Month: December 2025

House Dem to force Trump impeachment vote on 2 articles

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, filed articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump on Wednesday and will force the House of Representatives to vote on the measures this week.

Green made his resolution to impeach Trump privileged on Wednesday, meaning the House must vote on the issue within two legislative days. Green has introduced articles of impeachment against Trump at least five times this year, but he has not before tried to force a vote on the issue.

Green's impeachment filing accuses Trump of "calling for the execution of six Democratic lawmakers" and of making threats of violence against judges. The former refers to Trump's reaction after Democratic lawmakers urged members of the military to "refuse illegal orders."

"President Trump is an abuser of presidential power who, if left in office, will continue to promote violence, engender invidious hate, undermine our democracy, and dissolve our Republic," Green said in a statement.

SIX DEMOCRATS URGE MILITARY MEMBERS TO 'REFUSE ILLEGAL ORDERS' IN VIRAL VIDEO; HEGSETH RESPONDS

Green has failed several times to gather support among Democrats for impeaching Trump. House Democrats voted to kill a Green impeachment effort in June, that one based on Trump ordering airstrikes on Iran.

Trump is not the only member of his administration to face impeachment efforts, however. House Democrats also filed articles against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and War Secretary Pete Hegseth this week.

Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., announced the move against Kennedy on Wednesday, arguing he has failed in his role. Stevens had previously vowed to file the articles in September.

ANTI-TRUMP NETWORK BEHIND MASS PROTESTS CRACKS OPEN WAR CHEST AGAINST DEMS WHO BACKED REOPENING GOVERNMENT

"Today, I formally introduced articles of impeachment against Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. RFK Jr. has turned his back on science and the safety of the American people. Michiganders cannot take another day of his chaos," she wrote in a statement posted on social media.

Meanwhile, Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., targeted Hegseth, pointing to reports that he issued orders to "kill everybody" onboard a small vessel that was allegedly involved in drug trafficking.

"Pete Hegseth has been using the United States military to extrajudicially assassinate people without evidence of any crime," said Thanedar. "Former military attorneys have come out and asserted that his conduct constitutes war crimes. We cannot allow his reprehensible conduct to continue, which is why I have filed these articles to impeach him."

Democrat moves to oust RFK Jr. from Trump’s Cabinet

Posted on by Alix Breeden

As it turns out, lawmakers and federal workers aren’t a fan of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s leadership at the Department of Health and Human Services. Not only does the HHS secretary have a line of people calling for him to resign, including his own staffers, but he is also now facing impeachment as well. 

On Wednesday, Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens of Michigan filed articles of impeachment against the brain-wormed politician, saying he has undermined public health. And that’s hard to argue against. He has promoted fringe views from falsely saying Tylenol causes autism to ripping a health monitoring program away from coal miners.

Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens of Michigan, shown in May.

That said, it’s very unlikely the impeachment succeeds. Congress has a Republican majority in both chambers, making the likelihood of this coming to a vote on the House floor very slim. 

As noted by The New York Times, Stevens’ actions may be more about getting some fire under her run for Senate as next year’s primary approaches. She faces state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and progressive activist Abdul El-Sayed.

However, another politician also thinks enough is enough with Kennedy.

Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, who caucuses with Democrats, scheduled a vote that would allow lawmakers to signal their concerns over Kennedy’s malfeasance thus far. In theory, this could open the door for both sides of the aisle to openly discuss the havoc Kennedy has wreaked on HHS. 

But it’s hard to say whether Republican lawmakers will take that opportunity.

For example, Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a medical doctor who somewhat reluctantly voted for Kennedy’s confirmation, has recently turned down opportunities to criticize the health secretary. That’s the case even after Kennedy reneged on pledges he made to Cassidy about not messing too much with vaccine policy.

Kennedy, who has a long history of pushing anti-vaccine lies, has fired scientists from a top vaccine advisory committee, ousted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, and removed vaccine mandates for young children and pregnant women, among other things.

But, hey, at least the man can do pull-ups.

House Democrat introduces impeachment articles against RFK Jr

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

A House Democrat filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday.

Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., announced the move on Wednesday, arguing Kennedy has failed in his role. Stevens had previously vowed to file the articles in September.

