INTERNACIONAL
RNC chair bets on ‘secret weapon’ to defy midterm history, protect GOP majorities
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
EXCLUSIVE — Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Joe Gruters says he has «one goal» this year — to make sure the GOP holds its fragile House majority and narrow control of the Senate in November’s midterm elections.
Making Gruters’ mission more difficult: the party in power, which is clearly the Republicans right now, traditionally faces political headwinds and usually loses congressional seats in the midterms.
But the RNC chair, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, who the president picked last summer to steer the national party committee, says he has a «secret weapon» in order to «defy history» and pick up seats in the 2026 elections.
«I think the President of the United States is our secret weapon… He’s laser focused,» Gruters touted in a national digital exclusive sit-down interview with Fox News.
HOUSE GOP CAMPAIGN CHAIR WANTS TRUMP ‘OUT THERE ON THE TRAIL’ IN MIDTERM BATTLE FOR MAJORITY
President Donald Trump gestures as he arrives to deliver remarks on the U.S. economy and affordability at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, Dec. 9, 2025. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
Pointing to Trump’s unprecedented agenda during his first year back in the White House, Gruters argued, «I think it’s going to pay huge dividends across the board, whether you’re running for governor, Senate, House, or whether you’re running for a local seat.»
Democrats see it differently, as they spotlight Trump’s underwater approval ratings and deep concerns by Americans over continued high prices.
PERCEPTION VS. REALITY’: TRUMP’S ECONOMY PICKS UP SPEED — BUT VOTERS AREN’T BUYING IT YET
The GOP is also dealing with a low propensity issue: MAGA voters who don’t always go to the polls when Trump’s name isn’t on the ballot.
But Gruters noted that Trump’s made stops in recent weeks in three key midterm election battlegrounds and said that the president’s «going to barnstorm the country with our candidates.»
President Donald Trump disembarks Air Force One on his return from Detroit, Michigan, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on Jan. 13, 2026. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
The RNC chair also spotlighted the party’s formidable fundraising advantage over the rival Democratic National Committee (DNC), noting that «we’re raising a ton of money.»
But he cautioned: «We got to do everything right. We got to make sure we turn our voters out, and we got to make sure that we have people energized. And there’s nobody that can energize our base more than President Trump.»
REPUBLICAN SENATORS HIT BORDER, TOUTING TOUGHER SECURITY AND TAX CUTS, IN 2026 KICKOFF
Gruters, who was interviewed ahead of next week’s RNC winter meeting, also argued that «there’s been nobody that’s been more focused on affordability than President Trump. Look at gas prices, the lowest prices since 2021 look at egg prices, real pocketbook issues that impact everyday Americans, the president is focused on, and he’s not done.»
Deep concerns over inflation boosted Trump and Republicans to sweeping victories at the ballot box in 2024, as they won back the White House and Senate and keep their House majority.
But Democrats say their decisive victories in November’s 2025 elections, and their overperformances in special elections and other ballot box showdowns last year, were fueled by their laser focus on affordability.
«One year into his second term, Donald Trump has made one thing unmistakably clear: He doesn’t care about everyday Americans — he only cares about himself and his billionaire donors. As working families struggle to afford groceries, utilities, and health care, and worry about finding a job, Trump is busy meddling in foreign countries and palling around with executives, failing to address Americans’ top concerns on the economy,» DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer argued in a statement.
And pointing to November’s midterm elections, Witmer predicted, «Voters won’t forget Trump’s betrayal come midterms — and Republicans will have to answer for it.»
CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS WIDEN 2026 BATTLEFIELD, ZERO IN ON NEW HOUSE REPUBLICAN TARGETS
But Gruters, who was a certified public accountant (CPA) before taking over the RNC, highlighted the series of tax cuts in the «One Big Beautiful Bill Act,» Trump’s signature domestic policy achievement so far during his second term.
«I will tell you that people are very excited about filing their taxes this year. This should be some of the biggest refunds that anybody has gotten,» he said.
