President Donald Trump is meeting Friday with top U.S. defense industry executives as his administration looks to accelerate weapons production while military operations against Iran continue.

The White House emphasized the session was scheduled weeks ago and was not convened in response to immediate battlefield shortages. Officials described the meeting as part of a broader effort to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and speed production of American-made weapons.

‘The US military has more than enough munitions, ammo, and weapons stockpiles to continue demolishing the Iranian regime and finish Operation Epic Fury, no matter how long it lasts,’ White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to Fox News.

‘Nevertheless, President Trump has always been intensely focused on strengthening our military, which is why this meeting with defense contractors was scheduled weeks ago. The President will continue to call on these US companies to more speedily build American-made weapons, which are the absolute best in the world.’

Companies attending are Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX Corporation, Boeing, Honeywell and L3Harris Technologies. 

The meeting comes as U.S. forces remain engaged in Operation Epic Fury, a campaign targeting Iranian military assets following coordinated U.S.-Israeli strikes. Administration officials have maintained that U.S. readiness remains strong, even as the pace of missile defense operations has drawn scrutiny on Capitol Hill.

During the 2025 12-day Iran conflict, U.S. forces fired more than 150 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors — roughly a quarter of the global inventory — to shield Israel and U.S. assets from Iranian missile attacks, according to defense assessments. Patriot PAC-3 MSE missiles are currently produced at a rate of roughly 600 to 650 annually, with replenishment timelines measured in months or years rather than weeks.

U.S. and Israeli officials previously estimated that Iran had a large ballistic missile arsenal — roughly 2,000 to 3,000 missiles of various types at the outset of the conflict. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper said Thursday Iran’s missile attacks have decreased 90% since the start of the conflict.

Defense planners have described missile defense inventories as part of a broader strategic balancing act. The same high-end systems used to protect U.S. bases and partners in the Middle East are also supplied to Ukraine and positioned in the Indo-Pacific, creating what some analysts characterize as a ‘zero-sum’ competition for inventory across theaters.

Lawmakers emerging from recent classified briefings have raised questions about sustainability if operations expand. 

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., warned the campaign could become a ‘math problem,’ balancing incoming missile volumes against finite interceptor supplies and production capacity. 

Other members, including Republicans briefed on the operation, have said officials assured Congress U.S. forces remain in strong shape.

Current and former defense officials have drawn a distinction between offensive strike weapons — which can often be surged from prepositioned stocks — and defensive interceptors such as Patriot and THAAD systems, which require longer production timelines and cannot be rapidly manufactured at scale.

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The Israeli military spokesman confirmed to Fox News Digital this week that multiple unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs, have been launched into Israel from Iraqi territory since the start of the conflict with Iran to eradicate the Islamic Republic of Iran’s illicit nuclear weapons facilities, missile systems and terrorism infrastructure. 

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, the Israeli military spokesman, said that the army has had a ‘near complete success’ rate in stopping Iranian drones from hitting Israeli targets. 

The drones fired from Iraq are presumed to come from the Iranian regime-controlled Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF. An umbrella organization of Shiite terrorists, that attacked Israel with drones in 2024 during Israel’s war against the Tehran-backed Hamas movement. 

An Iraqi Kurdish official told Fox News Digital, ‘Iraq has become a vessel for the Iranians. Is it so hard to see? I don’t see a distinction between the PMF and the state. They’re paid by the state, hold sovereign portfolios in this cabinet, go on foreign travel and now they’ve entered the federal legislature.’

The official continued: ‘In the last two decades, Iran has systemically taken over the state, weaponizing what were supposed to be institutions into tools to protect the Shia regime in Baghdad and punish any threat to it, including the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Through Baghdad and state institutions, it has economically strangled the Kurdistan Region, torn strips from our autonomy and exposed us to more attacks.’

An attack was reported on the country’s shrinking Christian community. The Chaldean Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil, Iraq, from the capital city of Iraqi Kurdistan, wrote on X on Thursday: ‘A miracle no one was injured when 2 drones struck our community, 150 meters from our Catechist Center that serves 1,000 Catholic children. Our university & schools are also closed so the young can be with their parents. Please pray for us & for all who suffer in this war.’ 

