Reporter’s Notebook: House attempts to override Trump vetoes on Colorado water project, Florida Everglades
The House will try Thursday to override President Donald Trump on two bills he vetoed recently. One is the “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act,” which provides water to southeastern Colorado. The other is the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act. It hands over a portion of the Florida Everglades to the tribe. Both bills passed the House and Senate unanimously. The president criticized Colorado Democrat Gov. Jared Polis as a “bad” governor when explaining his reasons for vetoing that bill. The president caught criticism from Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., whose district would benefit from the water project. Trump and Boebert have been at loggerheads since she was one of the most outspoken voices pushing for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The House will debate and vote on overriding the Colorado water project Thursday. We only expect debate on the Florida issue on Thursday. CAPITOL HILL REVOLT THREATENS TRUMP’S VENEZUELA PLAYBOOK AMID CARIBBEAN STRIKE OVERSIGHT It takes a two-thirds vote of those casting ballots to override a veto. The House currently has 431 members. So if every member votes, it takes 288 yeas to override. So you don’t know the magic number until the vote is closed, because it’s contingent on the total number of members casting ballots. There is a good chance that the House could override the president’s veto – considering the fact that the House approved the bill unanimously. TRUMP RALLIES HOUSE GOP AT KENNEDY CENTER DAYS AFTER MADURO CAPTURE These two vetoes are the first ones of Trump’s second term. The president vetoed 10 bills during his first term. Eight veto overrides failed. Lawmakers never attempted the override on one of them. But Congress overrode the veto of the annual defense policy bill in late 2020 and early 2021. HOUSE GOP SPENDING BILLS PACK BILLIONS IN EARMARKS, SPARKING BACKLASH FROM FISCAL HAWKS Successful veto overrides are rare. There have only been 112 veto overrides in the history of the republic. That’s out of 1,531 “regular” presidential vetoes. So that’s about 4%. Here’s another footnote: The Senate also votes Thursday to rebuke the president over war powers and U.S. action in Venezuela. A similar measure came close to passing in the fall, before the recent operation in Venezuela. It’s unclear whether the war powers resolution will pass. However, if the House overrides the president’s veto on the Colorado water bill, and the Senate votes in favor of the war powers resolution, that would mark two rare rebukes by the Republican president in one day.
Top Republican with ‘army’ of supporters makes major announcement as Shapiro launches re-elect campaign
Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano is sitting out the 2026 elections, criticizing the state’s political climate in a sharply worded open letter. Mastriano, who represents Chambersburg, Gettysburg and McSherrystown in the legislature, rose to prominence by spearheading opposition to COVID-19 lockdowns engineered by then-Gov. Tom Wolf; where violations were often litigated by then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Wolf’s cabinet, like then-Health Secretary Rachel Levine and Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. The retired Army colonel and veteran of Desert Storm’s Battle of 73 Easting – the last contemporary tank battle – confirmed to Fox News Digital late Wednesday that he will not seek the Republican nomination for governor despite vocal public support on the conservative right. This opens up the field to state Treasurer Stacy Garrity. FETTERMAN’S NEW BOOK DETAILS EXPLOSIVE FEUD WITH GOV JOSH SHAPIRO OVER PAROLE BOARD DISPUTE “God has not called us to run for governor in this season,” he said. “Maybe 2028. Maybe 2030. But not now. That does not mean we are stepping away.” In an accompanying “Open Letter to the People of Pennsylvania” shared with Fox News Digital, Mastriano took jabs at both Shapiro and intraparty critics and promised that his “Walk As Free People” movement started during the lockdowns is not going anywhere. “[Doug] and his wife Rebbie remain committed to leading and strengthening the grassroots conservative movement across the Commonwealth,” Mastriano added in a statement to Fox News Digital. SHAPIRO KICKS OFF 2026 RE-ELECTION AS 2028 WHITE HOUSE BUZZ SWIRLS “This movement was never about one person or one campaign,” Mastriano said in a statement issued from Gettysburg. “It has always been about faith, freedom, and the people of Pennsylvania.” Since the lockdowns, Mastriano and other lawmakers have held rallies and protests around the state, from tiny Jerome, outside Johnstown, to the steps of the Capitol in Harrisburg. Supporters, who often donned “Walk as Free People” or “Mastriano’s Army” shirts, also held