The White House sent a Department of Homeland Security funding counterproposal to Democrats in Congress on Monday, The Daily Wire confirmed with an official on background.
There are currently no public details about the offer, which came after Democrats made a list of ten demands to reform federal immigration enforcement that needed to be met for funding of the agency to continue.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is expected to put forward a continuing resolution proposal on Tuesday to maintain funding for DHS while negotiations continue, but House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democrats in both chambers have said that he’s adamantly opposed to another temporary measure while a deal is being sorted out.
“I don&#8217;t know you know how much more time would be required, but I think it&#8217;s fair to say that it&#8217;s going to take some more time, and we should at least extend the continuing resolution to allow for that,” Thune said Tuesday, according to <a href="https://x.com/cami_mondeaux/status/2021311045713674418?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deseret News</a>.
Late on Monday night, Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer released a statement seeking more information about the counteroffer.
“Republicans shared an outline of a counterproposal, which included neither details nor legislative text,” the statement read.
“The initial GOP response is both incomplete and insufficient in terms of addressing the concerns Americans have about ICE’s lawless conduct. Democrats await additional detail and text,” it continued.
However, Schumer said on Tuesday that “there&#8217;s no reason we can&#8217;t get this done by Thursday,” <a href="https://x.com/ChadPergram/status/2021308058928910383?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a> reported.
In the House, Speaker Mike Johnson wants to see a proposal that takes the funding all the way through to the end of the fiscal year, similar to other government funding bills that were signed into law by President Donald Trump last week.
As part of a deal to avert a longer shutdown, the DHS funding was split from the rest of the spending package, instead of being approved as a continuing resolution until Feb. 13.
“We’ve not moved a CR here because our position is, the Senate should pass the House-passed homeland bill. We got it done. We did the work in the House, and I think they should — they should get that through,” Johnson told reporters, according to <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5731476-speaker-johnson-dhs-funding-thune/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hill</a>.
“So us offering a CR would be a concession that we don’t believe in that product.” Johnson is referring to the fact that the House had already approved a spending package before the split in funding on the Senate side, as Democrats called for the split after the Alex Pretti shooting in Minneapolis amid anti-ICE protests in the region.
The changes Democrats are hoping for range from more body cameras, no more masking for agents, and the use of judicial warrants as opposed to administrative warrants. The Daily Wire reported earlier this week that some of the requests were already slammed as non-starters by some Republican lawmakers. DHS includes other agencies outside of immigration enforcement, including FEMA and TSA, which could have broader implications if it is not funded after Friday.

Senate GOP Presser

White House Makes Counteroffer To Fund Homeland Security As Dems Push Demands

Congress Remains Split Over Homeland Security Funding As White House Makes Counteroffer

Congress

homeland security

Immigration

Senate

An elected Democrat who is still facing federal charges for assaulting federal law enforcement officers sat opposite acting ICE Director Todd Lyons on Tuesday and demanded to know whether he believed he would &#8220;go to hell.&#8221;
Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) addressed Lyons directly during a Tuesday hearing of the House Committee on Homeland Security on Capitol Hill, and she quickly crossed the line to such a degree that Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) had to step in and admonish her.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WOW.
McIver to Lyons: “How do you think Judgment Day will work for you with so much blood on your hands?&#8221;
“Do you think you&#8217;re going to hell, Mr. Lyons?&#8221;
*Chamber groans*
Democrats again sail right over the sanity cliff. <a href="https://t.co/WT3MSG238t">https://t.co/WT3MSG238t</a> <a href="https://t.co/7kRHVcoEcJ">pic.twitter.com/7kRHVcoEcJ</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/2021285298911494610?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Mr. Lyons, do you consider yourself a religious man?&#8221; McIver asked, and when Lyons replied in the affirmative, she continued: &#8220;Oh, yes, okay, well, how do you think Judgment Day will work for you with so much blood on your hands?&#8221;
Lyons, momentarily taken aback, said, &#8220;I&#8217;m not going to entertain that question.&#8221;
In sarcastic tones, McIver mused, &#8220;Oh, okay, of course not. Do you think you&#8217;re going to hell, Mr. Lyons?&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m not going to entertain —&#8221; Lyons repeated.
&#8220;Of course not,&#8221; McIver said again, her words drawn out and exaggerated. &#8220;How many government —&#8221;
&#8220;The gentlelady will suspend. The gentlelady will suspend. As I — the gentlelady will suspend,&#8221; Garbarino interjected as McIver attempted to talk over him. &#8220;As I said, the issues that we&#8217;re debating here are important ones that members feel deeply about. While vigorous disagreement is part of the legislative process, members are reminded that we must adhere to established standards of decorum and debate.&#8221;
Garbarino went on to remind McIver that the witnesses testifying at Tuesday&#8217;s hearing were there voluntarily and should be treated with respect.
&#8220;Oversight is important,&#8221; he continued, adding, &#8220;Aggressively attacking those witnesses personally is inappropriate and not in keeping with the traditions of our committee.&#8221;
McIver, instead of taking the exit ramp, opted to dig the hole deeper: &#8220;Mr. Chairman, I&#8217;m just asking a question. You — all you guys — are always talking about religion here and the Bible. I mean, it&#8217;s okay for me to ask a question, right? But let me continue on, I got your notes.&#8221;
Turning back to Lyons, McIver asked for the number of government agencies that &#8220;routinely kill American citizens and still get funding.&#8221;
&#8220;Ma&#8217;am, I&#8217;m not going to entertain that —&#8221; Lyons replied.
&#8220;Of course you&#8217;re not,&#8221; McIver stretched her words again for emphasis. &#8220;Exactly. Once again, questions that you cannot answer.&#8221;
McIver then ran out the clock with a stump speech on all the reasons she believed ICE should be abolished in its entirety.
The New Jersey Democrat still <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-charge-new-jersey-democrat-over-clash-with-agents-at-ice-facility">faces federal charges</a> for assault and for impeding federal law enforcement. McIver, along with several other New Jersey Democrats, was caught on video getting into a physical altercation with federal law enforcement officers outside an ICE detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, in May 2025.

