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Wisconsin judge’s arrest blasted by Democrats who previously claimed ‘no one is above the law’ in Trump cases

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Several Democrats who have argued that "no one is above the law" in President Donald Trump’s cases are now condemning the arrest of Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan, warning it could threaten the rule of law.

"This is not normal," Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., tweeted of Dugan’s arrest by the FBI on proceeding obstruction charges for allegedly shielding an indicted Mexican migrant from ICE agents. 

"The administration's arrest of a sitting judge in Wisconsin is a drastic move that threatens the rule of law," Klobuchar added, saying it's a "grave step and undermines our system of checks and balances."

During Trump’s 2019 impeachment, Klobuchar said his first impeachment case marked a "somber day for our country."

FBI ARRESTS JUDGE, ALLEGING SHE OBSTRUCTED ARREST OF ILLEGAL ALIEN

"In America, no one is above the law, and the American people deserve to hear evidence and witness testimony during a full and fair trial in the Senate. If the president has any facts to present in his defense to the articles of impeachment, we should hear them," she said.

After the 2022 FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago, Klobuchar said, "The law is king, and the former president isn't."

Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., also condemned Dugan’s arrest, saying, "If [FBI Director] Kash Patel and Donald Trump don’t like a judge, they think they can arrest them.

"This is stunning — we must stand up to this blatant power grab. Republicans: How is this not a red line for you?"

AG PAM BONDI OUTRAGED AT WISCONSIN JUDGE ARRESTED FOR OBSTRUCTING ARREST OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT

Commenting in 2020 on her vote to remove Trump from office over abuse of power allegations, Smith said she took her constitutional oath seriously and that "to condone corrupt behavior such as this undermines the core value that we stand for as a nation -- that no one is above the law, including and most especially our president."

Smith said she pored over presentations and evidence to reach that conclusion.

Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis., who represents Dugan’s county, lambasted the White House, saying its "willingness to weaponize federal law enforcement is shocking and this arrest has all the hallmarks of overreach."

"I will be following this case closely and facts will come out. However, I am very alarmed at the increasingly lawless actions of the Trump administration, and in particular ICE, who have been defying courts and acting with disregard for the Constitution."

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Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., commented on an apparently deleted tweet from Patel, writing on X, "Donald Trump and JD Vance are arresting judges now. Deleting the tweet won't undo the constitutional crisis you have just thrust us into."

In a 2023 interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, Khanna said of the Trump impeachment, "You can't just say, 'OK, because someone was president or someone is a candidate, that you're above the law.' Everyone is under the law, and that allegations, the evidence needs to be pursued."

When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, Khanna said of the contrast that Trump has "waged war on the judiciary" and that there is no public evidence yet regarding Dugan, but "it is deeply concerning given the administration’s attacks on the courts."

"Even Chief Justice Roberts has rebuked Trump’s conduct toward the judiciary," Khanna added.

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., said norms were being violated on the immigration and legal fronts for Dugan’s arrest.

In a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, Pocan laid out the differences he sees between the Dugan and Trump cases: "Judge Dugan’s arrest is outrageous and a fear tactic to our independent judiciary. Trump has always thought he was above the law, but now he’s enabling his goons to push that limit as far as it can go. His reckless deportations and flaunting of the Constitution will fail," Pocan said.

"This is stuff I expect from Third World countries," he told Axios.

In a December 2019 statement after his vote in favor of impeachment, Pocan said Trump was "never held accountable for his actions" over his 70-plus years of life.

"Today, Democrats sent a clear signal to this president and all future presidents: No one is above the law."

Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Klobuchar and Smith for comment.

Senator joins group of far-left lawmakers who think Trump has — again — committed impeachable offenses

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Sen. John Ossoff of Georgia has become the latest Democrat in Congress to signal that President Donald Trump deserves to be impeached, even though he has only been in the White House this term for less than 100 days. 

During a town hall Friday in Cobb County, Georgia, Ossoff took questions from the audience, including from a fired-up local mother who questioned Ossoff about why there has not been a more concerted effort to impeach Trump. 

"Why are there no calls for impeachment?" Ossoff was asked. "Do something more!"

‘BIDEN EFFECT’ HITS THE SENATE: WAVE OF RETIREMENTS CLEARS PATH FOR YOUNGER DEMS

Ossoff told the woman at the top of his response that "there is no doubt" Trump has exceeded the standard for impeachment.

"I saw just 48 hours ago, [Trump] is granting audiences to people who buy his meme coin," Ossoff said. "There is no question that that rises to the level of an impeachable offense. And the reality is that that's just one of many [examples] — defying a federal court order, for example. So, I agree with you."

Ossoff's remarks make him the latest Democratic lawmaker in Congress who has either explicitly called for Trump's impeachment or signaled their willingness to support such a move just 100 days into his presidency. While most Democrats have been willing to publicly admit the country is facing a constitutional crisis under Trump, most of them have refrained from going so far as to use the "I" word. 

