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Blackburn says Trump support was ‘common thread’ among lawmakers reportedly targeted by Jack Smith
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FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., was one of nearly a dozen Senate Republicans allegedly probed by former Special Counsel Jack Smith, an investigation she wasn’t aware of until earlier this month.
She was one of several Senate Republicans that Smith allegedly surveilled as part of his investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots. But it was only revealed earlier this month by the FBI — thanks to an oversight request by Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa — that Smith allegedly requested phone records on her and others.
Blackburn told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that until the documents from Smith’s «Arctic Frost» investigation were revealed, she had no idea that her phone records were being surveilled.
JACK SMITH INVESTIGATORS NEED TO ‘PAY BIG’ FOR JAN. 6 PHONE RECORDS PROBE, WARNS SEN. GRAHAM
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., believed that the «common thread» on former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s alleged spying on congressional Republicans was their support of President Donald Trump. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
She believed the «common thread» behind the former special counsel’s probe, which was carried out in 2023, was because «the eight of us are all Republicans. We all support President Trump.»
Blackburn and Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., Bill Hagerty, R-Wyo., Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., were all reportedly part of Smith’s investigation.
In response, Blackburn and many of the others that were allegedly surveilled by Smith want to see him disbarred.
«This is about making certain we have one tier of justice, and that we stop this two tiers of justice,» Blackburn said. «And if they can do this to eight sitting U.S. senators, what could they possibly — I mean, think about how, what they must be doing to conservatives in this country.»
Last week, she and Graham, Tuberville, Sullivan and Kelly sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi demanding an investigation into Smith, and that he be referred to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Professional Responsibility.
HAGERTY PRESSES VERIZON OVER FBI’S ACCESS TO HIS PHONE RECORDS DURING JACK SMITH PROBE
Special Counsel Jack Smith delivers remarks on an unsealed indictment including four felony counts against former President Donald Trump in Washington, Aug. 1, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
The end goal of the investigation is to see Smith disbarred from both New York and Tennessee, two states where he holds a license to practice law. Blackburn argued that Smith’s alleged spying on her and others was a «First Amendment and Fourth Amendment violation.»
Her latest push against the former special counsel came on the heels of another letter sent to AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon demanding why the cellphone carriers allegedly allowed Smith and the FBI under the Biden administration to track their communications.
«You would have thought that, because of the Stored Records Act and the First Amendment, the Fourth Amendment and the Speech and Debate Clause, that at least Verizon, who’s my wireless carrier, would have informed me that there was a request on my records,» she said.
JACK SMITH TRACKED PRIVATE COMMUNICATIONS, CALLS OF NEARLY A DOZEN GOP SENATORS DURING J6 PROBE, FBI SAYS
President Donald Trump listens to Argentina’s President Javier Milei (not pictured) in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, Oct. 14, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
«But of course, there was nothing given to us, and it’s the reason that we sent the letter to Verizon and then followed it with a letter … to the DOJ on Jack Smith,» she continued.
Smith is one of a handful of former officials that have been targeted by the DOJ under the Trump administration. He is currently under investigation by the Office of Special Counsel for alleged Hatch Act violations, which bars government employees from participating in political activities.
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Then there are federal indictments against former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly making false statements and obstructing justice, and former National Security Advisor John Bolton for allegedly mishandling classified documents.
Blackburn was one of many Republicans that railed against so-called political witch hunts against President Donald Trump when he was out of office. When asked what the difference between the indictments against Trump and his allies compared to the latest crop of former officials, she said it was about accountability.
«These need to be investigated so that this kind of stuff stops,» Blackburn said. «And one of the differences, I think you see between Democrats and Republicans, is Democrats repeatedly circle the wagons, and they push things under the rug, and then they want two tiers of justice. And with Republicans, the focus is on accountability and transparency, and I think that is a major, major difference.»
senate,justice department,corruption,donald trump,politics
INTERNACIONAL
La Unión Europea prepara nuevas sanciones contra Bielorrusia por su “ataque híbrido” contra Lituania
La Unión Europea anunció este lunes que trabaja en un nuevo paquete de sanciones contra Bielorrusia, a la que acusa de llevar a cabo una “campaña híbrida” contra Lituania mediante el uso creciente de globos cargados con mercancía de contrabando que han obligado a cerrar aeropuertos y reforzar la vigilancia aérea. La presidenta de la Comisión Europea, Ursula von der Leyen, afirmó en la red social X que la situación en la frontera “está empeorando” y reclamó una respuesta coordinada del bloque.
El Gobierno lituano, encabezado por el presidente Gitanas Nausėda, cerró su frontera con Bielorrusia en octubre tras detectar decenas de globos que, según sus autoridades, entraron de manera irregular en su espacio aéreo con cargamentos de cigarrillos ilegales. La decisión dejó miles de camiones atrapados en territorio bielorruso y desencadenó un intercambio de acusaciones entre ambos países, que mantienen relaciones tensas desde hace varios años.