US-POLITICS-CONGRESS

Dem Indicted For Assaulting Federal Officers Asks Acting ICE Director If He’ll ‘Go To Hell’

Dem Indicted For Assaulting ICE Asks Acting Director If He Thinks He'll 'Go To Hell'

Illegal Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Media

Politics

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told senators on Tuesday that he visited Jeffrey Epstein&#8217;s Little Saint James Island with his wife and children in 2012, four years after Epstein pled guilty to procuring a minor for prostitution.
During a Senate Appropriations subcommittee <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/2021249984729927980">hearing</a>, Lutnick was asked by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) to confirm whether he visited Epstein&#8217;s island as was suggested in email correspondence that was recently made public in the Justice Department&#8217;s trove of Epstein files. Lutnick, who previously said that he cut off contact with Epstein after a troubling first encounter in 2005, confirmed on Monday that he had lunch on Epstein&#8217;s island in late 2012, alongside his wife and four children and another couple and their children.
&#8220;Secretary Lutnick, I think you understand the root of concern here. It&#8217;s the way you described, very emphatically, your first encounter with him &#8230; [and] said you were disgusted and would never have any contact with him again,&#8221; Van Hollen said. &#8220;Did you, in fact, make the visit to Jeffrey Epstein&#8217;s private island?&#8221;
Lutnick replied, &#8220;I did have lunch with him as I was on a boat going across, I was on a family vacation. My wife was with me as were my four children and nannies. I had another couple — they were there as well with their children — and we had lunch on the island. That is true, for an hour, and then we left with all of my children, with my nannies and my wife all together.&#8221;
Lutnick added that he doesn&#8217;t remember &#8220;why we did it,&#8221; referring to the lunch with Epstein on his island, but said it was false &#8220;to suggest there was anything untoward about that.&#8221; The Trump official also said that he did not witness anything inappropriate when he was on the island with Epstein.
Lutnick has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection to Epstein&#8217;s crimes. Lutnick said he conducted his own search of Epstein files and found that his name appears in about 10 emails among the millions of pages of documents released by the Justice Department. He added that he would be willing to talk more about sharing his records related to Epstein with Congress.
Epstein-related <a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00664162.pdf">documents</a> recently made public also appear to show Lutnick&#8217;s Wall Street firm emailing Epstein in 2011 in hopes of setting up a meeting. It&#8217;s unclear if that meeting took place. Lutnick told senators that he &#8220;did not have any relationship with&#8221; Epstein, adding, &#8220;I barely had anything to do with that person.&#8221;
In an interview with the New York Post&#8217;s Miranda Devine last year, Lutnick said that after he and his wife first met Epstein in 2005, he vowed to never be in the same room as him. Lutnick told Devine that after he moved into a house next door to Epstein in New York, Epstein took Lutnick and his wife on a tour of his home. During the tour, Epstein pointed out the massage table &#8220;in the middle&#8221; of his home and made remarks about getting the &#8220;right kind of massage,&#8221; prompting Lutnick and his wife to leave, according to Lutnick.
&#8220;In the six or eight steps that it takes to get from his house to my house, my wife and I decided that I will never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again,&#8221; the Commerce secretary added. &#8220;So I was never in the room with him socially, for business, or even philanthropy. If that guy was there, I wasn&#8217;t going because he&#8217;s gross.&#8221;
After more came to light on Lutnick&#8217;s 2012 visit with Epstein, Democratic lawmakers, along with staunch Trump critic Thomas Massie (R-KY), criticized the Commerce secretary for appearing to change his story.
“It’s now clear that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has been lying about his relationship with Epstein. He said he had no interactions with Epstein after 2005, yet we now know they were in business together. Lutnick must resign or be fired. And he must answer our questions,” <a href="https://x.com/RepRobertGarcia/status/2020622223925792934">said</a> Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating Epstein&#8217;s crimes and alleged ties to powerful people.
Over the weekend, Massie called on Lutnick to &#8220;make life easier on the president &#8230; and just resign.&#8221;
The White House told The Daily Wire on Tuesday that President Donald Trump remains confident in Lutnick&#8217;s ability to lead the Commerce Department.
&#8220;President Trump has assembled the best and most transformative cabinet in modern history. The entire Trump administration, including Secretary Lutnick and the Department of Commerce, remains focused on delivering for the American people,&#8221; White House Spokesman Kush Desai said.
A Commerce Department spokesman told The Daily Wire, &#8220;This is nothing more than a failing attempt by the legacy media to distract from the administration’s accomplishments, including securing Trillions of dollars in investment, delivering historic trade deals and fighting for the American worker. Mr. and Mrs. Lutnick met Jeffrey Epstein in 2005 and had very limited interactions with him over the next 14 years.&#8221;

