Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told fellow Republican lawmakers that he intends to hold a House-wide vote on whether to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas "as soon as possible."
Johnson made the announcement in a letter to colleagues sent on Friday, a copy of which was obtained by Fox News Digital.
"The facts show that President Biden and his Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas have willfully ignored and actively undermined our nation’s immigration laws," the speaker wrote. "Rather than accept accountability, President Biden is now trying to blame Congress for what HE himself intentionally created."
Johnson pointed out polling that showed illegal immigration as an increasingly urgent issue for American voters.
'SENSE OF HOPELESSNESS': MICHAEL MCCAUL SOUNDS ALARM ON BORDER PATROL MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS
"The American people know better, and that’s why public opinion polls show the country has overwhelmingly sided with us on this issue. When we return next week, by necessity, the House Homeland Security Committee will move forward with Articles of Impeachment against Secretary Mayorkas," he said. "A vote on the floor will be held as soon as possible thereafter."
He also reaffirmed the House GOP’s support for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott amid a tense standoff with the federal government at the U.S.-Mexico border.
"I made clear that we stand with Texas Governor Greg Abbott in his heroic efforts to protect the citizens of his state and all Americans, and I am emphasizing again today that House Republicans will vigorously oppose any policy proposal from the White House or Senate that would further incentivize illegal aliens to break our laws," Johnson said.
It comes as a bipartisan deal on border security between the Senate and White House, talks Mayorkas has been a part of, appears increasingly out of reach.
WATCH: MIGRANTS CLAIM ASYLUM ON COLD JANUARY NIGHT AS CBP UNION LEADER TALKS BORDER CRISIS
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who is involved in the talks, told reporters on Thursday that they would know in the next 24 to 48 hours whether a border deal was possible. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., leading talks for the GOP, said later when asked about text coming next week, "That's been the hope. Of course, a week ago I said we would have text that week too."
When asked about Johnson's Friday letter, a spokesperson for DHS pointed Fox News Digital to an earlier memo emphasizing Mayorkas' role in the talks to solve the crisis. "Instead of working in a bipartisan way to fix our broken immigration laws, the House Majority is wasting time on baseless and pointless political attacks by trying to impeach Secretary Mayorkas," they added.
CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS STRIKE DEAL TO PUNT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DEADLINES
But House lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have warned that whatever comes out of the Senate will not just be accepted by their chamber.
Johnson has gone further both in public and in private, calling for nothing short of the measures in H.R.2, the border security bill House Republicans passed in May. That bill, which includes Trump-era policies like Remain In Mexico, has been called a nonstarter by Democrats.
Republican lawmakers have also expressed skepticism of the talks over Mayorkas' role, after blaming him and Biden for the current border crisis. The GOP-led House Homeland Security Committee is expected to advance articles of impeachment against Mayorkas next week.
But Republicans are demanding concessions on border security in exchange for support on Democrats' $106 billion supplemental funding request for Ukraine
Former President Trump’s decisive victory in the New Hampshire primary this week spurred several new endorsements from lawmakers on Capitol Hill who have so far been silent on the race.
Among the most notable pivots was House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good, R-Va., who endorsed Trump over the weekend minutes after his preferred candidate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, dropped out of the race.
As of Thursday afternoon, Trump has more than 120 House Republican endorsements – the majority of the House GOP Conference and far outpacing former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley’s one backer.
Fox News Digital took a look at some of the senior House Republicans who have yet to weigh in despite mounting calls to unify behind the former president.
Comer has not weighed in on the 2024 presidential primary publicly so far. It’s worth noting his hands have been full on Capitol Hill leading an impeachment inquiry into Trump’s rival, President Biden.
Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo., who are also leading the inquiry, have both endorsed Trump.
Fox News Digital reached out to Comer’s office but did not immediately hear back.
HALEY AND PHILLIPS OUTPERFORMED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, BUT IT'S STILL A TRUMP VS BIDEN HORSE RACE
Fitzpatrick, a more moderate member from a Pennsylvania swing district, also hasn’t picked a side in the 2024 primary.
When Trump was indicted in June over his handling of classified documents, Fitzpatrick was one of the few Republicans who did not rush to his defense. The former FBI agent urged people to respect the legal process and not rush to judgment.
"No one is above the law or beyond prosecution," he said. "No one should be targeted for prosecution merely because of their status, position or affiliation."
