Category: Dramas

President Donald Trump threw himself in the middle of Honduras’ razor-thin presidential race on Monday, warning that there would be “hell to pay” if election officials altered the results.  

Writing on Truth Social, Trump, without offering evidence, accused Honduras of “trying to change the results.”

“If they do, there will be hell to pay! The people of Honduras voted in overwhelming numbers on November 30th,” Trump said.

The president’s remarks came hours after Ana Paola Hall, president of the National Electoral Council, wrote on X that the preliminary rapid reporting system that began providing results Sunday night had reached its conclusion with votes 57% tallied.

TRUMP PLANS ‘FULL AND COMPLETE PARDON’ FOR FORMER HONDURAN PRESIDENT CONVICTED OF DRUG TRAFFICKING

Their count showed a close race between two conservative candidates, Nasry Asfura of the National Party and Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, with Asfura holding a narrow lead of only a few hundred votes. Rixi Moncada, the democratic socialist LIBRE candidate, trailed roughly 20 percentage points behind.  

“It is imperative that the Commission finish counting the Votes,” Trump wrote. “Hundreds of thousands of Hondurans must have their Votes counted. Democracy must prevail!”

Officials have said the count would continue but did not specify when updated totals would be released, and parts of the council’s online system appeared to have been taken down.

AOC PUSHES BACK AFTER GOP LAWMAKER CALLS MAMDANI’S ARABIC CAMPAIGNING A ‘HUMILIATION’

Just before the freeze, Trump had endorsed Asfura, calling him the “only Honduran candidate his administration would work with and saying he would fight “narco-communists” alongside the U.S.

Both leading candidates have pointed to the close tally as evidence that they are ahead – though both men have stopped short of declaring victory.

Trump’s announcement that he would pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who is now serving a 45-year U.S. sentence – also loomed large over the race, underscoring how U.S. politics can intrude in the country’s politics.

Trump’s latest warning injects new pressure into an already hostile post-election environment. The outcome will determine whether the Latin American country shifts away from the ruling LIBRE party and have deep impacts on its future relationship with Washington.

President Donald Trump threw himself in the middle of Honduras’ razor-thin presidential race on Monday, warning that there would be “hell to pay” if election officials altered the results.  

Writing on Truth Social, Trump, without offering evidence, accused Honduras of “trying to change the results.”

“If they do, there will be hell to pay! The people of Honduras voted in overwhelming numbers on November 30th,” Trump said.

The president’s remarks came hours after Ana Paola Hall, president of the National Electoral Council, wrote on X that the preliminary rapid reporting system that began providing results Sunday night had reached its conclusion with votes 57% tallied.

TRUMP PLANS ‘FULL AND COMPLETE PARDON’ FOR FORMER HONDURAN PRESIDENT CONVICTED OF DRUG TRAFFICKING

Their count showed a close race between two conservative candidates, Nasry Asfura of the National Party and Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, with Asfura holding a narrow lead of only a few hundred votes. Rixi Moncada, the democratic socialist LIBRE candidate, trailed roughly 20 percentage points behind.  

“It is imperative that the Commission finish counting the Votes,” Trump wrote. “Hundreds of thousands of Hondurans must have their Votes counted. Democracy must prevail!”

Officials have said the count would continue but did not specify when updated totals would be released, and parts of the council’s online system appeared to have been taken down.

AOC PUSHES BACK AFTER GOP LAWMAKER CALLS MAMDANI’S ARABIC CAMPAIGNING A ‘HUMILIATION’

Just before the freeze, Trump had endorsed Asfura, calling him the “only Honduran candidate his administration would work with and saying he would fight “narco-communists” alongside the U.S.

Both leading candidates have pointed to the close tally as evidence that they are ahead – though both men have stopped short of declaring victory.

Trump’s announcement that he would pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who is now serving a 45-year U.S. sentence – also loomed large over the race, underscoring how U.S. politics can intrude in the country’s politics.

