Category: fox-news/politics/house-of-representatives

Byron Donalds urges House GOP leaders to hold vote on Biden impeachment after bombshell report

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EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., is urging House GOP leaders to hold a chamber-wide vote on impeaching President Biden days after a highly anticipated report accused the commander in chief of committing impeachable offenses.

"I've felt that way for a long time. I'm on the Oversight Committee, I've seen all of the evidence up close and personal. It is without a doubt that he used his office when he was vice president to enrich his family as pay for play," Donalds told Fox News Digital. "That's public corruption."

Referencing the phone call with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy that precipitated the first impeachment of former President Trump, Donalds added, "Listen, if a phone call is quote-unquote, an impeachable offense, then public corruption absolutely is. I think the House should hold that vote."

House Republicans released a 292-page report on Monday, a joint effort by the House Oversight Committee, House Judiciary Committee and House Ways and Means Committee, arguing Biden engaged in "impeachable conduct."

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Those committees have been working on a monthslong investigation into whether Biden helped enrich himself and his family through foreign business deals while he was vice president.

Donalds' public pressure is significant; while a majority of House Republicans have publicly accused Biden of at least acting improperly, it's not clear that House leaders would risk forcing their most vulnerable GOP members to take such a weighty vote with just a razor-thin majority in the chamber.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., indicated in March that criminal referrals could be the end of the road for the probe. He told Newsmax the House "would vote to impeach Joe Biden right now," but "the best path to accountability is criminal referrals."

In his statement on the impeachment report on Monday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., praised the investigation as "thorough, diligent and thoughtful" but made no mention of a House-wide vote. Johnson himself has previously said he believes Biden is guilty of wrongdoing.

Donalds appeared to reference his colleagues' hesitation when he told Fox News Digital he would make the case for an impeachment vote to Johnson the next time he spoke with the GOP leader.

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"It'll definitely probably come up, and we'll see where it is," Donalds said. "And look, I know members, they all are trying to figure out what they're going to do in their re-elections, but we have a responsibility to hold the executive branch accountable. That is the job of Congress."

"I think one of the reasons why a lot of people are losing faith in our institutions is because it appears that people at the top of our politics just get away with everything and are never held accountable. And that's wrong."

In their report, Republicans said there is "overwhelming evidence" that Biden participated in a "conspiracy to monetize his office of public trust to enrich his family." They alleged that the Biden family and their business associates received tens of millions of dollars from foreign interests by "leading those interests to believe that such payments would provide them access to and influence with President Biden." 

The committees said the Biden family and its associates received more than $27 million from foreign individuals or entities since 2014.

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They also alleged that the Biden family leveraged Biden’s position as vice president to obtain more than $8 million in loans from Democratic benefactors. The loans "have not been repaid and the paperwork supporting many of the loans does not exist and has not been produced to the committees."

The White House said in response to the report, "This failed stunt will only be remembered for how it became an embarrassment that their own members distanced themselves from as they only managed to turn up evidence that refuted their false and baseless conspiracy theories. The American people deserve more from House Republicans, and perhaps now they will finally join President Biden in focusing on the real issues that American families actually care about."

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on Donalds' remarks.

Trump shooting task force demands documents from top Biden officials in probe kickoff

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The House of Representatives is kicking off its formal probe into the attempted assassination of former President Trump on Monday.

The bipartisan Trump shooting task force sent a pair of letters announcing its investigation will now supersede several other ongoing House investigations into the matter and asking for all information sent to those committees about the July 13 shooting so far.

One letter was sent to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and acting U.S. Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe; the other was addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray.

Lawmakers are seeking staff-level briefings from each agency and department, to be scheduled by Aug. 16 – a signal that the task force is serious about its pledge for a short investigatory timeline. 

BUTLER DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAYS LOCAL SNIPERS WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ROOFTOP SHOOTER FIRED FROM 

"We, as the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump (Task Force), write to request documents and information related to the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024," wrote Reps. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., and Jason Crow, D-Colo.

There have been multiple Congressional inquiries launched into how a 20-year-old gunman was able to position himself on a rooftop just outside Trump's rally perimeter last month, opening fire and killing one rally attendee. Trump himself was shot in the ear and rushed offstage by Secret Service agents.

The task force is a push by House leadership to consolidate those efforts. The panel is armed with subpoena power and wide-ranging jurisdiction to probe the shooting, with the goal of producing an end-of-year report.

TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT VICTIM SAYS HE IS ‘SAD’ WITH STATE OF ‘POLITICAL DIVISION’ IN US 

Kelly and Crow asked that the Biden administration officials they wrote to "should produce documents and information directly to the Task Force from this point forward, including any documents and information that are in process in response to pending requests."

Lawmakers also asked for "all documents and information that have been produced to date, to any committee of the House or Senate related to the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump" and "a briefing for staff to review DHS and USSS’ responses to Congress to date, and to discuss the Task Force’s priorities with respect to documents and information moving forward."

The task force, comprised of seven House Republicans and six House Democrats, was formed after a unanimous 416-0 vote last month.

One senior House Republican told Fox News Digital last month that House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was inundated by House GOP lawmakers' requests and arguments to be on the panel. 

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Both Kelly and Crow have stressed that the investigation must be apolitical. 

Crow, a former Army Ranger, told Fox News Digital earlier this month that he and Kelly were discussing a possible trip to the Pennsylvania rally site where the shooting took place. Kelly, who was at the rally in Butler, represents the surrounding district.

"Chairman Kelly and I have discussed that, and we do think that would be an important thing to do if we have the support to do it," Crow said.

Reddy wins primary for Rep Davids’ seat that GOP is gunning to flip red

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An Indian-born U.S. military veteran won the GOP primary in the 3rd Congressional District of Kansas on Tuesday, a seat Republicans are hoping to win back in November.

Dr. Prasanth Reddy, a former physician-turned-high level Labcorp executive, was heavily favored to win the primary against challenger Karen Crnkovich.

Reddy was endorsed by top House Republicans including Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and was named to the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) "Young Guns" list just last week.

He’s now moving on to face Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kan., a moderate Democrat seeking a fourth term in the House.

"Extreme House Democrat Sharice Davids has fueled the border, crime and cost of living crises that are wreaking havoc on Kansans’ safety and security. Prasanth Reddy is in a prime position to flip Kansas’ 3rd District red and help grow our House majority in November," Delanie Bomar, a spokeswoman for the House GOP campaign arm, said last week.

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Reddy had far outraised Crnkovich during the primary cycle, bringing in more than $1.3 million compared to her total of just over $150,000.

Both totals are significantly lower, however, than the $3 million and change that Davids has managed to raise. 

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Davids won her seat during the blue wave of 2018 and was among the first Native American women to be sworn into Congress. Davids is also the only Democrat in Kansas’ congressional delegation.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has her seat ranked as an R+1 district, making it a top target for Republicans hoping to keep and expand their razor-thin House majority.

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Davids won the district after defeating incumbent former Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Kan., by just under 10 points, and has modestly expanded her margin of victory since.

The district is majority-White and includes much of the Kansas City metro area. It’s also the least red of Kansas’ congressional districts.

Balance of power: Jockeying begins for House Freedom Caucus top spot after leader’s unprecedented primary loss

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The House Freedom Caucus is discussing who could take the lead of the ultra-conservative group with its chairman, Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., expected to step aside.

Multiple people granted anonymity to speak with Fox News Digital indicated they expect Good to step aside from his role after he lost his primary race in June and a subsequent recount Thursday night by a few hundred votes. Good had previously said that he would do so.

It puts the GOP rebel group in uncharted territory. A chairman has never stepped down before the end of a term, and a sitting chair has never lost re-election.

Two sources familiar with the discussions said they expected a previous Freedom Caucus chair, Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., or Scott Perry, R-Pa., specifically, to step in for the remainder of Good’s term.

TRUMP ENDORSES 2 GOP CANDIDATES IN SAME KEY ARIZONA HOUSE PRIMARY

Both sources, however, said discussions were leaning slightly toward Biggs.

"I am going to push for Andy Biggs to take over during the remainder of Bob’s term. He supported Trump, and he knows how to be the chair already," one Freedom Caucus member told Fox News Digital.

Biggs did not comment when reached via spokesperson by Fox News Digital. A spokesperson for Perry also declined to comment.

One of the two earlier sources told Fox News Digital Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, the group’s policy chair, has also been floated as a possible replacement. 

But Roy, who also chairs the House Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on the Constitution and limited government, has not publicly indicated interest in the role. 

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE 2024 ELECTIONS

Freshman Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., has also shown interest in the role, according to another source. But it’s not immediately clear if he would be interested in serving out the remainder of the year filling in for Good or whether he’d want to run in the group’s closed-door election for a new term, which usually takes place at the end of the year.