"Today, I formally introduced articles of impeachment against Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. RFK Jr. has turned his back on science and the safety of the American people. Michiganders cannot take another day of his chaos," she wrote in a statement posted on social media.

HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon reacted to the impeachment effort in a statement to NBC News.

NOEM TEASES 'NEXT BIG ANNOUNCEMENT' THAT MAY CHANGE AIRPORT SECURITY RULE

"Secretary Kennedy remains focused on the work of improving Americans’ health and lowering costs, not on partisan political stunts," Nixon said.

The move comes just days after Stevens' fellow Democrat, Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., filed articles of impeachment against War Secretary Pete Hegseth.

NEW TSA PROGRAM LAUNCHED TO ELIMINATE DOUBLE SCREENINGS FOR INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS

Thanedar pointed to reports that Hegseth issued orders to "kill everybody" onboard a small vessel that was allegedly involved in drug trafficking.

DUFFY URGES SENATE TO PASS BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL'S $12.5B AIR TRAFFIC SYSTEM FIX

"Pete Hegseth has been using the United States military to extrajudicially assassinate people without evidence of any crime," said Thanedar. "Former military attorneys have come out and asserted that his conduct constitutes war crimes. We cannot allow his reprehensible conduct to continue, which is why I have filed these articles to impeach him."

Both Michigan Democrats are facing hotly contested Democratic primaries for the upcoming 2026 elections.

This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.

Trump dismisses calls for Alito, Thomas to step down from Supreme Court, calling them ‘fantastic’

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

President Donald Trump pushed back on calls for Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas to step down, calling them both "fantastic."

Trump made the remark to Politico this week as the outlet reported that some members of the Republican Party are hoping the court's two oldest conservatives consider stepping down before the midterm elections. That would enable Trump to nominate conservatives to take their place while the Republican Party is still guaranteed control of the Senate.

"I hope they stay," Trump said, adding, "'Cause I think they’re fantastic."

Alito, 75, has no plans to retire from the Supreme Court anytime soon, a source close to the justice told The Wall Street Journal in November 2024 after Trump was elected.

SCOTUS POISED TO SIDE WITH TRUMP ON FTC FIRING – A SHOWDOWN THAT COULD TOPPLE 90-YEAR PRECEDENT

"Despite what some people may think, this is a man who has never thought about this job from a political perspective," a person close to Alito said to the newspaper.

"The idea that he’s going to retire for political considerations is not consistent with who he is," this person added. 

Alito was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2006 by President George W. Bush.

'THE VIEW' CO-HOST 'SCARED' OVER SOTOMAYOR RESPONSE ON TRUMP POTENTIALLY SEEKING A THIRD TERM

Thomas is 77 years old. He was appointed to the court by President George H.W. Bush in 1991.

Sonia Sotomayor, appointed by President Obama in 2009, is 71. 

In 2022, a handful of House Democrats demanded that Thomas step down or be impeached because he would not recuse himself from cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Investigators on the Jan. 6 select committee revealed that the justice's wife, Ginni Thomas, sent text messages to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows urging him to challenge Donald Trump's 2020 election loss.

Fox News Digital's Breanne Deppisch and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

FBI to be under harsh new microscope as Stefanik scores victory in annual defense bill

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

A Republican-backed measure in this year's annual defense policy bill is aimed at significantly expanding FBI transparency in American elections.

A provision in the 3,000-page National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) would force the bureau to disclose the initiation of a "counterintelligence assessment or investigation" against a candidate for federal office or a current elected official within 15 days of its launch.

Specifically, it would mandate that the FBI notify the top four congressional leaders in the House and Senate as well as the top Republican and top Democrat on both chambers' judiciary and intelligence committees.

An exception would be granted if one of those people was the target of such a probe, however.

PATEL SAYS COMEY CASE IS 'FAR FROM OVER,' VOWS TO RESTORE 'ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY' TO FBI

The provision was spearheaded by House GOP Leadership Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who told Fox News Digital on Monday that it was "a win that I am proud to deliver for transparency and accountability and against the illegal weaponization of the deep state."

