Georgia GOP expels former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan from party, citing alleged disloyalty
The Georgia Republican Party’s State Executive Committee has voted to expel former GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan from being associated with the party, pointing to his alleged efforts to undermine Republican candidates. The decision, approved unanimously, was finalized on Jan. 6, cutting Duncan’s ties to the GOP after years of accusations of disloyalty. The resolution makes several allegations against Duncan, including accusations that he undermined GOP candidates, endorsed Democrat opponents and used his affiliation with the Republican Party for personal gain. In a post on X, Duncan suggested that the resolution was not a good use of the party’s time. JIMMY CARTER’S FUNERAL SERVICES BEGIN WITH TREK TO CHILDHOOD HOME, ATLANTA “Hard to believe this is a good use of time for a party that’s only got a limited amount of time to figure out mass deportations, world peace and global tariffs. Learn how to take a victory lap not light another dumpster fire @JoshMcKoon,” he wrote, calling out the Georgia GOP chair. According to the resolution, Duncan is “banned from all property owned or leased by the Georgia Republican Party and all events held by or under the authority of the Georgia Republican Party.” The Georgia GOP said Duncan is prohibited from qualifying as a candidate for the Georgia Republican Party. The group also said his previous GOP nominations for lieutenant governor and, before that, the state House of Representatives, both races in which he won the primary and general elections, have been expunged. The resolution demanded Duncan cease calling himself a Republican for personal profit or to undermine and sabotage the Republican Party and its candidates. The state party also urged media outlets to refer to Duncan as an “expelled Republican” in future references. The resolution claims Duncan undermined and sabotaged some Republican candidates, including current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and failed 2022 Senate candidate Herschel Walker. It also notes Duncan’s public endorsements during the 2024 presidential race of President Biden and, when Biden dropped out, his subsequent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as a violation of his allegiance to the GOP. GEORGIA AG URGES STATE SUPREME COURT TO REJECT DA WILLIS’ APPEAL IN TRUMP CASE Georgia Republican Party chair Josh McKoon previously demanded that Duncan stop using his Republican credentials in public and media appearances. The resolution also claims Duncan engaged in a “pattern of false and exaggerated claims” about his education and career. The Georgia GOP additionally said Duncan, in his role as a CNN commentator, used his Republican title to “attack the Republican Party.”
Republicans look to finally push through Laken Riley bill with new GOP trifecta
FIRST ON FOX: Senate Republicans are preparing to take up several measures in the new year that were denied votes by Democrats in the last Congress. The first of these is the Laken Riley Act, being reintroduced by Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and teed up for a vote by the end of the week. The measure was named for the 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student who was found dead on the University of Georgia’s campus in February. Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant, was found guilty of 10 total counts, including felony murder. He initially pleaded not guilty. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in November. The bill would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest and detain illegal immigrants that have committed theft, burglary or shoplifting until they are deported. Additionally, states would have standing under the legislation to take civil action against members of the federal government that do not enforce immigration law. KAMALA HARRIS MAKES TRUMP’S 2024 PRESIDENTIAL WIN OFFICIAL DURING JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS “It’s impossible to fully describe what was taken from Laken and from our family on February 22, 2024. Laken’s life was abundantly and exceptionally full of promise. She was a beautiful, shining beacon in the life of everyone who knew her. Not only did the people who knew and loved Laken lose a beautiful soul, but so did our world. Laken shared her love