The cost of living has been a key issue at the ballot box the past couple of years. And an overwhelming majority questioned in a Fox News national poll conducted last month expressed concern about high prices.
Gruters, promoting Trump’s agenda, told Fox News Digital that from «an affordability standpoint, I think we win hands down based on the policies this president has pushed.»
Democrats disagree.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Gruters’ rival, DNC Chair Ken Martin, put it bluntly last month at the national party’s winter meeting.
«S*** is too expensive,» Martin emphasized.
donald trump,republicans elections,elections,midterm elections,democrats elections,inflation,campaigning
INTERNACIONAL
Fetterman urges Minneapolis ICE op to stand down as city spirals to ‘ungovernable and dangerous’ levels
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman is calling for an immediate end to the Minnesota immigration crackdown after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti Saturday by federal law enforcement, he said in comment to Fox News Digital.
«The operation in Minneapolis should stand down and immediately end,» Fetterman said Monday in a comment to Fox News Digital. «It has become an ungovernable and dangerous urban theatre for civilians and law enforcement that is incompatible with the American spirit.»
«As a very pro-immigration Democrat and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Border Management, I believe our nation deserves a secured border and that we should deport all criminal migrants,» he continued. «I also believe there needs to be a path to citizenship for those hardworking families who are here.»
Fetterman’s comments on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation follow his vocal support of federal law enforcement officers, breaking with many Democrat colleagues who have called for the end to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and for ICE overall to be defunded.
FORMER ICE AGENT CALLS POLICE NON-COOPERATION ‘FORMULA FOR DISASTER’ AFTER SECOND MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING DEATH
Sen. John Fetterman’s wife, Gisele, took aim at ICE and Trump administration immigration policies in an X post. (Mark Makela/Getty Images)
«Secure the border. Deport all the criminals. Stop targeting the hardworking migrants in our nation,» Fetterman posted to X earlier in January.
Fetterman added in his statement Monday that he continues to buck calls to defund ICE.
Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman’s office Monday morning inquiring about his wife’s X post blasting the Trump administration’s immigration policies, even as her husband has publicly backed federal immigration officers.
«For more than a decade, I lived undocumented in the US. Every day carried the same uncertainty and fear lived in my body – a tight chest, shallow breaths, racing heart,» the senator’s wife, Gisele Barreto Fetterman, wrote Sunday. «What I thought was my private, chronic dread has now become a shared national wound.»
«This now-daily violence is not ‘law and order.’ It is terror inflicted on people who contribute, love and build their lives here,» she continued. «It’s devastatingly cruel and unAmerican.»
Gisele Barreto Fetterman previously has discussed moving to the U.S. from Brazil as a child, including as an illegal immigrant for a decade.
Alex Pretti, 37, was fatally shot Saturday by Border Patrol agents in Minnesota while filming federal officers on a Minneapolis street. Federal officials say Pretti approached agents with a 9 mm handgun and resisted disarmament, while witnesses have cast doubt on if Pretti, an ICU nurse, posed a threat to agents.
President Donald Trump told The Wall Street Journal Sunday that his administration is «reviewing everything,» surrounding the case, but did not say whether the agent who shot Pretti acted appropriately.
Sen. John Fetterman participates in a debate, June 2, 2025, in Boston. (Steven Senne, File/The Associated Press )
The fatal shooting, which follows the Jan. 7 fatal ICE shooting of Renee Good, has sparked outrage among Democrats and critics of the president who say Trump administration immigration policies are causing chaos for communities, while describing the shooting deaths of the two Americans as «murder.»
ANTI-ICE AGITATORS CLASH WITH FEDERAL AGENTS AT MINNEAPOLIS HOTEL, AS AGENTS DEPLOY TEAR GAS, FLASHBANGS
Former President Bill Clinton, for example, issued a searing rebuke of the immigration crackdown following Pretti’s death, calling it an «unacceptable» tragedy that «should have been avoided.»