"I am the only remaining House Republican who served on the House Intelligence Committee during the dark Schiff impeachment era," Stefanik said.

"Congress owes the American people long overdue accountability after the unprecedented illegal weaponization of our federal government, whether it was the illegal Crossfire Hurricane targeting of President Trump in 2016 or more recently the sweeping Operation Arctic Frost."

FBI FIRES AGENTS, DISMANTLES CORRUPTION SQUAD AFTER PROBE UNVEILS MONITORING OF GOP SENATORS, PATEL SAYS

The measure is also backed by House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. A Jordan spokesman told Fox News Digital that the conservative leader has "always been 100% supportive of this provision."

Its inclusion came after some fireworks between Stefanik and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., last week. 

Stefanik had publicly accused the speaker of kowtowing to Democrats and allowing that provision to be removed. Johnson said he was blindsided by Stefanik's anger and was unaware of her concerns when she had made them public.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS ACCUSE BIDEN'S FBI OF RETALIATING AGAINST WHISTLEBLOWER WHO EXPOSED MISCONDUCT

Johnson also said at the time that it had been removed from the final bill during normal procedural discussions between Democrats and Republicans, although he himself supported the measure.

Stefanik later claimed victory on X, however, announcing the provision had been reinstated after a conversation between herself, Johnson and President Donald Trump. 

"I had a very productive conversation with Speaker Johnson last night and I shared my views that House Republicans need to focus on delivering results to the American people," she said last week.

House Republican leadership aides said in answer to a question by Fox News Digital on Monday night that there was "some miscommunication and misunderstandings" related to the provision at first but "we've worked through those."

Aides said House GOP leaders "worked closely with Stefanik's office and with the committees of jurisdiction to find a way to accomplish her intent and what she was hoping to get out of the provision in a way that that fit with the priorities of the committees of jurisdiction and address some of the concerns that they'd had."

Jeremy Paul, a professor of law at Northeastern University, told Fox News Digital on Monday that he did not believe there were legitimate concerns over separation of powers with the provision.

HOUSE VOTES TO REPEAL CONTROVERSIAL ARCTIC FROST PROVISION FROM GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BILL

"If it is enacted into law, the executive branch could argue that this is an intrusion on executive power," he said. "But it's very tough, because there are no crimes unless the Congress makes something a crime. So Congress really ultimately has control over what is and is not investigated."

"As far as constitutional arguments, it's not easy for me to think of one that would derail this statute. That doesn't mean the statute is a good idea."

"If people are breaking the law, then they should be investigated. And if the investigation reveals that their campaign, for example, is being funded by foreign governments, then that ought to be stopped. And this is gonna make it harder for that to happen," he said.

But conservatives in Congress argue that the provision is critical.

"We support that 110%. I hope it stays in the NDAA in light of what we've seen in the last 10 years, particularly what the weaponized Justice Department did to President Trump," Jordan told FOX Business host Maria Bartiromo last week. "This is definitely needed. I totally support what Elise is trying to get done."

Congress melts down: Members unleash personal attacks after weeks of shutdown drama

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Let’s face it: Politics is personal. And you cannot separate the two on Capitol Hill.

Lawmakers may not have missed legislating during the government shutdown. But they sure missed attacking one another.

Yes, both chambers of Congress voted to reopen the government. That’s legislating. There were certainly a few bills of consequence on the House and Senate floors in September before the shutdown. 

There was a little bit in the Senate, which remained in session during the shutdown. There was the adoption of the measure to compel the release of the Epstein files.

EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS RAISE NEW QUESTIONS ABOUT TRUMP CONDUCT AS HE DENOUNCES DEMOCRATS

But prior to that, one must hustle all the way back to the Senate’s approval of the "big, beautiful bill" in June and the House in early July — plus the plan to defund foreign programs and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — to find Congress really engaging in legislation of consequence in 2025. 

So, what has the House of Representatives resorted to since it’s been back in session? Members taking on members. Even fellow lawmakers of their own party.

It’s gotten personal. And you don’t even have to be a voting member of the House to face the wrath of your colleagues.

There was an effort by Republicans to censure the non-voting Democratic member from the U.S. Virgin Islands to Congress, Del. Stacey Plaskett, for exchanging messages with Epstein in preparation for President Donald Trump’s first impeachment in 2019.

