Hegseth defends lethal strikes against alleged drug traffickers: ‘Biden coddled terrorists, we kill them’
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth wrote on X that “Biden coddled terrorists, we kill them,” in a post defending the Trump administration’s strikes on alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean Sea. The declaration came following reports from outlets such as The Washington Post and CNN claiming the U.S. military ordered a second strike on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean on Sept. 2 after the initial attack left two survivors. The commander overseeing that operation told colleagues on a secure conference call that the survivors were legitimate targets because they could still contact other traffickers for help and ordered the second strike to comply with a directive from Hegseth that everyone must be killed, according to The Washington Post. “As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland,” Hegseth wrote on X on Friday. TRUMP SAYS US WILL BEGIN STOPPING VENEZUELAN DRUG TRAFFICKERS BY LAND “As we’ve said from the beginning, and in every statement, these highly effective strikes are specifically intended to be ‘lethal, kinetic strikes.’ The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people. Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization,” Hegseth continued. “The Biden administration preferred the kid gloves approach, allowing millions of people — including dangerous cartels and unvetted Afghans — to flood our communities with drugs and violence. The Trump administration has sealed the border and gone on offense against narco-terrorists. Biden coddled terrorists, we kill them,” he added. Hegseth also said, “Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict — and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command.” US FORCES KILL 3 NARCO-TERRORISTS IN EASTERN PACIFIC LETHAL STRIKE OPERATION TARGETING DRUG NETWORKS In a separate post on his personal X account, Hegseth wrote, “We have only just begun to kill narco-terrorists.” Fox News Digital has reached out to a Biden spokesperson for comment. President Donald Trump also said on Thursday said the U.S. will “very soon” begin stopping suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers “by land.” “From sending their poisons into the United States, where they kill hundreds of thousands of people a year — but we’re going to take care of that situation,” Trump said. “We’re already doing a lot … It’s about 85% stopped by sea.” The president added, “You probably noticed that now people aren’t wanting to be delivering by sea, and we’ll be starting to stop them by land also. The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon.” Fox News’ Sophia Compton contributed to this report.
USCIS halts ‘all asylum decisions’ after DC shooting of National Guard members
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Friday that it has halted all asylum decisions following the shooting in Washington, D.C., in which an Afghan national was accused of shooting two National Guard members, including one who died from her injuries. USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow said the asylum decisions would be suspended “until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.” “The safety of the American people always comes first,” he wrote on X. The pause comes amid a broader immigration crackdown signaled by President Donald Trump, who on Thursday vowed to halt migration from “Third World countries” and reverse Biden-era admissions. STATE DEPARTMENT ‘IMMEDIATELY’ HALTS ALL AFGHAN PASSPORT VISAS FOLLOWING DEADLY NATIONAL GUARD ATTACK Edlow said on Thursday that officials would reexamine green cards issued to immigrants from every “country of concern,” including Afghanistan. USCIS also implemented new national security measures to be considered while vetting immigrants from “high risk” countries. “I have directed a full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” he wrote. The Department of Homeland Security also said it had already halted all immigration requests from Afghanistan and was in the process of reviewing all asylum cases approved under the Biden administration. Additionally, the Department of State has paused all visas for people traveling on Afghan passports in response to the attack against the National Guard members. “The Department of State has IMMEDIATELY paused visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports,” the agency wrote. “The Department is taking all necessary steps to protect U.S. national security and public safety.” National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, of West Virginia, died after the shooting on Wednesday in the nation’s capital, while the second service member wounded in the attack, Andrew Wolfe, 24, is still in critical condition. The alleged gunman, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, faces multiple charges, including one count of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the Justice Department would pursue the death penalty against the suspect. WHO IS THE DC NATIONAL GUARDSMEN SHOOTING SUSPECT? WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AFGHAN NATIONAL RAHMANULLAH LAKANWAL Lakanwal entered the U.S. legally in 2021 under humanitarian parole as part of the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome, following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He was vetted by the CIA in Afghanistan for his work with the agency and again for his asylum application in the U.S. A senior U.S. official told Fox News he was “clean on all checks” in his background check. Lakanwal had his asylum application approved by the Trump administration earlier this year. A report released by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General in June found there were “no systemic failures” in Afghan refugee vetting or subsequent immigration pathways.