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick

Trump Cabinet Secretary Confirms He Visited Epstein’s Island With Wife And Children In 2012

Epstein Files

Howard Lutnick

Jeffrey Epstein

U.S. Senate

One Republican lawmaker wants the controversial H-1B visa program to be gone for good.
Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) introduced the Ending Exploitative Imported Labor Exemptions (EXILE) Act, which would change the Immigration and Nationality Act to no longer include the visa type, which the Republican argues will help the American workforce.
“Prioritizing foreign labor over the well-being and prosperity of American citizens undermines our values and national interests,” Steube said in a statement.
“Our workers and young people continue to be displaced and disenfranchised by the H-1B visa program that awards corporations and foreign competitors at the expense of our workforce. We cannot preserve the American dream for our children while forfeiting their share to non-citizens. That is why I am introducing the EXILE Act to put working Americans first again,” he continued. The congressman pointed out that the vast majority of H-1B visas are doled out to citizens of India and China.
The H-1B visa program allows people to work in the United States for a “specialty occupation,” and it’s capped at 65,000 visas annually with another 20,000 for people with high levels of college education, like a master&#8217;s degree.
The Trump administration has already made sweeping changes to the program, including imposing a $100,000 fee for the visa petition in many circumstances, as well as a rule changing how the visas are granted to ensure that more “higher-skilled and higher-paid aliens” will be given them.
“The existing random selection process of H-1B registrations was exploited and abused by U.S. employers who were primarily seeking to import foreign workers at lower wages than they would pay American workers,” said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesman Matthew Tragesser in a December statement regarding the rule.
“The new weighted selection will better serve Congress’ intent for the H-1B program and strengthen America’s competitiveness by incentivizing American employers to petition for higher-paid, higher-skilled foreign workers. With these regulatory changes and others in the future, we will continue to update the H-1B program to help American businesses without allowing the abuse that was harming American workers,” he continued.
Criticism of the H-1B visa program is not exclusive to the Right, as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has also been a proponent of reform over labor concerns.
“The primary purpose of H-1B and other guest worker programs is not to employ the ‘best and the brightest,’ but instead to replace American workers with lower-paid workers from abroad who often live as indentured servants,” Sanders wrote in a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/sen-bernie-sanders-h1-b-visas-hurt-one-type-worker-exploits-another-mess-must-fixed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a> op-ed last year.
“Not only is this program disastrous for American workers, it can be very harmful to guest workers as well, who are often locked into lower-paying jobs and can have their visas taken away from them by their corporate bosses if they complain about dangerous, unfair or illegal working conditions,” he added.

