Trump's new DHS pick sails through Senate confirmation despite lone GOP defection



Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma has been confirmed by the Senate to head the Department of Homeland Security just weeks after President Donald Trump tapped him for the role.

Trump recruited Mullin to replace current DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in early March after a string of personal and political controversies. Noem will continue to serve in the role until March 31.

Despite Paul's defection, Mullin secured support from some Democrats.

Mullin's nomination sailed through the Senate in a 54-45 vote Monday night with Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky being the lone GOP "no" vote after the two shared a heated exchange during a confirmation hearing.

Paul called out Mullin for allegedly calling a vicious assault against Paul that left him with broken ribs "completely understandable." Mullin in turn said if he had something to say he would just "say it directly to [his] face," arguing that Paul likes to "fight Republicans more than you work with us."

RELATED: Trump adds new condition to ICE airport plan in DHS shutdown fight

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Despite Paul's defection, Mullin secured support from some Democrats. Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico voted with Republicans to confirm Trump's nominee.

It's typical for senators to overwhelmingly confirm a Senate colleague to a Cabinet position despite their political affiliation, so the limited Democrat support potentially indicates how divisive DHS has become. While Mullin was confirmed on a near party-line vote, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a former senator from Florida, was unanimously confirmed by his colleagues back in January 2025 to serve in the Trump administration.

Mullin is now set to take on the task of resolving the partial DHS shutdown that has withheld funding from key agencies like TSA and FEMA since February 14. As a result of the Democrats' partial shutdown, airports across the country are seeing massive security lines and constant flight delays.

RELATED: 'Freaking snake': Trump's new DHS pick faces major roadblock from lone Republican

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Senate Democrats allowed DHS funding to lapse after the shootings of anti-ICE agitators Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Notably, the partial shutdown does not affect the immigration agencies Democrats seek to dismantle. Mullin's Democrat colleagues are also demanding changes to immigration enforcement like deploying body cams and removing face coverings, all of which he will have to negotiate in his new role.

Mullin is now expected to be sworn in at the White House Tuesday afternoon.

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Lone Democrat saves Trump's DHS nominee



President Donald Trump's pick to head the Department of Homeland Security advanced through committee Thursday thanks to one Democrat senator.

Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin's nomination advanced through the Senate Homeland Security Committee after Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania crossed party lines and voted in favor of the nominee. Mullin's confirmation was previously in jeopardy after the committee's chairman, Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, vowed to vote against the nominee, citing concerns about his "temperament."

'Seems like you fight Republicans more than you work with us.'

"They've had to have known for weeks that I couldn't be real happy about a guy that won't apologize and thinks that my assault was perfectly understandable," Paul said.

Without Paul's support, Mullin was on the brink of failing the simple majority vote needed to pass through the committee. However, Fetterman joined seven Republicans on the committee to advance Mullin's nomination to the Senate floor.

RELATED: 'Freaking snake': Trump's new DHS pick faces major roadblock from lone Republican

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Paul and Mullin sparred in Wednesday's confirmation hearing after the chairman confronted the nominee over past comments he made about a violent assault Paul survived.

"You have never had the courage to look me in the eye and tell me that the assault was justified," Paul said of Mullin's comments following the 2017 assault that left him with broken ribs. Paul also claimed Mullin referred to him as a "freaking snake."

Mullin pushed back on Paul's claims in his opening statement, saying they addressed their differences when the Oklahoma senator was still in the House.

"I'm very blunt and direct to the point," Mullin said. "And if I have something to say, I'll say it directly to your face."

"Seems like you fight Republicans more than you work with us," Mullin added.

RELATED: Noem is OUT — and Trump has named her replacement

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Mullin's nomination is now headed to the floor, where the Republican-controlled Senate is expected to confirm him with a simple majority.