Kurdistan Regional Government authorities confirmed the attack and ​said it was carried out by two ​drones.

Phillip Smyth, an expert on Shiite militias in Iraq, told Fox News Digital about the strikes on the Chaldean Catholic school that ‘Kata’ib Hezbollah was first to talk about it and it was likely Kata’ib Hezbollah, but it is possible it was another two pro-Iran militias because they all work together on drone launches.’

A drone attack struck an oil field operated by U.S. firm HKN Energy in Iraq’s ​Kurdistan region on Thursday, causing a fire ‌and halting production, according to a Reuters report citing security sources and an oilfield engineer.

No group claimed responsibility, but Kurdish officials accused Iran-allied Iraqi militias of carrying out the attack.

If so, the attack would mean Iran‑aligned ​Iraqi militias, who have vowed to retaliate for the killing ‌of ⁠Iran’s supreme leader, have expanded targets from U.S. military bases in Iraqi Kurdistan to U.S. energy interests.

Production at the field was halted as a precaution ​after an ​explosion at ⁠its power unit, the engineer told Reuters.

Some ⁠energy companies operating in Iraqi Kurdistan shut oil and gas production at their fields as a precaution ⁠after ​the U.S. and Israel ​launched strikes on neighboring Iran.

Entifadh Qanbar, a former spokesman for the deputy prime minister of Iraq, echoed the comments of the Iraqi Kurdish official in his statement to Fox News Digital: ‘The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) are fully funded by the Iraqi government. In fact, they are formally included as a line item in Iraq’s federal budget. Officially, more than $3 billion is allocated annually just for salaries, but when logistics, weapons, food, and other operational costs are included, the PMF’s budget likely exceeds $10 billion. That is the size of the budget of a small country in the Middle East,’ he claimed.

Qanbar said there is a way to change Iraq’s behavior: ‘If the United States wants to stop this situation, there are clear tools available. Sanctions must be imposed on the Iraqi government for funding these militias. Another powerful mechanism involves Iraq’s oil revenues, which are deposited at the U.S. Federal Reserve. The United States could suspend transfers of those funds unless Baghdad halts the financing of the PMF. Make no mistake: every terrorist who launches drones or rockets against Kurdistan, U.S. interests, Gulf states or military bases is effectively being paid by the Iraqi government,’ he claimed.

When asked if the Islamic Republic of Iran urged Shiite militias from the PMF to fire drones at Israel, a spokesman for Iran’s U.N. mission said, ‘The Mission declined to comment.’

On Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said his government is ‘not tolerating any attempt aimed at dragging Iraq into war or threatening the country’s stability,’ according to Kurdistan24. 

Salwan Sinjari, chief of staff to the Iraqi foreign minister, referred Fox News Digital to the Iraqi foreign ministry page for official statements by his minister and the government. He did not respond to follow-up messages and calls on whether Iraq’s government was failing to crack down on the PMF.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein claimed the government was seeking to convince Iran-backed militias to disarm in January 2025, according to the Long War Journal.

However, Iraq’s government has issued mixed messages about the PMF over the years. In May 2025 al-Sudani was quoted as saying, ‘Today, the Popular Mobilization Forces constitute a basic force in defending Iraq.’

Iraq’s ambassador to the U.S. did not immediately respond to email, WhatsApp and telephone queries. A second Iraqi diplomat said he was unable to provide Fox News Digital a comment.

The Times of Israel reported on Thursday, after military strikes eliminated a senior officer from Kataeb Hezbollah — Iraq’s largest pro-Iran militia — south of Baghdad that PMF militias pledged to strike the Middle East interests of European nations that joined in the ‘Zionist-American’ strikes on the Islamic Republic and its proxies.

Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. State Department.

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President Donald Trump’s move to fire Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and tap Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., as her replacement triggered a domino effect in Congress.

Before Mullin can take the helm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), he has to be confirmed. And once confirmed, someone will have to take his seat. Both caveats come with their own hurdles.