Según Von der Leyen, la UE ultima medidas adicionales dentro del marco de sanciones vigente desde 2020, cuando el bloque castigó al régimen de Aleksandr Lukashenko por la represión de protestas internas y, posteriormente, por su apoyo a la invasión rusa de Ucrania en 2022. El régimen bielorruso ha sido objeto de sanciones sucesivas a causa de la persecución de la oposición, el uso de migrantes para presionar a los países vecinos y la cooperación militar con Moscú.
El mismo lunes, Bielorrusia citó al encargado de negocios lituano en Minsk, Erikas Vilkanecas, para protestar por la supuesta incursión de un dron procedente de territorio lituano. El Ministerio de Exteriores bielorruso aseguró en un comunicado que se trató de una “violación” de su frontera y que el aparato había sido programado para regresar a Lituania tras sobrevolar parte de su territorio.
Las autoridades bielorrusas difundieron que, tras revisar datos de navegación y material audiovisual, concluyeron que el vuelo del dron constituía una amenaza para su seguridad y una infracción del derecho internacional. El portavoz del ministerio, Ruslan Varankov, sostuvo que el incidente se sumaba a un patrón de supuestas provocaciones por parte de Vilna.
Lituania negó semanas atrás que su cierre fronterizo buscara generar tensión adicional y acusó a Minsk de utilizar a los conductores de camiones como instrumento de presión. Vilnius ha calificado la situación de los transportistas atrapados en Bielorrusia como “chantaje”, ya que la mercancía retenida representa millones de euros en pérdidas para empresas lituanas.
El Servicio Europeo de Acción Exterior también convocó este lunes al representante diplomático de Bielorrusia ante la UE para trasladarle su protesta formal por actos que considera “híbridos” y que “suponen una amenaza para la Unión”. Según Bruselas, los vuelos de globos con contrabando y la crisis de los camiones forman parte de una estrategia más amplia del Gobierno de Lukashenko para desestabilizar a los países vecinos.
Las tensiones entre Lituania y Bielorrusia se han intensificado desde 2021, cuando la UE acusó a Minsk de facilitar la llegada de migrantes desde Medio Oriente hacia las fronteras de Lituania y Polonia. La Comisión Europea calificó entonces esta actuación como un intento deliberado de instrumentalizar los flujos migratorios para presionar al bloque comunitario.
El bloque comunitario mantiene desde hace cuatro años un régimen de sanciones progresivo que incluye restricciones financieras, prohibiciones de viaje y congelación de activos contra dirigentes bielorrusos, entre ellos Lukashenko y miembros de su familia. La UE acusa al mandatario, en el poder desde 1994, de sostener su Gobierno mediante prácticas autoritarias y de actuar como aliado estratégico de Rusia.
El deterioro de la relación entre Minsk y Vilna se enmarca en un contexto regional marcado por la guerra en Ucrania. Bielorrusia permitió que Rusia utilizara su territorio como plataforma para la invasión de febrero de 2022, lo que reforzó la percepción de amenaza en las repúblicas bálticas.
La UE deberá definir ahora el alcance del nuevo paquete de sanciones, que podría incluir ampliaciones al listado de personas designadas y nuevas restricciones económicas. Bruselas sostiene que las medidas buscan frenar la presión bielorrusa sobre la frontera europea y enviar una señal política clara al Gobierno de Lukashenko sobre los límites de su actuación.
Diplomacy / Foreign Policy,Europe
INTERNACIONAL
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Trump admin ‘re-examining’ all Afghans imported after DC shooting
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Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…
-Trump, Speaker Johnson, AOC, blitz campaign trail on eve of crucial congressional showdown
-Trump hit with setback as court rules Alina Habba unlawfully served as top federal prosecutor in New Jersey
-Freedom Caucus joins progressives in rare bipartisan push targeting ‘insane’ federal laws
Trump admin ‘actively re-examining all of the Afghans imported into the country’ following DC shooting
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the Trump administration is «actively re-examining» all the Afghan nationals who entered the United States during former President Joe Biden’s administration.
«Any individual who threatens our national security or our citizenry will be subject to removal,» Leavitt told reporters during a White House press briefing. «President Trump has already permanently paused the migration of foreign nationals from Third World countries that pose a very high risk to the United States. For too long, past American presidents supported self-destruction, self-destructive immigration policies that allowed foreigners who outright hate our country and have no interest in assimilating into our culture.»
The announcement comes after the death of 20-year-old National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom, who was allegedly shot in the nation’s capital last week by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national…READ MORE.