Ogles' office did not respond to a request for comment, while Roy declined, via spokesperson, to discuss private conversations.

Politico reported last week that Perry and Biggs were both in consideration to finish out the remainder of Good’s term.

Both have a significantly better relationship with former President Trump than Good does, a divide that drove his political unraveling.

Trump backed Good’s primary rival, John McGuire, and actively spoke out against the Virginia conservative’s re-election. Good had originally endorsed Trump’s primary rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, before switching to the ex-president when DeSantis dropped out.

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Good’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital about whether he would follow through on stepping aside.

A Freedom Caucus spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "HFC does not comment on membership or internal processes."

Good’s tenure as chairman has been a bumpy one, and multiple members left the group this year.

Most recently, Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, who opposed Good’s chairmanship, was voted out of the Freedom Caucus shortly after he endorsed McGuire in the primary.

Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, resigned in protest of Davidson’s ouster on the same day.

Balance of power: Jockeying begins for House Freedom Caucus top spot after leader’s unprecedented primary loss

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

The House Freedom Caucus is discussing who could take the lead of the ultra-conservative group with its chairman, Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., expected to step aside.

Multiple people granted anonymity to speak with Fox News Digital indicated they expect Good to step aside from his role after he lost his primary race in June and a subsequent recount Thursday night by a few hundred votes. Good had previously said that he would do so.

It puts the GOP rebel group in uncharted territory. A chairman has never stepped down before the end of a term, and a sitting chair has never lost re-election.

Two sources familiar with the discussions said they expected a previous Freedom Caucus chair, Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., or Scott Perry, R-Pa., specifically, to step in for the remainder of Good’s term.

TRUMP ENDORSES 2 GOP CANDIDATES IN SAME KEY ARIZONA HOUSE PRIMARY

Both sources, however, said discussions were leaning slightly toward Biggs.

"I am going to push for Andy Biggs to take over during the remainder of Bob’s term. He supported Trump, and he knows how to be the chair already," one Freedom Caucus member told Fox News Digital.

Biggs did not comment when reached via spokesperson by Fox News Digital. A spokesperson for Perry also declined to comment.

One of the two earlier sources told Fox News Digital Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, the group’s policy chair, has also been floated as a possible replacement. 

But Roy, who also chairs the House Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on the Constitution and limited government, has not publicly indicated interest in the role. 

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE 2024 ELECTIONS

Freshman Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., has also shown interest in the role, according to another source. But it’s not immediately clear if he would be interested in serving out the remainder of the year filling in for Good or whether he’d want to run in the group’s closed-door election for a new term, which usually takes place at the end of the year.

Ogles' office did not respond to a request for comment, while Roy declined, via spokesperson, to discuss private conversations.

Politico reported last week that Perry and Biggs were both in consideration to finish out the remainder of Good’s term.

Both have a significantly better relationship with former President Trump than Good does, a divide that drove his political unraveling.

Trump backed Good’s primary rival, John McGuire, and actively spoke out against the Virginia conservative’s re-election. Good had originally endorsed Trump’s primary rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, before switching to the ex-president when DeSantis dropped out.

THIS REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN FILES IMPEACHMENT ARTICLES AGAINST VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS, AGAIN

Good’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital about whether he would follow through on stepping aside.

A Freedom Caucus spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "HFC does not comment on membership or internal processes."

Good’s tenure as chairman has been a bumpy one, and multiple members left the group this year.

Most recently, Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, who opposed Good’s chairmanship, was voted out of the Freedom Caucus shortly after he endorsed McGuire in the primary.

Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, resigned in protest of Davidson’s ouster on the same day.

Trump shooting task force missing this critical component, House GOP military veteran says

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EXCLUSIVE: Former Navy SEAL Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., is concerned that the bipartisan House task force to investigate the attempted assassination of former President Trump is missing a critical component in terms of the experience of its members.

"I did reach out to the speaker and volunteered and reminded the speaker that I was…one of the snipers in Congress. I think there's only three of us. So clearly it's not about me," Crane told Fox News Digital in an interview.

"I think there's three – myself, [Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., and Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas]. If even one of us was put on that committee, I think it would have shown that they were actually trying to put at least a cross-section of experience on the committee. But that didn't happen."

Crane argued that the circumstances of the shooting – a 20-year-old gunman firing an AR-style rifle from 400 to 500 feet away from Trump, then subsequently being killed by a Secret Service sniper – added to the need for someone with his experience.