Senate Democrats may try to toss a wrench into the confirmation process and extract promises for reforms to the agency, particularly Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). DHS has been closed for three weeks, and the shutdown will likely continue for at least a month.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has vowed to oppose Mullin and argued that changes need to be made regardless of who runs the agency.

‘It’s a question of policy, not personnel,’ Schumer said. ‘The Senate should not consider any DHS secretary nominee until DHS and ICE are reined in.’

Mullin has staunchly opposed Democrats’ demands to reopen the agency and whether he’ll budge to get their votes remains to be seen.

But he’s open to speaking with Schumer and his caucus and wants to earn their votes. Whether he can do that before Trump’s March 31 deadline is up in the air.

‘The Department of Homeland Security is to keep everybody — regardless of whether you support me, if you don’t support me, regardless of what your thoughts are — I’m here to enforce the policies that Congress passed,’ Mullin said.

Then there’s the race for succession. Mullin, who is currently near the end of his first term in the upper chamber, was in the midst of running for re-election. With his appointment by Trump, that seat is now wide open for Republicans hungry to reach the Senate.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, will choose who fills Mullin’s Senate seat in the short term. But it’ll be up to voters in the Sooner State to pick their next senator.

‘I will be looking to appoint a strong, small-government conservative voice to support President Trump and protect Oklahomans’ way of life,’ Stitt said on X.

And GOP hopefuls have already begun crowding the potential primary race for his seat within hours of Trump’s announcement.

Reps. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., and Kevin Hern, R-Okla., are already showing interest, Fox News Digital was told.

A source close to Bice told Fox News Digital that she was considering running for the likely open Senate seat first, which Bice followed with her own public statement on Thursday evening.

‘President Trump has made an excellent choice. Markwayne is a great friend and a fierce advocate for the America First Agenda. I’m excited for him to take the helm at DHS,’ she posted on X. ‘It’s the honor of a lifetime to stand side by side with President Trump for the people of Oklahoma. I’ve received encouragement from every corner of this great state to run for the U.S. Senate. And it’s something I’m carefully considering.’

Meanwhile, Fox News Digital was told that Hern — who currently serves in House leadership in the role of GOP Policy Committee chairman — already began calling players within the Republican orbit to get their support.

Multiple people familiar with Hern’s thinking told Fox News Digital that he intends to run.

Hern is also generating buzz among Senate Republicans. Sens. Jim Banks, R-Ind., Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., have all come out in support of him.

Neither Hern nor Bice is interested in being appointed by Stitt, however, likely due to Oklahoma’s unusual laws dictating how Senate vacancies must be filled.

A mid-term vacancy is traditionally filled by the state’s governor, after which an election occurs at the next pre-scheduled race date. The governor’s appointee must sign an affidavit swearing they will not run in that election.

In this case, Mullin was up for re-election in November, so anyone seeking the office will have to run in a June primary and then be up for a full six-year term at the end of this year.

But that also means that Bice and Hern will both be able to run for Mullin’s current seat without risking the House GOP’s own razor-thin majority.

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Dozens of Democrats have voted against a nonbinding resolution in the House that reaffirms Iran as the ‘largest state sponsor of terrorism.’

The resolution, put forward by Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., passed by a 372-53 vote on Thursday, with all those voting no being Democrats. Two Democrats also voted present. 

Among those who voted against the measure were all the members of the ‘Squad,’ such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. 

The resolution said the Islamic Republic of Iran ‘remains the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism and provides substantial financial and military support to groups including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.’

It added that Iran ‘poses a direct and persistent threat to the United States and is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American citizens,’ citing the Pentagon as saying that ‘Iranian-backed proxy militias are responsible for the deaths of at least 603 U.S. service members in Iraq — roughly one in every six American combat fatalities.’ 

It also said, ‘according to the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafeal Grossi, Iran has amassed a large stockpile of enriched uranium and continues to block access to undeclared sites in Iran affiliated with their ‘big, ambitious nuclear weapons program.’’ 

The resolution concludes by saying, ‘That the House of Representatives declares it is the policy of the United States… that Iran continues to be the largest state sponsor of terrorism.’

