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PHOENIX – Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy offered an update on his agency’s work alongside the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in cracking down on an influx of illegal immigrants given a non-domiciled commercial driver’s license (CDL) without proper vetting, which has led to several deaths on America’s highways.

Duffy was set to speak this weekend at AmericaFest and also touched on his special friendship with Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk, who was murdered Sept. 10 during an event in Utah.

“First off, President [Donald] Trump has been a remarkable leader. What he cares about is making government work better, making sure he’s implementing the right policies for the American people. Not the rich, not the powerful, but average, everyday Americans,” Duffy said when asked about the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) crackdown on the trucking crisis.

Duffy sprang into action earlier this year after an Indian national who authorities said was issued a CDL by California allegedly killed a carload of people after he attempted an illegal U-turn on Florida’s Turnpike.

FLORIDA CFO ROLLS OUT NEW PUSH TO BLOCK ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM TAPPING STATE SYSTEMS: ‘LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST’

Duffy expanded his efforts, warning Pennsylvania’s PennDOT and other agencies after illegal immigrants captured out of state were found to have non-domiciled CDLs issued by blue state agencies. In PennDOT’s case, an agency official told Fox News Digital a Philadelphia resident named in the sweep had not drawn any red flags in a federal database it used to verify him.

“As you’ve seen, Homeland Security focused on the border and illegal migrants in the country. What we found at DOT is a different set of problems,” Duffy said, adding that too many states have offered licenses to ineligible foreigners.

“They’re not qualified to get a license. And under [former President] Joe Biden’s tenure, [former Transportation Secretary] Pete Buttigieg’s tenure, millions of people have come into the country. And it seems like states across the country have offered commercial driver licenses to many of those people,” he said.

AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT KILLED MY DAUGHTER. KATIE AND ILLINOIS ARE BOTH GETTING JUSTICE

“The problem is that you endanger the safety of everyday Americans who use our roadways. And, so, what we’ve done at DOT is say, ‘Listen, unless you comply with our rules, we are going to take money away from your state.’”

He added that DOT has pressed for compliance from problem states, sharing that California has since revoked 17,000 problematic non-domiciled CDL licenses. 

On the other side of the country, Duffy said that more than half of the non-domiciled CDLs issued by NYSDOT were “issued illegally.”

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CAUGHT AND RELEASED BY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION NOW CHARGED IN WASHINGTON VEHICULAR HOMICIDE

Those New York drivers, he said, may not even be legally present in the U.S., or they may have had a work permit for a few months but wrongfully parlayed that into a truck or school bus driving license with a seven-year expiry date.

“So, we are going to use every resource, every tool that we have at DOT, to make sure that we have the right people on our road that are well qualified, well licensed. That are proficient in the English language to make sure we’re maximizing safety.”

He noted that while many people are focused on non-domiciled CDL holders driving big rigs, many are also qualified to therefore drive school buses, potentially putting children in danger.

SHAPIRO RESPONDS TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER FIASCO, SAYS DRIVER WAS IN FED DATABASE FIRST

As the Florida tragedy showed, those drivers also don’t just stay in the states with lax policies.

“We are going to maximize everyone’s safety on American roadways, and that means going after states, pulling money from states. We 100% under Donald Trump‘s leadership will,” Duffy said.

Speaking about his friendship with Kirk, Duffy said AmFest shows the impact Kirk had on America’s youth, drawing them into the conservative movement.

SEAN DUFFY ACCUSES ‘NO-SHOW’ PETE BUTTIGIEG OF TRYING TO ‘REWRITE HIS RECORD’ AFTER TRUMP CRITICISM

“To be here with my wife at this event and the meaning behind it is incredibly honoring for us and to be able to talk to the young people who are here to honor Charlie and have our voices heard,” he said.

“It couldn’t be more thrilling and exciting, and I’m looking forward to taking the main stage but also having a chance to talk to a lot of the … young people, but people of all ages, are here to come and celebrate Charlie in this movement.”

Duffy later said Friday was to be the busiest travel day of the year, and that 51,000 flights took off, a reminder of the sacrifices air traffic control and other DOT subdivision workers make at Christmastime.

ICE ARRESTS UZBEK TERROR SUSPECT WORKING AS TRUCK DRIVER AS HOMAN BLAMES BIDEN ADMIN’S LACK OF VETTING

“They’re going to work overtime. We appreciate their service. But I think what’s also important is when there are a lot of flights like this, so many people are traveling, I think the American traveler has to pack their best attitude, their best perspective as they go to the airport,” he said.

“[They should] know there could be some mishaps because it’s so busy. But if you have that little angel on your shoulder and saying, ‘I’m going to roll with the flow, and I’m going to do my best as a person who’s going to get on an airplane and travel with multiple of the people,’ I think the experience is going to be great.”

Suggesting the DOT or FAA could receive complaints as they tend to during holiday seasons, Duffy said travelers should remember an important maxim when it comes to his agency’s work.

“If there’s any issue in any of those spaces —whether it’s the controllers, the weather, mechanical — we will slow down traffic or we will stop traffic because we want you to be safe when you travel,” he said.

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“I don’t want your flight delayed, but I’ll take a delayed flight over an unsafe flight every day of the week, and that’s what we focus on.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Biden and a political organization linked to Buttigieg for comment.

FBI Director Kash Patel said Saturday the agency is ramping up its use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to counter domestic and international threats.

In a post on X, Patel said the FBI has been advancing its technology, calling AI a “key component” of its strategy to respond to threats and stay “ahead of the game.”

“FBI has been working on key technology advances to keep us ahead of the game and respond to an always changing threat environment both domestically and on the world stage,” Patel wrote. “Artificial intelligence is a key component of this.

‘PEOPLE WOULD HAVE DIED’: INSIDE THE FBI’S HALLOWEEN TAKEDOWN THAT EXPOSED A GLOBAL TERROR NETWORK

“We’ve been working on an AI project to assist our investigators and analysts in the national security space — staying ahead of bad actors and adversaries who seek to do us harm.”

Patel added that FBI leadership has established a “technology working group” led by outgoing Deputy Director Dan Bongino to ensure the agency’s tools “evolve with the mission.”

EXCLUSIVE: FBI CONCLUDES TRUMP SHOOTER THOMAS CROOKS ACTED ALONE AFTER UNPRECEDENTED GLOBAL INVESTIGATION

“These are investments that will pay dividends for America’s national security for decades to come,” Patel said.

A spokesperson for the FBI told Fox News Digital it had nothing further to add beyond Patel’s X post.

The FBI uses AI for tools such as vehicle recognition, voice-language identification, speech-to-text analysis and video analytics, according to the agency’s website.

DAN BONGINO TO RESIGN FROM FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR ROLE IN JANUARY

Earlier this week, Bongino announced he would leave the bureau in January after speculation rose about his departure.

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“I will be leaving my position with the FBI in January,” Bongino wrote in an X post Wednesday. “I want to thank President [Donald] Trump, AG [Pam] Bondi, and Director Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose. Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege to serve you. God bless America, and all those who defend Her.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Saturday that federal agents issued an arrest detainer for a criminal illegal immigrant charged with homicide and robbery after allegedly strangling a New York taxi driver to death earlier this month.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged the detainer for Santos Paulino Vasquez-Ramirez, an illegal migrant from Guatemala accused of brutally murdering a cab operator during a fare dispute Dec. 1 in Brewster, New York.