BUTLER DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAYS LOCAL SNIPERS WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ROOFTOP SHOOTER FIRED FROM 

"I am a former Navy SEAL sniper. The actual term would be NSW, Naval Special Warfare sniper. I graduated from sniper school in 2009 and went to several other advanced sniper schools. And I think the reason that it's important is because, obviously…the alleged individual that tried to kill the president, did take a shot at the president, was training prior to taking a shot at the president," Crane said.

"You're dealing with counter sniper teams. You're dealing with the advance work that was done, you're dealing with, you know, someone who can cite angles, trajectories – all sorts of things that snipers have to be proficient and experienced in. And so I don't know, it just kind of makes sense that in this specific case, you would probably want people to have that background and experience on your task force."

The task force, comprised of six Democrats and seven Republicans, was announced by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., after a unanimous House vote to commission it. 

Crane and Mills are aiming to launch a parallel probe to make up for what they see are shortfalls on the existing task force, Mills indicated on X Monday.

TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT VICTIM SAYS HE IS ‘SAD’ WITH STATE OF ‘POLITICAL DIVISION’ IN US 

"I wish the members of [the] Task Force well, and think it’s time for a parallel independent investigation with subject matter experts (SME) and the whistleblowers who’ve already come forward," Mills wrote, adding that he and Crane had already heard from people in those groups.

The current task force is led by Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., whose district the shooting took place in and who has deep ties with the local law enforcement who were also charged with security that day, and Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., a retired Army Ranger with combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The panel also includes several other veterans, including Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa. It also includes legal experts like Crow, a lawyer, and Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., a former assistant district attorney.

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However, both Mills and Crane accused House leaders of political motivations in selecting the task force.

"I think some of the most qualified people were clearly left off of there. And so, like many things in Washington, there's a lot of politics that went into the formation of…that task force," Crane said. 

He said "several" other "pretty impressive" lawmakers share their concerns.

Jeffries, Johnson, Kelly and Crow have all emphasized that they want the probe to be free of politics. Crow told Fox News Digital earlier this week that it would be a "robust and serious" investigation.

Jeffries' office declined to comment when reached by Fox News Digital. Johnson's office did not return a request for comment.

When asked whether he was concerned that setting up their own GOP-led probe could itself be viewed as political, Crane said, "I'm not really worried about it, but is it possible? Absolutely." 

However, panel member Waltz told Fox News Digital he was not worried about either investigation politicizing the other.

"Look, if we have folks that want to bring in – like, Representative Cory Mills, who I plan to call on his expertise as a former sniper, Representative Eli Crane, former Navy SEAL sniper – look, I mean, we should be using their expertise," Waltz said. "If they want to bring outside experts from their networks – I think this is an all-of-the-above approach. So the more eyeballs looking at it, the better."

Top Dem on Trump shooting task force denies past impeachment manager role could politicize probe

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EXCLUSIVE: The top Democrat on the newly commissioned House task force to investigate the attempted assassination of former President Trump is insisting that the investigation will be free of politics.

Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., was named ranking member of the panel after being selected by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

As a first-term lawmaker in 2020, Crow was selected as one of seven House Democrats prosecuting Trump’s first impeachment trial before the Senate.

But he denied in an interview with Fox News Digital on Wednesday that the role would open him up to criticism of his handling of the current task force.

BUTLER DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAYS LOCAL SNIPERS WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ROOFTOP SHOOTER FIRED FROM 

"I’m not concerned about that. You know, I have a great reputation for being one of the most bipartisan members of Congress because, listen, that's what America does," Crow said. "We have … tough debates and deliberations about the things that we need to have tough debates and deliberations on. But we also come together and work together when and where we have to."

The retired Army Ranger said he was trained to serve without bias during his days in the military, which included tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I served overseas in combat with Americans from all different backgrounds – Republicans, Democrats, independents, people from the East Coast, people from the West Coast, of every different stripe and background – and we got the job done. We came together, we served together, and we got it done. And we're going to bring that same spirit to this task force," Crow said.

He’s one of six Democrats appointed to the task force by Jeffries, with seven Republicans chosen by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT VICTIM SAYS HE IS ‘SAD’ WITH STATE OF ‘POLITICAL DIVISION’ IN US 

Johnson and Jeffries said in a joint statement of Crow’s appointment, "We have the utmost confidence in Ranking Member Rep. Jason Crow and this bipartisan group of steady, qualified and capable Members of Congress to move quickly to find the facts, ensure accountability and help make certain such failures never happen again."