California Democratic Rep. Lateefah Simon, who voted no, claimed the resolution ‘contains inaccuracies and is designed to justify the President’s actions in Iran.’

‘Republicans in Congress are not only surrendering their constitutional duties – they are also playing politics with a resolution reaffirming Iran as a leading state sponsor of terrorism,’ Simon wrote on Facebook. ‘That is already U.S. policy.’

‘I have been clear about my opposition to the brutal and devastating actions of the Iranian regime against those protesting for freedom,’ Simon continued. ‘This resolution does nothing to advance their freedom and instead, puts Congress on record as giving the Administration further pretext for a war that should not have been started in the first place.’

Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., who voted in favor of the resolution, said in a statement that, ‘This week’s bipartisan classified briefing with Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, John Ratcliffe, and General Dan Caine underscored the significance of the threat we face from an Iran intent on developing nuclear weapons behind a curtain of impenetrable ballistic weapons.’ 

‘Standing with our allies and confronting state-sponsored terrorism is essential to protecting Americans and advancing stability around the world,’ she added. ‘This resolution sends a strong message that we will not ignore or excuse the regime’s extremist actions.’

Rep. Adam Smith, a Democrat from Washington state who also voted in favor of the resolution, said, ‘I agree with the principal assertion of this resolution that Iran is a bad actor. 

‘Iran’s malign and destabilizing actions in the region and treatment of its own citizens should be denounced. I have never contested this. What I do contest is that going to war is the reasonable response to this assertion,’ he continued. ‘I support this resolution. I do not support the president’s war of choice with Iran.’ 

Full list of 53 House Democrats who voted no:

Here are the full names of the Democratic House lawmakers listed alphabetically by last name:

1. Donald S. Beyer Jr.
2. Suzanne Bonamici
3. André Carson
4. Greg Casar
5. Joaquin Castro
6. Yvette D. Clarke
7. Steve Cohen
8. Danny K. Davis
9. Maxine Dexter
10. Lloyd Doggett
11. Dwight Evans
12. Lizzie Fletcher
13. Valerie Foushee
14. Maxwell Alejandro Frost
15. Robert Garcia
16. Jesús ‘Chuy’ García
17. Al Green
18. Raúl M. Grijalva
19. Val Hoyle
20. Jared Huffman
21. Sara Jacobs
22. Pramila Jayapal
23. Henry C. ‘Hank’ Johnson, Jr.
24. Robin Kelly
25. Ro Khanna
26. Raja Krishnamoorthi
27. Summer Lee
28. Sarah McBride
29. Morgan McGarvey
30. James P. McGovern
31. LaMonica McIver
32. Christian D. Menefee
33. Robert Jacobsen ‘Rob’ Menendez Jr.
34. Gwen Moore
35. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
36. Ilhan Omar
37. Chellie Pingree
38. Mark Pocan
39. Ayanna Pressley
40. Delia Ramirez
41. Emily Randall
42. Luz Rivas
43. Linda T. Sánchez
44. Janice D. ‘Jan’ Schakowsky
45. Lateefah Simon
46. Mark Takano
47. Rashida Tlaib
48. Lori Trahan
49. Lauren Underwood
50. Nydia M. Velázquez
51. Maxine Waters
52. Bonnie Watson Coleman
53. Nikema Williams.

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An Iranian ship offloaded more than 200 members of its crew to Sri Lanka on Friday after suffering an engine failure at sea, just days after a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship in an Indian Ocean torpedo attack. 

The IRIS Bushehr, described in previous Iranian media reports as a navy logistics ship, is being brought first to the port of Colombo, according to Sri Lanka navy spokesman Cmdr. Buddhika Sampath. Sailors are being taken to a naval base in Welisara following medical exams and immigration procedures. 

‘We have to understand that this is not an ordinary situation,’ Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said Thursday. ‘It’s a request by a ship belonging to one party to enter into our port. We have to consider that according to the international treaties and conventions.’ 

Dissanayake added that authorities decided to take control of the IRIS Bushehr following discussions with Iranian officials and the ship’s captain, after one of its engines failed. He said some crew members would remain on board to help the Sri Lankan navy later navigate the vessel to Trincomalee on the island’s northeast coast, about 165 miles from Colombo.