National Guard members patrol in Washington, Nov. 27, 2025. (Alex Wroblewski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
White House
NEXT IN LINE: Trump says he has decided on next Fed chair as affordability crisis looms
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a briefing in Washington on Dec. 1, 2025. (Evan Vucci/AP)
MEDICAL UPDATE: Trump MRI results drop as White House confronts mounting questions over president’s health
FRANKLIN ATTACKS: War Sec. Pete Hegseth shares meme of children’s book character firing on narco terrorist drug boat
Pete Hegseth, US secretary of defense, during a meeting with President Donald Trump and Karol Nawrocki, Poland’s president, not pictured, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
A NATURAL NO: Trump says he would ‘absolutely’ revoke citizenship from naturalized criminals — if he has the authority
World Stage
MADURO ON NOTICE: Venezuela White House meeting kicks off Trump’s high-stakes week as Cabinet huddle looms
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro waves next to First Lady Cilia Flores, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez and the president of the National Assembly Jorge Rodriguez on arrival at the Capitolio -house of the National Assembly- for the presidential inauguration. (FEDERICO PARRA/AFP via Getty Images))
‘VERY SATISFIED’: Trump declares importance of not derailing ‘Syria’s evolution into a prosperous State’
Capitol Hill
PICK A SIDE: GOP senator moves to end dual citizenship, says Americans must choose
Lawmakers launch a probe into reports that War Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered commanders to have survivors of narco-strikes killed. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters:Department of War via X)
UNDER FIRE: Lawmakers skeptical of alleged Hegseth kill orders in Venezuela — but issue stark warning
Across America
BULLY PULPIT: Trump forces Indiana GOP into redistricting reversal in race to draw new MAGA map
HERO FIGHTS ON: WV gov gives update on wounded Guardsman, talks future of DC mission as general says troops are grieving
People gather on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, for a vigil in Webster Springs, W. Va., in honor of National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, one of two National Guard members who were shot in Washington, D.C., this week. (Kathleen Batten/AP)
MINNESOTA MESS: Minnesota state government employees say they wrote to Kamala Harris, DNC, ‘warning’ about Walz as VP pick
‘I’M RUNNING’: Democratic DC councilmember Janeese Lewis George mounts mayoral bid to succeed Bowser
Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis-George speaks during the «Rally for Childcare» event aimed at restoring funding for childcare organized by childcare providers and parents at Freedom Plaza on May 12, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Paul Morigi/Getty Images for SPACEs in Action)
GUILTY NO MORE: Minnesota judge under fire for tossing $7.2M taxpayer-fraud conviction tied to alleged ‘lavish lifestyle’
Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
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Local authorities in the UK have dramatically increased their use of drones, fueling fears that the government is monitoring or even snooping on people from above, according to reports.
Data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) show that more than 60 councils have hired staff certified to operate aerial drones, while at least a dozen other authorities are looking for guidance to launch similar programs.
Because the CAA only records pilots sponsored by their employers, experts in the UK have since warned the real number of publicly funded drone operators could be even higher.
NAVY SOLAR DRONE SOARS NONSTOP FOR 3 DAYS
A drone is seen in the sky as Chinese drone maker DJI holds a demonstration to display an app that tracks a drone’s registration and owner in Montreal, Canada, Nov. 3, 2019. (Reuters)
UK watchdog group Big Brother Watch has accused local governments of drifting toward «spies in the sky» tactics that further erode civil liberties in a nation already covered by widespread CCTV monitoring.
Jake Hurfurt, head of research and investigations, cautioned that while drones can support legitimate tasks such as flood monitoring or land surveys, they must not become tools for unchecked surveillance.
«There may be a role for drones in helping councils monitor flooding or conduct land surveys, but local authorities must not use the technology as spies in the sky» he said.
«Britain is already one of the most surveilled countries on Earth. With CCTV cameras on street corners, we do not need flying cameras too. Councils must make sure that they do not use this technology for intrusive monitoring of their citizens.»
UFO-LIKE ‘DRONES’ TARGETED POLICE HELICOPTER OVER AIR BASE BEFORE VANISHING: REPORT
UK local authorities have expanded their use of drones, fueling fears that the government is increasingly monitoring citizens. (Neil Hall/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«Just because it’s possible, it does not mean it’s something they should do,» he added.
Previously, Hurfurt also criticized London’s Metropolitan Police’s use of drones as first responders, warning that the rollout is occurring without clear policies governing when, how or why drones can be deployed.
Without safeguards, he said, the technology risks becoming airborne CCTV or, worse, a way to monitor lawful protest activity.
«Without robust safeguards, there is a real risk of mission creep and drones becoming flying CCTV cameras or watching people lawfully protesting,» he said in a statement shared online.
PENTAGON EXPLORING COUNTER-DRONE SYSTEMS TO PREVENT INCURSIONS OVER NATIONAL SECURITY FACILITIES
A police woman holds a drone during a demonstration of the Metropolitan Police’s new Drone as First Responder (DFR) pilot program at Islington Police Station. (Lucy North/PA Images via Getty Images)
«The Metropolitan Police must be transparent about its thresholds for using drones and take care to balance the rights of Londoners with the purported benefits of drone use,» he added.
Despite the concerns, Hammersmith and Fulham Council plans to integrate drones into its 70-member law enforcement team, which issued more than 2,200 fines last year.
The borough says drones will help in combating antisocial behavior, supplementing a lack of police manpower and work alongside CCTV equipped with live facial recognition.
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Sunderland currently operates the largest known council drone fleet, with 13 aircraft and multiple trained pilots.
Their drones are used to detect and prevent crime, enforce environmental rules and oversee public gatherings.
Other councils, including North West Leicestershire, Stockton-on-Tees, Newcastle, North Norfolk and Thurrock are also said to be using drones for everything from planning enforcement to monitoring coastal disputes, according to GB News.
drones,tech,united kingdom
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