Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed speculation that he could be the Republican Party’s 2028 presidential nominee, instead throwing his support behind Vice President JD Vance.

“I think JD Vance would be a great nominee if he decides he wants to do that,” Rubio said during an interview with Lara Trump that aired on the Fox News Channel Saturday.

Rubio also described Vance as one of his “closest friends in politics.”

RUBIO REFLECTS ON REMARKABLE POLITICAL JOURNEY FROM TRUMP CRITIC TO TRUSTED CABINET MEMBER

He went on to commend Vance’s performance as vice president during the segment on “My View with Lara Trump” and made clear he is satisfied with his current role in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet.

“I want to do this job as long as the president allows me to,” Rubio added. 

Marco Rubio, US secretary of state, left, and US President Donald Trump during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Trump appointed Rubio to serve as the nation’s top diplomat shortly after defeating then–Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Rubio, previously a Republican senator representing Florida, was among the first confirmed to Trump’s Cabinet.

“I believe that if I am able to be here, through the duration of this presidency, and we get things done at the pace that we’ve been doing the last six months, I’ll be able to look back at my time in public service and say I made a difference, I had an impact, and I served my country in a very positive way,” Rubio told Trump.

“And I would be satisfied with that as the apex of my career,” he added.

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A lawmaker in the conservative House Freedom Caucus is launching his campaign to be governor of South Carolina.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who came to Congress in 2017, kicked off his Palmetto State bid with a Rock Hill campaign rally on Sunday.

“I am running for governor to shake things up, clean up Columbia, and finally take down the corrupt political establishment once and for all,” Norman is telling voters, according to prepared remarks obtained by Fox News Digital. “I owe nothing to the lobbyists. I owe nothing to the Columbia bureaucratic elite. My allegiance is to you, the people of South Carolina.”

As part of his campaign platform, Norman is promising to establish a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) “commission” in the state “that roots out waste, fraud, and abuse.”

THOM TILLIS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM SENATE AFTER CLASH WITH TRUMP

 Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., is launching his campaign for governor on Sunday (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Norman is also running on the promise of fixing South Carolina’s infrastructure, implementing term limits for state lawmakers, tort reform, and pledging to “let the people vote on judges.”

Currently, a majority of state judgeships in South Carolina are decided by the General Assembly. Some positions, including magistrate judges, are appointed by the governor.

Norman is also promising “to use the bully pulpit to bring my case directly to the people” and to “use the veto pen.”

His campaign speech also touches on socially conservative goals like advocating for school choice, and restricting school bathrooms by gender at birth.

“And if that all doesn’t work, I’m telling you now that any so-called “Republican” RINO legislator that doesn’t stand for reforms the people are calling for doesn’t deserve to be in office and we’ll beat them in Republican primaries if that’s what it takes,” Norman’s speech says.

Norman is joining a crowded Republican primary field with his Sunday announcement. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and state Sen. Josh Kimbrell are also in the race.

Meanwhile, Norman’s House colleague, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., is also said to be considering a campaign for governor.

COMER DISMISSES BIDEN DOCTOR’S BID FOR PAUSE IN COVER-UP PROBE: ‘THROWING OUT EVERY EXCUSE’

Current Gov. Henry McMaster is term-limited (Joshua Boucher/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

And in a state that President Donald Trump won by nearly 20 points in 2024, the commander-in-chief’s endorsement – both in the primary and general election – will likely be critical.

Norman pointed out in his speech that both he and Trump have a background in real estate; both men led development companies that were founded by their fathers.

“We need business leaders – people who have signed both the front and the back of a paycheck. Folks who have built something, taken risks, made money, and yes, lost money too,” Norman said. “Thankfully, we have a great businessman – and fellow developer – back in the White House! Just look what a difference President Trump has made in six months.”

He also cast himself as a disruptor who helped move “the needle by making our budget more conservative,” in reference to the House Freedom Caucus’s push to move Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” to the right.

And while the group was successful in doing that in the House, the Senate watered down several of those wins during its time considering the bill. The Senate version ultimately passed the House, with Norman and other Freedom Caucus members voting in support.