DEMS FUME OVER ‘DUE PROCESS’ FOR ABREGO GARCIA DESPITE LONG HISTORY OF PARTY BUCKING THE LEGAL PRINCIPLE

Some though, such as progressive Sen. Al Green, D-Texas, have not shied away from supporting calls for impeachment. He was the first congressional lawmaker to call for it just weeks into the president's second term. Green's calls have been supported by other Democrats, such as Reps. Suzanne Bonamici and Maxine Dexter of Oregon; Sam Liccardo and Maxine Waters of California; Ilhan Omar of Minnesota; Shri Thanedar of Michigan; and Hank Johnson of Georgia, all of whom have gone publicly on the record regarding their support, according to NBC News. 

"Right now, it's 218 to 215, so if you can find me two Republicans, I'll go to work tomorrow," Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who led impeachment efforts against Trump during his first term, told a reporter when asked about the matter.

Trent England, a presidential elections expert and founder of the nonprofit Save Our States, bashed Democratic lawmakers for "claiming to be all about democracy," but when they don't get what they want, "suddenly democracy is not what they're all about."

"It really undercuts Democrats' message about elections when as soon as they get an election result they don't like, they're out challenging it through impeachment. Especially when Democrats claimed after 2016 that part of their issue with Trump was that he only won the Electoral College," England added. "Well, now he's won a resounding popular vote, in addition to winning the Electoral College. And, yet, they're still out there trying to impeach him at the very beginning of his administration."

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: IMPEACHAPALOOZA IS HERE TO STAY

England also opined that the calls for impeachment were an easy way for Democrats to help boost their fundraising efforts. 

"Efforts like this show how a lot of members of Congress are really operating as personal fundraising machines, as opposed to legislators," England said. "They're not trying to get things done. They know that using platforms like Act Blue, they can fly the impeachment flag and raise a lot of money from left-wing donors without ever believing that any of this is going to have any effect."

The first-term Democratic senator is facing re-election later this year, as his term ends early next year. Ossoff's office declined to comment for this story. 

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In a statement to Fox News Digital, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott said Ossoff's push for impeachment illustrates "the desperation of his re-election campaign." 

"Not even 100 days into President Donald J. Trump's terms, and Ossoff is already pushing impeachment," Scott said. "His obsession makes clear just how out of touch he is with Georgia voters. The desperation in his re-election campaign is already showing."

Dick Durbin, No. 2 Senate Democrat, won’t seek re-election

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Sen. Dick Durbin, D- Ill., the Senate Democratic whip and the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, has announced he will not seek re-election in 2026. 

Durbin, 80, who was first elected to the Senate in 1996, made the announcement in a video message on X Wednesday.

"The decision of whether to run for re-election has not been easy," Durbin said. 

"I truly love the job of being a United States Senator. But in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch. So, I am announcing today that I will not be seeking re-election at the end of my term."

PATEL CAMP DECRIES DURBIN ACCUSATIONS AS ‘POLITICALLY MOTIVATED’ ATTEMPT TO DERAIL FBI CONFIRMATION

Durbin was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1982 and served seven terms before succeeding his mentor, Paul Simon, in the Senate in 1996.

His retirement is expected to set off a flurry of activity among a scrum of would-be successors, both Democratic and Republican. 

Durbin represents Illinois, a solidly Democratic state, and Democrats are very confident that they’ll hold the seat in next year’s midterm elections with the GOP only capturing one Illinois Senate seat in the last 40 years. 

But President Donald Trump did make gains in Illinois in last year’s election, losing the state by 11 points, an improvement from his 17-point defeat in the 2020 election. Democrats will face an uphill battle to try to reclaim the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority.

National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) communications director Johanna Rodriguez said that Democrats like Durbin are leaving office because of losing policies.

"Senate Democrats continue to jump ship as their party’s brand tanks because they prioritize criminal illegal aliens over the Americans who elected them," Rodriguez said.

Among the Democrats considering a 2026 run to succeed Durbin in the Senate are Reps. Robin Kelly, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Lauren Underwood, as well as Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and state Sen. Robert Peters.

Durbin's career to date was hailed by former President Barack Obama, who he said played a pivotal role in his own career and is "one of the finest" senators in the country.

"Dick Durbin has always fought the good fight on behalf of working families and his integrity shines through in everything he does," Obama wrote. "It’s also true that I would not have been a United States Senator – and certainly would not have been President – had it not been for Dick’s support. He has been a great and loyal friend, and Michelle and I wish him and Loretta all the best in their next chapter."

Durbin led the drive to ban smoking on airplanes as a junior member of Congress, which helped to usher in the smoke-free movement with legislation signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.

DURBIN FACES BACKLASH FOR REMARK ON TRANS INCLUSION IN WOMEN'S SPORTS

He played a key role in helping to pass the First Step Act in 2018. The bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation was signed by President Trump and reduced mandatory minimums for certain nonviolent drug offenses, created early release incentives and improved prison conditions. 

Durbin is a longtime advocate for immigration reform and co-authored the DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Although the act did not pass, Durbin's advocacy contributed to the establishment of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provides those immigrants with temporary protection from deportation and work authorization.

He also advocates for stricter gun laws and supported the Affordable Care Act, also referred to as Obamacare. Durbin voted to convict Trump in impeachment trials held by the Senate in 2020 and 2021, although Trump was acquitted in both.

Meanwhile, Durbin's fellow Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth shared Obama's sentiments. 

