Former Vice President Mike Pence subpoenaed by special counsel overseeing Trump investigations

Former Vice President Mike Pence has been subpoenaed by the special counsel overseeing investigations into former President Donald Trump, sources confirmed to Fox News. 

The subpoena came after months of negotiations between Pence's legal team and federal prosecutors, though the Justice Department declined to comment on that matter. 

The probe is being led by Special Counsel Jack Smith who is looking into both documents and testimony related to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and into Trump's possible mishandling of classified documents after leaving office. 

TRUMP INQUIRY: COURT LIFTS JUDGE'S HOLD BLOCKING DOJ FROM USING CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS FOUND AT MAR-A-LAGO

Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith as special counsel in November to investigate the entirety of the criminal investigation into the retention of presidential records, including classified records, held at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida.

A spokesperson for Pence did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

It was not immediately clear what prosecutors will seek from Pence or whether he will invoke claims of executive privilege. 

Trump said last year that he "won’t partake" in the investigation against him, calling it "the worst politicization of justice in our country."

"I have been going through this for six years — for six years I have been going through this, and I am not going to go through it anymore," Trump told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview Friday shortly after the announcement. "And I hope the Republicans have the courage to fight this."

"I have been proven innocent for six years on everything — from fake impeachments to [former special counsel Robert] Mueller who found no collusion, and now I have to do it more?" Trump said. "It is not acceptable. It is so unfair. It is so political."

House weaponization panel opens first hearing with a partisan bang

The GOP’s government weaponization subcommittee launched its first hearing Thursday, offering a dizzying flood of claims that highlight the partisan divisions over the role of the federal government and the legitimacy of the newly created panel.

Republicans formed the committee as a way to counter alleged abuse of a government they say is abusing its power to target conservatives. Democrats see the committee as the weapon itself, a vehicle for the GOP to forward conspiracy theories that will mobilize the Republican base ahead of 2024.

Helmed by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chairman of both the subcommittee and the overall Judiciary Committee where it is housed, Thursday’s hearing included a quartet of current and former lawmakers, with the GOP inviting former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who left the Democratic Party, to testify.

“Over the course of our work in this committee, we expect to hear from government officials and experts like we have here today. We expect to hear from Americans who've been targeted by the government. We expect to hear from people in need. And we expect to hear from the FBI agents who have come forward as whistleblowers,” Jordan said Thursday.

“Protecting the Constitution shouldn't be partisan,” he added.

Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-V.I.), the top Democrat on the panel, countered that the conception of the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government itself was purely partisan.

“I'm deeply concerned about the use of this select subcommittee as a place to settle scores, showcase conspiracy theories and advance an extreme agenda that risks undermining Americans' faith in our democracy,” Plaskett said at the outset of the hearing.

The hearing, convened to broadly explore politicization of the FBI and the Justice Department, went even wider, with a first panel of current and former lawmakers offering a roadmap of the suite of potential topics the panel could cover.

References to the investigation of former President Trump, probes into President Biden's son Hunter Biden, alleged abuse of authority at the IRS, complaints of media coverage and social media company actions were woven together in opening statements from Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rob Johnson (R-Wis.). 

Grassley complained of a “triad” of influences seeking to limit a number of his own inquiries, stymied by what he said were partisan media, the FBI and Democratic colleagues.

“What I’m about to tell you sounds like it’s out of some fiction spy thriller, but it actually happened,” he said.

Johnson said his 10-minute opening statement “barely scratched the surface in the striking complexity, power and destructive nature of the forces that we face.”

The two, along with Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.), the top Democrat on the oversight committee who served as the party’s witness Tuesday, each took a page out of Jordan’s book, rattling off a list of examples of impropriety, whether by the government or allies of Trump.

“Weaponization is the right name for this federal subcommittee. Not because weaponization of the government is targeted. But because weaponization of government is its purpose,” Raskin said.

“The odd name of the weaponization subcommittee constitutes a case of pure psychological projection.”

A second panel included Jonathan Turley, an attorney and often-used Republican witness, as well as two former FBI agents, including James Baker, who penned the book “The Fall of the FBI: How a Once Great Agency Became a Threat to Democracy.”

In questions with the witnesses, lawmakers' own assessments of the FBI were on display.

