Politics

Rep. Cuellar, staff took sponsored trips to Azerbaijan coordinated by convicted businessman

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Records show that Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his staff took multiple sponsored trips to the country of Azerbaijan in recent years as he finds himself reportedly entangled in a federal probe investigating ties between U.S. businessmen and the former Soviet republic.

Documents obtained by Fox News show that in 2013, Cuellar and his wife took a $25,000 trip to Turkey and Azerbaijan which included a stay at a luxury hotel and was sponsored by the Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians.

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 30: U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) speaks on southern border security and illegal immigration, during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on July 30, 2021 in Washington, DC. Cuellar urged the Biden administration to name former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson as a border czar. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

FEDERAL GRAND JURY SUBPOENAS REP. CUELLAR, WIFE, AND ASSOCIATES IN AZERBAIJAN-TIED PROBE: REPORT

The organization describes itself as “a leading independent and an umbrella organization committed to advancing the interaction among American and Turkish, Turkic and Eurasian people by bringing “people together by hosting public programs and private events featuring leaders and experts with diverse views on a wide range of global and regional topics through task forces, executive forums, luncheons, conferences, studies, and leadership dialogue.”

The trip was approved by the House Ethics Committee and, according to the Intercept, Turquoise Council president Kemal Oksuz told the committee that no foreign money was used to pay for the trip.

Oksuz pleaded guilty in 2018 for failing to disclose the fact that a different congressional trip to Azerbaijan in 2013, which Cuellar did not attend, had been paid for by a foreign government. Oksuz was convicted in 2019.

In May of 2013, Cuellar’s Deputy Chief of Staff Amy Travieso took a sponsored trip to Azerbaijan and stayed at the Four Seasons in the capital city of Baku where she met with the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan.

Travieso met with the oil company to discuss new pipelines from the Caspian Sea to Europe and to inform Cuellar of “foreign aid needs and requests.”

FBI AGENTS SPOTTED OUTSIDE HOME OF DEMOCRATIC REP. HENRY CUELLAR

Travieso’s trip was also sponsored by the Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians.

UNITED STATES – JUNE 27: Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, talks with reporters in the Capitol after a meeting of House Democrats on Thursday, June 27, 2019. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Travieso, who joined the American Petroleum Institute in June of last year, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News.

In September of 2013, Cuellar co-sponsored a resolution in Congress showing support for a gas corridor project in Azerbaijan saying that it was in the “national interest” of the United States.

Cuellar also traveled to Azerbaijan on official business in 2018 on a trip that was paid for by taxpayers.

In the past, Cuellar has served as a co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus and met with multiple Azerbaijani officials, including the country’s ambassador, Elin Suleymanov.

FBI agents were spotted at Cuellar’s home and campaign office in Laredo, Texas on Wednesday as part of an investigation that the bureau later confirmed was part of “authorized law enforcement activity.”

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Cuellar’s office told Fox News at the time that the Texas Democrat was fully cooperating with the investigation.

On Thursday, CNN reported that the Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Unit, which investigates bribery and government integrity, is involved in the investigation.

On Friday, ABC News reported that subpoenas have been issued to Cuellar, his wife, and at least one staffer seeking records “relating to anything of value” regarding Cuellar’s relationship with certain business leaders and foreign officials and asks for records related to “work, act, favor, or service” that Cuellar may have provided to foreign companies.

It is unclear whether Cuellar is a direct target of the investigation.

Cuellar’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News.

Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, speaks with the media in front of the West Wing after a bipartisan meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017, in Washington. Cuellar beat challenger Jessica Cisneros on Tuesday. (Associated Press)

Cuellar, who has been one of the most outspoken critics of the Biden administration’s handling of the illegal immigrant influx at the southern border, released a campaign ad this week following the FBI’s visit to his home and office.

“This land gave my family a chance,” Cuellar says at the end of the 30-second ad. “That’s why I’ll never stop fighting for South Texas.”

The Democratic primary for Cuellar’s seat representing Texas’s 28th congressional district takes place in early March.