Trump’s latest warning injects new pressure into an already hostile post-election environment. The outcome will determine whether the Latin American country shifts away from the ruling LIBRE party and have deep impacts on its future relationship with Washington.

President Donald Trump threw himself in the middle of Honduras’ razor-thin presidential race on Monday, warning that there would be “hell to pay” if election officials altered the results.  

Writing on Truth Social, Trump, without offering evidence, accused Honduras of “trying to change the results.”

“If they do, there will be hell to pay! The people of Honduras voted in overwhelming numbers on November 30th,” Trump said.

The president’s remarks came hours after Ana Paola Hall, president of the National Electoral Council, wrote on X that the preliminary rapid reporting system that began providing results Sunday night had reached its conclusion with votes 57% tallied.

TRUMP PLANS ‘FULL AND COMPLETE PARDON’ FOR FORMER HONDURAN PRESIDENT CONVICTED OF DRUG TRAFFICKING

Their count showed a close race between two conservative candidates, Nasry Asfura of the National Party and Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, with Asfura holding a narrow lead of only a few hundred votes. Rixi Moncada, the democratic socialist LIBRE candidate, trailed roughly 20 percentage points behind.  

“It is imperative that the Commission finish counting the Votes,” Trump wrote. “Hundreds of thousands of Hondurans must have their Votes counted. Democracy must prevail!”

Officials have said the count would continue but did not specify when updated totals would be released, and parts of the council’s online system appeared to have been taken down.

AOC PUSHES BACK AFTER GOP LAWMAKER CALLS MAMDANI’S ARABIC CAMPAIGNING A ‘HUMILIATION’

Just before the freeze, Trump had endorsed Asfura, calling him the “only Honduran candidate his administration would work with and saying he would fight “narco-communists” alongside the U.S.

Both leading candidates have pointed to the close tally as evidence that they are ahead – though both men have stopped short of declaring victory.

Trump’s announcement that he would pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who is now serving a 45-year U.S. sentence – also loomed large over the race, underscoring how U.S. politics can intrude in the country’s politics.

Trump’s latest warning injects new pressure into an already hostile post-election environment. The outcome will determine whether the Latin American country shifts away from the ruling LIBRE party and have deep impacts on its future relationship with Washington.

Recent U.S. military escalations involving Venezuela have halted flights carrying unlawful migrants from the United States back to the South American country, Venezuela’s foreign ministry said, prompting criticism from anti-intervention voices.

President Donald Trump warned pilots Saturday that the airspace “above and surrounding” Venezuela should be “closed in its entirety” as his administration weighs potential strikes on targets in and around Caracas.

“Through this action, the United States government has unilaterally suspended the Venezuelan migrant flights that were being carried out regularly and weekly as part of the repatriation of Venezuelans through the Plan Vuelta a la Patria (Return to the Homeland Plan),” the ministry said in a statement.

The deportation flights had been one of the only areas of cooperation between Washington and the government of Nicolás Maduro. Venezuelan officials say nearly 14,000 nationals have been returned on twice-weekly charter flights in recent months.

VENEZUELA AGREES TO RESUME DEPORTATION FLIGHTS IN RESPONSE TO PRESSURE FROM TRUMP

At the same time, the Trump administration has continued moving forward with plans to end temporary protected status for roughly 600,000 Venezuelans living in the United States.

“Genius. Enough with this immigration enforcement nonsense. Let’s get back to True MAGA — neocon wars that exacerbate and cause migration crises. About darn time,” said Curt Mills, executive editor of The American Conservative, criticizing the shift toward military action.

So far, U.S. strikes have targeted alleged narco-traffickers operating in the Caribbean near Venezuela. But officials have signaled that operations could expand to land-based targets as Washington increases pressure on Maduro to relinquish power.

