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Thune’s suitcase nuke – and the filibuster’s latest blast injury

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It was a full-on nuclear explosion.

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Just like the Pacific Testing Grounds near the Marshall Islands and French Polynesia.

But this political blast tore through the Senate chamber.

In November 2013, late Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., detonated the first Senate «nuclear option.» He curbed the filibuster to confirm executive branch nominees – except the Supreme Court. Rather than 60 votes to break a filibuster, such nominees would only need a simple majority.

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SENATE GOP LEADER MOVES TO LOWER FILIBUSTER THRESHOLD FOR TRUMP NOMINEES THROUGH NUCLEAR OPTION

Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., ignited the second «nuclear option» in 2017. The Kentucky Republican anticipated a Democratic filibuster as the Senate tried to confirm Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. So McConnell chipped away at the filibuster bar for nominations to the High Court.

McConnell also lowered that bar from 60 yeas to 51.

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Both of these instances were so dramatic, they featured parliamentary mushroom clouds erupting over the Capitol. The Senate eventually fell into nuclear winter after both instances, paralyzed from the fallout.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., appears before the press following a policy luncheon at the Capitol Building on September 9, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Now, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is poised to discharge the parliamentary equivalent of a «suitcase nuke» on Thursday.

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Thune’s gambit isn’t something to ignore. It won’t carry the same immediate parliamentary weight of the maneuvers executed by Reid and McConnell. However, it’s another crack in the Senate custom of the filibuster. The legislative filibuster still exists. Senators can still block bills if they can prevent the body from cobbling together 60 yeas to break a filibuster.

Thune will follow the playbook established by Reid and McConnell to alter the Senate precedent (note, this is not a rules change. The Senate requires 67 votes to break a filibuster on a rules change) to expedite the confirmation of lower-level nominees in groups. This plan will not include judges nor cabinet secretaries.

Thune set his gambit into motion Monday by introducing a resolution to accelerate a slate of about 40 nominees. By rule, the Senate will take a procedural vote to break a filibuster on his resolution to confirm the batch of nominees on Thursday. The resolution itself – which is specific to this type of batch of nominees – needs 60 yeas. The Senate won’t get 60 yeas.

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THUNE LAYS GROUNDWORK FOR NUCLEAR OPTION IN SENATE FIGHT OVER TRUMP NOMINEES

But this is exactly the scenario that Thune needs in order to go nuclear.

The coin of the realm in the Senate is unlimited debate. But one of the rare occasions senators can’t debate something is when an issue fails and a senator requests a re-vote. So a failed vote to break the filibuster backs the Senate into the exact parliamentary cul-de-sac which Thune wants.

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At the end of the roll call vote, Thune will likely switch his vote from yes to no on breaking the filibuster. The Senate allows members to demand a mulligan if they are on the prevailing side of the issue. In this case, Thune is suddenly with the «noes,» even though he initially voted yes to break the filibuster. But remember, Thune is only temporarily switching his vote in order to advance his cause. He may lose the battle. But may ultimately win the war.

By changing his position, Thune can then order a re-vote on the roll call which failed. And since the Senate is in this unique posture of not allowing any debate, Democrats are paralyzed. They can’t do anything to stop Thune from what he plans next.

Harry Reid speaking

The late then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., appears at a press conference on February 24, 2010, in Washington, D.C. (Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

This is very similar to what Reid did in 2013, followed up by McConnell in 2017, on the first two nuclear options.

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Thune will then make a point of order on the floor.

Thune will assert that on the resolutions like the one he drafted, a bloc of lower-level nominees (e.g. – the ones now before the Senate) does not need 60 votes to break a filibuster. The chair – potentially Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, or even Vice President Vance, who is the President of the Senate – will presumably rule that Thune is wrong. Senate rules and precedent do require 60 votes to break a filibuster on this type of resolution.

CONGRESS RETURNS WITH DEMOCRATS REFUSING TO NEGOTIATE AS OCT 1 SHUTDOWN DEADLINE LOOMS

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But Thune doesn’t stop there.

The Majority Leader will then request a vote to overturn how the chair ruled. He will assert that a simple majority is necessary to break a filibuster for this type of resolution – even though that’s never been the case before.

The Senate will vote. And if 51 senators vote in favor of ruling against the chair, the Senate will have established a new precedent. It will lower the threshold from 60 to 51 on this type of resolution to speedily advance a batch of nominees all at once.