New York grandmother tricks would-be scammer in trap captured on video

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A Long Island, New York grandmother is being hailed for setting up and helping capture a suspected scammer in a trap that was all caught on video.

The 73-year-old former 911 dispatcher Jean Ebbert received an odd call this week from a man claiming to be her grandson who was in jail for DUI and needed $8,000, Ebbert told Fox & Friends on Saturday.

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Ebbert says she knew that she didn’t have a grandson who was old enough to drive and knew it was a scam but decided to keep playing along anyway despite her family members telling her to hang up.

“My son was like ‘hang up ma’ and I’m thinking you’re 40 years old I’m 73 and you’re telling me to hang up?” Ebbert said. “And I didn’t hang up. I usually hang up.”

Screenshot – Fox & Friends

2 NEW YORK CITY COPS SHOT, 1 KILLED, IN DEADLY EXCHANGE WITH SUSPECT, POLICE SAY

Ebbert eventually spoke to another man on the phone who claimed to be her grandson’s lawyer and asked to come to the house to collect the bail money. Jean told the man to come to the house to pick up the money but also called the police to wait for the man when he arrived.

When the man showed up at Jean’s house, she handed him an empty envelope full of paper towels before officers swarmed him in an exchange that was captured on her Ring doorbell camera.

Screenshot – Fox & Friends

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The man was identified as 28-year-old Joshua Estrella Gomez of Mineola, New York, who was arrested and charged with attempted grand larceny in the third degree.

“Speak to your families. Speak to your neighbors. Visit those that are vulnerable. Let them know, don’t listen to these scams,” Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder warned. “These individuals sit at home and have nothing else to do but think of a way to take advantage of our elderly.”

‘Defeat the Mandates’ march coordinator explains why DC event is critical to push back on restrictions

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The organizer of a march against coronavirus vaccine mandates taking place in Washington, D.C., on Sunday says he hopes the event will give people the confidence to speak up against such requirements.

A number of major U.S. cities including D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis and Boston have implemented citywide rules requiring residents to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination at certain establishments, such as restaurants and gyms.

“You’re going to hear a lot of people talk about on the left say this is a big, anti-vax rally — it’s people coming in to deny science,” march organizer Will Witt, an author and political commentator for nonprofit PragerU, told Fox News Digital, “but this march is about the mandate, and this march is about the Draconian measures that we’re seeing all across this country right now, especially in places like D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco.”

Critics of the regulations say those cities may have jumped the gun on mandating vaccines as the omicron variant of COVID-19 has proven its ability to evade immunity offered by vaccines and that such requirements are a power play from politicians. While the vaccine prevents severe reactions to the virus — particularly in the elderly and those with underlying conditions — U.S. cases have spiked to record highs in recent weeks as the virus infects both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

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Witt said 90% of speakers at the march are vaccinated. Several high-profile speakers, however, have been at the center of national debate over COVID-19 vaccines and mandates, including Dr. Robert Malone, Dr. Peter McCollough, YouTuber JP Spears, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who recently said giving children “one of these vaccines” is “criminal medical malpractice” at a December event in California, according to The Associated Press.

Kennedy’s nonprofit organization, Children’s Health Defense — which has received some criticism for its newsletters and social media posts questioning the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in children — is sponsoring Sunday’s march. The organization doubled its revenue in 2020 to $6.8 million, filings with charity regulators obtained by AP show.

Witt, however, says the point of the rally is not to question vaccines but “to fight back against the mandates,” which are “all for political power and gain.”

“What we are seeing here is politicians getting power-hungry and saying, ‘We want to control people. We want to dictate how they are able to live their lives.’ And instead of looking at the science for what is actually really going on, this is how they act,” he said. “And so then you get people who don’t want to give up their power and jump the gun on all of these mandates and restrictions.”

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Witt added how the mandates are a “slippery slope” to more severe restrictions and pointed to Austria, where lawmakers are poised to require all residents to get the vaccine or receive fines of up to 3,600 Euros ($4,085) per quarter, according to Reuters.