VENEZUELA WILL FACE ‘SEVERE, AND ESCALATING SANCTIONS’ IF IT DOESN’T ACCEPT ITS CITIZENS, RUBIO SAYS

Dozens of U.S. bombers have deployed to the region alongside the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, underscoring the scale of the buildup. With U.S. bombers and the Ford already positioned in the region, much of the world is waiting to see whether Trump will green-light the next phase of strikes against Venezuelan targets.

Trump confirmed he spoke with Maduro by phone recently. 

“I wouldn’t say it went well or badly. It was a phone call,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One Sunday. 

Trump presented Maduro with an ultimatum — step down or face potential U.S. military action. Maduro, the Miami Herald reported, sought global amnesty for himself, demanded to retain control of the military and resisted an immediate exit from power.

Restraint-minded foreign policy analysts have sounded the alarm against a regime-change-driven intervention in Venezuela, arguing such a move could make migration patterns worse. 

“Escalatory dynamics could trigger regional instability and hostility, with migration flows among the most predictable consequences,” a report by Stimson Center analysts Evan Cooper and Alessandro Perri claimed. “Absent a credible transition structure inside Venezuela, external pressure is far more likely to deepen chaos — driving more Venezuelans to flee — than to produce political change.”

Analysts in the libertarian foreign-policy space have issued similar warnings. 

Doug Bandow, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, argued that “U.S. militarized pressure on Venezuela is far more likely to worsen instability than to produce meaningful political change,” adding that history shows “coercion in Venezuela leads to unpredictable outcomes and episodes of mass flight.” 

“Escalation without a stable political alternative inside Venezuela risks accelerating the very migration pressures Washington is trying to contain,” said George A. López, a senior analyst at the Quincy Institute. 

Recent U.S. military escalations involving Venezuela have halted flights carrying unlawful migrants from the United States back to the South American country, Venezuela’s foreign ministry said, prompting criticism from anti-intervention voices.

President Donald Trump warned pilots Saturday that the airspace “above and surrounding” Venezuela should be “closed in its entirety” as his administration weighs potential strikes on targets in and around Caracas.

“Through this action, the United States government has unilaterally suspended the Venezuelan migrant flights that were being carried out regularly and weekly as part of the repatriation of Venezuelans through the Plan Vuelta a la Patria (Return to the Homeland Plan),” the ministry said in a statement.

The deportation flights had been one of the only areas of cooperation between Washington and the government of Nicolás Maduro. Venezuelan officials say nearly 14,000 nationals have been returned on twice-weekly charter flights in recent months.

VENEZUELA AGREES TO RESUME DEPORTATION FLIGHTS IN RESPONSE TO PRESSURE FROM TRUMP

At the same time, the Trump administration has continued moving forward with plans to end temporary protected status for roughly 600,000 Venezuelans living in the United States.

“Genius. Enough with this immigration enforcement nonsense. Let’s get back to True MAGA — neocon wars that exacerbate and cause migration crises. About darn time,” said Curt Mills, executive editor of The American Conservative, criticizing the shift toward military action.

So far, U.S. strikes have targeted alleged narco-traffickers operating in the Caribbean near Venezuela. But officials have signaled that operations could expand to land-based targets as Washington increases pressure on Maduro to relinquish power.

VENEZUELA WILL FACE ‘SEVERE, AND ESCALATING SANCTIONS’ IF IT DOESN’T ACCEPT ITS CITIZENS, RUBIO SAYS

Dozens of U.S. bombers have deployed to the region alongside the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, underscoring the scale of the buildup. With U.S. bombers and the Ford already positioned in the region, much of the world is waiting to see whether Trump will green-light the next phase of strikes against Venezuelan targets.

Trump confirmed he spoke with Maduro by phone recently. 

“I wouldn’t say it went well or badly. It was a phone call,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One Sunday. 

Trump presented Maduro with an ultimatum — step down or face potential U.S. military action. Maduro, the Miami Herald reported, sought global amnesty for himself, demanded to retain control of the military and resisted an immediate exit from power.

Restraint-minded foreign policy analysts have sounded the alarm against a regime-change-driven intervention in Venezuela, arguing such a move could make migration patterns worse. 

