against Republican challenger Steve Toth, a state representative. “I’m literally at a polling location at the moment, and in areas where my opponent should be more popular because he represents this area as a state rep,” Crenshaw said. TED CRUZ ENDORSES TEXAS STATE REP. STEVE TOTH IN GOP PRIMARY CHALLENGE TO DAN CRENSHAW “You know, this is a guy who got zero bills passed in the last legislative session. I got more bills passed in Congress. That’s where it’s a lot harder. So, you know, he’s one of these guys who just always votes no, has never accomplished anything at all.” Toth did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Crenshaw said he hopes to avoid a runoff election but did not rule out the possibility when asked whether he could clinch the primary Tuesday. “Anything’s possible,” he said. Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL who has not shied away from verbal confrontations with other Republicans, is pursuing his fifth term in Congress but must first defeat Toth. The sharp-tongued congressman has clashed with Cruz, Fox News personality Jesse Watters, Tucker Carlson and Alex Rosen, a YouTube political activist, over policy disagreements. Notably, Toth has received an endorsement from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who until last Thursday had not made a pick in the race. “I am proud to endorse [Toth] for Congress in Texas’s 2nd Congressional District. Steve faithfully served the people of Texas in the Texas House of Representatives, championing our Texas values of liberty, limited government and constitutional governance,” Cruz said in a post on X. CRENSHAW PRAISES MEXICAN OFFICIALS AFTER ‘EL MENCHO’S DEATH, CALLS CARTEL ‘TERRORIST INSURGENCY’ Cruz’s endorsement of Toth comes after he and Crenshaw split over Cruz’s ROTOR Act, an aviation safety bill. Crenshaw voted against the bill Thursday. Aside from disagreements over legislation, Crenshaw believes Cruz has more financially-based reasons for his endorsement. He noted that Robert Marling, CEO of Woodforest National Bank, financially supported Toth after Crenshaw urged investigators to examine Marling’s $20 million investment in 2023. In particular, Crenshaw, alongside other lawmakers, said Marling’s real estate loans appeared to be “attracting and enabling illegal alien settlement in the state of Texas” by offering easy-access credit with little indemnity verification, according to a letter he penned to Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office. Crenshaw signed the letter alongside 25 other Republicans. “Now, where does Cruz come into play? Well, that same banker is a mega donor for Cruz to the tune of millions of dollars,” Crenshaw said. Most recently, FEC records indicate Marling made a personal $14,000 donation to WinRed, a Republican fundraising organization, with the funds earmarked for Toth. Other FEC records indicate Marling has spent millions supporting other Republican candidates. In 2025, he has backed candidates such as Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wisc. TEXAS SENATE PRIMARIES EXPLODE AS CORNYN WARNS PAXTON COULD COST GOP MAJORITY, DEMOCRATS CLASH OVER RACE Despite Cruz’s opposition, Crenshaw noted that this would not be the first time he has had to run without Cruz’s blessing. “Cruz endorsed against me in my very first race. We saw the results of that,” Crenshaw said. “So now we’re feeling good about it. But it’s a race, and we’re gonna run through the finish line.” Polls in Texas opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m.
