Former White House chief of staff Ron Klain is cooperating with congressional investigators seeking information into former President Joe Biden’s mental health during his time in office, a pair of lawmakers suggested Thursday.

Klain, who ran Biden’s White House for the first two years of his term, is currently sitting down with staff on the House Oversight Committee as part of Chair James Comer’s probe into whether top administration aides covered up signs of decline in the former president while he was in office.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., told reporters roughly an hour into the session that Klain ‘answered every question’ that Republicans put forward.

‘I found Mr. Klain to be very credible. He answered every single question. He was fully cooperative. There are times where he was asked about personal conversations he had with the president, and he was forthcoming,’ Khanna said.

‘I really appreciate his candor and the comprehensive way he had answered every question.’

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., told Fox News Digital minutes later when asked if Klain was credible, ‘Yeah – when I say credible, I think he is telling what he knows accurately. I mean, he’s trying to be accurate. So that’s what I’d say.’

‘In my opinion, he is not trying to avoid answering the questions. He’s answering the questions carefully. He’s saying the things that I kind of expected him to say,’ Biggs said. ‘But he’s been answering the questions, I think, forthrightly and in the way he sees the world.’

Comer, R-Ky., echoed the positive feedback to reporters when the session temporarily broke for lunch.

‘I think we’re having a very good transcribed interview. Mr. Klain is being fairly responsive to our questions,’ Comer said, adding that it would likely ‘go late into the afternoon.’

While he declined to give specifics on the back-and-forth, Comer told reporters, ‘We’ve asked specific questions. Obviously, evidence emerges on a daily basis that would suggest Joe Biden wasn’t mentally fit to be President of the United States.’

In closed-door transcribed interviews, it’s common for Republican and Democratic committee staff to each get an hour of questioning at a time, trading off until no more questions remain.

The two lawmakers spoke to reporters after the first hour of GOP questioning was finished.

That means Klain’s interview could go on for several hours.

Comer is investigating whether Biden’s top White House aides concealed signs of mental decline in the then-president, and if that meant executive actions were signed via autopen without his knowledge.

Biden maintained he ‘made every decision’ in a recent interview with The New York Times.

The White House is claiming that Russia was attempting to sow ‘distrust and chaos,’ even as reports from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence suggest the Obama administration ‘manipulated’ Russian interference to undercut Trump’s win in 2016. 

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked about whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s position when he led the Senate Intelligence Committee fell in line with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s new findings. 

‘He said what they found is troubling,’ Leavitt said, while standing beside Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard at a Wednesday White House press briefing. ‘We found irrefutable evidence of Russian meddling, which the director of national intelligence just confirmed for all of you that Russia was trying to sow distrust and chaos.’ 

‘What’s the outrage in this – that Secretary Rubio did not say at the time, the Democrats were saying at the time – is the fact that the intelligence community was concocting this narrative that the president colluded with the Russians, that the president’s son was holding secret meetings with the Russians, all of these lies that were never true,’ she continued. 

In 2020, the Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Sen. Rubio, released a report finding ‘irrefutable evidence’ of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Now, Gabbard claims Obama officials manipulated intelligence to undermine Trump’s victory by playing up Russia’s actions during the 2016 election. 

But, Rubio said at the time, ‘We can say, without any hesitation, that the Committee found absolutely no evidence that then-candidate Donald Trump or his campaign colluded with the Russian government to meddle in the 2016 election.’

He added that the report had found ‘deeply troubling actions’ on behalf of the FBI, ‘particularly their acceptance and willingness to rely on the ‘Steele Dossier’ without verifying its methodology or sourcing.’

The Steele dossier was funded by Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee through the law firm Perkins Coie.

Documents recently released by Gabbard found intelligence showing Russian actors did not impact the 2016 election had been ‘suppressed.’ 

The Obama administration ‘manufactured and politicized intelligence’ to create the narrative that Russia was attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election, despite information from the intelligence community stating otherwise, Gabbard claimed.