for Jesus with everyone she encountered. Laken’s passion for sharing her faith through acts of kindness were felt by everyone she met. Laken was selfless, hardworking and made those around her feel special. Laken did not just talk about her faith, she led by example,” said Allyson and John Phillips, Laken Riley’s mother and stepfather, in a statement. “The Laken Riley Act has our full support because it would help save innocent lives and prevent more families from going through the kind of heartbreak we’ve experienced. Laken would have been 23 on January 10th. There is no greater gift that could be given to her and our country than to continue her legacy by saving lives through this bill. Every single member of Congress should be able to get behind this purely commonsense bill that will make our country and communities safer. We thank Congressman Mike Collins, Senator Katie Britt, and Senator Ted Budd for continuing to work to honor Laken’s legacy and get this legislation enacted into law.” It was first introduced in the House by Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., in March and in the Senate by Britt. PRO-ISRAEL DEM COULD TIP SCALES IN KEY SENATE COMMITTEE AS MIDDLE EAST WAR CONTINUES However, the bill never received a Senate floor vote relating to the standalone legislation. Republicans have an incoming trifecta in the federal government, unified in its prioritization of the southern border and tackling illegal immigration, and GOP lawmakers see a big opportunity to push through key legislation. “Last year, Laken Riley was stolen from this earth—from her family and friends and from achieving her dreams—by a brutal, heartless killer. Make no mistake—he never should have been in the United States, much less allowed to freely roam American streets after being charged with multiple crimes. Laken’s murder was the direct consequence of willful open border policies,” Britt said in a statement to Fox News Digital. HOUSE REPUBLICANS REJOICE OVER QUICK SPEAKER VOTE WITH ONLY ONE DEFECTOR “The American people did not just deliver a mandate on November 5, they delivered a verdict. They made it clear they want to remove criminal illegal aliens and protect American families. We will soon know whether Democrats hear, respect, and obey that verdict. Congress has an obligation to Laken, her family, and to families in every corner of our country to do everything in our power to help prevent this type of tragedy from occurring again. That’s why it’s imperative we pass the commonsense Laken Riley Act with all due haste. No other American family needs to feel the pain Laken’s family still feels 320 days after losing her,” she added. Collins said in his own statement, “An illegal criminal came into my district and killed Laken Riley because our local law enforcement did not have the tools to stop him. Laken fought until her last breath, and so will I until this bill crosses the finish line and lands on the President’s desk.” The measure was co-led in the Senate by Sen. Tedd Budd, R-N.C., who said in a statement, “What happened to Laken Riley should never happen to any American citizen. As we turn the page from the disastrous open-border policies of Joe Biden, the Laken Riley Act will empower the Trump administration to enforce our laws, keep our nation secure, and prevent tragedies. I thank Senator Britt for her partnership and her leadership in this bipartisan effort.” Now that Republicans control the Senate, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., at the helm, a vote is expected on the bill, and in short measure. ‘LIVES DEPEND ON IT’: REPUBLICANS PUSH FOR PROMPT TRUMP CONFIRMATIONS IN WAKE OF NEW ORLEANS ATTACK A source familiar shared with Fox News Digital that a vote in the upper chamber is likely to take place on Friday, and Democrats will be forced to go on the record. If the measure is only backed by Republicans, it will fail to overcome the legislative filibuster, which requires that bills garner 60 votes in order to end debate and proceed. Notably, new Democratic Sens. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., voted in favor of the bill in the House last year. The vote will put a spotlight on the Georgia Senate delegation, as Riley was a constituent of theirs. In particular, all eyes will be on Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., who is up for re-election in 2026 in the state that President-elect Donald Trump won.