New satellite images show fires, naval base damage across Iran after US-Israeli strikes
New satellite images offer a stark look at the devastation inside Iran after U.S.-Israeli strikes, while also revealing the damage left behind by Tehran’s retaliatory attacks across the region. According to U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations across the Middle East, U.S. forces struck more than 1,250 targets during the first two days of Operation Epic Fury. Planet Labs satellite imagery captured burning ships and damaged facilities at the Konarak base in southern Iran, as well as significant destruction at Iran’s naval headquarters in Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf, reflecting the scale of the strikes on military infrastructure. FIRES RAGE AT IRAN’S BANDAR ABBAS NAVAL HEADQUARTERS, STRAIT OF HORMUZ TRAFFIC STALLED Imagery from Vantor shows the Choqa Balk drone facility in western Iran was hit, along with damage to other key military and strategic sites targeted in the U.S.–Israeli strike campaign. Radar systems at the Zahedan air base in eastern Iran — near the country’s borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan — were also struck. The two facilities are about 800 to 900 miles apart, underscoring the broad reach of the coordinated strikes. Additionally, satellite imagery from Planet Labs shows thick smoke plumes rising above Tehran, signaling explosions and fires inside the Iranian capital. The smoke underscores how the conflict has moved beyond isolated military sites and into the heart of Iran’s political center. TRUMP PLEDGES TO ‘AVENGE’ FALLEN US SERVICE MEMBERS AS TENSIONS WITH IRAN INTENSIFY Iran responded with missile and drone strikes of its own, expanding the conflict across the region. Satellite images reveal damage to the port city of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. The city of Sharjah is the third most populous after Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The Jebel Ali Port, the region’s largest maritime hub, was also targeted, underscoring how the retaliation extended beyond military sites to key infrastructure. The U.S. has warned that further retaliation could follow, as both sides signal they are prepared for additional rounds of strikes. Pentagon officials said U.S. forces in the region remain on high alert and have publicly cautioned that any new attacks on U.S. citizens would prompt a forceful response. With damage now visible from western Iran to the Persian Gulf, the coming days could determine whether the confrontation stabilizes — or spirals into a wider regional war.
Trump criticizes Biden for transferring weapons to Ukraine but insists US is ‘stocked’ to win
President Donald Trump on Monday accused former President Joe Biden of failing to replenish U.S. weapons stockpiles, though insisted that the U.S. is still “stocked” to win as Operation Epic Fury continues to devastate Iran. U.S. munitions at the medium and upper medium grades have “never been higher or better,” Trump said on Monday in a post on his Truth Social platform. He added that “we have a virtually unlimited supply of these weapons.” “Wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully, using just these supplies (which are better than other countries (sic) finest arms!),” the president’s post read. But Trump noted that while the U.S. has a “good” supply of the highest munitions grade, it is “not where we want to be.” TRUMP SAYS US MISSION IN IRAN IS ‘AHEAD OF SCHEDULE,’ VOWS TO ‘EASILY PREVAIL’ OVER REGIME “Much additional high grade weaponry is stored for us in outlying countries,” the post read. “Sleepy Joe Biden spent all of his time, and our Country’s money, GIVING everything to P.T. Barnum (Zelenskyy!) of Ukraine – Hundreds of Billions of Dollars worth – And, while he gave so much of the super high end away (FREE!), he didn’t bother to replace it.” The U.S. delivered billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, with Biden approving an additional $500 million of military aid in a security package rushed out the door just days before Trump’s second term began. “Fortunately, I rebuilt the military in my first term, and continue to do so,” Trump added. “The United States is stocked, and ready to WIN, BIG!!!” “Their air defense, Air Force, Navy, and Leadership is gone,” he wrote later. “They want to talk. I said ‘Too Late!’” HEGSETH LAYS OUT ‘CLEAR’ 3-PART MISSION AGAINST IRAN, SAYS WAR ‘IS NOT ENDLESS’ The U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury on Saturday morning, a joint military campaign that officials say targeted Iranian leadership and key military installations. Earlier Monday, Trump declared that the operation in Iran is “ahead of schedule,” stating that many of the regime’s military leaders were eliminated in about an hour. “We have the strongest and most powerful, by far, military in the world, and we will easily prevail,” the president said. “We’re already substantially ahead of our time projections, but whatever the time is, it’s okay. Whatever it takes.” Trump said that the operation is projected to last four to five weeks, noting that “we have capability to go far longer than that.” “We also projected four weeks to terminate the military leadership,” Trump added. “And as you know, that was done in about an hour. So we’re ahead of schedule there by a lot.”