The moves come after the U.S. sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka’s coast on Wednesday.  

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said it was ‘the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II.’ 

The Indian navy said Thursday that it had initiated search and rescue operations after receiving a distress signal from the Dena, deploying two aircraft along with a sailing training vessel. By the time the response was launched, the Sri Lankan navy had already started its own rescue efforts, it said.

The Sri Lankan navy rescued 32 sailors and recovered 87 bodies after the attack, according to The Associated Press. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Thursday that the U.S. will ‘bitterly regret’ striking and sinking that ship. 

‘The U.S. has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores,’ Araqchi wrote on X. ‘Frigate Dena, a guest of India’s Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning.’

‘Mark my words: The U.S. will come to bitterly regret precedent it has set,’ he added. 

Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine told reporters at the Pentagon on Wednesday that the Iranian vessel was ‘effectively neutralized’ in a Navy ‘fast attack’ using a single Mark 48 torpedo.

He added that the U.S. Navy achieved ‘immediate effect, sending the warship to the bottom of the sea.’ 

Fox News’ Stephen Sorace, Landon Mion and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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President Donald Trump took Washington by surprise Thursday with his decision to remove Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, but few lawmakers on Capitol Hill questioned his decision. 

Though Republicans rarely criticized Noem during her tenure, many GOP lawmakers argued Thursday that the secretary’s ouster was the right move. Trump quickly nominated Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., a close ally, to head the sprawling agency Thursday afternoon.

‘I think the president is doing what’s necessary to make sure the department is going to be operating effectively,’ Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who welcomed the news of Mullin’s appointment, said Thursday. ‘It was time.’

Mullin, a 48-year-old lawmaker, is a member of Senate Republicans’ leadership team and previously served several terms in the House of Representatives.

Noem’s time helming DHS was rocked by a series of controversies involving an expensive ad campaign she claimed had Trump’s approval and her widely-panned response to the fatal shootings of two Americans in Minneapolis by federal immigration officers earlier this year.

‘Obviously, it did not go well,’ Donalds added when asked about Noem’s appearance during two hearings on Capitol Hill this week.

Several GOP lawmakers, including Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and John Kennedy, R-La., tore into Noem during her appearance before the Senate’s judiciary panel on Tuesday. 

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a moderate lawmaker retiring at the end of his term, echoed Kennedy’s criticism questioning Noem’s prominent role in the costly ad campaign and her ties to recipients awarded contracts.

‘There’s legit concerns. When there was a $200 million advertising [campaign], we should be better stewards of our money,’ Bacon said. ‘I think the president probably saw a need for change.’

DHS has fired back that the massive ad campaign resulted in millions of self-deportations.

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital Thursday that Noem’s departure would eliminate ‘distractions’ and ‘conflicts’ that erupted at DHS under her leadership.

‘The department needs to be entirely focused on its mission, given the situation in the Middle East right now,’ Lawler said, referring to Operation Epic Fury in Iran. 

Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., who is not running for reelection, wrote on social media Thursday that a ‘change in leadership at the Department of Homeland Security was long overdue.’

House Democrats, many of whom fiercely criticized Noem’s role in the Trump administration, appeared to agree.

‘She’s done enough damage that the president finally came to his senses,’ Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the lead Democrat on the House homeland security panel, said Thursday. 

‘I think it’s the right decision by the president. It’s been a long time coming,’ Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., told Fox News Digital.

Moskowitz, who tussled with Noem during her testimony to the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, argued that she would go down as the worst DHS secretary in the agency’s two-decade history. He declined, however, to sign on to articles of impeachment circulated by House Democrats.

When asked about Mullin’s appointment, Moskowitz said he wished him good luck. ‘She’s left him a disaster, but obviously I want him to succeed,’ the Florida Democrat said of Noem’s tenure. ‘We should all want that, so let’s give him that opportunity.’

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President Donald Trump took Washington by surprise Thursday with his decision to remove Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, but few lawmakers on Capitol Hill questioned his decision. 