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Once the Senate does that, Thune will need to set up another procedural vote under the new precedents to break a filibuster. If Thune «files cloture» again on Thursday, the Senate can vote on Monday to break a filibuster – needing only 51 yeas – on Monday, Sept. 15. If the Senate votes to break the filibuster on the resolution under the revamped precedents, the Senate could vote to confirm the 48 nominees in question on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell

Then-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., walks to the Senate floor on Jan. 18, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Here’s an example of some of the nominees in the queue for confirmation:

Former Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y., is up for Under Secretary for Nuclear Security. President Trump tapped Leslie Beyer to serve as Assistant Secretary of the Interior. Richard Anderson to become an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force. Jovan Jovanovic to lead the Export-Import Bank. Callista Gingrich, wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., is the President’s pick as Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

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Thune says that Democrats are obstinate, not allowing the Senate to confirm a batch of nominees in one fell swoop. He accuses Democrats of obstruction, saying the minority is trying to undermine the President.

«This is simply the world’s longest, most drawn out temper tantrum over losing an election,» said Thune.

TRUMP NOMINEES PILE UP AS GOP WEIGHS RULE SHIFT ONCE FLOATED BY DEMOCRATS

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But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., had a message for Republicans: caveat emptor. Especially when Democrats eventually return to the majority and have a Democratic president.

«I say to my Republican colleagues, think carefully before taking this step,» warned Schumer. «If you go nuclear, it’s going to be a decision you will come to regret.»

One could argue that Democrats helped crack open this door when Reid initiated Nuclear Option #1 in 2013. Democrats were frustrated over Republicans hamstringing President Obama’s nominees.

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The same when McConnell returned the favor over the Supreme Court with Nuclear Option #2 in 2017.

And if you’re a real student of history, consider that late Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd, D-W.V., really set the table for Thune’s maneuvers via three precedent gambits in 1980.

Robert Byrd in 1979

The late then-Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., is seen in his Capitol office on January 20, 1979, in Washington, D.C. (UPI/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)

So the tit-for-tat continues.

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During the Cold War standoff between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, geopolitical observers said the world teetered on mutually assured destruction. Launching a nuclear attack on one nation would result in annihilation of both countries. One country may strike first. But the prime aggressor would not survive because of guaranteed retaliation, in kind.

There is no such mutually assured destruction doctrine in this parliamentary wargame. Neither Democrats nor Republicans have fired a full nuclear volley at the other side. Each strike has been «strategic,» directed at a limited political target. Thus, there’s no mutually assured destruction.

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But that also means there’s no incentive for Senate détente.

And that’s why these parliamentary strikes and counterstrikes probably don’t end any time soon.

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INTERNACIONAL

Ejercicios para fortalecer pies y tobillos: la base para moverse mejor a cualquier edad

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Mejorar la salud de pies y tobillos puede favorecer todo tipo de actividades dijo Irene Davis, profesora de fisioterapia de la Universidad de Florida del Sur y expresidenta del Colegio Estadounidense de Medicina del Deporte. “El pie es la primera parte del cuerpo que entra en contacto con el suelo”, por lo que es muy importante que sea estable y resistente mientras caminas, corres y saltas.

Jay Hertel considera la velocidad al caminar un signo vital en los pacientes de edad avanzada. “Todo lo que se pueda hacer para ayudar a mantener una velocidad cómoda al caminar va a tener beneficios para la salud”, declaró, y eso empieza por la salud de los pies y los tobillos.

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Leé también: Los ejercicios más efectivos para reducir la presión arterial, según los especialistas

La secuencia que sigue, diseñada por Hertel y Davis, puede ser beneficiosa para las personas activas, las que padecen lesiones o dolor en la parte inferior del cuerpo y cualquier otra persona que desee mantener la movilidad general a medida que envejece. Davis añadió que los ejercicios son “importantes para toda la cadena, no solo para el pie o el tobillo”.

Realizar los ejercicios descalzo ayuda a activar más músculos de pies y tobillos. “Cuanto más tiempo pases descalzo, más fuertes se volverán”. “Para algunas personas es contraintuitivo, pero si desarrollás unos pies fuertes, ayudará mucho a tus tobillos”.

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Caminar o ejercitarse descalzo activa músculos que suelen pasar desapercibidos y fortalece la base del equilibrio corporal. (Foto: Freepik).