The body of the victim, Aurelio Zhunio-Orbez, was found floating in a local reservoir Dec. 7, according to DHS.

“Santos Vasquez Ramirez should’ve never been in our country in the first place and provided the opportunity to gruesomely take the life of Aurelio Zhunio-Orbez,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

DHS LAUNCHES ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ WEBPAGE TARGETING ALLEGED CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS NATIONWIDE

Vasquez-Ramirez illegally entered the country in 2013, DHS said, and was later released into the country under the Obama administration.

An immigration judge issued him a final order of removal in early 2016.

“Open border policies have deadly consequences,” McLaughlin said, adding that Santos Vasquez Ramirez will be transferred to federal custody. “ICE lodged an arrest detainer with local authorities to ensure this criminal illegal alien is never allowed back into American neighborhoods.”

DHS RIPS DEM-RUN COUNTY AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, ALLEGED MURDERER RELEASED: ‘BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS’

McLaughlin added that, under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, “ICE is targeting the worst of the worst.”

In a year-end report released Friday, the DHS said more than 2.5 million illegal immigrants have left the U.S. since President Donald Trump returned to office this year, leading to the “most secure border in American history.”

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An estimated 1.9 million migrants have been self-deported, and more than 622,000 have been forced out since Trump took office Jan. 20, according to DHS.

DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is pushing back against claims from Senate Democrats that 2025 has become the deadliest year in decades for immigrants held in federal custody. 

In a post to X on Saturday, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin slammed allegations made by the Senate Judiciary Democrats’ account, which claimed “30 immigrants have died in ICE custody since Donald Trump took office, making 2025 the deadliest year in ICE detention since the early 2000s.”

McLaughlin swiftly fired back, accusing Senate Democrats of “trying to twist data to smear ICE law enforcement.”

“There has been NO spike in deaths. Consistent with data over the past decade, death rates in custody are 0.00007%,” she said.

ICE IS NICE: AMFEST ATTENDEES OVERWHELMINGLY CALL FOR DHS TO TARGET THEIR HOMETOWNS AS DEMS SPURN AGENTS

McLaughlin also argued that those held in ICE custody receive appropriate medical care as well as a “higher standard of care” than most U.S. prisons.

“As bed space has rapidly expanded, we have maintained higher standard of care than most prisons that hold U.S. citizens — including providing access to proper medical care,” she said. “For many illegal aliens this is the best healthcare they have received their entire lives.”

DHS FIRES BACK AFTER DEM LAWMAKER CLAIMS SHE WAS ‘PUSHED ASIDE AND PEPPER SPRAYED’ DURING ICE RAID 

The response came just one day after DHS touted that ICE’s “Christmas gift to Americans” came early as agents pulled more illegal immigrants with criminal records off the streets.

“This holiday season, ICE is working around the clock to ensure silent nights and safer streets,” DHS said in its announcement.

DHS PACKAGES LATEST ICE ARRESTS AS ‘CHRISTMAS GIFT TO AMERICANS’

On Friday, DHS said that ICE had arrested illegal immigrants across the country whose criminal records include burglary, robbery and aggravated kidnapping. Homeland Security declared the latest defendants to be some of the “worst of the worst.”

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A spokesperson for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump endorsed Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman for governor of New York on Saturday, throwing his support behind the Long Island Republican one day after Rep. Elise Stefanik withdrew from the race.

Trump announced the endorsement in a lengthy post on Truth Social, calling Blakeman “highly respected and very popular” and praising his record on immigration enforcement, public safety and economic issues.

“Highly Respected and very popular Nassau County Executive, Bruce Blakeman, is running to be the next Governor of New York,” Trump wrote.

INSIDE STEFANIK’S EXIT AND HOW THE TRUMP ENDORSEMENT THAT NEVER CAME WAS ‘BIGGEST PIECE’ OF THE ‘PUZZLE’

The endorsement follows Fox News Digital exclusive reporting that Stefanik’s surprise decision not to run was driven in part by concerns over Trump’s lack of a clear commitment to backing her in the New York governor’s race, according to sources.

“Bruce is MAGA all the way, and has been with me from the very beginning,” Trump added.

In his post, Trump praised Blakeman’s work with federal immigration authorities and local law enforcement, framing the race around border security and crime, issues Republicans have emphasized in historically blue states.

“As Nassau County Executive, he is working tirelessly with the Brave Heroes of ICE, Border Patrol, and Law Enforcement to Keep Our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Safeguard our Community, and Ensure LAW AND ORDER,” Trump wrote.

EXCLUSIVE: STEFANIK STEAMROLLS TOP CONSERVATIVE OPPONENT AS GOP LEADERS HAND HER COMMANDING EDGE IN NY PRIMARY

Blakeman welcomed Trump’s endorsement, aligning himself closely with the president’s policy agenda.

“I am blessed and grateful to have the endorsement of President Donald J. Trump,” Blakeman said in a statement obtained by Fox News. “President Trump is driving down gasoline prices and slashing the cost of prescription drugs. Securing our borders has made America safer. President Trump loves New York and we will be partners in making New York safe and affordable.”

Trump said Blakeman would continue that agenda statewide if elected.

AS NYC ELECTS SOCIALIST MAMDANI, NEIGHBORING COUNTY DOUBLES DOWN ON TRUMP-STYLE LEADERSHIP WITH BLAKEMAN’S WIN

“As your next Governor, Bruce will continue to fight hard to Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes, and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Champion American Energy DOMINANCE, Strengthen our Military/Veterans, Advance Election Integrity, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump wrote.

Blakeman currently serves as Nassau County Executive, leading New York’s largest suburban county. He has positioned himself as a tough-on-crime executive and a vocal critic of New York’s immigration and criminal justice policies.

Trump framed the endorsement as part of a broader effort to reclaim what he described as a state in decline under Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul‘s leadership.

“Bruce Blakeman is a FANTASTIC guy, will win the big November Election and, without hesitation, has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Governor of the ONCE GREAT STATE OF NEW YORK (IT CAN BE GREAT AGAIN!),” Trump wrote.

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The endorsement follows Stefanik’s announcement Friday that she would not enter the race, a decision that immediately reshaped the gubernatorial playing field. 

Stefanik, a close Trump ally and member of House GOP leadership, had been widely viewed as the top candidate heading into 2026.

The campaign for Elise Stefanik for Governor did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

PHOENIX – Ohio gubernatorial candidate and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy warned conservatives not to take any political races for granted, including his own – and commented on what AmericaFest means for the future of the right as it draws in thousands of voters and activists, including youth.

Ramaswamy spoke to Fox News Digital shortly after arriving at the Phoenix Convention Center on Friday, and said he had already met several people here who told him they were energized to join him at the conference.

“Funny enough, and I often like to do this when I travel west, I went for a hike earlier today — to what’s called Camelback Mountain, and we saw tons of young people who are going to be here tonight that were getting their outdoor time, so I got to talk to a lot of them,” he said.

“I would say the mood is a combination of enthusiastic and determined, but with a sober sentimentality as well. It’s clear that a lot of these young people were, I mean just like me and the rest of us, affected by Charlie’s death, and they’re hungry for direction.”