“Some say I have earned a reputation of being uncompromising, always trying to make a bill more conservative,” Norman’s speech says. “Well folks, I’ll take that as a compliment and I am proud of it.”

As a member of Congress, Norman sits on the House Committee on Financial Services, House Budget Committee, and House Rules Committee.

President Donald Trump’s endorsement will be critical in the race (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

A longtime ally of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Norman was the only House Republican to formally endorse her before Haley dropped out of the race, after which Norman backed Trump.

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He told Fox News Digital of his endorsement in January 2024, “When I supported Nikki Haley, I had the respect of Donald Trump to call him, and I told him what I was gonna do, and I decided I was going to do it.”

It’s worth noting, however, that Norman had been a vocal supporter of Trump since Haley’s exit – and unlike other House Freedom Caucus allies, he did not incur Trump’s wrath for his loyalty to Haley.

He was most recently at the White House earlier this week with other House Republicans for a reception celebrating their legislative successes.

The South Carolina gubernatorial general election will take place in November 2026.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Sunday that Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell deserves a life sentence, rejecting the idea of a potential pardon for the convicted sex trafficker.  

In an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Johnson was asked if he supported a pardon for Maxwell, but the speaker emphasized that the decision ultimately belongs to President Donald Trump. 

“I think 20 years was a pittance,” Johnson said of Maxwell’s time behind bars. “I think she should have a life sentence, at least. I mean, think of all these unspeakable crimes.” 

“I mean it’s hard to put into words how evil this was and that she orchestrated it and was a big part of it, at least under the criminal sanction, I think is an unforgivable thing,” Johnson added, acknowledging that federal prosecutors identified more than 1,000 victims, many of whom were underage. “So again, not my decision, but I have great pause about that as any reasonable person would.” 

GHISLAINE MAXWELL SUBPOENAED BY HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AMID EPSTEIN FILES PUSH

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks to members of the media outside the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on July 23, 2025, in Washington, D.C.  (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

While leaving the White House on Friday en route for Scotland, Trump was asked if he considered a pardon or clemency for Maxwell. The president left the door open, responding: “I’m allowed to do it, but it’s something I have not thought about.”

Johnson said he supports the position of the president, the FBI and the Justice Department that “all credible evidence and information” be released, but emphasized the need for safeguards to protect victims’ identities. As for Maxwell, she was questioned by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche at federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida, for two consecutive days last week. Her lawyer told reporters she answered questions on about 100 potential Epstein associates as she angles for clemency. 

“That’s a decision of the president,” Johnson said of a potential Maxwell pardon. “He said he had not adequately considered that. I won’t get in front of him. That’s not my lane. My lane is to help direct and control the House of Representatives and to use every tool within our arsenal to get to the truth. I’m going to say this as clearly and plainly and repeatedly as I can over and over. We are for maximum disclosure. We want all transparency. I trust the American people. I and the House Republicans believe that they should have all this information to be able to determine what they will. But we have to protect the innocent. And that’s the only safeguard here that we’ve got to be diligent about, and I’m insistent upon doing so.” 

Acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York points to a photo of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell during a news conference on July 2, 2020.  (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

JEFFREY EPSTEIN CASE REOPENS FOCUS ON GHISLAINE MAXWELL AS DEPUTY AG STEPS IN

Johnson criticized a petition for the release of all the Epstein files brought by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-W.Va., and Ro Khanna, D-Penn., as “reckless” and poorly drafted, arguing that it ignored federal rules protecting grand jury materials and “would require the DOJ and FBI to release information that they know is false, that is based on lies and rumors and was not even credible enough to be entered into the court proceedings.” 

The speaker said the petition also lacked safeguards for minor victims who were subjected to “unspeakable crimes, abject evil” and who risk being “unmasked.” Johnson said Massie and Khanna “cite that they don’t want child abuse, sex abuse information uncovered, but they cite the wrong provision of the federal code, and so it makes it unworkable.” The speaker argued Republicans on the House Rules Committee are committed to a better drafted approach that will protect the innocent. 

