House Republicans are cautiously supportive of a bipartisan bill aimed at forcing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release all its files on Jeffrey Epstein’s case after President Donald Trump gave the bill his stamp of approval on Sunday night.

GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital Monday evening said they would vote for the bill and were optimistic their colleagues would as well — though many of them said they still had concerns about how it was written.

It comes after Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who had been against the bill but pushing parallel transparency efforts in Epstein’s case, said he hoped it would undergo material changes when it reached the Senate to give more protection for innocent people whose names may appear in the files against their wishes.

‘I have real concerns about the discharge language in the House draft,’ Johnson said. ‘But I do have some comfort that, I think if and when it’s processed in the Senate, that they’ll be able to correct some of those concerns, if we have the protection of victims and whistleblowers and all the rest.’

The legislation is coming to the House floor on Tuesday afternoon via a mechanism called a discharge petition led by Rep Ro. Khanna, D-Calif., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. The latter has found himself at odds with both Johnson and Trump on several key issues this year.

A discharge petition allows a bill to get a House-wide vote against leaders’ wishes, provided the petition gets support from most lawmakers in the chamber — which in this case, it did last week.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., a Trump ally who is running for governor in Florida, said he would vote for the bill but shared Johnson’s concerns.

‘Number one, Congress has never released criminal files ever in the history of Congress. Two, there are victims, and I know we’re supposed to be trying to do what we can to sanitize their names or cover their names or redact their names, but you know, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be foolproof,’ Donalds said.

‘You could have victims that don’t want to be released, be identified, and then they have to go relive this again. What about those women? What if those women have kids now? What if those women have husbands now and they don’t want to go through this? So I think there’s a reason why political bodies don’t release criminal files.’

Donalds said he would vote to release the files, however, to move past this chapter and help victims get closure.

‘It’s become such a huge distraction here on Capitol Hill. And I do want to see justice for those victims, if they were abused,’ he said.

Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Fla., said, ‘I’m gonna vote in favor of it, but it’s not perfect, and there’s a lot of things that need to be addressed.’

‘Transparency is key. My district needs transparency. The president has nothing to hide, but things that need to be fixed, have to be fixed in the Senate,’ Pfluger, who pledged to support the bill before Trump’s blessing, said.

Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., said she had similar concerns ‘from the start.’

‘Once it goes to the Senate, if the Senate believes they need to have broader or, you know, bigger protections, then I think that’ll be up to the Senate to decide, but I’m ready to vote this out of the House and send it over to the Senate and get moving on it,’ Houchin said.

A member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., questioned whether such a move by Congress could get in the way of the DOJ’s active probes into Epstein.

‘I have concerns as well. I mean, you have the Department of Justice investigations taking place. Are we inadvertently interfering?’ he posed.

Ogles said, however, that he believed most House Republicans like himself would back the bill.

‘With the president coming out in support of it, I think that sends a clear message that he’s not afraid of what’s in it, the Democrats should be,’ he said.

Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., similarly said he believed Trump’s support alleviated some difficulties for Republicans.

‘I think it releases any angst they might have when we’re voting for it,’ McCormick said. ‘I think most people will vote for it, I don’t think it’s going to be a controversial bill at all.’

Houchin told Fox News Digital, ‘I think he moved the needle tremendously, just to say, you know, let’s have a vote on it and let’s stop talking about it.’

But Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., disagreed that Trump’s support had a significant effect on shifting the tide.

‘I mean, maybe a little bit, but I think people were largely there anyway,’ Fry said. ‘We talked about this on the campaign trail, The guy was a total dirtbag, did unspeakable atrocities on women in our country, and the public wants closure…this has been the most transparent Congress and administration on this subject in the country’s history.’

Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday night, ‘House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax.’

It appeared to lead to Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, who notably said he would oppose the measure on Friday, changing his mind as of Monday night. He told reporters ‘everybody’ would vote in favor of the bill and pointed out, ‘Donald Trump made a decision.’

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., who was leading the Johnson-backed probe into Epstein, appeared similarly resigned on Monday.

‘At this point, I just think the best thing to do — there’s so much media frenzy and curiosity about this, and you know, the survivors act like they want everything to come out. I want everything to come out….any other villains in this, we’ll try to figure out what we can,’ he said.

