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Gov Abbott issues disaster declaration to prevent screwworm fly infestation from spreading into Texas
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statewide disaster declaration on Thursday to prevent the potential spread of the New World screwworm fly into the Lone Star State, as he seeks to better protect livestock and wildlife.
The governor's declaration allows the Texas New World Screwworm Response Team to use all state government prevention and response resources to prevent the spread of the parasite into Texas.
The New World screwworm fly is spreading north from Mexico toward the border it shares with the U.S.
FLESH-EATING PARASITE CASE DETECTED IN US TRAVELER RETURNING FROM CENTRAL AMERICA
"Although the New World screwworm fly is not yet present in Texas or the U.S., its northward spread from Mexico toward the U.S. southern border poses a serious threat to Texas' livestock industry and wildlife," Abbott said in a statement.
"State law authorizes me to act to prevent a threat of infestation that could cause severe damage to Texas property, and I will not wait for such harm to reach our livestock and wildlife," he continued.
With his statewide disaster declaration, the governor said the Texas New World Screwworm Response Team "can fully utilize all state government prevention and response resources to prevent the re-emergence of this destructive parasite."
Texas officials are prepared to fully eradicate the pest if need be, the governor said.
Abbott has taken preemptive action against the New World screwworm threat by directing the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Animal Health Commission to establish a joint Texas New World Screwworm Response Team.
The governor also highlighted a partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to create a new $750 million domestic sterile New World Screwworm production facility near Edinburg, Texas.
The Department of Agriculture said in August that the New World screwworm is a "devastating pest."
"When NWS fly larvae (maggots) burrow into the flesh of a living animal, they cause serious, often deadly damage to the animal. NWS can infest livestock, pets, wildlife, occasionally birds and, in rare cases, people. It is not only a threat to our ranching community, but it is a threat to our food supply and our national security," the department said at the time.
Video shows airport bystander bodyslamming TSA breach suspect in split-second takedown
Newly released surveillance footage has captured the tense moment a suspect breached a TSA checkpoint at an Atlanta airport last year, only to be swiftly tackled by a bystander and subdued within seconds.
Police released the footage through an open public records request, showing the incident unfolding on the morning of Oct. 30 at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Fox 5 Atlanta reported Thursday.
The suspect was identified as 40-year-old Fabian Leon, who was later charged with simple battery and avoiding security measures, the outlet said.
In the footage, Leon appears to rush through the airport before attempting to enter the TSA checkpoint.
As he approached the initial screening area, Leon appeared to aggressively push past an agent, knocking the officer to the ground and stumbling over him in the process.
A TSA officer then reacted and reportedly yelled "breach," prompting bystander Mark Thomas to turn around without hesitation.
Thomas then appeared to quickly lunge at Leon, swiftly grabbing and lifting him up before bodyslamming the suspect to the ground.
MAN RUSHED TO HOSPITAL IN APPARENT SELF-INFLICTED SHOOTING AT ATLANTA AIRPORT
"I saw him knock over the first dude and then a TSA agent tried to grab him, and once he was going to get past me, I was just like, okay, I'll just take over if I can," Thomas said, according to Fox 5.
Immediately after the incident, the bystander recalled Leon acting oddly calm and "detached" from the situation, even appearing "soft-spoken" as he repeatedly told everyone he was okay and asked to be let up.
"He was very soft-spoken. He just kept saying, 'Oh, I'm okay, I'm okay, let me up, let me up, I'm okay'," Thomas said. "It's like, kind of clear, that he was sort of detached from the entire situation."
Police said Leon later told officers that he had consumed alcohol and taken drugs shortly before the incident, the outlet reported.
AIRLINE PASSENGER ATTEMPTED TO OPEN PLANE DOOR IN MID-AIR, AUTHORITIES SAY
Authorities ultimately secured Leon by detaining him in a chair at the scene, according to the footage.
During the scuffle, police said three of their officers were also assaulted.
While Thomas said he would step in again if needed, the airport could benefit from additional police presence.