Tuesday’s special elections in Virginia could give early insight into governor race, 2026 midterms
A trio of special elections Tuesday in Virginia will give Americans their first look at suburban voting trends for the 2025 gubernatorial sweeps and 2026 midterms. A federal election shakeup last cycle in once-deep-red Loudoun County led a pair of state lawmakers to vacate their seats and announce bids for the next legislative level above them. Loudoun, halfway between Charles Town, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C., has trended blue in recent years amid exurban sprawl from liberal Washingtonians leaving the District of Columbia – and has been the epicenter of national controversies over transgender policies and in-school assaults. Additionally, the upset of now-former U.S. Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., in Lynchburg set the stage for a third special election as Democrats control the Virginia state Senate by a sole vote amid Republican Glenn Youngkin’s governorship. YOUNGKIN INVITES NEW TRUMP ADMIN TO SETTLE IN VA OVER DC, MD While Democrats appear favored in the pair of Loudoun races, political watchers are keying into Republicans’ performance in the albeit typically low-turnout affairs as a sign of things to come once Youngkin is term-limited from his perch later this year. Virginia and New Jersey – two states where President-elect Trump and the GOP overperformed but still lost – host odd-year governorship elections that the mogul’s 2024 performance already presaged as must-watch. Youngkin’s performance in Loudoun and other blue counties didn’t win him the areas outright but drew enough votes from former Gov. Terry McAuliffe to score a major statewide upset in 2021. The GOP is hoping for a similar performance this fall, and a win in both the one Loudoun and one Southside Senate seats would shift control of the chamber to Republicans. A win by Republicans in the delegate seat would also lead to a tied lower chamber, knocking Democrats out of sole leadership. A GOP sweep would give the party full control in Richmond not seen since George W. Bush was president. DOJ ONCE OK’D KAINE-ERA LAW AT CENTER OF YOUNGKIN VOTE CULLING ORDER FEDS NOW SUING TO BLOCK Youngkin told Fox News Digital on Friday he is bullish on Republicans’ chances on Tuesday, saying that the two Loudoun candidates particularly have a chance to build on what he has long dubbed Virginia’s success story: “Tumay Harding and Ram Venkatachalam are commonsense conservative leaders who will be incredible partners in our work to provide further tax relief for Virginia families, address the most hated car tax, protect our communities from dangerous sanctuary city policies, and keep parents at the head seat of the table in their children’s lives,” Youngkin said. “I look forward to rallying with Tumay, Ram, and Virginians who are ready to bring strong representation for Loudoun County in Richmond.” Delegate Kannan Srinivasan, D-Brambleton, announced a bid to succeed U.S. Rep-elect Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., after the latter won the open seat of retiring Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Va. That left Srinivasan’s House of Delegates seat open. Venkatachalam, an Indian immigrant and IT professional for Deloitte, highlighted on his campaign site his positions on several Loudoun community boards, and his focus on lowering taxes and heightening public safety. Singh, a former adviser to Sen. Christopher Coons, D-Del., and a Peace Corps veteran, is the Democratic candidate. “Voters are experiencing a range of emotions after Trump won the election – there’s anger, frustration, disappointment, sadness,” Singh told Politico. “But when you communicate the stakes of this special election… the enthusiasm jolts right up.” In turn, Srinivasan – who was then-Gov. Ralph Northam’s appointee to the state Medicaid board – is facing Harding, a teacher and small business owner, for the open state Senate seat surrounding John Foster Dulles International Airport. In Southside Virginia, with Rep-elect. John McGuire, R-Va., having unseated Good in Congress, his heavily-Republican state Senate district has been left without an occupant. The sprawling district, covering all or parts of nearly a dozen counties between Interstate 64 and US-460, includes a diverse mix of Richmond exurbs, iconic Civil War sites and agricultural lands. Professor Jack Trammell, of Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia, is the Democrat facing off against Republican Luther Cifers. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Cifers, who grew up in a farming area outside Amelia Court House, Virginia, and now owns a company specializing in kayaking and fishing products, is heavily favored based on historical data. “I’m not a politician, but I believe our government functions best when working citizens participate,” Cifers said in a statement on his website. Meanwhile, Trammell said in a statement released by the Henrico Democrats that he and his volunteers have been “out across the district talking to voters at events, on their porches, and over the phone.”