CONSERVATIVES NEED TO EMBRACE ‘FUSION’ OF POPULISM, TOP LEADER SAYS, CALLING AMFEST SCENES ARE ‘ENCOURAGING’

Many of the young conservatives he met appeared to want to find the direction the conservative movement and TPUSA will go following Kirk’s death.

In Ohio, where he is seeking to succeed term-limited moderate Republican Mike DeWine, Ramaswamy stressed that even though Ohio has been reliably red, he isn’t taking the race for granted.

Republicans are reeling from a string of losses from Florida to Pennsylvania just weeks ago.

VIVEK RAMASWAMY CRITICIZES POCKETS OF ‘ONLINE RIGHT’ FIXATED ON HERITAGE IN TURNING POINT ADDRESS

“I think we’ve got to worry less about just defeating the left — because we did that last year. That’s not good enough. We have to offer our own vision of what do we actually stand for,” Ramaswamy said.

“And, in Ohio, what I know I’m going be able to deliver is two things that Ohio needs and I believe this country needs: Number one is to put more money back in people’s pockets,” he said, noting that government cannot immediately rein in rising commodity costs as voters demanded in selecting President Donald Trump over Kamala Harris’ continuation of the Biden agenda.

“We can do certain things, like bring down electric bills by producing more energy. We’ll do those things. But the direct way we can help people is put more money in people’s pockets by bringing down the property tax burden, by taking the income tax rate down to zero, so people are actually able to have more money to afford things, not just waiting for costs to come down,” he said.

GEN Z IS STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE — AND REPUBLICANS CAN’T AFFORD TO LOOK AWAY

“And number two is preparing our young people to be useful, contributing members of the workforce with a better education system.”

Ramaswamy said that the education system has failed American youth for years, through “woke indoctrination” and “victimhood psychology,” and also is something that states should be able to fix.

“As someone who did run for president, I can tell you that a governor can make an even bigger difference than a president when it comes to education,” he said.

CHARLIE KIRK ALLY WARNS GOP NOT TO TAKE GEN Z FOR GRANTED, CALLING FOR ‘SENSE OF URGENCY’

“I hope we in Ohio set an example of what the other 49 states can actually aspire to.”

Looking past Trump’s term limit in 2028, Ramaswamy said the conservative movement will continue so long as it maintains its “aspirational” focus.

“That’s my message to those young people tonight, and it is a challenging message. It’s not sugar-coated. The number one factor that determines whether you achieve your goals in life is actually you. That’s a tough message, but it’s the truth. JFK, who famously said, right, ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. Now’s the moment to remember that message,” he said.

HUSTED FILES FOR 2026 SENATE RACE, LAUNCHING AGGRESSIVE STATEWIDE RE-ELECTION PUSH

Turning to another Kennedy, Ramaswamy – who founded biotech pharma company Roivant Sciences – was asked his view of the MAHA agenda being pursued by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Ramaswamy said MAHA has established youth health as paramount to healthy future generations.

Kennedy’s pursuit of healthier foods in schools, returning to stronger physical education standards and the like underlies the “core thesis behind MAHA.”

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“That is, that the best way to bring down health care costs — who would have ever thought — is actually to have a healthier population in the first place.”

“That’s something that most Americans are behind. The ‘how’ is, of course, easier said than done, but there are common-sense state level changes that I’m confident we can implement in Ohio that aren’t about right versus left. It’s about right vs. Wrong. It’s common sense, and I’m sure we’re going to be able to get those delivered quickly after I win this election.”

A woman whose concerns about Jeffrey Epstein were brushed off by the FBI three decades ago was vindicated Friday after the Department of Justice finally made her complaint public.

Maria Farmer’s complaint was buried in the thousands of files related to Epstein’s and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking cases that the DOJ published as part of its obligations under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

The document was dated Sept. 3, 1996, more than 10 years before Epstein first faced prosecution for sex crimes involving girls. In it, Farmer accused Epstein of stealing and selling photos of her young sisters. Farmer worked as an artist for Epstein and has long been outspoken about what she said was his abusive behavior.

Farmer has said the photos of her sisters cited in the 1996 complaint included nudity, and the complaint is labeled as a possible “child pornography” case.

DOJ PUBLISHES TROVE OF EPSTEIN FILES, SAYS MORE TO COME AFTER FRIDAY DEADLINE

Names on the complaint were redacted, but The New York Times confirmed with Farmer that she was the one who filed it. Farmer told the outlet she felt “vindicated.” 

“I’ve waited 30 years. … I can’t believe it. They can’t call me a liar anymore,” she said.

The complaint noted that Farmer was a professional artist whose work included the images of her then 12- and 16-year-old sisters.

SCHUMER ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF EPSTEIN FILES ‘COVER-UP’ AMID DOCUMENT DISPUTE

“Epstein stole the photos and negatives and is believed to have sold the pictures to potential buyers,” the complaint stated. “Epstein at one time requested [redacted] to take pictures of young girls at swimming pools. Epstein is now threatening [redacted] that if she tells anyone about the photos he will burn her house down.”

Farmer and her sister Annie brought separate lawsuits in 2019 alleging Epstein and Maxwell sexually assaulted them, but the suits were dropped as part of a settlement involving accepting compensation from Epstein’s estate.

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Farmer also sued the DOJ in July, alleging the Clinton administration FBI “chose to do absolutely nothing” with her complaint in 1996, and that in the years since, Epstein was able to victimize more women. Farmer said she also complained again to the FBI in 2006 during the Bush administration.

Farmer’s complaint was among the tens of thousands of documents related to Epstein and Maxwell that the DOJ released on Friday, the transparency bill’s deadline. Other accusers, such as Marina Lacerda, have spoken out about their dissatisfaction with the file release, observing that it was incomplete and contained heavy redactions. The department has said more files are coming within the next two weeks.

A U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Special Reaction Team (MSRT) assisted by the U.S. Navy has seized a second oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela Saturday, a U.S. official confirms to Fox News. 

The operation involved a U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Special Reaction Team assisted by the U.S. Navy, marking the latest enforcement action tied to President Donald Trump’s announced blockade of sanctioned oil tankers.

BONDI SHARES HEART-POUNDING FOOTAGE OF US SEIZING VENEZUELAN OIL TANKER IN RARE ACTION LAST SEEN IN 2014

The seizure comes days after President Donald Trump announced a “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela on Tuesday.

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The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

This is a developing story, check back later for updates.

The future of the conservative movement rests on the ability of candidates and activists to embrace the best tenets of populism while addressing issues that are uncomfortable in “establishment Washington,” the leader of one of America’s oldest conservative policy groups told Fox News Digital.

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts, in Phoenix for the first AmericaFest following the murder of Charlie Kirk, said that despite a wave of recent losses for conservatives, there is great hope for the future. The event was packed with thousands of conservatives from around the nation.

“I was expecting to be really encouraged, and I am,” Roberts said of people he has engaged with at AmericaFest. “There’s a lot of passion and encouragement in that room. And I think we have to keep in mind, moving on to a second point, that you have to ignore sort of the naysayers and the doomsayers about conservative politicians losing the midterms.”

He said that despite bad press and wipeouts for the right in Virginia, New Jersey, Florida and Pennsylvania, conservatives “ought to be more optimistic” after what he called a great first year of the Trump-Vance administration and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., working together.