Airport

GOP Lawmaker Proposes Nuking Controversial Visa Program Entirely

Economy

Trump Administration

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) made her re-election bid official Tuesday, unboxing a pair of New Balance running shoes and announcing, “This is perfect for 2026, because I’m running.”
The announcement launches what is expected to be a fiercely competitive general election in Maine following speculation that Collins would retire instead, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/07/16/congress/white-house-collins-maine-00459055" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO</a>.
The race has already grown contentious, especially in the Democratic primary between Gov. Janet Mills and populist Graham Platner. Platner has drawn scrutiny over past controversies, including a now-removed tattoo featuring a Nazi symbol and old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senate-hopeful-called-himself-a-communist-made-racist-comments-in-reddit-posts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reddit</a> posts in which he described himself as a &#8220;communist.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="UNBOXING 2026" width="422" height="750" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O9N0SkDFjf0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“Susan Collins pledged to only serve two terms in the Senate,” Platner said in an <a href="https://x.com/grahamformaine/status/2021225664829886812">X</a> post responding to Collins’ launch. “That’s just one of a hundred reasons she doesn’t deserve a sixth term.”
Governor Mills said Sen. Collins “has had almost three decades to prove that she’s the right leader for Maine in this critical moment — and she&#8217;s failed. Seniority without a backbone is just tenure, and another term won’t fix that. It&#8217;s time for her to go.”
The <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings">Cook Political Report</a> currently rates the race as a toss-up. Collins faced a similarly high-stakes contest in 2020, when she defeated Democrat Sara Gideon with nearly 51% of the vote compared to Gideon&#8217;s roughly 42%.
The Republican lawmaker has secured the backing of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which typically supports incumbents and contenders it views as best to win general elections.
“From protecting Social Security to supporting small businesses, no one works harder and is more dependable at delivering prosperity and opportunity,&#8221; NRSC Chairman Tim Scott said. &#8220;I’m confident Susan will defeat whoever emerges from the messy Democrat primary, because Mainers know they can always count on her.”
Collins has had a complicated relationship with President Donald Trump, who has publicly criticized her and other Republicans over past War Powers Resolution votes and at one point said they &#8220;should never be elected to office again.&#8221;
Despite past tensions, Collins, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, stood alongside Trump at the Oval Office signing ceremony last week, along with other lawmakers, as the partial government shutdown ended. She is the lone Republican in New England&#8217;s congressional delegation.

Susan Collins

‘I’m Running’: Susan Collins Launches Re-Election Bid As GOP Fights To Hold Crucial Senate Seat