"I think more police presence should have probably been there, it shouldn't have taken me to take him down," Thomas said, according to Fox 5. "I don't know how many checkpoints or people he got passed before that."
Timberwolves players release statement addressing 'recent tragic events' involving ICE in Minneapolis
The Minnesota Timberwolves released a statement from its players regarding the rising anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tensions in Minneapolis.
There have been two fatal incidents in Minneapolis in recent weeks involving federal immigration agents amid heightened tensions over the operations as well as clashes with anti-ICE demonstrators.
Like everyone in the Twin Cities, the Timberwolves have been impacted by the events, and they released a statement expressing their "sincere sympathies and love to everyone."
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"We, the Minnesota Timberwolves players, extend our sincere sympathies and love to everyone across the Twin Cities and throughout Minnesota who has been affected by the recent tragic events impacting our communities," the statement read. "Minnesota is strongest when we uplift and support one another, and there is no room for hatred or division across our great state or among all who live here.
"We mourn the lives lost and send strength, peace and compassion to all who are hurting. We believe in the resilience, unity and care that define Minnesotans, and bring our communities together in times of hardship and need."
The Timberwolves postponed their game on Saturday against the Golden State Warriors in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old Department of Veteran Affairs ICU nurse, involving a Border Patrol agent.
ANTI-ICE PROTESTS TAKE PLACE AS T'WOLVES-WARRIORS NBA GAME TAKES PLACE
"The decision was made to prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community," the NBA said, adding that the game would be played Sunday.
The following day, NBA fans delivered anti-ICE messages at Target Center, with signs inside the arena reading, "ICE out now." A moment of silence was held for Pretti — the same protocol for the Timberwolves following the earlier death of Renee Good.
The team held a moment of silence for Good, 37, who was killed while operating a vehicle that agents ordered her to exit, according to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Good, according to Noem, refused and "attempted to run them over and ram them with her vehicle."
"Our thoughts are with her family and everyone affected, and our hearts are with our community as we hope for healing and unity during this challenging time," the Target Center’s public address announcer said.
Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch also spoke before his squad defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"As we all know, our community has suffered yet another unspeakable tragedy," he said. "We want to just convey our condolences and heartfelt wishes and prayers and thoughts to the families and loved ones and all of those that are greatly affected by what happened."
The National Basketball Players Association released a statement this past Sunday as well.
"Following the news of yet another fatal shooting in Minneapolis, a city that has been on the forefront of the fight against injustices, NBA players can no longer remain silent," the union said. "Now more than ever, we must defend the right to freedom of speech and stand in solidarity with the people in Minnesota protesting and risking their lives to demand justice.
"The fraternity of NBA players, like the United States itself, is a community enriched by its global citizens, and we refuse to let the flames of division threaten the civil liberties that are meant to protect us all. The NBPA and its members extend our deepest condolences to the families of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, just as our thoughts remain focused on the safety and well-being of all members of our community."
The shooting fueled further protests in the Twin Cities amid a recent surge of ICE activity in the area as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration.
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos and Ryan Morik contributed to this report.
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Pennsylvania Gov Josh Shapiro condemns inflammatory ICE rhetoric from DA Larry Krasner as 'abhorrent'
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro condemned Philadelphia's District Attorney Larry Krasner's remarks comparing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) officers to Nazis, urging rhetoric be cooled down during an interview with "Special Report" on Thursday.
"This is a small bunch of wannabe Nazis, that's what they are, in a country of 350 million. We outnumber them," Krasner said Tuesday. "If we have to hunt you down the way they hunted down Nazis for decades, we will find your identities, we will find you, we will achieve justice."
Shapiro on Thursday denounced Krasner's comments.
"That kind of rhetoric is unacceptable, it is abhorrent and it is wrong — period, hard stop, end of sentence," the governor told Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier.
VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE TO VISIT MINNEAPOLIS, SOURCE SAYS, AMID UNREST OVER ICE OPERATIONS
Addressing antisemitism and broader unrest, including turmoil in Minnesota tied to Trump administration immigration policies, Shapiro called for "calm."
"We need to bring down the rhetoric, bring down the temperature and create calm in the community," he said. "I believe that the president's policies have injected chaos onto the streets of Minnesota."
Shapiro's comments come after his recent criticism of Vice President JD Vance, accusing him of staying silent on antisemitism for his own political gain.
"I'm pointing out that antisemitism is a problem, and I want to see the vice president of the United States do better," Shapiro said.
AOC ACCUSES VANCE OF BELIEVING ‘AMERICAN PEOPLE SHOULD BE ASSASSINATED IN THE STREET’
Shapiro said he stands by his accusations against Vance while faulting leaders in both parties for what he described as a longstanding failure to confront antisemitism.
"I think leaders need to speak and act with moral clarity and need to call it [antisemitism] out," he explained. "I just called it out on someone on the political left. I would like to see the vice president of the United States do the same."
"I believe it to be a problem on both sides of the political aisle. I'm not pointing fingers at one side or the other," he added.
The Pennsylvania governor specifically accused Vance of offering "comfort" to Republicans with anti-Jewish views, saying his actions make the United States "less safe."
"He should not allow for a Nick Fuentes, or a Tucker Carlson or others — who are promoting antisemitic views — to be platformed," Shapiro argued.
"He is seeking some short-term political gain by not criticizing them," he added.
Shapiro recently described Vance as a "sycophant" who "embarrasses himself daily" and leveled additional criticism of the Trump administration during his "Special Report" appearance.
"I believe we're a party that stands up for people's rights and freedoms at a time where this administration here in Washington is eroding people's rights and freedoms," the governor said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
A spokesperson for Vance told NBC News on Wednesday the Pennsylvania governor's comments are a "next level hypocritical deflection from Shapiro, a misguided plea for attention from a political lightweight."
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem addresses calls for her firing, new Alex Pretti video
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said "radicals" are targeting her as calls for her firing intensify amid an aggressive immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
"These radicals are attacking me, but I'm just doing my job. I'm following the law, enforcing the laws like President Trump promised that he would do to keep people safe in this country," she told "Hannity" on Thursday.
Noem’s comments come as she faces mounting criticism following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal agents during immigration enforcement operations in the North Star State.
Several prominent Democrats have recently called for her removal as DHS secretary, including Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
HAKEEM JEFFRIES SAYS DEMS WILL NOT BACK FUNDING BILL FOR 'KILLING MACHINE' DHS EVEN IF NOEM IS FIRED
"Americans have died. She is betraying DHS’s core mission and trashing your border security legacy. DO NOT make the mistake President Biden made for not firing a grossly incompetent DHS Secretary," Fetterman said.
"KRISTI NOEM MUST RESIGN," Newsom wrote on X.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., along with other House Democrats, are threatening impeachment proceedings if Noem is not "fired immediately."
In addition, Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska have called for Noem's removal.
ILHAN OMAR DEMANDS IMPEACHMENT OF NOEM AMID DHS FUNDING BATTLE: 'WE MUST ABOLISH ICE'
President Donald Trump, however, has maintained he has no plans of asking Noem to step down, telling reporters Tuesday she is doing a "very good job" at securing the border.
Noem also addressed newly released video of Pretti that appears to show the 37-year-old kicking and spitting at federal agents just days before his death.
"Clearly, there's a history there of attacking our law enforcement officers and our CBP and ICE officers," she said.
The former South Dakota governor characterized Pretti’s behavior as emblematic of the hostility agents routinely encounter in Minnesota.
"That's an example of what our officers have had to face every single day in Minneapolis and in Minnesota," Noem said.
"Riots are attacking our officers not just when they're doing their work, but even at night at their hotels," she explained. "And they haven't allowed their law enforcement to keep them safe. Even while they're off shift, they can't go to restaurants, they can't operate safely, they've had their lives threatened and their families' lives threatened."