“We come not to trash the FBI, but to rescue the FBI from political capture,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).

Gaetz, a last-minute addition to the panel in place of Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), was previously under investigation by the Justice Department in connection with a sex-trafficking probe, but career prosecutors recommended against charging him.

Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-N.Y.), who served as counsel to House Democrats in the first impeachment of Trump, asked Jordan to turn over transcripts of its interviews with the FBI whistleblowers they’ve spoken with.

He also said it was the former president who politicized the agency.

“I worked in the Department of Justice for 10 years alongside a lot of FBI special agents, and their biggest concern and the most damage to the morale of the FBI occurred after Donald Trump started attacking the FBI because he was being attacked by the FBI. And that is what this subcommittee is all about,” he said.

Top Democrat on House Weaponization Subcommittee blasts GOP-created panel: ‘Weaponization of Congress’

The top Democrat on the House Weaponization Subcommittee said there is a "difference" between "legitimate oversight and weaponization of Congress," slamming the GOP-created committee as one that will be used to "showcase conspiracy theories and advance an extreme agenda."

The subcommittee’s first hearing featured two panels of witnesses to present testimony and illustrate how the Department of Justice has allegedly compromised American civil liberties.

Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Stacey Plaskett, D-V.I., opened the panel’s first hearing with a warning to Republicans on the committee.

WEAPONIZATION OF GOVERNMENT PANEL TO HOLD FIRST HEARING ON DOJ'S ALLEGED ATTACK ON AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES

"Nobody disputed the important role of congressional oversight. I know firsthand how important it is to ask questions and demand answers of the federal government," Plaskett said. "Congressional oversight can serve to protect the integrity of our Republic."

"But there is a difference, my colleagues, between legitimate oversight and weaponization of Congress and our processes, particularly our committee work, as a political tool," she said.

Plaskett, who served as an impeachment manager in the second impeachment of former President Donald Trump, said she is "deeply concerned" that the Weaponization Subcommittee will be used "as a place to settle scores, showcase conspiracy theories and advance an extreme agenda that risk undermining Americans’ faith in our democracy."

The first panel included testimony from Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. The two senators have teamed together in high-profile investigations involving the FBI, the Department of Justice, Hunter Biden, Big Tech and more.

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, who has been critical of the government for activities that have allegedly undermined freedom of speech, joined Johnson and Grassley on the first panel.

The second panel is set to feature George Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley, who focused on censorship in the United States; former FBI agent Thomas Baker, who will speak to the need for an independent bureau; and former FBI agent Nicole Parker, who left the bureau after believing it had become weaponized for political purposes.

STEFANIK SAYS ‘ABUSE AND WEAPONIZATION’ OF BIDEN FEDERAL AGENCIES MUST BE ‘ROOTED OUT’ BY GOP IN MAJORITY

Plaskett, ahead of witness testimony, blasted their experience, saying that the witnesses "would have us believe that the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are part of a deep state cabal."

"The Department of Justice and the FBI do not always get it right—history is full of examples of these agencies getting it very, very wrong," she said. "But in our current climate, with domestic terrorism on the rise and hate speech normalized by national politicians, the Department of Justice and the FBI are doing their best to protect us from sliding into chaos."

Plaskett said that she and Democrats on the committee "will resist any attempt by this subcommittee to derail ongoing legitimate investigations into President Trump" and others within his orbit.

Plaskett said that Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Republicans "continually use the moniker of protecting free speech."

MCCARTHY ANNOUNCES GOP MEMBERS APPOINTED TO HOUSE PANEL ON BIDEN ADMIN'S ‘WEAPONIZATION’ OF GOVERNMENT

Plaskett’s opening statement came after Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee and the Weaponization Subcommittee, delivered his opening statement, detailing the dozens of FBI whistleblowers who have come to him and to congressional Republicans to report politicization within the bureau. 

From the border to the front lines of Congress, House Republicans are flexing their muscles

The new House Republican majority is now flexing their muscles with hearings on China, education policy, pandemic learning loss and "woke" policies in schools, and Hunter Biden and his laptop.

House Republicans timed a hearing on the border crisis to just hours before President Biden delivered his State of the Union address. 

