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Trump launches midterm push in Iowa, warns losses would derail agenda: ‘We gotta win’
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President Donald Trump kicked off an aggressive midterm push Tuesday night in Iowa, warning supporters that losing control of Congress would jeopardize his tax cuts, border policies and broader second-term agenda as he urged Republicans to turn out and «win the midterms.»
«If we lose the midterms, you’ll lose so many of the things that we’re talking about, so many of the assets that we’re talking about, so many of the tax cuts that we’re talking about, and it would lead to very bad things,» Trump said during remarks that framed the 2026 midterm elections as a test of his presidency.
Speaking after Reps. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, and Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, Trump said holding both chambers of Congress was critical to advancing his agenda.
NEW MAGA COALITION LED BY SEAN SPICER TARGETS VOTING DEMOGRAPHIC THAT WILL BE CRUCIAL IN 2026 MIDTERMS
«We got to win the midterms. That means Senate. And it means House. We gotta win,» he told the crowd.
Trump explicitly cast the Iowa stop as the opening act of his midterm campaign, arguing that presidents who fail to campaign aggressively often lose ground in off-year elections.
President Donald Trump speaks Tuesday during an event in Clive, Iowa. (Scott Morgan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«I’m here because we’re starting the campaign to win the midterms. We have got to win the midterms,» he said. «The midterms are very important. We’re going to really work hard on winning the midterms.»
The president warned that a Democrat-led Congress would reverse his economic and border policies, telling supporters that control of Capitol Hill would determine whether his priorities survive.
«If they won, this country would be cratering right now,» Trump said as he contrasted Republican and Democrat candidates. «We have candidates that roll with common sense. Not this craziness.»
Trump repeatedly tied the midterm stakes to his economic record in his speech, touting what he described as a dramatic turnaround in inflation, investment and job growth since returning to office.
«Today, just after one year of President Trump, our economy is booming. Incomes are rising. Investment is soaring. Inflation has been defeated,» he said. «Our border is closed, totally closed.»
REPUBLICAN SENATORS HIT BORDER, TOUTING TOUGHER SECURITY AND TAX CUTS, IN 2026 KICKOFF
President Donald Trump takes the stage to speak during a rally at the Horizon Events Center Tuesday in Clive, Iowa. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Trump credited tariffs and trade policy for increased domestic investment, saying his administration had secured what he called «commitments for a record-breaking $18 trillion.»
He also praised companies like John Deere for expanding U.S. manufacturing and touted tax provisions he said would benefit seniors, tipped workers and employees who work overtime, pointing to «no tax on tips,» «no tax on overtime» and «no tax on Social Security for our seniors.»
At several points, Trump returned to immigration as a defining midterm issue, arguing that border security and deportation policies would be undone if Republicans lost control of Congress.
«The worst is open borders,» he said. «We can never forget what that group of morons did to this country. We can never forget. And we’ve got to win the midterms.»
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President Donald Trump arrives for a rally in Iowa. (Scott Morgan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Trump acknowledged the historical challenges facing the party in power during midterm elections but said aggressive campaigning could overcome them.
«Even if you’re a good president … whoever wins the presidency has a hard time with the midterm,» Trump said. «But I campaigned hard. We got it. We got to win the midterms.»
Trump closed the political portion of his remarks with a direct call to action, urging supporters to mobilize to protect his agenda and elect Republican candidates up and down the ballot.
«So, remember that you got to get out, and you got to vote,» he said.
The Iowa stop is part of a broader push by the White House to put the president on the road regularly ahead of the 2026 midterms. Administration officials have said Trump plans to make weekly appearances in states with key congressional races as Republicans work to defend narrow House and Senate majorities, with a particular focus on motivating core GOP voters who don’t always turn out in off-year elections or when the president’s name isn’t on the ballot.
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The president made clear that he views the elections not as a referendum on Congress but as a vote on the future of his presidency.
«We got to win them,» he said of GOP candidates. «We have great candidates. Again, Senate and House. We got to win them.»
The White House referred Fox News Digital to President Trump’s remarks.
Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser and Emma Colton contributed to this reporting.
donald trump,midterm elections,iowa,politics,campaigning,republicans elections
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The Trump administration is escalating pressure on Senate Democrats as negotiations to end the partial government shutdown remain at a standstill.
The partial government shutdown, which is only affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), entered its second week on Monday. So far, the impacts of the shutdown have been minimal, but the pain could be coming soon as the agency activates «emergency measures» while the shutdown drags on.
DHS announced over the weekend it would be making tweaks to some Transportation Security Administration (TSA) functions that could lead to longer wait times for passengers and lawmakers alike.
The Department of Homeland Security enacted emergency measures over the weekend, tweaking some TSA functions as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Democrats remained dug in on their positions. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images; Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
«Shutdowns have real-world consequences, not just for the men and women of DHS and their families who go without a paycheck, but it endangers our national security,» DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. «The American people depend on this department every day, and we are making tough but necessary workforce and resource decisions to mitigate the damage inflicted by these politicians.»