Abbey Gate Gold Star father blisters Biden after Afghan national allegedly ambushes 2 National Guardsmen in DC
EXCLUSIVE — The father of Staff Sgt. Darin “Taylor” Hoover — one of the 13 U.S. service members killed in the Abbey Gate bombing during the chaotic 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan — is blasting the former Biden administration after an Afghan national allegedly shot two National Guardsmen just blocks from the White House. Hoover gave Fox News Digital a new, forceful statement on Wednesday’s shooting, saying the incident was the direct result of the administration’s failed vetting of Afghan evacuees. “This is on the feckless Biden administration,” Hoover said of the shooting. “We had no idea who was getting into this country because the Biden administration, especially the State Department run by Antony Blinken, didn’t do the work that was needed to vet all these people. There were so many people put on the planes that got out initially, that we have no idea who they were.” He continued: “By doing this, all we got is men of fighting age that are most likely terrorists that are here in the homeland to do us all harm and take our beloved United States of America. Maybe if the Biden administration started the process earlier than the truncated timetable that they did, this could have all come out so much better, including all of our most precious men and women of our military coming home.” EX-FBI SPECIAL AGENT EXPLAINS AFGHAN VETTING FAILURES IN WAKE OF NATIONAL GUARD AMBUSH: ‘TICKING TIME BOMB’ The FBI is leading the investigation into the shooting, and multiple intelligence sources tell Fox News Digital the attack is being treated as a possible act of international terrorism. The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was taken into custody after allegedly ambushing the two West Virginia National Guardsmen near the White House. Fox News Digital previously reported that Lakanwal entered the United States in September 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, immediately following the fall of Kabul, and that he had worked with several U.S. government entities, including the CIA, as part of a partner force in Kandahar. “The individual — and so many others — should have never been allowed to come here,” former CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Fox News Digital. “Our citizens and service members deserve far better than to endure the ongoing fallout from the Biden administration’s catastrophic failures.” ALLEGED DC SHOOTER ENTERED US UNDER AFGHAN RESETTLEMENT PUSH MAYORKAS VOWED WOULD BE DONE ‘SWIFTLY AND SAFELY’ Hoover says the shooting confirms what he and other Gold Star parents feared when thousands of Afghans were evacuated during the final days of the withdrawal — that many individuals were allowed into the United States without adequate screening. “We had no idea who Biden put on those planes,” Hoover said. “None.” Wednesday’s comments come after years of public criticism from Hoover, who has been one of the most vocal parents demanding accountability for the Abbey Gate attack that killed 13 American service members, including his son Taylor, an 11-year Marine veteran who was engaged to be married and on his third deployment to Afghanistan. ALLEGED NATIONAL GUARD SHOOTER WORKED WITH US GOVERNMENT ENTITIES IN AFGHANISTAN, INCLUDING CIA: RATCLIFFE Hoover’s earlier remarks made headlines in 2024, when he reacted to President Biden falsely claiming during a presidential debate that no U.S. service members had died under his watch. At the time, Hoover told Fox News Digital that he felt “rage” hearing Biden deny the deaths of the Abbey Gate 13. “The rage, the absolute disgust that I got from hearing him say that — I started yelling back at the TV,” he said in 2024. “He’s never acknowledged, not one time, any of our kids. He’s never said their names.” He also revealed then that the Biden administration sent the Abbey Gate families a batch of identical condolence letters a year after the attack. DETAILS EMERGE ON CIA UNIT ALLEGED NATIONAL GUARD SHOOTER SERVED WITH IN AFGHANISTAN “All 13 families got a canned letter,” he said in a 2024 Fox News Digital interview. “It looked like it was a photocopy. We’ve had absolutely nothing before, nothing since.” Hoover’s frustration at being unable to secure a meeting with Biden was also part of that earlier reporting. “[Biden] doesn’t want to deal with us,” Hoover said in 2024. “He knows that we’re in his face, but he doesn’t want to deal with us.” But Hoover told Fox News Digital this week that Wednesday’s shooting, allegedly carried out by an Afghan national allowed into the country during the withdrawal, is a devastating new chapter. To him, it demonstrates that the consequences of the troubled evacuation are still unfolding on American soil. Federal officials say the investigation into the shooting remains active. Hoover says he will continue speaking out until the families of the Abbey Gate fallen receive answers — and until the former administration takes responsibility for what he believes are ongoing failures. “This isn’t going away,” he said at the time. “We’re not going away.” Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
State Department ‘immediately’ halts all Afghan passport visas following deadly National Guard attack