The border may be 1,700 miles from Washington, D.C., but Republicans brought the border front lines to the front lines of Capitol Hill. The border and illegal immigration are sizzling issues with the GOP base, so it is only natural that Republicans would make this a priority in the new Congress. 

The Biden Administration initially blocked the specific border agents who Republicans requested for testimony before the House Oversight Committee. The Department of Homeland Security finally relented — but sent other agents.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS PRESS HUNTER BIDEN, JAMES BIDEN, ERIC SCHWERIN FOR BUSINESS DEAL DOCUMENTS

"After two years of gaslighting, obstruction, stonewalling and lies, we’re finally able to hear straight from the source," said Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C.

Republicans hoped to blame President Biden for the border crisis.

"The policies put in place by this administration have opened the door for dangerous individuals - including but not limited to - terrorists to cross into our nation undetected," said Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich.

One witness testified that President Biden was to blame for the surge of migrants indirectly.

"The vast majority of (migrants) were saying that they believed that when the administration changed, the law and policy changed," said John Modlin, the Chief Border Patrol agent from Tucson, Ariz.

Republicans underscored the plight of those who protect the border.

"I have seen the despair in Border Patrol agents faces. Their morale is certainly decreasing," said Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo. 

One agent who testified — Gloria Chavez, chief patrol agent of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) sector — backed up Boebert.

"In the last two years, Border Patrol has had 13 suicides. Five in RGV. And it's a terrible thing that we experience," testified Chavez. 

The agents painted a damning picture of the border plight.

"In the Tucson sector last year, we seized about 700 pounds of fentanyl. To give you an idea based on the lethality of a dose of fentanyl, that's enough to kill everyone in Arizona 21 times," said Modlin.

However, Democrats say additional interdictions are a good thing.

HOUSE DEM CLAIMS SPIKE IN FENTANYL SEIZED AT BORDER IS A 'SUCCESS'

"The facts show we are seizing a lot more fentanyl. And for me, as a mom, that is a sign of success. I don't want that fentanyl in this country. It is dangerous and it kills people and it makes our communities dangerous. And to me, this is a sign that our border patrol and our agents at our ports of entry, which is, of course, where the vast majority of the fentanyl is seized, as you've acknowledged, are doing their jobs," said Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif.

The session sparked hyperbole on both sides.

"I just wonder what the real agenda is here for an open border?" asked Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala.

One Republican alleged that a porous border was part of a grand Machiavellian administration plot

"Why would Biden do this?" asked Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., about the administration’s border policy. "To create chaos? Sow discord? What is the answer to this mess for Biden and the Democrats? More big brother. More control. Even changing our culture."

However, Gosar offered no evidence to back up his assertions. However, Republicans did not monopolize inflammatory accusations.

A tweet from the formal Twitter feed of House Oversight Committee Democrats argued that Republicans conducted the hearing to propound "white nationalist conspiracy theories."

"Migrants are increasingly dehumanized as a direct result of Republican xenophobic rhetoric," claimed Washington, D.C., Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton.

"This isn’t about oversight," said Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla. "It’s about stoking the fears of immigrants and those seeking asylum."

Congressional Democrats regularly call out the Twitter feed of House Judiciary Republicans for caustic messages. Republicans returned the favor.

"This comment that we’re having this hearing to amplify White conspiracy theories is one of the most offensive things I’ve seen since I’ve been here," said Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wisc. 

"For my colleagues who want to state that we’re using this hearing for White nationalism? I’m not doing that," said Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla. "Leave that kind of silly stuff for somebody else. Don’t bring that here today."

Republicans intensified attacks against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

"I think he’s an embarrassment and should step down," lectured Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Tex. "We do not have confidence in your department."

Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Tex., asserted that agents possessed the wherewithal to control the border. "We have the manpower. We have technology. What we lack, Mr. Chairman, is Alejandro Mayorkas’s will and Joe Biden’s will to do so," said Fallon.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS CALL FOR IMPEACHMENT OF HOMELAND SECRETARY MAYORKAS AHEAD OF STATE OF THE UNION

It remains unclear if the GOP would ever have the votes to impeach Mayorkas. The House has not impeached a cabinet secretary since 1876. Impeachment would toss red meat to the conservative hardliners. However, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is trying to take a measured approach – despite the internal push from the right.