Fitzpatrick’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
McMorris Rodgers is seen as one of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s closest allies on Capitol Hill, but unlike Johnson, R-La., she has yet to weigh in on the 2024 presidential primary race. Johnson endorsed Trump late last year.
In December 2019, she was named a state honorary co-chair for Trump’s reelection bid, according to the Spokesman-Review newspaper.
She made clear there was some distance between them after the 2021 U.S. Capitol riot, reportedly telling constituents in August 2023 that efforts to overturn Trump’s 2020 loss that day were "un-American."
But she reportedly said, "I also believe that Donald Trump, or any American, deserves due process."
Fox News Digital reached out to McMorris Rodgers' campaign for comment.
Roy went into the 2024 presidential primary cycle as one of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ most enthusiastic supporters. But unlike Freedom Caucus Chair Good, Roy has not stepped behind Trump so far in the two-candidate race.
Trump threatened to recruit a primary challenger against Roy, who is popular in his district and running unopposed, for his support of Trump’s former rival.
Roy said on CNN in late December, "I was just at multiple events with Ron DeSantis, where he’s shaking their hands and looking them in the eye while Donald Trump hangs out in his basement in Florida, afraid to actually debate."
He said on "Fox Across America" on Thursday that Trump is "likely going to be the nominee" and called on him to "stand up in defense of the hardworking American family getting steamrolled by corporate America and by Republicans too weak-kneed to fight for them."
Roy's office pointed to his earlier comments when reached by Fox News Digital on Thursday afternoon.
Moore stepped into House leadership after a crowded race for a position left by Johnson when he took the gavel in October.
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He’s rarely spoken out about Republican Party politics in the 2024 presidential primary, preferring to keep election discussions focused on the House of Representatives.
With his recent leadership role, Moore is also the highest-ranking House Republican to have voted in favor of a Sept. 11-style bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Fox News Digital tried to contact his campaign but did not immediately hear back.
Fox News Digital also reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
Hunter Biden’s business associate Rob Walker is set to appear for a closed-door transcribed interview at the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees on Friday morning to discuss his role in being an alleged "vehicle" for the Biden family to receive foreign funds.
Walker is set to appear at 10 a.m. on Capitol Hill after being subpoenaed by both House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer and Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan in November.
His testimony comes as part of the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden.
In notifying his attorney of his subpoena, Comer and Jordan explained that Walker set up his limited liability company, Robinson Walker LLC. The chairmen said it was "used as a vehicle to receive foreign funds and send a percentage of the money to Biden family members."
One example Comer and Jordan provided is when Joe Biden served as vice president, Robinson Walker LLC received millions of dollars from a company owned by Gabriel Popoviciu, a Romanian who was then the subject of a high-profile corruption prosecution in his home country.
BIDEN FAMILY RECEIVED MORE THAN $1M FROM HUNTER ASSOCIATE AFTER 2017 CHINA WIRE: HOUSE OVERSIGHT
"Following the receipt of this money, Robinson Walker sent over one million dollars to Biden family accounts, including those of Hunter Biden and Hallie Biden," Comer and Jordan wrote.
But Comer and Jordan flagged that those payments from Romania to Robinson Walker LLC started "within approximately five weeks of then-Vice President Biden meeting with the President of Romania, where, according to the official readout, the issue of corruption was discussed."
Comer and Jordan also note that Robinson Walker LLC received a payment of $3 million from State Energy HK Limited, a Chinese company, in February 2017, less than two months after Biden left the Obama administration. Comer and Jordan said that in the three months following that payment, Robinson Walker LLC made "incremental payments totaling over one million dollars to Biden family members and their companies, including Hallie Biden and entities associated with Hunter Biden and James Biden."
According to an FBI FD-302 form detailing Walker's 2021 interview with Special Counsel David Weiss' team and obtained by the House Ways and Means Committee, Walker said the "$3 million amount was more of a ‘thank you’ from CEFC."
Walker said "they talked of putting together a larger group and discussed acquiring office space."
Fox News Digital in December 2020 reported that Hunter Biden, his CEFC associate, Gongwen Dong, and Joe Biden shared office space in Washington, D.C., in September 2017.
6 ADDITIONAL BIDEN FAMILY MEMBERS 'MAY HAVE BENEFITED' FROM HUNTER BUSINESS DEALINGS
Comer and Jordan have said that evidence collected by congressional investigators reveal that President Biden "was at least aware of some of his family’s business ventures and sought to influence potential business deals that financially benefited his family."