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., arrives for the House Republican Conference caucus meeting in the Capitol on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Asked about a potential pardon for Maxwell, Massie told NBC’s Kristen Welker earlier in the program that it “would be up to the president, but if she has information that could help us, I think that she should testify.” 

“Let’s get that out there, and whatever they need to do to compel that testimony, as long as it’s truthful, I would be in favor of,” Massie said. 

Khanna said he did not believe Maxwell’s sentence should be commuted and that he was concerned that Blanche was meeting with her. He said he agreed with Massie that Maxwell should testify but noted she has been indicted twice for perjury.

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“This is why we need the files. This is why we need independent evidence,” Khanna said. 

President Donald Trump blasted the European Union for not providing aid to Gaza on Sunday, adding that Israel must “make a decision” about how to handle the region with Hamas still holding hostages.

Trump made the comments while meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland. He said that the U.S. has given millions in aid to Gazans, but claimed there has been no assistance from European countries.

“We gave $60 million two weeks ago for food for Gaza, and nobody acknowledged it. Nobody talks about it. And it makes you feel a little bad when you do that. And, you know, you have other countries not giving anything. None of the European countries, by the way, gave – I mean, nobody gave but us and nobody said, gee, thank you very much. And it would be nice to have at least a thank you.”

Trump went on to note that a deal needs to be made between Israel and Hamas to end the war and return the last remaining hostages to Israel, despite many of them being dead.

“But we have a lot of bodies, and the parents want those bodies as much as they would want their child if that child were alive,” Trump said of the hostages and their families.

NEWS OUTLETS ‘DESPERATELY CONCERNED’ FOR THEIR JOURNALISTS IN GAZA, URGE ISRAELI AUTHORITIES TO HELP

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen meets with U.S. President Donald Trump at Trump Turnberry golf club on July 27, 2025 in Turnberry, Scotland. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

He suggested that Hamas is reluctant to make a deal for the final hostages because they feel it would be “the end for them” if they lose leverage against Israel.

“You know, they had a routine discussion the other day and all of a sudden they hardened up. They don’t want to give them back. And so Israel is going to have to make a decision,” Trump said.

Israel says it is airdropping aid into Gaza amid international criticism. (Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The meeting comes as the IDF highlighted its efforts to deliver aid into Gaza after restricting the flow in recent months.

HAMAS LOSING IRON GRIP ON GAZA AS US-BACKED GROUP GETS AID TO PALESTINIANS IN NEED

Israel is now conducting airdrops for aid throughout the region, and the IDF says it conducted 28 drops in a matter of hours on Sunday.

President Donald Trump says Israel’s leaders must “make a decision” about how to end the war in Gaza.

“Let me be clear: Israel supports aid for civilians, not for Hamas. The IDF will continue to support the flow of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,” an IDF spokesperson said, claiming Israel transferred roughly 250 trucks full of aid into Gaza this week.

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The IDF argues the reports about starvation in Gaza were a false campaign promoted by Hamas, but hunger is spreading across the region after the United Nations and the IDF previously failed to reach an agreement about aid distribution, Fox News’ Trey Yingst reported. 

President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a trade deal between the U.S. and European Union on Sunday.

The announcement came moments after the two had addressed the media, agreeing that the likelihood of an agreement was about 50-50. Von der Leyen said the negotiations had taken some “heavy lifting,” but the two leaders agreed they were happy with the result.

“We are agreeing that the tariff straight across for automobiles and everything else will be a straight-across tariff of 15%,” Trump said.

“So we have a tariff of 15%. We have the opening up of all of the European countries, which I think I could say were essentially closed. I mean, you weren’t exactly taking our orders. You weren’t exactly taking our agriculture,” he added, addressing von der Leyen.

TREASURY SECRETARY BESSENT DETAILS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S PLAN TO TACKLE CHINA’S ECONOMIC IMBALANCES

TURNBERRY, SCOTLAND – JULY 27: President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen meets with U.S. President Donald Trump at Trump Turnberry golf club on July 27, 2025 in Turnberry, Scotland. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Von der Leyen said Europe will also purchase $150 billion worth of U.S. energy as part of the deal, in addition to making $600 billion in other investments into the U.S.