graham platner

janet mills

Maine

Republicans

Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who pled the Fifth Amendment and refused to answer questions before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, said she would only testify on the convicted pedophile&#8217;s crimes if President Donald Trump grants her clemency, her lawyer said.
Maxwell appeared virtually from prison before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, but she kept quiet, using her constitutional right against self-incrimination. After her deposition, the convicted sex trafficker&#8217;s lawyer, David Markus, said that Maxwell would &#8220;speak fully and honestly&#8221; about her knowledge of her and Epstein&#8217;s crimes if Trump granted her clemency. Markus said that Maxwell would also &#8220;explain why&#8221; both Trump and former President Bill Clinton are &#8220;innocent of any wrongdoing,&#8221; CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ghislaine-maxwell-house-oversight-committee-deposition-fifth-amendment/#">reported</a>.
&#8220;If this committee and the American public truly want to hear the unfiltered truth about what happened, there is a straightforward path. Ms. Maxwell is prepared to speak fully and honestly if granted clemency by President Trump,&#8221; Markus said. &#8220;Only she can provide the complete account. Some may not like what they hear, but the truth matters. For example, both President Trump and President Clinton are innocent of any wrongdoing. Ms. Maxwell alone can explain why, and the public is entitled to that explanation.&#8221;
House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) said following the deposition that he was &#8220;disappointed,&#8221; but not surprised by Maxwell&#8217;s refusal to talk.
&#8220;We had many questions to ask about the crimes she and Epstein committed, as well as questions about potential co-conspirators,&#8221; Comer said. &#8220;We sincerely want to get to the truth for the American people and justice for survivors.&#8221;
Maxwell is currently serving out a 20-year prison sentence for her role in Epstein&#8217;s sex trafficking scheme and has been pushing for a pardon from President Trump, who has shown no indication that he&#8217;s considering what would be one of the most controversial pardons in U.S. history.
Both Trump and Clinton appear numerous times in the photos and documents from Epstein&#8217;s estate that have been released by the Justice Department, but none of the evidence incriminates the presidents in any wrongdoing related to Epstein&#8217;s crimes. Trump and Clinton have also not been accused of any wrongdoing by Epstein&#8217;s victims.
In a 2019 interview with the Justice Department, then-Palm Beach police chief Michael Reiter said that Trump called him in 2006 as Epstein crimes came to light and said that &#8220;everyone has known he&#8217;s been doing this.&#8221; The interview, which was part of the Justice Department&#8217;s Epstein files dump, was first reported on by the Miami Herald on Monday. Trump also told the police chief in 2006 to &#8220;focus on&#8221; Maxwell, saying, &#8220;She is evil,&#8221; according to Reiter.
Maxwell met with U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for multiple hours-long <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ghislaine-maxwell-reveals-whether-she-believes-epstein-committed-suicide">interviews</a> in July and was grilled for information on Epstein and those associated with him. During the interview with Blanche, Maxwell confirmed that high-profile men, such as Trump and Clinton, had close ties with Epstein, but added she never saw either man act inappropriately with a woman of any age. Maxwell had glowing remarks for Trump, telling the Justice Department, &#8220;The president was never inappropriate with anybody. In the times that I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects.&#8221;
During her deposition on Monday, Maxwell&#8217;s lawyer again said that Maxwell has no reason to believe that Trump or Clinton are guilty of any wrongdoing, according to Arizona Republican Rep. Andy Biggs, who was at the closed-door hearing. Democrat Rep. Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia said that Maxwell&#8217;s proposition &#8220;is all strategy for her to try to get a pardon from President Trump.&#8221;
The top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, claimed that Maxwell has already been given &#8220;special treatment&#8221; by the White House. Shortly after her meeting with the Justice Department last summer, Maxwell was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ghislaine-maxwell-moved-from-florida-prison-to-lower-security-facility">moved</a> from a low-security prison in Florida to a minimum-security prison in Texas. In October, the Supreme Court declined to hear Maxwell&#8217;s appeal to overturn her conviction.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-hes-allowed-to-pardon-ghislaine-maxwell-keeps-option-open-after-doj-meeting">said</a> last July that he had &#8220;not thought about&#8221; pardoning Maxwell. Three months later, Trump <a href="https://www.c-span.org/clip/white-house-event/user-clip-president-trump-will-look-into-possible-ghislaine-maxwell-pardon/5174684">said</a> he would &#8220;take a look at&#8221; Maxwell&#8217;s case and &#8220;speak to the DOJ.&#8221;
&#8220;A lot of people have asked me for a pardon,&#8221; he added.
Later this month, the House Oversight is scheduled to grill former President Clinton and former Secretary of State and first lady Hillary Clinton over their ties to Epstein.

Trump, Knauss, Epstein, & Maxwell At Mar-A-Lago

Ghislaine Maxwell Will Only Testify On Epstein If Trump Gives Her What She Wants, Lawyer Says

Bill Clinton

Crime

Donald Trump

Ghislaine Maxwell

U.S.