"Indeed, a Biden business associate, Devon Archer, testified how the Biden "brand" was used in retaining business, and that Joe Biden met with some of the foreign nationals who paid his family," Comer and Jordan wrote to Walker’s attorney.
Comer and Jordan said Walker may be able to provide evidence relevant to the impeachment inquiry, saying that Walker "played a key role in the Biden family’s business dealings and the chain of complex financial transactions that was used to hide the foreign sources of the funds received by the Biden family."
They said Walker could provide information related to whether, among other things, Joe Biden, as vice president and/or president "took any official action or effected any change in government policy because of money or other things of value provided to himself or his family, including whether concerns that Chinese sources may release additional evidence about their business relationships with the Biden family have had any impact on official acts performed by President Biden or U.S. foreign policy; abused his office of public trust by providing foreign interests with access to him and his office in exchange for payments to his family or him; or abused his office of public trust by knowingly participating in a scheme to enrich himself or his family by giving foreign interests the impression that they would receive access to him and his office in exchange for payments to his family or him."
Meanwhile, a former Hunter Biden business associate told Fox News Digital that Walker is a "good guy" but just got "tied up in the House of Biden dumpster fire."
Walker’s transcribed interview is expected to take place a day after Hunter Biden’s business associate, Mervyn Yan, appeared for testimony and weeks before Hunter Biden appears for his deposition. Yan worked with Hunter in deals related to Chinese energy company CEFC.
Hunter Biden defied his subpoena to appear for a deposition on Dec. 13 and was at risk of being held in contempt of Congress.
His attorneys and the committees came to an agreement last week that the first son will appear for a closed-door deposition on Feb. 28.
The RNC says f— you, democracy. We pick Trump
This resolution is just plain bonkers.
Donald Trump testifies in his defense in E. Jean Carroll defamation suit
The accused had another very unpleasant day in court.
Former Trump official Peter Navarro sentenced to 4 months for defying House subpoena
The judge was not in the mood for the “chutzpah” of Peter Navarro and his sorry defense.
5 reasons for Democrats to like what they saw in New Hampshire. A lot
Let’s dive into good news!
You almost feel sorry for Ron DeSantis in this one. Almost.
Trump slams Kayleigh McEnany after she dares to question his campaign
Trump’s former press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was on Fox News’ Jesse Watters post-primary roundtable, and she attempted to do real analysis. Bad move!
Despite Trump's current laughable lawyers, his DOJ could be staffed with skilled radicals
If you thought Trump’s first administration was bad, wait till you see who could be tapped for positions in a second administration.
Trump allies ridicule GOP impeachment inquiry for failing to find dirt on Biden
Rep. James Comer’s efforts have been described as a “parade of embarrassments,” and it’s easy to see why.
Arizona GOP boss quits after leaked tape of him trying to bribe Kari Lake
Threats, blackmail, and much more—the Arizona GOP is really going through some things.
Florida Republicans advance bill to make kids 'start working full-time'
According to these folks, not allowing 16-year-olds to work full-time jobs is “weakening our society.”
Libs of TikTok vows to 'get porn' out of Oklahoma schools, while Florida challenges book banners
This isn’t just an attack on books, it’s a full-blown attack on education.
Biden revisits decaying Wisconsin bridge to announce $5B for infrastructure
Building literal bridges and making a strong case for reelection.
Missouri GOP is at war with its own Freedom Caucus
The rage and incompetence of the House Freedom Caucus is spreading to state legislatures.
Click here to see more cartoons.
Campaign ActionNews that the U.S. economy grew at a brisk 3.3% annual pace since October wasn't just good: It was great in a lot of ways.
On average, the economy grew a robust 2.5% in 2023—a year in which analysts practically tried to speak a recession into reality. No such luck. In fact, from the fourth quarter of 2022 to the fourth quarter of 2023, the economy grew 3.1%.
The combination of increasing consumption, low unemployment, and falling inflation even had a Fox Business reporter gushing over President Joe Biden's economy.
"It's a sweet spot," remarked Fox Business' Lauren Simonetti, calling consumption "formidable" over the holidays. "We're seeing an economy that is proving resilient—growing as inflation is moderating. That's why I'm calling this the sweet spot, right? Enough growth to cool inflation."
The New York Times' Paul Krugman likewise dubbed it the "Goldilocks economy," neither too hot nor too cold. And Krugman predicts the country's inflationary woes are now over.