Americans in more than a dozen Middle East nations urged to flee
The State Department on Monday urged Americans to depart immediately from more than a dozen countries across the Middle East, warning of “serious safety risks” as the Iran war intensifies. Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said U.S. citizens should leave from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The department said Americans who need help arranging departure via commercial means can contact the State Department 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444 from abroad or +1-888-407-4747 from the U.S. and Canada. The travel push was amplified by the State Department’s official travel account, which urged Americans abroad to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at step.state.gov to receive the latest security updates from their nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. IRAN’S SECURITY CHIEF ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘ISRAEL FIRST’ POLICY, ‘DELUSIONAL FANTASIES’ IN REGION Officials have warned that conditions in the region remain volatile and that security situations can change quickly as fighting tied to the Iran conflict continues. The warnings come days after the United States launched Operation Epic Fury, striking command-and-control centers, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites. In a Feb. 28 Worldwide Caution security alert, the State Department said Americans worldwide, and especially those in the Middle East, should exercise increased caution, monitor local security alerts and expect potential travel disruptions, including periodic airspace closures. DHS REMAINS UNFUNDED AS IRAN SLEEPER CELL FEARS SPIKE NATIONWIDE AMID SECURITY WARNINGS The evacuation push follows a cascade of security alerts issued by U.S. embassies across the region since Saturday, many ordering or recommending Americans to shelter in place. At least nine U.S. missions, including Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar and Israel, have issued repeated shelter-in-place directives or advisories over the past several days. NETANYAHU INSISTS US AND ISRAEL’S STRIKES ON IRAN WON’T LEAD TO ‘ENDLESS WAR’ In multiple cases, embassy personnel and their families were ordered to remain at home, with Americans urged to stay in secure structures away from windows and be prepared for incoming missiles or drones. In Saudi Arabia, the embassy in Riyadh closed Tuesday after two Iranian drones struck the building, prompting expanded shelter-in-place orders for Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran. No injuries were reported.
Texas Democratic Senate candidates sidestep Islamic terrorism concerns following deadly Austin attack
Neither of the two frontrunners in the Texas Democratic Senate primary addressed concerns about Islamic terrorism in the wake of a deadly shooting on Sunday morning in Austin that left three dead and more than a dozen others wounded. Instead, just a day ahead of a competitive Senate primary, James Talarico and Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, focused on the effectiveness of prayer and delivered a warning against stereotyping immigrants. “I believe in the power of prayer. I believe prayer changes lives. But there is something profoundly cynical in asking God to solve a problem we’re not willing to solve ourselves,” Talarico said in an interview with MS Now. “We prayed, and God sent lawmakers with commonsense gun safety proposals like universal background checks, red flag laws,” he added. DAVID MARCUS: IN DALLAS, VOTERS WEIGH TWO SENATE PRIMARIES AND NOW, A WAR Crockett, for her part, warned viewers on TikTok against extrapolating conclusions about the violence to minorities and immigrants. “Listen, every time there’s some crazy situation like this, black folks sit around and say, ‘Oh, I hope they’re not black,’ because we know that’s going to be an additional target on our backs. We know that the immigrant community was probably holding their breath and saying, ‘Oh, I hope it wasn’t an immigrant.’” But Crockett and Talarico did not address any mention of Islamic terrorism or whether it might pose an additional risk to Americans in light of recent U.S. military action against the Islamic Republic of Iran. SHARIA LAW VICTIM WHO FLED SOMALIA ISSUES ENDORSEMENT IN CRITICAL SENATE RACE Their silence on the topic drew condemnation from at least one GOP observer. “Absolutely disgusting stuff. James Talarico and Jasmine Crockett are blaming hardworking Texans who go to church and lawfully own guns, instead of the radical Islamic terrorist who committed this heinous act,” Zach Kraft, an RNC spokesman, said. Ndiaga Diagne, 53, opened fire at a bar scene in Austin while wearing a hoodie with the words “property of Allah” emblazoned on the front. While his specific motives remain unclear, police searching his home with a warrant later discovered an Iranian flag and photos of Islamic leaders. AUSTIN SHOOTING SUSPECT WORE IRANIAN FLAG SHIRT DURING ATTACK, SOURCES SAY Diagne was shot dead by local police. The shooting comes on the heels of strikes carried out by the U.S. and Israel on Saturday that targeted Iran’s military leadership and killed its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In a press event on Monday, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said local police had invited federal authorities to the scene to investigate the attack as a possible act of terrorism. JASMINE CROCKETT UNDER FIRE AFTER REPORTEDLY HAVING ARMED GUARDS REMOVE ‘WHITE GIRL’ REPORTER FROM RALLY “We’re looking at the totality of this. We see these indicators, we’re thinking about events and what’s occurring in the country as well. The motives – all of those things, that’s what the investigation is about right now,” Davis said. Asked how lawmakers could prevent attacks in the future, Crockett said she believes a majority of shooters in the U.S. are White. “If I was to give you the facts as to who the shooters have been in these mass shootings, I can guarantee you — the vast majority of them have been White, male and homegrown. But we don’t see them taking any action on that,” Crockett said. BOEBERT JOKES ABOUT ENDORSING CROCKETT IN TEXAS’ SENATE RACE TO GIVE HER DEMOCRATIC RIVAL A BOOST Crockett did not explain how she would use that insight as a senator to prevent shootings in the future. “We need to actually do something about guns. Don’t sit there and say that it’s the immigrants. Maybe it’s your lax laws when it comes to guns,” she added. Talarico said the U.S. should prevent “dangerous people from entering the country.” “Dangerous people should not be allowed to get guns,” Talarico added, doubling down on his red-flag proposals, policies that aim to screen would-be gun buyers against stiffer background checks. Neither Talarico’s nor Crockett’s campaign replied to a request for comment.