Gabbard also said the declassified documents have been shared with the Department of Justice and the FBI so those agencies can evaluate if any criminal implications stemming from the materials are warranted. 

Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush responded to the DNI claims: ‘Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response. But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.’

‘Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes. These findings were affirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio,’ he added. 

Rubio’s office referred Fox News Digital to Leavitt’s comments. 

Documents stated that intelligence officials had found Russia was ‘probably not trying… to influence the election by using cyber means.’

One instance was on Dec. 7, 2016, weeks after the election. Then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper’s talking points stated: ‘Foreign adversaries did not use cyberattacks on election infrastructure to alter the U.S. presidential election outcome.’

A presidential daily brief prepared for President Barack Obama in 2016 assessed: ‘Russian and criminal actors did not impact recent US election results by conducting malicious cyber activities against election infrastructure.’

But, the brief found, ‘Russian Government-affiliated actors most likely compromised an Illinois voter registration database and unsuccessfully attempted the same in other states.’

The brief stated that it was ‘highly unlikely’ the effort ‘would have resulted in altering any state’s official vote result.’ 

‘Criminal activity also failed to reach the scale and sophistication necessary to change election outcomes,’ it stated. 

The brief said the office of the Director of National Intelligence assessed Russian activities ‘probably were intended to cause psychological effects, such as undermining the credibility of the election process and candidates.’ 

Obama officials then ‘leaked false statements to media outlets,’ according to Gabbard’s office, claiming, ‘Russia has attempted through cyber means to interfere in, if not actively influence, the outcome of an election.’

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report. 

Ceasefire negotiations between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization hit a setback Thursday, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recalled Israel’s negotiating delegation from Doha following what officials described as a hardening of Hamas’ demands.

‘In light of the response Hamas delivered this morning, it has been decided to recall the negotiating team for further consultations in Israel,’ the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. ‘We appreciate the efforts of the mediators, Qatar and Egypt, and the efforts of envoy Steve Witkoff to achieve a breakthrough in the talks.’

According to reports in Israeli media, the terror group is now demanding the release of 200 Palestinians serving life sentences for murdering Israelis, and an additional 2,000 Palestinians detained in Gaza after Oct. 7. That demand significantly exceeds the previous mediator-backed framework – reportedly accepted by Israel – which included the release of 125 life-term prisoners and 1,200 other detainees.

Witkoff announced on X that his team is returning from Doha ‘for consultations after the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.’ 

He praised the mediators’ efforts but said, ‘Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith.’ Witkoff added, ‘We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza,’ calling it ‘a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way.’

‘The return of the delegation is not a collapse or a crisis, but the gaps are significant and present across all core issues,’ a senior Israeli official told Channel 12. Another official confirmed to U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff that Hamas’ updated prisoner exchange terms are ‘unacceptable.’

A joint statement by 25 countries condemning Israel’s conduct in Gaza may have further complicated already fragile ceasefire negotiations, Israeli officials suggested. In response to the condemnation, Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a sharply worded statement, warning, ‘At these sensitive moments in the ongoing negotiations, it is better to avoid statements of this kind.

‘Israel rejects the joint statement published by a group of countries, as it is disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas.’ The ministry added that ‘all statements and all claims should be directed at the only party responsible for the lack of a deal for the release of hostages and a ceasefire: Hamas, which started this war and is prolonging it.’ 

Hostage families expressed deep concern about the breakdown in negotiations. ‘The families are watching with concern as reports emerge about the negotiating team’s return,’ the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement. ‘Every day that passes endangers the hostages’ chances of recovery and the ability to locate the dead. Another missed opportunity to bring everyone home would be unforgivable – a moral, security, and diplomatic failure.’