Pardons, Israel, domestic terrorism and more: Biden’s plans for final days of presidency
Additional pardons, measures to prevent homegrown political extremism, and more military aid for Israel are among the plans that Biden and his administration have during their final days before passing the baton to President-elect Donald Trump and his team. Biden will end his presidency with one more international trip, during which he will travel to Italy and Vatican City to meet with Pope Francis, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella. Biden’s trip to the Vatican is aimed at discussing ways to advance peace around the world with Pope Francis, and his time with Italy’s heads of state will serve to highlight the strength of the U.S.-Italy alliance, the White House said. Biden also plans to thank Meloni for her leadership of the G7 over the last year and discuss future challenges facing the globe’s leading nations. TRUMP BLASTS BIDEN FOR LAST-MINUTE POLICY MOVES, CALLS OUT PRESIDENT FOR MAKING TRANSITION MORE DIFFICULT Upon Biden’s return from overseas, the president will address the nation twice more before Trump’s inauguration, sources in the Biden administration told NBC News. The first speech will focus on foreign policy, while the second will serve as a farewell address for Biden to be held during his final days in the Oval Office. Neither speech has been fully drafted, sources said Saturday. Sources familiar also indicated that Biden is considering additional pardons for people deemed to have been given unusually harsh sentences, measures to combat domestic violent extremism in the U.S., and additional military funding – roughly $8 billion, the State Department said – to Israel amid its ongoing war with Hamas. The pardons come after Biden set a record for the largest single-day act of clemency when he commuted the sentences of roughly 1,500 people in mid-December. Sources told NBC News that Biden was also still considering pre-emptive pardons for those who might face political retribution from Trump. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice indicated Monday that it was still weighing whether to prosecute an additional 200 Jan. 6 cases in the final days before Trump takes office, during which he is expected to grant pardons to many of those who were convicted of crimes related to their participation in the events of that day. In addition to the plans of action that Biden and his administration plan to take ahead of Trump’s inauguration, it is also notable that Biden will not act on pressure to bolster protections for transgender student athletes or cancel any additional student loan debt, according to the Associated Press. BIDEN TRIES TO REHABILITATE STROM THURMOND’S IMAGE DAYS BEFORE LEAVING OFFICE Biden’s actions after Trump’s election victory in November have garnered criticism from both sides of the aisle. “This is one of the lamest of lame ducks we’ve seen with a Democratic administration,” a spokesperson for progressive nonprofit Justice Democrats said last month. “There is no leadership coming from the White House,” a Democrat close to senior lawmakers also said. “There is a total vacuum.” Some Democrat lawmakers, such as Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, were angry at Biden’s lack of resistance to many of Trump’s Cabinet picks. Republicans, on the other hand, have challenged Biden’s actions during the final weeks of his presidency as an affront to the American public who voted for Trump. BIDEN ADMIN REPORT COULD SLOW TRUMP’S EFFORTS TO UNLEASH DOMESTIC NATURAL GAS, EXPERTS SAY “On his way out the door, President Biden is governing as he has always wanted, as a far-left ideologue hellbent on pushing the country in a direction detached from the will of the voters,” GOP campaign strategist Colin Reed said. “While Trump can undo whatever Biden does, Biden is trying to create litigation traps for Trump that will discourage investors from projects on public lands,” added American Energy Institute fellow Steve Milloy after news broke Monday that Biden was once again moving to restrict domestic energy production on certain land. This move is part of a series of actions Biden has taken in his final weeks to strengthen the country’s defenses against Trump’s plans to reverse many of his green energy initiatives. Trump blasted Biden’s last-minute policy decisions in an interview Monday, calling out the lame-duck president for making a “smooth transition” more difficult. “I see it just came over that Biden has banned all oil and gas drilling across 625 million acres of U.S. coastal territory. It’s just ridiculous. I’ll un-ban it immediately. I have the right to un-ban it immediately. What’s he doing? Why is he doing it?” Trump said during an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. “You know we have something that nobody else has. Nobody has to the extent we have it, and it’ll be more by the time we finish, because I’ll be able to expand.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
