Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois fired back at Vice President JD Vance after he likened her sparring session with Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing about America’s Venezuela policy to an argument between the fictional character Forrest Gump and Isaac Newton.

‘Watching Tammy Duckworth obsessively interrupt Marco Rubio during this hearing is like watching Forest Gump argue with Isaac Newton,’ Vance quipped in a Wednesday post on X.

Duckworth responded, ‘Forrest Gump ran toward danger in Vietnam. Your boss ran to his podiatrist crying bone spurs. Petty insults at the expense of people with disabilities won’t change the fact that you’re risking troops’ lives to boost Chevron’s stock price. It’s my job to hold you accountable.’

Other Democrats also responded to Vance.

Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar of Michigan shared Vance’s post and wrote, ‘Imagine watching Forrest Gump and your takeaway is to mock people with disabilities.’

‘That’s a U.S. Senator doing her job. This is a random troll tweeting at her,’ Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker wrote in a post on X.

‘Comparing @SenDuckworth to Forrest Gump is classless and disgraceful. She’s a veteran who lost her legs fighting for this country. If you had any honor, you’d take this post down. But you work for Trump, so clearly you have none,’ Democratic Rep. John Garamendi of California declared in a post.

Duckworth served in the Illinois Army National Guard and was deployed to Iraq in 2004, according to a biography on her Senate website, which notes that ‘On November 12, 2004, her helicopter was hit by an RPG and she lost her legs and partial use of her right arm.’

She noted in 2022 social media posts that an RPG ‘tore through the cockpit of the helicopter I was co-piloting. The blast cost me my legs, partial use of my right arm and nearly my life,’ she noted.

Vance added in another post, ‘Thank God we have a Secretary of State who knows his facts AND has the patience of Job. Great job, @SecRubio.’ 

A former staffer for Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is launching his own congressional bid on Thursday, Fox News Digital has learned.

Republican Austin Rogers is formally jumping into the race for Florida’s 2nd Congressional District, a solidly Republican seat encompassing part of the Sunshine State’s panhandle. It’s currently being represented by Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., who is retiring at the end of this year.

Rogers invoked both President Donald Trump and Scott in a statement announcing his candidacy in a testament to the district’s conservative lean.

‘As President Trump and Senator Scott have shown, strong leadership matters,’ Rogers said. ‘I was raised right here in the 2nd District, fishing these bays, hunting these woods, and competing on these fields. I was taught to love this country, respect hard work, and stand up for what’s right. I’ve seen firsthand how broken Washington is. Our nation needs more fighters who will fearlessly root out waste, fraud, and abuse in government.’

Rogers previously worked as general counsel for Scott’s Senate office, which he argued helped him learn ‘how Congress actually works.’

‘I have drafted legislation, conducted congressional hearings, and led investigations holding the left accountable,’ Rogers said.

Scott’s campaign team told Fox News Digital that he has no current plans to make an endorsement in the race, however.

Rogers’ statement notably did not mention Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, another central Republican figure in the Sunshine State, despite the district including the capital city of Tallahassee.

Rogers, a father of two with a third child on the way, was born and raised in his district and moved back there with his wife after a brief stint in Washington, D.C.

Meanwhile, a crowded field is forming to replace Dunn, a surgeon and retired Army major who first won his seat in 2016. 

Three Republicans and three Democrats have already filed to run for the district, with Rogers becoming the fourth GOP hopeful in the race.

Among the GOP candidates in the race is Evan Power, Florida’s Republican Party state chairman, and Keith Gross, a businessman who previously mounted a long-shot bid against Scott in 2024.

Dunn is part of a record number of House lawmakers announcing their departures from the lower chamber in the 119th Congress. Twenty-eight Republicans and 21 Democrats have announced retirements between this year and last year, more than during any other congressional term.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday nominated federal prosecutor Colin McDonald to serve in the newly formed role of assistant attorney general for national fraud enforcement.

McDonald is currently serving as an associate deputy attorney general at the Department of Justice.

‘I am pleased to nominate Colin McDonald to serve as the first ever Assistant Attorney General for National FRAUD Enforcement, a new Division at the Department of Justice, which I created to catch and stop FRAUDSTERS that have been STEALING from the American People,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.

‘My Administration has uncovered Fraud schemes in States like Minnesota and California, where these thieves have stolen Hundreds of Billions of Taxpayer Dollars,’ he continued.