“Escalatory dynamics could trigger regional instability and hostility, with migration flows among the most predictable consequences,” a report by Stimson Center analysts Evan Cooper and Alessandro Perri claimed. “Absent a credible transition structure inside Venezuela, external pressure is far more likely to deepen chaos — driving more Venezuelans to flee — than to produce political change.”

Analysts in the libertarian foreign-policy space have issued similar warnings. 

Doug Bandow, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, argued that “U.S. militarized pressure on Venezuela is far more likely to worsen instability than to produce meaningful political change,” adding that history shows “coercion in Venezuela leads to unpredictable outcomes and episodes of mass flight.” 

“Escalation without a stable political alternative inside Venezuela risks accelerating the very migration pressures Washington is trying to contain,” said George A. López, a senior analyst at the Quincy Institute. 

Socialist New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has appointed Tamika Mallory, an ex-Women’s March organizer who resigned over allegations of antisemitism, to his transition team.

Mallory, who has repeatedly advocated for defunding the police and eventually abolishing police altogether, was tapped by Mamdani to help lead his Committee on Public Safety, according to a press release published on Brooklyn community site BRIC. She is one of 400 “experts” appointed by Mamdani to the transition team.

In the release, Mamdani said the 400 “esteemed leaders” represent the “top talent” who “will be instrumental to ensuring we hit the ground running on January 1st — and that our results align with the promises we’ve made.”

The release said that appointees will serve as “critical advisors on personnel appointments, as well as provide insights on policy development, implementation, and agency best practices.”

DEM REP. RITCHIE TORRES SHREDS MAMDANI ON FAILURE TO CONDEMN ‘INTIFADA’ LANGUAGE

Mallory stepped down from The Women’s March in 2019 after facing backlash for her praise of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, a notorious antisemite who compared Jews to termites.

She has repeatedly praised Farrakhan, including repeatedly calling him an “honorable minister” and the “greatest of all time because of what he’s done in black communities.” Mallory was also seen attending an event where Farrakhan said that “the powerful Jew is my enemy.”

Mallory was confronted by hosts of “The View” for her support for Farrakhan in a 2019 episode.

“Tamika, you came under some fire for your relationship with Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam,” host Sunny Hostin said. “He’s known for being anti-Semitic, for being homophobic, but you do attend his events, and you posted… a photo calling him the G.O.A.T., which means the greatest of all time. You are running an organization that says it fights bigotry. Do you understand why your association with him is quite problematic?”

Mallory fired back, “I think it’s important to put my attendance, my presence at Savior’s Day, which is the highest holy day for the Nation of Islam, in proper context.”

She said, “As a leader, as a black leader, in a country that is still dealing with some very serious, unresolved issues, as it relates to the black experience in this country,” she often has to go into “difficult spaces” to promote her cause.

MAMDANI’S TOP INCOMING AIDE WAS ‘CHIEF ARCHITECT’ OF RADICAL PROPOSAL OVERHAULING NYPD

Mallory said that “just because you go into a space with someone that does not mean that you agree with everything that they say,” but Hostin immediately pushed back, asking, “Why call him the greatest of all time?”

“I didn’t call him the greatest of all time because of his rhetoric. I called him the greatest of all time because of what he’s done in black communities,” Mallory added.

After stepping down from her leadership role at Women’s March, Mallory continued to step into controversy. In a 2020 interview, she said, “I definitely support the term ‘defund the police.’  I am not the author of it, but I have adopted the language…especially thinking about Black Lives Matter and the organization and the movement of Black lives and others who have really coined the phrase and have been pushing it out there.  I support it 100 percent.”

In the same interview, Mallory said, “I do believe that one day we can abolish police.”

Writing on X in 2021, Mallory again stated, “Defund. The. Police.”

VP HARRIS TO SPEAK AT SUMMIT WITH TIES TO DISGRACED FORMER WOMEN’S MARCH LEADER

Mamdani, who has been accused of antisemitism as well, which he has denied, was heavily criticized for appointing Mallory to his transition team.

