President Donald Trump has shown interest in a House GOP bill that would block federal judges from issuing nationwide injunctions, two sources familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital.

Top White House aides communicated to senior Capitol Hill staff this week that ‘the president wants this,’ the sources said. They said the White House felt that time was of the essence in the matter and that Trump wanted Congress to move swiftly.

It comes after various U.S. district court judges issued more than a dozen nationwide orders at least temporarily blocking Trump’s executive orders.

The bill by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., if it passed Congress and was signed into law, would bar such judges in most cases from blocking Trump policies on a national scale.

Issa’s office did not directly confirm whether the exchange occurred but told Fox News Digital, ‘President Trump knows we need a national solution to this major malfunction in the federal judiciary, and we think we have the momentum to get this done.’

A White House official told Fox News Digital they would not get ahead of the president on legislative matters.

However, the idea has appeared to gain traction in the upper levels of the White House. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller complained on X twice Thursday about federal district judges having the ability to affect policies for the entire country, though he did not mention Issa’s bill specifically.

‘It takes 5 Supreme Court justices to issue a ruling that affects the whole nation. Yet lone District Court judges assume the authority to unilaterally dictate the policies of the entire executive branch of government,’ Miller posted. 

He posted again later, writing, ‘Under what theory of the constitution does a single Marxist judge in San Francisco have the same executive power as the Commander-in-Chief elected by the whole nation to lead the executive branch? No such theory exists. It is merely naked judicial tyranny.’

Issa’s legislation reads, ‘Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no United States district court shall issue any order providing for injunctive relief, except in the case of such an order that is applicable only to limit the actions of a party to the case before such district court with respect to the party seeking injunctive relief from such district court.’

The bill advanced through the House Judiciary Committee earlier this month. Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told CNN on Wednesday, ‘We think that’s good. We passed it through the committee. We’ll try to look to pass it on the House floor and move it through the process.’

Jordan told Fox News Digital last month he thought Issa’s bill ‘makes sense,’ and the committee would ‘try to move fairly quick on that bill.’ Fox News Digital reached out to the House Judiciary Committee for comment on Trump’s backing of Issa’s bill but did not hear back by press time.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, meanwhile, did not immediately comment on Issa’s bill, but a spokesperson told Fox News Digital he would be holding hearings on the matter.

‘The recent surge of sweeping decisions by district judges merits serious scrutiny. The Senate Judiciary Committee will be closely examining this topic in a hearing and exploring potential legislative solutions in the weeks ahead,’ a spokesperson for the committee said.

However, it comes amid some disagreements among congressional Republicans about how to heed Trump’s call to deal with ‘activist’ judges.

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, recently introduced a resolution to impeach U.S. District Judge James Boasberg after he ordered a 14-day emergency stop to Trump’s plans to deport suspected Tren De Aragua gang members to El Salvador.

Gill argued that Boasberg abused his power in doing so, and told Fox News Digital this week that he hoped the resolution would go through the regular committee process – something Jordan seemed open to.

Jordan told multiple outlets he would potentially hold hearings on Gill’s resolution, which is a traditional step in the impeachment inquiry process.

Trump posted on Truth Social earlier this week that he wanted Boasberg impeached as well.

However, multiple sources told Fox News Digital that House GOP leaders are more wary of the impeachment route, given the virtual guarantee that such a move would not get the necessary Democrats to pass the Senate.

‘It’s another intense whipping process for something that won’t move at all in the Senate,’ one senior House GOP aide said. ‘I think the White House is trying to find something easier to do.’

House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office told Fox News Digital that he was looking at all available options when reached for comment on House Republicans’ path forward on Thursday morning.

‘Activist judges with political agendas pose a significant threat to the rule of law, equal justice, and the separation of powers. The Speaker looks forward to working with the Judiciary Committee as they review all available options under the Constitution to address this urgent matter,’ a spokesperson for Johnson, R-La., said.

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump has signaled an openness to holding off on killing an oil deal forged between former President Joe Biden and Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, after he previously ordered Chevron and other U.S. firms to close up shop in oil-rich Venezuela.

