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United Nations Ambassador Mike Waltz on Thursday called mishaps during President Donald Trump’s U.N. speech “unacceptable” and vowed to withhold U.S. funding until sweeping reforms are made.

Waltz appeared on FOX Business’ “Kudlow” when host Larry Kudlow asked him about the incidents that appeared as if the U.N. was trying to sabotage the president.

Kudlow noted that the escalator malfunctioned as Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrived, the teleprompter later failed, and finally the auditorium sound cut out.

Waltz added that the broadcast audio abruptly switched to Portuguese during Trump’s speech before returning to English.

WORLD LEADERS LAUGH, SQUIRM AS TRUMP BLASTS UN ON CLIMATE, UKRAINE, GAZA AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY

“The whole thing is unacceptable. The whole thing stinks,” Waltz said. “There’s 150 world leaders there and this only happens to him, not once, not twice, but three times.”

He said the incidents are under investigation by the Secret Service and noted the Secretary General has pledged full cooperation.

“As the ambassador, I said, you’ve got to open your doors, and some people were kind of shoulder shrugging at this,” Waltz said. “This could have been incredibly serious. It’s insulting, and it’s right here on American soil.”

WALTZ TO ROOT OUT ANTISEMITISM, ELIMINATE ‘WOKE’ PROGRAMS, GET ‘BACK TO BASICS’ AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Waltz then turned to reform, criticizing the U.N.’s bloated bureaucracy and noting that seven agencies focus on climate issues alone. He argued the organization needs to be “cut up” and reformed before U.S. taxpayer money flows again.

He confirmed the U.S. has withheld its U.N. contribution this year.

TRUMP’S FINAL CABINET PICK, MIKE WALTZ, CONFIRMED BY SENATE IN NARROW VOTE

“We’ve withheld this year,” Waltz said. “We haven’t paid any and my first meeting with the Secretary General was, here are the reforms that we need to see before you start talking about taxpayer dollars.”

Waltz invoked Sen. Jesse Helms’ 1999 push to clean up the U.N. before releasing U.S. dollars, saying transparency and accountability remain essential.

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“We have every obligation to make sure it’s transparent,” he said.

Georgetown University said it removed a second wave of inflammatory posters mocking the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and has reported the incident to the FBI. 

Photos of the flyers at the elite Washington, D.C., university, including one that showed Kirk’s face with his eyes blacked out and the words “Follow your leader” and “Rest in p-ss Charlie,” were first obtained by Fox News.

The posters were taped up Thursday night in Georgetown’s central Red Square, the school’s main free speech zone. They also carried QR codes and the seal of the “Georgetown John Brown Club,” a group tied to leftist activism and past violence.

“Georgetown University has no tolerance for calls for violence or threats to the university,” a university spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

CONSERVATIVE PAC TURNS TABLES ON LEFT-WING NARRATIVE DEFENDING TEACHERS WHO SMEAR CHARLIE KIRK

“Upon discovering the new flyers, the university removed them and reported them to the FBI. The university’s team of safety and security experts, including its police department and specialized threat assessment professionals, will continue to investigate this incident and work in partnership with law enforcement to ensure the safety of our community.”

Shae McInnis, treasurer of the Georgetown College Republicans, told Fox News Digital he was taken aback by the flyers’ reappearance on campus. 

“Just even more shocked than I was [Wednesday]… it really makes me feel like our entire university is under attack by people with no decency and no respect for our society,” he said.

McInnis said conservative students are now openly questioning whether it is even safe to host events on campus. 

“Should I go out to this event? Should we have a Georgetown College Republicans event? Is that even safe now?” he asked. But, he added, his group refuses to back down: “They’re trying to shut us up, but we’re not going to. We’re going to be bolder, be louder and proclaim our message with confidence.”

UNIVERSITIES CRACK DOWN ON EMPLOYEE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS CELEBRATING, DEFENDING KIRK’S DEATH

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon condemned the flyers Wednesday, writing on X that violent rhetoric on campus “must be condemned by institutional leaders.”