Though Republicans rarely criticized Noem during her tenure, many GOP lawmakers argued Thursday that the secretary’s ouster was the right move. Trump quickly nominated Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., a close ally, to head the sprawling agency Thursday afternoon.

‘I think the president is doing what’s necessary to make sure the department is going to be operating effectively,’ Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who welcomed the news of Mullin’s appointment, said Thursday. ‘It was time.’

Mullin, a 48-year-old lawmaker, is a member of Senate Republicans’ leadership team and previously served several terms in the House of Representatives.

Noem’s time helming DHS was rocked by a series of controversies involving an expensive ad campaign she claimed had Trump’s approval and her widely-panned response to the fatal shootings of two Americans in Minneapolis by federal immigration officers earlier this year.

‘Obviously, it did not go well,’ Donalds added when asked about Noem’s appearance during two hearings on Capitol Hill this week.

Several GOP lawmakers, including Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and John Kennedy, R-La., tore into Noem during her appearance before the Senate’s judiciary panel on Tuesday. 

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a moderate lawmaker retiring at the end of his term, echoed Kennedy’s criticism questioning Noem’s prominent role in the costly ad campaign and her ties to recipients awarded contracts.

‘There’s legit concerns. When there was a $200 million advertising [campaign], we should be better stewards of our money,’ Bacon said. ‘I think the president probably saw a need for change.’

DHS has fired back that the massive ad campaign resulted in millions of self-deportations.

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital Thursday that Noem’s departure would eliminate ‘distractions’ and ‘conflicts’ that erupted at DHS under her leadership.

‘The department needs to be entirely focused on its mission, given the situation in the Middle East right now,’ Lawler said, referring to Operation Epic Fury in Iran. 

Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., who is not running for reelection, wrote on social media Thursday that a ‘change in leadership at the Department of Homeland Security was long overdue.’

House Democrats, many of whom fiercely criticized Noem’s role in the Trump administration, appeared to agree.

‘She’s done enough damage that the president finally came to his senses,’ Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the lead Democrat on the House homeland security panel, said Thursday. 

‘I think it’s the right decision by the president. It’s been a long time coming,’ Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., told Fox News Digital.

Moskowitz, who tussled with Noem during her testimony to the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, argued that she would go down as the worst DHS secretary in the agency’s two-decade history. He declined, however, to sign on to articles of impeachment circulated by House Democrats.

When asked about Mullin’s appointment, Moskowitz said he wished him good luck. ‘She’s left him a disaster, but obviously I want him to succeed,’ the Florida Democrat said of Noem’s tenure. ‘We should all want that, so let’s give him that opportunity.’

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Schumer weaponizes Mullin nomination to demand DHS overhaul, says ‘rot’ goes beyond Noem

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., will have at least one Democratic ‘yes’ vote in support of his nomination to become President Donald Trump’s next Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary. 

Trump announced Thursday afternoon that he tapped Mullin to replace outgoing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who will leave the agency March 31. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., immediately threw his support behind Mullin’s nomination, dubbing the Oklahoma lawmaker a ‘nice upgrade’ compared to Noem. 

Fetterman repeatedly called for Noem’s ouster and said Thursday he was pleased with Trump’s decision. 

‘We’re in a different party, but this is the choice. I want to work together for making our America more secure,’ he said. 

Fetterman also said that he strongly believes Mullin already has the votes to win confirmation. Senate Republicans are widely expected to back Mullin’s nomination, and the jovial Oklahoma lawmaker could win over some Democrats. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who has voted against some Trump nominees, said she has a ‘great deal of respect’ for Mullin and is ‘OK’ with his nomination.

Under Senate rules, Cabinet nominations are set at a 51-vote threshold. 

However, many of Fetterman’s Democratic colleagues were either noncommittal about Mullin’s nomination or suggested they would not support him.

‘Whoever follows Kristi Noem is going to have to be totally and radically different in their approach to running this agency,’ Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said Thursday. ‘Changing the person at the top is no substitute for changing the practices and the power structure of a department that is out of control.’

Blumenthal added that Mullin would have to commit to Democrats’ various reforms seeking to rein in immigration enforcement in order to win his vote. 