A new poll shows that Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) could be Texas’ Democratic Senate nominee, as all eyes have been on the messy primaries in the Lone Star State ahead of the March 3 Election Day.
The University of Houston <a href="https://www.uh.edu/hobby/primary2026/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> of 550 likely voters showed Crockett up by eight points over state Rep. James Talarico, with 47% compared with his 39%.
“Congresswoman Crockett is in the best position to reassemble a winning Texas democratic coalition in November. That coalition requires exciting the base to turn out, while bringing working people, Latinos, and young voters back into the fold. The poll demonstrates that independents and disillusioned Republicans favor Crockett as opposed to the other candidates,” her campaign said in a press release on Monday regarding the survey conducted from Jan. 20-31.
Other polls have shown Crockett leading, but some, like a recent Emerson College survey, have shown Talarico ahead by as much as nine percentage points. The race turned ugly after former Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Colin Allred strongly criticized Talarico over an allegation that the state representative referred to the former congressman as a “mediocre Black man,” according to the <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/02/texas-us-senate-democratic-primary-colin-allred-james-talarico-mediocre-black-man-tiktok/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas Tribune</a>.
The National Republican Campaign Committee said that Crockett&#8217;s lead in the poll is a sign that the Democratic Party is moving further to the Left, even in the traditionally conservative Lone Star State.
&#8220;Today&#8217;s Democrat Party is getting more progressive and extreme by the second, but one thing remains true: Jasmine Crockett&#8217;s radical anti-Trump agenda is wrong for Texas,&#8221; NRSC Regional Press Secretary Samantha Cantrell said in a statement to The Daily Wire. The group is backing incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the competitive Republican primary.
On the Republican side, President Donald Trump has yet to make an endorsement in the race, and it’s unclear if he will with less than a month to go. Cornyn is up against Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt for the seat, and the same University of Houston poll showed Paxton leading with 38%, compared with 31% for the incumbent senator and 17% for Hunt.
Hunt&#8217;s campaign spokesperson, James Kyrkanides, said in a statement that the poll is an “interesting snapshot” into the general electorate. In head-to-head matchups, each of the Republican candidates would defeat either Crockett or Talarico by a thin margin. Paxton would defeat either Democrat by two points, Cornyn would beat Crockett by two and Talarico by one, and Hunt would beat Crockett by three and Talarico by four.
Kyrkanides said other polls have indicated that the “campaign has surged into second place&#8221; and that “John Cornyn’s campaign has collapsed.”
Texas primaries require a candidate to break 50% of the vote to become the nominee.
“While the primary results in the [university] poll are being debated, one fact is undeniable: Among general election voters, Wesley Hunt once again outperforms both John Cornyn and Ken Paxton,” the statement continued. “This has been consistent since the day Hunt entered the race in October. The data keeps saying the same thing. Anyone making ‘electability’ arguments while excluding Wesley Hunt isn’t serious about winning. They’re serious about protecting the status quo. Texas voters are moving on.&#8221;
Paxton said that the poll, which also indicates he would defeat Cornyn in a runoff, is a good sign that he will be the Republican nominee.
&#8220;Ensuring that low-propensity America First voters are motivated to show up in November is critical to Republicans&#8217; success in 2026, and John Cornyn is the single worst person in Texas to accomplish that. Luckily, he won&#8217;t be on the ballot because Texans are ready to fire him this spring. In 2022, I faced tens of millions in negative attacks and then proceeded to overwhelmingly defeat my primary opponents and win the general by nearly ten points. I&#8217;m ready and in a strong position to do the same in 2026.&#8221;
As for Cornyn, he&#8217;s pulled no punches against his opponents on both sides of the aisle, as he came out with an ad on Sunday taking aim at both Democrats, and recently saying that he is the &#8220;only electable Republican in this primary, a proven conservative with real experience and results who votes with President Trump more than 99% of the time.&#8221;
The Cook Political Report currently ranks the general election race as “Likely Republican.”

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, Texas’ 30th District: An Intimate Brunch

Crockett Could Become Texas Senate Democratic Nominee As Primaries Heat Up: Poll

Democratic Party

Elections

Jasmine Crockett

John Cornyn

Ken Paxton

Texas

Wesley Hunt

The Department of Homeland Security is slated for a lapse in funding on Friday if Congress does not reach a spending deal.
As of Monday, reports have circulated about a push from Republicans for another continuing resolution to give lawmakers more time to hammer out a plan, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/02/09/congress/dhs-shutdown-funding-bill-continuing-resolution-00771028" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO</a>.
Democratic leadership released a list of demands to reform federal immigration enforcement last week, and many Republicans saw them as dead on arrival.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/homeland-security-negotiations-off-to-rocky-start-in-congress-ridiculous-christmas-list?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Homeland+Security+Negotiations+Off+To+Rocky+Start+In+Congress%3A+%E2%80%98Ridiculous+Christmas+List%E2%80%99" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> reported last week that the requests include ending masking for agents, adding more body cameras, and switching away from administrative warrants to judicial warrants for arrests. Senate Democrats provided the draft legislation to Republicans on Sunday, outlining requests, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) opposed a second short-term funding bill, according to <a href="https://x.com/ChadPergram/status/2020606329845350614?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>.
“Democrats’ newest proposal is a ridiculous Christmas list of demands for the press. This is NOT negotiating in good faith, and it’s NOT what the American people want,” Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), a top Senate negotiator, posted to X last week.
“They continue to play politics to their radical base at the expense of the safety of Americans. DHS, FEMA, Secret Service, and the Coast Guard run out of money in 9 days. Democrats don’t seem to care one bit,” the Alabama Republican continued.
The government briefly shut down last week after the White House and Senate Democrats struck a deal to split DHS funding from the rest of the spending package, which then had to go back to the House for approval.
“This bill is a great victory for the American people. Instead of a bloated and wasteful omnibus monstrosity full of special interest handouts, we’ve succeeded in passing a fiscally responsible package that actually cuts wasteful federal spending, while supporting critical programs for the safety, security, and prosperity of the American people,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/government-shutdown-ends-as-trump-declares-great-victory-with-spending-package?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Government+Shutdown+Ends+As+Trump+Declares+%E2%80%98Great+Victory%E2%80%99+With+Spending+Package" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump</a> said during an Oval Office signing ceremony last Tuesday to celebrate funding most of the federal government through September 30.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” signed by President Donald Trump in July included funding for many of the administration’s goals for immigration, such as resources to hire significantly more ICE personnel to execute mass deportations.
Criticism of the administration’s immigration enforcement tactics has been public for months, but tensions soared following the fatal shooting of protester Alex Pretti in Minneapolis as anti-ICE demonstrations raged on for weeks.
On the Democratic side, some lawmakers are not optimistic about a deal either, with Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) telling <a href="https://news.azpm.org/s/102650-sen-gallego-says-senate-can-split-up-dhs-funding-sticks-to-ice-reform-demands/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arizona Public Media</a> that “I think it’s very difficult for us to get there,” last week.
A shutdown of the department could create issues for other key agencies it oversees, most notably FEMA and TSA. During the 43-day government shutdown in the fall, TSA agent call-outs caused issues at airports nationwide. Following the shutdown, DHS announced $10,000 bonuses for some agents.
A White House official told The Daily Wire on background that &#8220;President Trump has been consistent, he wants the government open and the Administration has been working with both parties to ensure the American people don’t have to endure another drawn out, senseless, and hurtful shutdown.&#8221;
Meanwhile, DHS said in a statement that “DHS essential missions and functions will continue as they do during every shutdown. However, during a shutdown, many employees will be forced to work without pay, putting strain on the frontline defenders of our nation.”