VIVEK RAMASWAMY CRITICIZES POCKETS OF ‘ONLINE RIGHT’ FIXATED ON HERITAGE IN TURNING POINT ADDRESS

“What we’ve got to do for 2026 is articulate to the American people — starting with this crowd here at AmFest — what those policy priorities need to be; not just for the short term but for the long term and Heritage certainly is in the middle of that conversation.”

To keep conservatism at the fore in 2026, given recent setbacks, conservatives must run on an “aspirational vision” he said was lacking in several 2025 races – while noting Jack Ciattarelli’s failed bid for governor of New Jersey bid as one of the better-run campaigns.

Looking to the new year, Roberts said Heritage is interested in seeing policymakers asking those uncomfortable questions inside the Beltway, like what the future of the American family looks like, whether the workplace is one where Americans earn dignity and not just a paycheck, and more directly, “what it means to be an American.”

TIM SCOTT TELLS MAGA VOTERS TRUMP ‘IS ON THE BALLOT’ AS GOP FIGHTS TO GROW SENATE MAJORITY IN 2026

“[That’s] to say something, of course, that establishment Washington doesn’t like to talk about,” he said.

“What’s the future, not just of immigration policy, but how can we assimilate the highest percentage of foreign-born population we’ve had in modern American history? This is important for all of us if in fact we’re going to have a healthy society,” he said.

“The bottom line is this, if establishment Washington talks about just sort of sidebar issues in this campaign, then the midterms are going to be a disaster. “

WHY 2026 SHOULD TERRIFY REPUBLICANS AFTER TENNESSEE SPECIAL ELECTION

“They, to state the obvious, have to talk about what the American people are asking, and they actually have to offer policy solutions where I happen to think Heritage has some good things to say.”

In 2028, Trump will be term-limited and a new conservative leader will have to rise.

The best way for conservatives to move forward, he said, is to embrace a “good fusion of the best elements of populism.”

SETTING THE STAGE: WHAT THE 2025 ELECTIONS SIGNAL FOR NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERM SHOWDOWNS

“Namely, exercising popular will over longstanding conservative principles like diminishing the size of the administrative state, but also making sure that we’re sustaining our longstanding, conservative principles,” Roberts said.

“Whoever the standard-bearers are for conservatism in 2028, 2032, 2036, their policy ideas are going to sound a lot like Trump’s, but of course they are going to bring their own imprint into that.”

“Those of us who focus on ideas and policy for a living need to do our jobs zealously well to keep offering not just the long-standing policy ideas, but some innovative ones as well,” he added.

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Looking ahead to Heritage’s work in 2026, Roberts said the think tank will focus on family, the future of free enterprise, national security, and citizenship.

“And then we’re also focused, especially on the side of our enterprise that works on advocacy and campaigns, “Heritage Action [For America]“, what those particular places are where we can tell that story to the American people. And hopefully, people running for office will take those issues and run with them,” he said.

PHOENIX – The 2028 presidential election will potentially be a rumble in the Rust Belt if AmericaFest attendees’ predictions come to pass, with Vice President JD Vance the odds-on favorite to succeed President Donald Trump, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro surpassing California Gov. Gavin Newsom as the most-predicted Democrat nominee.

Such a contest would also pit two younger figures against each other – with Shapiro at 52 and Vance at 41 — while also potentially reshaping the idea of the “blue wall” that Trump shattered in 2024 as Shapiro’s name recognition in Pennsylvania could return the state to the Democrats’ column.

For his part, Shapiro has dismissed any curiosity about a White House run, recently telling HBO’s Bill Maher he’s “not an expert” on Beltway politics and “live[s] in the real world in Pennsylvania where we have to balance budgets.”

But, that sentiment didn’t keep him from being considered more viable for the role than the more gregarious Newsom.

‘OBAMA BRO’ PODCASTER RAILS AGAINST JD VANCE’S CHANCES IN 2028, CLAIMS ‘NO ONE LIKES HIM!’

Barbara, from Camarillo, Calif., said she hopes Vance is able to step into President Donald Trump’s shoes, calling him a “great candidate” who comes from the “team that Trump built.”

“I think we’re in a good place right now,” she said.

Barbara also named Shapiro as the most likely Democrat to take that party’s mantle.

REPUBLICAN POPULISM CRATERS AS TRUMP STUMBLES, DEMOCRATS SURGE

“I think he’s going to have the most effect because I don’t think anybody else has any credibility.”

If Shapiro went up against Newsom, she said, “he would wipe the floor with” the Californian.

Shapiro has occasionally broken with the far-left, particularly on the issue of antisemitism. But, when New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli wished aloud that the Garden State would be run more like its neighbor across the Delaware, Shapiro hit back that he was fully supporting Gov-elect. Mikie Sherill.

TRUMP SAYS JD VANCE WOULD BE ‘PROBABLY FAVORED’ FOR 2028 REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION

Nick from Nashville also named Shapiro as the most viable Democratic prospect. While he predicted Newsom or Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. may be the nominee chosen by the base, the Democratic National Committee would be smart if it facilitated a Shapiro nomination, he said.

Speaking about the future of post-Trump conservatism, Nick said he expects a lot of competing yet largely ideologically unified voices.

“I think the conservative party will kind of conglomerate over somebody like Trump. I think Trump’s going to have a very big hand and who’s going to be the nominee in 2028. But I think the conservative [movement] is still going to be alive. But I think that it’s mostly going to be whoever Donald Trump kind of wants, because, you know, he basically built the conservative movement,” he said.

SPECULATION SWIRLS AS AOC IS RUMORED TO HARBOR 2028 ASPIRATIONS: ‘SAVVY POLITICIAN’

“I’m very much hoping [Republicans choose] JD Vance or Marco Rubio,” Karen from Wisconsin told Fox News Digital.

“We have so many good conservatives that could come in and take over. And I hope that we get another eight, 16 more years of Republicans that have put our country in the right direction.”

“I hope after Charlie Kirk that especially the youth get involved more … because you know, that’s how I got involved and I just hope that someone brings up the whole [conservative] program a lot more.”

GAVIN NEWSOM DECLARED AS THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S 2028 ‘FRONTRUNNER’ BY POLITICO

On the Democratic side in 2028, Karen predicted Newsom would be Democrats’ pick.

“I seriously don’t think [Kamala Harris] is going to get the money-backing, but Newsom probably will try really hard. I hope [the GOP chooses] JD Vance. Ron DeSantis already cleaned the carpet with Newsom [on “Hannity”], so I don’t think JD Vance will have much problem because he is a very well spoken, intelligent, smart man.”

Amy from Michigan also predicted the Pennsylvanian as the Democrats’ top pick in 2028, envisioning a battle between Vance and Shapiro for the presidency.

Elizabeth from San Diego said she hopes it won’t be her governor who gets named the nominee in 2028, but feared it is trending his way moreso than Shapiro or Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, the Hyatt Hotels heir whose name has also been mentioned.

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“I’m hoping that other Latinos see another Latina being in a position where I support [Homeland Security Investigations agents] going out and looking at all of the illegal immigrants and taking them out because of the fact that it gives us (Latinos and Latinas) more opportunities,” said Elizabeth, who is Latina.