TRUMP HEADS TO SCOTLAND TO TALK GOLF, POLITICS AND TRADE

Trump and von der Leyen had sounded unsure of whether a deal would be reached even as they spoke to the press in Scotland on Sunday.

“We look forward to talking to see if we can do something,” Trump had said of the negotiations. “We’ve had, a very good relationship over the years, but it’s been a very one-sided transaction, very unfair to the United States.”

Responding to a reporter’s question, von der Leyen agreed with Trump that there must be a “rebalancing” of the bilateral trade, which is worth billions of dollars.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says negotiating a trade deal with the U.S. took some “heavy lifting.”

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“It is about rebalancing,” von der Leyen said as she sat next to Trump. “You can call it fairness, you can call it rebalancing. We have a surplus and the United States has a deficit, and we have to rebalance it.”

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., joined with progressive Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., in calling for subpoenas against Jeffrey Epstein’s estate on Sunday.

Massie and Khanna announced the move and accompanying legislation during a joint appearance on ABC News’ “This Week” with host Jonathan Karl. In addition to the call for subpoenas, the pair’s legislation would force a House vote on the release of the government’s Epstein files.

“Well, I think we should get a lot more than just the book. Let’s get the financial records of the estate. Where is it – follow the money, as they say up here,” Massie said. “We should look at the plea bargain. Open that up. See what was the deal. What was the deal that was cut? I think there’s a lot more than just that letter.”

Massie also said Americans should see the supposed birthday letter President Donald Trump wrote to Epstein in 2003. The letter was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, but Trump denies that it exists and has sued the paper for defamation.

‘CLEAR CORRUPTION’: JEFFRIES FACES COMPLAINT FOR PRESSING JUDGES TO OUST ALINA HABBA 

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) is calling for the release of the Epstein files. (Photo by Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The lawmakers say their legislation would force the Epstein estate and the federal government to release all files relating to Epstein’s crimes. 

“It would force a full release of the files. It has the force of law. It’s not a subpoena. It’s not a ‘Pretty please, would you release the files?’ It’s the force of law and it’s got protections to redact victims’ names and to prevent, you know, release of child pornography,” Massie said.

MARK GREEN RESIGNS FROM CONGRESS, FURTHER SHRINKING HOUSE GOP MAJORITY 

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced legislation with Massie that would force the full release of the Epstein files. (William B. Plowman/NBC via Getty Images)

House Speaker Mike Johnson avoided a scheduled vote on the legislation last week by beginning the August recess one day early. Johnson appeared on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday and called Massie and Khanna “reckless” for pushing the legislation.

He argued that he is in favor of “maximum disclosure” for the Epstein files, but claimed that Massie and Khanna’s legislation lacks safeguards.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson prevented a vote on legislation that would have caused the release of the Epstein files. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Many Republicans have criticized Democrats for focusing so heavily on the Epstein case, now that it has become an issue for the White House. Critics say Democrats are latching onto the topic after years of showing little interest in the issue, though Khanna denies those claims.

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“We have been pushing for transparency during the Biden administration. Both in 2021 and 2024, the court ordered release of documents, but Donald Trump raised the stakes, and he did it in a way in the campaign that was justified. He said, ‘Look, when I get there, I’m going to release the files,'” Khanna told ABC.

Florida Sen. Rick Scott flew an aerial ad across the skies of New York City on Saturday with a message encouraging residents to relocate to the Sunshine State to escape socialism, should Zohran Mamdani become mayor of the Big Apple.

The banner was seen above Coney Island and Jones Beach as beachgoers soaked up the sun. 

“Hate socialism?” read Scott’s aerial ad. “Us too! Move 2 FL.”

Scott addressed the aerial banner in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

“While many New Yorkers are out enjoying the beach this weekend, we will be giving them a friendly reminder that in addition to our world class beaches, Florida is the state where you can escape socialism,” said Scott, who headed the state as governor from 2011-2019.