When COVID-19 first came to the U.S., Witt said it was “understandable why politicians” want to lock down cities, but after two years into the pandemic, people are starting to get fed up with restrictions when catching the virus seems almost unavoidable.

Health worker administers a dose of a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination clinic at the Grand Yesha Ballroom in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

“No politician wants to be known as the person who didn’t [lock down] their city. Everyone gets sick. So, it made sense in the beginning, but it’s been almost two years now,” Witt said, arguing that those in favor of the mandates aren’t being exposed to accurate information in the media.

“I think we’ve got a pretty clear understanding of how this virus works, how it spreads and the best way to combat this. But again, that real information isn’t getting out to a lot of voters and people, so these left-wing places continue to be dominated by these … mandates,” he said.

Witt wants people to walk away from the rally feeling “equipped with the information and the courage to go and fight against” mandates.

“You know, whether that means getting involved in local politics or sharing it with people on social media or with their friends anywhere where they can stand up peacefully to these types of edicts and dictates is what we are trying to get people to do,” he said.

Dr. Leon Haley Jr. the CEO of UF Health Jacksonville shows his COVID-19 vaccination record card shortly before he received the first injection of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Bob Self/Florida Times-Union via AP)

Witt expects “tens of thousands” of people to show up at the march, which will begin at the Washington Monument at 10:30 a.m. and end at the Lincoln Memorial.

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COVID-19 cases have reached record highs over the last month, with the U.S. averaging about 700,000 per day since early January. Average daily deaths have remained lower than they were between March and April 2020, and between November and February 2021. The U.S. is recording an average of just under 2,000 deaths per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC says unvaccinated individuals are four times more likely to test positive for COVID-19 and 15 times more likely to die of the virus, though unvaccinated individuals over the age of 65 have a much higher risk of severe reaction to COVID-19 than younger, unvaccinated individuals.

Arizona Democratic Party censures Kyrsten Sinema for protecting filibuster

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The Arizona Democratic Party Saturday formally censured Sen. Krysten Sinema, D-Ariz., for refusing to roll back the Senate filibuster in order to pass major voting rights reforms.

The executive board Saturday made the public rebuke following Sinema’s vote this week to keep the 60-vote threshold in the Senate, along with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and all Senate Republicans. Her decision helped scuttle President Biden‘s goal of passing major election reforms.

“I want to be clear, the Arizona Democratic Party is a diverse coalition with plenty of room for policy disagreements, however on the matter of the filibuster and the urgency to protect voting rights, we have been crystal clear,” Arizona Democratic Party Chair Raquel Terán said in a statement. “In the choice between an archaic legislative norm and protecting Arizonans’ right to vote, we choose the latter, and we always will.”

SINEMA AND MANCHIN SPURN SCHUMER, VOTE AGAINST NUKING FILIBUSTER

Terán cited efforts by Republicans in Arizona and nationwide to restrict voter access and said the federal voting rights legislation was needed to protect democracy.

“While we take no pleasure in this announcement, the ADP Executive Board has decided to formally censure Senator Sinema as a result of her failure to do whatever it takes to ensure the health of our democracy,” she wrote.

Senator Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat from Arizona, listens during a news conference in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, July 28, 2021. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The board action Saturday is the result of a resolution Arizona Democratic Party state committee members passed in the fall that authorized the executive board to censure Simena if she chose to protect the filibuster and obstruct voting rights legislation.

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Terán said the party appreciates Sinema for passing the major coronavirus relief legislation and leading on the bipartisan infrastructure law, however, the party could not ignore her recent vote since the “ramifications of failing to pass federal legislation that protects their right to vote are too large and far-reaching.”

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., delivers remarks on the Senate floor in support of the legislative filibuster, on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022.

Sinema’s office noted that the senator still supports voting rights legislation, but she has been clear that preserving the 60-vote threshold was important to protect against wild policy swings.

“During three terms in the U.S. House, and now in the Senate, Kyrsten has always promised Arizonans she would be an independent voice for the state — not for either political party,” Simena’s office said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “She’s delivered for Arizonans and has always been honest about where she stands.”