Several Cabinet secretaries, including the Department of Energy’s Chris Wright, the Department of the Interior’s Doug Burgum and the Department of Commerce’s Howard Lutnick, were present during a meeting at the White House Wednesday, which also featured several oil executives and representatives of energy advocacy groups.

A source familiar with the events told Fox News Digital there was a brainstorming session as to how best to deal with Maduro and also help grow U.S. energy dominance and strengthen U.S. oil firms.

Trump reportedly explored ways to incentivize oil imports that would align with U.S. foreign policy goals while benefiting American consumers and workers.

Lutnick reportedly floated the idea of increasing pressure on Maduro by tariffing Venezuela instead of revoking leases for what are U.S. oil firms, Fox News Digital has learned. 

Trump was warm to the idea, as he has long advocated a hardline stance against the Caracas dictatorship, said the source, who declined to be identified. 

Trump charged in February that the Maduro regime had not lived up to its end of the deal forged by his Delawarean predecessor, particularly in the form of election reform after the dictator ‘won’ the latest disputed contest last year.

‘We are hereby reversing the concessions that Crooked Joe Biden gave to Nicolás Maduro, of Venezuela, on the oil transaction agreement, dated November 26, 2022,’ Trump announced on Truth Social.

‘Additionally, the regime has not been transporting the violent criminals that they sent into our Country (the Good Ole’ U.S.A.) back to Venezuela at the rapid pace that they had agreed to.’

Trump called Biden’s agreement ‘ineffective and unmet’ and ordered U.S. oil firms to begin winding down their presence in the country starting March 1.

Maduro deputy Delcy Rodriguez called the move ‘damaging and inexplicable.’ 

The source familiar with the meeting told Fox News Digital that Trump has indicated he wants to balance U.S. foreign policy challenges while seeing that the U.S. benefits from the heavy crude that Venezuela produces – which is tailor-made for the types of refineries that dot the Gulf Coast domestically and create U.S. jobs.

Fox News Digital reached out to Lutnick, Wright and the White House for comment. 

Wright previously told Reuters after the meeting that Trump’s ‘whole economic agenda is to lower prices in the United States and grow job opportunities in the United States.’

Earlier this month in Miami, Fox News Digital was one of a few media outlets on hand when Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla. – whose family fled the Castro dictatorship in the 1960s – hosted Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó at an event praising the Trump administration’s hardline stance toward dictatorship.

In an exclusive interview, Gimenez said Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua are ‘all pretty much tied together’ in the fact they are dictatorial regimes repressing their own people.

‘I expect this is just the first step in trying to liberate these countries. The people of Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua deserve freedom,’ he said of Trump’s initial overtures toward Venezuela.

During the event, Guaidó also offered remarks in Spanish praising Trump and slamming Central American despots.

‘[W]e need a strong, prosperous and safe Latin America – and one that will be safe, with democracy and freedom,’ he said.

‘I have no doubt in President Trump, and in the message that he is sending directly to the heart of those who financed the coup d’état perpetrated by the dictatorship on July 28, 2024 (the disputed/corrupt re-election of Maduro)…’ he said.

‘It is accurate, correct and timely to confront that dictatorship and also [send] a message to those who today usurp [power] in Cuba and Nicaragua that they will not have impunity,’ Guaidó added.

Venezuela had long been a friendly oil-trading partner of the U.S. until the leftist regime took root following the 1998 and 2000 elections under the rule of the late Hugo Chavez and foreign policy challenges arose.

The Taliban on Thursday released American hostage George Glezmann after holding him for more than two years in Afghanistan following negotiations between the Trump administration and Qatari officials, a diplomatic source with knowledge of the release told Fox News Digital.

Glezmann departed the Kabul airport Wednesday evening local time on his way to Doha where he will then be met by U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler along with a team from the Qatari Foreign Ministry.

The release of the 65-year-old American, abducted while visiting Kabul as a tourist on Dec. 5, 2022, comes after Boehler met with officials from the Afghan foreign ministry in direct talks alongside Qatari officials.

While Qatar has maintained diplomatic relations with Afghanistan following the 2021 Taliban takeover, the U.S. has not. 