President Carter to lie in state at US Capitol ahead of National Cathedral funeral
Former President Jimmy Carter’s body will be brought to the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday afternoon where he will lie in state for three days before a state funeral in Washington, D.C. Carter died last week on Dec. 29, at the age of 100. His death came just over a year after the passing of his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and other congressional leaders announced last month that Carter would lie in state, writing a letter to his son, James Carter III. JIMMY CARTER, 39TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DEAD AT 100 “In recognition of President Carter’s long and distinguished service to the nation, it is our intention to ask the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate to permit his remains lie in state in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol,” the leaders wrote. “With your approval, we will move forward with these arrangements so that the American people have the opportunity to pay their respects to President Carter before he is laid to rest.” Carter’s ceremonial arrival to the Capitol Rotunda is expected on Tuesday afternoon, and will feature remarks from Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. Members of the public will be able to view Carter’s casket from early Wednesday through early morning Thursday. The former Democratic commander in chief’s body arrives in Washington, D.C., Tuesday afternoon lying in repose at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, Georgia. A week-long memorial began in Carter’s hometown of Plains, Georgia, on Saturday morning. Former U.S. Secret Service agents who protected Carter carried his casket as pallbearers when it left the Phoebe Sumter Medical Center. JIMMY CARTER EXPECTED TO LIE IN ROTUNDA AHEAD OF STATE FUNERAL SCHEDULED BY BIDEN “Every overpass had people on it. It was amazing and gave you goosebumps just to sit in the van and see the reactions of the people of Georgia,” his son said at the funeral in Atlanta. Carter’s state funeral service will be held at the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday morning. The former president will then end his final journey with a private funeral service in Plains, before being interred in a private ceremony at the Carter family residence.
Messy backstage jockeying in Trump transition could shape Hill strategy four years after Jan. 6
A Republican senator was expressing his unhappiness to Susie Wiles, the incoming White House chief of staff. “I texted you three days ago,” the lawmaker said. Wiles, who ran Donald Trump’s campaign, said she got it and would respond, without sounding like she was in a rush. There’s little doubt that her phone must be flooded with messages from people who want a job – or influence – in the incoming Trump administration. DONALD TRUMP’S TOUGH TALK—BUY GREENLAND! TAKE BACK PANAMA CANAL!—SPARKS DEFIANCE FROM MANY REPUBLICAN REBELS But the jockeying sheds light on a dilemma that Trump may face in a city that he controls, with both houses of Congress under Republican management (and Kamala Harris peacefully certifying the transfer of power yesterday, four years to the day after the Capitol riot). The flip side of nearly unlimited clout is that when things go wrong, there’s no one else to blame. And then there’s the black hole known as Congress. Having dragged Mike Johnson across the finish line in the election for speaker, by making calls even from his golf course, Trump now faces a dilemma after the Christmas debt ceiling battle that just delayed the budget fight until March. Using a process known as reconciliation, which lowers the threshold from 60 Senate votes to 51 – both parties have used this for party-line dominance – Trump favors “one big beautiful bill.” That would include budget cuts, energy deregulation, tax cuts, the border crackdown and other presidential priorities. But many on the Hill support two separate bills, and some in Trump World believe Congress simply doesn’t have the bandwidth to take the kitchen-sink approach. So the big beautiful bill might not get passed until June, depriving the 47th president of an early win. TRUMP MAKES A BLIZZARD OF NEWS, SHOWS RESTRAINT AT PRESSER, EVEN WHILE SLAMMING THE MEDIA Johnson will have just a 1-vote margin, making it hard for him to deliver the deep spending cuts that the hardliners want in an echo of the battle that toppled Kevin McCarthy. In the meantime, the Homeland Security Department would have difficulty mounting a major initiative because, like other agencies, it’s operating on the stopgap spending budget that nearly shut down the government at Christmas. The risk of pushing two bills is that once the first one passes, the momentum may dissipate for approving