The Department of State has paused all visas for individuals traveling on Afghan passports after an attack in Washington, D.C., Wednesday targeting National Guard members. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national, was charged with first-degree murder among other counts related to the ambush, which has since claimed the life of West Virginia National Guard Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounded U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. Lakanwal was vetted by the CIA in Afghanistan and granted final asylum approval under President Donald Trump’s administration earlier this year, multiple sources told Fox News Digital. “The Department of State has IMMEDIATELY paused visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports,” the agency wrote in an announcement on social media. “The Department is taking all necessary steps to protect U.S. national security and public safety.” LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONDING AFTER 2 NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS SHOT NEAR WHITE HOUSE Secretary of State Marco Rubio also took to X to share the news. “President Trump’s State Department has paused visa issuance for ALL individuals traveling on Afghan passports,” Rubio wrote in a post. “The United States has no higher priority than protecting our nation and our people.” U.S.-based Afghanistan allies relocation and resettlement nonprofit AfghanEvac denounced Friday’s decision, calling the administration’s move a “violation of federal law.” “It appears Secretary Rubio is attempting to shut down the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program in direct violation of federal law and standing court orders. He is seemingly acting at the direction of President Trump and Stephen Miller, and there is no doubt this is the outcome they have been driving toward for months,” AfghanEvac President Shawn VanDiver said in a statement. “They are using a single violent individual as cover for a policy they have long planned, turning their own intelligence failures into an excuse to punish an entire community and the veterans who served alongside them.” VANCE’S PAST WARNINGS REIGNITE AFTER AFGHAN NATIONAL NAMED AS SUSPECT IN DC GUARD SHOOTING The new policy comes less than a day after the media questioned Trump about how the attack could have taken place after successful vetting. “I mean, he went nuts, and that happens. It happens too often with these people,” Trump told reporters from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. “There was no vetting or anything. … We have a lot of others in this country, and we’re going to get them out, but they go cuckoo. Something happens to them.” Trump noted “when it comes to asylum, when they’re flown in, it’s very hard to get them out. No matter how you want to do it, it’s very hard to get them out. But we’re going to be getting them all out now.” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph B. Edlow also announced Thursday that, at Trump’s direction, there would be a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination” of every green card issued to immigrants from “every country of concern.” The 19 countries deemed “high-risk” by the USCIS include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
Trump plans ‘full and complete pardon’ for former Honduran president convicted of drug trafficking
President Trump announced Friday he intends to issue a “full and complete pardon” to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, while simultaneously reaffirming his support for presidential candidate Nasry “Tito” Asfura just days before Hondurans head to the polls. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Hernández. who was sentenced in New York last year to 45 years in prison for conspiring with drug traffickers to move over 400 tons of cocaine into the U.S., was “treated very harshly and unfairly.” “I will be granting a Full and Complete Pardon to Former President Juan Orlando Hernandez who has been, according to many people that I greatly respect, treated very harshly and unfairly,” Trump said. “This cannot be allowed to happen, especially now, after Tito Asfura wins the Election, when Honduras will be on its way to Great Political and Financial Success.” TRUMP REVEALS MADURO ‘WOULD LIKE TO TALK’ AS MILITARY OPTIONS REMAIN ON THE TABLE FOR VENEZUELA Hernández was convicted in March 2024 on charges of conspiring to import cocaine into the U.S. and two related weapons offenses after a two-week trial, according to The Associated Press. Trump also doubled down on his backing of Asfura, the National Party candidate and former mayor of Tegucigalpa, saying the U.S. would be “very supportive” if he wins because Washington has “so much confidence in him, his policies and what he will do for the great people of Honduras.” COLOMBIA RECALLS US AMBASSADOR AFTER TRUMP CALLS ITS LEADER ‘ILLEGAL DRUG LEADER,’ THREATENS MILITARY ACTION In a separate Truth Social post earlier Friday, Trump said he and Asfura “can work together to fight the narcocommunists and bring needed aid to the people of Honduras.” He also sharply criticized Asfura’s rivals, including ruling party candidate Rixi Moncada and TV host Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party. “His chief opponent is Rixi Moncada, who says Fidel Castro is her idol,” Trump said. “Normally, the smart people of Honduras, would reject her, and elect Tito Asfura, but the Communists are trying to trick the people by running a third Candidate, Salvador Nasralla. “Nasralla is no friend of Freedom. A borderline Communist, he helped Xiomara Castro by running as her Vice President. He won, and helped Castro win. Then he resigned, and is now pretending to be an anti-Communist only for the purposes of splitting Asfura’s vote. The people of Honduras must not be tricked again.” ICE DEPORTS MS-13 GANG LEADER WHO TRIED TO ‘GAME OUR IMMIGRATION SYSTEM’ UNDER BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, DHS SAYS Hondurans vote Sunday, and polls show Asfura virtually tied with Moncada and Nasralla, according to Reuters. The winner will govern from 2026 to 2030. The Central American country has been led since 2022 by President Xiomara Castro, the country’s first female president.