And Massie told reporters that same evening that he would be open but cautious about any changes to his bill in the Senate.

‘If the Senate wants to improve this bill without limiting the disclosure, that would be fine by me. But if they try to monkey it up, I think those senators are gonna get in front of a freight train and be in a lot of trouble with their supporters,’ he warned.

Massie told Fox News Digital of Johnson’s concerns, ‘He needs to be for it or against it. I think he’s going to vote for it, so he must think there’s more good than bad.’

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has not yet said what he would do if the bill passed the House on Tuesday.

The U.N. Security Council on Monday adopted a U.S.-backed resolution to end the Gaza war and deploy an international stabilization force after Ambassador Mike Waltz urged members to support what he called ‘a bold, pragmatic blueprint’ born from President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan.

In an address to the council, Waltz described Gaza as ‘a hell on earth’ after two years of conflict, saying the resolution offered the world a chance to replace ‘rubble where schools once stood’ with ‘a path to peace.’ The measure passed 14–0, with two abstentions — including Russia — and was adopted.

‘Voting yes today isn’t just endorsing a plan,’ Waltz said. ‘It’s affirming our shared humanity. A vote against this resolution is a vote to return to war.’

The plan, developed through U.S.-led diplomacy with Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia, establishes a multinational stabilization force to secure Gaza, oversee demilitarization and protect civilians as Israel gradually withdraws.

Waltz said many of the peacekeepers will come from Muslim-majority nations, including Indonesia and Azerbaijan.

He credited Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff with brokering the deal, which has already produced what he called ‘tangible results’ — a holding ceasefire and the release of 45 hostages by Hamas. Waltz said the United States remains committed to ensuring the return of the remaining hostages still believed to be held in Gaza.

‘This resolution charts a path for Palestinian self-determination after the Palestinian Authority completes key reforms,’ Waltz said. ‘It dismantles Hamas’s grip and ensures Gaza rises free from terror’s shadow — prosperous and secure.’

Following the vote, Waltz thanked Council members for what he called ‘a historic and constructive resolution’ and praised the coalition of nations that supported Trump’s plan.

He said the Board of Peace, which will be led by the president, ‘remains the cornerstone of our effort’ to rebuild Gaza and establish accountable local governance.

The board will coordinate humanitarian assistance, oversee reconstruction, and support a technocratic Palestinian committee responsible for day-to-day administration while the Palestinian Authority implements its reforms. Waltz said the stabilization force will ‘dismantle terrorist infrastructure, decommission weapons, and maintain the safety of Palestinian civilians.’

‘The path to prosperity requires security first,’ Waltz said. ‘Security is the oxygen that governance and development need to live and thrive.’

Russia abstained from the vote after circulating a rival draft. Waltz said hesitation and delay would only ‘cost lives,’ adding that ‘every day without this force, aid trucks lie idle, children starve, and extremists regroup.’

Trump praised the U.N. Security Council’s passage of the Gaza peace resolution Monday, calling it ‘one of the biggest approvals in the history of the United Nations.’

In a post on Truth Social, Trump congratulated world leaders and said the creation of the Board of Peace, which he will chair, represents ‘a moment of true historic proportion.’

Trump said the board will include ‘the most powerful and respected leaders throughout the world’ and pledged to announce additional members in the coming weeks. He thanked both Security Council members and partner nations — including Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkey, and Jordan — for backing the plan.

‘This will go down as one of the biggest approvals in the history of the United Nations,’ Trump wrote. ‘It will lead to further peace all over the world and is a moment of true historic proportion.’

Trump’s message echoed the themes laid out by Waltz, who credited the president’s leadership and diplomacy for uniting regional powers behind the peace initiative.

‘President Trump’s historic 20-point plan marks the beginning of a strong, stable, and prosperous region,’ Waltz said. ‘Under President Trump’s bold leadership, the United States will continue to deliver results alongside our partners to make lasting peace a reality.’

Facilities designed to discourage abortion have seen tens of thousands of additional clients in the wake of the Supreme Court’s landmark Dobbs ruling, according to a study published Monday.

The Charlotte Lozier Institute, the research arm of the pro-life organization SBA Pro-Life America, found in its annual report that the facilities, often known as pregnancy resource centers, surpassed one million clients for the first time in 2024.