In other words, it continues to look as though the Biden administration is overseeing a "soft landing" for the economy—one that supposedly couldn't be achieved.
Indeed, the University of Michigan's survey of consumer sentiment surged to a reading of 78.8 in January, its highest level since July 2021 and a 21.4% increase from a year ago, according to CNBC. A big driver of that increase stems from consumers’ agreement with Krugman that inflation "has turned the corner," as survey director Joanne Hsu put it.
All of this good news is going to drive an already seething Donald Trump absolutely mad—particularly Fox Business analysts swooning over Biden's economy. The same Fox analyst also promised to scour the report "to see if there are signs that maybe the economy doesn't feel as, or isn't as resilient as it might seem."
Shorter Fox-speak: Stay tuned, Trump. We'll invent bad news one way or another!
For anyone who hasn't noticed, Trump is already getting increasingly erratic on his quest to fabricate bad news for Biden:
He's livid over his Republican rival Nikki Haley refusing to drop out of the GOP primary after New Hampshire.
He’s strong-arming the Republican National Committee into declaring him the nominee after a grand total of two state contests.
He's asking Senate Republicans to torpedo a potential border deal with the White House so he can spend the rest of year fear-mongering over a supposed "invasion" of immigrants spearheaded by Biden.
He's pushing House Republicans to impeach Biden so he can rail about Biden's supposed corruption.
He's rooting for an economic "crash," hopefully sometime very soon.
He's promising "bedlam" in the streets of America if he loses the election (a chaos candidate promising chaos if The People vote against chaos).
And he's agitating for full immunity from absolutely any action—including murder—he takes as president.
It's January, folks, and Trump is already coming off the rails despite the fact that he's basically cruising to the Republican nomination.
It's a palpable show of desperation sprung from a place of weakness. Trump knows New Hampshire and Iowa both exposed serious cracks in his general election voting coalition. The turnout and makeup of the electorate in both states suggests he isn't expanding the universe of Republican voters. He's simply culling the party down to a smaller, harder-right faction of the electorate.
In short, Trump's not adding, he's subtracting. And if he's going to ride that smaller slice of the electorate to victory, he's going to need to trash the country in every way possible in order to depress turnout for Biden.
That’s all fine by Trump because the main impetus of his every move is the sheer terror of spending his last living years in a jail cell. If he has to single-handedly unravel the country on his quest for freedom, so be it.
Campaign ActionHouse Democrats blasted the impeachment inquiry on Thursday after a witness testified he was "unaware" of any involvement President Biden may have had in his son’s business dealings.
Hunter Biden’s business associate, Mervyn Yan, testified behind closed-doors before the House Oversight and Judiciary committees Thursday after receiving a subpoena.
House Republicans, on the other hand, said Yan's testimony raised many questions about the nature of the Biden family's business dealings in China.
A source with direct knowledge of Yan’s testimony told Fox News Digital Yan told congressional investigators he is "unaware of any involvement President Biden may have had with his son’s business pursuits."
Yan, despite interacting with Hunter Biden and James Biden, "never met, spoke to, did business with or had any personal or professional communication with President Biden," the source said.
The source also said Yan testified he "does not possess any materials or information bearing on President Biden’s alleged involvement in his family’s business dealings."
"Just like every other witness in Chairman Comer’s ‘clueless investigation’ — that even House Republicans are calling a ‘parade of embarrassments’ and ‘a disaster’— Mervyn Yan testified to the committee today that he has no evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden and that, to his knowledge, President Biden was not involved in, did not profit from and took no official actions in relation to his family’s business dealings," the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, ranking member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said Thursday.
JOE BIDEN RECEIVED $40K IN 'LAUNDERED CHINA MONEY' FROM BROTHER IN 2017, COMER SAYS
"Further undercutting Republicans’ lies about President Biden, Mr. Yan testified that he never once did business with or had any personal or professional communication with President Biden."
But House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said Thursday he plans to release the transcript of Yan’s interview. Comer said Yan’s testimony raised more questions for the committee’s investigation regarding the Biden family’s interactions with China.
"Mervyn Yan admitted on the record the Bidens had no experience in the energy and infrastructure sectors and was not sure what they brought to the table," Comer said Thursday. "His testimony raises many questions about the Bidens’ dealings with the Chinese government-linked energy firm, and we hope to learn more tomorrow from Rob Walker, another Biden family associate."