A man arrested by federal agents moments prior escapes in handcuffs after tear gas went off, Jan. 21, 2026, in Minneapolis. (Angelina Katsanis/The Associated Press )
Fetterman said in comment to Fox News Digital that «Ms. Good and Mr. Pretti should still be alive» and that his «family grieves for theirs.»
«I’ve also spent significant time hearing many different positions on the funding bills and maintain that I will never vote to shut our government down, especially our Defense Department.
«Additionally, a vote to shut our government down will not defund ICE. DHS has $178B in funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which I did not vote for,» he said. «I reject the calls to defund or abolish ICE. I strongly disagree with many strategies and practices ICE deployed in Minneapolis, and believe that must change.»
«I want a conversation on the DHS appropriations bill and support stripping it from the minibus,» he continued. «It is unlikely that will happen and our country will suffer another shutdown. We must find a way forward and I remain committed to being a voice of reason and common sense.»
JD VANCE SHARES ‘CRAZY’ STORY OF ICE AND CBP OFFICERS BEING MOBBED IN MINNEAPOLIS
A Minnesota National Guard vehicle blocks off a road near the scene of a shooting earlier in the day, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)
Trump announced Monday that he was deploying White House border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota, and that he will report directly to the president.
«Tom Homan will be managing ICE operations on the ground in Minnesota and coordinating with others on the ongoing fraud investigations,» White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox Digital Monday.
Leavitt said Monday during a White House press briefing that the administration is calling on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to agree in order to bring peace to the Twin Cities.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
«Number one, Governor Walz, Mayor Frye and all Democrat leaders should turn over all criminal illegal aliens currently incarcerated in their prisons and jails to federal authorities, along with any illegal aliens with active warrants or known criminal histories for immediate deportation,» Leavitt said. «Number two, state and local law enforcement must agree to turn over all illegal aliens who are arrested by local police. And then thirdly, local police must assist federal law enforcement in apprehending and detaining illegal aliens who are wanted for crimes, especially violent crimes.»
Walz and Trump shared what was described as a productive phone call Monday morning, with the state calling on the president to work together to quell the chaos, Trump said on Truth Social.
john fetterman,donald trump,minnesota,immigration
INTERNACIONAL
Chinese hackers reportedly breached phones at ‘heart of Downing Street’ in global spy campaign
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Chinese state-linked hackers breached mobile phones at «the heart of Downing Street» amid a global cyber-espionage campaign over several years targeting telecommunication networks, according to reports.
U.S. officials first alerted its allies in 2024 after finding out that hacking groups had gained access to telecom companies around the world, according to The Associated Press.
The campaign reportedly targeted multiple countries, including the U.S. and the other members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance: Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
The breaches allegedly gave China access to the phone data of millions and the possible ability to eavesdrop on calls, read text messages and track users’ locations.
EX-TRUMP DHS OFFICIAL SOUNDS ALARM OVER NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT WITHIN CRITICAL US INDUSTRY
Chinese cyberattacks reportedly reached «the heart» of the U.K.’s Downing Street, a source told The Telegraph. (Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)
The hackers also had the ability to record calls «at will» according to Anne Neuberger, who was a deputy U.S. national security adviser between January 2021 and January 2025, The Telegraph reported.
Neuberger said that the «Chinese gained access to networks and essentially had broad and full access,» giving them the capability to «geolocate millions of individuals, to record phone calls at will.»
U.S. intelligence agencies believe the breaches date back to at least 2021, but they were only identified and disclosed by U.S. authorities in 2024.
SECRET ROOM TO BE BUILT AT CHINESE EMBASSY NEAR CABLE LINES, SPARKING WIDESPREAD ESPIONAGE FEARS
A source told The Telegraph that the breach went «right into the heart of Downing Street.» (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
In 2024, The Associated Press reported that U.S. federal authorities urged telecommunication companies to boost network security. The guidance, issued by the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, was to help root out the hackers and prevent similar attacks in the future.