That total is up from 974,965 in 2022, when the high court scrapped the federal right to abortion and flipped the issue back into the hands of states. The study looked at data from roughly 3,000 facilities nationwide.

The centers poured nearly half a billion dollars into supporting their clients, and the dollar value of material goods, such as diapers, strollers and cribs, provided to clients rose 48% from 2022.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, told reporters on Monday the centers were an answer to the prevalence of abortion since Dobbs that the Charlotte Lozier Institute has attributed, at least in part, to easy access to abortion pills, which people can purchase by mail.

Pregnancy resource centers have ‘become even more important, especially with the horrific national policy that we have on the abortion drug which has led to the increase of abortions to around 1.1 million,’ Dannenfelser said.

‘You have a Planned Parenthood organization and a big abortion movement that, to the problem of addiction, says when she enters a clinic, or she goes online, ‘Here’s your pill. Have a nice life,’’ Dannenfelser said.

‘Pregnancy centers, with the support of care workers, are going to the roots of the problem, to addiction, domestic abuse, homelessness, of the problem of just physically getting to your job so that you can do your job and support your family, the question of finishing school that you find yourself needing more resources and community and help at a moment where you want to say yes to your child and you also want to say yes to your own life and its trajectory,’ she said.

Pregnancy centers have faced criticism, largely from the left, that they deceive their clients and donors into thinking they are not firmly against abortion and mislead clients about their ability to practice medicine. A lawsuit centered on that fight is pending before the Supreme Court; the high court will hear oral arguments in the case next month.

The report showed that clinics offer a range of services, from providing tangible items to adoption agency services, counseling and a variety of medical services, including abortion pill reversal, pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and STD screening.

The Charlotte Lozier Institute also said it found that more than 60% of women who have had abortions would rather have given birth if they had had more emotional and financial support.

‘When we have the courage to ask the questions of real women in the real world, this is what we find over and over and over again,’ Dannenfelser said.

President Donald Trump blamed his hoarse voice on a tense discussion with a foreign nation who attempted to renegotiate the terms of their trade deal. 

Trump sported a raspy voice during a meeting with the White House’s task force on the FIFA World Cup 2026, prompting a reporter to ask if he felt alright.

‘I feel great. I was shouting at people because they were stupid about something having to do with trade and a country, and I straightened it out, but I blew my stack at these people,’ Trump told reporters Monday.

When pressed about which country, Trump did not specify which nation sparked his ire and only said that he wasn’t pleased.

‘A country wanted to try and renegotiate the terms of their trade deal,’ Trump said. ‘And I wasn’t happy about it.’

When asked again which country, Trump said: ‘Why would I say that to you?’

The U.S. has engaged in trade talks with a number of countries in recent months, including Japan, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia. Additionally, Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea in October, where the two hammered out some negotiations on trade between the two countries.

For example, Trump said he agreed to cut tariffs on Chinese imports by 10% — bring down the rate from 57% to 47% — because China said it would work with the U.S. on addressing the fentanyl crisis.

Likewise, Trump said that he would not impose an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods that were expected to kick in Nov. 1. Trump threatened the steep hike after China announced in October it would impose export controls on rare-earth magnets, which he said China had agreed to postpone by a year.

Afterward, Trump said that a broader trade deal between the two countries would be signed in the near future.

‘Zero, to 10, with 10 being the best, I’d say the meeting was a 12,’ Trump told reporters after meeting with Xi. ‘A lot of decisions were made … and we’ve come to a conclusion on very many important points.’

China’s military buildup has reached what a new congressional report calls a ‘war footing,’ with hundreds of new missile silos and expanding nuclear capabilities that could erode America’s long-standing deterrence edge in the Indo-Pacific.

China has built roughly 350 new intercontinental missile silos and expanded its nuclear warhead stockpile by 20% in the past year, part of a sweeping military expansion that the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission says could strain U.S. readiness to counter Chinese aggression.

The commission’s 2025 annual report to Congress says Beijing’s rapid nuclear buildup, combined with new artificial intelligence-driven warfare systems, is transforming the People’s Liberation Army into a force ‘capable of fighting and winning a war against the United States’ — even without matching U.S. nuclear numbers.