Noem also commented on Trump's shakeup of immigration leadership in Minnesota.
Earlier this week, Trump replaced Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino with "border czar" Tom Homan.
"I'm grateful that the president had the wisdom to send Tom Homan there to have conversations again to see if he can get the leaders of Governor Walz and Mayor Frey to commit to honoring our detainers and to keeping our officers safe while they do their work," she told host Sean Hannity.
"We've been asking them to do this for months," she added. "They have refused to agree. We're hoping that Tom has an opportunity to restart those conversations and see if we can get them to help clean up the streets of Minneapolis."
Noem also delivered a message to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, accusing both leaders of inflaming tensions in the state.
"I would tell them to be leaders and to change their rhetoric, because it is encouraging the kind of violence that we see on their streets today," she said.
"I would encourage the governor to work with us, the mayor to work with us to get those dangerous criminals off their streets. That's all we want."
While defending the actions of federal agents, Noem acknowledged that law enforcement tactics should always be subject to review, addressing the ongoing investigation into Pretti’s fatal shooting.
"We believe that we can always do better, and we seek to do that every single day. And we want to make sure that we not only improve protocols on the ground in chaotic and volatile situations like this, but that we continue to find the truth around this situation," she said.
Trump says Melania has been 'more outspoken' this term at Trump Kennedy Center documentary premiere
WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walked the red carpet with several famous friends ahead of the world premiere of the new documentary "MELANIA" at the Trump Kennedy Center on Thursday.
The film, from Amazon MGM Studios and directed by Brett Ratner, chronicles the first lady's life leading up to Trump's 2025 inauguration from her home in Trump Tower in New York City to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, and captures behind-the-scenes moments at the White House. The documentary is the debut project from the first lady's new film production company, Muse Films.
Ahead of the premiere, both President Trump and Melania Trump weighed in on how much more outspoken the first lady has been this term.
"I've noticed that myself," Trump told Fox News Digital. "She has been more outspoken. That comes with time. She's done a great job. She's very popular, a very respected person."
MELANIA TRUMP HOSTS STAR-STUDDED WHITE HOUSE SCREENING AHEAD OF HER FILM'S RELEASE
"I'm very selective in what I do, when I talk," Melania also told Fox Digital. "And that is my choice, and I'm mission and action-oriented, and we had a very successful first year in my office as a first lady, and I'm proud of what we achieved."
MELANIA TRUMP, AMAZON PARTNER TO RELEASE NEW FILM ABOUT HER LIFE IN THEATERS WORLDWIDE
Several other VIPs who walked the red carpet praised the first lady and hoped the documentary would show the public the side of her that they see.
"I hope they get to see what I see," U.S. attorney Alina Habba told Fox News Digital. "She is incredibly astute. She is incredibly involved. She does everything with grace. She has taken the punches right next to him and always held herself out with such grace. And I'm happy that for a woman who's a girl boss, who's literally a legend, and should have been on the cover of Vogue, she's going to have her time to shine."
"I consider her a good friend," Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said. "She is the kindest, smartest, most wonderful friend, obviously very private, and just does it her way. So I think we get to see a little bit of that in the movie tonight. She's just such a breath of fresh air because she literally, almost like President Trump, and this is why they're such a good match. She's just going to do it her way."
Rollins also noted that Melania was instrumental in helping pave the way for America First policies in Trump's first term, and also acknowledged that the first lady has been more outspoken in Trump's second term.
"She's coming out and expressing her opinion, and it's an important one," Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News Digital. "She's a very intelligent woman, and she's very decent and gracious and humble, and I think she's a great model and the more she speaks, the better."
"MELANIA" focuses on the first lady’s business, her philanthropic efforts and her family life as she prepares to be America's first lady for the second time. The 104-minute movie will hit the big screen globally Jan. 30, appearing in theaters across North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and more.