The negotiations, which have dragged on for weeks, are part of a proposed U.S.-backed deal involving a 60-day ceasefire in exchange for the release of some 50 remaining Israeli hostages, a phased release of Palestinian prisoners and expanded humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Hamas is also demanding that Israeli troops withdraw to positions held before March 2, when the last ceasefire collapsed, and that the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopen in both directions. The group further opposes the newly established U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund, demanding that aid distribution return to the previous U.N.-supervised mechanism.

A Hamas official told Reuters the group is insisting on a return to a Jan. 19 protocol for aid entry, and that ceasefire negotiations must include a clause preventing Israel from resuming military operations after the 60-day truce – even if a broader deal is not reached.

At the center of the deadlock is the growing humanitarian crisis. The U.N. and international aid groups warn that hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza face severe food insecurity. It is claimed that civilians in the north have been forced to survive on animal feed and foraged plants, while chaotic aid distributions in the south have repeatedly turned deadly.

In response to mounting pressure, Israel is visibly increasing the pace of aid deliveries. On Thursday, COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories) reported that 70 aid trucks were transferred into Gaza on Wednesday through the Zikim and Kerem Shalom crossings. The shipments, primarily food, were delivered under IDF coordination with the U.N. and humanitarian organizations.

COGAT said more than 150 trucks were collected inside Gaza, but warned that over 800 trucks remain uncollected at the crossings due to logistical breakdowns on the Palestinian side.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) stated on X that it offered on Wednesday to deliver the U.N.’s tons of aid sitting in Gaza for free. John Acree, GHF’s interim director, said, ‘We’ve seen aid by the U.N. and other organization(s) being piled near the borders but not being delivered.’

Israeli journalist Nadav Eyal reported Thursday that senior defense officials say they’ve been instructed by the political echelon to ‘greatly speed up the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza’ and to ‘be less concerned with precautions or plans to keep it out of Hamas’ hands.’

As talks stall and military activity resumes, Israeli officials warn that the window for a deal may be closing. ‘There are still significant gaps,’ one source told Channel 12. ‘The negotiations are not over – but time is running out.’

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg will hear from immigration lawyers and the Trump administration in court on Thursday as he weighs new facts and allegations at the heart of one of the biggest immigration cases of President Donald Trump’s second term — setting the stage for another heated court fight.

Boasberg did not immediately signal which motions he would consider during the hearing. 

However, it comes after Boasberg found himself at the center of Trump’s ire and attacks on so-called ‘activist’ judges this year, following his March 15 temporary restraining order that sought to block Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act — a 1798 wartime immigration law — to quickly deport hundreds of Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador earlier this year.

Boasberg also ordered all planes bound for El Salvador to be ‘immediately’ returned to U.S. soil, which did not happen. 

His emergency order touched off a complex legal saga that ultimately spawned dozens of federal court challenges across the country — though the one brought before his court on March 15 was the very first — and later prompted the Supreme Court to rule, on two separate occasions, that the hurried removals had violated migrants’ due process protections under the U.S. Constitution.

Boasberg, as a result, has emerged as the man at the center of the legal fallout.

While the order itself has been in a bit of a holding pattern — the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia stayed the order two months ago, when they agreed to review the ruling — Thursday’s hearing could revive the bitterly divisive court fight once more.

Boasberg is expected to consider plaintiffs’ motions to reopen limited discovery, citing new evidence — including a recent U.N. report stating that, according to Salvadoran officials, the U.S. holds sole legal responsibility and custody over migrants transferred to CECOT. Other submissions include a whistleblower report from former Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni, who worked on the case shortly before his removal.

Trump administration officials have repeatedly excoriated Boasberg as an ‘activist judge’ — a term they have employed for judges who have either paused or blocked Trump’s sweeping policy priorities enacted via executive order. Trump himself floated the idea that Boasberg could be impeached earlier this year— prompting Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to issue a rare public warning.

Tensions between Boasberg and the Trump administration soared to a fever pitch earlier this year after Boasberg in April said he had found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in criminal contempt for failing to return the planes to U.S. soil, in accordance with his emergency order, and said the court had determined that the Trump administration demonstrated a ‘willful disregard’ for his order.