Trump loyalists in the House would find revenge on Paskett sweeter than Caribbean sugar cane. Plaskett served as one of the House’s impeachment "managers," prosecuting the House’s second impeachment case of Trump before the Senate in early 2021.

The measure to rebuke Plaskett failed. And, as a result, Democrats refrained from a similar censure effort for Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla.

That said, Democrats and some Republicans want to discipline Mills for two alleged transgressions. Democrats prepped a resolution in September to censure Mills for allegedly harassing and assaulting an ex-girlfriend in Washington, D.C. 

Mills contends he did nothing wrong.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., wants to censure Mills now. Mills provided a key vote earlier in 2025 to block the censure of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., over her remarks following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Some lawmakers also want House discipline for Mace after authorities claim she cursed and berated TSA workers and other employees at the Charleston, South Carolina, airport recently.  

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., is one of the most centrist members in the House. She prepped a rebuke of Rep. Chuy Garcia, D-Ill., in November. 

Garcia is retiring at the end of his term in early 2027. He filed for re-election but then decided at the last moment to step aside. 

The Illinois Democrat cited family-related health reasons and his family’s recent adoption of an 8-year-old boy. However, the only person who apparently knew about the Congressman’s plans was Patty Garcia, his chief of staff. 

Chuy Garcia is not related to Patty Garcia. However, she filed paperwork to run for the House seat with just moments to spare before the deadline. It turns out that Patty Garcia is the only one to file for the seat. That means Patty Garcia is practically a shoo-in for victory in the heavily Democratic seat. 

JOHNSON SAYS HE'S 'OPEN' TO CHANGING HOUSE CENSURE RULES AFTER WEEK OF POLITICAL DRAMA

The audacious move by Patty Garcia and Chuy Garcia gave critics fodder to chew on. They believed that the outgoing congressman pre-baked the ballot, delivering a political Walter Payton stiff-arm that blocked anyone else from running except his chief of staff.

Old-style Chicago machine politics haven’t been this brutal in the Windy City since they originally brewed Old Style beer.

Gluesenkamp Perez and others excoriated the sitting congressman, voting 236-183 to sanction him. Including Gluesenkamp Perez, 23 Democrats voted with all Republicans to dock Chuy Garcia.

So, it’s likely that voters will elect Patty Garcia as congresswoman-elect in the fall of 2026. But after the vote to sanction her old boss, winds blowing off of Lake Michigan would provide a warmer welcome for Patty Garcia to Capitol Hill when she prospectively takes office in January 2027.

Now there’s a move to sanction Rep. Shelia Cherfilus-McCormick D-Fla., after she was indicted for allegedly stealing $5 million in COVID-related health aid. 

Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., prepped a resolution to expel Cherfilus-McCormick even though there’s been no trial. Cherfilus-McCormick says the indictment is a sham.

And we haven’t even discussed efforts earlier in 2025 to expel Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., after she was charged with allegedly assaulting ICE agents at a detention center in Newark, New Jersey, in the spring. McIver continues to serve and pleaded not guilty. 

This may only get worse.

Sens. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.; Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.; and Reps. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa;, Chris Deluzio, D-Pa.; Jason Crow, D-Colo.; and Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H., faced criticism over a video in which they instructed service members to defy illegal orders. 

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has now launched an investigation into Kelly and threatened to recall the former astronaut to active duty to face military discipline.

And it’s not just member on member. The president also excoriated his arch-nemesis on the Republican side of the aisle, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., for getting married 16 months after the congressman’s first wife, Rhonda, died.

"Did Thomas Massie, sometimes referred to as Rand Paul Jr., because of the fact that he always votes against the Republican Party, get married already??? Boy, that was quick!" Trump posted to Truth Social in November. "Anyway, have a great life Thomas and (?). His wife will soon find out that she’s stuck with a LOSER!"

It’s now officially the holiday season. And few on Capitol Hill are truly extending tidings of good cheer to their congressional colleagues. It surely can’t get any worse, can it?