Author Trisha Posner, who writes on antisemitism, wrote, “This is someone who praised Farrakhan, pushed lies about Jewish involvement in the slave trade, and called Israel’s founding a ‘human rights crime.’ This isn’t ‘community safety.’ It’s mainstreaming hate.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani and Mallory for comment but did not immediately receive a response. 

The Women’s March is facing backlash online for releasing an “insane” ad attacking U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including critics suggesting the group has turned its back on its feminist mission.

An ad, released by Women’s March last week, shows a fictional ICE agent returning home and being asked by his daughter, “How was your day?” Scenes of masked agents smashing windows and women and a little girl crying flash across the screen while screams can be heard.

A narrator says, “A mask can’t hide you from your neighbors, your children, from God. They’ll know.”

“You can walk away, before the shame follows you home,” the narrator continues, while text fills the screen, reading, “What will you say?”

SANCTUARY POLITICIANS’ RHETORIC LED TO 1,150% SURGE IN VIOLENCE AGAINST ICE AGENTS: DHS

In the video’s caption, Women’s March wrote, “A mask can’t hide your shame forever. ICE agents are being recruited everywhere online and in person. Immigrants are being kidnapped, families are being ripped apart, communities are living in fear. Before you accept the sign-on bonus to terrorize families, ask yourself: When your kids ask what you did at work today, what will you say? When your neighbor is dragged away in handcuffs, what will you say? When you’re asked what you did to protect your community from fascism, what will you say? Because history never forgets. And neither will we.”

The caption also includes a hashtag calling to end ICE.

Conservative commentator Matt Swol ripped into the Women’s March for airing the ad in Charlotte, North Carolina, while ignoring the recent killings of two women, Logan Federico and Iryna Zarutska, in North Carolina.

“This ad is BEYOND evil,” wrote Swol.

“The Women’s March org NEVER ran a single ad after Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death on the light rail by a repeat offender. Nor did they run a single ad on Logan Federico who was murdered by a man with 39 previous charges,” said Swol.

NOEM SAYS AFGHAN NATIONAL ACCUSED OF SHOOTING NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIERS WAS RADICALIZED IN US

“What happened to the feminists? What happened to actually caring about women? I don’t understand,” he added.

GOP operative Sarah Fields pointed to large numbers of arrests of non-citizen sexual predators and the trafficking of women and girls by cartels, saying, “Ironically, this was paid for by Women’s March, a feminist group against s*xual oppression.”

“The Women’s March is running an INSANE ad that demonizes ICE with fictional scenes and emotional manipulation,” wrote California conservative commentator Elizabeth Barcohana.

“Defund the Police and police abolitionism never went away. It just took a new form,” added Barcohana.

“Feminists against those who protect women. Great call, ladies,” commented Los Angeles GOP leader Lisa Cusack.

BONDI DECLARES ‘NEW ERA OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE’ AS FEDERAL AGENTS DEPLOY TO ICE FACILITIES NATIONWIDE

Founded during the first Trump administration, the Women’s March rose to prominence due to its heavily covered marches in Washington, D.C. On its website, the group says it is working to build a “base of feminists to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.”

It has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump during his second term, as well as ICE.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Women’s March for comment, but did not immediately receive a response. 

Portland, Oregon, is under fire for again hosting its annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony and nixing any mention of the Christian holiday, while leaders of the event instead waved a Palestinian flag and led the crowd in chants. 

“Free, free, free Palestine,” a woman holding a Palestinian flag on stage of the lighting event said while leading the crowd in a chant Friday evening, before also singing the “Strong Woman Song” while joined by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, which is a confederation of three native tribes in Oregon. 

The event was decked out in Christmas lights, a traditionally decorated tree and a visit from Santa Claus, but did not promote any mention of Christmas, with organizers instead advertising the festive occasion as “Portland’s 41st Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony,” according to social media accounts for Pioneer Courthouse Square, where the tree is displayed. 