"Dick Durbin is, and will always be, a giant of the United States Senate. He has dedicated his life to making our state—as well as our nation—stronger, and we are all better for it," Duckworth said. 

Duckworth also recalled meeting Durbin for the first time weeks after she lost both legs when her Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in Iraq in 2004, noting his empathy and mentorship during her recovery.

"When Dick looked at me, he saw past the wounds, saw past the wheelchair," Duckworth said. "He saw a soldier in search of her next mission. And he recognized well before I did that just because I would no longer be flying Black Hawks for the Army didn’t mean that I couldn’t find a new way to serve my nation."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Dems fume over ‘due process’ for Abrego Garcia despite long history of party bucking the legal principle

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Democrats are facing pushback as they continue to call for due process for illegal immigrant and suspected MS-13 member Kilmar Abrego Garcia after years of seemingly ignoring due process for their political rivals. 

During the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election and the first Trump term, many Democrats called for President Donald Trump to be put in jail despite only facing allegations of impropriety at the time.

"He needs to be imprisoned & placed in solitary confinement," Democrat Rep. Maxine Waters said in October 2019.  "But for now, impeachment is the imperative."

"I don’t want to see him impeached, I want to see him in prison," then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly told fellow Democrats in 2019, according to Politico.

VANCE SOUNDS OFF ON DEPORTATION, 'RATIFICATION OF BIDEN'S ILLEGAL MIGRANT INVASION' VIA 'FAKE LEGAL PROCESS'

Democrats also assured the public that January 6 prisoners were receiving due process in terms of their treatment in jail despite Republican claims to the contrary and arguing that the defendants were being held for too long.

"They want to have a conversation about whether or not their iPads are working or if they have enough time on their iPads," Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas said in 2023, according to the Dallas Observer. "This is what I'm hearing. As someone who's been a public defender, let me tell you something: They know nothing about what bad conditions are."

During a Jan. 7 press conference, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said about the January 6th protesters, "No leniency. No leniency for these people. They have the cameras all over. They have their pictures. No matter what part of the country they came from, we ought to go after them right now."

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called for Kyle Rittenhouse to be thrown in jail as his trial was still developing. 

"Lock up Kyle Rittenhouse and throw away the key," Jeffries posted on X, then known as Twitter, during the trial where Rittenhouse was facing a homicide charge for his actions during a George Floyd riot in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Rittenhouse was ultimately acquitted. 

APPEALS COURT DENIES DOJ BID TO BLOCK RETURN OF KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA FROM EL SALVADOR PRISON

Democrats fought vigorously against the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court and amplified allegations of sexual assault against him before any due process had been completed investigating those claims.

Speaking to CNN's "State of the Union," Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, called for an independent FBI investigation of claims against Kavanaugh, before explaining why the presumption of innocence and due process should not apply to his case.

"I put his denial in the context of everything that I know about him in terms of how he approaches his cases," Hirono told host Jake Tapper, in response to a question about whether Kavanaugh was entitled to a presumption of innocence. "His credibility is already very questionable in my mind....  When I say that he's very outcome-driven, he has an ideological agenda, and I can sit here and talk to you about some of the cases that exemplify his, in my view, inability to be fair."

Over the past few weeks, Jeffries and other Democrats have been vocal proponents of due process when it comes to Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant with alleged ties to a violent gang who was deported to El Salvador.

Many Democrats have railed against the Trump administration over issues like due process and questions about the kind of treatment Garcia could be receiving in the prison he is allegedly being housed in. 

"Mistakenly removing a U.S. resident that has protection from deportation legally granted to him by an immigration court and then making no effort to get him back not only places Mr. Abrego Garcia’s life in danger, but also violates the basic principles of due process and the rule of law," Waters said in a recent letter to Trump. 

The face of the resistance to Garcia's deportation has been Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who traveled to El Salvador to meet with Garcia last week which drew strong criticism from the White House.

Van Hollen also opposed Kavanaugh's confirmation using the unsubstantiated sexual assault allegations against him.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, White House spokesperson Kush Desai said, "If the hill that Democrats want to die on is demanding the return of a violent illegal alien, wifebeater, and foreign terrorist, we are happy to dig that grave for them."

Some on social media have called out Democrats in recent days for alleged hypocrisy on the issue of due process, with many pointing out the millions of illegal immigrants who entered the country under President Joe Biden with little to no concern from his party. 

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"I’m here to remind you that Democrats have never actually cared about due process," Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X while quoting the Jeffries post on Rittenhouse. "Hope this helps."

"Democrats do not care about due process, not one bit," Breitbart senior editor Joel Pollak posted on X. "That's why we now have millions of illegal aliens in the country to begin with – and also why they trashed the civil liberties of hundreds of witnesses and defendants under Biden."

"The entire purpose of flooding us with immigrants was to make due process impossible," Twitchy’s Amy Curtis posted on X. "That some are okay with this, and don’t care about undoing the damage done by Democrats does not surprise me."

"It's important to remember that when it came to BLM mob demands and accusations of sexual assault against men (believe all women), the left/Democrats proudly dismissed Due Process," conservative commentator Chad Felix Greene posted on X. "They only care about Constitutional rights when they believe it benefits them politically."