EXCLUSIVE: Stefanik steamrolls top conservative opponent; GOP leaders hand her commanding edge in NY primary
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., has opened a commanding lead in the New York Republican primary for governor, locking down endorsements from GOP county chairs, state lawmaker and Conservative Party leaders across the state, a consolidation of support that party officials say leaves Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman with virtually no path to the nomination. Stefanik’s backing now accounts for more than 75% of the New York Republican Party’s weighted vote, an overwhelming advantage that makes her the presumptive nominee and would require any rival to petition his or her way onto the ballot. Under New York’s rules, that means gathering at least 15,000 signatures from registered Republicans across the state, the Gothamist reported. Party operatives describe the scale of Stefanik’s early support as unprecedented for a GOP gubernatorial race in recent cycles, especially this far ahead of the state convention. POTENTIAL GOP CHALLENGER WARNS HOCHUL THAT A CORPORATE TAX HIKE WOULD BE A ‘DISASTER’ FOR NEW YORK’S ECONOMY They say Stefanik’s name recognition, national fundraising network and county-level organizing have effectively closed the primary before it began, while Blakeman has failed to gain traction outside Long Island. STEFANIK DECRIES HOCHUL AS ‘WORST GOVERNOR IN AMERICA’ IN FIERY 2026 CAMPAIGN LAUNCH Stefanik enjoys a much broader-based candidacy across New York. “Elise is honored to have earned endorsements from 58 GOP county party chairs representing over 75% of the New York Republican Party’s weighted vote at the convention,” Stefanik spokesperson Bernadette Breslin told Fox News Digital. “According to two independent polls, Elise is the strongest candidate against Hochul and has the highest name ID and most favorable polling. Her strong support across the state only continues to grow as she earns more endorsements from prominent GOP leaders, including 40 out of New York’s 45 Conservative Party organizations. New York Republicans are wholly united behind the common goal of firing Kathy Hochul to save New York, and they have entrusted their full confidence in Elise to do so.” That consolidation extends well beyond the county chairs. Fourteen Republican state senators, including Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt, have endorsed Stefanik for governor. So have 10 county executives from across New York, adding weight from suburban, upstate and rural regions that traditionally anchor GOP turnout. The upstate chairs who have met with both candidates say Blakeman’s attempts to shift the narrative have fallen flat. STEFANIK TO RELEASE NEW BOOK ON COLLEGE ANTISEMITISM AS SHE EYES BID FOR NY GOVERNOR “We appreciated County Executive Blakeman meeting with us during his visit Upstate, but nothing discussed at the meeting impacted our unwavering support for Elise Stefanik and her campaign to save New York,” said Liz Joy, chair of the Schenectady County GOP. “Elise has consistently delivered for our Upstate communities, and we trust she’s the right person to tackle the challenges New Yorkers face.” Trish Turner, chairwoman of the Ontario County GOP and regional chair for the Finger Lakes, said Stefanik’s early organizing has impressed leaders statewide. “It was a great honor to host Congresswoman Elise Stefanik in my home for a gathering of county Republican chairs from the Finger Lakes, Western New York, Central New York and the Southern Tier,” Turner said. “The energy and enthusiasm in the room were inspiring, and it was clear that many leaders from across our regions are excited about her candidacy for NYS governor. Congresswoman Stefanik’s vision, leadership and deep commitment to New Yorkers were evident throughout our conversations. The Upstate Chairs who attended expressed not only strong support, but also genuine enthusiasm to get involved and help drive momentum in the months ahead.” Dutchess County GOP Chairman Mike McCormack echoed that sentiment, telling Fox News Digital, “I’m with Elise, and that’s not changing. We need to focus on saving our state, and she’s the hope for New York.” KEY TRUMP ALLY JUMPS INTO NEW YORK GOVERNOR’S RACE DAYS AFTER SHOCKING MAMDANI MAYORAL VICTORY Even as Stefanik’s margins grow, Blakeman has continued visiting counties upstate and has attempted to contrast himself as an executive-focused candidate who leads one of the state’s largest suburban counties. In prior public remarks, Blakeman has argued Stefanik’s national profile draws attention away from New York-specific issues. But GOP chairs say those arguments haven’t changed their “unwavering support” for Stefanik. Blakeman’s electoral record has also become a talking point among Republican officials who describe Stefanik as a proven winner. Over the course of his multi-decade political career, Blakeman has lost a statewide comptroller race by more than 30 points in 1998, a Nassau County Legislature race in 1999, dropped out of the 2009 New York City mayoral contest, lost a 2010 U.S. Senate primary by more than 20 points and lost a 2014 congressional race in NY-14, the same year Stefanik won her seat. Stefanik, by contrast, has never lost an election and raises annually what Blakeman has raised over multiple cycles. Stefanik secured more than 72% of the weighted vote on the very first day she launched her gubernatorial campaign and has only expanded her margin since. With the backing of 40 of New York’s 45 Conservative Party organizations, which control their own separate ballot line, she is positioned to secure both the GOP and Conservative nominations long before either party’s convention. Early unity around Stefanik could allow Republicans to focus resources on the general election well ahead of schedule, a rare advantage for GOP candidates in deep blue New York. The New York Republican Party’s convention is scheduled for early next year, with the petitioning period opening soon after. If Stefanik’s level of support holds through the convention, she would secure the nomination outright, leaving any challenger to attempt the 15,000-signature petition process instead of running through the party’s formal endorsement. For now, pollster James Johnson calls the primary a “done deal.” “Stefanik seems to dominate the Republican vote. It’s a done deal,” Johnson said.