a second measure, even if it contains such Trump priorities as tax cuts. Trump hedged his bets yesterday, telling radio host Hugh Hewitt: “I would prefer one, but…I’m open to either way, as long as we get something passed as quickly as possible.” Washington is a city obsessed with titles and perceived influence, and that will impact the way the White House is run. Wiles has helped downgrade some jobs that have always been assistant to the president titles to deputy assistant to the president–something no sane outsider would care about but which is a major deal for the insiders. That’s because after reaching the limit for assistant jobs, the only alternative was to create a bunch of deputy slots. Wiles, for her part, has told Axios: “I don’t welcome people who want to work solo or be a star… My team and I will not tolerate backbiting, second-guessing inappropriately, or drama. These are counterproductive to the mission.” Karoline Leavitt, the incoming press secretary, is also being deprived of the big office that has been used by her predecessors for at least three decades. That’s going to another communications aide. I can remember being in that second-floor office when Mike McCurry was press secretary, and Bill Clinton walking in and chatting while I was working on my book “Spin Cycle.” The reason for the large office was the gaggles taking place with the press, and sometimes interviews, which could not be accommodated by most smallish West Wing offices. Anyone in Wiles’ sensitive position would invariably upset some officials during a process that determines winners and losers. But Trump views her as a grandmother and doesn’t yell at her the way he might at other officials over a disagreement. As for Elon Musk’s powerful role, Trump enjoys the company of wealthy people, and the X owner is the richest person on the planet. So he has influence until he doesn’t, if there is a future falling out. MUSK RENEWS HARSH REBUKE OF DEMS WHO REJECTED DEPORTING SEX OFFENDERS: VOTE OUT ‘EVERY ONE’ Besides, it will be harder for Musk to hang around once Trump moves from Mar-a-Lago to the White House, unless he wants to give Elon the Lincoln Bedroom. For now, the transition is organized chaos. But as Trump knows all too well, having done this job before, when there’s a terror attack or border incident or rising grocery prices on his watch, he owns it. Meanwhile, with Kamala Harris certifying her own defeat in routine fashion yesterday – drawing live coverage considering the history of Jan. 6 – Donald Trump posted this: “Biden is doing everything possible to make the TRANSITION as difficult as possible, from Lawfare such as has never been seen before, to costly and ridiculous Executive Orders on the Green New Scam and other money wasting Hoaxes. Fear not, these ‘Orders’ will all be terminated shortly, and we will become a Nation of Common Sense and Strength. MAGA!!!” Is that worse than what happened on Jan. 6, 202? SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES It’s true that the outgoing president has, among other things, issued orders to stop oil exploration along 625 million acres offshore, but there’s no reason the “drill, baby, drill” president can’t reverse that, although it could slow him down. Harris gave a short talk yesterday about the peaceful transfer of power, and Biden made the case in a Washington Post op-ed that we must never forget what happened on that dark day. No matter who you agree with, I think it’s fair to say that issue was litigated in the election, and
President Biden, first lady attend memorial service for Bourbon Street attack victims in New Orleans
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden attended a Monday memorial service for the victims of the Bourbon Street terrorist attack in New Orleans, paying their respects to the 14 victims who died. The event, which was an interfaith prayer service, was hosted at the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, in the French Quarter. The church is located less than a mile away from the scene of the attack, where terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a pickup truck into a crowd of celebrants on New Year’s Day. Biden made short remarks toward the end of the service, expressing sympathy for the victims and their families. “The shock and pain is still so very raw,” Biden, who leaves office in exactly two weeks, said. “My wife Jill and I are here to stand with you, grieve with you, pray with you, [and] let you know you are not alone — the rest of the nation is looking at you as well.” WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT VICTIMS OF NEW ORLEANS TERRORIST ATTACK The president also noted that he recently met two officers who were injured during the attack, and commended the first responders who saved lives amid the chaos. “New Orleans defines strength and resilience,” Biden said. “You define it. Whether it’s in the form