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The senator gave an impassioned speech from the Senate floor last week where she stood up for voting rights legislation but said she could not break the filibuster to get it passed. She said the 60-vote threshold is needed to foster bipartisanship.

“[W]hile I continue to support these bills, I will not support separate actions that worsen the underlying disease of division affecting our country,” Sinema said.

Pence confident Supreme Court will overturn Roe, says ‘next battlefield for life’ is in states

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Former Vice President Mike Pence Saturday expressed confidence the Supreme Court will overturn Roe. v. Wade — thanks to the newest conservative justices — and urged anti-abortion activists to prepare for action once the decision comes down.

Pence predicted the Supreme Court will act to dismantle the landmark abortion case, adding the “next battlefield for life will emerge” in the state legislatures.

“Your generation must lead and fight for life in every state across this land,” Pence said Saturday at the National Pro-life Summit in Washington, D.C., where many students and grassroots activists had gathered.

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“With a real prospect of a post-Roe America before us, I urge you to prepare your minds for action,” Pence added.

Anti-abortion activists attend the 49th annual March for Life rally on the National Mall Jan. 21, 2022, in Washington, D.C. The rally draws activists from around the country who are calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Pence made his comments on the 49th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. Buoyed by the addition of three new conservatives on the court – justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett – and a major abortion case before the justices, anti-abortion activists are hopeful the Roe court decision will not live to see its 50th anniversary.

If the court overturns the long-standing abortion precedent in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey – two landmark cases that prevent state governments from banning abortions at certain points during pregnancy – then abortion decisions would be left to the states. Several red states, for example, have already passed “trigger laws” designed to immediately restrict abortion once the Supreme Court overturns Roe.

Meanwhile, blue and purple states would likely face renewed political pressure on keeping less restrictive laws.

Anti-abortion activists participate in the 49th annual March for Life as they march past the U.S. Supreme Court Jan. 21, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

With all this at stake, energized anti-abortion activists flocked to Washington this week for the annual March for Life on Friday and the summit on Saturday. Pence reiterated the rallying cry, saying “Roe must go!”

FOX NEWS POLL: WHILE MAJORITY STILL SUPPORTS ROE, OPPOSITION TICKS UP TO NEW HIGH

During his speech, Pence said the Trump administration was the “most pro-life administration in the history of the United States” and touted former President Trump’s appointment of more than 300 conservatives to federal courts, including Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Coney Barrett.

“Pray that the conservatives on our Supreme Court will have the courage of their convictions,” Pence said.

The former vice president and Indiana GOP governor thanked activists for working hard to end abortion and said he now believes the Supreme Court is on their side.

“The pro-life generation has never been stronger. And, thanks to all of you, life is winning in America again,” Pence said. “And never doubt the American people are on our side. I believe the majority of the highest court in the land is on our side as well.”

Support for toppling Roe v. Wade is at a new high, according to a Fox News poll of registered voters released Friday, yet twice as many voters still want it to stand.

Former Vice President Mike Pence delivers remarks to a small crowd Jan. 20, 2021, at Columbus Municipal Airport in Columbus, Ind.

On the eve of the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the poll found 31% want to see the Supreme Court overturn the landmark abortion case, up slightly from 28% in September.

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The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in December on a Mississippi abortion law mostly prohibiting the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy, a challenge to the decades-old Roe case. A ruling is expected later this year.

Sixty-three percent prefer to let the landmark case stand, down slightly from 65% four months ago. Almost half of Republicans want the case to stand (48%) along with about seven in ten Democrats (72%) and independents (73%).

Pence talked of the “heartbreaking consequences of the Roe decision,” noting an estimated 62 million Americans were lost due to abortion. He urged the court to send “Roe v. Wade to the ash heap of history – where it belongs.”

“We are asking the court in no uncertain terms to make history,” Pence said. “We are asking the Supreme Court of the United States to overturn Roe v. Wade and restore the sanctity of life to the center of American law.”

Fox News’ Victoria Balara and Sam Dorman contributed to this report.