It comes after a source previously told Fox News Digital that Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., who was the Democrats' lead counsel in the first Trump impeachment, was being considered for a place on the committee. He did not end up on the final list.

Crow told Fox News Digital that the probe’s exact contours are still being ironed out between himself and Chair Mike Kelly, R-Pa., but he hopes a task force visit to the site of the July 13 Trump rally shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, will be part of their work. Would-be assassin Thomas Crooks, 20, opened fire from a nearby rooftop during the event, grazing Trump's right ear, killing a former firefighter and seriously wounding two other spectators before being shot dead by a Secret Service counter-sniper.

"Chairman Kelly and I have discussed that, and we do think that would be an important thing to do if we have the support to do it," Crow said.

He also said "a lot of things appear to have gone wrong" the day of the shooting and pledged a "fast investigation," noting the group has to release a report in December.

IRAN THREAT PROMPTS QUESTIONS ABOUT TRUMP GUNMAN'S UNCRACKED ENCRYPTION

Crow listed the questions he had: "Are we actually looking at that intelligence properly? Is it being disseminated to the proper law enforcement officials? Why wasn't there a secure perimeter? Why was that rooftop unsecure?"

He also explained that the apparent communications breakdown is going to be a major tenet of their probe, adding, "I learned in my time overseas in combat that one of the hardest things to do is actually achieve interoperability of our communications between … different units in different locations."

"It was very hard to do. But it's also the essential thing to do, because if you're not communicating and talking, things fall through the cracks."

House Freedom Caucus member who tried to impeach Kamala Harris wins high-profile Tennessee GOP primary

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A first-term member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, won his first primary as an incumbent on Thursday evening.

Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., fended off a challenge from Nashville Metro Council member Courtney Johnston, who ran a more moderate campaign compared to the freshman Republican.

It was a much-needed political victory for the Freedom Caucus this election cycle after its chairman, Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., narrowly lost re-election in June and is facing long odds in a recount held Thursday.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE 2024 ELECTIONS

Good had been facing Republican challenger John McGuire, who was backed by House GOP national security hawks like House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Reps. Jen Kiggans, R-Va.; and Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., among others.

Johnston had narrowly outraised Ogles, according to financial disclosures. Her receipts through July 12 show her raising nearly $785,000 in individual contributions compared to Ogles’ total – just over $500,000.

She also tried to tie him to Good and seven other Republicans’ successful effort to oust ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., last October – though Ogles was not one of the eight who voted to end McCarthy’s leadership.

THIS REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN FILES IMPEACHMENT ARTICLES AGAINST VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS, AGAIN

"I think the incumbent has caused chaos. The ouster of McCarthy was an absolute abomination, really. Not only for the Republican Party, but really for Congress as a whole," she told local outlet WPLN.

Ogles had the backing of top national Republicans, however, including former President Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

"Andy is working hard to Grow the Economy, Stop Inflation, Secure our Southern Border, Uphold the Rule of Law, and Defend our Second Amendment," Trump wrote on Truth Social in May. "I was proud to help Andy flip a Democrat seat in 2022, and he has my Complete and Total Endorsement for re-election. He will not let you down!"

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Ogles won Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District in November 2022 after its boundaries were changed to include less of Nashville's city center, which had previously made it a solidly blue seat.

Under its current lines, however, the seat leans red – residents of the district voted for Trump over President Biden in 2020 by just over 10 points.

Ogles defeated his Democratic challenger in 2022 by similar margins.

Trump impeachment Dem pushes back on GOP concerns over possible role in assassination attempt probe

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The office of a House Democrat who played a prominent role in former President Trump’s first impeachment is now pushing back against GOP-fueled criticism that he should not be on the task force investigating the attempted assassination of the former president.

Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., who came under fire last year for saying that Trump "has to be eliminated," is among the Democrats being considered for a place on the bipartisan commission to study the July 13 shooting at Trump’s Butler, Pennsylvania, rally, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital. 

"As someone with a lifelong commitment to democracy and the rule of law, Congressman Goldman immediately clarified a misstatement from last November to emphasize his strong condemnation of all political violence. The Congressman demonstrated with pointed questioning during congressional hearings last week that the Secret Service must be held accountable for its unacceptable security lapse, and he is determined to ensure such a failure never happens again," Goldman's spokesperson Madison Andrus told Fox News Digital.