Ed, who was also from San Diego, predicted Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio would take the Republican mantle after Trump.

A representative for Shapiro’s 2026 gubernatorial re-election campaign did not offer comment when reached for a response.

FIRST ON FOX: Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik’s surprise announcement on Friday night that she is dropping out of the race for New York governor and leaving her seat in Congress was partly due to lack of full support from President Trump, Fox News Digital has learned. 

“The biggest piece of this puzzle was Donald Trump and the fact that he passed three times on endorsing her candidacy, including in the Oval Office with the Miracle on Ice Team last week,” a GOP source close to the situation told Fox News Digital. “I think [that] played the largest role in this decision,” 

Stefanik’s original thought process when she jumped into the race last month, according to the source, was that she would have a “clear shot” at current New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. But once Trump ally and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced his candidacy earlier this month, “it became clear that was not going to happen.”

“When you start to add these things up, and you see a contested primary, you see an assumed ally in the president who passes on endorsing, and it does not seem that you’re going to have the wind to your back in this cycle, I think [it] all played into this,” the source said.

STEFANIK EXITS NY GOVERNOR RACE, WILL NOT RUN FOR RE-ELECTION TO US HOUSE

Stefanik’s decision to also leave Congress was based on a feeling that it was time to “move on,” the source said.

“I am truly humbled and grateful for the historic and overwhelming support from Republicans, Conservatives, Independents, and Democrats all across the state for our campaign to Save New York,” Stefanik posted on X Friday afternoon.

“However, as we have seen in past elections, while we would have overwhelmingly won this primary, it is not an effective use of our time or your generous resources to spend the first half of next year in an unnecessary and protracted Republican primary, especially in a challenging state like New York.”

Stefanik has been a staunch ally of President Trump during her time in Congress, including defending him during both of his impeachments. Trump nominated Stefanik to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a high-profile cabinet-level position, before the nomination was pulled to protect the GOP’s razor-thin majority in the House and amid worries Republicans could lose Stefanik’s seat to the Democrats in a special election.

FBI TO BE UNDER HARSH NEW MICROSCOPE AS STEFANIK SCORES VICTORY IN ANNUAL DEFENSE BILL

After Blakeman joined the race for governor, Trump opted to stay neutral, telling reporters at the White House after Blakeman announced his candidacy that “Elise is fantastic and Bruce is.”

“Two fantastic people, and I always hate it when two very good friends of mine are running, and I hope there’s not a lot of damage done,” the president added.

Hochul’s re-election campaign released a statement on Friday shifting its attention to Blakeman.

“Elise Stefanik has finally acknowledged reality: If you run against Governor Kathy Hochul, you are going to lose,” Hochul’s campaign said in a press release Friday. “As Donald Trump raises costs on New Yorkers and targets this state relentlessly, Governor Hochul has cut middle-class taxes, put money back in New Yorkers’ pockets, and fought this administration and won when New York has come under attack.”

“The fact is, ‘100% MAGA’ Bruce Blakeman traveled all the way to D.C. to celebrate Trump’s tariffs, he ran Long Island’s safety net hospital into the ground by appointing corrupt cronies to run it, and let violent crime in Nassau County spike to its highest level in a decade. Governor Hochul’s message to him or whichever lackey Trump picks to run against her is simple: Bring it on.”

The source confirmed to Fox News Digital that “multiple county leaders are reaching out to Congressman Mike Lawler” as a potential candidate, adding it is “premature” to assume the New York GOP is “coalescing around Blakeman.”

“Very fluid. Many folks are taking time to regroup.”

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The source did say that Blakeman “can be a strong candidate” and that the “Mamdani effect” is something Hochul will still have to combat in a general election. 

“I wish Congresswoman Stefanik nothing but success as she pursues her priorities and continues her service to our nation,” Blakeman posted on X Friday. “At this pivotal moment for New York, it is essential that Republicans and all New Yorkers come together in unity.”

Lawler responded to the news in a post on X saying that Stefanik “has been a terrific Congresswoman” and “would have been a great governor.”

“As her friend and colleague, I respect her decision and wish her and her family all the best as she moves forward.”

The White House directed Fox News Digital to the social media reactions from the president and his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt. 

In a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump responded to Stefanik’s announcement, writing, “Elise Stefanik, a fantastic person and Congresswoman from New York State, has just announced she won’t be running for Governor. Elise is a tremendous talent, regardless of what she does. She will have GREAT success, and I am with her all the way!”

Leavitt also posted praise of Stefanik on social media.

“Elise Stefanik has been an incredible advocate for the people of her district in Upstate New York, and she will always be a true friend to President Trump,” Leavitt posted on X. “On a personal note, Elise is my former boss. She is a great leader, and an even better person. We love you, @EliseStefanik!”

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report

The Treasury Department announced new sanctions Friday that target seven family members and associates tied to Nicolás Maduro’s regime, which the Trump administration continues to put in its crosshairs.

The action, carried out by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), seeks to address corruption and deceptive practices involving the Venezuelan state.

“Today, Treasury sanctioned individuals who are propping up Nicolás Maduro’s rogue narco-state. We will not allow Venezuela to continue flooding our nation with deadly drugs,” Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said. 

“Maduro and his criminal accomplices threaten our hemisphere’s peace and stability. The Trump Administration will continue targeting the networks that prop up his illegitimate dictatorship.”

CAN MADURO SURVIVE AS TRUMP’S OIL PRESSURE CAMPAIGN HITS HIS REGIME’S WEAK SPOT?

This builds on sanctions issued earlier this month, with the Treasury now targeting family networks, not just individuals. The Treasury release names the familial networks of Carlos Erik Malpica Flores (Malpica Flores) and Ramon Carretero Napolitano (Ramon Carretero).

The named and sanctioned individuals in the Treasury release include Eloisa Flores de Malpica, Malpica Flores’ mother and the sister of Cilia Flores; Carlos Evelio Malpica Torrealba, his father; Iriamni Malpica Flores, his sister; Damaris del Carmen Hurtado Perez, his wife; and Erica Patricia Malpica Hurtado, his adult daughter.

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According to the Treasury Department, sanctions are not meant to punish indefinitely, and OFAC provides a formal process for petitioning removal.

FIRST ON FOX: The State Department confirmed to Fox News on Friday that over 95,000 visas have been revoked thus far under the leadership of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

This is an escalation from the 85,000 visas revoked previously reported earlier this month, citing safety concerns. New policies under the Trump administration for visas have included stricter scrutiny surrounding the H-1B program and expanded travel restrictions.

More than 8,000 of the visas revoked belong to international students, according to previous reporting from Fox News Digital.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REVOKES RECORD 85,000 VISAS IN SWEEPING IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN TARGETING SAFETY THREATS

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The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this reporting.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.
 

A Michigan Democratic Senate candidate is facing backlash after a clip went viral Thursday revealing what she would do if she saw Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh out in public.

Mallory McMorrow, who is running in the crowded Democratic Senate primary, ignited social media backlash from conservatives after her comments to supporters last month surfaced. McMorrow was asked by a female attendee at a Huron Valley Indivisible event on Nov. 12 whether there “was any sense in dealing with the Supreme Court,” adding that she “blame[s] them for a lot.”