Harris aide meets Dem Hispanic caucus, expresses ‘deep regret’ over tweet on illegal immigrants

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Vice President Kamala Harris’ new communications director asked on Twitter in 2010 why illegal immigrants he saw on TV were not being deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This week, over a decade later, he again repented for asking that question, this time before top congressional Democrats.

Jamal Simmons, who became the vice president’s communications chief earlier this month, met with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Thursday over the controversy stemming from the reemergence of a tweet in which he said he “just saw 2 undocumented folks talking on MSNBC. One Law student the other a protester.”

HARRIS COMMS CHIEF APOLOGIZES AFTER 2010 TWEET REEMERGES ASKING WHY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WEREN’T ARRESTED

“Can someone explain why ICE is not picking them up?” he asked. He subsequently clarified that he was not suggesting ICE arrest them.”Just seems off u can go on TV & admit breaking law & not be arrested.”

Simmons apologized amid a furor from immigration activists and Democrats at the suggestion people in the country illegally should be arrested.

“As a pundit for much of my career I have tweeted a lot and spoken out on public issues. Sometimes I have been sarcastic, unclear or just plainly missed the mark,” Jamal Simmons said in a statement.

“I sincerely apologize for offending those who care as much as I do about making America the best, multi-ethnic, diverse democracy it can be,” he said. “I know the role I am taking on is to represent the Biden-Harris administration, and I will do so with humility, sincerity and respect.”

However, the apology only blunted the damage and the Democrats, many of whom are key promoters of mass amnesty for illegal immigrants, met with him to discuss the damage.

“Jamal had an open and honest conversation with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus where he reiterated his deep regret for his past words and long-standing commitment to immigrant rights,” a White House official told Fox News.

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“Members expressed their concerns and willingness to move forward,” the official said. “Jamal is grateful for their generosity.”

Axios reported that Simmons was “upbraided” for the remarks, with Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Calif., telling Simmons the tweets were hurtful to some Hispanics, and Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., reportedly claiming that illegal immigrant families live in fear of being deported.

One lawmaker, Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif., had said before the meeting, however, that he would not attend.

“The deep concern to me is this may show his true disposition when it comes to immigration. That’s what my concern is. A meeting is not going to change my mind or give me peace of mind one way or the other,” Correa told The Hill.

The controversy represents the latest sign of how the Democratic Party has moved increasingly to the left on the question of illegal immigration with even the suggestion of deportation being anathema to some. Last year, Democrats sought to pass a sweeping bill to grant amnesty and an eight-year pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants, but they failed to pick up Republican support for the measure.

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Later in the year, Democrats sought to include amnesty provisions in the budget reconciliation bill, which could avoid a filibuster and therefore would not need Republican support.

However, the Senate parliamentarian shot down a number of proposals, and ultimately Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said he would not support the legislation. Some Democrats have since indicated they wish to push on for similar measures in 2022.

Fox News’ Pat Ward contributed to this report.

Biden’s international approval hangs in balance 1 year into office, experts warn ‘adversaries’ watching

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President Biden entered the White House one year ago with the promise of shoring up geopolitical relations and reaffirming U.S. commitments as a world leader.

During his first address to a global audience upon entering office he touted that “America is back,” but after occupying the executive post for one year steep geopolitical challenges remain.

“I think there was a huge sigh of relief by American allies,” Kori Schake, a senior fellow and director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, told Fox News Digital, referring to the Trump administration’s departure.

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President Biden gestures as he speaks during a news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington Jan. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

“But I think the Biden administration and the president himself very quickly started grandstanding,” the foreign policy expert, who served on the White House National Security Council (NSC) during the George W. Bush administration, added. “That raised expectations that the administration would be different and better, not just than the Trump administration but than other recent American administrations, and I think that was an arrogant mistake.”

Biden’s domestic approval rating hovered in the low- to mid-50s during his first six months in the White House. But the president’s numbers started sagging in August in the wake of Biden’s much criticized handling of the turbulent U.S. exit from Afghanistan and following a surge in COVID-19 cases this summer among mainly unvaccinated people. By mid-November, Biden’s approval had sunk below 40% in two well-known national polls from ABC News/Washington Post and Quinnipiac University.