The diplomatic source confirmed that Glezmann’s release was done as a ‘goodwill gesture’ by the Taliban as an indication of ‘trust’ in Qatar’s continued role as intermediary between Washington and Kabul. 

The exchange differs from the release of two other Americans freed earlier this year, including Ryan Corbett and William Mckenty, who were released in exchange for a Taliban member in U.S. custody in a final hour deal struck by the Biden administration.

Secretary of State Macro Rubio championed the release and said, ‘George Glezmann is free. George was wrongfully detained in Afghanistan for two and a half years, but now he’s on his way to be reunited with his wife Aleksandra. Welcome home, George!’

The Trump administration has made hostage releases around the globe a top priority, as well as renewing relations with adversarial nations. 

It is unclear at this point if Boehler’s meeting with the Afghan foreign ministry signifies the U.S. will establish official diplomatic ties with the Taliban, particularly as Washington tries to secure the release of another American still held in Afghanistan.

U.S. citizen Mahmood Habibi has been held by the Taliban for more than two years, though the insurgent-run goverment denies it is holding him. 

Check back on this developing story. 

President Donald Trump accused former President Joe Biden on Sunday of using an autopen to sign important documents — including pardons on including some for lawmakers who served on the House Select Committee to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Trump claimed that Biden’s more than 8,000 pardons were void and that Biden did not know what documents he was signing through the automated device, calling into question Biden’s mental sharpness while in office and whether he personally approved all official actions. 

What is an autopen, and how does it work?

An autopen is a device that physically holds a pen and is programmed to replicate a person’s signature. It is not a stamp or a digitized print of someone’s signature, and various autopen machines have the capability to hold different types of pens, ranging from ballpoint to permanent marker, according to descriptions of autopen machines available for purchase. 

Modern machines allow someone to save a signature on a smart card or USB flash drive, and then transfer it to the machine. To activate the device, one inserts the pen and then either presses a button or uses a foot pedal to create the signature. 

Other autopen machines have the capacity to write full-length letters for mass, handwritten mail campaigns, where one can select various fonts and input data to determine spacing, size, angle, among other things. 

Use of an autopen is common for lawmakers and other figures like celebrities, who may be required to sign a large swath of documents at one time. For example, former President Barack Obama signed off on an aide using an autopen machine in 2011 to reauthorize the Patriot Act, while he was abroad in France and unable to physically sign it himself. 

That episode marked the first known incident of a president signing legislation with an autopen, even though other presidents like Lyndon B. Johnson were photographed with the machine and reportedly used it to sign correspondence after the machine’s invention during World War II. 

A White House official confirmed to Fox News Digital Tuesday that Trump uses his hand signature on every legally operational or binding document, in keeping with his administration’s official policy during both terms. However, Trump admitted he uses one for letters. 

Trump told reporters on Air Force One Sunday that although he employs an autopen for correspondence, it is ‘disgraceful’ to use one when signing documents such as pardons.

However, the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel determined in 2005 that the president is authorized to use an autopen to sign bills into law. More recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued a ruling in February that said the absence of ‘a writing does not equate to proof that a commutation did not occur.’

‘The constitutional text is thus silent as to any particular form the President’s clemency act must take to be effective,’ the circuit court said in its opinion.

Despite Trump’s concerns over the validity of Biden’s pardons due to the alleged use of an autopen, constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley told Fox News Digital that the odds of successfully legally challenging them in court are ‘vanishingly low.’ 

‘Presidents are allowed to use the autopen and courts will not presume a dead-hand conspiracy,’ Turley said. 

A spokesperson for Biden did not provide comment on the record to Fox News Digital. 

Trump’s attacks on Biden over the use of an autopen come after the Oversight Project with conservative think-tank The Heritage Foundation released a report March 6 claiming that it conducted an analysis of Biden documents, and found that a majority of documents signed during his administration used an autopen.

‘This apparent use raises concerns about: whether President Biden personally authorized each official act; whether or which unelected staff controlled the autopen device; and whether they acted with his approval,’ the Oversight Project said in a report released Monday. 

The Associated Press and Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report. 

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said he was ‘skeptical’ of Dr. Mehmet Oz’s views, particularly on transgender procedures for minors and abortion, and released a series of questions Wednesday that he plans to ask President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) during his road to confirmation. 