A look back at the biggest presidential Thanksgiving scandals, surprises
Thanksgiving typically slows the news as Americans gather with family and friends. But the holiday also has a habit of amplifying Washington, D.C.’s political drama and surprises. Americans are no strangers to controversy and scandals, including a handful that have played out across the decades as citizens gathered around the dinner table for Thanksgiving or headed out for Black Friday shopping. Fox News Digital took a look back at the biggest scandals and political events that rocked Washington, D.C., around the fall holiday. 5 FACTS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THANKSGIVING YOU CAN SHARE BETWEEN BITES OF TURKEY THIS HOLIDAY The Saturday before Thanksgiving in 1973, President Richard Nixon held a press conference in Orlando, Florida, where he famously said he was not a “crook” as the Watergate break-in and subsequent scandal came to light. At the heart of the scandal were Nixon’s efforts to obstruct justice by directing a cover-up of the Watergate office complex break-in, including suppressing the FBI’s investigation, paying hush money and misusing federal agencies to shield his administration from scrutiny. As the scandal surrounding the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters heated up, Nixon defended himself in a televised Q&A with newspaper editors gathered at Walt Disney World for a convention. “Let me just say this, and I want to say this to the television audience: I made my mistakes, but in all of my years of public life, I have never profited, never profited from public service. I have earned every cent,” Nixon said, initially answering questions about his personal finances. “And in all of my years of public life, I have never obstructed justice. “And I think, too, that I could say that in my years of public life, that I welcome this kind of examination, because people have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I am not a crook. I have earned everything I have got.” Nixon resigned in August 1974 with an impeachment process underway and a grand jury prepared to indict him on charges of bribery, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and obstruction of a criminal investigation related to the Watergate cover-up. Nixon was later pardoned and did not face any federal prosecution in the matter. Details unraveled about the Iran–Contra affair in the early days of November 1986 before crescendoing the week of Thanksgiving, including then-President Ronald Reagan dismissing Lt. Col. Oliver North and announcing the resignation of National Security Advisor John Poindexter two days before the holiday. News began to percolate overseas in early November 1986 that the U.S. made a secret arms sale to Iran to secure the release of American hostages held in Lebanon. U.S. officials later divulged the funds from the deal were used to fund an anti-communist rebel group in Nicaragua called the Contras. Two days before Thanksgiving, Reagan announced he had dismissed North from the National Security Council, with Poindexter resigning that same day. On Thanksgiving eve, Reagan announced the creation of a Special Review Board to review the National Security Council’s role in the deal, later known as the Tower Commission. MEET THE AMERICAN WHO GAVE THE NATION OUR FIRST THANKSGIVING ORIGIN STORY: PILGRIM EDWARD WINSLOW The fallout from the report continued over the holiday and even into the George H.W. Bush administration, when the president granted pardons to a handful of individuals involved on Christmas Eve 1992. While many Americans were out shopping on Black Friday in 1998, the Clinton White House delivered President Bill Clinton’s written responses to 81 questions from House Judiciary related to his affair with intern Monica Lewinsky as part of an impeachment inquiry. Clinton already had declared to the nation that he “did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky” in January 1998, and the House authorized an impeachment inquiry in October that intensified around the Thanksgiving holiday. The Judiciary had sent Clinton 81 questions that focused on his relationship with Lewinsky based on independent counsel Kenneth Starr’s report that included evidence related to the affair allegations. Clinton returned the 81 questions on Black Friday, which included questions about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky and his conduct in the Paula Jones case, which accused him of sexual harassment in 1994. Judiciary Republicans accused Clinton of playing “word games” in his responses, which included Clinton denying he committed perjury or obstructing justice, and the impeachment inquiry continued. TRUMP, DEMOCRATS LOCKED IN ENDLESS CYCLES OF PAYBACK AFTER COMEY INDICTMENT AND TARGETING PRESIDENT’S ENEMIES The House ultimately impeached Clinton on charges of perjury to a grand jury and obstruction of justice related to his efforts to conceal the affair with an intern, while the Senate voted to acquit Clinton on both articles of impeachment. In a more light-hearted Thanksgiving political event, President George W. Bush quietly traveled to Iraq in 2003 to meet with the troops stationed in Baghdad. The visit, cloaked in secrecy until he was there, marked the first time a sitting president visited Iraq. AMERICA’S ‘UNIQUE’ THANKSGIVING STUFFING PREFERENCES STATE-BY-STATE “Our planners worked to answer every question,” Bush said at the time about the intense planning for the trip. “I had a lot of questions.” Bush was on the ground for over two hours before he made the trip back to the U.S. The trip set off some claims that the president was working for a political gain ahead of the 2004 election, while the administration brushed off such claims while stressing the commander in chief’s visit was focused on supporting the troops amid a war. Just after 4 p.m. on the eve of Thanksgiving in 2020, Trump announced he delivered a full pardon to his former national security advisor, retired Army Gen. Michael Flynn. The White House later in the day released a statement saying Flynn “should never have been prosecuted” and that the pardon ends “the relentless, partisan pursuit of an innocent man.” TRUMP ISSUES SWEEPING PARDONS FOR 2020 ELECTION ALLIES — WHAT THE MOVE REALLY MEANS “While today’s action sets right an injustice against an