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Sen. Schmitt: ‘We Need To Reform’ Broken Legal Immigration System That Welcomes Terrorists, Hurts Americans

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., is calling out America’s broken legal immigration system following two terrorist attacks by naturalized U.S. citizens from the Third World. The moment came on Thursday when the Show Me State’s junior senator joined Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle to discuss the ongoing Democrat-led shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). […]

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'highly concerned'

Only one Democrat joins GOP as Senate rejects effort to halt Trump’s Iran strikes



The Senate on Wednesday stood firm against a Democrat-led effort to undermine President Donald Trump’s military campaign against the Iranian regime, voting to block a war powers resolution that would have forced a halt to U.S. hostilities without new congressional approval.

The measure, introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and co-sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), sought to mandate the removal of U.S. armed forces from the conflict unless Congress issued a formal declaration of war. The measure failed 47-53.

'Keep wiping out Iranian leadership and the nuclear personnel.'

The high-stakes vote came just five days after the launch of Operation Epic Fury, a joint U.S.-Israeli military operation that has successfully targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, ballistic missile sites, and senior leadership. The vote fell largely along party lines, with nearly all Republicans voting to allow the commander in chief to proceed with the mission without new legislative constraints.

In a notable break from his party, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) was the only Democrat to vote against the measure, siding with the Republican majority. Fetterman has been a vocal defender of the strikes.

RELATED: Iranian state TV hijacked with Trump, Netanyahu message urging citizens to 'seize control'

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"Our commitment to Israel must be absolute and I fully support this attack," Fetterman said. "Keep wiping out Iranian leadership and the nuclear personnel. We must provide whatever is necessary — military, intelligence, weaponry — to fully back Israel in striking Iran."

Pennsylvania’s other senator, Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), also voted to block the resolution.

Sen. Paul was the sole Republican to support the measure, maintaining his long-standing position on congressional oversight of military action.

The Senate’s action follows the start of the conflict over the weekend, when U.S. and Israeli airstrikes killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The operation has hit more than 150 locations used by the regime to threaten the region. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel and U.S. bases, including a strike in Kuwait that killed American service members, according to U.S. Central Command.

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Press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Operation Epic Fury a "resounding success" and emphasized that the administration is acting to protect U.S. interests and allies from imminent Iranian aggression.

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Jasmine Crockett claims voters were 'disenfranchised' following crushing defeat in key Texas primary



Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) endured a brutal electoral blow Tuesday night after her opponent James Talarico secured the nomination in the Texas Senate Democratic primary.

Talarico, a more moderate Democrat, decisively won the nomination, dashing Crockett's aspirations for higher political office. With 80% of the vote tallied on Wednesday morning, Talarico sailed through with 53.1% of the vote, while Crockett brought in just 45.6%, according to the New York Times.

Talarico's win may indicate a shift toward a more moderate platform.

Despite Talarico's decisive win, Crockett was quick to blame election fraud.

"We're about to file a lawsuit to keep the voting polls open," Crockett said. "... I can tell you now that people were being disenfranchised."

RELATED: 'Maybe I should endorse Jasmine Crockett': Lauren Boebert jokes with, praises James Talarico amid heated Texas primary

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Talarico embraced the blue-dog Democrat campaign style, pitching himself as a Christian and appealing to working-class voters. Crockett, on the other hand, exemplified progressivism in full force, modeling herself after Squad members like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

Despite Crockett's appeal to the progressive faction of the left, Talarico's win may indicate a shift toward a more moderate platform within the Democratic Party.

RELATED: 3 contentious Texas primaries that hang in the balance

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Talarico will now face off against either Attorney General Ken Paxton or incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in November.

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Democrats No Longer In Lockstep Before Midterms, Spelling Potential Disaster For Party

'it is absolutely infuriating'

Crockett hits back, says CBS and Colbert are full of it: 'They just didn't want to air it'



Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas is taking aim at late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert for pulling an interview with her opponent.

Colbert lashed out at President Donald Trump after CBS pulled an interview with James Talarico, another Democratic candidate running for Senate against Crockett, citing new FCC guidelines. While Colbert pointed the finger at the government, Crockett was quick to push back on the narrative, insisting that the federal government had nothing to do with the decision to pull Talarico's interview.

'This was because of a fear that the FCC may say something to them.'

"We did receive information suggesting that the federal government did not shut down the segment, number one," Crockett said.