‘I’ve been reading up on Dr. Oz – I see he’s praised trans surgeries for minors and supported hormone treatments & puberty blockers for kids in the past,’ Hawley wrote on X on Wednesday. ‘And has also criticized state laws protecting life. I hope he’s changed his views to match President Trump! We need the Trump agenda at CMS.’ 

In a series of written questions for Oz, Hawley asked the former heart surgeon and TV personality if his views have changed since hosting a television show. 

Hawley noted that Oz had on his show ‘various transgender advocates as well as a surgeon who performed transgender surgery’ and ‘also invited children to discuss switching genders and praised parents for helping their children ‘transition’.’  

‘Do you support President Trump’s position that gender transition procedures for minors should be banned?’ one question directed at Oz and shared by Hawley’s press office asked. 

The senator also asked if Trump’s nominee supported the president’s executive order barring biological men from competing in women’s sports. 

‘Do you believe that CMS has a role in promoting or supporting gender transition surgery in any way?’ Hawley asked. 

The senator asked Oz if he would commit to never issuing a National Coverage Determination at CMS for ‘gender reassignment surgery’ or equivalent procedures, including the use of hormone and puberty blockers, in line with Trump’s policies. He also asked if Oz would support Trump’s efforts to halt federal funding to hospitals that provide so-called ‘gender-affirming care’ to minors.

Hawley noted Oz had stated in the past that he did not want to ‘interfere’ with doctors prescribing puberty blockers for minor children and asked if that was still his position. 

‘Do you believe the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which every Justice appointed by President Trump supported, was correctly decided?’ Hawley asked. 

The senator questioned whether Oz’s position has changed since he in 2019 opposed state limitations on abortion related to fetal heartbeat by describing it as ‘little electrical exchanges in the cell that no one would hear or think about as a heart.’ 

In 2019, Oz predicted a state would face a ‘big sucking sound of business leaving’ over its pro-life law, the senator noted, asking Trump’s nominee to answer if he would allow his decisions as head of CMS to be ‘influenced by corporate preferences.’ 

Oz testified last week that CMS would abide by the Hyde Amendment, which bars federal taxpayer dollars from funding abortions.

‘As a physician, I’ve been in the room when there’s some difficult conversations happening. I don’t want the federal government involved with that at all,’ Oz stated in 2022, according to Hawley’s office. The senator cited how Oz also said he did not want the federal government ‘impinging’ on actions the states may make regarding abortion.

‘But many federal laws and regulations implicate life issues,’ Hawley said. ‘President Trump’s administration has opposed federal funding for abortion, for example, at home and abroad. Will you support the President’s position and commit to upholding existing laws that prevent federal funds from being used for abortions?’ 

Hawley asked Oz if he would uphold protections for conscience rights related to abortion, including under the Weldon, Church and Coats-Snowe Amendments. 

The senator noted that CMS under Trump approved waivers allowing states to exclude abortion-performing clinics from the Medicaid program and asked Oz if he would support the president’s policy and back similar waivers if he is confirmed by the Senate. Hawley questioned whether Oz would ‘support action at the federal level to directly exclude abortion providers from the Medicaid program.’ 

‘The Biden administration issued guidance via CMS suggesting that the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) required hospitals to perform abortions, overriding state laws,’ Hawley noted. The senator asked Oz if he would return to the Trump policy and ‘clarify that EMTALA does not mandate abortions.’ 

Finally, Hawley noted that CMS under Trump required separate billing plans that covered abortion in Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketing plans and the Biden administration eliminated that requirement. He asked if Oz would support returning Trump’s policy of ‘transparent billing practices and ensure that consumers pay properly separate charges for abortion.’ 

The 64-year-old was a respected heart surgeon who turned into a popular TV pitchman. He sold everything from supplements to private health insurance plans on ‘The Dr. Oz Show,’ which ran for 13 seasons and helped him amass a fortune.

If confirmed, Oz will oversee health insurance for about 150 million Americans enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid or ACA coverage. As CMS administrator, he could wield significant power over most health companies operating in the U.S., because he can make decisions about who and what is covered by Medicare and Medicaid.