According to the report, China has unveiled an AI-powered electronic warfare system capable of detecting and suppressing U.S. radar signals as far as Guam, the Marshall Islands and Alaska, and is now deploying 6G-based platforms across its armed forces.

The report says China unveiled a new 6G-based electronic warfare platform in mid-2025, capable of coordinating radar jamming and signal interception across long distances. The system reportedly uses high-speed data links and artificial intelligence to synchronize attacks on U.S. and allied radar networks — a preview of what Beijing calls ‘intelligentized warfare.’

 At a military parade in Beijing this September, China for the first time displayed a full nuclear triad — missiles launchable from land, air and sea.

The commission warns these advances, paired with China’s political crackdown and economic leverage, could allow Beijing to act ‘quickly and decisively in a crisis,’ shortening the time the U.S. and its allies would have to respond to aggression.

The commission is urging Congress to require the Pentagon to conduct a full audit of U.S. readiness to defend Taiwan, warning that Washington may no longer meet its legal obligations under the Taiwan Relations Act. The report calls for a classified and unclassified assessment of whether U.S. forces could ‘resist any resort to force or coercion’ by China — even in a scenario where the United States is also facing simultaneous aggression from Russia, Iran or North Korea.

Read the report below. App users: Click here

A war over Taiwan, the commission cautions, could wipe out up to 10% of global GDP — a shock on par with the 2008 financial crisis — and carry a ‘cataclysmic’ risk of nuclear escalation and wider conflict in the Indo-Pacific.

China now holds around 600 nuclear warheads. The Pentagon has assessed China is aiming to own 1,000 by 2030. 

The report further warns that China’s economic coercion is compounding the threat, pointing to Beijing’s dominance in foundational semiconductors, rare earth minerals, and printed circuit boards. It says these dependencies could leave the United States ‘reliant on its rival for the backbone of its modern economy and military.’

Among 28 recommendations, the commission calls for Congress to bar Chinese-made components from U.S. power grids, create a unified economic statecraft agency to enforce export controls, and reaffirm diplomatic backing for Taiwan — including its partnership with the Vatican, one of Taiwan’s few remaining formal allies that Beijing has sought to isolate through church diplomacy.

‘China’s rapid military and economic mobilization shortens U.S. warning timelines,’ the report concludes, warning that without a coordinated response, America’s deterrence posture ‘risks falling short’ against Beijing’s expanding capabilities.

The late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein discussed President Donald Trump in emails released by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Wednesday.

The Democrats on the committee released three emails Wednesday that Epstein’s estate provided them — prompting Republicans to release their own stash of 20,000 pages of Epstein documents hours later, while the White House accused Democrats of seeking to distract from the government shutdown.

In response, Trump announced Friday that he would direct the Justice Department and the FBI to investigate Epstein’s relationship with those including former President Bill Clinton, former Treasury Secretary during the Clinton administration Larry Summers and others.

‘This is another Russia, Russia, Russia Scam, with all arrows pointing to the Democrats,’ Trump said in a Friday Truth Social post.

Meanwhile, Clinton has denied that he ever visited Epstein’s island, and wrote in his 2024 memoir ‘Citizen’ that he wished they’d never met. Clinton has not been accused of engaging in any sexual misconduct in connection to Epstein or his victims.

A spokesperson for Summers did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Included in the documents released Wednesday are emails between Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and correspondence with author Michael Wolff, former President Barack Obama’s White House counsel Kathy Ruemmler, among others, where Epstein mentions Trump.

‘i want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is trump.. (VICTIM) spent hours at my house with him ,, he has never once been mentioned. police chief. etc. im 75 % there,’ Epstein said in an email to Maxwell in April 2011, which was provided with other correspondence to the committee by Epstein’s estate in response to a subpoena request.

‘I have been thinking about that…’ Maxwell said in response.

The ‘VICTIM’ mentioned in the emails is redacted, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to Fox News that it was a reference to Virginia Giuffre, who accused Epstein of facilitating sexual encounters between her and some of his influential friends, including the U.K.’s then-Prince Andrew.