GOP hits back after judges demand Trump allies be condemned for targeting judiciary

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FIRST ON FOX: The GOP lawmaker leading a collective response to more than 100 judges and attorneys who demanded condemnation of Trump allies said Tuesday she and her delegation won't be "pushed around" amid ongoing attacks on left-wing judges.

Wyoming’s congressional delegation responded to dozens of Cowboy State jurists, including a former governor who issued an open condemnation of lawmakers’ failure to defend judges under fire from conservatives over sweeping nationwide injunctions hindering President Donald Trump’s foreign policy and homeland security actions.

The response, led by Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., rejected the basis on which the jurists were calling for the state’s Republicans to vociferously intervene in support of what the White House describes as rogue judges, citing the Founding Fathers’ words.

"In Federalist [Paper] 78…  Alexander Hamilton wrote that "the judiciary, from the nature of its functions, will always be the least dangerous" and that judges "have neither force nor will," the letter states. 

WYOMING SHERIFF'S BOLD BILLBOARD RECRUITING DENVER OFFICERS OUT OF LIBERAL CITY CREATES STIR

"In recent years, we have become increasingly concerned with how our country has strayed from this Hamiltonian aspiration. We have seen judges across the political spectrum assume both "force" and "will" — Many Americans are worried judges are misusing their independence by imposing policy preferences on our country — all with no accountability."

They also noted Georgetown Law professor Brad Snyder "said it best" – "The Court does not have the last word on the Constitution."

‘TRAITOR’ LIZ CHENEY WALLOPED BY WYOMING VOTERS FOR HARRIS ENDORSEMENT, BREAK FROM GOP

In comments to Fox News Digital, Lummis said Americans elected Trump and did not select "liberal judges."

"I represent the people of Wyoming, and they have made it clear that they support President Trump’s agenda and want a government where their elected representatives make the laws," she said.

"Our delegation stands with President Trump and won’t be pushed around by far-left judicial activists who wish to further divide our country."

The jurists objecting to the Republicans’ silence cited calls to reject disinformation after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and similarly recounted critiques from administration allies of judges, like James Boasberg, who have issued nationwide injunctions blocking Trump’s homeland security measures.

In a missive entitled "The Rule of Law Matters," they cited more virulent critiques of such judges, as well as a conservative op-ed decrying that "if impeachment is the remedy for every adverse judicial ruling, we wouldn’t have a judiciary left."

"These attacks are part of a growing effort to discredit, not just judges, but seemingly the American Rule of Law as we know it," the original letter states. It was signed by about 100 jurists, including former Wyoming Democratic Gov. Michael Sullivan, former President Bill Clinton’s Irish ambassador.

"Recent executive orders targeting prominent national law firms disfavored by the administration with severe retribution… has, as night follows day, resulted in yet more incendiary social media postings attacking the judiciary and openly encouraging the executive branch to disobey court orders."

In their response to the scores of jurists, Lummis, Sen. John Barrasso and Rep. Harriet Hageman condemned the fact the direct letter had also been distributed to the media and that the lawmakers would have collectively appreciated direct discussion.

"We are disappointed you failed to express your concerns with us directly before rushing to publish your letter," they wrote.

"A robust discussion about addressing the challenges and concerns facing our nation would be more beneficial than attempting to score political points through the press."

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The complainants wrote that while there is populist sentiment for "radical change," the "growing reckless disdain for the independence and security of our judiciary must be resisted by anyone sworn to uphold our Constitution.

"That includes us, and it certainly includes you."

The lawmakers stood firm, however, on the idea that they are acting responsibly and within their legislative role.

They cited their co-sponsorship of a bill that would ban most nationwide injunctions effecting change "across the ideological spectrum," and not just those against Trump’s actions.

Legislation highlighted by the lawmakers cited both conservative and liberal Supreme Court justices issuing criticisms of such nationwide injunctions.

"The Supreme Court has consistently noted that political questions should be kept at arm’s length by the judiciary," they wrote, as a Senate Judiciary Committee statement on the Judicial Relief Clarification Act quoted reservations from both Justices Clarence Thomas and Elena Kagan.

Other jurists have, however, echoed Trump's criticisms, including George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, who told Fox News' "The Ingraham Angle" that judges must remember they've been "appointed, not anointed."

Trump-backed bill to stop ‘rogue’ judges passes House

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The House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday to limit federal district judges' ability to affect Trump administration policies on a national scale.

The No Rogue Rulings Act, led by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., passed the House and limits district courts' power to issue U.S.-wide injunctions, instead forcing them to focus their scope on the parties directly affected in most cases.

All but one Republican lawmaker voted for the bill, which passed 219 to 213. No Democrats voted in favor.

The Trump administration has faced more than 15 nationwide injunctions since the Republican commander-in-chief took office, targeting a wide range of President Donald Trump's policies, from birthright citizenship reform to anti-diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

Issa himself was confident the bill would pass, telling Fox News Digital on Tuesday morning, "We've got the votes."