“So I’m a Notre Dame grad and Amy Coney Barrett coming out of my university makes me furious. Just on a personal level. I talked to somebody yesterday who said they saw her and Brett Kavanaugh at a tailgate last weekend,” McMorrow said last month. “I would not have been able to control myself. That would be bad. There would be beers thrown in peoples’ faces.”

DEMOCRATS’ ‘UNITY’ DINNER DRAWS BACKLASH OVER ANTI-TRUMP ‘86 47’ SIGN LINKING MAGA TO NAZIS

Conservatives immediately slammed McMorrow on social media for her violent rhetoric, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee, who said, “She needs help.”  

“It’s impossible for a Democrat candidate to not be a crazed and violent radical,” Club for Growth President David McIntosh wrote on X.

“Sounds as if she shouldn’t be in the Senate, then,” Charles Cooke, a senior editor at National Review, wrote on X.

“I really don’t understand political figures who openly brag about being overcome by emotions such as disgust as though this were an asset,” Wall Street Journal columnist Kyle Smith wrote on X.

“Pattern of Democrat politicians up to and including Chuck Schumer openly encouraging violence against Supreme Court justices,” The Federalist’s editor-in-chief Molly Hemmingway wrote on X.

“Sounds like she should seek professional help and consider therapy instead of a Senate run,” conservative writer A.G Hamilton wrote on X.

“Democrats are now openly threatening Supreme Court justices with violence,” GOP operative Steve Guest wrote on X.

Fox News Digital reached out multiple times to the McMorrow campaign about the clip, but did not receive a response.

Several people online likened the comments to those said by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. in 2020 when he targeted Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch, both conservative Supreme Court justices, and said, “You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You will not know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions” during an abortion rights rally. 

Schumer would later walk back the quote, saying, “I should not have used the words I used yesterday. They did not come out the way I intended to.”

This isn’t the first time that McMorrow has received scrutiny this year. Back in October, McMorrow was a headliner at the “John D. Dingell Unity Dinner,” which featured a sign with coded language threatening President Donald Trump and equating his supporters with Nazis.

The sign, displayed by local Democrats, said “MAGA=NAZI” and “86 47.” The number “86” originated in restaurants to mean “cancel” or “throw out,” but in underworld slang it is frequently used as a call sign for murdering someone. The number “47” is commonly interpreted as denoting the 47th president of the United States, Trump. 

“This sign was wrong. Especially now, we each have a responsibility to choose our words and signs carefully, and avoid anything that may be interpreted as a call to violence,” Andrew Mamo, a spokesman for McMorrow for Michigan, told Fox News Digital at the time.

She has also come under scrutiny for fundraising with far-left radicals, including a blogger who mocked the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

The month-old clip of McMorrow dropped as news spread that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was verbally harassed in public at a luxury Washington, D.C. restaurant and wine bar on Wednesday night by Code Pink, a radical left-wing group.

DC DINNER TURNS CHAOTIC AS CODEPINK ACTIVISTS CORNER TREASURY SECRETARY SCOTT BESSENT: ‘BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS’

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“We want to make an announcement! We have a special guest here, and we want to make a toast for the Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent!” DiNucci said after striking her glass to get everyone’s attention. “So let’s give it up for the man who is eating in peace as people starve across the world based on his sanctions, which are economic warfare.”

“He oversees the deaths of 600,000 people due to sanctions annually,” she added. “How many people are going to die because of the blood that’s on your hands?”

As he aims to not only defend but expand the GOP’s 53-47 Senate majority in next year’s midterm elections, Sen. Tim Scott has a message for MAGA voters who don’t always go to the polls when President Donald Trump’s name isn’t on the ballot.

“Donald Trump is on the ballot, and that’s why he’s been so active around the country,” Scott, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) said this week in a Fox News Digital interview.

Scott, a Republican from South Carolina and Trump ally, said, “I look forward to seeing the president on the campaign trail across this country.”

WHATLEY: ‘THE PRESIDENT AND HIS LEGACY’ ON 2026 BALLOT

And the president appears to be delivering.

Trump on Friday night held the second leg of his affordability tour during a stop in battleground North Carolina, home to what is shaping up to be one of the most crucial, combustible, and expensive Senate battles next year.

“We’re certainly going to need him to be on the ballot,” former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley told Fox News Digital, as he pointed to Trump.

THE GOP’S TAKE ON HIGH-PROFILE SENATE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES: ‘THEY’RE IN SHAMBLES’

Whatley, the Trump-backed clear frontrunner for the GOP Senate nomination in the 2026 race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, joined Trump at Friday night’s event.

“When you think about what happens if we lose the House, if we lose the Senate, if the Democrats take over, and they go right back to investigations and hoaxes and impeachments, that is really, truly the president and his legacy are going to be on the ballot,” Whatley emphasized.

Trump and Republicans spotlighted rising prices as they swept to major victories in 2024, retaking the White House and Senate and holding their majority in the House.

But with inflation remaining persistent, Democrats have been laser focused this year on the issue of affordability, which fueled their decisive victories in last month’s 2025 elections and their overperformances this year in a slew of special elections.

But Scott predicts the tide will turn.

“I’ve said 2026 is a year of affordability, and the great news is President Trump has been producing time and time again,” he touted.

Pointing to the tax cut provisions in the GOP’s sweeping domestic policy measure signed into law this past summer by Trump, Scott said “2026 is shaping up to be the year where Donald Trump’s activities, his actions, the legislation we’ve passed, shows up for the American voter. And consumers all across the country will see a more affordable economy because of President Trump and the Senate majority and the House majority in the hands of the Republican Party.”

GOP SENATE CAMPAIGN CHIEF AIMS TO EXPAND 2026 MAP IN THIS BLUE-LEANING STATE

Lauren French, communications director at Senate Majority PAC, the top Senate Democrat-aligned outside group, told Fox News Digital that “even Tim Scott is occasionally right — 2026 will be the year of affordability.”

But taking aim at the GOP narrative, French argued that affordability will continue to grab top billing with voters “because Americans can’t afford Donald Trump and Republican policies that continue to drive up the cost of groceries, basic goods, and, right now, Christmas presents.”

“The out-of-touch insistence from the GOP that the economy is thriving proves they don’t understand what working families are facing, which is probably why Democrats won or dramatically overperformed in every contested election this year,” she emphasized. “2026 will be no different as Democrats continue to put forward real plans to address the cost-of-living crisis.”

There are 35 Senate seats up for grabs next year, including special elections for GOP-held seats in Florida and Ohio. Overall, Republicans are defending 22 of the seats.

But the map of competitive races is much smaller.

Scott reiterated that open Democrat-held seats in battleground Michigan and swing state New Hampshire are two of the NRSC’s top targets, along with Sen. Jon Ossoff in battleground Georgia, whom Republicans consider the most vulnerable Democrat seeking re-election next year.

4 KEY SENATE SEATS REPUBLICANS AIM TO FLIP IN 2026 MIDTERMS TO EXPAND THEIR MAJORITY

The NRSC chair is also eyeing blue-leaning Minnesota, where the Senate GOP campaign arm is working to recruit former professional football sideline reporter turned political activist and commentator Michele Tafoya, who is inching closer to jumping into the race.

“We’re excited about expanding our map, and Minnesota is one of the target states that we’re looking at,” Scott said. “We see real reasons to be optimistic. President Trump was very close in Minnesota. It’s a four-point race. We know with the right candidate, we will be successful.”