Giuffre died by suicide in April, but said in her memoir that was completed prior to her death and released in October that she met Trump once at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, and that he ‘couldn’t have been friendlier.’ She did not accuse Trump of any misconduct.

The emails released by both parties on the Oversight Committee lack context and are full of redactions. 

In another email from 2019, Epstein told Wolff that ‘of course he knew about the girls as he asked ghislaine to stop,’ referencing Trump. The president previously told reporters in July that he had prohibited Epstein from the president’s Florida Mar-a-Lago golf club because Epstein kept ‘taking people who worked for me.’

Additionally, it’s unclear from the exchange whether ‘girls’ referred to minors or not.

In a separate exchange between Wolff and Epstein from 2015, the two discussed the possibility of CNN asking Trump about his relationship with Epstein.

‘I think you should let him hang himself,’ Wolff said in an email to Epstein. ‘If he says he hasn’t been on the plane or to the house, then that gives you a valuable PR and political currency. You can hang him in a way that potentially generates a positive benefit for you, or, if it really looks like he could win, you could save him, generating a debt.’

Wolff is an author who has written four books about Trump’s political career — including ‘Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,’ which was released in 2018 and pieced together an unflattering picture of Trump’s early days in office during his first term. The White House at the time characterized it as ‘trashy tabloid fiction.’

Hours after the initial Democrat release of documents, the Republicans on the committee unveiled their own document pile, which included emails from Epstein where he also discussed Trump.

Other email exchanges released Wednesday included correspondence between Epstein and Ruemmler, who is now the chief legal officer at Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

Ruemmler shared a link to a New York Times opinion piece in August 2018, which detailed alleged hush-money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged affair with Trump. Ruemmler said she thought Epstein would find the piece ‘interesting.’

‘I know how dirty donald is,’ Epstein emailed in response.

Trump was convicted in May 2024 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with the alleged hush-money payments. He continues to deny the affair and maintains his innocence, calling the case a politically motivated ‘witch hunt.’

Ruemmler did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

In a separate 2017 email to Summers, Epstein said that while he’s met some ‘very bad people,’ none have been ‘as bad as trump.’

‘Not one decent cell in his body.. so yes – dangerous,’ Epstein said.

Summers did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

While the documents themselves are authentic, Epstein’s statements in the emails remain unverified and uncorroborated. They do not allege wrongdoing by Trump; they only show Epstein referencing him. Trump has not faced formal accusations of misconduct tied to Epstein, and no law enforcement records connect Trump to Epstein’s crimes.

The White House shrugged off the release as a ‘distraction.’

‘These emails prove literally nothing,’ White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a Thursday statement to Fox News Digital. ‘Liberal outlets are desperately trying to use this Democrat distraction to talk about anything other than Democrats getting utterly defeated by President Trump in the shutdown fight.’

Meanwhile, Trump also said in a Wednesday social media post that the Democrats were seeking to revive discussion on the Epstein case to distract from their role in the government shutdown.

‘The Democrats are trying to bring up the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax again because they’ll do anything at all to deflect on how badly they’ve done on the Shutdown, and so many other subjects,’ Trump said Wednesday. ‘Only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap.’

‘There should be no deflections to Epstein or anything else, and any Republicans involved should be focused only on opening up our Country, and fixing the massive damage caused by the Democrats!’ Trump said.

Trump’s connections to Epstein have come under heightened scrutiny after Trump’s Justice Department and FBI announced it would not unseal investigation materials concerning Epstein, and that their investigation into the case had closed.

Additionally, the agencies said that they did not detect a list of sexual predators with ties to Epstein, and concluded there were no new people who could face charges.

Meanwhile, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Epstein associate Maxwell in Florida in July, and the Justice Department released transcripts from their interview. In the records, Maxwell claimed that she didn’t see Trump behave in an inappropriate manner.

‘I never witnessed the President in any inappropriate setting in any way,’ Maxwell said, according to the transcript the Justice Department released. ‘The President was never inappropriate with anybody. In the times that I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects.’

Epstein died by suicide while awaiting trial on federal charges in 2019. Maxwell has been convicted on charges including sex trafficking of a minor and is serving a 20-year sentence.

Fox News’ Patrick Ward and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Amid rumors he may pursue a 2028 bid for the White House, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, didn’t deny the possibility when asked about it on Monday morning.