US-POLITICS-TRUMP-CONGRESS

GOP Blasts Dem Demands In Funding Fight With American Safety At Stake

Immigration Brawl In D.C. Puts Homeland Security Funding On The Line

Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) is warning Democrats that the same anti-law-enforcement instincts that fueled the post-George Floyd unrest are now being repackaged as immigration policy, as violent protests erupt once again in Minneapolis.
In a Fox News op-ed published Friday, Kennedy argued that Democratic officials who once flirted with defunding the police are now applying the same playbook to immigration enforcement, dismissing federal agents as racists, undermining the rule of law, and inviting chaos in the process. “As I’ve watched the protests in Minneapolis, it seems obvious to me that America is at risk of falling face-first into another disastrous anti-law enforcement crisis,” Kennedy wrote. 
The Louisiana Republican framed the unrest as a familiar pattern: leftist activists seize on a crisis, demonize law enforcement, and pressure Democratic officials to stand down rather than restore order. According to Kennedy, the results are always the same. 
“There are some people in this world who enjoy hurting other people and taking other people’s stuff,” he wrote. “They’re not sick. They’re not confused. They’re not mixed up. … They’re just antisocial.”
Kennedy argued that the “defund the police” movement exploited a handful of high-profile misconduct cases to push what he called a fundamentally dishonest narrative, that law enforcement officers are worse than criminals and should be replaced with social workers.
Before Floyd died in 2020, Kennedy said, such ideas were fringe, embraced primarily by radical academics and leftist activists. But Democratic leaders in Minnesota, including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, ultimately chose to appease what Kennedy mockingly labeled the party’s “Karen wing” rather than enforce the law. “They let rioters seek revenge on law enforcement, stood by as police precincts burned and sat in silence as activists defamed the countless good cops who kept their cities safe,” he <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/sen-john-kennedy-democrats-defund-the-police-plan-failed-here-go-again">wrote</a>.
The consequences, Kennedy argued, were measurable and severe. In the wake of the Floyd riots, commercial burglaries surged by 43%, carjackings jumped 93%, and murders rose 44%, according to crime data cited in the op-ed.
Even years later, Kennedy noted, police departments have struggled to recover from the damage. Nationwide, departments remain understaffed compared to pre-2020 levels. In Minneapolis, the police force is still roughly one-third smaller than it was before Floyd’s death, despite ongoing recruitment efforts.
“Maintaining a strong police force is not a light switch you can flick on and off as the woke mob demands,” Kennedy wrote, arguing that years of demoralization drove officers out of the profession altogether.
Now, Kennedy says Democrats appear poised to repeat the same mistake, this time targeting immigration enforcement instead of local police. As federal agents move to enforce immigration laws in Minnesota, leftist activists and Democratic officials have accused ICE and Border Patrol agents of racism and “white supremacy,” rhetoric Kennedy argues is designed to delegitimize enforcement entirely. 
“Instead of arguing that cops are a bigger problem than criminals,” Kennedy wrote, “Walz and Frey have joined the Karen wing of the Democratic Party to say that enforcing immigration laws is racist and vetting migrants is a form of White supremacy.” 
Kennedy warned that activists are once again exploiting unrest in Minneapolis to pressure Congress into defunding federal law enforcement agencies, including ICE and the Border Patrol, a move he argues would repeat the same disastrous errors of the defund-the-police era.
The senator’s warning comes as Democrats increasingly frame immigration enforcement as a civil rights issue, even as violent protests and property damage accompany demonstrations against federal agents in major cities.
Democrats across the country have increasingly made immigration enforcement and reform of ICE a central part of their 2026 policy agenda, particularly in the wake of two fatal shootings of leftist protesters in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents. Party leaders in Congress, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), have tied their support for funding the Department of Homeland Security to a sweeping set of proposed changes aimed at “rein[ing] in ICE,” including requiring body cameras and visible ID for agents, restricting arrests without judicial warrants, banning enforcement near sensitive locations like schools and hospitals, and instituting uniform use-of-force standards. 
Leftist members of Congress and activists have pushed even further, with some calling for abolishing the agency outright or defunding it entirely, arguing ICE has become “beyond repair,” while Democratic strategists warn that hardline abolition language could complicate efforts to build broader support for more moderate reforms. 
For Kennedy, the lesson of the last five years is clear: undermining law enforcement does not produce justice or safety; it creates disorder. “If anyone should recognize the deep-dish stupidity of the defund-the-police movement,” he wrote, “it should be the officials who watched their cities burn the first time.”