US Embassy struck by drones in Saudi Arabia as Americans instructed to shelter in place
The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh was hit by two drones from Iran on Monday as Americans in Saudi Arabia were instructed to shelter in place. The embassy was empty at the time of the hits and no injuries were reported as a result of the attack. On Tuesday, the embassy issued a security alert saying that the shelter in place order for Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran remained in effect, and it added that U.S. citizens throughout Saudi Arabia were advised to remain indoors. It also advised U.S. citizens to “avoid the embassy until further notice” due to the attack. “We advise all U.S. citizens to maintain a personal safety plan. Crises can happen unexpectedly while traveling or living abroad, and a good plan helps you think through potential scenarios and determine in advance the best course of action,” the embassy’s Tuesday alert read. US CASUALTIES RISE TO 6 FOLLOWING IRANIAN RETALIATION FOR MASSIVE STRIKES In the security alert, the embassy urged U.S. citizens to shelter in place, monitor its website for updates, enroll in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), ensure their passports are valid for potential short-notice travel, remain aware of their surroundings, avoid demonstrations and large gatherings, follow local authorities’ instructions and monitor official information sources for the latest updates. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a video posted on X, urged Americans in the Middle East to register with STEP, saying that it would allow them to see the latest safety and security guidance amid the “cowardly attacks” from Iran. NETANYAHU INSISTS US AND ISRAEL’S STRIKES ON IRAN WON’T LEAD TO ‘ENDLESS WAR’ Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry released a statement condemning the attack, saying “the repetition of this cowardly and unjustified attack blatantly violates all international norms and laws, including the 1949 Geneva Convention and the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.” “The Kingdom emphasizes that the repetition of this flagrant Iranian behavior, which comes despite the Iranian authorities’ knowledge that the Kingdom has affirmed it will not allow its airspace or territory to be used to target Iran, will push the region toward further escalation,” the foreign ministry’s statement read. Iran has launched attacks in the region against Israel and several countries that have U.S. interests in retaliation for the U.S. and Israel’s joint military offensive known as Operation Epic Fury. Saudi Arabia condemned the retaliation on Feb. 28. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its rejection and condemnation in the strongest terms of the blatant and cowardly Iranian attacks that targeted the Riyadh Region and the Eastern Province, which were successfully intercepted,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry’s Feb. 28 statement read. “These attacks cannot be justified under any pretext or in any way whatsoever, and they came despite the Iranian authorities’ knowledge that the Kingdom had affirmed it would not allow its airspace or territory to be used to target Iran.” Amid the retaliatory strikes, the State Department has ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and their families from Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
Supreme Court sides with New York Republican in congressional redistricting fight
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Republican representative from New York challenging a congressional redistricting effort in a decision she said “helps restore the public’s confidence in our judicial system.” Over the dissent of the court’s three liberal justices, the conservative majority halted a state court ruling that had ordered New York’s redistricting commission to redraw the district held by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., that covers Staten Island and a small piece of Brooklyn. A judge had ruled that the district was drawn in a way that dilutes the power of its Black and Hispanic voters and had instructed the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission to complete a new map. “Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to keep New York’s 11th Congressional District intact helps restore the public’s confidence in our judicial system and proves the challenge to our district lines was always meritless. The plaintiffs in this case attempted to manipulate our state’s courts to use race as a weapon to rig our elections,” Malliotakis said in a statement. “That was wrong and, as demonstrated by today’s ruling, clearly unconstitutional.” “Unfortunately, the politicization of New York’s courts and its judges necessitated action from the nation’s highest court. I thank the Justices who stopped the voters on Staten Island and in Southern Brooklyn from being stripped of their ability to elect a representative who reflects their values,” she added. “Whether I serve another term in Congress is a decision for the voters, not