occasional picnics in a lockdown-averse township outside Lancaster. WHITE HOUSE RACE UNDERWAY: WITH 2026 LOOMING, BOTH PARTIES ARE ALREADY PLAYING FOR 2028 Mastriano said that although he lost to Shapiro in 2022, the race saw the highest Republican turnout since 1962, and collected 29,000 ballot signatures. Supporters claimed during the 2022 race that Mastriano would also have become the first GOP gubernatorial candidate to win without party endorsement intervention in the primary since Gov. Dick Thornburgh – who later became President Ronald Reagan’s attorney general. “He further challenged Republican Party leadership, rejecting what he described as ‘backroom deals’ and ‘premature endorsements,’ and said future candidates must earn support directly from voters,” the senator’s open letter went on, referencing his reservations about how the race was viewed by the establishment. JOSH SHAPIRO CALLS KAMALA HARRIS BOOK CLAIMS ABOUT HIM ‘UTTER BULL—-‘ IN FIERY INTERVIEW RESPONSE Mastriano also took aim at Shapiro, calling his governorship a “machine… corrupt and riddled with scandal, propped up by Hollywood elites and out-of-state billionaires who neither understand Pennsylvania nor respect its values.” “Josh Shapiro is not strong, not serious, and not fit to lead,” Mastriano said, going on to suggest that former Vice President Kamala Harris “distanced herself” from him after vetting her potential running mates and instead choosing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Mastriano also condemned members of the media who “spent years trying to destroy [the Walk as Free People] movement while admitting they gave Shapiro a free pass.” JOSH SHAPIRO DEFENDS CLAIM THAT KAMALA HARRIS TRYING TO ‘COVER HER A—’ WITH CRITICAL BOOK EXCERPT He added that while he will not seek higher office at this time, his work in the Senate will continue and proof of his movement’s veracity lies in its successful work helping elect Sen. David McCormick, R-Pa., and re-electing President Donald Trump. When reached for comment, a representative for the Shapiro campaign directed Fox News Digital to a statement from the Pennsylvania Democrats that said the commonwealth is now “stuck with” Garrity. “Today, it became clear that Pennsylvania Republicans will be stuck with yet again another Republican extremist, Stacy Garrity, as their candidate for governor. Garrity is an election denier who has never stated Donald Trump lost the 2020 election and peddled the dangerous lies that led to the January 6th insurrection,” the statement read in part, appearing to obliquely reference Mastriano’s decision.
Trump, first lady set for Washington Trump–Kennedy Center premiere of ‘MELANIA’ ahead of global release
EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump and the first lady will attend the premiere of Melania Trump’s film, “MELANIA,” at the Trump–Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Jan. 29, Fox News Digital has learned. Washington is just one of the twenty cities across the nation hosting events ahead of the release of the highly anticipated movie. “MELANIA,” a 104-minute film, is set to hit the big screen globally Jan. 30, appearing in theaters across North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and more. But the night before, on Jan. 29, premiere events will be hosted across the nation, as Amazon brings the film to theaters. EXCLUSIVE: FIRST LOOK AT ‘MELANIA’ FILM Fox News Digital has learned that President Trump and the first lady will attend the premiere event at the newly renamed Trump–Kennedy Center in Washington Jan. 29. Premiere events also will be held in New York; Phoenix; Salt Lake City; Chicago; Miami; San Diego; Nashville, Tennessee; Orlando, Florida; Orange County, California; San Francisco/Palo Alto; Minneapolis; Philadelphia; Denver; Detroit; Kansas City, Missouri; Boston; Austin, Texas; Houston; Las Vegas; Dallas; and Los Angeles. Fox News Digital has learned that Amazon executives will attend premiere events for the film. “History is set in motion during the 20 days of my life prior to the U.S. Presidential Inauguration,” the first lady told Fox News. “For the first time, global audiences are invited into theaters to witness this pivotal chapter unfold — a private, unfiltered look as I navigate family, business, and philanthropy on my remarkable journey to becoming first lady of the United States of America.” The film takes the audience through the first lady’s life leading up to her husband’s second inauguration — from her home in Trump Tower in New York City, to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, and behind-the-scenes access in Washington. Melania Trump first had the idea for the film in November 2024, after President Trump won the election. MELANIA TRUMP, AMAZON PARTNER TO RELEASE NEW FILM ABOUT HER LIFE IN THEATERS WORLDWIDE Marc Beckman, Melania Trump’s agent and exclusive senior advisor, led negotiations on her behalf with