The agency announced that, for now, TSA PreCheck would stay operational after a back-and-forth over whether to continue the program during the shutdown. The program is used by more than 20 million people to speed up wait times at airports across the country, according to the agency. However, courtesy escorts for members of Congress have been suspended.
«At this time, TSA PreCheck remains operational with no change for the traveling public,» a spokesperson for the agency told Fox News Digital. «As staffing constraints arise, TSA will evaluate on a case-by-case basis and adjust operations accordingly.»
DHS SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS WITHOUT PAY, WHAT HAPPENS TO AIRPORTS AND DISASTER RESPONSE
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the agency would begin emergency measures over the weekend as the government shutdown dragged into its second week. (Ash Ponders/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Much of the real pain that could come from a prolonged shutdown will have to do with TSA agents missing paychecks. That became a major factor during the historic 43-day shutdown last fall that saw wait times skyrocket and flight cancellations compound by the day.
Some Republicans believe it will take that kind of disruption to get Democrats to reverse course on their current position.
«Nothing’s going to happen here until flights get shut down, right? When TSA workers stop showing up,» Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital. «When the Democrats, you know, can’t fly, then they’ll give in. I mean, they don’t care, because they’re being paid.»
Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the White House are gridlocked in their ongoing back-and-forth over a compromise to fund the agency.
DEMOCRATS RISK FEMA DISASTER FUNDING COLLAPSE AS DHS SHUTDOWN HITS DAY 5
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said Senate Democrats wouldn’t take the shutdown seriously until flight delays and cancellations started to stack up. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
Schumer and his caucus want more stringent reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), following deadly shootings in Minnesota amid immigration operations. The White House has so far been willing to entertain some of the changes they’ve proposed, but Republicans have drawn red lines on imposing judicial warrant requirements and unmasking agents, among other provisions.
That means a bulk of the agency is going without funding as both sides continue to butt heads, given that ICE and some immigration enforcement functions are flush with funding from the «big, beautiful bill.»
The tweaks to TSA are not the only steps DHS has taken to implement emergency measures during the shutdown.
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Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has halted Global Entry at airports and diverted agents to instead help process travelers.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has also stopped all public assistance for ongoing disasters, paused non-emergency work, halted non-disaster-related activities and restricted personnel travel to activities «strictly necessary to respond to active disasters and life-safety emergencies,» according to the agency.
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Mexico’s most-wanted fentanyl kingpin, «El Mencho,» was captured and killed Sunday after authorities tracked his romantic partner to a secret rendezvous location over the weekend, Mexican officials revealed Monday.
The operation reportedly began Feb. 20, targeting Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as «El Mencho.» He carried a $15 million U.S. bounty and rose to power following the arrest of Joaquín «El Chapo» Guzmán, the former head of the Sinaloa Cartel.
Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla Trejo said during a news conference that military intelligence identified and located a trusted courier or guard connected to one of Oseguera Cervantes’s romantic partners.
The associate then transported the partner to a designated cabin for an overnight meeting with «El Mencho.»
A mughsot of Ruben «Nemesio» Oseguera Cervantes, known as «El Mencho,» beside graffiti depicting the letters of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, covering the facade of an abandoned home in El Limoncito, in the Michoacan state of Mexico. (Eduardo Verdugo/AP Images; Drug Enforcement Administration)
«On February 20, through central military intelligence work, a man of trust of one of El Mencho’s romantic partners was located, who took her to a facility in the town of Tapalpa, Jalisco,» Trevilla Trejo said.
The following day, the partner left the property, but intelligence confirmed that Oseguera Cervantes remained behind with a small security detail, prompting authorities, including Army Special Forces and the National Guard’s Immediate Reaction Force, to carry out the operation.
Security forces reportedly raided the private property after aerial surveillance spotted Oseguera Cervantes’ inner circle openly carrying illegal high-caliber weapons, including rocket launchers and long guns.
A worker sorts freshly printed copies of the newspaper PM bearing the headline «U.S. mapped ‘El Mencho’ and Mexico delivered the final blow, Caught between two fires,» following the killing of drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, known as ‘El Mencho,’ in a military operation, Sunday, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico,. (Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters)
During the confrontation, Oseguera Cervantes’ security detail reportedly fired «very violently» on military personnel, triggering Special Forces to engage the attackers. Officials said eight criminals were killed in the initial phase — correcting earlier reports of four — and two military personnel were also wounded.