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Goldman first came to national prominence as Democrats’ lead counsel during Trump’s first impeachment trial. He has remained a vocal Trump critic since coming to Congress in January 2023.

His potential placement on the commission has already invoked the ire of Trump allies since first being reported in Punchbowl News on Friday morning.

Among those leading the criticism is Donald Trump Jr., who recalled that Goldman had said that Trump needed to be "eliminated," in a November 2023 MSNBC interview, which Goldman has since apologized for.

"Democrats are trying to put Dan Goldman on the committee to investigate the assassination attempt. Just weeks ago he called for DJT to be ‘eliminated.’ Probably not the best person to have on this task force," Trump Jr. wrote on X.

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Goldman wrote on X in November 2023, "Yesterday on TV, I mistakenly used the wrong word to express the importance for America that Donald Trump doesn’t become President again. While he must be defeated, I certainly wish no harm to him and do not condone political violence. I apologize for the poor choice of words."

Philip Letsou, deputy communications director for the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, wrote on the site, "Democrats are evidently planning on stacking the task force to investigate the assassination attempt on Trump with conspiracy theorists like Dan Goldman."

The House voted to establish the commission in a unanimous 416-0 vote last week. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said the panel will have seven Republicans and six Democrats, chosen by himself and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., respectively.

As of Friday morning, Jeffries’ office told Fox News Digital that no final decisions had been made.

But a second source who spoke with Fox News Digital said that another possible contender is Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., who served as State’s Attorney for Prince George's County for nearly a decade from 2003 until 2011, before coming to Congress in 2023.

On the GOP side, a senior Republican lawmaker told Fox News Digital that "it seems like half our members want to be on the task force."

A third source who spoke with Fox News Digital said that Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., was in strong consideration to play a prominent role on the panel. Kelly, whose district the shooting took place in, was present when the shooting occurred.

Kelly was also the leader of the resolution establishing the task force that passed the House this week.

Jeffries says Republicans are ‘making up’ Kamala Harris border czar title

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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., accused Republicans of "making up" the title of "border czar" in reference to Vice President Kamala Harris, just before six members of his House Democratic Caucus voted to criticize her handling of the migrant crisis.

"We have a single legislative item that is on the floor today … it’s a fake and fraudulent resolution cooked up, I think, by one of the representatives from New York – continues to embarrass herself regularly – that lies about the vice president," Jeffries told reporters at his weekly press conference.

"She was never assigned the position of border czar. They're making that up, because the extreme MAGA Republicans are in full meltdown."

TRUMP EYES MULTIPLE BORDER VISITS AS HE DRAWS CONTRAST WITH 'RADICAL LEFT' HARRIS

The resolution was introduced by House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. 

Fox News Digital reached out to her for a response to Jeffries.

Harris was tapped by President Biden in 2021 to spearhead the administration’s response to the border crisis, in particular, the root causes of mass migration from Central and South America. 

Republicans have long accused Harris of not doing enough in the role, but those attacks gained new traction after the vice president was tapped to replace Biden in the November 2024 election. 

Democrats and some mainstream media outlets, in response, have claimed that Harris was never given the title of "border czar" – including Axios, which referred to her that way in April 2021.

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But Jeffries still insisted, referring to Republicans: "They are making that up because they have no affirmative agenda, vision or track record for the American people."

His remarks came shortly before the House passed Stefanik’s resolution – the first piece of major House legislation targeting Harris since she became Democrats’ presumptive nominee.

Half a dozen Democrats joined all voting Republicans to support the measure, which passed 220 to 196.

The House Democrats who voted for the resolution are Reps. Jared Golden of Maine, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, Mary Peltola of Alaska, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Don Davis of North Carolina and Yadira Caraveo of Colorado.

KAMALA HARRIS HIT WITH ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT OVER BORDER CRISIS, 'MISLEADING' PEOPLE ON BIDEN

They’re also some of the few Democratic lawmakers who have not endorsed Harris, despite leaders like Jeffries, ex-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., all falling behind Biden’s chosen successor.

During his press conference, however, Jeffries said he had not heard from any House Democrats who had issues with the way the party has handled its recent political upheaval.

"I haven't had a single conversation with a member of the House Democratic Caucus who has expressed that they are upset with what has unfolded," Jeffries said. "President Biden . . . as he indicated last night, was ready to make his case to the American people, decided in a selfless way to pass the torch to the next generation of Democrats, led by Vice President Harris. We are unified. The other side is falling apart."