The first round of posters appeared on Wednesday and used the slogan “Hey fascist! Catch!” 

Accused assassin Tyler Robinson used the same phrase etched onto the shell casing in Charlie Kirk’s Sept. 10 killing at Utah Valley University. Those same flyers also declared, “The only political group that celebrates when Nazis die,” alongside a QR code linking to the John Brown Gun Club.

McInnis said Thursday’s posters marked a clear escalation. 

“[Wednesday] there were fewer posters on a less prominent area of campus. Today, they went to what’s called ‘Red Square,’ the main free speech zone… They went in broad daylight… They’re being even more brash.”

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR WHO CALLED KIRK’S ASSASSINATION ‘FAIR’ NO LONGER EMPLOYED

He warned the rhetoric has already chilled free speech on campus. “How can people be safe to express themselves freely if they know their classmates could be wanting to kill them, literally kill them for expressing their own ideas?”

The John Brown Gun Club, cited in the Georgetown flyers, is classified as a far-left group by the Center for Counter Extremism. It has been linked to violence, including a July 4, 2025, armed attack on an ICE detention center in Texas that left an officer injured, and the 2019 attempted firebombing of an ICE facility in Tacoma, Washington, where attacker Willem van Spronsen was killed.

McInnis called for swift accountability. 

“The university should identify every student involved, and they must be immediately expelled… If the university is not willing to do that, I would urge the federal government to please help,” he said. “Please protect conservative students at Georgetown and across every campus in our country.”

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McMahon and the FBI did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s additional request for comment Thursday.

Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca, Kiera McDonald, and Andrew Murray contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: President Trump reacted to the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, telling Fox News Digital during an exclusive interview that he “placed a cloud over the entire nation” with the bureau’s “Crossfire Hurricane” probe.

Comey, on Thursday evening, was indicted by a grand jury on two counts, alleged false statements within jurisdiction of the legislative branch and obstruction of congressional proceeding.

COMEY INDICTED FOR ALLEGED FALSE STATEMENTS, OBSTRUCTION OF CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDING

“What they did was so terrible and so corrupt,” Trump told Fox News Digital, referring to those involved in the Trump-Russia probe. “We had a great administration, though.”

Former Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Peter Strzok formally opened the Trump-Russia investigation, known inside the bureau as “Crossfire Hurricane” on July 31, 2016.

Trump fired Comey in May 2017. Days later Special Counsel Robert Mueller was appointed to take over the Crossfire Hurricane probe.

“He is a very corrupt person. He was absolutely a terrible man for what this country stood for,” Trump told Fox News Digital.

“Comey placed a cloud over the entire nation, and actually, the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax made it very difficult,” Trump said. “It could have caused wars.”

Fox News Digital exclusively reported in July that Comey was under criminal investigation by the FBI. 

Fox News Digital also exclusively reported that former CIA Director John Brennan is under criminal investigation related to the Trump–Russia probe. 

When asked whether Brennan should be charged as well, the president told Fox News Digital: “We’ll have to see what happens.”

“It is up to the Justice Department, but I can tell you, it is a group of people that was very disappointing,” the president said. “This makes Watergate look like peanuts.” 

EXCLUSIVE: FBI LAUNCHES CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS OF JOHN BRENNAN, JAMES COMEY: DOJ SOURCES

He added: “They tried to destroy our country.”

Comey’s case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

The indictment alleges that Comey obstructed a congressional investigation into the disclosure of sensitive information in violation of 18 USC 1505.

The indictment also alleges Comey made a false statement when he stated he did not authorize someone at the FBI to be an anonymous source. According to the indictment, that statement was false. 

His arraignment is set for 10 a.m. on Oct. 9, in Alexandria Courtroom 600 before District Juge Michael S. Nachmanoff.

“No one is above the law,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said on X. “Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case.”

FBI Director Kash Patel took to X to say, “Today, your FBI took another step in its promise of full accountability.”