Democrat party bosses and their high-priced lawyers.” THIS CRUCIAL STATE IS THE LATEST BATTLEGROUND IN REDISTRICTING WAR BETWEEN TRUMP AND DEMOCRATS In October 2025, New York voters sued state election officials in the Supreme Court of New York, the state’s trial court, to challenge the district’s lines. Malliotakis intervened to defend the current map. A law firm affiliated with Democrats had argued that the Staten Island district should be reshaped by cutting out the small section in Brooklyn and replacing it with a chunk of Lower Manhattan. The swap would have taken some Republican-leaning neighborhoods out of the district and replaced them with areas where President Donald Trump lost to former Vice President Kamala Harris by more than 50 points in 2024. FEDERAL COURT REFUSES TO BLOCK NEW UTAH CONGRESSIONAL VOTING MAP THAT MAY FAVOR DEMOCRATS While a state judge declined to impose the map they requested, he ruled a change was needed to give more voting power to the growing population of Black and Hispanic residents on Staten Island. The judge left the decision on how to redraw the state’s congressional maps to New York’s bipartisan redistricting commission, which had yet to produce any proposals. The Supreme Court did not explain the rationale for its decision Monday, but Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the judge’s ruling under New York’s constitution amounted to “unadorned racial discrimination” in violation of the U.S. Constitution, according to The Associated Press. Fox News’ Bill Mears, Shannon Bream, Maria Paronich and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Pelosi’s war powers flip-flop exposed in resurfaced Obama-era clip contradicts Trump criticism on Iran
A clip of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has resurfaced online where she flatly defended the then-Obama administration’s decision to strike Libya — without the congressional authorization she believes President Donald Trump should have secured before conducting his own strikes over the weekend. “You’re saying that the president did not need authorization initially and still does not need any authorization from Congress on Libya?” a reporter asked Pelosi at a press event back in 2011. “Yes,” Pelosi answered plainly. The unambiguous answer contrasts sharply with Pelosi’s view of Trump’s strikes against Iran on Saturday. MASSIE-LED PUSH TO HANDCUFF TRUMP ON IRAN GETS JEFFRIES’ BACKING In a joint effort targeting Iranian military leadership, the U.S. and Israel killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday, citing an imperative to halt Iran’s pursuit of developing a nuclear weapon. Pelosi swiftly condemned the operation. “President Trump’s decision to initiate military hostilities into Iran starts another unnecessary war which endangers our servicemembers and destabilizes an already fragile region,” Pelosi said in a post to X. “The Constitution is clear: decisions that lead our nation into war must be authorized by Congress.” Pelosi, alongside other Democrats, is pursuing a war powers resolution that would limit Trump from taking further military action against Iran without express congressional approval. Trump’s strikes bear similarity to President Barack Obama’s decision to strike Libya in 2011 under Operation Odyssey Dawn. In that operation, Obama ordered a series of strikes against Libya in March 2011, looking to deter Muammar Gaddafi from attacking civilian protesters. FETTERMAN PRAISES TRUMP’S IRAN OPERATION AS ‘HISTORIC’ MOMENT FOR AMERICA AMID PARTY DIVISIONS Gaddafi, known as the “Mad Dog of the Middle East,” was the ruler of Libya from 1969 to 2011. He had a long and complicated relationship with the U.S. — at times aligning with national objectives and, at others, governing in a manner the U.S. couldn’t ignore. The final straw came in the Libyan revolt of 2011, when demonstrations broke out in Benghazi and other cities. Like recent uprisings in Iran, Gaddafi met the threat to his rule with crushing force, marching his forces toward several Libyan cities that had resisted his power. In what he described as attempts to uphold international law, Obama said the U.S., in partnership with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), had taken the strikes to protect Libya’s civilians to protect Libya’s civilians. GOP REP MASSIE JOINS DEMOCRATS IN OPPOSITION TO US IRAN STRIKES “We struck regime forces approaching Benghazi to save that city and the people within it,” Obama said in remarks after the attacks. The strikes did not kill Gaddafi. Gaddafi was killed later that year at the hands of revolutionaries in October. While Obama said he had consulted a bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers, he did not pursue a declaration of war before carrying out his strikes. “So, for those who doubted our capacity to carry out this operation, I want to be clear: The United States of America has done what we said we would do,” Obama said. Pelosi’s office did not respond to a request for comment on whether she saw any key differences between the attacks carried out by Obama and those now ordered by Trump.