The Trump administration appealed the findings to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

In June, Boasberg ordered the Trump administration to provide all noncitizens deported from the U.S. to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador to be afforded the opportunity to seek habeas relief in court, and challenge their alleged gang status.

‘Such was the situation into which Frengel Reyes Mota, Andry Jose Hernandez Romero, and scores of other Venezuelan noncitizens say they were plunged on March 15, 2025,’ Boasberg said.

Thursday’s hearing comes amid a flurry of new reports and allegations filed by plaintiffs in the case in an effort to reopen discovery.  

There are two distinct and clear things happening in American politics today that at first blush appear to be in direct conflict, President Donald Trump has had the best six months of any president in recent memory, and he is losing support in the polls. 

How can this be?

In fact, the way to reconcile Trump’s signature successes with his drop in approval is to understand that the president has expended an enormous amount of political capital, sacrificing support today, in the hope of good results tomorrow.

The achievements of the Trump administration are truly breathtaking when taken as a whole, starting with his central campaign promise, to shut down the southern border.

In a funny way, Trump was too successful on the border for his own political good. Had he cut the number of entries in half by now, it would still have been a positive story for the president, but he brought it to zero, so the issue is all but gone and forgotten, and nobody is getting any credit for it.

Then we have the passage of the ‘big, beautiful bill, the largest tax cut in history packed with big political winners like no tax on overtime and tips, and passed by a tiny GOP majority in Congress.

While that was going on, Trump also attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities, badly damaging them and setting our geopolitical foe’s weapons program back years in a bold and perfectly executed mission.

Donald Trump has also unleashed his decades-long desire for higher tariffs to bolster American jobs and manufacturing, and after an all out panic from markets and pundits on ‘Liberation Day,’ back in April, the economy is now humming, largely free of inflation.

Last but not least, Trump, through his rescission package defunded NPR and PBS, something that has been the great white whale of many a conservative for many a year. They said it couldn’t be done, but Trump did it.

The scope, scale and speed of Trump’s triumphs are the good news, but they are always why his polling can get a bit jumpy, which is what we have seen over the past few weeks. 

According to the Real Clear Politics average of polls, Trump has shed about 3.5 points since July 7th — not a drop off a cliff, but not nothing, either. It’s mostly down to how busy he has been.

Above were listed 5 major accomplishments. There are, to be sure, many voters who love all five, but there are also voters who like 3 or 4 but not the others, and in approval polling the stuff people don’t like is louder than stuff they do.

Two weeks ago on a trip to Texas, I reported on these warning signs, especially around the deportations of illegal aliens without any other criminal record that make many Americans, including some Trump supporters, queasy. 

There is also an isolationist wing of the MAGA movement that hates the Iran strike, and even though its dire warnings of World War III fizzled like a cap gun in a hard rain, that still dinged the numbers.

Likewise, there are still plenty of individuals and industries that strongly dislike the tariffs, even if the economic sky hasn’t fallen. 

The point here, as Abe Lincoln once put it, is that you can’t please all the people all the time, and when you do as much as Trump has, this quickly, you are sure to displease lots and lots of folks.

The real bet that the Trump administration is making is not on the short-term popularity of any of its top achievements, but rather that a year from now, they will have made the lives of Americans better.

Donald Trump, even with just one term this time around, is committed to leaving our nation a very different place in 2029 than he found it in 2025. To do this requires an all-out assault on institutions from the deep state, to academia, to the media. 

Trump can’t poke as many political bears as he is without catching a few flesh wounds from the claws, but there is no sign of any imminent collapse that could thwart his overall efforts.

For six months, I have argued that Trump had all the runway he needed to put his plans in action. That was true, and he got a lot of planes up in the air, but the runway may be shortening now.

Now, all that is left is to judge the results of the Trumpian whirlwind of the past six months, and find out if this has been political capital well spent.