“For far too long, previous corrupt leadership and their enablers weaponized federal law enforcement, damaging once proud institutions and severely eroding public trust,” Patel wrote. “Every day, we continue the fight to earn that trust back, and under my leadership, this FBI will confront the problem head-on. Nowhere was this politicization of law enforcement more blatant than during the Russiagate hoax, a disgraceful chapter in history we continue to investigate and expose.

“Everyone, especially those in positions of power, will be held to account – no matter their perch.”

Meanwhile, after nearly two years, former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, which concluded in March 2019, yielded no evidence of criminal conspiracy or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russian officials during the 2016 presidential election.

Shortly after, John Durham was appointed as special counsel to investigate the origins of the “Crossfire Hurricane” probe.

Durham found that the FBI “failed to act” on a “clear warning sign” that the bureau was the “target” of a Clinton-led effort to “manipulate or influence the law enforcement process for political purposes” ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

“The aforementioned facts reflect a rather startling and inexplicable failure to adequately consider and incorporate the Clinton Plan intelligence into the FBI’s investigative decision-making in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation,” Durham’s report states.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SEEKS TO INDICT FORMER FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY FOR ALLEGEDLY LYING TO CONGRESS

“Indeed, had the FBI opened the Crossfire Hurricane investigation as an assessment and, in turn, gathered and analyzed data in concert with the information from the Clinton Plan intelligence, it is likely that the information received would have been examined, at a minimum, with a more critical eye,” the report continued.

Durham, in his report, said the FBI “failed to act on what should have been — when combined with other incontrovertible facts — a clear warning sign that the FBI might then be the target of an effort to manipulate or influence the law enforcement process for political purposes during the 2016 presidential election.”

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In an Instagram post on Thursday, Comey acknowledged that he and his family have known for years that there are costs to standing up to President Donald Trump.

“We couldn’t imagine ourselves living any other way,” he said. “We will not live on our knees and you shouldn’t.”

Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report. 

Bree Danyele Montoya, a city councilmember representing Norman, Oklahoma‘s Ward 3, resigned effective immediately on Tuesday after a Facebook comment she wrote telling a Trump supporter to harm herself resurfaced and went viral when shared by Libs of TikTok.

The resignation followed months of inaction from the city council, critics say, until the exchange gained national traction online. The city of Norman has since emphasized that while elected officials speak for themselves, it “does not support actions or behaviors that may encourage harm.”

“In various capacities, I have served this community since 2008, and I am ready to pursue other interests. Effective immediately, I am resigning as councilmember for Ward 3. Thank you, Ward 3!” Montoya said at the meeting.

The recipient of Montoya’s comments, constituent Audra Abbott, told FOX affiliate KOKH she was shocked when she realized who had written them. 

“I saw that she was a city council member within moments of her posting it, and I was like, wow, I can’t believe that an elected official would talk like that online,” she said.

DEARBORN MAYOR REFUSES TO APOLOGIZE FOR TELLING CHRISTIAN MINISTER HE WAS ‘NOT WELCOME HERE’

Abbott added, “If it hadn’t went viral with Libs of TikTok picking it up, I don’t think that anything would have happened at all.”

Chaya Raichik, who runs Libs of TikTok, told Fox News Digital, “With a rising trend of violent left-wing extremists targeting conservatives, it is our duty to hold elected officials, such as Oklahoma City Councilor Bree Montoya, accountable for violent rhetoric, regardless of their status or position.” 

Raichik also said, “While the fake news media refuses to acknowledge the truth of the rising epidemic of far-left violence, Libs of TikTok will continue to expose elected leaders who promote violence, demonize ICE, or issue threatening statements against the American people.”

NYC MAYORAL CANDIDATE ZOHRAN MAMDANI DEFENDS PAST TWEETS, SAYS CUOMO ATTACKING ‘MYTHICAL VERSION’ OF HIM

In an email to Fox News Digital, Norman Chief Communications Officer Tiffany Martinez Vrska said, “The City of Norman as a municipal corporation does not support actions or behaviors that may encourage harm; carrying out municipal functions that provide or support public service remains the focus of the corporation.” 