"That is my understanding that the federal government did not shut this down, and we will do an official statement once we get another official statement that we anticipate is going to be coming from Paramount," Crockett added. "So we will read what they say, and then we'll go from there."

RELATED: Stephen Colbert melts down after CBS pulls interview with Democrat just months before his show ends

Photo by Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images

Crockett's assessment was counter to CBS' official statement, which claimed that Colbert's show was "provided legal guidance" by the FCC.

"The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled," the statement read. "THE LATE SHOW decided to present the interview through its YouTube channel with on-air promotion on the broadcast rather than potentially providing the equal-time options."

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr reiterated these guidelines in late January, reminding networks of their "obligation" to provide candidates equal airtime.

"For years, legacy TV networks assumed that their late night & daytime talk shows qualify as 'bona fide news' programs — even when motivated by purely partisan political purposes," Carr said in a post on X. "Today, the FCC reminded them of their obligation to provide all candidates with equal opportunities."

RELATED: Trump says Colbert is to blame for his show's cancellation — but adds Kimmel and Fallon are next

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As CBS' statement said, Colbert opted to post the interview on social media rather than broadcasting it live on the program in order to work around the FCC's new guidance requiring shows to provide competing candidates equal time on air. Although Crockett has been on Colbert's show multiple times, she noted that she "did not get a request" to appear on his show.

"It is our understanding that Colbert, either Mr. Colbert or CBS, decided that they just didn't want to air it," Crockett said of the Talarico interview. "And this was because of a fear that the FCC may say something to them and that there may have been advice to just have me on and then they could clear the issue."

"It was my understanding that someone somewhere decided we just don't want to do that and instead, we're going to just do it this way."

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‘This Is About As Big as It Gets’: Trump Formally Guts Obama-Era Climate Finding That Allowed Feds To Regulate Emissions

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Flanked by EPA administrator Lee Zeldin in the Roosevelt Room, President Donald Trump announced that his administration has formally rescinded a 2009 Obama-era finding that greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide endanger public health. That finding led to a slate of federal climate regulations targeting gas-powered vehicles, including former president Joe Biden’s top-down effort to force Americans to buy more electric cars.

The post ‘This Is About As Big as It Gets’: Trump Formally Guts Obama-Era Climate Finding That Allowed Feds To Regulate Emissions appeared first on .

Lone Democrat joins all Republicans to pass landmark election integrity bill barring noncitizens from voting



The House passed a historic election integrity bill Wednesday night with the help of just one Democrat.

Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy's SAVE America Act, which requires proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, passed the House in a 218-213 vote with the support of every House Republican, including Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. Democrat Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, a vulnerable candidate who was pardoned by President Donald Trump on bribery and money-laundering charges, was the sole Democrat to cross the aisle and vote with Republicans.

'There’s a false rumor that I voted against the Save America Act today.'

"I support the SAVE America Act because I believe in a fundamental principle: American citizens should decide American elections," Cuellar said in a post on X, defying his entire party. "That principle strengthens our democracy and protects the value of every vote."

"This is the same secure but practical approach Texas already uses — strong photo ID standards with real fallback options — and it's a big reason Texas has some of the strongest election security laws in the country."

RELATED: Exclusive: Republicans pen OMAR Act, targeting lawmakers who have 'blurred' ethical lines

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Following the bill's passage, Massie clarified his support for the legislation after initially voting against a procedural vote on the SAVE America Act.

"There’s a false rumor that I voted against the Save America Act today," Massie clarified in a post on X on Wednesday. "I’ll vote for it when it comes to the floor."

"I voted against a 'rule' that allows it to get a vote, but the 'rule' also suspends house rules and allows spending bills to come to the floor with no 24hr notice!"

RELATED: Rogue Republicans side with Democrats, revolting against Trump's key economic policy

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With the House's stamp of approval, the SAVE America Act is headed to the Senate, where onlookers anxiously wait to see if it will garner enough support. As of this writing, 46 Republicans including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (S.D.) have co-sponsored the legislation.

"I'd be hard pressed to have to defend a position that doesn't believe that you have to be an American citizen to vote in an American election," Thune said.

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