At some point, Republican voters will ask why the GOP House has not impeached Mayorkas or even President Biden. That is why Republicans want to focus as much as they can on the border. It presents a narrative that they’re working on the issue — even if they never get to impeachment.

Some Democrats tried to reframe the border calamity.

"What we are seeing on the southern border is a crisis. But it’s not a crisis our friends across the aisle would have us believe," said Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M. "It is truly a humanitarian crisis."

Stansbury spoke of how she lost relatives to fentanyl, "It is an absolute crisis to know the pain of what it feels like to lose someone to fentanyl. It’s something that I think many people in this room do not understand," continued Stansbury. "Let’s talk about these issues in reality and not try to score political brownie points and get on cable TV."

However, the hearing seemingly helped Democrats and Republicans alike achieve the benchmarks of which Stansbury spoke. Both sides scored political brownie points with their respective bases. And, they got on cable TV. 

Boebert introduces ELON Act to require DOJ report on money going to social media companies

FIRST ON FOX: Colorado GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert introduced legislation requiring the Department of Justice (DOJ) to report how much money it is spending with social media companies.

Boebert introduced the Exposing Lewd Outlays for Social Networking Companies, or ELON, Act Wednesday, Fox News Digital has learned.

The bill would require the U.S. comptroller general to submit a congressional report on all DOJ payments to Twitter, Meta, Google, Microsoft and Apple since January 1, 2015.

KAMALA HARRIS IS BIDEN’S ‘SHREWD INSURANCE POLICY’ AGAINST IMPEACHMENT, BOEBERT SAYS

"Big Tech is in bed with the FBI and other agencies to the point where Congress can’t tell where one ends and the other begins," Boebert told Fox News Digital.

"The millions of dollars sent to Twitter that we know of during an election year, when they were at the same time censoring the Hunter Biden laptop from hell, is incredibly concerning."

The Colorado Republican said her "bill, the ELON Act, requires a report from all agencies on federal dollars sent to big tech companies" and also places a one-year moratorium on additional funds."

"We must expose the incestuous relationship between Big Tech and the federal government," Boebert said. "My bill does exactly that."

Boebert’s ELON Act already has several GOP co-sponsors, including Reps. Matt Gaetz and Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Troy Nehls of Texas, Paul Gosar of Arizona, Mary Miller of Indiana and Eric Burlison of Missouri.

The bill comes amid GOP accusations against social media companies targeting conservatives.

Twitter’s censorship of the New York Post's 2020 Hunter Biden laptop story is frequently mentioned among congressional Republicans as proof of social media companies’ bias against conservatives.

The House Oversight Committee held a hearing Wednesday probing former Twitter executives about the censorship of that story.

Jean-Pierre v Sanders: Current, former WH press secretaries battle over Biden’s SOTU

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday dismissed Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' response to President Joe Biden's State of the Union as an attempt to stir up "fake conspiracies."

Sanders' rebuttal speech emphasized the GOP effort to restrict abortion and ban the presence of gender ideology and critical race theory in schools. Sanders, who served as former President Donald Trump's press secretary until 2019, said Democrats' priorities show that the choice between Republicans and Democrats is a choice between "normal or crazy."

Jean-Pierre rejected Sanders' comments and accused Republicans of whipping up "fake" issues.

"The way we see it is the choice is between political fighting over fake conspiracies and delivering for the American people," Jean-Pierre said Wednesday when asked about Sanders' speech. "The president is focused on the latter."

SARAH SANDERS DELIVERS GOP REBUTTAL TO BIDEN SOTU, SAYS AMERICANS HAVE A CHOICE 'BETWEEN NORMAL OR CRAZY'

In a briefing with reporters as Biden traveled to Wisconsin to deliver a speech on his economic agenda, Jean-Pierre said it's the Republicans who are pursuing a crazy agenda.

"But what is not normal is some politicians’ obsession over some of our most vulnerable kids or taking away women’s rights to make their own health care decisions or even teaching America’s history," she said.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS CALL FOR IMPEACHMENT OF HOMELAND SECRETARY MAYORKAS AHEAD OF STATE OF THE UNION

Sanders used her remarks to promise that Republicans will lead with courage on issues that regular American voters care about.