She added that elected officials speak only for themselves when making personal remarks. Officials pointed to resources explaining Norman’s council–manager government structure and how the Ward 3 vacancy will be filled in the coming weeks.

The online clash dates back to June, when Montoya and Abbott argued on Facebook about the size of a “No Kings” protest. Montoya called Abbott “uneducated” and escalated by telling her to harm herself. 

Screenshots of the exchange spread in local Facebook groups during the summer before Libs of TikTok recently amplified them on social media. Abbott and others say Norman officials ignored the controversy until the post gained traction online. Montoya was first elected in 2023, re-elected in February 2025, sworn in again July 1, and resigned less than three months later.

At the Sept. 23 meeting, Mayor Stephen Tyler Holman addressed the incident.

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“As your mayor, I want to affirm our commitment to upholding the rights guaranteed under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. The right to free speech is fundamental to our democracy, and it is our responsibility to ensure that every citizen has the opportunity to express their opinions and be heard,” the mayor said.

“While we honor the right to free speech, we must also maintain an environment that is respectful, orderly and conducive to productive discussion,” Holman added. “My goal is to ensure that every voice in this room can be heard while maintaining the integrity and decorum of our meetings. I ask for your cooperation and mutual respect as we continue to work together for the betterment of Norman.”

Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted by a grand jury on two counts, alleged false statements within jurisdiction of the legislative branch and obstruction of congressional proceeding, Fox News Digital has learned.

Fox News Digital exclusively reported in July that Comey was under criminal investigation by the FBI. The probe into Comey centered on whether he lied to Congress during his Sept. 30, 2020, testimony about his handling of the original Trump–Russia probe at the FBI, known inside the bureau as “Crossfire Hurricane.”

“No one is above the law,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi on X. “Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case.”

FBI Director Kash Patel took to X to say, “Today, your FBI took another step in its promise of full accountability.”

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SEEKS TO INDICT FORMER FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY FOR ALLEGEDLY LYING TO CONGRESS

“For far too long, previous corrupt leadership and their enablers weaponized federal law enforcement, damaging once proud institutions and severely eroding public trust,” wrote Patel. “Every day, we continue the fight to earn that trust back, and under my leadership, this FBI will confront the problem head-on. Nowhere was this politicization of law enforcement more blatant than during the Russiagate hoax, a disgraceful chapter in history we continue to investigate and expose.”

He added, “Everyone, especially those in positions of power, will be held to account – no matter their perch.”

The indictment alleges that Comey obstructed a congressional investigation into the disclosure of sensitive information in violation of 18 USC 1505.

The indictment also alleges Comey made a false statement when he stated that he did not authorize someone at the FBI to be an anonymous source. According to the indictment, that statement was false. 

Fox News Digital also exclusively reported that former CIA Director John Brennan is under criminal investigation related to the Trump–Russia probe. 

Under federal law, prosecutors have five years to bring a charge, with the five-year mark occurring Tuesday.

The case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

“JUSTICE IN AMERICA!” President Trump posted to his Truth Social account. “One of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to is James Comey, the former Corrupt Head of the FBI. Today he was indicted by a Grand Jury on two felony counts for various illegal and unlawful acts.” 

The president added: “He has been so bad for our Country, for so long, and is now at the beginning of being held responsible for his crimes against our Nation. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” 

The FBI opened its Trump-Russia probe in July 2016, known inside the bureau as “Crossfire Hurricane.” 

President Trump, during his first term, fired Comey in May 2017. 

Days later, Robert Mueller was appointed special counsel to take over the FBI’s original “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation.

After nearly two years, former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, which concluded in March 2019, yielded no evidence of criminal conspiracy or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russian officials during the 2016 presidential election.

Shortly after, John Durham was appointed as special counsel to investigate the origins of the “Crossfire Hurricane” probe.

Durham found that the FBI “failed to act” on a “clear warning sign” that the bureau was the “target” of a Clinton-led effort to “manipulate or influence the law enforcement process for political purposes” ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

“The aforementioned facts reflect a rather startling and inexplicable failure to adequately consider and incorporate the Clinton Plan intelligence into the FBI’s investigative decision-making in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation,” Durham’s report states.