"We are honored to host the red carpet premiere of the highly anticipated premiere, MELANIA," Trump Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "The First Lady and Honorary Chair of the Trump Kennedy Center is an incredible champion of the Arts and audiences will love the inside look at her journey ahead of President Trump's second Inauguration. The film showcases her unwavering commitment to service and the enduring American story."
"MELANIA captures the signature elegance, grace, and strength that define the First Lady, and we are proud to present this captivating film at the Trump Kennedy Center," Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi said. "Mrs. Trump's dedication to America is powerfully reflected in this documentary and audiences will undoubtedly leave the theater inspired by this portrait of her poise and purpose. It is a privilege to celebrate her legacy and contributions to the nation at our iconic venue."
INSIDE ‘MELANIA’: THE UNPRECEDENTED ACCESS BEHIND MELANIA TRUMP'S FIRST FILM
Trump warns UK it's 'very dangerous' to do business with China after Starmer's Beijing meeting
President Donald Trump warned the U.K. Thursday against strengthening ties with China, hours after Prime Minister Keir Starmer met President Xi Jinping in Beijing to reset relations after a long period of strain.
Trump’s remarks came as Starmer and Xi had called for a renewed "strategic partnership," highlighting the pressures facing them amid global instability.
Speaking to Fox News while traveling to Florida for the premiere of first lady Melania Trump’s documentary, Trump was asked about the U.K. "getting into business with China."
"Well, it’s very dangerous for them to do that," Trump said. "And it’s even more dangerous, I think, for Canada to get into business with China."
GORDON CHANG: APPEASING CHINA WON’T SAVE EUROPE — TRUMP’S HARD POWER JUST MIGHT
Trump added that China was not the solution for Western economies despite his personal relationship with Xi. "I know China very well. I know President Xi is a friend of mine, and I know him very well, but that’s a big hurdle to get over," he said, before joking that Beijing might ban Canada from playing ice hockey.
"That’s not good. Canada’s not going to like that," he added.
Trump had previously criticized Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney after Carney's visit to China and warned then that "China will eat Canada alive."
Trump's latest comments followed an 80-minute meeting in Beijing between Starmer and Xi in which the leaders sought to thaw relations after several years of diplomatic chill.
TRUMP SLAMS UK ISLAND HANDOFF DEAL THAT COULD PUT KEY US MILITARY BASE AT RISK
The Associated Press reported that neither leader mentioned Trump directly in their discussions Thursday.
"In the current turbulent and ever-changing international situation, China and the United Kingdom need to strengthen dialogue and cooperation to maintain world peace and stability," Xi told Starmer, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
Xi also warned that if major powers failed to uphold international law, the world risked sliding into a "jungle."
Starmer said cooperation on climate change and global stability was "precisely what we should be doing," The Associated Press also reported.
The outlet also reported that Starmer described the meeting as "very productive," and mentioned progress on whisky tariffs, visa-free travel to China for British citizens and cooperation on migration.
TRUMP SPEAKS WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT XI, WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL CONFIRMS
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, Starmer sought Xi's help to disrupt the supply of China-made small boat engines that the U.K. leader's office says are used to smuggle people across the English Channel.
He also raised human rights concerns and the Iran nuclear program.
Starmer is the first British prime minister to visit China in eight years and the fourth U.S.-allied leader to do so this month, signaling a push by Beijing to re-engage Western partners.
The visit also came as the U.K. navigates trade alignment with the U.S., defense cooperation in Arctic regions and negotiations over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands.
In November, the U.S. and China reached a deal easing some tariffs and export controls, boosting U.S. agricultural exports, curbing fentanyl precursor flows and relieving pressure on American semiconductor and shipping companies.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
Trump declares national emergency over Cuba, threatens tariffs on nations that supply oil to communist regime
President Donald Trump on Thursday declared a national emergency via an executive order over Cuba, accusing the communist regime of aligning with hostile foreign powers and terrorist groups while moving to punish countries that supply the island nation with oil.
Thursday's executive order states that the policies and actions of the Cuban government constitute "an unusual and extraordinary threat, which has its source in whole or substantial part outside the United States, to the national security and foreign policy of the United States."