‘Reporters are going to write headlines that get clicks and get eyeballs. I got a job — it’s representing 31 million Texans. And I’ll tell you right now, the wins we are getting are historic,’ Cruz said on ‘The Faulkner Focus.’

Cruz highlighted his participation in President Donald Trump’s signature tax and border security package earlier this year as one such victory. 

Cruz has positioned himself for another run for the White House, according to reporting from Axios on Monday. By presenting himself as an alternative to the more domestically focused wing of the GOP — especially on Israel — Cruz has set himself apart from other notable 2028 prospective candidates like Vice President JD Vance. 

The issue of interventionism has divided figures in the GOP for months as pundits, candidates and sitting lawmakers weigh how the U.S. should navigate its international relationships. Vance, like many other voices in Trump’s orbit, has called for the U.S. to pull back from engagements in Ukraine and the Middle East to focus on domestic issues. 

Cruz has gone against the grain of the party, maintaining that the country’s security — and the security of the international community — depends on strong leadership from the White House.

Most recently, Cruz said he believed American attention was needed in Nigeria, where Christians have faced intense persecution in recent years.

‘It’s why my focus right now is on the Christians in Nigeria,’ Cruz said on Monday after deflecting questions about 2028. ‘I was at the White House last week with the president, thanking him for standing up for the Christians in Nigeria.’

Earlier this year, the office of Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., announced that 7,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria in 2025. 

Cruz continued, ‘When Biden turned the other way, more and more murders occurred. Because when the commander in chief is absent, is AWOL, bad guys do really bad things. I’m glad we now have a strong commander in chief who will stand up and say, ‘We’re not going to do nothing while you commit mass murders of Christians.”

Cruz’s office declined to comment on the Axios reporting when reached by Fox News Digital.

Cruz has sought the presidential nomination before, becoming the runner-up GOP nominee to Trump in 2016. Since then, Cruz has maintained a highly visible position in the Senate where he has worked as an ally of the Trump administration on key issues like immigration, while remaining a consistent proponent of American support for Israel.

With Trump unable to run for a third term, speculation has started brewing over which 2028 hopeful will successfully rally the MAGA base. Other notable contenders include Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

So far, Trump himself has largely steered clear of anointing a possible successor.

Senate Democrats are requesting an investigation into what they say is ‘partisan messaging’ that the Trump administration used on official government websites during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. 

Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Adam Schiff of California and others are urging the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) to launch a probe into whether the Trump administration crossed a line and broke federal laws due to messages posted on official government websites that pinned the blame on Democrats for the shutdown. 

‘Some agencies’ announcements appeared to include nothing more than partisan messaging and lacked a connection to official business,’ lawmakers wrote in a letter, sent to GAO Nov. 9. 

Specifically, the lawmakers pointed to messaging posted on the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website, which stated on its website during the shutdown: ‘The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands. The Trump administration wants to keep the government open for the American people.’

As a result, the lawmakers questioned whether the statement and others from separate agencies violated federal law, which bars using federal funds for ‘publicity or propaganda purposes.’ 

‘Longstanding federal appropriations law prohibits the executive branch from using federal funds ‘for publicity or propaganda purposes,’ including for purely partisan materials,’ the lawmakers wrote in their letter. ‘Federal law also prohibits agencies from using any appropriated funding, directly or indirectly, to generate publicity designed to influence Congress in supporting or opposing legislation or appropriations.’ 

But Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank, said that Democrats are seeking a distraction from their role in the shutdown.

‘This is an absurd claim and just a publicity stunt by Democrats desperate to push attention away from their failures,’ Spakovsky said in a Friday statement to Fox News Digital. ‘Blaming Democrats for the shutdown was absolutely accurate since they voted more than a dozen times to keep the government shutdown. Truth is an absolute defense to any claim of partisan messaging.’ 

The White House voiced similar sentiments in a statement to Fox News Digital on Monday.

‘It’s an objective fact that Democrats are responsible for the government shutdown, the Trump Administration simply shared the truth with the American people,’ White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement. 

GAO spokesperson Jessica Baxter told Fox News Digital Friday that the organization had received the request and is in the middle of evaluating the request. 