EXCLUSIVE: FBI LAUNCHES CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS OF JOHN BRENNAN, JAMES COMEY: DOJ SOURCES

“Indeed, had the FBI opened the Crossfire Hurricane investigation as an assessment and, in turn, gathered and analyzed data in concert with the information from the Clinton Plan intelligence, it is likely that the information received would have been examined, at a minimum, with a more critical eye,” the report continued.

Durham, in his report, said the FBI “failed to act on what should have been—when combined with other incontrovertible facts— a clear warning sign that the FBI might then be the target of an effort to manipulate or influence the law enforcement process for political purposes during the 2016 presidential election.”

Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump, while signing executive orders in the Oval Office Thursday, went off-script to criticize Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, calling her “a very low IQ person” and questioning her role in Congress.

“Recently, Jasmine Crockett. Yes, yes, I remember what I said. Is she any relation to the late, great Davy Crockett? I don’t think so,” Trump told assembled reporters. 

“Let me tell you before you even ask. She’s a very low IQ person. I mean, if we ever had to pass an aptitude test, that’s the one [who] should take one. … This is a low IQ person who I can’t even believe is a congressperson,” he said.

JASMINE CROCKETT DISPARAGES MAGA VOTERS, TRUMP AS ‘MOST UNPATRIOTIC PEOPLE’

“Between her and Ilhan Omar [D-Minn.]… and, you know, I met the head of Somalia. Did you know that? And I suggested that maybe he’d like to take her back. And he said, ‘I don’t want her,’” Trump said.

The president’s comments came as he addressed reporters during a proclamation and executive order signing, where his remarks shifted from the day’s policy agenda to sharp critiques of Democrat lawmakers.

Trump grouped Crockett with Omar, reviving criticism he has often directed at members of the so-called progressive “Squad.”

His anecdote about suggesting to Somalia’s leader that Omar, who was born in Mogadishu, be “taken back” drew laughter from some in the room.

TRUMP LASHES OUT AT CROCKETT, RENEWS CALL FOR COGNITIVE TEST

Crockett, a freshman Democrat from Texas, has quickly gained visibility for her combative style during House hearings and for her clashes with Republicans. 

Omar, meanwhile, has long been a target of Trump’s criticism over her pro-Palestinian views and outspoken progressive agenda.

President Trump’s remarks are likely to energize his base, who see his plain-spoken approach as a refreshing break from Washington norms.

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The White House, Crockett and Omar did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

A 15-year-old boy pleaded guilty to the beating of a teenage ex-DOGE staffer earlier this year that sparked President Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to restore order to the city.

The 15-year-old, from Hyattsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty in D.C. juvenile court to felony assault, simple assault, robbery and attempted robbery related to the beating of the former DOGE staffer, Edward Coristine, according to local outlet NBC Washington.

On Aug. 3, Coristine, better known by his nickname, “Big Balls,” was assaulted at approximately 3 a.m. by a group of teenagers in D.C.’s Logan Circle neighborhood. The teens allegedly attempted to carjack him and a woman, whom police identified as his significant other, according to authorities.

Police said Coristine pushed the woman into the vehicle for safety and turned to confront the attackers. 

JEANINE PIRRO ANNOUNCES CHARGES AGAINST TEEN IN SHOOTING AGAINST DC FIREFIGHTER: ‘SAD COMMENTARY ON WHAT’S GOING ON’

A photo of a bloodied Coristine went viral, sparking outrage over the city’s handling of crime and drawing President Donald Trump’s attention. The president slammed D.C., saying crime in the city was “totally out of control.”

“Local ‘youths’ and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16-years-old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent citizens, at the same time knowing that they will be almost immediately released. They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it’s going to happen now!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Days later Trump directed federal law enforcement to increase its presence throughout D.C. He also deployed members of the National Guard to patrol the city and assumed federal control of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.

Trump touted the takeover’s success in stopping crime in the city, saying in late August, “We’ve had some incredible results and results have come out and it’s like a different place. It’s like a different city.” 