Amazon beginning Nov. 18, 2024. Fox News Digital has learned that Disney sought to obtain the exclusive rights to the film, as well as Netflix and Paramount. Amazon and MGM had the highest bid, purchasing the license for the film for $40 million — the largest documentary deal in history. “I’m honored to be working with Amazon — they’ve been great partners from the minute we started to negotiate the deal, through production and now as we gear up for the film’s release,” Beckman told Fox News Digital. “Speaking of the deal, there has been so much speculation in the press on the bidding and how we ended up with Amazon, that we’re at a point where it’s worth clarifying a few things,” Beckman said. First, Beckman told Fox News Digital that some bidders were “interested only in a film, and others only in a series.” “Amazon ended up bidding on both, and checked all the boxes we were looking for, as they could also deliver a theatrical film release,” Beckman explained. Beckman stressed that he negotiated the deal on behalf of the first lady while dealing with “all the studios directly.” “I’ve seen reporting that Amazon paid nearly three times the nearest other bid, and that’s just false,” Beckman said. “It was an incredibly competitive bidding process with multiple rounds of bids.” FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP ROLLS OUT AI AUDIOBOOK OF FIRST MEMOIR IN SPANISH Beckman added: “Yes, Amazon had the highest bid, but they also bid on the most product — series and film.” Filming began in December 2024. The film is executive produced by Trump and Fernando Sulichin of New Element Media, with Brett Ratner of RatPac Entertainment serving as director. The film itself is produced in a “highly cinematic” way. Sources familiar with the production told Fox News Digital that the first lady did not want the film to look like a documentary but rather an “elevated film.” Fox News Digital has learned that the first lady was involved “in every aspect” of the film — from her “creative vision,” to working as a producer on the film and to ensuring the post-production marketing is executed properly. Fox News Digital has learned that the first lady has been very “hands on” from start to finish. “She is giving the audience unprecedented access to her life — and to any first lady’s life — during this 20-day period,” a source familiar with the planning of the film told Fox News Digital. Fox News exclusively obtained the trailer in December 2025, which opens with the first lady walking into the U.S. Capitol rotunda ahead of her husband’s second inauguration. She looks to the camera in her now-iconic inauguration outfit, and says, “Here we go again.” The trailer jumps from the first lady and president at the inauguration; to standing together outside of Mar-a-Lago; behind-the-scenes of the inauguration showing Barron Trump and Melania Trump’s father; to a series of images of the first lady; Air Force One; the presidential seal and more. The famous Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) lion roars and takes over the screen. The trailer then shows Melania Trump entering a room where President Trump stands at a podium during a meeting and is rehearsing a speech. AI MELANIA: FIRST LADY EMBARKS ON ‘NEW FRONTIER’ IN PUBLISHING WITH AUDIOBOOK OF MEMOIR “My proudest legacy will be that of peacemaker,” Trump said. The first lady breaks in and says: “Peacemaker and unifier.” The trailer shows the first lady getting out of a vehicle, sporting a pair of black stiletto boots, and jumping to the East Wing residence, where she stands in her stunning white and black inaugural ball gown, and smiles at the camera. The trailer invites the audience to “witness history in the making.” The trailer also shows the first lady reviewing materials with staff and more. It cuts to a scene of Melania Trump asking a security detail, “Is it
After 2 straight losses, Democrat Stacey Abrams sits out 2026 race for Georgia governor
The third time won’t be the charm for Stacey Abrams, at least in 2026. The two-time Democratic gubernatorial nominee in battleground Georgia is ruling out another run for governor this year, saying that instead she’ll focus on her work fighting what she warns is the nation’s move toward authoritarianism under President Donald Trump. “Americans are in pain but they are ready to act, and now is the moment to reconnect to what is at stake and what is possible,” Abrams said in a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s clear to me that the most effective way I can serve right now is by continuing to do this important work. For that reason, I will not seek elected office in 2026.” Abrams, a former Democratic Party leader in the Georgia state legislature and a nationally known voting-rights advocate, narrowly lost to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in the 2018 gubernatorial election. She lost her 2022 rematch with Kemp by nearly eight