UNEARTHED VIDEO EXPOSES MAMDANI’S ‘UNABASHED’ COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING ANTI-ISRAEL SANCTIONS AS LAWMAKER

Scott said New Yorkers can escape socialism by moving to Florida. (Allison Robbert/Bloomberg via Getty Images, File)

The Republican senator slammed New York City and the politics of Mamdani.

“New York City once represented the American Dream – a city where anything was possible,” Scott said. “Today, it has now become the city where only billionaires can prosper, Jewish students are attacked on campus, capitalism is shunned and radical socialists like Zohran Mamdani are celebrated.”

Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks in the New York City Democratic Mayoral Primary Debate at NBC Studios on June 4 in New York City. (Yuki Iwamura-Pool/Getty Images)

Mamdani handily won New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary last month against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani is seen as a frontrunner in the race for City Hall, though many in the Democratic establishment have yet to fully embrace the socialist nominee.

NYC COUNCILWOMAN WARNS MAMDANI VICTORY WILL DRIVE AWAY KEY VOTING BLOC: ‘AFRAID TO LIVE HERE’

Scott said New York City reaped the rewards of capitalism, “the best system in the world,” which is now “being villainized by the Democrats all across this country.”

“Democrats are working around the clock to discredit President Trump and tear down our country and rebuild it in their woke, radical image through socialist policies,” the Republican said. “But, this isn’t new.  It’s just an old, barbaric, discredited idea that’s failed every time it’s been tried.  Just look at Cuba and Venezuela and the many families who fled those brutal regimes to live in Florida.”

Scott said that during his time in political office he worked to ensure that families in Florida could achieve the American Dream, including good jobs, education and safe communities.

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“That is the American Dream and it is deeply unfortunate that it is completely slipping away in New York,” he said. “New York families deserve better.”

Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimson contributed to this report.

The White House pulled the plug on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of polygraph tests to root out leakers, according to a report.

Patrick Weaver, a current adviser to Hegseth, alerted high-ranking administration officials that he could soon have to submit a polygraph test, the Washington Post reported. That prompted a call to Hegseth to drop the lie detector tests.

PENTAGON FREEZES OUT DC THINK TANKS IN NEW MOVE, CITING ‘AMERICA LAST’ CONCERNS

Weaver, who has previously held roles on the White House’s National Security Council and in the Department of Homeland Security during President Donald Trump’s first administration, took offense to the potential measure.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (C) arrives for a news conference at the Pentagon on June 22, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The investigation to identify leakers within the Department of Defense began in late March with a memo from Joe Kasper, then Hegseth’s chief of staff.

“Recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information involving sensitive communications with principals within the Office of the Secretary of Defense demand immediate and thorough investigation,” Kasper wrote in the March 21 memo.

SCOOP: TOP HEGSETH AIDE RESIGNS FROM PENTAGON AFTER 6 MONTHS OF SERVICE

“The use of polygraphs in the execution of this investigation will be in accordance with applicable law and policy,” Kasper added.

The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.

The Pentagon in Washington, DC, on May 10, 2023,  in an aerial view.  (DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)

The revelation is the latest controversy at the Pentagon, which earlier this year endured the ‘Signalgate’ scandal. Discussions about military action between Hegseth and a group of top Trump officials were leaked, despite being conducted on the encrypted app.

Then-national security advisor Michael Waltz assumed “full responsibility” for the misstep of including the Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg on the Signal chat alongside Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Hegseth.

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR MIKE WALTZ TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR ‘EMBARRASSING’ SIGNAL CHAT LEAK

In the aftermath of the accidental leak to a journalist about impending U.S. military strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, Trump has remained firmly in Hegseth’s corner, offering public support.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio is hammering Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro on Sunday as the South American country holds municipal elections to fill hundreds of mayoral positions and thousands of council seats.