Resumen

Tiempo: 25 a 30 minutos

Intensidad: baja a media

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Qué se necesita

  • Una esterilla o colchoneta
  • Una banda de resistencia larga
  • Una toalla
  • Un lugar bajo para anclar la banda (la pata de un sillón, o una pesa muy pesada)
  • Una silla, un banquito o una mesa
  • Un escalón

Dorsiflexión con resistencia

Repeticiones: Dos o tres series de 8 a 12 repeticiones

Propósito: Fortalece los músculos que ayudan a doblar el tobillo para llevar los dedos de los pies hacia la tibia, lo que resulta útil para caminar y agacharse.

Instrucciones:

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  • Anclar la banda de resistencia larga a algo pesado y resistente cerca del suelo (como la pata de un sillón o una mancuerna pesada).
  • Sentarse en el suelo con una toalla enrollada abajo de la pantorrilla para levantar el talón. La planta del pie mirando al punto de anclaje de la banda.
  • Enrollar el extremo de la banda alrededor de la parte superior del pie y desplazarse hacia atrás hasta que haya tensión en la banda.
  • Tirar de los dedos y la parte superior del pie hacia vos, estirando la banda, y volver a la posición inicial lentamente.

Inversión con resistencia

Repeticiones: Dos o tres series de 8 a 12 repeticiones

Propósito: Fortalece los músculos que ayudan a estabilizar el tobillo.

Instrucciones:

  • Con la banda anclada y la pantorrilla apoyada en la toalla enrollada, sentarse con el margen del pie mirando al punto de anclaje.
  • Enrollar el extremo de la banda alrededor del medio del pie (el metatarso) y alejarse hasta que haya una ligera tensión en la banda.
  • Flexionar el tobillo para tirar de la planta del pie hacia la otra pierna.
  • Estirar la banda y volver lentamente a la posición inicial.
  • Mantener la rodilla mirando hacia el techo.
  • Concentrar el movimiento en el tobillo.

Leé también: Ni saltar la soga ni caminar: los 5 ejercicios recomendados en casa para mayores de 60

Eversión con resistencia

Repeticiones: Dos o tres series de 8 a 12 repeticiones

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Propósito: Mejora la estabilidad, ayuda a prevenir las torceduras de tobillos.

  • Con la banda reorientarse para que el arco del pie quede frente al punto de anclaje.
  • Flexionar el tobillo para tirar de la planta del pie hacia afuera.
  • Estirar y volver lentamente a la posición inicial
  • Mantener la rodilla mirando hacia el techo.
  • Concentrar el movimiento en el tobillo.
Trabajar los movimientos laterales del tobillo mejora el equilibrio y reduce el riesgo de torceduras, uno de los problemas más comunes en personas activas (Foto:Freepik).

Trabajar los movimientos laterales del tobillo mejora el equilibrio y reduce el riesgo de torceduras, uno de los problemas más comunes en personas activas (Foto:Freepik).

Flexiones del arco del pie

Repeticiones: Dos o tres series de 8 a 12 repeticiones

Propósito: Fortalece los músculos a lo largo del arco del pie, para que pueda absorber la fuerza más fácilmente y ayudar al resto de la parte inferior del cuerpo a mantener la alineación y la estabilidad.

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  • Sentarse en una silla con los pies en el suelo.
  • Presionar los dedos y el metatarso contra el suelo.
  • Deslizar el metatarso hacia el talón mientras se levanta el arco del pie del suelo.
  • Aguantar 5 segundos, relajar y repetir.

Puede que los dedos de los pies se encojan en el primer intento del ejercicio. Con el tiempo, es mejor practicar la elevación del arco del pie manteniendo los dedos estirados.

Cuando te sientas cómodo con el movimiento podes intentarlo de pie, y si progresás, podes hacerlo parado de un solo pie con el apoyo de una silla o mesa.

Elevaciones de pantorrilla

Repeticiones: Dos o tres series de 8 a 12 repeticiones

Propósito: Mejora la amplitud de movimiento de los tobillos para la flexión plantar y aumenta la estabilidad y la potencia del tobillo.

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  • Colocarse con los pies separados al ancho de las caderas.
  • Levantar los talones
  • Bajar lentamente

Para hacerlo más difícil, se puede parar sobre un pie y levantar el talón y bajar. Para progresar a partir de ahí, se puede poner de pie con los dedos sobre un escalón o caja, y con el talón por debajo de la superficie del escalón. Levantar el talón y bajarlo a la posición inicial con control.

