Louisiana state Rep. Julie Emerson announced on Thursday that she was nixing her U.S. Senate bid in light of President Donald Trump-backed U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow entering the GOP primary.

‘With Congresswoman Letlow’s entrance into the race, the path to victory that was visible a couple of months ago has diminished. I support President Trump and respect his decision to endorse Julia Letlow to defeat Bill Cassidy. Because of this, I’m choosing to end my campaign now,’ Emerson said in a statement.

Incumbent Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who has served in the U.S. Senate since 2015, is running for re-election.

After the House impeached Trump in 2021, Cassidy was one of the Senate Republicans who voted to convict during a vote that occurred after Trump had already departed from office — the Senate vote ultimately fell short of the threshold required to convict Trump.

The president pledged his endorsement to Letlow in a Truth Social post on Saturday.

‘Should she decide to enter this Race, Julia Letlow has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, JULIA, RUN!!!’ the president exclaimed in the post.

Letlow launched a Senate bid days later.

‘Today, I am announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate to ensure the nation we leave our children is safer and stronger. Louisiana deserves a conservative Senator who will not waver. I am honored to have President Trump’s endorsement and trust. Let’s Geaux!’ she declared in a Tuesday post on X.

Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming and state Sen. Blake Miguez are also running in the Republican U.S. Senate primary in the state.

President Donald Trump on Thursday said the United States should have considered testing NATO by forcing member countries to respond to America’s southern border crisis.

Trump speculated in a post on Truth Social that the U.S. could have invoked Article 5 — the alliance’s collective defense clause that deems an attack on one member as an attack on all — thereby putting NATO ‘to the test.’

‘Maybe we should have put NATO to the test: Invoked Article 5, and forced NATO to come here and protect our Southern Border from further Invasions of Illegal Immigrants, thus freeing up large numbers of Border Patrol Agents for other tasks,’ he wrote.

The president’s comments came after he has recently questioned NATO’s commitment to aiding the U.S.

‘We will always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us,’ the president wrote on social media earlier this month.

After meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, Trump announced that he had the ‘framework of a future deal regarding Greenland.’

Trump wrote on Truth Social that if finalized, the deal ‘will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations.’

Following the meeting, Trump said he would scrap a plan to impose tariffs on a group of NATO members who sent troops to Greenland amid the president’s efforts to acquire the island. Trump had asserted that those countries would be subjected to a 10% tariff on all goods beginning Feb. 1.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News this week, Rutte said Trump was ‘totally right’ about needing to shore up security in the Arctic region, noting that the chance of Russia or China becoming a threat in that region was increasing.

Rutte applauded Trump’s leadership in getting NATO countries to pay more money for the alliance’s defenses.

‘I would argue tonight with you on this program he was the one who brought a whole of Europe and Canada up to this famous 5%,’ Rutte said, ‘which is crucial for us to equalize our spending, but also protect ourselves. And this is the framework which you see in his post that we will work on.’

NATO members were previously spending 2% of GDP on defense, but have now agreed to spend 5% of GDP on defense and national security infrastructure.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.

Nigerian authorities have admitted that more than 160 Christians were kidnapped during worship services Sunday after initially denying the simultaneous attacks on three churches.

‘Subsequent verification from operational units and intelligence sources has confirmed that the incident did occur,’ Benjamin Hundeyin, the police spokesperson for the unit in northwestern Kaduna, Nigeria, state, said in a statement.

A state lawmaker, Usman Danlami Stingo, had told The Associated Press that 177 people were abducted during simultaneous in northwestern Kaduna, Nigeria, Sunday. Eleven reportedly escaped, while 168 are still missing, according to Stingo. The attacks reportedly took place at the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), at another church belonging to the denomination Cherubim and Seraphim, and at a Catholic church. 

Kaduna, Nigeria, State Police Commissioner Muhammad Rabiu initially described news reports of the attacks Monday as rumors, saying the police visited one of the three churches in the district of Kajuru and ‘there was no evidence of the attack.’

Joseph Hayab, chairman of the Northern Christian Association of Nigeria, claimed on Nigerian broadcast network Africa Independent that the issue had become ‘politicized.’

‘I don’t know the politics being played by the deniers, but this is quite sad. Whoever is asking for a list, we have shown them the list, let them tell us the list does not exist.’

‘This incident happened,’ he said. ‘All we want is for the security services to do is to go after them.’ 

The Chikun/Kajuru Active Citizens Congress (CKACC), a local advocacy group, published a list of hostages that has not been verified. 

Rights group Amnesty International condemned the ‘desperate denial’ of the attack by the police and government.

‘The latest mass abduction clearly shows President Bola Tinubu and his government have no effective plan for ending years of atrocities by armed groups and gunmen that killed thousands of people,’ the group said in a statement.