HUNTER DEMANDED $10M FROM CHINESE ENERGY FIRM BECAUSE 'BIDENS ARE THE BEST,' HAVE 'CONNECTIONS'
The committee is expected to hear testimony from Rob Walker Friday.
Walker is scheduled to appear at 10 a.m. Friday on Capitol Hill after being subpoenaed by both House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan in November.
In notifying Walker of the subpoena, Comer and Jordan note that his Robinson Walker, LLC received a payment of $3 million from State Energy HK Limited, a Chinese company, less than two months after Biden left the Obama administration. Comer and Jordan said that in the three months following that payment, Robinson Walker, LLC made "incremental payments totaling over $1 million to Biden family members and their companies, including Hallie Biden and entities associated with Hunter Biden and James Biden."
Comer and Jordan have stressed that evidence collected by congressional investigators reveals that President Biden "was at least aware of some of his family’s business ventures and sought to influence potential business deals that financially benefited his family."
Comer and Jordan believe Walker can provide information related to whether Joe Biden, as vice president and/or president "took any official action or effected any change in government policy because of money or other things of value provided to himself or his family, including whether concerns that Chinese sources may release additional evidence about their business relationships with the Biden family have had any impact on official acts performed by President Biden or U.S. foreign policy; abused his office of public trust by providing foreign interests with access to him and his office in exchange for payments to his family or him; or abused his office of public trust by knowingly participating in a scheme to enrich himself or his family by giving foreign interests the impression that they would receive access to him and his office in exchange for payments to his family or him."
Yan's testimony and Walker's expected testimony come before Hunter Biden is scheduled to appear for a deposition as part of the impeachment inquiry against his father.
Hunter Biden defied his subpoena to appear for a deposition Dec. 13 and was at risk of being held in contempt of Congress.
His attorneys and the committees came to an agreement last week that the first son will appear for a closed-door deposition Feb. 28.
By now, anyone tuning into a House Oversight Committee or House Judiciary Committee hearing knows what to expect. With frequent slams of the gavel by their respective chairs, Republicans plod through repetitive attacks on President Joe Biden or waggle their fingers about some salacious claim including the phrase “Hunter Biden’s laptop.” Democrats try to object and occasionally insert a fact. But the next Republican is at the mic five minutes later, once again hammering the same lies.
At least that’s how it used to be. But anyone who has tuned in recently may have noticed a big change.
Democrats aren’t just tearing Republican arguments apart: They’re derailing hearings and getting their opponents genuinely flustered. The recent hearing in which Republicans intended to charge Hunter Biden with contempt for declining to testify behind closed doors is a good example. Not only did Hunter make a brief personal appearance and offer to testify right then and there in public, but Democrats were able to consistently throw Republicans off their game, blow away false evidence, expose their hypocrisy, and even hammer Donald Trump.
If all that seemed like it took a lot of behind-the-scenes planning, it did. But it won’t be the last time. Because as The Daily Beast reports, Democrats have a plan to make these hearings just as silly as the claims Republicans are making about Biden.
As soon as they gained control of the House in 2023, Republicans launched a series of supposed investigations into President Biden. And his children. And his brother. And anyone else they can lump in to the “Biden Family Investigation.”
For months, Rep. James Comer, who is heading up investigations in the House Oversight Committee, and Rep. Jim Jordan, who has the same role for the House Judiciary Committee, have been releasing false claims and mischaracterizing innocuous issues like a father loaning his son money for a car payment. But Republicans didn’t let having zero evidence stop them from announcing an impeachment inquiry in December.
The investigations have a clear goal: to reduce Biden’s chances of reelection and to signal to Trump that they’re trying to get revenge for his two impeachments. Republicans likely feel like these endless investigations worked well for them before the 2016 elections, when they spent two full years hectoring former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about Benghazi.
But this time around, the whole thing, whether it’s Republicans badgering an art dealer who sold some of Hunter’s paintings, a disappearing informant, or flashing revenge porn on the floor of the House, has been ridiculous from start to finish. The House GOP has been on a year-long fishing expedition featuring a level of obsession that would embarrass Captain Ahab, and they haven’t even found a minnow.
As Republicans ramped up the Biden attacks, Democrats responded. Rep. Jamie Raskin put together a “Truth Squad” that includes Reps. Greg Casar, Jasmine Crockett, Maxwell Frost, Daniel Goldman, and Jared Moskowitz. If some of those names sound familiar, it’s because they’ve been front and center in disrupting Republican plans.