The municipal contests are happening one day before the one-year anniversary of Venezuela’s presidential election, which was widely condemned by the United States and other international observers as illegitimate. The Trump administration, meanwhile, has been escalating pressure against Maduro in recent days, as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday accused the foreign head of state of being the leader of an entity aiding terrorism against the U.S. 

“One year since dictator Nicolás Maduro defied the will of the Venezuelan people by baselessly declaring himself the winner, the United States remains firm in its unwavering support to Venezuela’s restoration of democratic order and justice,” Rubio said in a statement on Sunday. “Maduro is not the President of Venezuela and his regime is not the legitimate government.”

TRUMP FOE BOASBERG ORDERS DOJ TO DETAIL STATUS OF CECOT MIGRANTS SENT TO VENEZUELA

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro parades in a military vehicle during celebrations for the Independence Day, in Caracas on July 5, 2025.  (JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images)

“Maduro is the leader of the designated narco-terrorist organization Cartel de Los Soles, and he is responsible for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe,” Rubio continued. “Maduro, currently indicted by our nation, has corrupted Venezuela’s institutions to assist the cartel’s criminal narco-trafficking scheme into the United States.”

The Justice Department charged Maduro and 14 other former and current Venezuelan officials with narco-terrorism, corruption, drug trafficking and other criminal charges in March 2020. At the start of this year, 10 days before President Donald Trump returned to office, the State Department increased its reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture from $15 million to up to $25 million. 

“For years, Maduro and his cronies have manipulated Venezuela’s electoral system to maintain their illegitimate grip on power,” Rubio added on Sunday. “By scheduling the municipal elections on the eve of the anniversary of the stolen July 28 presidential election, the regime once again aims to deploy the military and police to suppress the will of the Venezuelan people.”

“The United States will continue working with our partners to hold accountable the corrupt, criminal and illegitimate Maduro regime. Those who steal elections and use force to grasp power undermine America’s national security interests,” Rubio said. 

Maduro became the Venezuelan president in 2013, but the U.S. has not recognized his presidency since 2019. The U.S. and other countries have refused to recognize Maduro as the winner of the July 2024 Venezuelan election, citing widespread fraud. 

A relative of people detained during protests following the disputed July 28, 2024, presidential elections takes part in a vigil demanding their release in front of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Caracas on July 16, 2025.  (FEDERICO PARRA/AFP via Getty Images)

VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION MEMBER DETAILS HARROWING 400-DAY CAPTIVITY AT UN

The Treasury Department on Friday sanctioned the Cartel de los Soles, also known as Cartel of the Suns, as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist.” The U.S. alleges that Cartel de los Soles is headed by Maduro and other Venezuelan high-ranking individuals in his regime “who corrupted the institutions of government in Venezuela, including parts of the military, intelligence apparatus, legislature, and the judiciary, to assist the cartel’s endeavors of trafficking narcotics into the United States.” 

The U.S. claims the Venezuela-based group provides material support to Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel. The Trump administration classified Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel as foreign terrorist organizations in February. 

According to the Treasury Department, the name Cartel de los Soles is derived from the sun insignias often portrayed on the uniforms of Venezuelan military officials. 

The mayor of the Chacao municipality, Gustavo Duque, speaks to supporters at the start of the election campaign for the municipal elections in Caracas on July 11, 2025. Elections for mayors and councilors will be held on July 27.  (JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images)

The cartel “supports Tren de Aragua in carrying out its objective of using the flood of illegal narcotics as a weapon against the United States,” according to the Treasury Department. 

Bessent said on Friday that the new action “exposes the illegitimate Maduro regime’s facilitation of narco-terrorism through terrorist groups like Cartel de los Soles.”

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“The Treasury Department will continue to execute on President Trump’s pledge to put America First by cracking down on violent organizations including Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa Cartel, and their facilitators, like Cartel de los Soles,” he added. 

After reports that top officials from the Obama administration allegedly orchestrated a coordinated attempt to sabotage President Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory, GOP lawmakers are calling for transparency and accountability, while their Democratic colleagues are questioning the timing and credibility of the new claims.