points. FLASHBACK: STACEY ABRAMS MULLS THIRD STRAIGHT RUN FOR GEORGIA GOVERNOR Sources confirmed to Fox News Digital last spring that Abrams was mulling a third straight run for governor in the race to succeed the now-term-limited Kemp. Abrams grabbed plenty of national attention during the 2018 Georgia race, and came close to making history as the nation’s first Black female elected governor. Her refusal to concede to Kemp after losing by a razor-thin margin boosted her among many Democrats while becoming a top GOP political target. JOSH SHAPIRO LAUNCHES 2026 GUBERNATORIAL RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN AS 2028 WHITE HOUSE BUZZ SWIRLS She launched the Fair Fight political organization following her defeat, helped Biden narrowly carry Georgia in the 2020 presidential election, and also contributed to the sweep by the Democrats in the Jan. 5, 2021 twin Senate runoff elections. Abrams raised over $110 million in fundraising for her 2022 rematch with Kemp, but was soundly defeated by the Republican incumbent. In recent years, the political machine Abrams built has faded. The Abrams-founded New Georgia Project folded last year after being fined $300,000 for illegally backing her 2018 campaign. And while Abrams last year considered a 2026 gubernatorial run, other Democratic candidates jumped into the race. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who served as director of the White House Office of Public Engagement during former President Joe Biden’s administration, is widely seen as the front-runner for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. FRAUD FALLOUT FORCES WALZ TO ABANDON GUBERNATORIAL RE-ELECTION BID Also running for the Democratic nomination is former Lieutenant Gov. Geoff Duncan, who was elected in 2018 but declined to seek re-election in 2022. The former Republican is now a moderate Democrat. Former state Rep. Ruwa Romman and former Dekalb County CEO Michael Thurmond are also in the race. In the race for the Republican nomination, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has the backing of President Donald Trump. The field also includes Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. The Cook Report, a leading non-partisan political handicapper, rates the race a toss-up, while Inside Elections rates it as tilt Republican and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rates it as lean Republican. Abrams, in her statement to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, said she’ll keep her focus on the fight to protect democracy. “The antidote to authoritarianism and its harms has always been democracy; and I have long believed that democracy requires active engagement and staunch defenders,” she wrote.”But democracy is experienced by the vast majority through the work of government — when it fails, we are all imperiled.”
Trump-Kennedy Center blasts ‘far-left bias’ in ratings coverage, points to No. 1 demographics tie
The Trump–Kennedy Center is pushing back on a recent media narrative that its annual Honors awards show suffered a ratings flop under President Donald Trump compared to years prior, arguing that the broadcast performed strongly despite industry-wide headwinds and a dramatically different scheduling landscape. “Comparing this year’s broadcast ratings to prior years is a classic apples-to-oranges comparison and evidence of far-left bias,” Roma Daravi, Trump–Kennedy Center vice president of public relations, told Fox News Digital of the ratings. “The program performed extremely well across key demographics and platforms, despite industry and timing disadvantages, including a Tuesday air date two days before Christmas.” The 48th Kennedy Center Honors awards show was held in Washington, D.C., Dec. 7 and honored artists such as country singer George Strait, the members of rock band KISS, Tony-award winner Michael Crawford, Grammy-winner Gloria Gaynor, and Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone. The awards show is held each year to celebrate “individuals whose unique artistic contributions have shaped our world,” according to its website. Trump hosted the event, with its broadcast held weeks late Dec. 23, 2025, on CBS and Paramount+. JONATHAN TURLEY: TRUMP’S KENNEDY CENTER NAME CHANGE WILL KEEP LAWYERS BUSY FOR YEARS The event averaged 3.01 million viewers, which is a 25% drop from 2024’s ratings when an average 4.1 million viewers tuned in, according to a report from Nielsen Live + Same Day Panel + Big Data reported by Variety in December. The ratings yielded headlines reporting that viewership “plummeted,” and late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert mocked Trump for hosting “the lowest-rated Kennedy Center Honors telecast of all time,” as Kimmel said in his Monday monologue. Daravi countered that viewership for the awards show “tied for the #1 spot among adults aged 25–54, alongside a live NBA doubleheader” while citing that overall TV