SENATE GOP PUSHES TRUMP BUDGET FRAMEWORK THROUGH AFTER MARATHON VOTE SERIES

He was less certain of the bill getting Democratic support, though he noted former Biden administration solicitor general Elizabeth Prelogar made her own complaints about district judges' powers during the previous White House term.

"We're hoping some people look at it on its merits rather than its politics," Issa said.

Rep. Derek Schmidt, R-Kan., who has an amendment on the bill aimed at limiting plaintiffs' ability to "judge shop" cases to favorable districts, told Fox News Digital before the vote, "A lot of things get called commonsense around here, but this one genuinely is."

"The basic policy of trying to rein in the overuse of nationwide injunctions was supported by Democrats before. It's supported by Republicans now, and I'm hoping [this vote will] be supported by both," he said.

Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, who, like Schmidt and Issa, is a House Judiciary Committee member, told Fox News Digital after the bill's passage, "Many Democrat-appointed lower court judges have conducted themselves like activist liberal lawyers in robes while attempting to stop President Trump's nationwide reforms. The No Rogue Rulings Act limits this unchecked power."

Another GOP lawmaker, Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, told Fox News Digital, "More than 77 million Americans voted for [Trump's] pro-American policies and want to see them implemented quickly. There is no reason that activist judges whose authority does not extend nationally should be allowed to completely stop [his] agenda."

Republicans' unity on the issue comes despite some early divisions over how to hit back at what they have called "rogue" and "activist" judges.

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Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., who supported impeachment and Issa's bill, told Fox News Digital, "The judicial vendetta against President Trump’s agenda needs to be checked. Nationwide injunctions by activists judges have stood in the way of the American people’s will and in come cases their safety, since the President was sworn into office."

Stutzman said Issa's bill "will stop individual judge’s political beliefs from preventing the wants and needs of our citizens from being implemented."

A group of conservatives had pushed to impeach specific judges who have blocked Trump's agenda, but House GOP leaders quickly quashed the effort in favor of what they see as a more effective route to take on the issue.

Despite its success in the House, however, the legislation does face uncertain odds in the Senate, where it needs at least several Democrats to hit the chamber's 60-vote threshold.

‘Watermelon head’: Trump trolls Democratic Sen Schiff

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Sen. Adam Schiff fired back late Tuesday after President Donald Trump mocked the California Democrat during a black-tie Republican dinner in Washington, D.C.

"The President of the United States seems oddly focused on me," Schiff posted after footage of Trump's jokes made the rounds.

"Shouldn't he be focused on the economy he's crashing?" he wrote.

During the event hosted by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) – the House Republicans' campaign arm – Trump wove in a few insults about the Boston-born Angeleno's appearance into a verbal indictment of his role in the 2016 Russia collusion investigation.

KASH PATEL ENRAGES ADAM SCHIFF IN CLINTONIAN BATTLE OVER THE WORD ‘WE’

"Adam ‘Schifty’ Schiff – can you believe this guy?" Trump said. "He's got the smallest neck I've ever seen – and the biggest head: We call him Watermelon-Head." Trump went on to ruminate about how Schiff's "big fat face" could "stand on a neck" the size of the president's finger. 

"It's the weirdest thing – it's a mystery; no one can understand it."

Trump went on to call Schiff "one of the most dishonest human beings I've ever seen," and wondered aloud how people like Schiff could be able to run for office.

FLASHBACK: SCHIFF, WHO REPEATEDLY CLAIMED EVIDENCE OF RUSSIAN COLLUSION, DENOUNCES DURHAM REPORT AS ‘FLAWED’

"He was in charge of the fake witch hunt – with 'Russia, Russia, Russia' – it was a made-up story," he said, playing off the "Brady Bunch" line "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha."

In 2020, Schiff managed the House's impeachment probe into Trump, leading off his opening remarks that January by comparing former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton's 1792 warning to then-President George Washington about future American leaders who would rise to the executive "despotic in [their] ordinary demeanor."

"When a man unprincipled in private life desperate in his fortune, bold in his temper, possessed of considerable talents, having the advantage of military habits… known to have scoffed in private at the principles of liberty—when such a man is seen to mount the hobby horse of popularity—to join in the cry of danger to liberty—to take every opportunity of embarrassing the General Government & bringing it under suspicion—to flatter and fall in with all the nonsense of the zealots of the day—It may justly be suspected that his object is to throw things into confusion that he may ‘ride the storm and direct the whirlwind," Schiff said at the time.

Since then, he and Trump have often traded criticisms, with Trump also referring to him in the past as a "structural marvel," with an appearance like a "finger on a basketball."

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In October, Trump compared Schiff to the "enemy from within" and called him a "sleazebag" on FOX Business before lamenting that the Democrat would likely defeat former MLB star Steve Garvey for California's open U.S. Senate seat.

For his part, Schiff has also clapped back at Republicans for their criticisms – responding in July to a report that now-Vice President JD Vance had lamented campaign name-calling after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called the GOP ticket "weird."

"Shifty Schiff, pencil neck and watermelon head, would like a word, JD," Schiff responded at the time on Facebook.

Fox News Digital reached out to Schiff for additional comment but did not immediately hear back.