Trump’s director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, released a trove of intelligence documents beginning last week that Gabbard has said show former President Barack Obama and some of his closest advisors promoted a “contrived narrative” that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to sabotage Trump. 

However, Democrats have insisted that congressional investigations already prove that Russia did help Trump in the 2016 election, while also questioning the timing of the allegations due to pressure on Trump to release more Epstein files.

“It is profoundly dishonest, and it’s dangerous,” Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz told Fox News Digital, in reference to the allegations from Gabbard. “What I have urged the administration to do is engage in radical transparency, make it all public and expose just how much the Obama administration knew what they were doing – that they knew they were lying. I think anybody that violated the law needs to be held accountable.”

DNI GABBARD CLAIMS ‘DEEP STATE ACTORS’ DIDN’T WANT TRUMP-RUSSIA INFORMATION TO ‘SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY’

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, calls for “radical transparency” in response to Gabbard’s release of intelligence files alleging Obama-era meddling. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

But Democratic California Sen. Adam Schiff told Fox News Digital he thinks the allegations are moot, pointing to former FBI Director Robert Mueller’s 2019 report, which he said “documented Russia’s efforts to help denigrate Hillary Clinton, which gave a boost to the Trump campaign.

“I think what Gabbard and her staff are doing is dishonest,” he added.

However, Republican Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford argued it has “long been established” that the Steele dossier was “clearly a Clinton plant” and that the Clinton campaign was actually “cooperating with the Russians to be able to actually use the Russians to be able to interfere with President Trump’s campaign.”

“What Tulsi Gabbard is pulling out is to say, ‘How deep did this go into the White House that they knew about the Steele Dossier, they knew it was a Clinton document. When did they start pushing this out, and what official resources were they using to try to add validity to this to be able to undercut the election?'” Lankford said. 

“We got a long way to go still, but it’s good to be able to get all information out, to be able to pull it out there and to say, ‘Let’s let everybody look at it and let the chips fall where they may.'”

OBAMA-ERA OFFICIALS MUM ON ALLEGATIONS OF ‘MANUFACTURED’ INTELLIGENCE LAUNCHING TRUMP-RUSSIA PROBE

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard addresses the press at the White House after declassifying documents she says prove a “contrived” Trump-Russia narrative. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | Fox News Digital)

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said he believed Gabbard was doing the right thing, also expressing hope for extreme transparency amid the alarming allegations.

“Part of what this election was about, it was about transparency and government accountability. And that’s exactly what [Gabbard] is trying to do, and that’s exactly what the Trump administration is trying to do,” Scott said. “Let’s get the people the facts. Let’s follow where the facts are. If somebody’s done anything, we’ll hold them accountable. So, i think the right process is what’s happening.”           

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., a former CIA analyst, questioned the timing of Gabbard’s release of the information, saying even her 10-year-old nephew understood the move as “a dodge and a distraction” to get eyes off the ongoing Epstein controversy. Amid Gabbard’s document release at the beginning of last week, Trump has been facing calls from within the GOP for the release of more documents and information pertaining to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., a former CIA analyst, questioned the timing of Gabbard’s disclosures, calling them a “distraction” amid calls for transparency with the Jeffrey Epstein files. (Associated Press )

“President Trump had four years in his first term, and all the time since then, to go after this issue, and he picks the same day that his name appears in the Epstein files to talk about Barack Obama,” Slotkin told Fox News Digital. “American people are not dumb. Like, we get it. Trump wanted to talk about something different. I have to see these reports, and see how they’re sourced. … I like to read and make my own assessment. But the timing can’t be missed. The president is trying to dodge and distract you.”

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While partisan affiliation may play a part in how lawmakers and the broader public view the Obama allegations released by Gabbard, Sen.  John Boozman, R-Ark., said he thinks the issue “transcends” party affiliation. 

“Republican, Democrat, I mean, you know, this is something that transcends all that. This is really important,” Boozman told Fox News Digital. “Hopefully we’ll have open transparency so people will understand what’s going on. And whatever it is, I’m sure Congress will be involved, and certainly the Justice Department is involved. So, I think these are all good things.”