usage is “down roughly 20 percent year over year.” The NBA’s Tuesday night doubleheader Dec. 23, 2025, featured the Denver Nuggets visiting the Dallas Mavericks, followed by the Houston Rockets taking on the Los Angeles Clippers. “And on social media, Honors garnered 1.5 Billion impressions in just one night—up from only 50 Million similar impressions last year,” Daravi continued. “This was a successful night celebrating the outstanding achievements of our Honorees at the Trump Kennedy Center.” Trump predicted ahead of the event that ratings would be sky-high and that he would garner more viewers than late-night host Kimmel, who is a longtime critic and political foe of Trump’s. The president also predicted critics would “say, ‘He was horrible. He was terrible. It was a horrible situation.’ No, we’ll do fine. I’ve watched some of the people that host.” CHEAP TRICK DEFENDS TRUMP-HOSTED KENNEDY CENTER PERFORMANCE AS A TRIBUTE TO KISS Trump celebrated during the event that “we’re bringing this building back to life like nobody ever thought was even possible.” The Honors awards show raised a record $23 million, nearly doubling 2024’s $12.7 million raised under the Biden administration’s final days. The 2024 broadcast was also held on a Sunday and had an NFL viewership in the lead up to the program, including a New England Patriots versus Buffalo Bills game that afternoon. BOARD VOTES KENNEDY CENTER TO BE RENAMED ‘TRUMP-KENNEDY CENTER,’ LEAVITT SAYS The broadcast was held just days after the Trump administration announced that the center’s board of trustees unanimously voted to rename it “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” Presidents appoint the majority of the board’s trustees, with Trump dismissing the previously appointed Board of Trustees “who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture” in the early weeks of his second administration. Trump is also the first and only president to serve as the center’s chairman of the board. The name change set off swift rebuke among Democrats, with nonvoting board members including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and others claiming the move was illegal as it did not earn congressional approval ahead of time. The center said that the board agreed Trump saved the institution from financial ruin during his second term. “The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees voted unanimously today to name the institution The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” Daravi told Fox News Digital of the name change. “The unanimous vote recognizes that the current Chairman saved the institution from financial ruin and physical destruction.”
Trump greenlights Russian sanctions bill, paving way for 500% tariff on countries supporting Moscow: Graham
Sen. Lindsey Graham announced Wednesday that President Donald Trump has approved a Russian sanctions bill designed to pressure Moscow to end its war with Ukraine. Graham revealed the development in a post on X, describing it as a pivotal shift in the U.S. approach to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. “After a very productive meeting today with President Trump on a variety of issues, he greenlit the bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that I have been working on for months with Senator Blumenthal and many others,” Graham said. “This will be well-timed, as Ukraine is making concessions for peace and Putin is all talk, continuing to kill the innocent.” TRUMP TOUTS ‘TREMENDOUS PROGRESS’ BUT SAYS HE’LL MEET PUTIN AND ZELENSKYY ‘ONLY WHEN’ PEACE DEAL IS FINAL According to the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, the bipartisan legislation is designed to grant Trump sweeping, almost unprecedented, authority to economically isolate Russia and penalize major global economies that continue to trade with Moscow and finance its war against Ukraine. Most notably, the bill would require the United States to impose a 500% tariff on all goods imported from any country that continues to purchase Russian oil, petroleum products or uranium. The measure would effectively squeeze Russia financially while deterring foreign governments from undermining U.S. sanctions. TRUMP CASTS MADURO’S OUSTER AS ‘SMART’ MOVE AS RUSSIA, CHINA ENTER THE FRAY “This bill will allow President Trump to punish those countries who buy cheap Russian oil fueling Putin’s war machine,” Graham said. “This bill would give President Trump tremendous leverage against countries like China, India and Brazil to incentivize them to stop buying the cheap Russian oil that provides the financing for Putin’s bloodbath against Ukraine.” Graham said voting could take place as early as next week and that he is looking forward to a strong bipartisan vote. US MILITARY SEIZES TWO SANCTIONED TANKERS IN ATLANTIC OCEAN The move on the Russian sanctions bill follows another sharp escalation in America’s clampdown on Moscow. Earlier Wednesday, U.S. forces reportedly seized an oil tanker attempting to transport sanctioned Venezuelan oil to Russia. Graham publicly celebrated the seizure in another post on X, describing it as part of a broader winning streak of U.S. intervention aimed at Venezuela and Cuba. In the post, he also took aim at critics such as Sen. Rand Paul, who has opposed the bill, arguing that it would damage America’s trade relations with much of the world. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