In response to the recent kidnappings, a senior Trump administration official told Fox News Digital, ‘President Trump made his position clear. Nigeria is facing a complex array of threats from terrorist groups and violent extremist organizations that is affecting wide portions of the country. We hope that the Nigerian government will work to take swift and immediate action in collaboration with the United States to address the violence that is affecting Christians, as well as countless other innocent civilians across Nigeria.’

Two Christian groups, Northern Christian Association of Nigeria and Christian Solidarity Worldwide Nigeria (CSWN), said they sent representatives to the region to investigate, but they were turned away by military and local government officials. 

A local resident allegedly told CSWN that bandits had rounded up congregants and ‘forced them into a bush,’ later releasing elderly women and children. 

Kaduna State Police Commissioner Muhammad Rabiu said Monday police visited one of the three churches and ‘there was no evidence of the attack.’

He said the ‘rumors’ were ‘sponsored by people who are not happy with the relative peace that Kajuru has been enjoying since the coming of this administration.’

The kidnapping reports come just weeks after the U.S. carried out airstrikes against Islamist targets in northern Nigeria.

On Dec. 25, 2025, U.S. Africa Command confirmed it conducted precision strikes targeting Islamic State-linked militants in Sokoto State, a Muslim-majority region in northwest Nigeria. The Pentagon said the operation was carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities and was intended to degrade ISIS-West Africa Province capabilities. 

Officials said multiple militants were killed. 

The Christmas Day strikes marked one of the most significant U.S. military actions in Nigeria in recent years and came amid warnings from U.S. officials that ISIS affiliates were exploiting Nigeria’s vast ungoverned spaces, porous borders and limited security presence in rural areas.

In recent months, armed groups have abducted hundreds of schoolgirls and students from multiple northern Nigerian schools, incidents that reignited U.S. political debate over whether the violence constitutes religious persecution or criminal banditry — and whether Nigeria’s government is capable of protecting vulnerable populations. Religious freedom advocates and some U.S. lawmakers have urged stronger diplomatic and security engagement, arguing that repeated attacks on Christian communities are being minimized by Nigerian authorities.

Nigeria’s government has consistently rejected claims of a coordinated campaign against Christians, insisting the violence is driven primarily by criminal groups seeking ransom rather than ideology. Security officials have warned that misinformation surrounding attacks risks inflaming tensions in already volatile regions.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will not impose tariffs that were set to take effect Feb. 1, citing a ‘framework of a future deal’ with NATO involving Greenland and the Arctic region.

‘Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump said the deal, if finalized, ‘will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations,’ adding that the agreement led him to halt the planned tariffs.

Trump added that talks are continuing, saying, ‘Additional discussions are being held concerning The Golden Dome as it pertains to Greenland,’ and said Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff will lead negotiations and ‘report directly to me.’

‘As President Trump said, the details of the framework will continue to be unveiled as discussions continue,’ White House Spokeswoman Anna Kelly said to Fox News Digital. ‘The White House has nothing more to add at this time.’

This is a developing story, check back later for updates.

A ‘limited number’ of U.S. personnel are operating in Caracas as Washington looks to resume diplomatic relations with Venezuela after the historic capture of Nicolás Maduro, Fox News has learned.

A senior State Department official told Fox News that the Trump administration plan to resume official diplomacy with Venezuela is under way. This is the first time a State Department official has commented on reporting about the diplomatic team on the ground.

‘A limited number of U.S. diplomatic and technical personnel are in Caracas conducting initial assessments for a potential phased resumption of operations,’ the official said.

The official did not specify exactly what ‘a limited number’ meant, and it is not immediately clear exactly how many people are on the ground. The phased resumption of operations would include the re-opening of the U.S. Embassy and consulate offices in Venezuela.

Since Maduro was captured, the Trump administration has been cautious in its approach to Venezuela. President Donald Trump initially said that the U.S. would ‘run’ the country for an undetermined period of time. 

Since then, Trump has met with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who he said he doubts has the support necessary to take over the country.

After her meeting with Trump, Machado spoke at a news conference hosted by the conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, in Washington, D.C. She said that Venezuela would hold ‘free and fair’ elections ‘eventually.’ However, she did not offer a timeline for how long the current interim government would be allowed to rule, only that elections would happen ‘as soon as possible.’

Machado also attempted to downplay the appearance of competition between herself and Maduro’s successor, interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, for Trump’s support.

‘This has nothing to do with a tension or decision between Delcy Rodríguez and myself,’ Machado said when asked about Trump’s openness to working with the interim government. ‘This is about a criminal structure that is a regime and the mandate of the Venezuelan people.’