2021: THE YEAR BIDEN’S APPROVAL RATINGS SANK SLOWLY UNDERWATER

Republicans on the Hill have lambasted the president for perceived foreign policy “failures” during his first year in office, and many described Biden’s tactics in countering Russia as “weak.”

The U.S. has been embroiled in tense conversations with the Kremlin for months as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to amass roughly 100,000 troops along the Ukrainian border, threatening to invade the former Soviet nation.

“Weakness does indeed invite aggression,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Michael McCaul said during a call with House Republicans Friday. “This national security threat is the worst I’ve seen in my lifetime.”

McCaul predicted Russia will invade Ukraine within the next month.

Republican Conference Chairwoman Rep. Elise Stefanik, N.Y., echoed his comments saying, “This president has brought us to the brink of war through weakness.”

But Schake, who worked for the Department of Defense in the Joint Staff on NATO issues involving German-Soviet relations during the end of the Cold War, disagreed with GOP criticisms.

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

“I think they are doing a flat-out good job unpacking Russia’s threat to Ukraine,” she said, applauding actions taken by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“I don’t share the premise that the administration has taken no preemptive action,” Schake added, pointing to arms shipments the U.S. has supplied Kyiv, early intelligence sharing on Russian troop action and the administration’s efforts to bolster NATO unity.

RUSSIA’S HYBRID WAR AGAINST UKRAINE HAS ALREADY BEGUN

Biden caused international confusion this week when he suggested that the size of a Russian invasion could dictate how the U.S. and NATO respond. The White House released a statement almost immediately following the president’s comments clarifying that the U.S. and NATO will respond to “any” military invasion of Ukraine.

But Republicans have argued action needs to be taken before Putin invades and have called for sanctions to be slapped on the Kremlin as a warning.

“Have we not learned our lessons from Afghanistan?” Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, asked following the president’s address this week. “Putin doesn’t take this president, they don’t take his threats, and they certainly don’t take his leadership seriously.”

President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken look on as the remains of Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, are returned to the U.S. Sanchez was among 13 service members killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

BIDEN CLARIFIES UKRAINE COMMENT THAT CAUSED UPROAR: RUSSIAN TROOPS CROSSING BORDER WOULD BE ‘INVASION’

Republicans have argued that the Biden administration needs to act assertively to try and repair its image following the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“I think there has been a drop in international approval for how he’s doing,” Schake told Fox News Digital. “The humiliating spectacle of the U.S. abandoning Afghanistan, especially when the Biden administration wasn’t open to concerns from allies either about the policy or about its execution – really rattled allies.”

The Biden administration has maintained it was handed a bad card by the Trump administration after it forged an agreement with the Taliban that said the U.S. would withdraw from Afghanistan by May 1, 2021. The Biden White House pushed the withdrawal date to the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, but experts argued it should have renegotiated terms altogether to avoid the collapse of the Afghan government.

“I think our adversaries are going to test the United States and its friends because of the lack of resolve the Biden administration showed over Afghanistan,” Schake said.

President Biden delivers remarks on the terror attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul Afghanistan. (POOL via CNP/INSTARimages/Cover Images)

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Lawmakers have voiced similar concerns and suggested that chief U.S. foes like China, North Korea and Iran will be watching to see how the administration handles one of the biggest geopolitical challenges since the Cold War.

“There’s no question that weakness or the perception of weakness is a provocation to authoritarian figures like Vladimir Putin or President Xi,” Sen. John Cornyn suggested during a press conference this week in reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“And you can bet your bottom dollar that Xi is watching what is happening in Ukraine and calculating what the United States response might be if they were to invade Taiwan.”

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez, D-N.J. did not respond to Fox News’ request for comment.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Gavin Newsom clarifies calling train thieves ‘gangs’: ‘Forgive me … They’re organized groups’

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom clarified this week that when he called criminals accused of stealing packages from cargo trains in the state “gangs of people” he wasn’t implying the thefts were gang-related.