Fox News Digital reviewed the Portland government’s Facebook, X and Instagram accounts and found advertisements and footage showing the tree lighting, but did not include the word “Christmas.” A calendar for the annual event shows organizers have bypassed calling it a “Christmas” tree lighting event going back to at least 2019. 

ICONIC DC LANDMARK UNVEILS FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE AS PART OF PUSH TO REVIVE HOLIDAY SPIRIT

“Portland’s Tree is lit!” one caption on an Instagram video shared by the Portland, Oregon, Instagram account stated.

“Portland’s 41st Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony presented by SmartPark is tonight!” another message shared on social media by both the Portland, Oregon, government and Pioneer Courthouse Square stated. 

“Celebrate the highlight of the Downtown Holiday Season as Santa Claus flips the switch, illuminating more than 9,500 colorful LED lights to shine bright on our City’s 75’ Douglas-fir, generously donated by Stimson Lumber for all to enjoy. SEE YOU TONIGHT, PORTLAND!” it added. 

Social media commenters sounded off online that the deep blue city refused to mention the word “Christmas.” 

“The City of Portland and local media outlets are calling this ‘The Tree’ because they despise Christians like me and many of you so much they can’t bring themselves to say the word ‘Christmas,’” independent journalist David Medina posted to X. 

“They can’t even say Christmas tree in Portland. They call it ‘the tree,'” another conservative account posted to X in response to a video Medina posted. 

BIRTHPLACE OF JESUS TO RESUME CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS AFTER WAR FORCED A TWO-YEAR PAUSE

“Thousands came to the Christmas tree lighting — and many told me parts of the program felt like political messaging that was out of place and inappropriate for a family event. Why are our public traditions being pulled into ideology and virtue signaling instead of serving the community? Portland deserves events that unite us, not moments that push someone’s narrative,” community journalism outlet PDX Real posted to X. 

“In Portland they’re trying to take the Christmas out of Christmas tree. It’s a Christmas tree, it’s always been a Christmas tree, and it will always be a Christmas tree. These people will slowly take everything until there’s nothing left if given the opportunity,” one social media account posted. 

A handful of local media outlets described the Christmas tree as a “holiday tree” in headlines, while others did refer to the event as a “Christmas tree lighting,” as did some local officials on their social media accounts, Fox News Digital found. 

Democratic Portland, Oregon, Mayor Keith Wilson’s office also explicitly called the event a “Christmas Tree Lighting” in response to Fox News Digital while brushing off the criticisms of the event. 

“Mayor Wilson was delighted to join Portland’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting alongside Christmas carolers and holiday festivities,” Wilson’s office said when asked about the criticisms. “That said, framing it otherwise feels like quite the reach.”

‘ANARCHISTS ILLEGALLY TOOK THEM DOWN,’ NOW PORTLAND IS PUTTING STATUES OF LINCOLN AND ROOSEVELT BACK UP

The tree lighting ceremony also included a group of women, including the woman holding a Palestinian flag singing the “Strong Woman Song,” which is an intertribal indigenous song, while a representative from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs championed that the lighting ceremony was held on the same day as Native American Heritage Day. 

“On this Native American Heritage Day, I hold both gratitude and truth,” one woman said from the stage. “The tree that we stand beside was once rooted in its own home bringing it here holds a complexity that indigenous people, tribal peoples feel deeply in our teachings, the trees, rivers, mountains, all living beings are family more than the objects and more than the symbols that they might stand for.” 

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The Oregon event was attended by thousands, according to local media, with many revelers telling outlets that they were thrilled to take part in the long-running tradition. 

The White House is preparing to hold a meeting about its strategy regarding Venezuela — as it also is gearing up for Christmas and the administration’s ninth Cabinet meeting this week. 

The White House confirmed CNN’s reporting that Trump will hold a meeting Monday evening with members of his Cabinet and other national security leaders to discuss future actions regarding Venezuela. 