of this attack, from this attack or hurricanes or superstorms, this city’s people get back up. That’s the spirit of America as well.” The service came less than a week after the terrorist attack stunned the Big Easy. Jabbar died at the scene, bringing the total number of deaths to 15 as of Jan. 6, and over 30 injuries. Many of the decedents were in their 20s and visited New Orleans from across the U.S., including Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York and New Jersey. The youngest victim who died was 18 years old, and the oldest was 63. NEW ORLEANS TERRORIST, MAN IN LAS VEGAS CYBERTRUCK EXPLOSION SHARED MORE LINKS IN ATTACKS JUST HOURS APART The incident is still under investigation, and federal and local officials are continuing to gather evidence about the terrorist attack. On Sunday, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) said its National Response Team had completed its investigation of Jabbar’s Airbnb in New Orleans. Jabbar, who rented a house on Mandeville Street and left it hours before unleashing his attack, set a fire at the rental house to destroy evidence, but the fire eventually smoldered by the time authorities arrived. Accelerants that Jabbar strategically placed ended up not catching fire, allowing authorities to gather evidence. Officials also found traces of the explosive RDX, or cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, at the rental. The agency noted that Jabbar unknowingly foiled his plans by using an electric match to ignite explosive material that is typically set off by a detonator. “Jabbar used explosive material better suited for a detonator, but he didn’t have access to one, so he used an electric match to set the explosives off,” the ATF’s statement explained. “Jabbar’s lack of experience and crude nature of putting the device together is the reason why he used the wrong device to set the explosives off.” Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Trump escalates plans to acquire Greenland after resident pleads: ‘Denmark’s using us’
President-elect Trump ramped up his calls for the U.S. to take ownership of Greenland in an amusing social media post on Monday. The move comes as the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., is preparing to travel to Greenland on Tuesday. The trip will be undertaken in a personal capacity, and he is not expected to meet with government officials. In a Truth Social post, President-elect Trump said that he was “hearing that the people of Greenland are ‘MAGA’.” The Republican attached a video that purportedly shows a Greenlander asking the U.S. to buy his country. “If you could tell Trump anything, what would it be?” a woman is heard asking the man in the video. “Buy us. Buy Greenland,” the man, who was wearing a MAGA hat, replied. CANADA’S TRUDEAU ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION FOLLOWING PARTY PRESSURE AMID CRITICISMS OF TRUMP, BUDGET HANDLING The Greenlander then added that he “loved Americans” and wanted to be free of the Danish government. “We don’t want to be colonized by Danish government anymore,” he explained. “We get ripped [off] every year [with] our minerals from Greenland. We are the richest nation in the world. And we don’t get to use it. Denmark’s using us too much.” In his message, Trump confirmed that he plans to visit Greenland in the near future and that his son, Donald Trump, Jr., will be in the country soon. The president-elect said that he plans to see some of the island’s “most magnificent areas and sights.” “Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation,” Trump wrote on Monday. “We will protect it, and cherish it, from a very vicious outside World. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!” Trump’s latest post comes two weeks after he first made headlines by expressing support for U.S. ownership of Greenland. “[F]or purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” the president-elect’s Truth Social post read. TRUMP PLANS TO ‘IMMEDIATELY’ REVERSE BIDEN’S ‘RIDICULOUS’ BAN ON NEW OIL AND GAS DRILLING ALONG US COAST In response, Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede declared interest in his country gaining independence from Denmark. “The upcoming new election period must, together with the citizens, create these new steps, based on the foundations that have already been created,” Egede said. “It is about time that we ourselves take a step and shape our future, also with regard to who we will cooperate closely with, and who our trading partners will be.” Trump has considered purchasing Greenland for several years now. In 2019, he floated the idea of buying Greenland and called it “a large real estate deal.” “A lot of things can be done. It’s hurting Denmark very badly because they’re losing almost $700 million a year carrying it,” Trump said at the time. “So, they carry it at great loss, and strategically for the United States, it would be nice. And, we’re a big ally of Denmark and we help Denmark, and we protect Denmark.” During a “Fox News Sunday” interview about Trump’s remarks, then-White House chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow confirmed that the president’s sentiment was genuine. “Greenland is a strategic place up there, and they’ve got a lot of valuable minerals,” Kudlow explained at the time. “I don’t want to predict an outcome. I’m just saying the president, who knows a thing or two about buying real estate, wants to take a look.” Fox News’ Nick Givas and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