TRUMP MAKES SURPRISE DC RESTAURANT STOP TO SHOWCASE ‘VIRTUALLY NO CRIME’ IN CAPITAL, FACES DOWN PROTESTERS

Last week, the House of Representatives passed a pair of bills aimed at cracking down on crime in Washington, D.C., with dozens of Democrats voting against each one.

The first bill advanced through the House was the DC Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act, or the DC CRIMES Act. That legislation, led by Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., would reduce the maximum statutory age of a youth offender from 24 to 18, meaning people in their late teens are eligible to be tried as adults.

It would also bar judges in most cases from being able to hand down sentences lower than the stated mandatory minimum for juvenile offenders.

House lawmakers also advanced a bill led by Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, that would make juvenile offenders as young as 14 eligible to be tried as adults, if accused of certain violent crimes.

DEM GOVERNORS SUDDENLY CRACK DOWN ON CRIME AS TRUMP’S NATIONAL GUARD THREATS LOOM

That age limit is currently at 16. The bill covers crimes including murder, first-degree sexual abuse, burglary in the first degree, robbery while armed, or assault with intent to commit any such offense, according to a press release on Gill’s website.

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Since then, Trump has suggested he would take a similar approach to cracking down on crime in other major American cities. On Sept. 15, he signed a presidential memorandum titled “Restoring Law and Order in Memphis,” mobilizing the National Guard to the city and establishing a “Memphis Safe Task Force” like the D.C. task force.

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

Republicans and Democrats are continuing to trade blows ahead of a potential government shutdown next week, with both sides indicating that neither is willing to budge from its position on federal funding.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., released a memo earlier this week highlighting past years’ comments by Senate Democrats warning of the pitfalls of a government shutdown.

“House Republicans acted responsibly last week to keep the government open with the clean short-term continuing resolution,” Johnson’s memo said.

“Senate Democrats, who used to warn that shutdowns would hurt seniors, veterans, and working families, are now threatening to force one unless Congress repeals the Working Families Tax Cut, restores taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal aliens, and sends half a billion dollars to leftist news outlets, among other partisan spending demands.”

HOUSE PASSES TRUMP-BACKED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

The rest of the memo features a list of Democrats’ comments, beginning with then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., warning on Sept. 16, 2024, “If the government shuts down, it will be average Americans who suffer most.”

At the time, the Democrat-controlled Senate was negotiating with the House GOP majority under then-President Joe Biden to avert a government shutdown. That stand-off ended with Biden signing a short-term extension of the previous fiscal year’s government funding levels on Sept. 26, 2024 – days before the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline – through Dec. 20, 2024.

Johnson’s memo also referenced comments by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., from Jan. 4, 2018, during President Donald Trump’s first term, “The truth is that shutting down the government is a serious and dangerous action that we must do everything possible to prevent. Shutting down the government would impact tens of millions of our fellow Americans who would be unable to access government services.”

Senate Democrats, then in the minority, agreed to the GOP’s short-term funding bill in exchange for public assurances for a vote on immigration legislation.

Anna Bahr, a spokesperson for Sanders, told Fox News Digital that the Senator “absolutely still believes that a government shutdown is serious and dangerous, and urges the Trump administration and his Republican colleagues not to do it,” but that he’s been clear he’d support Senate Democrats’ counter-proposal over the GOP’s bill.

“President Trump’s party controls the House, Senate, and White House and has the responsibility of keeping the government open,” Bahr said. 

During an earlier stand-off in late 2023, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said, according to Johnson’s memo, “A government shutdown would have serious impacts. Servicemembers won’t get their paychecks. Airports could have major delays. Nutrition assistance for children could be cut off. We can’t let any of that happen. Congress needs to work together to prevent a shutdown.”

Kelley argued in a statement to Fox News Digital that Trump would “rather shut the government down than keep health care premiums from skyrocketing for millions of Americans.”

“The only person who wants a government shutdown is President Donald Trump,” he said. 