‘The right thing’: Paxton, Cornyn trade blows in Texas primary but unite for Trump’s Iran strikes
WACO, TEXAS — Two of this primary season’s fiercest rivals have one thing in common: unflinching support for President Donald Trump’s decision to strike Iran. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, are both leaning into their relationship with Trump and their record of support over the years as they vie for the Republican nomination in Texas’ contentious Senate primary. While it’s a crowded primary, including Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, all eyes are on Paxton and Cornyn. And as they push for Trump’s coveted endorsement in the final stretch of their intense campaign, their support of the president has remained unwavering. BIPARTISAN REVOLT TARGETS TRUMP’S WAR POWERS AFTER MASSIVE IRAN STRIKES Paxton told Fox News Digital outside his final campaign event ahead of the March 3 primary that he believed Trump “did the right thing” with Operation Epic Fury. When asked what voters were saying, he said, “No one wants foreign wars.” “But the reality is, when you’ve got a country that’s trying to build nuclear weapons, that is willing to use them, and that has demonstrated terrorist activity for decades, 40 or 50 years, you’ve got to deal with that, or eventually it comes to you,” Paxton said. Cornyn had a front-row view of Trump’s decision. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan “Raizin” Caine said Tuesday during a press conference at the Pentagon that Trump gave the go-ahead to launch Operation Epic Fury while en route to Corpus Christi, Texas, to promote his energy agenda. 1 IN 4 AMERICANS BACK TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKES, MOST SAY HE’S TOO QUICK TO USE FORCE: POLL Cornyn and others from the Texas delegation were on Air Force One when Trump gave the order. When asked by Fox News Digital whether he was aware of the plan while traveling with the president, Cornyn said Trump was “a very cool customer.” “He asked us whether we supported a strike on Iran,” Cornyn recalled. “The members of Congress who were there in the cabin of Air Force One all raised our hands and said we did support that, recognizing the gravity of the decision and that only the president, as commander in chief, could make it.” In Washington, D.C., lawmakers are grappling with the decision, with members of both parties calling for a vote to limit Trump’s war powers in the region. Both Paxton and Cornyn said they are open to debate on the matter. ISRAELI MINISTER OUTLINES IRAN MISSION GOALS, SAYS IRANIAN PEOPLE NOW HAVE CHANCE TO ‘REGAIN THEIR FREEDOM’ Cornyn argued it comes down to a simple choice. “I want to know who’s standing on the side of American peace and security, and who’s standing on the side of a nuclear-armed Iran,” Cornyn said. “I think that’s the choice.” How long the country remains involved in the operation remains an open question. Trump said in a video address that the U.S. would continue operations “until all of our objectives are achieved,” but later suggested it could take “four weeks or less.” Some Senate Democrats, including Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., argued the strike was “the same dangerous and foolish decision” former President George W. Bush, a fellow Texan, made more than two decades ago in the Middle East. “I think the president is doing his best to get in and out. Bush was into nation-building, a very different approach to things. I do not think that’s Trump’s idea here or his endeavor,” Paxton said. “I’m very confident that he’s going to do whatever he can to take them out, and he’s encouraging the people in Iran to take their country back.” “He’s not encouraging us to move in and help them do that,” Paxton added. “We’re just taking out the bad guys, and then it’s up to them to build their country in a way that they see fit.”