Venezuelan opposition promises reparations to Laken Riley’s family, other victims of Tren de Aragua violence

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FIRST ON FOX: Venezuelan opposition leader and U.S.-recognized President-elect Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia promised to offer "reparations" to Laken Riley's family and other Americans affected by the crimes of street gang Tren de Aragua. 

In a letter to Riley’s family, González and fellow opposition leader María Corina Machado wrote, "Laken’s life, full of potential and promise, was tragically cut short by an individual who should have never been allowed to cross your border."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with González and Machado in January, reaffirming that Urrutia is the "legitimate president" of Venezuela. The Biden administration had previously referred to Urrutia as the "president-elect" before leaving office.

In their letter, the opposition leaders called Riley’s murder a "direct consequence of Nicolás Maduro’s regime, which has fostered an environment where criminal organizations like Tren de Aragua can flourish with impunity."

FEDERAL JUDGE POSTPONES DHS’S ATTEMPT TO END TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR VENEZUELANS

Urrutia vowed that, if officially installed as president, he would "hold accountable all those responsible for the devastation they have wrought, both within Venezuela and internationally."

"We intend to establish a comprehensive framework for reparations, both for the countless Venezuelans harmed by this narco-state and also for victims abroad, including your family."

Gonzales also noted that the "vast majority of Venezuelans who have sought safety in the United States are committed to upholding the law and contributing to your nation’s economy and society."

"They long for the day they can return home to reunite with their families and work toward a free and prosperous Venezuela. We look forward to welcoming them back," they added. 

"Please accept this letter as a message of our deepest condolence and a solemn promise: Laken will never be forgotten. She will be remembered as an innocent victim of tyranny and a powerful catalyst for the change we are determined to bring about." 

WH MAY REVERSE DECISION TO KILL BIDEN-MADURO OIL DEAL, APPLY TARIFFS INSTEAD TO AVOID HURTING US FIRMS

The Trump administration was allowed to move forward with a plan to invoke the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime immigration law dating back to 1798, to immediately deport Venezuelan nationals believed to be affiliated with Tren de Aragua. Legal battles over the deportation effort intensified when a federal district court temporarily blocked the policy – prompting Trump allies to call for the impeachment of Judge James Boasberg.

According to United Nations estimates, roughly 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled the country over the past decade, escaping economic collapse marked by hyperinflation, which peaked at 130,000% in 2018, and widespread poverty.

Since taking power in 2013, Nicolás Maduro’s regime has been plagued by allegations of corruption, authoritarianism, money laundering and drug trafficking. While many nations recognized González’s election victory in July, Maduro has refused to relinquish power.

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Maduro has issued an arrest warrant for González, who fled into exile in Spain last September.

Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, was killed while jogging on the University of Georgia campus in February 2024. The suspect, José Ibarra – a Venezuelan national who entered the U.S. illegally – was arrested and charged with her murder. The killing sparked nationwide outrage and led to new immigration legislation that Trump signed into law shortly after taking office this year.

Where are they now? Hunter Biden’s ex-business partners praise Trump, MAGA following Biden departure

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Hunter Biden's former business partners are no longer under the same scrutiny now that investigations into whether the former president's son used his family name for financial gain are over. 

Devon Archer and Jason Galanis, who both collaborated with Biden on various business ventures between 2012 and 2015, received pardons and commutations, respectively, from President Donald Trump after he took office. 

Archer, who has worked over the years to gain favor with Trump's world, signaled he would be interested in working for the Trump administration were a position offered to him, according to the New York Times. "I’m full MAGA now," he told the Times. "They’re more my people."

HUNTER BIDEN'S EX-BUSINESS PARTNER REVEALS CONVERSATION WITH TRUMP THAT REPORTEDLY INCLUDES A PARDON

Archer was reportedly given the cold-shoulder by the Biden family during President Joe Biden's tenure in the Oval Office, and as he protested his innocence amid Republicans' probe into the Biden family, Archer quietly made inroads with the Trump administration.

While Archer awaits a potential job in the Trump administration, he is reportedly working on a book and documentary chronicling his experiences. Archer is also reportedly working on a business project in the crypto industry as well. 

As a result of their pardons, both Archer and Galanis did not have to serve prison sentences handed down to them in relation to defrauding investors and a Native American tribal entity of tens of millions of dollars through a company for which Hunter Biden was listed as the vice chairman. 

In an interview on Fox News' "Hannity" this month, Galanis thanked President Trump and lauded Republicans, such as Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, for bringing "the proof" to light about "the Biden crime family." 

JONATHAN TURLEY: BIDEN DOJ BEHIND EVEN THE TIMES IN PURSUING ALLEGED HUNTER CORRUPTION

Galanis said during the interview that his "legitimate" businesses became "illegitimate" after they were aligned with the president's son. "100% of it was influence peddling," Galanis said when asked about his view of the Biden family's business practices. "I saw it firsthand." 

Meanwhile, James Biden, Hunter's uncle, is not sailing so smoothly, with Republicans requesting that the Trump administration prosecute the former president's brother for lying to Congress. 

James Biden allegedly denied that his brother, the former president, met in May 2017 with his son's business associate Tony Bobulinski while pursuing a deal with a Chinese-owned energy company, CEFC China Energy. 