A joint cybersecurity advisory was issued in August 2025, with the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and allied partners warning that Chinese state-sponsored actors were targeting networks globally.
«The malicious activity outlined in the advisory partially overlaps with cybersecurity industry reporting on Chinese state-sponsored threat actors referred to by names such as Salt Typhoon,» an NSA release said.
In the U.K., officials raised concerns that senior government figures may also have been exposed. One source told The Telegraph that the breach went «right into the heart of Downing Street.»
MASSIVE TELECOM BUST IN MAJOR CITY IS ‘WAKE-UP CALL’ AS FOREIGN ADVERSARIES THREATEN US SECURITY: EXPERTS
There were reportedly «many» hacking attacks on phones across the British government, particularly under the tenure of Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. (Hannah McKay/Reuters)
Similarly, The Telegraph was told that there were «many» different hacking attacks on the phones of Downing Street staff and across wider government, especially when Rishi Sunak was prime minister between 2022 and 2024.
Yuval Wollman, a former Israeli intelligence chief, also told The Telegraph that Salt Typhoon was «one of the most prominent names» in the cyber-espionage world.
«While much of the public reporting has focused on U.S. targets, Salt Typhoon’s operations have extended into Europe, the Middle East and Africa, where it has targeted telecoms firms, government entities and technology companies,» Wollman of cybersecurity platform CyberProof added.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
In the past, China’s foreign ministry dismissed the claims as «baseless» and «lacking evidence,» according to The Telegraph.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Downing Street for comment.
united kingdom,hackers,national security,alliances,cybercrime,privacy,uk politics
INTERNACIONAL
La Asamblea Nacional de Francia aprobó un proyecto de ley que prohíbe el acceso a las redes sociales a menores de 15 años
La Asamblea Nacional de Francia aprobó el lunes un proyecto de ley que prohíbe el acceso a las redes sociales a los menores de 15 años y veta el uso de teléfonos móviles en los institutos, con el objetivo de que la medida entre en vigor desde el inicio del próximo curso escolar.
Tras un debate que se extendió hasta pasada la medianoche, los diputados respaldaron el texto con 130 votos a favor y 21 en contra. El proyecto, tramitado por el procedimiento de urgencia, pasa ahora al Senado, cuya aprobación resulta necesaria para su aplicación a partir del 1 de septiembre.
Durante la discusión parlamentaria, la diputada oficialista Laure Miller, una de las impulsoras de la iniciativa, defendió la prohibición con el argumento de que “no se puede dejar que un niño tenga que gestionar algo adictivo (las redes) por sí solo”. En su intervención, aludió a los algoritmos que conducen a los menores hacia contenidos vinculados con tendencias suicidas y de automutilación, con especial énfasis en TikTok.
“Prometía incentivar la creatividad y la alegría y ha sucedido todo lo contrario”, afirmó Miller ante el pleno. La parlamentaria sostuvo además que los estudios científicos muestran que, a causa de las redes sociales, los menores “duermen menos, se mueven menos, leen menos y se comparan más” entre sí.
Entre las intervenciones del Gobierno, destacó la del ministro de Educación, Edouard Geffray, quien celebró la restricción de los teléfonos móviles prevista para los institutos, tras la prohibición decretada en 2018 en secundaria, primaria y preescolar. “Esta medida ha tenido efectos positivos, tanto en el ambiente escolar como en el aprendizaje”, expresó el ministro, al tiempo que lamentó que una gran parte de los jóvenes “pasen más tiempo semanal viendo pantallas que en horas lectivas”.
Antes de la votación final, la Asamblea rechazó una moción de inadmisión presentada por el principal partido de izquierdas, La Francia Insumisa, que calificó la prohibición de “inaplicable” y sostuvo que “no cambia nada”.