‘I can confirm that GAO has received this congressional request,’ Baxter said. ‘GAO has a process it goes through to determine whether we do work and when, which we are working through right now.’

Other lawmakers who signed the letter include Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Ron Wyden of Oregon, among others. 

Trump signed a bill Wednesday to fund the government again as consequences of the lapse in funding started to build — including missed paychecks for federal workers and airline delays due to air traffic controller staffing shortages.

The bill keeps funding for the government at fiscal year 2025 spending levels through Jan. 30 to provide lawmakers an opportunity to secure a longer appropriations measure for fiscal year 2026.

The shutdown originated due to Republicans and Democrats sparring over various healthcare provisions to include in a potential funding measure. Trump and Republicans claimed Democrats wanted to provide illegal immigrants healthcare, and pointed to a provision that would repeal part of Trump’s tax and domestic policy bill known as the ‘big, beautiful bill’ that reduced Medicaid eligibility for non-U.S. citizens.

But Democrats said this wasn’t the case, and instead, said they want to permanently extend certain Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of 2025.

Instead of waging a bloody battle that could ignite a clash between nuclear-armed states, China may be betting it can conquer Taiwan without firing a shot — by choking off the island’s fuel and electricity until its government capitulates.

China’s campaign wouldn’t start with missiles but with paperwork and patrol boats — ‘routine’ inspections, new customs rules and cyber intrusions designed to quietly strangle Taiwan’s imports while giving Beijing plausible deniability, according to a new report by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). 

The report warns that a successful Chinese squeeze on Taiwan’s fuel would ripple far beyond Asia. With the island producing most of the world’s advanced semiconductors, any prolonged power outage could halt global electronics and defense manufacturing — hitting U.S. supply chains and markets almost immediately.

‘Beijing’s goal isn’t to invade today, but to make Taiwan believe resistance is futile tomorrow. Its gray-zone campaign is a strategy of slow-motion strangulation — one that risks a sudden shock as Chinese ships and aircraft surge around the island,’ report author Craig Singleton said.

The findings stem from a tabletop exercise conducted this summer by FDD and Taiwan’s Centre for Innovative Democracy and Sustainability at National Chengchi University. The simulation, called ‘Energy Siege,’ tested how the Chinese Communist Party might escalate from bureaucratic interference to a full-blown energy quarantine.

Teams representing China, Taiwan, the United States, Japan and other allies wargamed a monthslong campaign in which Beijing throttled Taiwan’s fuel imports through ‘gray-zone’ tactics — administrative slowdowns, cyberattacks and disinformation — all while maintaining plausible deniability. The exercise found that a prolonged squeeze on Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) could cripple its electrical grid within weeks and trigger a global chip shock.

The report warns that cyber operations and propaganda would be central to Beijing’s playbook. Chinese hackers have already doubled successful intrusions into Taiwan’s energy grid over the past year, and the exercise envisioned them embedding malware in LNG terminals and power-plant control systems to disrupt shipments and distribution.

At the same time, Beijing would unleash a barrage of false narratives — rumors of blackouts, fuel hoarding and government incompetence — to erode public trust and fracture morale. ‘For Beijing, disinformation is not a sideshow but its primary weapon,’ the report notes, describing a campaign designed to ‘control the narrative and sap its adversaries’ will.’

Taiwan imports nearly all of its energy — half from natural gas and about 30% from coal — and holds only ‘a few weeks’ worth’ of reserves. ‘Taiwan’s three main LNG terminals and the Taichung coal offloading port are clustered along the island’s west coast, within range of the CCP’s missiles as shipments are funneled through narrow Taiwan Strait lanes,’ the report adds.

That dependency makes Taiwan one of the world’s most energy-insecure economies. A blockade or ‘energy quarantine’ could cut the island’s power generation in half within weeks — forcing leaders to decide whether to keep the lights on for hospitals or for chipmakers like TSMC and UMC, Singleton and co-author Mark Montgomery write.

‘Coercion, not combat, is Beijing’s preferred weapon,’ Singleton said, adding that such a blockade would have ‘ripple effects that would reshape global markets and stability alike.’

The report also calls for the United States to expand its own LNG export capacity — particularly through new projects in Alaska — to ensure it can supply Taiwan directly and make U.S. energy a core element of the island’s resilience.

Taiwan produces around 60% of global semiconductor chips and 90% of the world’s most advanced chips, though TSMC is building a facility in Arizona to help offset that imbalance. ‘The choice to slowly shutter industrial capacity would eventually make Taiwan’s conundrum a global catastrophe when a plurality of the world’s supply of legacy chips and a supermajority of its advanced chips cease flowing,’ the report says.

The authors argue that Taiwan should build up its LNG reserves through greater U.S. supply and for the U.S. Navy to be ready to escort vessels delivering it. ‘Beijing believes pressure plus patience equals political collapse,’ Montgomery said. ‘What unnerves China isn’t Taiwan’s defiance, but its people’s ability to withstand coercion.’

Beijing’s information strategy, the report adds, would aim to quietly turn Taiwan’s population against its own government and allies — amplifying stories questioning President Lai Ching-te’s competence, spreading rumors of military fuel hoarding and blackouts, and circulating claims that the U.S., Japan and Australia would hesitate to intervene.

China’s propaganda campaign could also reach the American public, the authors warn, through efforts to ‘seed questions across U.S. online ecosystems designed to wear down the American public’s commitment to continued convoy operations.’

For now, the contest remains theoretical. But as China builds the tools to choke Taiwan’s energy supply and shape its narrative abroad, the line between peace and pressure is narrowing. The exercise suggests the first shot in the next Taiwan crisis may not be fired at all.

The War Department is narrowing its research and development strategy to six ‘Critical Technology Areas’ officials say will speed up innovation and strengthen America’s military edge.

Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael said the plan will deliver faster, more focused results to the warfighter by merging overlapping programs and steering funding toward technologies that will shape future conflicts.

‘As the Department of War’s Chief Technology Officer, I am statutorily charged with the mission of advancing technology and innovation for the armed forces,’ Michael wrote in a Nov. 13 memorandum to senior Pentagon and combatant command leadership. ‘The previous list of fourteen CTAs did not provide the focus that the threat environment of today requires.’

The six areas — Applied Artificial Intelligence, Biomanufacturing, Contested Logistics Technologies, Quantum and Battlefield Information Dominance, Scaled Directed Energy and Scaled Hypersonics — will be advanced through rapid ‘sprints’ designed to move emerging technologies from prototype to production.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the streamlined approach will keep the United States ahead of its rivals.

‘Our nation’s military has always been the tip of the spear,’ Hegseth said. ‘Under Secretary Emil Michael’s six Critical Technology Areas will ensure that our warriors never enter a fair fight and have the best systems in their hands for maximum lethality.’

The initiative also aligns with President Donald Trump’s Artificial Intelligence Action Plan, which directs the War Department to become an ‘AI-First’ organization.

Officials say the shift will reshape how intelligence is processed, how logistics are managed and how weapons systems are deployed.

‘In alignment with President Trump’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan, the Department of War must become an ‘AI-First’ organization,’ Michael wrote. ‘When adopted rapidly, AI will fundamentally transform the Department from the enterprise-level, to intelligence synthesis and to warfighting.’

Michael’s plan emphasizes resilience and self-sufficiency on the battlefield. Biomanufacturing will create bio-based materials to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, while Contested Logistics Technologies will help U.S. forces sustain operations in contested or denied environments.

The goal, he said, is to ensure troops can fight and resupply even when traditional lines are cut. Each new technology area is meant to reinforce that capability.

‘Future warfare will likely be characterized by contested environments in which the Joint Force is challenged to surge, operate into and within the operational theater, and resupply, reconstitute, and recover forces,’ Michael wrote. ‘This CTA will enable the demonstration, validation, and scaling of novel approaches and technologies.’

Other priorities include quantum computing for secure battlefield communications, scaled directed energy systems such as high-energy lasers and high-power microwave weapons, and the expansion of hypersonic capabilities for both offensive and defensive missions.

Each effort depends on close coordination between the Pentagon, private industry and allied militaries to ensure the technologies reach the field quickly.

‘Executing these sprints will require unprecedented coordination between the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, military departments, combatant commands and other Office of the Secretary of War components,’ Michael said. ‘I am committed to working with you and our partners inside and outside of the Department on these efforts.’