On Jan. 15, Rodriguez, who was sworn-in as Venezuela’s interim president following the capture of Maduro, met with CIA Director John Ratcliffe. A U.S. official told CBS News that the purpose of the meeting was to ‘deliver the message that the United States looks forward to an improved working relationship.’

Rodriguez’s meeting with Ratcliffe took place one day after she had a phone call with Trump, who said the conversation was ‘very good.’

‘We are making tremendous progress, as we help Venezuela stabilize and recover. Many topics were discussed, including oil, minerals, trade and, of course, national security,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social. ‘This partnership between the United States of America and Venezuela will be a spectacular one FOR ALL. Venezuela will soon be great and prosperous again, perhaps more so than ever before!’

Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said a personal experience with Big Tech has led him to change his thinking, and he now believes companies should be liable for the content posted on their platforms.

Paul asserted that YouTube and its parent Google had refused to remove a video that falsely claimed that he had taken money from Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro.

‘I’ve formally notified Google that this video is unsupported by facts, defames me, harasses me and now endangers my life. Google responded that they don’t investigate the truth of accusations… and refused to take down the video,’ the senator asserted in the opinion piece published by the New York Post on Monday.

Paul also noted that the person who posted the offending video removed it ‘under threat of legal penalty.’

‘My default position as a libertarian/conservative has been to defend the internet liability protections known in law as Section 230 of the Communications Act. The courts have largely ruled that Section 230 shields social-media companies from being sued for content created by third parties,’ he wrote. ‘Until now, I had not sufficiently considered the effects of internet providers hosting content accusing people of committing crimes.’

The experience was a turning point in his thinking.

‘The arrogance of Google to continue hosting this defamatory video and the resultant threats on my life have caused me to rethink Congress’ blind allegiance to liability shields,’ he asserted.

Paul accused the company of being inconsistent.

‘So Google does not have a blanket policy of refraining to evaluate truth. Google chooses to evaluate what it believes to be true when it is convenient and consistent with its own particular biases,’ he wrote.

‘This complete lack of decency, this inconsistent moderation of truthfulness, this conscious refusal to remove illegal and defamatory content has led me to conclude that the internet exemption from liability, a governmentally granted privilege and a special exemption from our common law traditions, should not be encouraged by liability shields and I will pursue legislation toward that goal,’ the senator explained.

‘I think Google is, or should be, liable for hosting this defamatory video that accuses me of treason, at least from the point in time when Google was made aware of the defamation and danger,’ he asserted.

Fox News Digital reached out to Google for comment on Wednesday — YouTube noted that the video had been pulled down by the user and is no longer on the platform. YouTube added that it relies on its openly available community guidelines to decide what material it will yank, and only takes down material ‘that poses a serious risk of egregious harm such as terrorist content.’ 

The video platform also claimed that it has always advocated for anyone to be able to share their view, asserting that it does not check the accuracy of individual videos ‘and the vast majority of content stays up.’

President Donald Trump dramatically reversed course Tuesday on a U.K. plan to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while warning it could jeopardize U.S. access to the Diego Garcia military base.

Trump’s reversal highlights what a defense expert called a ‘new Trump Doctrine’ before linking the president’s opposition to the Chagos deal with his Greenland push and citing fears Mauritius could later back out.

Writing on his Truth Social platform Tuesday, Trump called the U.K.’s Chagos decision ‘an act of great stupidity.’

‘Shockingly, our ‘brilliant’ NATO Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER,’ Trump wrote. ‘There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness.’

‘Trump has done a 180, partly because of the U.K.’s support for Denmark’s sovereign claims over Greenland and partly because of a new strategy outlined by the White House,’ John Hemmings, director of the National Security Center at the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital.

‘These moves are linked and part of a ‘new Trump Doctrine’’ outlined in November’s National Security Strategy,’ he explained.

‘Diego Garcia is a potential threat to Beijing’s strategy to control vital shipping lanes between the oil-rich Middle East and China’s industrial heartland,’ he added, describing how ‘nearly 23.7 million barrels of oil transit the Indian Ocean every day, with the base being vital in any U.S.-China conflict over Taiwan.’

In a separate post, Trump explicitly linked the Chagos dispute to his Greenland push.

‘The U.K. giving away extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is another in a very long line of national security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired,’ Trump wrote.

The Chagos Islands were separated from Mauritius during Britain’s decolonization process, a move the International Court of Justice ruled unlawful in 2019. 

The U.K. later agreed to transfer sovereignty while leasing Diego Garcia back for at least 99 years at a cost of at least $160 million annually.

Diego Garcia is a hub for long-range bombers, logistics and power projection across the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific and Africa. Around 2,500 personnel, mostly American, are stationed there.

‘If Mauritius were to offer the islands to China after taking de jure control, it would put immense pressure on the U.S. in the eyes of international public opinion,’ Hemmings explained.