Si tenés tendinitis de Aquiles, hace este ejercicio en el suelo; la mayor amplitud de movimiento con el escalón o la caja puede provocar irritación.

Leé también: Cómo aliviar el “cuello tecnológico” con siete ejercicios simples

Equilibrio en una sola pierna

Repeticiones: Tres o cuatro repeticiones de 10 a 60 segundos cada una

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Propósito: Mejora la estabilidad del tobillo para prevenir caídas y mejorar el equilibrio y el control en general.

  • Colocarse de pie sobre un suelo duro con una silla, mesa o banco cerca.
  • Poner la mano en la superficie cerca para mantener el equilibrio.
  • Pararse sobre un pie y aguantar un minuto, después descansar.

Si un minuto te parece inalcanzable, es mejor empezar con menos y aumentar la duración de a poco.

Estos ejercicios se pueden hacer sentado o de pie, incluso apoyado en una silla (Foto: Freepik).

Estos ejercicios se pueden hacer sentado o de pie, incluso apoyado en una silla (Foto: Freepik).

Estocada en W

Repeticiones: Hasta 30 repeticiones en cada una de las tres direcciones, con cada pie

Propósito: Mejorar la amplitud de movimiento del tobillo.

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  • Pararse erguido, con una buena postura, con el pie derecho adelante y el izquierdo atrás.
  • Mirar hacia adelante y dejar la pierna izquierda estirada y la derecha flexionada.
  • Doblar la rodilla derecha y moverla hacia adelante todo lo que puedas mientras se mantiene el talón derecho en el piso.
  • Volver a la posición inicial y empujar la rodilla derecha hacia adelante por encima del dedo meñique.
  • Volver a la posición inicial para que quede encima del dedo gordo del pie (a no ser que cause dolor).

Llevar la posición de la rodilla hasta donde estés más cómodo.

Equilibrio y alcance

Repeticiones: Dos o tres series de 8 a 12 repeticiones

Propósito: Mejora el equilibrio y la coordinación.

  • Ponerse de pie en un suelo duro.
  • Mantener el equilibrio sobre el pie derecho con la rodilla ligeramente flexionada.
  • Doblar un poco más la rodilla derecha mientras se estira el talón izquierdo hacia adelante.
  • Volver a la posición inicial.
  • Extender el talón izquierdo hacia adelante hasta un ángulo de 45 grados y volver a la posición inicial.
  • Estirar el pie izquierdo hacia un lado y volver.
  • Repetir.

Concentrate en mantener el equilibrio con el tobillo que está en el suelo.

Conservar la movilidad y la fuerza en los pies puede marcar la diferencia entre una vida activa y una con limitaciones. Cada paso cuenta (Foto:Freepik)

Conservar la movilidad y la fuerza en los pies puede marcar la diferencia entre una vida activa y una con limitaciones. Cada paso cuenta (Foto:Freepik)

Leé también: Si te levantás con dolor en el cuerpo, estos cinco ejercicios te ayudarán a mejorar las mañanas

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Saltos

Repeticiones: Dos o tres series de 8 a 12 repeticiones.

Propósito: Entrena la estabilidad, la coordinación y el equilibrio; ayuda a tus pies y tobillos a absorber la fuerza con mayor comodidad.

  • Ponerse de pie con los pies separados a la anchura de las caderas.
  • Salta de arriba hacia abajo aterrizando sobre los metatarsos ligeramente.

Para hacerlo más difícil, se puede saltar sobre un solo pie. Para progresar a partir de ahí, saltar de lado a lado sobre ambos pies, y luego de lado a lado sobre un pie.

Si no te sentís cómodo saltando, podes rebotar sobre las puntas de los pies, permitiendo que los talones suban y bajen rápidamente. También puedes saltarte este ejercicio.

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*Por Anna Maltby, entrenadora personal, instructora de Pilates en esterilla y autora del boletín How to Move.

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Vance warns Hamas as Gaza peace plan’s Civilian Military Cooperation Center opens

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Vice President JD Vance issued a warning to Hamas on Tuesday while speaking to reporters at the new Civilian Military Cooperation Center (CMCC), which plays a critical role in the historic ceasefire deal.

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«The terms of the 20 point plan that the president put out there is very clear. It’s supported not just by Israel, by, but by all of our Gulf Arab friends. It’s that Hamas has to disarm. It’s that Hamas has to actually behave itself and that Hamas, while all the fighters can be given some sort of clemency, they’re not going to be able to kill each other, and they’re not going to be able to kill their fellow Palestinians,» Vance said.