To address that threat, Trump ordered the creation of a tariff mechanism that allows the U.S. to impose additional duties on imports from foreign countries that "directly or indirectly sell or otherwise provide any oil to Cuba," according to the order.
The White House said the move marks a significant escalation in U.S. pressure on the Cuban government, aimed at protecting American national security and foreign policy interests.
MADURO'S CAPTURE IS 'BEGINNING OF THE END' FOR CUBA'S REGIME, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE CHAIR SAYS
In the order, Trump said Cuba aligns itself with and provides support for "numerous hostile countries, transnational terrorist groups, and malign actors adverse to the United States," naming Russia, China, Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah.
The administration said Cuba hosts Russia’s largest overseas signals intelligence facility, which the order states attempts to steal sensitive U.S. national security information. The order also says Cuba continues to deepen intelligence and defense cooperation with China.
According to the order, Cuba "welcomes transnational terrorist groups, such as Hezbollah and Hamas."
Trump also cited the Cuban government’s human rights record, accusing the regime of persecuting and torturing political opponents, denying free speech and press freedoms, and retaliating against families of political prisoners who protest peacefully.
"The United States has zero tolerance for the depredations of the communist Cuban regime," Trump said in the order, adding that the administration will act to hold the regime accountable while supporting the Cuban people’s aspirations for a free and democratic society.
CUBA'S SHADOW IN VENEZUELA: HAVANA’S INTELLIGENCE AND MILITARY TIES EXPOSED AFTER MADURO RAID
Under the order, the Commerce Department will determine whether a foreign country is supplying oil to Cuba, either directly or through intermediaries. The State Department, working with Treasury, Homeland Security, Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative, will decide whether and how steep the new tariffs should be if so.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is tasked with monitoring the national emergency and reporting to Congress, while the Commerce Department will continue tracking which countries are supplying oil to Cuba.
In a fact sheet, the White House said the order is designed to protect U.S. national security and foreign policy from the Cuban regime’s "malign actions and policies," and described the move as part of Trump’s broader effort to confront regimes that threaten American interests.
The administration said the action builds on Trump’s first-term Cuba policy, which reversed Obama-era engagement and reinstated tougher measures against the communist government.
The executive order is set to take effect Friday.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for additional comment.
Trump administration eases sanctions on Venezuelan oil industry after Maduro’s capture
The Trump administration announced Thursday it was easing sanctions on the Venezuelan oil industry, as the U.S. aims to ramp up production in the South American country following the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.
The U.S. Treasury said it is authorizing transactions involving the government of Venezuela and state-owned oil company PdVSA that are "ordinarily incident and necessary to the lifting, exportation, reexportation, sale, resale, supply, storage, marketing, purchase, delivery, or transportation of Venezuelan-origin oil, including the refining of such oil, by an established U.S. entity."
The new license includes significant carve-outs, with sanctions remaining fully intact for persons or entities in Russia, Iran, North Korea or Cuba.
TRUMP SIGNALS LONG ROAD AHEAD IN VENEZUELA IN HIS BOLDEST INTERVENTIONIST MOVE YET
It also excludes transactions with blocked vessels, Chinese-owned or controlled entities operating in Venezuela or the U.S., and debt swaps, gold payments, or cryptocurrency payments, including Venezuela’s petro.
The announcement came as President Donald Trump pushes for the expansion of oil production in Venezuela.
"We have the major oil companies going to Venezuela now, scouting it out and picking their locations, and they'll be bringing back tremendous wealth for Venezuela and for the United States and the oil companies will do fine too." Trump said during a cabinet meeting Thursday.
RUBIO SAYS US HAS NO PLAN TO USE FORCE IN VENEZUELA — BUT WARNS ‘IMMINENT THREAT’ COULD CHANGE THAT
Trump also announced during the meeting that commercial airspace over Venezuela would reopen, after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released an emergency notice earlier this month blocking civil flight operations by U.S. aircraft over the South American country.