Political turkeys of 2025: Blunders of 2025 that will never be pardoned by the public
With the year winding down, 2025 has left many top Democratic figures wishing things had turned out differently — or maybe that the public had put its focus elsewhere. Here are the top political turkeys ripped by conservatives in the past year. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has received scorching criticisms from Republicans and Democrats alike in the wake of a 43-day government shutdown that left Democrats empty-handed. Democrats led by Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., had refused to advance spending legislation to keep the government open past Oct. 1 without first considering extensions to supplemental funding for Obamacare. CHUCK SCHUMER BECOMES TOP TARGET FROM MEDIA PERSONALITIES AMID SHUTDOWN FALLOUT But by the end of a painful and highly visible shutdown — the longest in the country’s history — Republicans had rebuffed efforts to negotiate over the subsidies. Without an off-ramp or negotiating strategy, even the chamber’s most progressive members expressed doubts about continuing the shutdown. “I just don’t get what the point is of delaying even longer,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said just moments after a key vote to reopen the government cleared the Senate. Many Democrats in and out of Congress blamed Schumer for failing to either keep Democrats united in their standoff over the subsidies or for failing to deliver on some other sort of concession. Across both chambers on Capitol Hill, Schumer faces questions about his continued role as the party’s leader in the Senate. The country’s worst kept secret got a fresh coat of paint in 2025 when a groundbreaking book by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson took readers behind the scenes of President Joe Biden’s physical decline — and the effort to hide it. Questions about what Vice President Kamala Harris knew about Biden’s cognitive state rebounded in the wake of the book’s publication. Harris, who maintains that Biden could have served out another term, would eventually take his place as the Democrat on the ticket in 2024. At the time, Harris’ stand-in for Biden was seen by many in the party as the obvious choice. But that view soured later when President Donald Trump stormed to victory in November and questions arose about whether Harris should have joined the calls for Biden to step down. KAMALA HARRIS DOESN’T RULE OUT ANOTHER PRESIDENTIAL RUN IN NEW INTERVIEW: ‘I AM NOT DONE’ The presidential walk of fame at the White House features portraits of every president — except one. Instead of President Joe Biden, the Trump administration put up a picture of an autopen, a device used to mimic the signature of someone else, symbolizing President Joe Biden’s reliance on his inner circle to make presidential-level decisions. The House of Representatives launched an investigation into just how much of his power Biden decided to delegate. In a report released in October, the House Oversight Committee slammed the Biden administration for what it called “invalid executive actions.” “The report exposes how President Joe Biden’s top advisors, political operatives, and personal physician concealed the President’s mental and physical decline from the American people. The findings reveal that as President Biden’s condition deteriorated, his aides exercised presidential authority and facilitated executive actions without his direct authorization,” the report states. Questions remain about just how far Biden’s use of the autopen went and whether the legal standing of sensitive decisions like pardons could receive a second look. The former governor of New York attempted a political comeback in 2025 by running for New York City mayor. The bid, which came after disastrous management of the state’s nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic and sexual harassment allegations during his time as governor, did little to improve his political standing. Cuomo failed to capture the Democratic Party nomination, losing to Zohran Mamdani by 7.7 percentage points. Refusing to call it quits, Cuomo launched an independent campaign. There, Cuomo again fell behind Mamdani — this time by almost nine points. In addition to a personal loss, Cuomo’s defeat dovetails with questions about whether more traditional Democrats can still compete with the vision offered by far-left figures in the party. “This campaign was necessary to make that point — a caution flag that we are heading down a dangerous, dangerous road,” Cuomo said in his concession speech. “Well, we made that point, and they heard us, and we will hold them to it.” FROM AOC TO ZOHRAN MAMDANI, THE DEMOCRATS ARE PEDDLING FAR-LEFT POLITICS Schumer’s woes over the shutdown weren’t the only sore spot for the Senate minority leader in the last few months. The meteoric rise of Zohran Mamdani put this year’s biggest political turkey in a pressure cooker he could not escape. Schumer first faced questions about Mamdani in the lead-up to the New York mayoral primary. Then reporters began to ask him if he would endorse Mamdani after the self-proclaimed socialist secured the Democratic nomination. And even in the closing days of the race, Schumer faced questions about whether he had made a decision to support the race’s clear frontrunner. Through it all, Schumer gave the same non-answer. “Look, the bottom line is very simple. I have a good relationship with him, and we’re continuing to talk,” Schumer told reporters less than a week out from the election. While other Democrats, including Jeffries, also delayed in giving responses about Mamdani, Schumer’s refusal to speak on the New York City Mayoral race stands out. Schumer’s dismissal of the topic fueled questions about the direction of the Democratic Party and whether its congressional factions could play along with the momentum of its leftward flank. That — coupled with questions about his management of the shutdown — has resulted in some Democrats wondering if the Senate’s top Democrat should move aside for someone new.