«Right now, where I stand, I feel confident that we’re going to be in a place where this peace lasts, where it’s durable, and if Hamas doesn’t cooperate, then, as the United States has said, Hamas is going to be obliterated,» Vance added. 

President Donald Trump urged Hamas to move quickly on a U.S.-brokered peace proposal aimed at ending the Gaza conflict. (Alex Wong/Getty Images; MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images)

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The vice president’s warning came after President Donald Trump issued one of his own, saying that if Hamas did not act in accordance with the agreement, the terror organization’s end would be «fast, furious and brutal.»

During a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday, Trump said that Hamas would be eradicated if it did not hold up its end of the deal. The president issued similar warnings since the peace deal went into effect last week.

In addition to his warning to Hamas, Vance scolded the media over its apparent «desire to root for failure,» saying that any setbacks or hiccups did not necessarily mean the end of the deal.

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«Every time something bad happens and every time that there’s an act of violence, there’s this inclination to say, ‘oh, this is the end of the ceasefire. This is the end of the peace plan.’ It’s not the end. It is, in fact, exactly how this is going to have to happen when you have people who hate each other, who have been fighting against each other for a very long time. We are doing very well. We are in a very good place,» Vance said before praising the team working to implement the Gaza deal.

Vice President JD Vance

Vice President JD Vance speaks during a press conference following a military briefing at the Civilian Military Coordination Center in southern Israel Oct. 21, 2025.  (Nathan Howard/Pool via Reuters)

While Vance demanded Hamas disarm in accordance with the deal, he refused to give the terrorist organization an exact deadline, something Trump has not done either.

«The president actually put out a truth this morning that I thought was very instructive. We know that Hamas has to comply with the deal, and if Hamas doesn’t comply with the deal, very bad things are going to happen. But I’m not going to do what the president United States has thus far refused to do, which is put an explicit deadline on it, because a lot of this stuff is difficult. A lot of this stuff is unpredictable,» the vice president said.

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The opening of the CMCC is a major milestone in the implementation of the historic deal. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, head of CENTCOM, attended the news conference and said «200 of America’s sons and daughters, who wear the cloth of the nation, have stepped up and are serving here. I just couldn’t be prouder.»

Jared Kushner was also in attendance at the news conference where he spoke about plans for Gaza reconstruction and the efforts currently underway in the ceasefire deal. Kushner noted that there was «surprisingly strong coordination between the United Nations and Israel» on efforts to get aid to Palestinians in the enclave.

Kushner also said that progress was being made towards getting back the remains of all deceased hostages held in the Gaza Strip.

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Prior to Vance’s arrival in Israel, several hostages who were freed as part of the historic deal brokered by the Trump administration met with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Kushner. The meeting included Omri Miran, Gali Berman, Ziv Berman, Yosef Chaim Ohana, Matan Angrest, Bar Kupershtein, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen and Eitan Horn.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said the former hostages thanked Witkoff and Kushner and expressed «profound gratitude to President Trump for making their freedom a top priority and working tirelessly to ensure their release after more than two years in captivity.»

When speaking at the CMCC, Witkoff said the meeting was an «emotional moment» and that he felt «blessed to be in that room.»

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«I didn’t see any victims in that room. I saw strong people who have come out under very difficult circumstances. Their families are reunited, and they are so grateful,» Witkoff said.

In his closing remarks, Vance expressed his trust in God’s providence and said he believed the job could be done.

«I know that Christians have many titles for Jesus Christ, and one of them is the Prince of Peace. And I’d ask all people of faith, in particular my fellow Christians, to pray that the Prince of Peace can continue to work a miracle in this region of the world. I think that we have made incredible strides over the past week. We’re going to have to make a lot more. But I think with your prayers, with God’s providence and with a very good team behind me, I think we’re gonna get it done,» Vance said.

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The vice president said that while in Israel, he hopes to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which Christians believe is the site where Jesus Christ was crucified.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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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.

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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

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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.  

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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.  

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HAGERTY PRESSES VERIZON OVER FBI’S ACCESS TO HIS PHONE RECORDS DURING JACK SMITH PROBE

Jack Smith delivers remarks in August 2023.

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.

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«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 during remarks by Argentina’s President Javier Milei in the White House Cabinet Room.

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.

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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.

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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.»

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