"At 40, I’m the youngest governor in the country. At 80, he’s the oldest president in American history. I’m the first woman to lead my state. He’s the first man to surrender his presidency to a woke mob that can’t even tell you what a woman is," Sanders said.

BIDEN PLAGUED BY NEGATIVE APPROVAL RATINGS AHEAD OF SECOND STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH

"Make no mistake: Republicans will not surrender this fight," Sanders said. "We will lead with courage and do what’s right, not what’s politically correct or convenient."

Homeland Security Chair Mark Green: Southern and ‘cyber’ borders top focus for holding Biden, China to account

EXCLUSIVE: House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., told Fox News Digital that securing America's southern and "cyber" borders are top priorities for his committee, as well as holding China to account after the spy balloon incident.

Green sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Tuesday, first obtained by Fox News Digital, in which he demanded information about China's "espionage" in U.S. airspace.

In an interview ahead of President Biden's State of the Union address Tuesday, Green said the issue with the spy balloon saga is "twofold."

"One, how the [DHS] Office of Intelligence and Analysis, you know, functioned within all of the notifications and the decision making for not shooting down a spy balloon that invaded our, you know, airspace," said Green.

DHS SECRETARY MAYORKAS HIT WITH NEW IMPEACHMENT ARTICLE OVER 'RECKLESS ABANDONMENT' OF BORDER SECURITY

"And then, of course, we have oversight and have the Coast Guard inside Homeland Security. So they're very involved right now in the recovery of the stuff and securing the site where the balloon was shot down and landed in the ocean. So just making sure they have the resources to do their job," he said.

As for top priorities for his committee, Green said they are securing the southern border, as well as the country's "cyber" border.

"A lot of people don't think of cyber as a border. But I want to shift the paradigm a little bit and have people think of cybersecurity as the nation's fourth border," explained.

HIGH SPEED PURSUIT OF 12-YEAR-OLD, 15-YEAR-OLD MIGRANT SMUGGLERS ENDS IN SHOCKING CAR CRASH 

Another top focus will be to "reorganize and restructure" DHS to maximize effectiveness and efficiency because it's "unconscionable" what the Border Patrol have been put through due to demands on them by Biden's open border policies.

Green wasn't too enthusiastic about the possibility of impeaching Mayorkas, even though articles of impeachment have been put forward by some of his GOP colleagues. "My perspective right now is we're going to do some significant oversight. And when we're done, if the information that we gather shows that he's worthy of being impeached, we'll pass that off to [House Judiciary Chairman] Jim Jordan," he said.

"The Pentagon acknowledged that they had been monitoring this surveillance balloon for several days, yet took no action to prevent it from entering U.S. airspace. Even worse, news reports indicate that the Biden administration knew about the spy balloon for more than a week before it was shot down. This inaction is both dangerous and egregious," the chairman wrote in his letter to Mayorkas.

BIDEN ADMIN KEEPS PUSHING SWEEPING IMMIGRATION BILL, INCLUDING AMNESTY, TWO YEARS INTO MIGRANT CRISIS

He told Mayorkas that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s access to sensitive information as it traveled across the country is especially troubling as the CCP seeks to steal U.S. info and "exploit" academic and scientific communities.

"The CCP's espionage in our skies – left unaddressed by this administration – is a serious concern to Americans. As members of the Committee with jurisdiction over the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), we must understand DHS' role in identifying, assessing, and tracking this threat," the letter continued, including a deadline of Feb. 17 for the requested info.

DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the letter.

Partisan rift widens on immigration policy, as seen in two House hearings 

Republicans and Democrats kicked off the first major immigration policy meetings of the new Congress at odds, with little agreement on even the most basic facts on the issue.

The parties have now faced off on the legislative stage twice, in hearings convened by the House Judiciary and House Oversight and Accountability committees. They’ve accomplished little more than to highlight the growing partisan split, despite a plea to “find a solution" from the El Paso Border Patrol sector chief.

The Judiciary Committee, led by GOP firebrand Rep. Jim Jordan (Ohio), hosted the more combative hearing, focusing on an alleged correlation between immigration and fentanyl trafficking and accusing the Biden administration of purposely dismantling border security.

"Make no mistake, the Biden administration is carrying out its plan," said Jordan in his opening remarks last week.