Afghan withdrawal refugees had ‘free rein’ on US bases in 2021, sources said, leaving in Ubers untracked
The tragic Wednesday shooting of two West Virginia National Guardsmen in Washington, and President Donald Trump’s call to reexamine green card holders from “countries of concern” including Afghanistan, was predated by a warning from Fox News host Laura Ingraham about the Biden administration’s announcement amid the withdrawal that they were vetting evacuees on the “back end.” The identification of a suspect has raised concerns again about the chaotic 2021 Kabul evacuation and previous reports of misconduct by evacuees on U.S. military bases. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, originally of Afghanistan and once part of a CIA-linked team fighting the Taliban, was identified as the main suspect in the shooting, which has since claimed the life of West Virginia National Guard Spc. Sarah Beckstrom of Nicholas County, West Virginia. On Friday, “Ingraham Angle” host Laura Ingraham told Fox News Digital she and other conservatives have been sounding the alarm on failures of Biden-era vetting following the withdrawal ever since the Fox News host exclusively broke the story in September 2021 that members of Congress brought concerns over chaos at Army bases holding refugees directly to the State Department. TRUMP ORDER PUTS THOUSANDS OF AFGHAN ALLIES WAITING FOR US RESETTLEMENT IN LIMBO “Soon after the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal, it was obvious that their intent was to bring as many Afghans into the U.S. as possible,” Ingraham wrote in an email Friday. “Conservatives, including myself, raised serious concerns about the cost, the difficulty of assimilation and potential threats posed to no avail,” she said. “The Biden team didn’t care. “We kept hearing, ‘But we promised,’ — Americans didn’t promise anything — and they shouldn’t be forced to keep paying for previous presidents’ horrendous mistakes.” In September 2021, Ingraham reported exclusively that a top Republican demanded answers from then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the reports out of Fort Pickett in Blackstone, Virginia, depicting chaos and unvetted, unaccounted for evacuees. As Ingraham pointed out, Blinken had said the State Department tried to “get as many people out as fast as we can, while we had the airport functioning. We focused on doing just that, and we’re doing accountings on the back end as people arrive in the United States.” “That’s your Secretary of State admitting that he didn’t care about vetting these folks before we brought them to U.S. Soil,” Ingraham said at the time. “And if you thought they would be securely held on US military bases, well, think again.” Then-Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee exclusively provided Ingraham with a letter he wrote demanding answers from Blinken. “I’ve recently been made aware from someone at Fort Pickett, Virginia, that Afghan evacuees basically have free rein of the complex and have even been allowed to leave, despite not having completed the vetting process,” Green wrote. VETERANS GROUPS URGE TRUMP ADMIN TO CONTINUE AFGHAN ALLY SUPPORT PROGRAM AMID BUDGET CUT CONCERNS “My sources made shocking allegations, including multiple incidents of sexual assault and several evacuees have been picked up by Uber drivers without any permission from authorities or being cleared to leave.” Green called upon his own combat service in Afghanistan as an Army special operations flight surgeon to request confirmation or denial of the allegations made by the source, telling Blinken the reports pose an obvious national security risk. At the time, Ingraham contrasted Green’s letter with Blinken’s public statements. During a news conference at the time, Blinken said that in the administration’s effort to get “as many people out (of Afghanistan) as fast as we can, while we had the (Hamid Karzai) Airport functioning, we focused on doing just that. DEMS’ RESPONSE TO ISIS LEADER ARREST ‘DISTURBING,’ SAYS FATHER OF MARINE KILLED AT ABBEY GATE “We’re doing accountings on the back end as people arrive in the United States,” Blinken told reporters at the time. “If you thought they would be securely held on U.S. military bases, think again,” Ingraham said of Green’s revelation. DOZENS OF HOUSE LAWMAKERS RALLY AROUND FUNDING AFGHAN VISA PROGRAM AS TRUMP VOWS MAJOR SPENDING CUTS Ingraham added Friday in comments to Fox News Digital that Afghan evacuees from Biden’s withdrawal not only come from a culture hostile to Western values, but they are often “all too dependent on the U.S. taxpayers to support them and their families.” “This must end — (it’s) yet another calamitous Biden mistake President Trump is forced to address,” she said. In his discussion with Ingraham after the withdrawal, Green, a member of and later chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee who left public life earlier in 2025, said he was hearing similar reports from bases beyond Fort Pickett, Virginia. NAVAL OFFICER SENTENCED IN AFGHAN SIV BRIBERY SCHEME AMID SCRUTINY OF VISA PROGRAM AFTER TERROR PLOT EXPOSED “DOD is getting its directions on how to handle these situations by the State Department,” Green claimed. “And the State Department is failing to give them adequate information. They’re letting them