Bobulinski, a key witness during the GOP's impeachment inquiry on account of claims he was privy to unethical business dealings by the Biden family, recently lost a defamation battle in court against Fox News host Jessica Tarlov. 

‘MOST DAMNING EVIDENCE’: HUNTER BIDEN'S FULL PARDON RESURFACES DECADE OF CONTROVERSIES, ‘INFLUENCE-PEDDLING’

Bobulinski was seeking $30 million in damages after Tarlov claimed during an episode of "The Five" that Bobulinski's legal fees were being paid for by a Trump-aligned political action committee.

Another notable ex-business partner of Hunter Biden, Eric Schwerin, has kept a low profile ever since Republicans on the House Oversight Committee released his testimony from the GOP's impeachment inquiry. In his testimony, Schwerin stated he was "not aware of any financial transactions or compensation" that Joe Biden received as vice president related to his family's business dealings. 

Hunter Biden's "Sugar brother" and lawyer, Kevin Morris, who helped finance the first son's legal fees with a reported $6.5 million, later told associates that his generosity left him financially tapped. 

According to a report by the N.Y. Post, Morris faced his own ethical issues when he was accused of spying on a movie production about President Biden called "My Son Hunter" that was being made in Serbia. The filmmaker involved with the project, filmaker Phelim McAleer, hit Morris with a bar complaint in 2022.

"He used deceit to secure such access by not disclosing he was Mr. Biden’s lawyer. Mr. Morris used his cover as a documentary filmmaker to conceal his true purpose: performing legal investigative work on behalf of his client, Mr. Hunter Biden," McAleer said in his bar complaint.

The California Bar Association declined to disbar Morris in late 2024.

Ye Jianming, a Chinese billionaire and former chairman of CEFC China Energy, one of the companies Republicans alleged Hunter Biden sought to gain favor with using his family name, has reportedly disappeared from public view, Reuters reported in 2023. While his whereabouts are unknown, according to Reuters, Jianming's name has appeared in graft trials of senior Chinese Communist Party officials and state bank executives.  

Texas AG Ken Paxton announces run for US Senate

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Fox News' The Ingraham Angle Tuesday night that he will run for the U.S. Senate. 

The announcement comes as Paxton no longer faces the cloud of a federal corruption investigation that loomed over him as he rose up the ranks in the Republican Party. 

The announcement by Paxton, a close ally of President Donald Trump and a MAGA firebrand, comes two weeks after Republican Sen. John Cornyn officially launched his re-election campaign as he bids for a fifth six-year term serving Texas in the Senate.

EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR DETAILS SURFACE IN HISTORIC IMPEACHMENT TRIAL OF TEXAS AG KEN PAXTON

"It's time for a change in Texas," Paxton told Fox News' Laura Ingraham, before acknowledging Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas' other Republican senator. "It's time that we have another great senator that will actually stand up and fight for Republican values, fight for the values of the people of Texas and also support Donald Trump in the areas that he's focused on in a very significant way."

On Sunday, Cornyn said he was looking forward to "the competition" amid rumors of Paxton's candidacy. 

Paxton, who has been Texas' top prosecutor since 2015, criticized his GOP rival, pointing to Cornyn's position on a border wall and opposing Trump during the 2016 election. 

"Ken Paxton is a fraud," Cornyn's campaign wrote on X after Paxton's announcement. "He talks tough on crime and then lets crooked progressive Lina Hidalgo off the hook. He says his impeachment trial was a sham but he didn’t contest the facts in legal filings which will cost the state millions."

"He says he’s anti-woke but he funnels millions of taxpayer dollars to lawyers who celebrate DEI," the post continued. "And Ken claims to be a man of faith but uses fake Uber accounts to meet his girlfriend and deceive his family."

Cornyn also previously came under criticism from conservatives after he helped push a bipartisan gun control bill after the 2022 mass shooting at a Uvalde, Texas elementary school that killed 19 students and two teachers. 

TEXAS AG PAXTON ACQUITTED ON ALL IMPEACHMENT CHARGES: 'THE TRUTH PREVAILED'

Cornyn's campaign noted that the incumbent senator has voted with Trump more than 95% of current senators. Trump and Texas need a "battle-tested conservative" who knows how to protect his agenda in the Senate and won't be outsmarted by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, the campaign said. 

"It sets the table for the most expensive primary in Texas. It will be a brutal battle," veteran Republican strategist Dave Carney told Fox News. Carney, the longtime top political adviser to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, noted that the announcement by Paxton also "opens up the attorney general’s race. There will probably be a very competitive primary for that and we’re going to have a lot of musical chairs down ballot."

Matt Mackowiak, a veteran Republican strategist and communications consultant based in Texas and Washington, D.C., said "this is going to be the most expensive, nastiest, most aggressive, most personal U.S. Senate primary in Texas history."

"You have two candidates who are going to raise significant funds, who are in significant positions, who do not like each and have not liked each other, whose teams do not like each other and the stakes could not be higher," he emphasized.

The announcement from Paxton puts the gears in motion for what may be an extremely expensive and bruising GOP primary battle, pitting the remaining establishment and business factions of the Republican Party versus the ascendant MAGA wing.