Well, we’re not even halfway through the 119th Congress. And after lengthy recesses in July, all of August, a portion of September — and for the House, all of October and some of November — lawmakers are just making up for lost time. The recriminations will keep coming.

Politicians have decided to make it personal. It’s easier to attack one another and score political points than legislate.

It’s not practical politics. Lawmakers just prefer personal politics.

Court says Boasberg didn’t know Arctic Frost subpoenas hit lawmakers, Grassley calls that ‘deeply troubling’

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: A top federal court official defended Judge James Boasberg’s gag orders that hid subpoenas related to the FBI's Arctic Frost investigation, saying this week that the chief judge in Washington would likely have been unaware that the subpoenas' intended targets were members of Congress.

The administrative office for the federal courts indicated that the chief judge in D.C. routinely blindly signed gag orders when the Department of Justice requested them, including during Arctic Frost, the investigation that led to former special counsel Jack Smith bringing election charges against President Donald Trump.

The administrative office's director, Robert Conrad Jr., provided the explanation on behalf of Boasberg to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, in a letter first obtained by Fox News Digital.

REPUBLICANS FEUD OVER 'ARCTIC FROST' ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURE, BUT CRITICS OFFER NO CLEAR ALTERNATIVE

The letter came in response to Grassley, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, demanding an explanation from Boasberg about why he authorized the one-year gag orders, which barred phone companies from telling Republican Congress members that their records were subpoenaed by Smith in 2023.

Conrad said he could not address those specific subpoenas and gag orders, in part because some of the material was sealed, but that he could help the lawmakers "understand relevant practices" in place during Arctic Frost.

The DOJ’s requests for gag orders, also known as non-disclosure orders, "typically do not attach the related subpoena; rather they identify the subject accounts only by a signifier — e.g., a phone number," Conrad wrote. "As a result, [non-disclosure order] applications would not reveal whether a particular phone number belonged to a member of Congress."

Grassley reacted to the latest correspondence from the court by faulting the Biden DOJ for seeking the gag orders from Boasberg without notifying the judge that they pertained to Congress members.

Grassley noted that the DOJ's Public Integrity Section gave Smith's team the green light to subpoena lawmakers' phone records but had also told the prosecutors to be wary of concerns lawmakers could raise about the Constitution's speech or debate clause, which gives Congress members added protections in prosecutorial matters.

"Smith went ahead with the congressional subpoenas anyway, and it appears he and his team didn’t apprise the court of member involvement," Grassley told Fox News Digital. "Smith’s apparent lack of candor is deeply troubling, and he needs to answer for his conduct."

The DOJ revised its policy in response to an inspector general report in 2024 so that prosecutors were required to notify the court if they were seeking a gag order against a Congress member so that judges could take that into consideration when deciding whether to authorize the orders. Smith's subpoenas pre-dated that policy shift.

The subpoenas, and the gag orders that kept them concealed, have drawn enormous criticism from the targeted lawmakers, who alleged that the Biden DOJ improperly spied on them over their alleged involvement in attempting to overturn the 2020 election and that Boasberg was complicit in allowing it. Among the top critics is Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who was set to lead a since-postponed hearing Wednesday examining the case for impeaching Boasberg. Impeachment of judges is exceedingly rare and typically has only occurred in response to crimes like corruption and bribery.

TRUMP FOE BOASBERG HIT WITH ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT

Johnson said he remained unsatisfied with Boasberg after the letter from the administrative office.

"Judge Boasberg’s refusal to answer questions from Congress about his approval of unlawful gag orders is an affront to transparency and an obvious attempt to deflect any responsibility for his awareness of or involvement in Jack Smith’s partisan dragnet," Johnson told Fox News Digital. "Judge Boasberg must immediately lift the seal that is apparently preventing him from addressing Congress’ questions and provide the public a full explanation for his actions."

Public documents reveal that as chief judge of the D.C. federal court, Boasberg authorized numerous gag orders that blocked phone companies from telling about a dozen House and Senate lawmakers that Smith had subpoenaed their phone data.

Smith had sought a narrow set of their records, which included details about when calls and messages were placed and with whom the Congress members were communicating. The records did not include the contents of calls and messages. Smith has defended the subpoenas, saying they were in line with department policy and "entirely proper."