leave. They can catch an Uber and actually leave the base. They don’t know exactly how many are even there. “So, they can’t account for someone if they don’t return.” Green said officials warned evacuees that if they leave the base their visa processing would stop but that such a warning appeared to have little effect on those who may have left. JD VANCE CLASHES WITH CBS ANCHOR OVER UNVETTED REFUGEES: ‘I DON’T WANT THAT PERSON IN MY COUNTRY’ “Then you get the shocking allegations of harassment and sexual assault, and it’s just horrific,” he said. At the time, Ingraham reported many of the evacuees on the planes out of Kabul came with no personal documentation at all, and she questioned how any “vetting” could be done of people who couldn’t begin to prove their own identity. When contacted by Fox News at the time, the Biden State Department said, as a general rule, it did not comment on communications with Congress. HEGSETH ORDERS PENTAGON TO LAUNCH COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW INTO ‘CATASTROPHIC’ 2021 AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL Alejandro Mayorkas, Homeland Security Secretary at the time, told CBS News that
Trump rips former VP candidate on immigration: ‘Tim Walz does nothing, through fear, incompetence, or both’
President Donald Trump on Thursday slammed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, calling him “seriously r——d” and accusing the governor of failing to address crime and immigration concerns in the blue state. In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump argued that immigration is fueling crime nationwide and straining public services. He pointed to Minnesota as a prime example, claiming that “Somalian gangs are roving the streets” of what he described as a “once great state.” “A very Happy Thanksgiving salutation to all of our Great American Citizens and Patriots who have been so nice in allowing our Country to be divided, disrupted, carved up, murdered, beaten, mugged, and laughed at, along with certain other foolish countries throughout the World, for being ‘Politically Correct,’ and just plain STUPID, when it comes to Immigration,” Trump said. WHITE HOUSE RIPS ‘IMBECILIC BUFFOON’ TIM WALZ AFTER TRUMP TARIFF CRITICISM Trump said the nation’s 53 million foreign-born residents are largely “on welfare, from failed nations, or from prisons, mental institutions, gangs, or drug cartels” and argued that American taxpayers are being forced to shoulder the cost. He further claimed that a migrant earning $30,000 with a green card receives “roughly $50,000 in yearly benefits for their family.” “This refugee burden is the leading cause of social dysfunction in America,” Trump said, blaming it for issues including crime, urban decline, overcrowded hospitals, housing shortages and growing deficits. Trump pointed to Minnesota, alleging that “hundreds of thousands of refugees from Somalia are completely taking over” the state and claiming that Governor Walz “does nothing” in response. “Somalian gangs are roving the streets looking for ‘prey’ as our wonderful people stay locked in their apartments and houses hoping against hope that they will be left alone,” Trump said. “The seriously r——d Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, does nothing, either through fear, incompetence, or both.” 5 TIMES DEMOCRATS BLASTED ICE WITH HARSH RHETORIC Walz responded on X to a screenshot of the Truth Social post, writing: “Release the MRI results.” Indiana state Senator Michael Bohacek, who has a daughter with Down syndrome, condemned Trump’s language as “insulting and derogatory,” saying the president’s “words have consequences.” “I have been an unapologetic advocate for people with intellectual disabilities since the birth of my second daughter,” Bohacek said. “… This is not the first time our president has used these insulting and derogatory references and his choices of words have consequences. I will be voting NO on redistricting, perhaps he can use the next 10 months to convince voters that his policies and behavior deserve a congressional majority.” In the post, Trump also targeted Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn, calling her the “worst congressman/woman in our Country.” “Ilhan Omar, always wrapped in her swaddling hijab, and who probably came into the U.S.A. illegally in that you are not allowed to marry your brother, does nothing but hatefully complain about our Country, its Constitution, and how ‘badly’ she is treated, when her place of origin is a decadent, backward, and crime ridden nation, which is essentially not even a country for lack of Government, Military, Police, schools, etc,” Trump said. WALZ REPEATS DEBUNKED CLAIM THAT TRUMP CONSIDERS WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM ‘TOP PRIORITY’ The comments follow shortly after the Thanksgiving Eve shooting in Washington, D.C., that left one West Virginia National Guard member dead and another clinging to his life. The suspect, Rahmahullah Lakanwal, is an Afghan national who reportedly worked with a CIA-operated unit that fought the Taliban on America’s behalf, Fox News Digital confirmed, which helped evacuate people during the fall of Kabul under then-President Joe Biden. The White House, Governor Walz and Rep. Omar did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.