Apparently pointing to Tafoya, Scott suggested Republicans are likely to land “a strong candidate in the race,” and teased “wait and see” for “better news.”

Scott will likely be playing defense in Texas, where there’s currently a nasty three-way GOP Senate primary, as well as in North Carolina, Maine, and Ohio.

Asked his prediction for next year, Scott said “54 is clearly within our grasp right now, but with a little bit of luck, 55 is on our side.”

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But the rival Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) sees it differently.

“While Democrats have expanded the map and created a path to flip the majority in 2026, Senate Republicans are facing a string of embarrassing recruitment failures and messy primaries – and their toxic agenda of health care cuts and price spikes for hardworking Americans will cost them at the ballot box,” DSCC spokesperson Joe Bush told Fox News Digital.

The Trump administration’s escalating crackdown on Venezuela’s sanctioned oil shipments has thrust Chevron into an unusually precarious position.

As the last U.S. oil company left in Venezuela, Chevron is operating in the high-tension space between Washington’s pressure campaign and the world’s largest oil reserves.

That campaign was on full display on Dec. 10, when U.S. authorities seized a nondescript tanker that had been quietly moving Venezuelan crude, just one ship in a shadow fleet that keeps sanctioned oil flowing. 

This week, Trump pushed the campaign to a new level, ordering a “total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers” bound for or departing Venezuela.

‘GHOST SHIPS’ FERRYING ILLICIT OIL HAVE SAILED INTO TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS 

And while Chevron isn’t the target of the blockade, the order still introduces fresh uncertainty for the company’s operations in Venezuela’s tightly controlled oil sector.

“In the case of Chevron, the U.S. government allows that oil to move, but it’s certainly a very sensitive place to be,” explained Vanda Felbab-Brown, senior fellow at the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy and Technology at Brookings.

But Chevron’s position is only one part of the equation. Felbab-Brown noted that the administration faces significant limits in how aggressively it can enforce a tanker blockade.

“This is a major undertaking. The U.S. has the assets and the political willingness to do this to some extent in Venezuela,” she said, adding that “it would be very resource-consuming for the U.S. to seize every ship or locate them.”

VENEZUELA HOLDS THE WORLD’S LARGEST OIL RESERVES. HERE’S HOW OTHERS COMPARE

Chevron, for its part, said its operations have not been affected by the latest escalation.

“Chevron’s operations in Venezuela continue without disruption and in full compliance with laws and regulations applicable to its business, as well as the sanctions frameworks provided for by the U.S. government,” Bill Turenne, Chevron’s Head of Public Policy Communications, wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Chevron offered no assessment of the broader security environment, saying only: “Any questions about the security situation in Venezuela should be directed to the appropriate authorities in the U.S. government.”

The U.S. energy titan has operated in Venezuela for a century and is the only American company to remain after the government forced Western firms into minority partnerships with the state oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, SA (PDVSA).

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For the Maduro government, disruptions to oil shipments strike at the heart of its economic survival.

“Venezuela is wholly dependent on oil,” explained Benjamin Jensen, who heads the Futures Lab at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “Anything you do that puts pressure on their ability to bypass sanctions and trade in oil is a direct threat to the economy and by extension the regime,” he added.

Diana Furchtgott-Roth, director of the Center for Energy, Climate and Environment at The Heritage Foundation, framed the blockade as a warning beyond Venezuela.

“President Trump is sending the message that this attempt to escape sanctions and use the oil of rogue regimes will no longer stand,” she said.

“I don’t know how many ships it is going to take to be seized before that message gets through,” she added.

How aggressively the administration enforces the blockade and how effectively Venezuela adapts will determine whether the latest move delivers a decisive economic blow or becomes another costly game of sanctions cat and mouse.

Amid backlash over the wide-scale Minnesota Medicaid fraud scandal that has occurred under the leadership of Democratic Governor Tim Walz, some Democrats are dodging responsibility, but others have said Walz should be held accountable. 

“I think any instance of fraud should be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent, and so the federal government should play an oversight role in federal dollars,” Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Md., told Fox News Digital. “States have an obligation though to make sure that they’re administering these programs. Any instance should be investigated. Where there’s fraud, people should be prosecuted for that fraud.”

When pressed on whether he thinks Walz should be compelled to testify for letting so much money be lost to fraud under his watch, Olszewski said “anyone” involved in large-scale fraud “should come before Congress and tell us what happened.”

ILHAN OMAR DEFENDS MEALS ACT DESPITE TIES TO MASSIVE MINNESOTA FRAUD SCHEME

Olszewski wasn’t the only Democrat Fox News Digital heard from who suggested Walz should face the music, but others dodged the question and some pointed the finger at President Donald Trump and Republicans. 

“It is not a partisan issue. I just wish that we could focus on really looking at where the facts take us and not have it be that one side is trying to fight waste, fraud, abuse, and the other isn’t,” said Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., when asked if anything should be done to prevent such wide scale fraud – as was seen in Minnesota – from happening in the first place.

‘EPICENTER OF FRAUD’: MINNESOTA’S EMPTY STOMACHS, FAKE AUTISM THERAPY AND A SCANDAL THAT COULD TOP $2 BILLION

“There’s always a fraud issue. That’s why the Department of Justice had a huge civil fraud division that did a lot of great work, and that’s why we have [Inspector Generals] and the like throughout the federal government. The elimination of those, firing that cadre of people was one of the worst things the Trump administration could do if they’re serious about fighting waste, fraud, and abuse,” said Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md.

“Oh I don’t know that you need the governor to do it. Certainly somebody from Minnesota that has the best insight into what went wrong should,” Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va, told Fox News Digital on whether Walz should testify.

In a Thursday press conference, federal authorities in Minnesota announced new charges in the fraud scandal that has grabbed national headlines and spoke on the scope of the crisis, saying that it goes beyond what has previously been reported.

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According to one report, Minnesota Democratic lawmakers received over $50,000 in campaign donations by fraudsters who ripped off taxpayer funds meant to help feed children.

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

The Justice Department posted thousands of pages related to Jeffrey Epstein’s and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex-trafficking cases on a public website Friday and said additional documents were forthcoming.

The trove of documents was released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a law passed last month that imposed a 30-day deadline on the DOJ to publish all unclassified material related to the cases.

The files came from the DOJ, the FBI, the Southern District of New York and other entities, and they were expected to include public and nonpublic information about Epstein, a registered sex offender who faced charges of trafficking underage women before dying in prison in 2019 in what authorities said was a suicide.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT PREPARES TO DROP TROVE OF EPSTEIN FILES AS DEADLINE LOOMS

The bill also required the DOJ to release flight logs, the DOJ’s internal communications about the cases, information on Epstein’s death and any material about people, government entities or companies with ties to Epstein’s “trafficking or financial networks.”

The documents included redactions and reasons for blocking out the information. The transparency bill gave the DOJ wide latitude to withhold information that could identify victims, child pornography and material that could jeopardize open investigations or litigation. The government could also leave out information “in the interest of national defense or foreign policy,” the bill said.

Because President Donald Trump signed the bill into law on Nov. 19, the statutory deadline for release is Dec. 19.