"We all heard [Homeland Security] Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas, who sat in front of this committee and said, 'we are executing our plan on the border.' And we all heard President Biden say, 'we're trying to make it easier for people to get here.' Well, they're certainly succeeding in that," added Jordan.

Tuesday’s Oversight hearing led by Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), which featured two Border Patrol sector chiefs as witnesses, was comparatively phlegmatic, though Democrats still voiced their anger at the GOP's handling of the subject matter.

"The extreme MAGA forces in the Republican Party have chosen to abandon the pro-immigration stance of Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan and instead spread fear about a 'foreign invasion,' paranoia about the racist and antisemitic 'Great Replacement' mythology, and disinformation about fentanyl — the vast majority of which is brought into our country by American smugglers working for the international drug cartels and traveling through lawful ports of entry," said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee.

"I ardently hope today’s hearing will become a chance to search for bipartisan agreement rather than another missed opportunity. … Turning this into more bad political theater will just extend the long pattern of failure on this question."

But Raskin's hopes for bipartisanship were quickly quashed.

Following Comer and Raskin's opening remarks, Comer took the microphone to complain about a White House memo released early Tuesday that said, "House Republicans are more interested in staging political stunts than on rolling up their sleeves to work with President Biden and Democrats in Congress," and a tweet from the Oversight Democrats wishing, "Good morning and good luck to everyone except @GOPoversight members who are using today's hearing to amplify white nationalist conspiracy theories instead of a comprehensive solution to protect our borders and strengthen our immigration system."

"I mean, really? I don't even know what to say about that," said Comer, before reminding Democrats that House rules prohibit personal attacks between members.

For the next five hours, Oversight members essentially replicated the bifurcated proceedings of a week prior at the Judiciary Committee.

At the heart of the rift, apparent in both hearings, is a disagreement over whether the fentanyl crisis, legal immigration, asylum and border security should be treated as separate issues, or whether a border crackdown would resolve them all.

But the witnesses were a key distinction between the two hearings.

Comer invited two active duty border security professionals, Border Patrol Rio Grande Valley Sector Chief Agent Gloria Chavez and Tucson Sector Chief Agent John Modlin, both of whom fielded questions from Republicans and Democrats alike on a variety of border-related issues.

“If I wanted to have a big political hearing that was full of red meat, we would have victims’ families that lost their lives to fentanyl. We would have people that have been human trafficked. But we’re not. We just asked four Border Patrol bosses," Comer told attendants at a National Press Club event last month.

Jordan took the "red meat" approach, calling on Brandon Dunn, a father whose son died from a fentanyl overdose and the founder of Forever 15 Project, an organization to raise awareness of the dangers of the drug.

The Ohio Republican also called on Cochise County, Ariz., Sheriff Mark Dannels and Dale Lynn Carruthers, county judge of Terrell County, Texas (though Carruthers was unable to attend because of weather conditions).

Advocates were heavily critical of Jordan's choice of Dannels and Carruthers as witnesses, pointing to Dannels's frequent appearances on right-wing media and alleged connections to immigration restrictionist groups.

Heidi Beirich, an expert in American and European right-wing groups and co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, said both Dannels and Carruthers had embraced the rhetoric of an "invasion" at the southern border.

"The fact that Daniels and Carruthers have engaged in this racist rhetoric about immigrants and their ties to hate and other extremist groups disqualify them from any productive discussions on things related to immigration," said Beirich.

Scores of Democrats called out the GOP's "invasion" rhetoric as going too far, though most Republicans avoided the word, and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) defended its use.

"The definition of an invasion is an incursion by a large number of people or things into a place or sphere of activity,” he said, repeating claims that enough fentanyl has entered the U.S. to “kill every American five times.”

"I would consider that to be the direct definition of the word invasion,” Hunt said.

But Democrats largely countered that point with Customs and Border Protection data that shows more than 90 percent of fentanyl enters the United States through legal ports of entry.

"This hearing isn't about border security or solving our opioid crisis. It isn't even facts. What it's about is painting immigrants as villains in order for my colleagues to further their anti-immigrant agenda," said Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.).

"Republicans are trying to rewrite history to hide their extremist agenda from the American people," he added. "This extreme wing is trying to say that immigrants are trafficking fentanyl across an unchecked border but we know that that's not true. Why? Because it happens at the ports of entry by U.S. citizens, not mainly by asylum seekers."