Trump orders US withdrawal from 66 ‘wasteful’ global organizations in sweeping ‘America First’ crackdown
President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a presidential memorandum directing the U.S. to withdraw from 66 international organizations, ordering executive departments and agencies to cease participation in and funding of entities the administration says no longer serve U.S. interests. The memorandum follows a State Department review ordered earlier this year under Executive Order 14199 and applies to 35 non-United Nations organizations and 31 United Nations entities, according to the White House. In the memorandum, Trump said he reviewed Secretary Rubio’s findings and determined it is “contrary to the interests of the U.S. to remain a member of, participate in, or otherwise provide support” to the listed organizations. The order directs all executive departments and agencies to take immediate steps to effectuate the withdrawals as soon as possible. For United Nations entities, withdrawal means ceasing participation in or funding to the extent permitted by law. RUBIO UNLOADS ON ‘ALARMISTS,’ TOUTS STATE DEPT DISASTER RESPONSE AFTER USAID CLOSURE The administration framed the move as part of Trump’s broader “America First” agenda aimed at restoring American sovereignty and ending taxpayer support for organizations it views as wasteful, ineffective or contrary to U.S. interests. Review of additional international organizations remains ongoing, according to the White House. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the withdrawals fulfill a key commitment of Trump’s presidency. “Today, President Trump announced the U.S. is leaving 66 anti-American, useless, or wasteful international organizations,” Rubio said in a post on X. “Review of additional international organizations remains ongoing.” KENNEDY AND MILEI DOUBLE DOWN ON WHO EXIT AFTER MEETING IN BUENOS AIRES: ‘FREE FROM TOTALITARIAN CONTROL’ Rubio said the administration concluded the institutions were “redundant in their scope, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, poorly run, captured by the interests of actors advancing their own agendas contrary to our own, or a threat to our nation’s sovereignty, freedoms, and general prosperity.” “It is no longer acceptable to be sending these institutions the blood, sweat, and treasure of the American people, with little to nothing to show for it,” Rubio said. “The days of billions of dollars in taxpayer money flowing to foreign interests at the expense of our people are over.” The list includes organizations involved in areas such as climate, energy, development, governance, migration and gender policy, according to the White House. The White House published the full list alongside the order. Rubio said the withdrawals reflect a shift in how the administration views international engagement. “We will not continue expending resources, diplomatic capital, and the legitimizing weight of our participation in institutions that are irrelevant to or in conflict with our interests,” Rubio said. “We seek cooperation where it serves our people and will stand firm where it does not.” The White House and the State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Dem Senate candidate mocked after claim about dismantling ICE goes viral: ‘Unmask these thugs’
Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner was mocked Wednesday after declaring that “dismantling ICE” is a “moderate” position after federal immigration authorities shot and killed a Minneapolis woman who allegedly presented a threat to them as they attempted to conduct enforcement operations. “When you send armed, under-trained amateurs into American communities with vague orders and no accountability, this is inevitable,” Maine Democrat Platner said on X with an accompanying video. “ICE must be dismantled.” “Dismantling ICE is the moderate position. Unmask these thugs, arrest them, and make them answer for these horrors,” he said in another X post. The woman fatally shot Wednesday morning by an ICE agent in Minneapolis was identified by Minneapolis City Council members as Twin Cities resident Renee Nicole Good, 37. Good was shot by an ICE agent after blocking a road that law enforcement officials were traveling during an operation and appearing to “weaponize her vehicle” to hit law enforcement officials, prompting DHS to call it an “act of domestic terrorism.” FORMER DHS CHIEF DECRIES MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR’S ‘UNHINGED’ ICE RHETORIC AFTER DEADLY SHOOTING Council members called the incident an “attack,” demanding ICE “immediately leave our city so we can get rid of their chaos and violence that ended the life of one of our neighbors today.” That sentiment was echoed by progressive Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who told immigration authorities to “get the f— out” of his city. “This guy doesn’t know moderate,” said the Media Research Center’s Tim Graham. “The man with a literal Nazi tattoo on his chest sounds like he is calling for violence at maximum against ICE but absolutely is calling for the weaponization of the justice system against ICE at minimum,” added Brianna Lyman, an elections correspondent at The Federalist. “We should all love something as much as Dems love open borders,” GOP consultant Luke Thompson wrote on X. “The same liberals who wanted to defund the police want to dismantle ICE,” Alabama Senate candidate Morgan Murphy wrote on X. “Absolutely not: stand with ICE. Stand with law enforcement.” Platner has come under fire in the past for a tattoo on his chest that critics have claimed resembles a “Totenkopf,” a Nazi “death’s head” symbol, but he has denied the claims that is what it represents and said he has made his stance on Nazism clear. SENATE DEM CANDIDATE WHO WROTE HE ‘BECAME A COMMUNIST’ NOW SAYS HE WAS JOKING A progressive Democrat, Platner also came under fire recently for calling himself a “communist” in now-deleted Reddit posts. In one of the posts, he wrote, “I got older and became a communist,” but he subsequently claimed it was merely “internet s—posting.” After the shooting in Minneapolis involving ICE, protesters took to the streets, including in front of a Minneapolis courthouse, where they could be seen on video banging on glass doors and windows demanding, “ICE Out Now!” Platner is seeking the Democratic nomination to unseat Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine., in 2026.
Trump and Colombian president arrange White House meeting after threats of military action
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said arrangements are being made for representatives of the United States and Colombia to meet at the White House. Trump wrote on Truth Social that Colombian President Gustavo Petro “called to explain the situation of drugs and other disagreements” between the two countries, adding the two leaders are expected to meet in the near future. “It was a Great Honor to speak with the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, who called to explain the situation of drugs and other disagreements that we have had,” Trump wrote. “I appreciated his call and tone, and look forward to meeting him in the near future.” Trump said arrangements were also being coordinated between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Colombia’s foreign minister, adding the meeting will take place at the White House. TRUMP ISSUES DIRECT WARNING TO VENEZUELA’S NEW LEADER DELCY RODRÍGUEZ FOLLOWING MADURO CAPTURE The announcement came after Trump issued a warning to the Colombian president following a U.S. military operation over the weekend that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife. “Colombia’s very sick too, run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States. And he’s not going to be doing it very long. Let me tell you,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One Sunday. When asked by a reporter to clarify his remarks, Trump claimed Petro has “cocaine mills and cocaine factories.” TRUMP EMBRACES US INTERVENTION IN VENEZUELA, OPENS DOOR TO BROADER LATIN AMERICA PUSH When Trump was asked if the U.S. would carry out an operation in Colombia, he responded, “It sounds good to me.” On Monday, Petro responded to Trump’s comments, saying he would “take up arms” against the U.S. if it attacks his country. “Although I have not been a military man, I know about war and clandestinity,” Petro wrote in a post on X, translated to English from Spanish. “I swore not to touch a weapon again since the 1989 Peace Pact, but for the Homeland I will take up arms again that I do not want.” TRUMP ANNOUNCES VENEZUELA TURNING OVER MILLIONS OF BARRELS OF OIL TO US GOVERNMENT ‘IMMEDIATELY’ Petro also dismissed Trump’s claims that he is linked to drug trafficking. “I am not illegitimate, nor am I a narco,” he wrote. “I only have as assets my family home that I still pay for with my salary. My bank statements have been published. No one could say that I have spent more than my salary. I am not greedy.” Petro, a former member of the leftist M-19 guerrilla movement that demobilized in the early 1990s, has condemned U.S. strikes in the region, which the U.S. has said target suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean. Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan and Emma Bussey contributed to this report.