El diputado Louis Boyard, de 25 años, expuso sus objeciones al sistema de verificación de edad con ejemplos concretos. “¿Saben cómo es sencillo evitarla? En Australia, basta con que alguien con aspecto de más de 18 años se preste para el reconocimiento facial en el lugar del menor. O que el menor se maquille para parecer de más edad”, señaló.
La propuesta legislativa responde a un impulso político del presidente Emmanuel Macron, quien reclamó un trámite acelerado para su adopción con el objetivo de proteger a los menores. El mandatario celebró en la red social X el avance del proyecto y afirmó: “Porque el cerebro de nuestros hijos no está en venta. Ni a las plataformas estadounidenses ni a las redes chinas. Porque sus sueños no pueden estar dictados por algoritmos. Porque no queremos una generación ansiosa, sino una generación que crea en Francia, la República y sus valores”.
La futura norma consta de dos artículos y busca fijar un marco “claro” sobre el uso del móvil y de las redes sociales para los menores de 15 años. Así lo expresó Macron en un video difundido la víspera por la cadena BFMTV, en el que reiteró la prioridad del Ejecutivo para lograr un consenso parlamentario amplio en un contexto marcado por la falta de mayoría en la Asamblea Nacional.
En otra intervención pública, el presidente subrayó: “El cerebro de nuestros niños y de nuestros adolescentes no está en venta. Las emociones de nuestros menores y de nuestros adolescentes no se venden ni se manipulan, ni por las plataformas estadounidenses ni por los algoritmos chinos”.
El Gobierno fundamenta la iniciativa en informes sanitarios que advierten sobre los efectos psicológicos de las redes sociales en la población menor de edad. A comienzos de este año, la Agencia Francesa de Seguridad Alimentaria, Ambiental y Laboral (ANSES) publicó un informe que señaló que plataformas como TikTok, Snapchat e Instagram perjudican gravemente la salud mental de los adolescentes.
Según la ANSES, los riesgos incluyen la comparación constante, la exposición a contenidos violentos, los mecanismos de captación de la atención que alteran el sueño y el ciberacoso. Estos elementos forman parte del diagnóstico utilizado por el Ejecutivo para sostener la necesidad de una regulación más estricta.
La ley también deberá ajustarse al reglamento de servicios digitales de la Unión Europea, requisito que busca evitar el bloqueo que sufrió una iniciativa similar en 2023, orientada a fijar la mayoría digital en los 15 años y que no se aplicó por su incompatibilidad con ese marco normativo comunitario.
(Con información de AFP)
Government / Politics
Fetterman urges Minneapolis ICE op to stand down as city spirals to ‘ungovernable and dangerous’ levels
Tras el discurso de Alberto Fernández, EE.UU. elogió el vínculo con la Argentina y dijo que tener diferencias es normal
Chinese hackers reportedly breached phones at ‘heart of Downing Street’ in global spy campaign
El renacer de Mainoo con la llegada de Carrick
Estados Unidos convocó a Argentina a una cumbre militar con líderes del hemisferio occidental
Actualizaron los valores de las asignaciones familiares: cuánto cobrarán los beneficiarios en febrero
Carlos Pagni habló sobre las preocupaciones de Cristina Kirchner: “Tiene miedo porque sabe que se viene algo malo”
Mientras Quilmes arde, Mayra Mendoza viaja a Bogotá para defender a Cristina Kirchner
Juan Grabois contó que le pidieron plata para ir a un programa de C5N
El terrible accidente de Marcela Tauro en Intrusos que causó preocupación: “No puedo caminar ni…”
POLITICA2 días agoMientras Quilmes arde, Mayra Mendoza viaja a Bogotá para defender a Cristina Kirchner
- POLITICA1 día ago
Juan Grabois contó que le pidieron plata para ir a un programa de C5N
- POLITICA2 días ago
La apuesta del Gobierno por la “Argentina Week” en Nueva York: los funcionarios y líderes de sectores estratégicos que asistirán