Trump praised McDonald as a ‘very smart, tough and highly respected America First federal prosecutor who has successfully delivered justice in some of the most difficult and high-stakes cases our country has ever seen.’

‘Together, we will END THE FRAUD, and RESTORE INTEGRITY to our Federal Programs. Congratulations Colin — STOP THE SCAMS!’ the president wrote.

McDonald has been serving in the office of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who said McDonald was ‘instrumental’ in the federal government’s efforts to curb crime across the country.

‘Colin is a rockstar, who was instrumental in our team’s mission of Making America Safe Again,’ Blanche wrote on X. ‘He is a consummate prosecutor who loves God, family, and country and will serve the President and the American people well.’

Vice President JD Vance announced the new role and the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division at the Department of Justice during a White House press briefing earlier this month, as the administration seeks to pursue a crackdown on alleged systemic fraud in federal programs, including in Minnesota and California.

‘Colin McDonald is widely regarded as a thorough and highly competent attorney. He has an exceptional prosecutorial track record, which we look forward to seeing him put to use in his new role as Assistant Attorney General,’ Vance said at the time ahead of McDonald’s formal nomination.

Shipping in the Persian Gulf dipped sharply Wednesday as tensions with Iran intensified amid signs the U.S. was positioning military forces for a potential strike, according to maritime intelligence assessments.

The U.S. Navy’s USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group entered the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Monday, a U.S. official confirmed to Fox News Digital, as President Donald Trump continued to keep military options on the table.

‘At this stage, it remains ambiguous, and probably intentionally ambiguous, what the objectives and desired outcomes are of any U.S. military action,’ Ambrey Intelligence’s Robert Peters told Fox News Digital.

‘This means that there are a wider range of possibilities and retaliatory scenarios under consideration,’ he added.

‘That said, there are five U.S.-flagged merchant vessels, tankers and cargo ships, in the Gulf today — two transited the Strait of Hormuz earlier without any apparent issues — but those already in the Gulf and destined for the U.S. are at heightened risk,’ he added.

Trump, who earlier this week indicated ‘numerous’ calls were received from Iran, also posted about the situation on Truth Social Wednesday morning.

‘A massive Armada is heading to Iran. It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela,’ he wrote.

‘Like with Venezuela, it is ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary. Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS — one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence! As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL!’

The post came as the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported the death toll from nationwide protests in Iran has surpassed 6,200 since the outset on Dec. 28. 

The organization said nearly 17,100 more were under investigation, with ‘a continuation of both scattered and mass arrests,’ as internet restrictions continue.

Peters meanwhile, claimed that ‘shipping companies have been advised to reduce aggregate risk when operating in the Arabian/Persian Gulf.

‘This means limiting the number of ships that could be exposed to retaliatory action, and sometimes ships will await further instructions closer to their next port in the Gulf,’ he said. ‘At this point, it is more appropriate to wait further away, in case of an escalation.’

Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, warned Wednesday that any military action by the U.S., from any origin and at any level, ‘will be regarded as the start of a war, and the response will be immediate, all-out, and unprecedented, targeting the heart of Tel Aviv and all those who support the aggressor,’ according to Iran International.

‘Our brave Armed Forces are prepared — with their fingers on the trigger — to immediately and powerfully respond to ANY aggression against our beloved land, air, and sea,’ Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X.

With tensions rising in the region, Peters described how shipowners may be being approached by cargo charterers to load cargo in the Gulf.

‘Then they will make the decision to avoid the Gulf for the time being until the tensions reduce,’ Peters added. ‘Interestingly, last year the Iranians did not take retaliatory action in the maritime sphere: Israeli shipping was already avoiding the Gulf, and the U.S. military action was highly targeted at the nuclear capabilities.’

But Peters warned that the situation ‘may see something similar again. If there is a much broader, regime-destabilizing operation, the effects could be considerable for wider shipping.’

‘During periods like this, we tend to see greater risk aversion and inquiries from those asked to pick up cargo for U.S. charterers and destined for the U.S.,’ he added.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned Wednesday that a Supreme Court showdown over sitting Fed governor Lisa Cook could have far-reaching consequences for the central bank’s independence and the U.S. economy.

‘I would say that that case is perhaps the most important legal case in the Fed’s 113-year history. As I thought about it, it might have been hard to explain why I didn’t attend,’ Powell told reporters Wednesday at the Federal Reserve.

‘Paul Volcker famously attended a Supreme Court case in, I guess, 1985 or so, so there is precedent,’ Powell said, referring to the former Federal Reserve chair who served under Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.

Last week, the nation’s highest court heard oral arguments for two hours on whether President Donald Trump has the authority to remove Cook from the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors. The court is expected to issue a ruling in the case by summer.

Cook’s legal fight traces back to late August, when Trump said he was firing her from the board.

He alleged she misrepresented information related to a trio of mortgages she obtained before joining the central bank. Cook has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime.

She sued Trump in federal court in Washington, D.C., to block her removal. On Sept. 9, a district court judge barred Trump from firing her while the case proceeds, a decision later upheld by a federal appeals court.

Her ascent to the Federal Reserve was historic from the start. Appointed by former President Joe Biden in 2022, she became the first Black woman to serve as a Fed board governor, the seven-member panel that sets national interest rates and oversees the banking system.

Now, she stands at the center of an even more consequential moment, as Trump seeks to fire her — a step that would be unprecedented in the Fed’s history.

What’s more, Powell’s long-standing insistence on finishing his term, which ends in May, now comes amid a Justice Department criminal investigation into his congressional testimony on the Federal Reserve’s headquarters renovation.

Powell confirmed the investigation and said he respected the rule of law and congressional oversight, but described the action as ‘unprecedented’ and driven by political pressure.

Asked by reporters at the Federal Reserve for further comment, Powell declined to discuss the Justice Department investigation, pointing instead to remarks he made in a video statement on Jan. 11.

His decision to address the issue so publicly, after days of private consultations with advisors, marked a sharp departure from the central banker’s typically measured approach.

What comes next remains unclear, as the Federal Reserve navigates largely uncharted territory.

The White House invited rank-and-file Senate Democrats to discuss government funding options, but they declined, instead opting to unveil a list of demands to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in exchange for their votes to avert a shutdown. 

‘The White House hopes to avoid another debilitating government shutdown, and invited Democrats for a listening session to better understand their position,’ a senior White House official told Fox News Digital in a statement. ‘It’s unfortunate their leadership blocked the meeting.’

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats unveiled their laundry list of demands to rein in the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) immigration operations in exchange for their support to keep the government open. 

Democrats in the upper chamber have been quietly formulating a list of legislative demands to bring Republicans to corral DHS and ICE after another deadly shooting in Minnesota over the weekend. 

That incident, where Alex Pretti was fatally shot during an immigration operation in Minneapolis, spurred Democrats to reject the forthcoming six-bill funding package teed up for a key test vote on Thursday. 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., laid out three requirements for Democrats as the upper chamber hurtles toward a Friday deadline to fund the government. He noted that his entire caucus was unified on the ‘set of common sense and necessary policy goals that we need to rein in ICE and end the violence.’

Schumer’s first demand was an end to roving patrols, tightening the rules governing the use of warrants, and requiring that ICE coordinate with state and local law enforcement. 

Second on the list was a uniform code of conduct and accountability for federal agents, akin to the same standards applied to state and local law enforcement. Schumer contended that when those policies are broken, there should be independent investigations. 

And third, Democrats want ‘masks off, body cameras on,’ and for federal agents to carry proper identification.

‘These are common sense reforms, ones that Americans know and expect from law enforcement,’ Schumer said. ‘If Republicans refuse to support them, they are choosing chaos over order, plain and simple. They are choosing to protect Ice from accountability over American lives.’

Over the last few days, Senate Republicans have signaled their willingness to negotiate reforms to the agency beyond those baked into the existing DHS funding bill, but they have added the caveat that Senate Democrats have to actually produce a list, first. 

And Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has made clear that Republicans would plow ahead with the current six-bill funding package, which among other bills includes funding for the Pentagon, for Thursday’s vote. However, he hasn’t entirely closed the door on stripping the DHS bill as Democrats have called for.

Though conversations are ongoing at the rank-and-file level across the aisle, Thune said that Schumer and Senate Democrats should bring their asks to the White House and President Donald Trump.  

‘If there’s a way that the Democrats have things that they want the White House could accommodate, short of having to modify the bill, that would be, I think the best way to do what we need to do here, and that is to make sure the government gets funded,’ Thune said. 

Plus, if the DHS bill were stripped from the broader package and advanced through the Senate as Schumer has promised Democrats would do, it would still need to return to the House. Lawmakers in the lower chamber are still on their week-long recess and aren’t slated to return until next week.

There is a possibility that Democrats’ demands could also be split into a separate bill, similar to what Republicans offered during the previous shutdown when Schumer and company demanded a clean, three-year extension to the expiring Obamacare subsidies. 

When asked if he would be amenable to that option, Schumer charged that the ‘White House has had no specific, good, concrete ideas.’

‘In terms of what we want, there’s two simple things to do to get this done, and we want to get it done, and we want to get it done quickly,’ Schumer said. ‘Number one, Leader Thune has to separate the Homeland Security bill out from the other five. He can simply put an amendment on the floor to do that.’ 

‘So it’s simple to do, and I am quite confident it would pass overwhelmingly,’ he continued. ‘Already I’ve seen 6 or 7 Republicans say they would vote for it. So that’s what we should do. And then we should sit down and go and come up with strong proposals to reform ICE and rein in ICE and end the violence.’ 

The U.S. will ‘very quickly’ reopen its embassy in Venezuela and establish a diplomatic presence on the ground, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

‘We have a team on the ground there assessing it, and we think very quickly we’ll be able to open a U.S. diplomatic presence on the ground,’ Rubio told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday. 

The goal, he said, would be not just to interact with officials on the ground but also ‘civil society and the opposition.’

Such a move would mean restoring diplomatic relations with Venezuela, which were broken off in 2019 when the U.S. embassy’s doors shuttered.

The Trump administration has been in dialogue with Delcy Rodríguez, Nicolás Maduro’s former vice president whom U.S. officials describe as an interim leader, since the capture of the wanted Venezuelan dictator.

Reopening the embassy would require the U.S. to acknowledge a governing authority in Caracas, Venezuela, capable of receiving diplomats — a step that would mark a clear shift from Washington’s long-standing refusal to engage Venezuela’s executive. 

The current Venezuelan leadership has ‘been very cooperative on that front,’ Rubio said. ‘Obviously there’s been some hard asks along the way.’

Rubio said the administration is not seeking further military action in Venezuela but stressed that force has not been taken off the table. 

‘The president never rules out his options as commander in chief to protect the national interest of the United States,’ Rubio told lawmakers, while emphasizing that the U.S. is ‘not postured to, nor do we intend or expect to have to take any military action in Venezuela at any time.’

Rubio also offered details about the first $500 million of the U.S.-brokered sale of Venezuelan oil, saying $300 million went back to Venezuela to pay for public services, while $200 million remains in a U.S.-run account.

He declined to share details on how long Rodríguez would remain in power, but said a diplomatic presence would help keep a check on the new government. 

‘I can’t give you a timeline of how long it takes. It can’t take forever,’ Rubio said. ‘But it’s not even been four weeks.’

His comments come amid mixed signals from Venezuela’s interim leadership. In recent days, Rodríguez has struck a defiant tone toward Washington, declaring she had ‘enough’ of U.S. influence in Venezuelan politics during a speech to oil workers broadcast on state television.

The remarks appeared aimed largely at a domestic audience, even as Venezuela remains constrained by U.S. sanctions and dependent on American decisions over oil licenses and revenue controls.

Rubio said the administration’s goal is to push Venezuela toward a democratic transition, describing the Maduro regime as ‘a base of operation for virtually every competitor, adversary and enemy in the world.’ 

He said the U.S. is aiming for a ‘friendly, stable, prosperous Venezuela and democratic… with free and fair elections,’ while acknowledging the process will take time.

Pressed on corruption concerns, Rubio said an audit mechanism is being established. 

‘The audit will be on,’ he told senators, stressing that spending would be restricted to approved public needs.

The U.S. Capitol Police told Fox News Digital one person was arrested for disrupting Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill. 

The individual was escorted from the hearing room at the Dirksen Senate Office Building as Rubio was about to deliver his opening statement about U.S. policy towards Venezuela.  

‘All right, here we go … you know the drill, off to jail,’ Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said after a man in the audience got up and started yelling about a ‘war crime’ while holding a sign that said ‘Hands Off Venezuela.’ 

‘That’s a one-year ban from the committee. Anyone who is a persistent violator will be banned for three years. So, I don’t know whether the guy falls in that category, looks like it,’ added Risch, who is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. ‘I hope after three years he’ll find a more productive means of employment.’

‘Secretary Rubio, we have two hearings a week. You know, you seem to have a more robust following than most of our witnesses that come before us,’ Risch added. 

‘There’ll be a couple more. Thank you for stopping the clock, but I appreciate it,’ Rubio responded. 

The U.S. Capitol Police said the individual was arrested for demonstrating in a committee.  

‘It is against the law to protest inside the congressional buildings,’ the U.S. Capitol Police told Fox News Digital.

Prior to the outburst, Risch thanked the audience for their attendance but also warned, ‘This is a public hearing. It is also the official business of the United States of America. And as a result of that, the committee has a zero-tolerance policy for interruptions or for attempts by anyone in the room to communicate with somebody up here or the witness.

‘So, as a result of that, if you do disrupt, you will be arrested. You’ll be banned for a year,’ he continued. ‘However, I’m told that we have some guests today who have completed their ban and are back with us again today. We hope you’ve had the time to think about your indiscretions and will behave yourself today. If you don’t, as a persistent violator, you’ll be banned for three years this time.’ 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that he relayed to NATO allies that the U.S. ‘may be the richest country in the world, but we don’t have unlimited resources.’ 

Rubio made the remark at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on U.S. policy toward Venezuela, during which he spoke about the American military operation to capture former dictator Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.  

‘One of the things we’ve explained to our allies in NATO is the United States is not simply focused on Europe. We also have defense needs in the Western Hemisphere. We have defense needs in the Indo-Pacific, and it will require us – we may be the richest country in the world, but we don’t have unlimited resources,’ Rubio said. 

When pressed by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., on whether the U.S. still benefits from NATO, Rubio said, ‘We do. I mean, the problem, but NATO needs to be reimagined as well in terms of the obligations.’

‘And this is not new to this president. Multiple presidents have complained about it. I think this president just complains about it louder than other presidents,’ the secretary added.

Rubio added that prior to Maduro’s capture on Jan. 3, ‘We had in our hemisphere a regime operated by an indicted narco-trafficker that became a base of operation for virtually every competitor, adversary and enemy in the world.’

Rubio also said Wednesday, ‘We are certainly better off today in Venezuela than we were four weeks ago.’ 

‘I’m not here to claim to you this is going to be easy or simple,’ Rubio told lawmakers. ‘I am saying that in three and a half, almost four weeks, we are much further along on this project than we thought we would be, given the complexities of it going into it, and I recognize that it won’t be easy. I mean, look, at the end of the day we are dealing with people over there that have spent most of their lives living in a gangster paradise.’ 

The U.S. Capitol Police told Fox News Digital that one person was arrested for disrupting Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill. 

The individual was escorted away from the hearing room at the Dirksen Senate Office Building as Rubio was set to deliver his opening statement about U.S. policy towards Venezuela.  

‘All right, here we go… you know the drill, off to jail,’ Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, was heard saying after a man in the audience got up and started yelling about a ‘war crime’ while holding a sign that read ‘Hands Off Venezuela.’ 

‘That’s a one-year ban from the committee. Anyone who is a persistent violator will be banned for three years. So I don’t know whether the guy falls in that category, looks like it,’ added Risch, who is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. ‘I hope after three years he’ll find a more productive means of employment.’

‘Secretary Rubio, we have two hearings a week. You know, you seem to have a more robust following than most of our witnesses that come before us,’ Risch also said. 

‘There’ll be a couple more, thank you for stopping the clock, but I appreciate it,’ Rubio responded. 

The U.S. Capitol Police said the individual was arrested for Demonstrating in a Committee.  

‘It is against the law to protest inside the Congressional Buildings,’ the U.S. Capitol Police told Fox News Digital.

Prior to the outburst, Risch thanked the audience for their attendance, but also warned: ‘This is a public hearing. It is also the official business of the United States of America. And as a result of that, the committee has a zero-tolerance policy for interruptions or for attempts by anyone in the room to communicate with somebody up here or the witness.’ 

‘So as a result of that, if you do disrupt, you will be arrested. You’ll be banned for a year,’ he continued. ‘However, I’m told that we have some guests today who have completed their ban and are back with us again today. We hope you’ve had the time to think about your indiscretions and will behave yourself today. I you don’t, as a persistent violator, you’ll be banned for three years this time.’