Cruz demands impeachment of Boasberg and judge who sentenced Kavanaugh’s attempted assassin
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Wednesday called on Congress during a Senate hearing to impeach two federal judges, making his most elaborate case yet for imposing the extraordinary sanction on a pair of closely scrutinized jurists. Cruz acknowledged that impeaching federal judges is exceedingly rare — 15 have been impeached in history, typically for straightforward crimes like bribery — but the Texas Republican argued it was warranted for judges James Boasberg and Deborah Boardman. “Rarer still, until now, were the deeper offenses the framers feared most — judges who, without necessarily breaking a criminal statute, violate the public trust, subvert the constitutional order or wield their office in ways that injure society itself,” Cruz said. “That is why, throughout history, Congress recognized that impeachable misconduct need not be criminal.” JACK SMITH DEFENDS SUBPOENAING REPUBLICAN SENATORS’ PHONE RECORDS: ‘ENTIRELY PROPER’ Cruz, a Senate Judiciary Committee member with an extensive legal background, said the House needed to initiate impeachment proceedings over controversial gag orders Boasberg signed in 2023 and a sentence Boardman handed down last year in the case of Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s attempted assassin. Impeachment proceedings must be initiated in the House and typically run through the House Judiciary Committee. Russell Dye, a spokesman for the GOP-led committee, said “everything is on the table” when asked if Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, was open to the idea. If the House were to vote in favor of impeachment, it would then advance to the Senate. Two-thirds of senators would need to vote to convict the judges and remove them, a highly improbable scenario because the vote would require some support from Democrats. Cruz’s counterpart at the hearing, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., defended the judges and accused Republicans of threatening impeachment as an effort to intimidate the judiciary because it routinely issues adverse rulings against the Trump administration. “There was a time when I’d have hoped a Senate Judiciary subcommittee would not be roped into a scheme to amplify pressure and threats against a sitting federal judge,” Whitehouse said. “But here we are.” In the case of Boardman, a Biden appointee, the judge sentenced Sophie Roske, who previously went by Nicholas Roske, to eight years in prison after the Department of Justice sought a 30-year sentence. Roske pleaded guilty to attempting to murder Kavanaugh. Boardman said she factored into her sentence that Roske identified as transgender and therefore faced unique adversity. Cruz argued Democrats’ concerns about threats that judges have faced for ruling against President Donald Trump fell on deaf ears, in his view, because they did not speak out about Boardman’s leniency toward Roske. “My Democrat colleagues on this committee do not get to give great speeches about how opposed they are to violence against the judiciary, and, at the same time, cheer on a judge saying, ‘Well, if you attempt to murder a Supreme Court justice, and you happen to be transgender, not a problem. We’re going to deviate downward by more than two decades,’” Cruz said. In the case of Boasberg, former special counsel Jack Smith subpoenaed several Republican Congress members’ phone records while conducting an investigation into the 2020 election and Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Smith sought gag orders so that the senators would not immediately be notified about the subpoenas, and Boasberg authorized those orders. JUSTICE KAVANAUGH’S ATTEMPTED ASSASSIN SENTENCED TO EIGHT YEARS IN PRISON Prosecutors seeking gag orders is not unusual, but senators have layers of protection from prosecution under the Constitution. The targeted Republicans have decried the subpoenas, saying their rights were violated. Smith and an official representing the federal courts have both said that Boasberg was not notified that the subpoenas and gag orders were related to members of Congress. Rob Luther, a law professor at George Mason University, was a witness for Republicans at the hearing and said Boasberg still should not have signed the gag orders without knowing who they applied to. Luther cited stipulations included in the orders. “One must ask on what basis Judge Boasberg found that the disclosure of subpoenas would result in destruction of or tampering with evidence, intimidation of potential witnesses, and cause serious jeopardy to the investigation, end quote,” Luther said. “Did Judge Boasberg merely rubber stamp the requested gag order, or was he willfully blind?” Smith’s actions also aligned with a DOJ policy at the time that did not require the special counsel to alert the court that the subpoenas targeted senators, a point raised by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., during the hearing. Luther said the policy did not matter. “DOJ policy does not supplant federal law,” he said.