The partisan split on immigration policy prescriptions is nothing new.

"This is just exactly the kind of finger-pointing rather than serious efforts of problem solving, and political theater rather than problem solving that we're likely to see because the Congress has abdicated its role for decades now, where immigration – and updating immigration laws and capabilities – are concerned," said Doris Meissner, a former commissioner of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service who now leads the Migration Policy Institute's U.S. Immigration Policy Program.

But the rift has grown in scope and in political impact.

"​​The worldview seems so dichotomous. How in the world do we bridge a gap?" said Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), who shortly after the Judiciary hearing led a group calling for the impeachment of Mayorkas.

Democrats are convinced the GOP's hard line is just political grandstanding.

"It's the presidential election starting now. Immigration is the issue. It's an effective one that continues to be used over and over. It will be ugly," said Rep. Lou Correa (D-Calif.).

Despite the distance between the two parties, the Border Patrol officers at Tuesday’s hearing, who largely relayed a landscape of officers under-resourced compared with smugglers and cartels, pleaded for some kind of legislative action.

"I think we really just need to embrace change, good change, so that we reform our immigration law and have that balance between immigration and border security and get serious about that. We need to find a solution," said Chavez, the Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol sector chief.

Emily Brooks contributed.

Sarah Sanders delivers GOP rebuttal to Biden SOTU, says Americans have a choice ‘between normal or crazy’

Newly-elected Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders delivered the GOP rebuttal to President Biden's second State of the Union address Tuesday, calling for a "new generation of Republican leadership" and describing the choice between Democrats and Republicans as a choice "between normal or crazy."

"Being a mom to three young children taught me not to believe every story I hear. So forgive me for not believing much of anything I heard tonight from President Biden. From out-of-control inflation and violent crime to the dangerous border crisis and threat from China, Biden and the Democrats have failed you," Sanders said.

"It’s time for a change. Tonight, let us reaffirm our commitment to a timeless American idea: that government exists not to rule the people, but to serve the people. Democrats want to rule us with more government control, but that is not who we are," she added.

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE SPEECH 

Sanders noted that she and Biden didn't have a lot in common because she is "for freedom" and he's "for government control," and went on to note the four decades difference in their ages.

"At 40, I’m the youngest governor in the country. At 80, he’s the oldest president in American history. I’m the first woman to lead my state. He’s the first man to surrender his presidency to a woke mob that can’t even tell you what a woman is," she said.

"In the radical left’s America, Washington taxes you and lights your hard-earned money on fire, but you get crushed with high gas prices, empty grocery shelves, and our children are taught to hate one another on account of their race, but not to love one another or our great country," she added.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS CALL FOR IMPEACHMENT OF HOMELAND SECRETARY MAYORKAS AHEAD OF STATE OF THE UNION

She described the Biden administration as "completely hijacked by the radical left," and said that America's "dividing line" was no longer a separation between right and left.

"The choice is between normal or crazy," she said. "It is time for a new generation of Republican leadership."

She went on to tout her efforts in Arkansas to combat indoctrination and other Democratic policies like critical race theory and shutdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. She said that Americans wanted common sense from their leaders, but that Biden was busy "doubling down on crazy."

"President Biden inherited the fastest economic recovery on record. The most secure border in history. Cheap abundant, home-grown energy. Fast-rising wages. A rebuilt military. And a world that was stable and at peace. But over the last two years, Democrats destroyed it all," Sanders said.

"Despite Democrats’ trillions in reckless spending and mountains of debt, we now have the worst border crisis in American history," she added.

BIDEN PLAGUED BY NEGATIVE APPROVAL RATINGS AHEAD OF SECOND STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH

Sanders expressed the need to secure the border and stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States, a drug responsible thousands of deaths every month, railed against Democratic calls to defend the police, and blasted Biden's "weakness" on foreign policy, especially China.

"Make no mistake: Republicans will not surrender this fight. We will lead with courage and do what’s right, not what’s politically correct or convenient," she said.

"Republicans believe in an America where strong families thrive in safe communities. Where jobs are abundant, and paychecks are rising. Where the freedom our veterans shed their blood to defend is the birthright of every man, woman, and child," she said.