CARTELS OUTGUN POLICE: ROCKET LAUNCHERS SEIZED IN EL MENCHO RAID SPOTLIGHT CJNG FIREPOWER
Smoke billows from burning vehicles amid a wave of violence, with torched vehicles and gunmen blocking highways in more than half a dozen states, following a military operation in which a government source said Mexican drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, known as «El Mencho,» was killed, Sundya, in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. (@morelifediares via Instagram/YouTube/via Reuters)
Amid the chaos at the cabins, Oseguera Cervantes and his «close circle» fled into a nearby wooded area, officials said. After soldiers located them «hidden among the brush,» cartel suspects allegedly opened fire on the troops. Military personnel then wounded «El Mencho» and two of his escorts in the shootout, according to Trevilla Trejo.
Military medics determined that Oseguera Cervantes and his two escorts were in critical condition and required immediate evacuation by helicopter. Oseguera Cervantes and his two escorts ultimately died during transport, officials said.
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Authorities noted that 2,500 reinforcements were sent to join the 7,000 already in the state to prevent further violence in the cartel’s retaliation.
Oseguera Cervantes’ capture and subsequent death marks one of Mexico’s most significant blows to drug trafficking and organized crime since President Donald Trump called for intensified crackdowns on cartel violence.
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mexican cartel violence,location mexico,drugs,crime,world
INTERNACIONAL
Liberaron bajo fianza al ex embajador británico en EEUU, Peter Mandelson: permanecerá bajo investigación por conducta indebida
La policía de Londres liberó bajo fianza al ex embajador en Estados Unidos, Peter Mandelson en la madrugada de este martes, en el marco de una investigación sobre sus vínculos con el financista estadounidense Jeffrey Epstein.
El documento oficial informó que Peter Mandelson permanece bajo fianza “y pendiente de posteriores investigaciones”, sin proporcionar detalles adicionales “para no prejuzgar la integridad de esa investigación”.
El arresto de Mandelson, de 72 años, ocurrió días después de la detención del ex príncipe Andrés, ambos implicados en indagaciones sobre conducta indebida en un cargo público relacionadas con documentos recientemente divulgados sobre Epstein.
Mandelson, figura clave en la política británica y ex enviado del Reino Unido a Washington, fue arrestado alrededor de las 17:00 (hora local) del lunes bajo sospecha de mala conducta en un cargo público.
“Un hombre de 72 años arrestado bajo sospecha de mala conducta en un cargo público ha sido puesto en libertad bajo fianza en espera de una mayor investigación”, informó el lunes la policía metropolitana en un comunicado emitido aproximadamente nueve horas después del traslado de Mandelson a una comisaría de Londres.
Imágenes difundidas por la televisión británica mostraron a Mandelson acompañado por un hombre y una mujer al salir de su residencia en el norte de Londres, después de que la policía allanara sus propiedades a principios de mes.
El arresto se produjo pocos días después de la detención de Andrés Mountbatten-Windsor, hermano menor del rey Carlos III, quien fue liberado bajo investigación en una causa separada por mala conducta en un cargo público, también relacionada con los nuevos documentos sobre Epstein.
Mandelson está siendo investigado por presuntamente haber enviado documentos confidenciales a Epstein durante su gestión como ministro del gobierno, incluso en el contexto de la crisis financiera de 2008. Hasta el momento, la policía no detalló cuáles documentos forman parte de la investigación.
En septiembre pasado, el primer ministro Keir Starmer removió a Mandelson de su puesto como enviado a Washington, luego de la publicación de documentos que documentaban el alcance de su relación con Epstein. El nombramiento desató una crisis política en Downing Street, provocando la renuncia de dos asesores principales de Starmer.
El primer ministro pidió disculpas a las víctimas de Epstein por la designación de Mandelson y acusó al ex enviado de falsear la información sobre su relación con el financista durante el proceso de selección. “Defenderemos la integridad de la vida pública y haremos todo lo que esté a nuestro alcance y en interés de la justicia para garantizar que se haga efectiva la rendición de cuentas”, expresó Starmer.
La Comisión de Inteligencia y Seguridad del Parlamento revisa actualmente los documentos vinculados al nombramiento de Peter Mandelson, aunque los archivos completos permanecen sin publicar a solicitud de la policía para no interferir con la investigación en curso.
El pasado 8 de febrero, la policía metropolitana informó que agentes del equipo de delitos especializados ejecutaron órdenes de allanamiento en dos direcciones del área de Londres: una en Wiltshire y otra en Camden. Las autoridades señalaron que estos operativos forman parte de la investigación en curso contra Peter Mandelson.
La investigación también examina la posible revelación de hechos sensibles relacionados con el rescate financiero de 500.000 millones de euros que la Eurozona evaluaba en 2010. Durante ese periodo, Peter Mandelson se desempeñaba como ministro en el gobierno encabezado por el ex primer ministro británico Gordon Brown.
El Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos difundió el 30 de enero más de tres millones de archivos vinculados al caso Epstein. Entre los documentos figuran tres pagos a Peter Mandelson de 25.000 dólares cada uno, enviados entre 2003 y 2004 desde cuentas bancarias del multimillonario.
(Con información de AFP)
International,Relations,Diplomacy / Foreign Policy,Europe
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