WILL DEMOCRATS ONCE AGAIN CHASE THE ‘GHOST OF A BLUE TEXAS’ IN NEXT YEAR'S SENATE RACE?

Paxton's announcement was not a huge surprise, as he has long claimed Cornyn does not represent the conservative values of Texans and has accused the senator of not being an ally of Trump.

He has also regularly labeled Cornyn a "RINO," a "Republican in name only" and an insult MAGA and "America First" Republicans have regularly used to criticize more mainstream or establishment members of the GOP.

And Paxton, for a couple of years, has flirted with a primary challenge against the 73-year-old Cornyn, a former state senator, former Texas Supreme Court justice, and former state attorney general, who first won election to the U.S. Senate in 2002.

FACING POSSIBLE PRIMARY CHALLNGE FROM A TRUMP ALLY, LONGTIME TEXAS SENATOR ANNOUNCES RE-ELECTION

"I can’t think of a single thing he’s accomplished for our state or even for the country," Paxton said in a September 2023 interview on the Fox News Channel. "Somebody needs to step up and run against this guy," adding, "everything’s on the table for me."

Fast-forward to earlier this year, and Paxton, at a county GOP meeting in Texas, told supporters that one of the things "we need to do, and I might play a role in this, is replace John Cornyn in the U.S. Senate."

And in a Fox News Digital interview in January, Paxton acknowledged that he was "looking potentially at the U.S. Senate."

Cornyn, during the early stages of the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race, had said he would prefer that the GOP take a new direction, which angered Trump. But the senator endorsed Trump in late January of last year, after the then-former president won both the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, the first two contests in the Republican presidential nomination calendar.

Since Trump returned to the White House three months ago, Cornyn has been supportive of the president's Cabinet nominees and agenda.

ONLY ON FOX NEWS: SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CHAIR REVEALS HOW MANY SEATS HE'S AIMING FOR IN 2026

And in the senator's campaign launch video last month, the announcer highlighted that during Trump's first term in office, "Texas Sen. John Cornyn had his back."

As he gears up for what will most certainly be his roughest re-election of his decades-long career, Cornyn has the backing of the top Republican in the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

And Republican sources confirm to Fox News that Thune, as well as National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Sen. Tim Scott, have personally asked Trump to back Cornyn.

The president's grip on the GOP is stronger than ever and any endorsement Trump may make in the emerging Republican Senate primary in Texas would be extremely influential.

Making Cornyn's path to renomination even more difficult is a possible Senate bid by Rep. Wesley Hunt, who represents a Houston area district.

The third-term 43-year-old Texas Republican and rising MAGA star has made his case to the president's political team, sources confirm to Fox News. Hunt's argument is that he's the only person who can win both a GOP primary and a general election, a source familiar with the discussions confirmed to Fox News.

An outside group supportive of Hunt is currently spending seven figures to run ads across the Lone Star State to increase the lawmaker's name ID.

CORNYN'S RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN SPARKS QUESTIONS ON BOTH PARTY FLANKS AS DEMS CHASE 'THE GHOST OF A BLUE TEXAS'

Some Republican operatives and strategists worry that a primary battle in Texas could cost up to $100 million, potentially diverting much-needed resources from other races.

While Paxton is very popular with the conservative base of the party, it's not clear at this point what Trump will do regarding the race. And political strategists note that toppling Cornyn in a GOP primary will likely be a very expensive proposition, and it's not clear if Paxton can raise the money needed for victory.

"This says two things. One, Paxton sees an opportunity. And two, him getting in this early shows he needs the maximum time possible to try to raise money," Mackowiak said,  He added that Paxton "has received some negative feedback on fundraising."

Paxton grabbed national attention in 2020 for filing the unsuccessful Texas vs. Pennsylvania case in the Supreme Court that tried to overturn former President Joe Biden’s razor-thin win over Trump in the Keystone State, and for speaking at the Trump rally near the White House that immediately preceded the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by right-wing extremists aiming to disrupt congressional certification of Biden’s Electoral College victory.

During Biden's four years in the White House, Paxton took the administration to court numerous times.

While Paxton, who's in his third four-year term as Texas attorney general, has long been a legal warrior in the MAGA movement, he also has plenty of personal political baggage.

Paxton was indicted on securities fraud charges soon after taking office in 2015, and more recently came under investigation by the FBI over bribery and corruption allegations from former top staffers. And in 2022, he survived a bruising primary amid his many legal difficulties.

In 2023, Paxton was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives, but he was later acquitted of all charges by the state Senate. 

The charges in the long-running federal corruption probe were dropped during the final weeks of the Biden administration. 

The attorney general also faced an investigation by the Texas State Bar for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

While Paxton for years has denied any wrongdoing and has survived his legal fights, he would likely continue to face tough optics and plenty of incoming fire over his past predicaments during a Senate showdown.

The eventual winner of next year's GOP primary will be considered the favorite in the general election against whomever the Democrats nominate.

Former Rep. Colin Allred has said he'll decide by this summer if he'll mount a 2026 Senate campaign.

Allred, a former Baylor University football player and NFL linebacker who later represented Texas' 32nd Congressional District (which includes parts of Dallas and surrounding suburbs), was last year's Democratic challenger in the race against Cruz.