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said in November that year, “The priority has to be keeping the government open and I think this is a moment where reasonable people in the Senate, and that’s where most of the reasonable people are these days, have to make sure that we are not making the perfect the enemy of the good.”

And Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., who along with Schumer voted to advance the GOP’s CR earlier this year, said in Dec. 2024 that shutdowns would risk “national security and threatening livelihoods – which is why it is important that we voted on a bipartisan basis to avert a shutdown.”

A spokesperson for Hassan told Fox News Digital that she still believed that a government shutdown could cause real pain.

“Which is why she is urging President Trump and Congressional Republicans to come to the table and work with Democrats to keep the government open and pass a funding bill that protects access to health care for millions of Americans,” they said. 

58 HOUSE DEMS VOTE AGAINST RESOLUTION HONORING ‘LIFE AND LEGACY’ OF CHARLIE KIRK

The House passed a short-term extension keeping federal funding levels roughly the same, called a continuing resolution (CR), last week. The vote fell largely along party lines, with just one Democrat crossing the aisle in the measure’s favor.

The bill also included an extra $30 million for lawmaker security, which was welcomed by both sides, as well as $58 million requested by the White House for executive and judicial branch security.

An effort to consider the bill in the Senate hours later was scuttled when most Democrats, along with two Republicans, opposed a vote to begin debating the measure.

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Now both parties are blaming one another for a potential shutdown – which could hit at midnight on Oct. 1 if a deal is not passed in both chambers by then.

Republicans are accusing Democrats of recklessly pushing for a shutdown and making unworkable demands in exchange for keeping the government open. They’ve also pointed out that government funding levels have remained relatively steady since fiscal year (FY) 2024, when Democrats supported then-President Joe Biden’s spending priorities.

But Democrats, infuriated by being sidelined in discussions on the bill, have also been pushing for the inclusion of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that are set to expire at the end of 2025 without congressional action.

Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Schumer and Murphy, but did not immediately hear back. 

A recent Wisconsin state Senate debate on an immigration bill erupted when the panel’s top Democrat lunged at the chairman’s gavel, calling Republicans “cowards” and questioning their faith.

Wisconsin State Senate State and Federal Affairs Committee Chairman Chris Kapenga, R-Oconomowoc, told Fox News Digital the video of the episode is important because it shows how quickly discourse can spiral when lawmakers abandon decorum.

The flashpoint came as ranking member Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, opposed legislation that would bar public funds from paying for health care for illegal immigrants. Carpenter highlighted a story told moments prior by state Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, about a migrant woman who was reportedly initially lawfully present, but later deported and supposedly died after not being able to refill her prescription medication after her private insurance lapsed.

5 TIMES DEMOCRATS BLASTED ICE WITH HARSH RHETORIC

Larson later apologized after misstating the facts of the case, after it was reported the woman was still alive – which earned public praise from Kapenga. But, Carpenter at the time seconded the story as told by Larson and continued his arguments.

Kapenga – a former Senate president – said the panel cannot be expected to comment on the woman’s situation and that the bill’s sponsors were there to talk strictly about the legislation.

Kapenga further objected to Larson explicitly bringing President Donald Trump‘s changes to the federal immigration system into the conversation, when he was not being discussed in the context of the bill.

“Gentlemen, that’s outside the scope of the bill,” Kapenga said.

Bill sponsor Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, tried to return to earlier discussion of bill’s contents, adding, “anybody who is here that is not a citizen – here as a temporary resident; they are here on a visa or whatever, they always have their ability … to be here be revoked.”

“It could be by the president or by Homeland Security, for certain, there’s all different reasons why that ability for them, that privilege for them to be here could be terminated,” Wanggaard said.

Carpenter replied that Wisconsin is dealing with federal issues in how Trump is conducting official business, and argued its relevance to the debate.

MOM OF MS-13 MURDER VICTIM CONFRONTS DEMOCRAT LAWMAKER’S ‘TRAP’ QUESTION AT SENATE BORDER HEARING

“We were told by the president that only the violent criminals were going to be deported … That’s not all that’s happening… so when you’re bringing this up and saying, ‘Hey, look you can’t have any medical care for people that are being detained’ that’s wrong: it’s unchristian, it’s immoral,” said Carpenter – while Kapenga tapped the gavel as the Carpenter continued to speak.