Sanders vowed that under the leadership of Senate Republicans and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Republicans would hold the Biden administration accountable.

"America is great because we are free. But today, our freedom is under attack, and the America we love is in danger. President Biden and the Democrats have failed you. It’s time for a change. A New Generation of Republican leaders is stepping up… not to be caretakers of the status quo, but to be change makers for the American people," she said.

"We know not what the future holds, but we know who holds the future in His hands. And with God as our witness, we will show the world that America is still the place where freedom reins and liberty will never die," she added.

Sanders, who served as White House press secretary under former President Donald Trump, never held elected office prior to being elected as Arkansas' governor. She is also the daughter of the state's former Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Sarah Sanders delivers GOP rebuttal to Biden SOTU, says Americans have a choice ‘between normal or crazy’

Newly-elected Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders delivered the GOP rebuttal to President Biden's second State of the Union address Tuesday, calling for a "new generation of Republican leadership" and describing the choice between Democrats and Republicans as a choice "between normal or crazy."

"Being a mom to three young children taught me not to believe every story I hear. So forgive me for not believing much of anything I heard tonight from President Biden. From out-of-control inflation and violent crime to the dangerous border crisis and threat from China, Biden and the Democrats have failed you," Sanders said.

"It’s time for a change. Tonight, let us reaffirm our commitment to a timeless American idea: that government exists not to rule the people, but to serve the people. Democrats want to rule us with more government control, but that is not who we are," she added.

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE SPEECH 

Sanders noted that she and Biden didn't have a lot in common because she is "for freedom" and he's "for government control," and went on to note the four decades difference in their ages.

"At 40, I’m the youngest governor in the country. At 80, he’s the oldest president in American history. I’m the first woman to lead my state. He’s the first man to surrender his presidency to a woke mob that can’t even tell you what a woman is," she said.

"In the radical left’s America, Washington taxes you and lights your hard-earned money on fire, but you get crushed with high gas prices, empty grocery shelves, and our children are taught to hate one another on account of their race, but not to love one another or our great country," she added.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS CALL FOR IMPEACHMENT OF HOMELAND SECRETARY MAYORKAS AHEAD OF STATE OF THE UNION

She described the Biden administration as "completely hijacked by the radical left," and said that America's "dividing line" was no longer a separation between right and left.

"The choice is between normal or crazy," she said. "It is time for a new generation of Republican leadership."

She went on to tout her efforts in Arkansas to combat indoctrination and other Democratic policies like critical race theory and shutdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. She said that Americans wanted common sense from their leaders, but that Biden was busy "doubling down on crazy."

"President Biden inherited the fastest economic recovery on record. The most secure border in history. Cheap abundant, home-grown energy. Fast-rising wages. A rebuilt military. And a world that was stable and at peace. But over the last two years, Democrats destroyed it all," Sanders said.

"Despite Democrats’ trillions in reckless spending and mountains of debt, we now have the worst border crisis in American history," she added.

BIDEN PLAGUED BY NEGATIVE APPROVAL RATINGS AHEAD OF SECOND STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH

Sanders expressed the need to secure the border and stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States, a drug responsible thousands of deaths every month, railed against Democratic calls to defend the police, and blasted Biden's "weakness" on foreign policy, especially China.

"Make no mistake: Republicans will not surrender this fight. We will lead with courage and do what’s right, not what’s politically correct or convenient," she said.

"Republicans believe in an America where strong families thrive in safe communities. Where jobs are abundant, and paychecks are rising. Where the freedom our veterans shed their blood to defend is the birthright of every man, woman, and child," she said.

Sanders vowed that under the leadership of Senate Republicans and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Republicans would hold the Biden administration accountable.

"America is great because we are free. But today, our freedom is under attack, and the America we love is in danger. President Biden and the Democrats have failed you. It’s time for a change. A New Generation of Republican leaders is stepping up… not to be caretakers of the status quo, but to be change makers for the American people," she said.

"We know not what the future holds, but we know who holds the future in His hands. And with God as our witness, we will show the world that America is still the place where freedom reins and liberty will never die," she added.

Sanders, who served as White House press secretary under former President Donald Trump, never held elected office prior to being elected as Arkansas' governor. She is also the daughter of the state's former Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee.