Former special counsel Jack Smith is standing by his 2023 decision to subpoena several Republican lawmakers’ phone records, calling the move ‘entirely proper’ and consistent with Justice Department policy.

Smith said through his lawyers in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital that the subpoenaed data, known as toll records, belonging to eight senators and one House member were carefully targeted to support his investigation into President Donald Trump’s alleged subversion of the 2020 election.

‘As described by various Senators, the toll data collection was narrowly tailored and limited to the four days from January 4, 2021 to January 7, 2021, with a focus on telephonic activity during the period immediately surrounding the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol,’ Smith’s lawyers wrote Tuesday to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

Toll records do not reveal the contents of phone calls but instead reveal when calls were made and to whom.

Smith’s lawyers said that although Grassley, who brought the subpoenas to light, has not reached out to Smith, they felt compelled to write to the chairman to address claims from Republicans that Smith improperly spied on lawmakers.

Grassley responded to the letter, saying he would continue an unbiased probe into Arctic Frost, the name of the FBI investigation that led to Smith’s election-related prosecution of Trump.

‘I’m conducting an objective assessment of the facts&law like he says he wants So far we exposed an anti-Trump FBI agent started the investigation/broke FBI rules &only REPUBLICANS were targeted SMELLS LIKE POLITICS,’ Grassley wrote on X.

The targeted senators included Republican Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. 

In addition to the eight senators, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Fox News’ Sean Hannity Tuesday that he recently discovered Smith also attempted to subpoena his toll records but that his phone company, AT&T, did not hand them over.

The Republicans have broadly claimed they were inappropriately spied on, and compared Arctic Frost to the Watergate scandal.

Smith’s lawyers emphasized the normalcy of seeking out phone records and said that public officials are not immune from investigation.

Smith brought four criminal charges against Trump alleging he illegally attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election, but he dismissed the charges after Trump won the 2024 election, citing a DOJ policy that discourages prosecuting sitting presidents. 

Former special counsel Robert Hur sought toll records during his investigation into former President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents. The DOJ subpoenaed phone records of former Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez, who is serving prison time after he was convicted in 2024 of corruption charges.

The first Trump administration subpoenaed phone records of Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and then-Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and dozens of congressional staffers from both parties as part of a leak investigation.

Former DOJ inspector general Michael Horowitz warned in a report about the leak probe that lawmakers’ records should only be subpoenaed in narrow circumstances because it ‘risks chilling Congress’s ability to conduct oversight of the executive branch.’

Smith’s lawyers also disputed FBI Director Kash Patel’s accusations that he attempted to hide the subpoenas ‘in a lockbox in a vault,’ noting that the former special counsel mentioned subpoenaing senators’ records in a footnote of his final special counsel report.

‘Moreover, the precise records at issue were produced in discovery to President Trump’s personal lawyers, some of whom now serve in senior positions within the Department of Justice,’ Smith’s lawyers said.

Read Smith’s letter below. App users click here.

President Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) owes him money for past prosecutions against him. 

In the Oval Office, a reporter asked Trump if he was seeking compensation from the DOJ over past federal investigations into him and, if so, how much he was seeking. 

‘Well, I guess they probably owe me a lot of money for that,’ Trump said in response. ‘No, I get no salary. I gave up my salary. It’s a good salary. Not as much as these guys make, but that’s OK. It’s a lot of money, and I don’t, as you know, I didn’t take it in the first four years. I didn’t take it these four years either.’

‘But as far as all of the litigation, everything that’s been involved, yeah, they probably owe me a lot of money,’ the president added. ‘But if I get money from our country, I’ll do something nice with it. Like, give it to charity or give it to the White House while we restore the White House, and we’re doing a great job with the White House, as you know, the ballroom is under construction.’ 

The New York Times reported sources as saying Trump is seeking approximately $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for investigations into him. 

Trump told reporters Tuesday that he was ‘not looking for money,’ but that they ‘would have to ask the lawyers about that.’ 

‘We’ll see what happens,’ Trump said. ‘We have numerous cases having to do with the fraud of the election, the 2020 election, and because of everything that we found out, I guess they owe me a lot of money. But I’m not looking for money. I’m looking for — really, I think it’s got to be, it’s got to be handled in a proper way… We don’t want it to happen again. We can never let what happened in the 2020 election happen again. We just can’t let that happen.’ 

He was later pressed again about the exact dollar amount in the request and said, ‘I don’t know what the number is. I don’t even talk to them about it.’

Trump then remarked that the decision would have to come across his desk, saying that it would be ‘awfully strange to make a decision where I’m paying myself.’

‘In other words, did you ever have one of those cases where you have to decide how much you’re paying yourself in damages?’ Trump said. ‘But I was damaged very greatly. And any money that I would get, I would give to charity.’ 

The Times noted that the DOJ’s rules state that settlement claims against the department that exceed $4 million ‘must be approved by the Deputy Attorney General, or Associate Attorney General, as appropriate.’

It is unclear where the claims or negotiations with the DOJ stand. However, The Associated Press noted that the ties between Trump and those authorized to make a decision on the settlement could present problems. 

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche served as one of Trump’s attorneys in the Mar-a-Lago case. Additionally, Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward represented Trump’s co-defendant, Walt Nauta, in the Mar-a-Lago case.

‘In any circumstance, all officials at the Department of Justice follow the guidance of career ethics officials,’ DOJ spokesperson Chad Gilmartin said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

The investigations include the FBI’s 2022 raid of Mar-a-Lago as part of the classified documents case and another probe looking into possible ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. According to the Times, the first claim was filed in late 2023 and was in relation to the Russia probe, while the second — which focused on the Mar-a-Lago raid — was filed in the summer of 2024.

The Times reported Tuesday that Trump had submitted complaints through an administrative claim process, noting that it is something that often precedes lawsuits. 

Despite the president saying that he would donate the funds, some Democrats painted the report as an example of Trump trying to enrich himself. 

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said on Wednesday morning that the president was looking ‘to line his own pockets, or he says now to give to a charity of his choice.’ The senator added to the accusation, saying Trump was ‘focusing on getting $230 million that he doesn’t deserve back into his pocket instead of helping the American people get healthcare.’

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., who was in the middle of an hours-long speech, slammed Trump for ‘suing the government, then instructing his Department of Justice to settle the suit, thereby translating money into the president’s pocket out of the government.’

Merkley then remarked that ‘there is no limit to the self-serving’ and called for his colleagues, particularly Republicans, to speak out against the president.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Conservatives and Trump supporters were quick to remind former first lady Hillary Clinton about her 2021 furniture controversy with former President Bill Clinton as she attempted to lambaste President Donald Trump for constructing a ballroom at the White House. 

‘At least he didn’t steal the silverware,’ Texas Sen. Ted Cruz posted to X Tuesday lambasting Clinton.  

Clinton’s X post quickly set off condemnation from conservatives reflecting on the 2001 furniture controversy, when the Clintons took an estimated $28,000 in White House furnishings provided by donors and paid $86,000 to the federal government for other gifts they received. 

‘Gifts did not leave the White House without the approval of the White House usher’s and curator’s offices,’ the Clintons said in a 2001 statement. ‘Of course, if the White House now determines that a cataloging error occurred … any item in question will be returned.’

‘All of these items were considered gifts to us,’ Hillary Clinton added at the time. ‘That’s what the permanent record of the White House showed. . . . But if there is a different intent, we will certainly honor the intention of the donor.’

Trump announced Monday that construction had begun on the ballroom, following months of the president floating the planned project to modernize the White House. The project does not cost taxpayers and is privately funded, the White House reported. 

The 90,000-square-foot ballroom project is expected to accommodate approximately 650 seated guests, according to the White House. 

‘I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom,’ Trump said on Truth Social. ‘Completely separate from the White House itself, the East Wing is being fully modernized as part of this process, and will be more beautiful than ever when it is complete!’ 

Photos of the demolition crew dismantling the East Wing’s facade circulated on social media and in news reports. Clinton responded to the construction in a message rallying voters against Trump’s project. 

‘It’s not his house,’ Hillary Clinton wrote on X Tuesday morning. ‘It’s your house. And he’s destroying it.’ 

The social media post included a screenshot of The Washington Post’s report, ‘White House begins demolishing East Wing Facade to build Trump’s ballroom,’ accompanied by a photo of a demolition crew. 

Other Clinton critics pointed to former President Bill Clinton’s sex scandal with an intern in their responses on social media, and others rehashed the Lincoln Bedroom controversy. 

Bill Clinton and his administration fell under scrutiny in the 1990s for hosting donors for overnight stays at the White House, specifically the Lincoln Bedroom, allegedly in exchange for campaign donations. The then-president denied selling out the room for donations. 

‘Yes, between selling nights in the Lincoln bedroom to donors and her husband’s tutelage of the interns in the Oval Office, if anyone treated the WH as sacred it was the Clintons,’ conservative writer Mark Hemingway wrote on X.  

‘The ballroom will be spectacular… unlike your work in Haiti,’ Eric Trump shot back at Clinton. 

‘Hi Hillary, Remind us, wasn’t it you who walked off with $28,000 in White House furniture when you moved out?’ conservative influencer Benny Johnson posted to X. ‘And your husband who defiled the Oval Office during his presidency? President Trump’s funding a beautiful new ballroom out of his own pocket.’ 

‘There’s literally a Clinton scandal for every tweet she sends,’ Missouri Rep. Eric Burlison posted to X, accompanied by a screenshot of a news report on the Clintons taking an estimated $190,000 in gifted White House furniture when leaving office. 

‘A Clinton would never defile the White House,’ former Trump staffer Alex Pfeiffer wrote. 

‘I remember when the Clintons stole the people’s furniture and tableware,’ columnist David Harsanyi posted.

‘Almost every president of has done renovations to the White House including the Clintons who did a big spread in House Beautiful in 1993 about theirs–the East Wing façade is just that a façade, not part of the original structure and added in 1942 per Franklin D. Roosevelt,’ conservative columnist Salena Zito wrote. 

‘What her husband did inside ‘our house’ is the real abomination,’ Fox Business’ Dagen McDowell posted to X. 

The ballroom construction comes after Trump made other updates to the White House, including installing two 88-foot-tall American flags and an overhaul to the White House Rose Garden. 

‘President Trump is working 24/7 to Make America Great Again, including his historic beautification of the White House, at no taxpayer expense,’ White House spokesman Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital Tuesday when asked about Clinton’s post and other Democrats criticizing the ballroom construction. ‘These long-needed upgrades will benefit generations of future presidents and American visitors to the People’s House.’ 

Fox News Digital reached out to Hillary Clinton’s office Wednesday morning regarding but did not immediately receive a reply. 

Vice President JD Vance declared Wednesday that, ‘these are days of destiny,’ as he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to build on the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

‘We have a very, very tough task ahead of us, which is to disarm Hamas but rebuild Gaza to make life better for the people in Gaza, but also to ensure that Hamas is no longer a threat to our friends in Israel,’ Vance said in Jerusalem, speaking alongside Netanyahu.

‘That’s not easy. I think the prime minster knows that as well as anybody. But it’s something that we’re committed to in the Trump administration,’ Vance continued. ‘And I think that we’ve, even in the past 24 hours, had a lot of good conversations with our friends in the Israeli government, but also, frankly with our friends in the Arab world who are stepping up and volunteering to play a very positive role in this.’

‘As the prime minister said, these are days of destiny, and we’re very excited to sit down and work together on the Gaza peace plan,’ Vance added.

Netanyahu told reporters that Israel has an unmatched alliance and partnership with the U.S. that is generating opportunities for security and the expansion of peace in the Middle East.

Vance also met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday, telling reporters afterward, ‘We’re here to talk about how to ensure that the peace agreement that started about a week ago sticks, that we move into phase two, into phase three with success.’

The peace deal included the release of hostages being held by Hamas.

‘As the president said, there will be torments along the way. It will be difficult, but I feel very optimistic based on my conversation with our Israeli friends and also with our Gulf Arab friends, that it’s possible that we actually can make peace stick, and that we can create the kind of environment where our Gulf Arab friends and our Israeli friends can build a better Middle East for everybody,’ Vance added. ‘So that is the goal of the administration. We think that it’s in the best interest of the United States. We also think that it’s in the best interest of everybody who lives here.’

Herzog said, ‘I truly believe that the fact you’re here is another brick in building the future for peace.’

‘We all are grateful to President Donald Trump for his steadfast insistence on moving forward. We must move forward,’ Herzog continued. ‘We must offer hope for the region, for Israel, the Palestinians, our neighbors, and for the future of our children.’

Election season should be about casting your vote and making your voice heard. But for scammers, it’s an opportunity to trick retirees into handing over personal details, money or even their vote itself.

What many don’t realize is that public voter registration data is one of the biggest tools fraudsters use. With elections coming up on Nov. 4, scammers are already scraping these records and using them to create targeted scams. If you’re a retiree or helping a parent or loved one prepare to vote, here’s how to stay safe.

Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter 

Why voter records are public and risky

Every state in the U.S. keeps voter registration lists. These include personal details like:

• Full name
• Home address
• Phone number (in some states)
• Political party affiliation
• Voting history (whether you voted, not who you voted for).

While these lists are meant for transparency, they’re often made available online or sold in bulk. Data brokers scoop them up, combine them with other records and suddenly scammers have a detailed profile of you: your age, address and voting habits. For retirees, this exposure is especially dangerous. Why? Because seniors are less likely to know that this information is floating around, making scams seem more convincing.

You can easily check where your personal information is exposed with a free data exposure scanner. 

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com

Scams targeting retirees before Nov. 4

Here are the most common election-season cons fraudsters are already running:

1) Fake ‘polling place’ updates

You might get a call, text or email saying your polling location has changed. Scammers may then direct you to a fake site that asks for your Social Security number or ID details ‘to confirm eligibility.’

2) ‘Voter ID update’ messages

Since some states require voter ID, scammers will pose as election officials, claiming your ID is ‘out of date’ or that you must upload personal documents. These go straight into the wrong hands.

3) Donation scams

Criminals set up fake political donation sites with names resembling real campaigns. Retirees who are politically active or generous with causes are prime targets here.

4) Absentee ballot phishing

Scammers know many seniors vote by mail. They’ll send emails offering to ‘help’ with requests or track your ballot while stealing your personal data in the process.

Red flags to watch out for

Scammers use clever tricks to make their messages seem urgent and official. Here are the warning signs that should make you pause before responding.

• Urgency: ‘Act now or lose your right to vote.’ Scammers use deadlines to scare you.
• Unusual payment requests: No legitimate election office will ever ask for payment to vote or register.
• Strange links: If you’re asked to click on a link from a text or email, stop. Always go directly to your state’s official election website instead.
• Requests for sensitive info: Election officials don’t need your Social Security number or bank account details.

How retirees can stay safe this election season

Protecting yourself doesn’t mean opting out of civic life. It means taking a few smart steps:

1) Reduce your data footprint

This one matters most. The less personal data available about you, the fewer opportunities scammers have to trick you during election season. When they can view your age, address and even your voting history, they can craft messages that sound alarmingly real. The good news is you can take control and limit what’s out there.

Reaching every voter data broker or people-search site on your own is nearly impossible, and most make the process intentionally difficult. That’s why data removal services can help. They automatically send removal requests to hundreds of data-broker sites and keep monitoring to ensure your information doesn’t return. The result is fewer scam calls, fewer phishing emails and far less risk this election season.

While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites.  It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com

2) Confirm only through official sources

If you get a message about your polling place, ignore any links and call your local election office directly. Each state also has an official website you can trust.

3) Sign up for ballot tracking

Many states offer secure ballot tracking online. Use only the official election site, not third-party services.

4) Freeze your credit

Since scammers use voter data to impersonate you, a credit freeze stops them from opening new accounts in your name. Retirees who don’t need frequent new credit are especially good candidates for this protection.

5) Be wary of political donation sites

If you want to donate, type the campaign’s official website into your browser instead of clicking a link in an email or social media ad.

Kurt’s key takeaway

Voting is one of the most important rights we have. But this year, scammers will use public voter data to exploit retirees like never before. Don’t let them steal your peace of mind. By spotting the red flags, sticking to official election sources and removing your personal data from the web, you can protect yourself and your vote.

Have you or someone you know received a suspicious message about voting or donations? How did you realize or suspect that it was a scam? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter

Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.  

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is looking to hold Democrats’ ‘feet to the fire’ with new legislation seeking special funding for farmers and food assistance programs amid the government shutdown.

Hawley’s bills would reinstate federal funding for the Farm Service Agency as well as the federal SNAP food program. Democrats have so far refused to work with Republicans amid the government shutdown, now the second-longest in U.S. history.

‘We need to start forcing Democrats to make some tough votes. We need to start holding their feet to the fire,’ Hawley said in an interview with Fox News Digital. ‘I mean, do they really not want people to be able to eat? This situation is ridiculous.’

He says the farm bill is critical as the shutdown has landed squarely in harvest season for much of the country, including his home state of Missouri.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has led Republicans in voting to fund the government 11 times since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, but Democrats have refused to cooperate, demanding extensive changes to the budget.

President Donald Trump has taken executive action to secure funding for members of the military, but the vast majority of the government remains stalled.

‘I have huge respect for what President Trump has done during this shutdown with shifting the funding pools available to him to help servicemembers and police. But even he is going to run out of tools soon,’ Hawley said.

Trump, speaking to Hawley and other Senate Republicans at the White House on Tuesday, accused Democrats of ‘holding the entire federal government hostage.’

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, R-N.Y., has remained obstinate in his demands for an extension to expiring Obamacare subsidies. Though Senate Republicans have been open to holding a vote on the matter after the government reopens, Democrats want an ironclad guarantee that the subsidies will be extended well before their expiration at the end of this year.

Thune reiterated at the White House on Tuesday that Senate Republicans are united in their war of attrition strategy to continue putting the same bill on the floor again and again.

‘I mean, they want $1.5 trillion in new spending. They want free healthcare for people who are noncitizens in this country. That is just a flat nonstarter. It doesn’t pass the Senate. It won’t pass the House. It won’t be signed into law by the president,’ Thune said.

Read Hawely’s Fund Our Farmers Act below (App users click here)

Read Hawley’s Keep SNAP Funded Act below (App users click here)

Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report.

After years of pressure to increase defense spending, Japan announced plans to do so just ahead of a trip by President Donald Trump to the region next week.

‘We are firmly preparing for President Trump’s visit,’ Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said.

Trump is expected to meet with Japan’s new hawkish Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office on Tuesday and leads a new right-wing coalition. Trump already congratulated the new prime minister on becoming Japan’s first female top leader.

Motegi said the new government hoped to strengthen U.S. relations during the visit and build a personal relationship with the Trump administration.

Defense analysts have long called on Japan to increase its defense spending, which stands at 1% of GDP. The nation is currently undergoing a five-year military buildup with aims at 2% defense spending by 2027. Takachi plans to move the 2027 target up to this year, according to a Kyodo News report.

During the meeting with Trump, Takaichi is expected to face pressure to raise defense spending even further to match NATO’s 5% target.

Next week Trump is set to travel to Asia for meetings in Japan, Malaysia and South Korea, where he will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

The meetings come as U.S.-China relations have turned frigid, with Beijing cutting off exports of key critical minerals and the U.S. cutting off tariff negotiations.

Takaichi, who as a young woman spent time interning in the U.S. Congress, has expressed concern about Japan’s reliance on the U.S., but signaled intentions to work closely with Trump. She took office on a recent populist wave in Japan similar to the MAGA movement.

The U.S. has spooked some Japanese officials with Trump’s suggestion that Japan should pay for U.S. troops in the region. Around 60,000 U.S. military personnel are stationed in Japan, making it the largest foreign host of U.S. forces.

Adding to those concerns, a trade framework in July placed a 15% tariff on imported Japanese goods, with higher rates for steel, aluminum and auto parts.

Takaichi has taken a hawkish approach to China and declared ‘Japan is back,’ while promising to more strictly regulate immigration and tourism and suggesting Japan’s textbooks should revise how they teach World War II to reflect a more nationalistic view.

The shift marks a dramatic moment for Japan’s postwar defense policy, which has traditionally emphasized restraint under its pacifist constitution. A push toward rearmament under Takaichi would cement a broader regional trend toward military expansion, as China, South Korea and Taiwan all race to modernize their forces amid growing instability in the Indo-Pacific.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Hunter Biden was furious with former President Barack Obama for leading then-President Joe Biden offstage with a guiding hand at a June 2024 fundraiser, according to a new book from ABC News’ Jonathan Karl.

An excerpt from the book, obtained by Axios, details how the younger Biden believed Obama had disrespected and embarrassed the president.

‘I almost jumped up on the stage and said, ‘Don’t ever f–king do that to the president of the United States again — ever,” Hunter told Karl in an interview.

‘The younger Biden insisted his dad was simply taking some time to acknowledge the crowd. ‘I knew that that was going to be a meme,’ Hunter recalled. ‘That really, really, really, really pissed me off,” the book reads.

The incident was one of many that contributed to criticism that Biden was too old to hold office, an opinion held by the vast majority of voters, according to polls from the time.

The clip was just one of many in the latter months of Biden’s presidency that showed an ally, aide or family member stepping in to seemingly direct or guide Biden off a stage or during an event.

The Obama incident came just days after Biden had to be redirected by another world leader during a G7 event in Italy. The former president was arrayed with other world leaders as he appeared to wander a few steps away from the group.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni then walked over to the president, touched his right arm and redirected him back to the group of world leaders.

The White House at the time dismissed the clip for having an ‘artificially narrow frame’ that only made it seem as though Biden was walking away from the crowd.

Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Colombia’s former defense minister Juan Carlos Pinzón warned that the once-close U.S.–Colombia alliance has ‘collapsed’ under President Gustavo Petro, accusing the leftist leader of aligning with Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and turning Colombia into a ‘narco-state.’

Pinzón, who is weighing a presidential run, told Fox News Digital he could ‘repair U.S.-Colombian relations in a week’ and urged international oversight of Colombia’s May elections amid what he called growing cartel influence and political corruption.

‘Petro has made himself an ally to [Venezuelan dictator Nicolás] Maduro’s regime, a narco-state, and a regime that is held mainly by the Cartel de los Soles,’ Pinzón said. ‘He has justified the existence of drug trafficking in Colombia … he has aligned himself with the idea of something that he calls ‘Total Peace,’ which implies that he’s providing benefits to drug traffickers and terrorist organizations and in general terms to organized crime.’

Relations between Washington and Bogotá — historically one of the closest U.S. security partnerships in Latin America — have deteriorated sharply under Petro, who has sought warmer ties with Caracas while distancing Colombia from the U.S. and Western allies.

During his tenure as defense minister from 2011 to 2015 under President Juan Manuel Santos, Pinzón oversaw some of Colombia’s most aggressive operations against the FARC and other armed groups, helping drive coca production and kidnappings to historic lows. As ambassador to Washington from 2015 to 2017, he helped secure Colombia’s designation as a major non-NATO ally, expanding intelligence sharing and military training programs with the U.S. — partnerships he now says have been ‘dismantled’ under Petro.

Under Petro’s ‘Total Peace’ policy, the Colombian government negotiates directly with armed criminal groups in an effort to end decades of internal conflict and integrate fighters into civilian life. Critics, including Pinzón, say the initiative has legitimized cartels and weakened the country’s security forces.

‘Homicide has gone up, terrorist actions have gone up, kidnappings have gone up, and the killing of police officers and military is increasing,’ he said. ‘All this is very bad for my country. And this is why I’m so committed to fight this, to confront this.’

Pinzón, who previously served as both defense minister and ambassador to Washington, is positioning himself as a pro-U.S. alternative ahead of Colombia’s 2026 presidential race. ‘I might announce a decision in the coming weeks,’ he said. ‘That’s something that I’m really considering.’

He also called for international election monitoring, warning that criminal networks could interfere in the vote. ‘If I were to ask something to the world today and to the international community — to the U.S., to the European Union, and even to countries in Asia — it’s that they make sure Colombian elections are not tainted by drug trafficking, illegal mining or terrorist hands,’ Pinzón said.

After a recent spat where Petro accused the U.S. of killing a Colombian fisherman in one of its seven Caribbean strikes targeting drug traffickers, Trump announced he would cut off all counter-narcotics aid to Colombia and hike tariffs on the nation. 

Pinzón urged Washington not to punish ordinary Colombians for Petro’s policies.

‘It’s not regular Colombians who are doing this,’ he said. ‘Most of us completely disagree with what is going on under Petro. We don’t want to see tariffs that can affect jobs and businesses in Colombia.’

While he praised Trump’s stance against narco-trafficking and corruption, Pinzón said he hopes the U.S. will avoid cutting counternarcotics aid, which he described as vital to Colombia’s military and police forces on the front lines of the drug war. ‘Our military and police are the real fighters against drugs,’ he said. ‘They continue to sacrifice, they continue to confront terrorism and drug trafficking. If that support disappears, it’s the criminals who are going to benefit.’

Instead, Pinzón said Washington should focus on targeted financial sanctions—such as those imposed by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)—to hit specific traffickers, corrupt officials and their enablers rather than imposing measures that ‘hurt regular Colombians.’ ‘We would prefer OFAC-style sanctions on the people committing crimes,’ he said, ‘not policies that punish those who oppose Petro’s agenda.’

Looking ahead to potential ties with Washington, Pinzón said he could quickly rebuild the partnership through renewed security and intelligence cooperation, technology exchange, and educational programs.

‘I will just come to the U.S., speak openly and clearly with President Trump and the U.S. leadership, and speak on the need of creating a security agreement again on intelligence, on air mobility, on technology, on combating drug trade, but also on critical minerals and education,’ he said. ‘We want more Colombians to come to U.S. schools and enhance their capabilities and come back to Colombia to create knowledge, wealth and prosperity. We’re going to be again the closest ally of the United States strategically in the region.’

If Colombia continues on its current course, Pinzón warned, it could destabilize the entire hemisphere. ‘Colombia is a stabilizer at the end,’ he said. ‘If Colombia fails, the whole region will fail.’

Asked if he would seek U.S. backing, Pinzón said he values bipartisan support. ‘Everybody knows that I will have a very good relationship with the United States, certainly with the current administration, with President Trump,’ he said.

Pinzón also accused Petro of ‘abandoning’ Colombian citizens during a diplomatic spat with Washington after refusing deportation flights from the U.S. because the migrants were shackled. He said he would cooperate on deportations and be open to broader agreements if asked.

‘When Afghanistan fell, we offered the U.S. even to take care of some of the Afghanis if necessary,’ Pinzón said. ‘When you have a strong relationship as the one we used to have between Colombia and the U.S., and we will have if I can get to the presidency, what we’re going to see is a lot of good coordination and a lot of good things for both the people of Colombia and the people of the United States.’

Fox News Digital reached out to the Colombian Embassy for comment but did not receive a response before publication.

For nearly a decade, conservatives have argued President Donald Trump and his allies have been targeted by federal law enforcement agencies. The media and so-called intel experts tried to convince us that Hunter Biden’s laptop was fake news and the Steele Dossier was God’s honest truth. Why? Because of deep political bias against Trump. Rather than sweep these injustices under the rug, I want to set the record straight.  

In September, former FBI Director James Comey, known for misusing his power against the president, was indicted for lying to Congress. I’ve been arguing for five years that Comey’s actions should be examined carefully, including the possibility of criminal misconduct. 

In analyzing the prosecution of Comey, it’s important to review the facts that led to this moment. In July 2016, Comey’s FBI opened Crossfire Hurricane, a counterintelligence operation centered around whether Trump was colluding with Russia during his campaign. The genesis for this theory largely stemmed from the Steele Dossier prepared by Christopher Steele, who we now know was hired on behalf of the Clinton campaign.  

Within a month of opening Crossfire Hurricane, Comey attended a meeting at the White House where then-CIA Director John Brennan briefed then-President Barack Obama, then-Vice President Joe Biden and other high-ranking officials on credible intelligence suggesting then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s campaign may have been behind the narrative that Trump was colluding with the Russians. A few weeks later, Comey also received a memo from the intelligence community supporting the idea that the Clinton campaign signed off on an effort to link Trump to Russia. 

Fast-forward to January 2017, the Russian subsource who provided the information for the Steele Dossier told the FBI that the information in the dossier was unreliable and nothing but hearsay. Despite this interview, Comey and others continued to apply for warrants against Carter Page, an official adviser to the Trump campaign. 

One would think that alarm bells would go off in the FBI when the man primarily responsible for creating the document used to get a warrant in the FISA court had recanted the authenticity of the document. Apparently, this bombshell revelation in the bureau’s most high-profile investigation sat in the bowels of the FBI and never made it to Comey. I find that hard to believe. 

At that time, the FBI clearly possessed exculpatory information exonerating Trump. Despite the fact that the DOJ and FBI have a duty to share exculpatory information and evidence that might undercut the reliability of a warrant application with the FISA court, they never did. 

In 2020, Comey testified during a hearing I called as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee that he was never informed of the dossier’s lack of credibility and that the intelligence reports indicating the Clinton campaign was behind the Russia narrative did not ‘ring any bells.’ I had a hard time then — as I do now — believing that the former FBI director was telling the truth. 

The other matter to consider is the Biden Justice Department’s persecution of Trump. Three days after he announced he would seek the White House in 2024, the Biden DOJ appointed Jack Smith as special counsel.  

Within nine months of launching his campaign, Trump was indicted on 91 criminal counts across four separate jurisdictions — two of which were started by Smith. It is my firm belief that if Trump had decided not to seek the presidency in 2024, none of this would have happened. Many Americans agree with me that these indictments were politically motivated and that Smith was not a fair arbiter of the law.  

It has been the DOJ’s long-standing policy to not charge political candidates before Election Day to avoid the appearance of impropriety. However, Smith obliterated this policy. Within a month before the 2024 election, Smith was allowed to publicly release a brief containing his own version of the evidence against Trump, and he was even allowed to release an unredacted version two weeks before the election.  

Smith not only went after Trump but also his allies in Congress. During their investigation, agents working for Smith obtained records from the phone calls I — as well as eight of my colleagues — made between Jan. 4-7, 2021. At that time, I was the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. These actions are an egregious violation of the Constitution’s separation of powers and should concern every American, regardless of their politics.  

 I’ve been arguing for five years that Comey’s actions should be examined carefully, including the possibility of criminal misconduct. 

The common theme between Comey and Smith is that they cut corners and ignored procedures in their pursuit of Trump. Comey disregarded evidence exonerating Trump during Crossfire Hurricane, and Smith released damaging information about him just weeks before the 2024 election. These misguided investigations resulted in numerous indictments, flooded the media with negative stories about Trump and wasted millions of taxpayer dollars.  

Fortunately, the American people saw through these examples of weaponization by the DOJ and FBI, but Comey, Smith and others still inflicted great damage on our country. Their misconduct eroded trust in our institutions and threatened the Constitution’s fundamental principle of equal justice under law. 

These abuses by Comey and Smith come along with numerous other examples of Democratic administrations targeting conservatives, including the RNC, parents attending school board meetings, Americans going to church, the America First Policy Institute, among others. When you hear Republicans say the law has been weaponized against President Trump and his supporters, at least have some understanding of why we feel that way. To suggest otherwise defies reality and common sense. 

I will join my Republican colleagues and fellow Americans in refusing to be intimidated. We will keep pushing to hold accountable those who were responsible for outrageous abuses of power in an effort to destroy all things Trump.