Trump admitted Sunday that he spoke to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro over the phone in late November, amid escalating tensions between the two countries as the Trump administration has waged a crusade against alleged drug traffickers in Latin America. 

WASHINGTON’S SHADOW WAR: HOW STRIKES ON CARTELS THREATEN TO COLLAPSE MADURO’S REGIME

The meeting comes after Trump announced Saturday that pilots, drug dealers and human traffickers should “consider” the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela closed, but he told reporters Sunday to not “read anything into it” when asked if an airstrike was imminent. 

The meeting also comes amid additional scrutiny from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle about the strikes, following a Friday report from the Washington Post that claimed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth instructed that no survivors remain during an attack on an alleged drug boat in September, prompting a second strike. 

Hegseth denied the report, and labeled it “fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory.” 

But White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Monday that a second strike occurred, and said that commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, Adm. Frank Bradley, was within his legal right to do so. 

“On September 2nd, Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes,” Leavitt said. “Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law, directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.” 

Even so, she pushed back on the Washington Post’s reporting describing that Hegseth ordered that everyone aboard the ship be killed. 

“I would reject that the Secretary of War ever said that,” Leavitt said. “However, the president has made it quite clear that if narco-terrorists, again, are trafficking illegal drugs toward the United States, he has the authority to kill them.” 

Lawmakers, including the top Republican and Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, are seeking answers. 

“This committee is committed to providing rigorous oversight of the Department of Defense’s military operations in the Caribbean,” Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Adam Smith, D-Wash., said in a Saturday statement. “We take seriously the reports of follow-on strikes on boats alleged to be ferrying narcotics in the SOUTHCOM region and are taking bipartisan action to gather a full accounting of the operation in question.”

Spokespeople for the committee did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital regarding the nature of these additional oversight efforts.

TRUMP AGREES MADURO’S DAYS AS VENEZUELA’S PRESIDENT ARE NUMBERED IN ‘60 MINUTES’ INTERVIEW 

The Trump administration has carried out more than 20 strikes against alleged drug boats in Latin American waters, and has bolstered its military presence in the Caribbean to align with Trump’s goal to crack down on the influx of drugs into the U.S.  

Additionally, Trump is slated to hold a Cabinet meeting at the White House Tuesday before making an announcement about Trump Accounts, a new tax-advantaged savings and investment account established through the passage of Trump’s massive tax and domestic policy bill known as the one “big, beautiful bill” signed into law in July. 

No additional details were immediately available on the new Trump Accounts update. 

Likewise, Trump is slated to welcome the presidents of the Republic of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to sign a peace and economic agreement secured Thursday that seeks to end conflict in Congo between government forces and armed groups including Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. The armed group seized control of the Congo cities of Goma and Bukavu in 2025. 

Trump also is scheduled to attend the FIFA World Cup final draw at the Kennedy Center Friday. During the event, FIFA will divvy up all the soccer teams into 12 different groups.  

The FIFA World Cup will be held in June 2026 and July 2026 in Mexico, Canada and the United States. 

Meanwhile, the White House also unveiled its Christmas decorations for 2025 in keeping with the theme first lady Melania Trump selected: “Home is Where the Heart Is.” Christmas tours for the public are slated to begin Tuesday. 

The White House is outfitted with 25,000 feet of ribbon; more than 2,000 strands of light; more than 120 pounds of gingerbread; more than 2,800 gold stars; more than 10,000 blue butterflies; and more than 700 feet of garland. Additionally, the White House has more than 50 Christmas trees on display.

“Every detail of the 2025 White House Christmas decorations was personally selected by Mrs. Trump to honor the heart of America and the theme ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is,’” the White House told Fox News Digital.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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 one National Guardsman who was shot in the nation’s capital last week, with the suspect being Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national. A second National Guardsman is still in the hospital and fighting for his life.

This is a breaking news story; check back for updates.