"I just spoke to the president of Venezuela and informed her that we're going to be opening up all commercial airspace over Venezuela," Trump said. "American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they'll be safe there and be safe. It's under very strong control."
Earlier Thursday, Venezuela’s government approved opening the nation’s oil sector to privatization, with Acting President Delcy Rodríguez signing the reform into law — a move that reverses a core principle of the socialist movement that has ruled the country for more than two decades.
Fox News Digital's Diana Stancy and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hamas emerges as ‘ultimate spoiler’ in Gaza plan as Trump insists terror group will disarm
President Donald Trump and his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said Thursday they believe Hamas will disarm under a U.S.-backed Gaza ceasefire plan as it enters its second phase.
But as regional analysts warned the terror group has no intention of disarming and could ultimately block Trump’s Gaza plan, Hamas officials also pushed back on Trump's claim.
Speaking during his 10th Cabinet meeting of his second term, Trump appeared confident the Palestinian Islamist militant group would throw down their weapons.
"And now we want to get Hamas, no guns, right? To disarm," Trump said before adding, "A lot of people said they’ll never disarm. It looks like they’re gonna disarm."
WALTZ HAILS ‘NIGHT-AND-DAY’ MIDDLE EAST SHIFT AS TRUMP’S GAZA PLAN RESHAPES REGION
Witkoff echoed Trump’s assessment and told the president the process was already underway.
"We’ve got the terrorists out of there, and they’re going to demilitarize. They will, because they have no choice," Witkoff said. "They’re going to give it up. They’re going to give up the AK-47s."
Regional analysts warned the terror group has no intention of disarming and could even block Trump’s Gaza plan altogether.
National security analyst Kobi Michael said Hamas "doesn’t intend to disarm itself and never intended to."
"Hamas will do all the possible and creative maneuvers and manipulations in order to keep its power and influence in the Gaza Strip," Prof. Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told Fox News Digital.
He added that "they don’t really talk to each other and do not really understand each other," suggesting gaps between the two sides.
AFTER TRUMP DECLARES ‘WAR IS OVER,’ HAMAS EXECUTES RIVALS IN GAZA TO REASSERT CONTROL
"The Israel Defense Forces are the only entity that can disarm Hamas," Michael said, noting that "no one besides Turkey is willing to send its troops to the International Stabilization Force in order to fight Hamas," referring to the planned force authorized by the United Nations to oversee security and demilitarization in Gaza.
Senior Hamas officials flatly contradicted the White House narrative Thursday, according to The Times of Israel.
Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk said the group "never agreed to disarm; no one’s raised it with us directly," stressing that Hamas remains firmly in control in Gaza.
The outlet also reported that Abu Marzouk indicated Hamas retains a de facto veto over appointments to a newly formed technocratic committee meant to govern the Strip.
The committee, announced as part of Phase Two of Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, is intended to oversee Gaza’s civilian affairs and manage reconstruction once the ceasefire stabilizes.
US SEEKS UN AUTHORIZATION FOR GAZA INTERNATIONAL FORCE LASTING THROUGH 2027 UNDER TRUMP PLAN
Witkoff said, "We are in the second phase now… we’ve stood up, for the first time, Mr. President, on your behalf, a technocratic, all-Arab government."
The body is expected to provide basic services to Gaza’s more than 2 million residents, even as the United Nations estimates reconstruction costs will exceed $50 billion.
But Michael warned the new structure is vulnerable to Hamas manipulation, with the group likely to exploit any new setup.
"They will use the existing bureaucracy that will be operated by the technocrats to control and influence the way this government will actually operate — the Hezbollah model," he said.
He added that Hamas has already "demanded more time, Israeli troop withdrawals and immediate reconstruction while quietly preserving its military capabilities."
"Trump may conclude that nobody can disarm Hamas but the Israel Defense Forces," Michael said. "Then it will become clear that Hamas is the ultimate spoiler and is a major obstacle in Trump’s Gaza plan."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.