It was Crockett who forcefully kicked off a confrontation with Rep. Nancy Mace who, on a committee where every Republican member is white, accused Hunter Biden and Democrats of engaging in “white privilege.” Crockett forced Mace to try and defend her indefensible remarks, and then Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed the gate closed by pointing out how Mace voted to eliminate the House Subcommittee on Civil Rights.
As The Daily Beast article highlights, Moskowitz was on hand with a poster showing a chummy photo of Trump and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein when it seemed that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was going to once again show nude pictures of Hunter Biden. “You come up here and talk about Hunter Biden’s behavior and you’re so disgusted,” said Moskowitz, “but the guy that you all kneel to associates himself with a pedophile.”
Those quick responses, along with Hunter Biden staring down Republicans from the visitor section, became the most viral moments from the hearing. Put together with sharp responses from other Democrats who refused to play Comer’s game, Republicans were left looking like this:
The best thing to come from all this is that Raskin and the Democrats have been joined by a new set of critics attacking Comer and his pointless investigation. As Kerry Eleveld reported earlier, Republicans are none too happy that this absurd “investigation” has gone on so long and come up so dry.
“James Comer continues to embarrass himself and House Republicans. He screws up over and over and over," said a source identified as "close" to House GOP leadership, who appeared to be playing CYA for the leadership team. The source's big fear was that Comer would ultimately fail to provide the foundation necessary (i.e. evidence) to follow through with impeaching Biden.
These anonymous Republicans don’t seem to be seriously considering that maybe Comer is failing not because he’s incompetent (or at least, not only because he’s incompetent) but because Joe Biden did nothing wrong. But then, they are Republicans. They’re used to having leaders whose closets are jam-packed with skeletons.
Republicans are trying to repeat their perceived success with Benghazi, but this time Democrats know the game and they have a plan to disrupt it. That plan isn’t necessarily convincing Republicans that Biden did nothing wrong, but it sure is making these hearings more fun to watch.
Campaign ActionWelcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail.
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What's Happening?
- Trump testifies briefly in defamation trial against him
- Biden administration warned Iran before ISIS attack
- Influential Senate moderate refuses to back Trump
Top Republican governors from across the U.S. voiced their support for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott as he defies President Biden in an effort to stem the flow of illegal immigration across the U.S.-Mexico border as Democrats demand Biden federalize the Texas national guard.
Abbott is fighting multiple legal battles with the Biden administration, which has threatened legal action over Texas’ seizure of Shelby Park near Eagle Pass. Texas has also filed lawsuits against the administration, which cut razor wire set up by the state on the Rio Grande to prevent migrants from illegally crossing into Texas, as well as the establishment of buoys on the river.
"The Executive Branch of the United States has a constitutional duty to enforce federal laws protecting states, including immigration laws on the books right now," Abbott said. "President Biden has refused to enforce those laws and has even violated them."
Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, called on Biden to federalize the National Guard on Tuesday after it became clear Abbott wasn't backing down. When asked whether the White House was considering this, Jack Kirby said, "We talked about this the other day. I don't have any decisions to speak to for the president. I don't have anything on that."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, North Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, and Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt have all declared that they stand with Texas and vowed to aid them in various ways.