“This is not one-off,” Newsom said in a news conference near Union Pacific Railroad tracks in Los Angeles on Thursday, according to the Washington Times. “This is organized theft. These are organized gangs of people that are coming out.”

“Forgive me for saying ‘gangs,’ that’s not a pejorative,” he clarified. “They’re organized groups of folks that move from site to site.”

“Forgive me for saying ‘gangs.’ … They’re organized groups of folks that move from site to site.”

— California Gov. Gavin Newsom

The governor announced a multi-agency effort to deter theft, hold perpetrators accountable and clean up the railroad tracks. He said the thieves could be charged under organized crime laws, which would carry harsher penalties, according to FOX 5 in Los Angeles.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom visits a Union Pacific railroad site on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, in Los Angeles. (Associated Press)

NEWSOM TORCHED FOR COMPARING LA TRASH PILEUP TO THIRD WORLD COUNTRY: ‘CLUELESS’

Los Angeles is infamous for its street gangs.

“When there’s more attention, a bright light on one site, they move to the next site,” Newsom added, according to the Times. “While these folks are arrested as if they’re individuals that are not connected to the whole, and we need to change that.”

Men look over a railing at a Union Pacific railroad site on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, in Los Angeles. (Associated Press)

Newsom was also criticized for saying the trash along the tracks created by the looting looked like a “third world country.“

Conservatives placed blame on the governor for supporting Democratic policies that they claimed have led to lawlessness.

“Look in the mirror Gavin,” former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who challenged Newsom in last year’s recall election, tweeted.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom removes cardboard from a Union Pacific railroad site on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, in Los Angeles. (Associated Press)

Others pointed out that “third world country” is considered an antiquated term.

“Hello, @GavinNewsom: the term ‘Third world country’ was replaced by ‘developing nation’ like, 25 years ago,” Los Angeles reporter Doug Sovern criticized.

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Union Pacific Railroad’s Adrian Guerrero said rising retail theft crime in Los Angeles County over the past year is part of the problem in a Dec. 20 letter to Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon. UP experienced a 160% increase in criminal rail theft in Los Angeles County over the past year.

Newsom’s office didn’t immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

Gavin Newsom less warm toward Trump on wildfire aid during VP Harris visit

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom appeared to change his tone regarding support from the Trump administration on wildfires Friday while welcoming Vice President Kamala Harris for talks about one of the state’s most vexing – and costly – problems.

During a news conference with Harris in San Bernardino, Newsom claimed he had a “sparring” relationship with the Trump White House as he sought to obtain federal funding to combat the deadly blazes – just over a year after he had praised the former president for providing the aid.

“What a difference a year makes,” Newsom said at the U.S. Forest Service’s Del Rosa Fire Station, where Harris touted the inclusion of funding for wildfire recovery in the massive bipartisan infrastructure spending bill that President Biden signed into law earlier this year – and that has been viewed by many as the Biden-Harris administration’s most significant accomplishment after a year in office.

“It was a different place when we were battling it out with the (Trump) White House,” Newsom said, according to the San Bernardino Sun. “We’re not talking now about a sparring partnership, but a working partnership.”

“What a difference a year makes. It was a different place when we were battling it out with the (Trump) White House.”

— California Gov. Gavin Newsom, speaking Friday

But in 2020, while Trump was still president, Newsom seemed a bit more friendly with him on the issue.

‘I want to thank you’

“I want to thank you and acknowledge the work you have done to be immediate in your response,” Newsom told Trump in September of that year, during a meeting in Sacramento on wildfires. He added that the help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency had been “profoundly significant.”

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Trump also told reporters before the meeting his administration had been working “very well” with the Democrat.

“We’re obviously from different sides of the spectrum, but we have a very good relationship,” Trump said.

“We’re obviously from different sides of the spectrum, but we have a very good relationship.”

— Then-President Trump, referring to Newsom in 2020

Still, Trump repeatedly criticized California on its wildfire prevention efforts and threatened more than once to withhold federal funds for fire recovery while he was president, blaming California for “gross mismanagement” of its forests.