“Don’t interrupt me,” he told Kapenga after another gavel tap.

Kapenga replied that lawmakers cannot impugn the character of other lawmakers, and referenced his comment about being “unchristian.”

As cross talk escalated, Carpenter grew more animated, weaving in complaints about federal policy and historical deportations of Mexican illegal immigrants. Kapenga again banged the gavel, leading Carpenter to lunge at it.

MILWAUKEE COUNTY EXECUTIVE MOUNTS WISCONSIN GUBERNATORIAL BID, ACCUSING TRUMP OF ‘CHAOS AND CRUELTY’

Carpenter then told Kapenga he was “too cowardly to let me speak… the truth about this situation.”

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“If you have a specific question about their specific bill…” Kapenga replied, as Carpenter claimed, “BS” and chaotic crosstalk ensued again.

Bill co-sponsor Rep. Alex Dallman, R-Green Lake, then interrupted to say the bill had been passed by “red states and blue states,” before Carpenter cut in that it was “amazing how you Republicans are so afraid of this information” and added he looked forward to winning the full floor debate, before taking a dig at Kapenga’s prior Senate presidency.

“Gentlemen, we’re done,” Kapenga calmly responded, gaveling the session out.

Fox News Digital reached out to Carpenter for comment.

Kapenga told Fox News Digital the behavior of “certain colleagues” should be a timely reminder:

“I’m not sharing the video because this isn’t about embarrassing individuals. This is about choosing decorum and the use of measured words to persuade those of opposing opinion. Sharing stories with false information to incite fear, name-calling, aggression,” he said.

“We all know the dangerous place that’s leading society. The upswell in the movement Charlie Kirk started shows Americans are passionate about the freedom to debate ideas, not rhetoric and violence.”

Fox News Digital’s Kiera McDonald contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump sent a warning to the “radical left” Democrats on Thursday in the wake of the attack on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas, Texas, this week.

“Radical left rhetoric, the radical left is causing the problem,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office before singling out Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas. “I mean, I look at Crockett, I look at some of these people, they’re very low IQ people, actually.”

His remarks also came in the wake of the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in Utah earlier this month. 

Trump and Crockett have a history of butting heads, with the congresswoman referring to the president as “wannabe Hitler” in July 2025. She later defended the remark during an appearance on “The Breakfast Club” and said that it was actually Trump who has fostered a culture of political violence.

REP. JASMINE CROCKETT DEFENDS DEM RHETORIC LIKE CALLING TRUMP ‘WANNABE HITLER’ IN WAKE OF KIRK SHOOTING

Trump on Thursday went on to say, “Bad things happen when they play these games,” though he did not elaborate on what he meant. 

Trump warned that the “right is a lot tougher than the left,” while also stressing that he does not want to see people on either side of the aisle “energized” by violence.

ICE ATTACK IN DALLAS: JOSHUA JAHN IDENTIFIED IN LATEST VIOLENCE AGAINST AGENCY AS DANGEROUS PATTERN GROWS

A shooter on Wednesday opened fire from a rooftop toward the ICE Dallas facility, killing one detainee and injuring two others in an unmarked transport van. The shooter then turned the gun on himself, authorities said. He was identified by sources as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn.

FBI Director Kash Patel said Thursday the gunman sought “real terror” against ICE, searched for videos of Kirk’s assassination and used apps that tracked ICE agents. 

Patel posted a photo of shell casings, one of which appears to have “ANTI-ICE” written on it in ink, allegedly found in the proximity of the shooter. 

Similarly, ammunition allegedly used by Tyler Robinson, the suspect in Kirk’s assassination, was inscribed with anti-fascist messages, authorities said.

Prosecutors said the rifle used to kill Kirk contained three unspent rounds and one spent round, each with engravings.

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Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca, Alexander Hall and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.