Mullin has repeatedly criticized Democrats’ proposal to prohibit federal immigration officers from wearing masks and requiring judicial warrants during enforcement operations.

‘I like him personally,’ Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, a member of Senate Democratic leadership, said of Mullin before adding that it was too early to debate his nomination.

Sens. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., told Fox News Digital that they would not yet weigh in on Mullin’s nomination. Slotkin notably voted for Noem’s confirmation despite later souring on the secretary.

Mullin appeared somewhat taken aback by the news of his nomination when talking with reporters outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday afternoon.

‘No, the president and I still have to communicate, so we’ll talk about it moving forward,’ Mullin said. ‘The president and I have already talked… I’ll talk to you all [later].’

Fetterman has been the lone Democrat to advance a DHS spending measure amid a funding standoff over the agency’s appropriations that has no clear end in sight.

He poured cold water on the prospect of his Democratic colleagues reversing course to support funding DHS in response to Mullin’s nomination, telling reporters he expected ‘no change’ with the partial shutdown.

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Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, announced Thursday evening he will not seek re-election amid a House Ethics investigation into an affair he admitted to having with a former staffer.

Gonzales, a married father of 6, admitted to the affair for the first time on Wednesday – a day after advancing to the GOP primary runoff for his congressional district.

‘At 18, I swore an oath to defend our nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic. During my 20 years in the military and three terms in Congress, I have fought for that cause with absolute dedication to the country that I love,’ Gonzales said in a statement.

‘From overcoming the border crisis to taking a stand with my communities after the worst school shooting in Texas’ history, my philosophy has never changed: do as much as you can, and always fight for the greater good,’ he continued.

‘After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election while serving out the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I’ve always had to my district,’ he added. ‘Through the rest of my term, I will continue fighting for my constituents, for whom I am eternally grateful.

Gonzales confessed to the affair during an appearance on a conservative talk radio show one day after advancing to a runoff election in his congressional district’s GOP primary.

The House Ethics Committee also launched an investigation into Gonzales on Wednesday to determine if he engaged in sexual misconduct with a female member of his staff and whether he doled out special favors or privileges as a result.

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The Department of Justice (DOJ) is continuing its investigation into former President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen in the final months of his administration — focusing on pardons and commutations — though a senior official said Biden is unlikely to face criminal exposure.

A senior DOJ official told Fox News the autopen investigation is ongoing and not closed, adding investigators are reviewing clemency actions taken in the final months of the Biden administration.

The official also pointed out, however, that the use of an autopen by a sitting president is ‘established law.’

The issue under review is whether the autopen was used in violation of the law, specifically, whether Biden personally approved each name included on pardon and commutation lists.

‘These types of cases are tough. Executive privilege issues come into play,’ the official said.

What is also clear, the official indicated, is that the target of any potential prosecution would not likely be Biden.

‘It’s hard to imagine how [Biden] could be criminally liable for pardon power,’ the senior DOJ official said.

The official noted that one reason the former president would be unlikely to face charges stems from a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that originally involved current President Donald Trump but would also apply to Biden.

‘We conclude that under our constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of Presidential power requires that a former President have some immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts during his tenure in office,’ the Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. United States in 2024. 

‘At least with respect to the President’s exercise of his core constitutional powers, this immunity must be absolute.’

Sources familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s team continues to review the Biden White House’s reliance on an autopen, contradicting a recent New York Times report that indicated the investigation had been paused.

Trump has pushed for consequences over the autopen controversy, alleging on social media that aides acted unlawfully in its use and raising the prospect of perjury charges against Biden.

Biden has rejected those claims, saying in a statement last year he personally directed the decisions in question.

‘Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency,’ Biden said. ‘I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.’

The House Oversight Committee has homed in on Biden’s clemency actions, including five controversial pardons for family members in the final days of his presidency, citing what it described as a lack of ‘contemporaneous documentation’ confirming that Biden directly ordered the pardons.

The committee asked the DOJ to investigate ‘all of former President Biden’s executive actions, particularly clemency actions, to assess whether legal action must be taken to void any action that the former president did not, in fact, take himself.’

Fox News Digital’s Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.

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