Biden admin sends 11 Guantanamo detainees to Oman for resettlement
The Biden administration on Monday announced the transfer of 11 Yemeni detainees being held at a U.S. naval base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba to Oman, which has agreed to help re-settle them, amid steps to reduce the population at the controversial military facility. All of the men were captured in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks and were held for more than two decades without being charged or put on trial, the New York Times reported. “The United States appreciates the willingness of the government of Oman and other partners to support ongoing U.S. efforts focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing the Guantanamo Bay facility,” the Defense Department said in a statement. BIDEN WHITE HOUSE TO SEND $1.25 BILLION IN WEAPON AID TO UKRAINE BEFORE TRUMP TRANSITION: REPORT Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House. The 11 detainees were identified as: Uthman Abd al-Rahim Muhammad Uthman, Moath Hamza Ahmed al-Alwi, Khalid Ahmed Qassim, Suhayl Abdul Anam al Sharabi, Hani Saleh Rashid Abdullah, Tawfiq Nasir Awad Al-Bihani, Omar Mohammed Ali al-Rammah, Sanad Ali Yislam Al Kazimi, Hassan Muhammad Ali Bib Attash, Sharqawi Abdu Ali Al Hajj, and Abd Al-Salam Al-Hilah. The transfer was carried out as part of an early-morning secret operation on Monday, days before Guantanamo’s most notorious prisoner, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, was scheduled to plead guilty to plotting the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in exchange for a life sentence rather than face a death-penalty trial, the Times reported. The move had been in the works for about three years after an initial plan to conduct the transfer in October 2023 faced opposition from congressional lawmakers. JUDGE RESTORES CONTROVERSIAL 9/11 TERRORIST PLEA DEALS INVOLVING KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED: REPORT Authorities didn’t say why the detainees were delivered to Oman, one of the United States’ most stable allies in the Middle East, or what it gave the host country. The men in the latest transfer included Shaqawi al Hajj, who had undergone repeated hunger strikes and hospitalizations at Guantanamo to protest his 21 years in prison. With the release, the total number of men detained at Guantanamo is just 15, the fewest since 2002, the year it was turned into a detention site to house men from around the world arrested in connection with the “War on Terror.” The transfer leaves six never-charged men still being held at Guantanamo, two convicted and sentenced inmates, and seven others charged with the 2001 attacks, the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, and 2002 bombings in Bali. Most of those at Guantanamo are from Yemen, a country ravaged by war and now dominated by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Rudy Giuliani held in contempt of court in 2020 election defamation case
A federal judge is holding Rudy Giuliani in contempt of court for failing to comply with requests for information about his assets related to his defamation verdict ordering him to pay two Georgia election workers $148 million. The Associated Press reported that New York-based U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman ruled that the former Trump lawyer and New York mayor “willfully violated an unambiguous order of the court” when he “blew past” a Dec. 20 deadline to submit information. Liman said that Giuliani “attempted to run the clock by stalling” and withholding information about assets he could use to pay Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Moss after he accused them of committing fraud during the 2020 election. RUDY GIULIANI SUSPENDED FROM PRACTICING LAW IN NEW YORK AFTER STATEMENTS CHALLENGING 2020 ELECTION RESULTS This comes after Giuliani, 80, testified for three hours on Friday and again on Monday explaining the delays in sharing information about his assets. Liman said that he would be issuing sanctions against Giuliani over the contempt, which he would decide on later. Another trial set for Jan. 16 will decide whether a New York Yankees World Series ring and Giuliani’s Florida home can be used to help pay his debt to Freeman and Moss.