‘After all, once Mauritius has de jure sovereignty, it can renegotiate the lease terms or even renege on the treaty at any time it wants.

‘It might also provide access to the exclusive economic zone, with all of its rich fishing grounds, to Chinese fishing fleets, adding another layer of risk to U.S. Air Force operations around the island,’ Hemmings said.

‘At this moment, the U.S. base at Diego Garcia is thought to be secure, with Mauritius promising the U.K. (and by proxy, the U.S.) a 99-year lease, which will not, it is supposed, interfere with the operations of the air base at all. But the devil is in the details.’

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

After President Donald Trump announced a new Greenland ‘framework’ had been agreed upon with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rhutte, the NATO chief told Fox News’ ‘Special Report with Bret Baier’ that U.S. forcibly taking control of Greenland, away from Denmark, was not discussed during meetings between him and President Donald Trump in Switzerland during the World Economic Forum.

‘That issue did not come up anymore in my conversations with Mr. President. He’s very much focused on what we need to do to make sure that that huge Arctic region, where change is taking place at the moment, where the Chinese and Russians are more and more active, how we can protect that’ Rhutte said when pressed on the details of the reported ‘framework’ that has been agreed upon, and that Trump said has resulted in his decision not to impose certain tariffs scheduled to go into effect Feb. 1. 

‘That was really the focus of our discussions,’ Rhutte insisted.

Trump announced the new ‘framework’ pertaining to Greenland in a post on his social media site Truth Social Wednesday afternoon while at the World Economic Forum this week. 

‘Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region,’ the president wrote. ‘Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st. Additional discussions are being held concerning The Golden Dome as it pertains to Greenland. Further information will be made available as discussions progress.’

Trump noted that Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will lead ‘the negotiations’ and report directly back to him.

‘We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable. But I won’t do that,’ Trump said earlier in the morning at the World Economic Forum. ‘Now everyone’s saying, ‘Oh, good.’ That’s probably the biggest statement I made, because people thought I would use force. I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.’

During the exclusive interview with Fox News, Rhutte called Trump ‘totally right’ about needing to shore up security in the Arctic region, noting that the chance of Russia or China becoming a threat in that region is increasing every day. The NATO Secretary General also praised Trump’s leadership in getting other NATO countries to pay more money to the alliance’s defenses.

‘I would argue tonight with you on this program, he was the one who brought a whole of Europe and Canada up to this famous 5%,’ Rhutte insisted. ‘Which is crucial for us to equalize our spending, but also protect ourselves. And this is the framework which you see in his post that we will work on.’

Rhutte also noted that increased volatility between NATO-aligned countries, Russia and China underscored the need to shore up security in the Arctic region, during his interview with Fox News Wednesday evening.

Meanwhile, the NATO chief was asked whether he thought other countries were dealing with the Russians and the Chinese differently than they have in the past.

‘It’s not up to me to comment on what individual allies are doing in terms of their relationship with China,’ Rhutte responded. ‘I think collectively, as NATO, we have a position. The position is that we should not be naive. I can tell you’ll regret these huge investments the Chinese are making in the military. They are not there to organize parades in Beijing, and the military in Russia are not there to organize parades in Moscow. They are there to be used.’

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., accused President Donald Trump of working to push the U.S. and the rest of the globe in the direction of ‘authoritarianism.’

‘Trump’s hostility toward Europe has little to do with his absurd and irrational arguments over Greenland. It has everything to do with his efforts to undermine democracy and move this country and the world toward authoritarianism. Trump does not like free elections, a free media or the right of people to dissent,’ Sanders claimed in a statement posted on X.

‘That is why he hates Europe, with its strong democratic governance, social safety net, and commitment to peacefully resolving disputes. That is why he is sending ICE to invade American cities,’ the left-wing lawmaker continued.

Sanders claimed the president would prefer a world controlled by wealthy ‘oligarchs.’

‘Let’s be clear. Trump would prefer the world to be ruled by his fellow multi-billionaire oligarchs, like his good friends in Saudi Arabia and Russia. These dictators crush political dissent, jail their opponents, and engage in massive kleptocracy,’ he asserted.

‘As patriotic Americans who believe in our Constitution and the rule of law, we will stand with those heroes and heroines who gave their lives to defend our freedoms. Now, in this dangerous moment in American history, it is imperative that all of us, regardless of our political views, come together to confront the grave threat of authoritarianism,’ he declared.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

President Donald Trump unveiled his Board of Peace on Thursday, with world leaders signing on to pursue a lasting agreement for Gaza.

Trump inaugurated the board during a speech and signing ceremony at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

‘Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do. And we’ll do it in conjunction with the United Nations,’ Trump said in a statement.

‘This isn’t the United States, this is for the world,’ he added. ‘I think we can spread it out to other things as we succeed in Gaza.’

This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.