ON A WIRE: Republican lawmakers push to ban feds from removing border barriers after Supreme Court defeat …Read more
'MAJOR MISTAKE': Biden under fire for preparing to halt massive gas projects …Read more
'DUTY TO REPORT': Biden administration warned Iran before ISIS attack Jan. 3, US official says …Read more
WISCONSIN'S WALLET: Biden revisits Wisconsin to announce $5 billion in funding for infrastructure …Read more
'CLEAR AUTHORITY': McConnell says Biden should do more to 'deter' terrorism …Read more
VAST MAJORITY: All but two Senate Democrats sign on to Palestinian statehood measure …Read more
HUNTING FOR FACTS: Hunter Biden business associate Mervyn Yan to appear at House Oversight, Judiciary for transcribed interview …Read more
NEVER TRUMPER?: Key Senate GOP moderate won't back Trump in 2024 …Read more
GOP SENATOR'S WIFE DIES: Sen. Barrasso announces death of his wife, Bobbi, after battle with cancer …Read more
'CORRUPT CASE': MTG files complaint against 'secret boyfriend' of DA prosecuting Trump alleging state law violation …Read more
'GROWING AGGRESSION': House GOP lawmakers jab at China in memo to Taiwan's new leader …Read more
CYBER THREATS TO FARMS: GOP lawmaker introduces bill to increase defenses against cyber threats to agriculture …Read more
GETTING SCHOOLED: House committee presses UPenn for documents on discipline for antisemitism …Read more
BIG BUCKS: Conservative firebrand raises eye-popping amount in bid for Arizona House seat …Read more
SHOW ME THE MONEY: Haley fires back at Trump's social media attacks with link to donate to her campaign …Read more
SMITHS SEETHE: Band member demands Trump stop using his song at rallies: 'Consider this s--t shut down' …Read more
SOUNDING THE ALARM: James Carville warns 'Trump could win this election' …Read more
'DEMOCRATS SHOULD BE WORRIED': Lack of Dem support for Biden in NH could spell trouble for his 2024 bid …Read more
TIM SCOTT'S OPTIONS: What's next for Sen Scott: Trump's running mate or possible 2028 run? …Read more
'TRUMP UNDERSTANDS': Sen Tuberville says school choice will be 'focal point' of 2024 election …Read more
'THIS IS A CHOICE': Haley projects optimism despite wave of top South Carolina pols siding with Trump in her home state …Read more
'PERMANENTLY BARRED': Trump hits out at Nikki Haley donors …Read more
TRUMP FUNDRAISING SURGE: Major pro-Trump PAC reports impressive haul …Read more
MAINE'S MISHAP: Maine's top court won't rule on Trump ballot eligibility until Supreme Court decision in Colorado …Read more
PLAYING THE NAZI CARD: Joy Reid warns of Trump as another Hitler: 'How fascism takes root' …Read more
'NOT NEARLY AS PROGRESSIVE': Ousted San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin claims city taking 'hard turn to the right' …Read more
BREAKING NEWS: Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro sentenced for defying Jan. 6 subpoena …Read more
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Republicans have the biggest policy win on immigration in decades within their grasp, but Donald Trump is calling the shots now, so the deal is all but dead. In what’s been reported as a Senate Republican meeting Wednesday, leader Mitch McConnell told his colleagues he doesn’t “want to do anything to undermine” Trump.
This is the same McConnell who reportedly privately celebrated the fact that “Democrats are going to take care of the son of a bitch for us” by impeaching Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. The McConnell who, after voting not to convict Trump on said impeachment charges, publicly declared Trump "practically and morally responsible" for the attack on the Capitol that day in his floor speech announcing that he would not vote to impeach Trump. Trump “seemed determined to either overturn the voters' decision or else torch our institutions on the way out,” McConnell said at the time.
"A mob was assaulting the Capitol in his name," McConnell added. "These criminals were carrying his banners, hanging his flags and screaming their loyalty to him."
But now McConnell’s apparently declaring his loyalty to Trump, as well, while the Republican civil war fomented by Trump spills over from the House to the Senate. On Wednesday, McConnell reportedly told Republicans they are in a “quandary” over Trump’s opposition to the proposed bill, which would give Republicans big concessions on border policy. He even used Trump’s own words, to show that a big victory is in reach.
“He did a good job of quoting Donald Trump saying in 2018 that we will never get a Democrat to vote for this [border] stuff,” Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota told CNN. But that wasn’t enough for MAGA politicians, who “want to kill it and run on the issue,” as one Senate Republican source told The Hill. Another GOP senator said after the meeting, “I think the border portion is dead.”
Senate MAGA members held a press conference Wednesday to attack the possible deal and to declare war on McConnell for even considering cooperating on the bill. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas basically called McConnell a traitor to Republicans. “Chuck Schumer’s enemies in Congress are conservatives in the Senate and are House Republican leadership,” Cruz said. “And sadly, Mitch McConnell’s enemies are conservatives in the Senate and House Republican leadership.” And Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said, “The problem is our leader. … Leader McConnell is really the stage manager of this negotiation.”
McConnell isn’t publicly crying uncle, not yet, telling one reporter Thursday that talks are still ongoing, but the writing is definitely on the wall. Trump doesn’t want a border deal, and McConnell doesn’t seem likely to try to defy him, not when it could endanger his own leadership position.
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Republicans would rather campaign on the border crisis than solve it
Senate Republicans see the writing on the wall and race to endorse Trump
Speaker Mike Johnson is proudly taking orders from Trump on immigration
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