Then-President Trump, right, speaks with California Gov. Gavin Newsom at Sacramento McClellan Airport in McClellan Park, California, during a briefing on wildfires, Sept. 14, 2020. (Getty Images)

In 2018, Trump tweeted, “There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!” according to CalMatters.

Climate disagreement

Newsom has maintained that the constant threat from wildfires in the state has been exacerbated by climate change, an area in which he and the former president disagree.

Then-Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, FEMA Director Brock Long, President Donald Trump, Paradise Mayor Jody Jones and then-Gov. Jerry Brown tour the Skyway Villa Mobile Home and RV Park, during Trump’s visit of the Camp Fire in Paradise, California, Nov. 17, 2018. (Getty Images)

Under the infrastructure bill, $3.2 billion will go to wildfire management over five years

“We are our best when local, state and federal work together hand in hand, unencumbered by politics or partisanship,” Harris said at the news conference, according to the Sun.

No time to ‘bicker’

Trump and Newsom didn’t always get along on other topics and had very public disagreements on everything from climate change to immigration but they seemed to mellow their rhetoric again during the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Vice President Kamala Harris attends a briefing on wildfire prevention and mitigation Friday. From left are U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack; California Gov. Gavin Newsom; U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif.; U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., and Harris. At right is an official from the U.S. Forest Service Del Rosa Fire Station in San Bernardino, California. (Getty Images)

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Newsom received criticism from some liberals over his praise of Trump on certain issues but he maintained that a pandemic isn’t a time to “bicker.”

“I don’t care who’s up and down, whose polls are looking better than someone else’s or who wants to run for president or who doesn’t,” Newsom told CNN in April 2020, just a month after states had started to lock down to prevent the spread of the virus.

“When it comes to times of crisis, we need to [rise] above the partisanship and I’ve extended always an open hand, not a closed fist, those circumstances. And this is no different.”

Fox News’ Andrew O’Reilly contributed to this report.

Federal grand jury subpoenas Rep. Cuellar, wife, and associates in Azerbaijan-tied probe: report

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A federal grand jury probe that resulted in the raid of the home of Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar has reportedly begun issuing subpoenas.

According to a report from ABC News, the grand jury has issued relations to ties between U.S. companies and related to ties to Azerbaijan and includes a subpoena of records related to Cuellar, his wife Imelda, and at least one of his campaign staffers.

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It is not clear whether Cuellar or his wife are direct targets of the probe but the subpoenas reportedly seek records “relating to anything of value” related to Cuellar’s relationship with certain business leaders and foreign officials and asks for records related to “work, act, favor, or service” that Cuellar may have provided to foreign companies.

In the past, Cuellar has served as a co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus and met with multiple Azerbaijani officials, including the country’s ambassador, Elin Suleymanov.

On Thursday, CNN reported that the Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Unit, which investigates bribery and government integrity, is involved in the investigation.

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Cuellar’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment but told Fox News earlier this week that the congressman is fully cooperating with authorities.

(Getty Images)

Rumors about the potential investigation began swirling earlier this week when FBI agents were spotted at Cuellar’s home and campaign headquarters in Laredo, Texas. The FBI later confirmed their presence in a statement.

“The FBI was present in the vicinity of Windridge Drive and Estate Drive in Laredo conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity,” the FBI said in a statement to Fox News Wednesday. The agency did not provide any more information when contacted Thursday, citing the investigation’s status as ongoing.

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 9: Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, hold up a border map as he speaks during a meeting with lawmakers on immigration policy in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, DC on Tuesday, Jan. 09, 2018. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Cuellar, who represents Texas’ 28th district that stretches from San Antonio to Laredo and to Rio Grande City, has been one of the most outspoken liberal critics of the Biden administration’s border policy and has called for Vice President Kamala Harris to be replaced as President Biden’s “border czar.”

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Cuellar is set to defend his seat in Congress in a primary election in early March.

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‘I want to thank you’

Climate disagreement

No time to ‘bicker’

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