SCHUMER ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF EPSTEIN FILES ‘COVER-UP’ AMID DOCUMENT DISPUTE

The DOJ is already facing scrutiny for missing the cutoff date after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Friday’s documents were incomplete during an interview with Fox News.

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Blanche said he expected the government to upload “several hundred thousand more” pages in the coming couple of weeks. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., warned that Democrats are “working closely with attorneys for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and with outside legal experts” to address the anticipated late files.

This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.

FIRST ON FOX: A conservative, Trump-aligned legal group filed a civil rights complaint alleging that a school district in Colorado is using race as a major factor when determining disciplinary procedures and has retaliated against administrators who attempt to push back. 

America First Legal (AFL), founded by top Trump advisor Stephen Miller, filed a civil rights complaint asking the Department of Education and the Department of Justice to investigate Cherry Creek School District, alleging it is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In its complaint, AFL cites a specific instance in which a Black student and an Asian student commit nearly identical behavior, but only the Asian student was disciplined. 

AFL also obtained undercover recordings of discussions between administrators that allegedly show them admitting that the district’s DEI chief has been interfering with disciplinary procedures on the basis of race. When an administrator tried to step in and call out this allegedly racist activity, the official was retaliated against, according to AFL. 

“If a public school district can openly run discipline and employment systems through a racial filter, then the rule of law means nothing,” said Nick Barry, senior counsel at America First Legal. “This is discrimination, plain and simple. It is the soft bigotry of low expectations and should not be tolerated. The Department must intervene and restore equal treatment for students, educators, and families.”

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SUES PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT OVER ALLEGEDLY DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES

Fox News Digital reached out to the district for comment, but it declined to comment on the matter, telling Fox News Digital it could not say anything because the district had “no knowledge of” AFL’s civil rights complaint despite Fox News Digital transmitting a copy of the complaint to the district. AFL’s complaint was filed electronically with the federal government.  

In late 2023, according to the complaint, the district’s Campus Middle School disciplined and suspended three female students after a video of them off campus over Thanksgiving break using variations of the N-word while under the influence of alcohol was submitted to the district. Two students, one White and one Hispanic, were allegedly depicted in the video using the racially charged language, while the third Asian female did not appear in the video and only recorded the encounter.

Meanwhile, a fourth Black female student at the middle school allegedly asked the Asian female student who recorded the encounter to send her the video, which the Black student then allegedly passed along to her sister, a Black student in the district’s high school, who, AFL said, subsequently posted the video on social media and tagged the White, Hispanic and Asian students’ social media accounts. The Black female student who passed the video to her Black sister also passed it to her mother, who then shared the video with the Rocky Mountain NAACP, according to the complaint.

Despite nearly identical behavior from the Asian female student and the Black female students in the district, only the Asian student was disciplined, AFL alleged. She got the same punishment as the two female students pictured in the video using inappropriate language, which included months of expulsion hearings that eventually culminated in her suspension from school, according to AFL. 

“[The Black students involved] disseminated the video to a much broader audience than [the Asian student involved],” AFL’s complaint states. “Despite both [Black female students involved] engaging in materially identical conduct as [the Asian female student involved], the District did not impose any discipline. … After [the Black female students’] identical infractions came to light, former Campus Assistant Principal Dan Hanson instructed personnel not to address the matter in electronic communications due to concerns about public records requests and adverse publicity.”

LEAKED LESSONS FROM FIRST-YEAR UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS EDUCATION COURSE SHOW EXTREME LEFT BIAS: ‘JUST SO WRONG’

According to AFL’s complaint, one of the non-disciplined Black female students continued to exhibit behavioral issues, and undercover recordings it obtained involving discussions between district administrators show Campus Middle School officials admitting the district’s Equity Department interferes with the equal application of disciplinary policies.

“[T]heir first instinct is implicit bias. So if, for example, [Redacted] is not responding appropriately to [the Black female student’s] concerns, it’s because [Redacted] has implicit bias towards a Black young lady, and that she does not know how to navigate the cultural identity of a Black young lady and that [Black female student involved] is talking to her like [she] talks to anybody,” Campus Middle School Principal Lissa Staal can allegedly be heard saying during a meeting with school leaders.

“This is just how [the Black female student involved] communicates. And that is culturally appropriate for [the Black female student involved] to communicate that way because that’s what is culturally appropriate,” Staal continued. “And that’s what is happening is that the Whiteness that is present in our building is looking at that in a punitive way … that we are attributing negative connotations to what is essentially, exactly, we’re calling her disrespectful or disruptive or defiant when she is just communicating in a culturally appropriate way.”

According to AFL’s complaint, school personnel said they had “no ability to enforce anything” against the Black female student who was continuing to act out because they would “lose every time,” since their “hands were tied” by the district’s DEI department. 

The district also allegedly retaliated against former Dean of Students Pat Hogarty when he voiced disagreement with the district’s DEI priorities, according to AFL’s complaint.

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“In January 2024, Mr. Hogarty took part in the Courageous Conversations training. When faced with the topics of ‘What does it mean to be White?’ ‘What experiences define Whiteness?’ and ‘How do you identify?’ Mr. Hogarty stated that ‘he identifies as an American, that he loves his country, and that he believes it is the greatest country ever founded,'” AFL’s complaint states. 

“Shortly after the training, Principal Staal informed Mr. Hogarty that the Equity Department’s Executive Director, Mr. Garcia y Ortiz, took issue with Mr. Hogarty’s failure to ‘acknowledge what people of color go through’ and refusal to ‘admit that America is systemically racist.’ Mr. Hogarty later learned that Garcia y Ortiz had referred to Mr.Hogarty’s comments in the training as having ‘racist undertones.’ Approximately a month later, Mr. Hogarty was informed that his position had been eliminated due to ‘budgetary reasons.’”

Due to the Cherry Creek School District receiving federal funds, it is subject to discrimination guidelines under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. AFL has requested that the Education and Justice departments investigate the matter further and implement any necessary remedial action or referrals to enforce federal civil rights law.

Republican Cynthia Lummis will not be seeking re-election for her U.S. Senate seat in 2026, saying it’s been “an incredible honor to represent Wyoming” in a statement shared on X.

“It’s an incredible honor to represent Wyoming in the U.S. Senate, and throughout my time here, Wyoming has been my one-and-only priority,” Lummis posted to X. “Deciding not to run for reelection does represent a change of heart for me, but in the difficult, exhausting session weeks this fall I’ve come to accept that I do not have six more years left in me.

“I am a devout legislator, but I feel like a sprinter in a marathon,” the senator wrote. “The energy required doesn’t match up.”

SEN CYNTHIA LUMMIS: TRUMP IS ENDING BIDEN’S WAR ON ENERGY AND ONE STATE IS KEY TO THAT STRATEGY

The announcement comes as many legislators have announced resignations ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, which many political commentators have noted may be a referendum on President Donald Trump‘s second administration.

Lummis has been a champion for cryptocurrency legislation in the Senate, penning the GENIUS Act. The Wyoming Republican has also been an advocate for American energy during her tenure, including coal, oil and gas.

Sworn in Jan. 3, 2021, Lummis is the first woman to serve as a senator for the Equality State.

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“I am honored to have earned the support of President Trump and to have the opportunity to work side by side with him to fight for the people of Wyoming,” Lummis concluded. “Thank you, Wyoming!”

Lummis’ office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.