Oz faced over two and a half hours of questioning Friday before the Republican-controlled Senate Finance Committee, which has yet to vote on whether to forward his nomination to the full Senate for consideration. Hawley is not a Finance Committee member and did not question Oz during the hearing last week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Hamas has claimed responsibility for rockets fired at Israel on Thursday.

‘This launch is the resistance’s first response to the zionist entity’s violation of the ceasefire, which resulted over 710 martyrs in the last three days. It also comes after the IOF’s renewed ground invasion into Beit Lahia this morning, and the failure of the mediators and the world to curb the IOF’s aggression,’ according to reports.

Strikes launched by Israel killed at least 58 Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip overnight and into Thursday, according to hospitals via the Associated Press.

The Jewish State resumed attacks across Gaza earlier this week, breaking a ceasefire, which reportedly killed over 400 Palestinians – mostly women and children – on Tuesday, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.

Israel’s military indicated that it intercepted a missile fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels early Thursday before it entered Israel’s airspace, the AP reported.

‘Hamas refused offer after offer to release our hostages. In the past two weeks, Israel did not initiate any military action, in the hope that Hamas would change course. Well, that didn’t happen. While Israel accepted the offer of President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, Hamas flatly refused to do so,’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video shared to X on Tuesday. ‘This is why I authorized yesterday, the renewal of military action against Hamas.’

‘Israel does not target Palestinian civilians. We target Hamas terrorists,’ he declared. ‘And when these terrorists embed themselves in civilian areas, when they use civilians as human shields, they’re the ones who are responsible for all unintended casualties.’

Israel launched its war on Hamas in response to the terrorist group’s heinous attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., a staunch supporter of Israel, continued to express his support while visiting the foreign nation this week.

‘Hamas does not want peace. I unapologetically, 100% stand with Israel, and demand the release of all remaining hostages. Sending this from Israel,’ Fetterman said on X on Tuesday.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., said on X on Wednesday, ‘Hamas could end this war right now if it released the hostages held in Gaza. It could’ve done so months ago, but instead it’s brought devastation by prolonging this conflict. America must lead the world in pressuring Hamas to end this war and bring the hostages home.’

Israeli troops re-imposed a blockade of the northern capital of Gaza City on Thursday, less than a day after once again deploying troops into the Gaza Strip.

Israel continued with its bombardment of Gaza as well, killing 85 Palestinians from Wednesday into Thursday, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. Israel maintained the blockade of Gaza City for much of the war prior to the January ceasefire, which collapsed earlier this week.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) warned residents not to use the main road to travel north into Gaza City.

The IDF is also conducting further ground operations in the northern town of Beit Lahiya. Most of the Palestinian deaths over the past 24 hours have centered on the town.

Hamas launched a handful of rockets into Israel on Thursday, resulting in no casualties.

The total death toll in Gaza since Tuesday has risen to 592, according to the health ministry. The death toll has not been independently verified.

In addition to the blockade at Gaza City, IDF troops are also deployed to the Netzarim corridor, a key section of Gaza that essentially cuts the strip in half. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that Israel will continue its military operations until every hostage has been returned from Hamas custody.

‘Hamas refused offer after offer to release our hostages. In the past two weeks, Israel did not initiate any military action, in the hope that Hamas would change course. Well, that didn’t happen. While Israel accepted the offer of President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, Hamas flatly refused to do so,’ Netanyahu said in a video shared to X on Tuesday. ‘This is why I authorized yesterday, the renewal of military action against Hamas.’

‘Israel does not target Palestinian civilians. We target Hamas terrorists,’ he declared. ‘And when these terrorists embed themselves in civilian areas, when they use civilians as human shields, they’re the ones who are responsible for all unintended casualties.’

Strikes launched by Israel killed at least 58 Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip overnight and into Thursday, according to hospitals via The Associated Press.

The Jewish State resumed attacks across Gaza earlier this week, breaking a ceasefire, which reportedly killed over 400 Palestinians – mostly women and children – on Tuesday, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.

Israel’s military indicated that it intercepted a missile fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels early Thursday before it entered Israel’s airspace, The AP reported.

‘Hamas refused offer after offer to release our hostages. In the past two weeks, Israel did not initiate any military action, in the hope that Hamas would change course. Well, that didn’t happen. While Israel accepted the offer of President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, Hamas flatly refused to do so,’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video shared to X on Tuesday. ‘This is why I authorized yesterday, the renewal of military action against Hamas.’

‘Israel does not target Palestinian civilians. We target Hamas terrorists,’ he declared. ‘And when these terrorists embed themselves in civilian areas, when they use civilians as human shields, they’re the ones who are responsible for all unintended casualties.’

Israel launched its war on Hamas in response to the terrorist group’s heinous attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., a staunch supporter of Israel, continued to express his support while visiting the foreign nation this week.

‘Hamas does not want peace. I unapologetically, 100% stand with Israel, and demand the release of all remaining hostages. Sending this from Israel,’ Fetterman said on X on Tuesday.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., said on X on Wednesday, ‘Hamas could end this war right now if it released the hostages held in Gaza. It could’ve done so months ago, but instead it’s brought devastation by prolonging this conflict. America must lead the world in pressuring Hamas to end this war and bring the hostages home.’

A House GOP lawmaker’s town hall devolved into chaos minutes after it began this week, and he’s now responding to hecklers who criticized his concerns about the national debt.

‘We heard from a lot of Nebraskans last night that voiced their concerns about Elon Musk. And I basically said I support [the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE], I support what Elon Musk is doing,’ Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., told Fox News Digital in an interview on Wednesday.

‘What I asked people to do is think about our debt, not as a red or blue issue, it’s an American issue. It’s going to take all of us to solve it. And what I said last night is we need to balance the budget. I was booed. That is not the right response.’

Flood illustrated his focus on the national debt, which is over $36 trillion, with a massive graphic that hung above him in a Columbus, Nebraska, high school auditorium for most of the town hall. 

But any mention of government spending cuts spurred jeers from the crowd, particularly in the context of Musk’s DOGE efforts.

Multiple people raised specific concerns about medical programs and veterans funding, which Flood said he was in favor of protecting.

‘What I told my constituents last night was, ‘Hey, if you have a concern about a federal agency or a federal program or a specific spending item, communicate that with me,’’ Flood said.

‘I heard a lot last night about the [Department of Veterans Affairs]. We have made a promise to these veterans. … If there’s a hiccup in the system, I’ll do what I’ve always done, and that is I’ll interface with the VA. I’ll advocate on behalf of the veterans and will ensure that they receive the care that they’re entitled to.’

At one point, a woman who said she lost her sister to breast cancer accused Flood of supporting cuts to critical cancer research programs while noting his wife grappled with the disease.

Flood said he supported medical research funding but also supported efforts to find more efficiency in government, again citing the national debt.

He attempted to continue his answer multiple times as people booed, prompting him to incredulously ask, ‘How can you be against a balanced budget?’

Democrat groups had advertised their presence ahead of the packed event. MoveOn promoted a ‘Musk or Us’ protest at the same time and location as Flood’s event. Nebraska Democratic Party staff were also onsite, a top official wrote on X.

Flood said Democratic Party staffers were handing out leaflets to attendees outside the event.

‘I, like every other member of Congress right now, am dealing with a lot from the Democrats. … And last night was an extension of the same at the end of the day,’ he said. ‘I represent them, so I’m happy to visit with them. I’m happy to explain where I am on the issues, but it was obviously fairly coordinated among certain folks last night. Ultimately, we had an exchange of ideas, and that’s what’s important.’

The Nebraska Republican was the lone House GOP lawmaker whose office held a formal town hall this week while Congress is in recess.

House Republican leaders warned their conference to refrain from in-person events as anti-DOGE demonstrations escalate.

But Flood said he would persist and hold his next town hall in Lincoln, Nebraska, in August.

‘We have to explain to the people we represent every single day that $36 trillion national debt is a national security issue. It’s a ticking time bomb. And I think confronting the issue by raising it at a town hall, there’s a lot of value to that,’ Flood said. 

‘I think last night, the best part of it was that I got the chance to explain and connect the dots for people as to why I’m so supportive of some of the spending cuts that we are engaged in right now.’