Sen. Cotton Holds Capitol Hill Press Conference To Discuss Ongoing College Campus Protests

Sen. Kennedy Slams ‘Karen Wing’ Of The Democratic Party Over Defund ICE Rhetoric

John Kennedy

Tennessee&#8217;s Republican congressman John Rose was originally a “no” vote on a move to get the spending package up for a final vote before going to the president to end the government shutdown. In the room with leadership, he switched his vote to “yes.”
It wasn&#8217;t due to a change in heart on the spending proposal, according to Republican congressman with knowledge of the conversation. Rose, according to the Republican colleague, planned to vote &#8220;no&#8221; in protest of positive comments that Trump made about his gubernatorial primary opponent, Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn.
The congressman, who provided details of the situation on background, said Rose &#8220;was just mad because the president had not endorsed him.”
The congressman said that Rose was able to leverage his stance into a meeting with Republican leadership, which CNN also confirmed with Rose directly. Rose said the meeting centered on his frustrations that the SAVE Act not be tacked onto the package, but also said that the gubernatorial race was discussed.
“John is engaged in a tight race for the governorship of Tennessee,&#8221; House Speaker Mike Johnson said.
&#8220;He’s thoughtful about that and he wants a fair fight there and so that&#8217;s what we discussed, but no promises,” Johnson continued when reporters asked about Rose’s flip on Tuesday, according to a CNN clip.
&#8220;You can imagine what that means,” Rose told <a href="https://x.com/elliskkim/status/2018773546835546410?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a> in response to Johnson’s “fair fight” comments.
A White House official confirmed to The Daily Wire on background that the president and Rose “did not speak” on Tuesday.
The president has yet to make an official endorsement in the race, but the recent positive comments about Blackburn fueled endorsement speculation, including in the <a href="https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/29/trump-praises-blackburn-for-governor-raising-speculation-of-endorsement/88398974007/?gnt-cfr=1&amp;gca-cat=p&amp;gca-uir=true&amp;gca-epti=z11xx65p118950c118950v11xx65d--39--b--39--&amp;gca-ft=203&amp;gca-ds=sophi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Knoxville News Sentinel</a>.
“Marsha Blackburn is an incredible person. Unfortunately, she is running for governor. She is running for governor of Tennessee,” the president said at the Trump Accounts summit last week.
“I’d love her not to, I begged her, I said Marsha, &#8216;Don&#8217;t, we don&#8217;t want to lose you in the Senate,’ but I have to say, they&#8217;re lucky. They&#8217;re lucky to get you. Because you&#8217;re a talent and a great person, and you&#8217;ve been with me all the way, and I appreciate it, and you&#8217;re a very special person. Marsha, stand up, please,” he continued.
The Republican congressman said Rose “took that as an endorsement.”
The procedural vote ended up squeaking by with just 217 votes, as Republicans hold a narrow 218 majority. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) voted against the rule, along with all Democrats. The actual spending package vote passed with 217, but with bipartisan support and opposition. Rose voted to reopen the government.
The Daily Wire reached out to Rose’s office and his campaign for comment.
A January poll of 559 Republican primary voters shows Blackburn leading Rose with 56% compared with his 9%, according to The Beacon Center of Tennessee. The Cook Political Report ranked the general election race as “Solid Republican.”
Rose was part of the group of GOP lawmakers that wanted the act included in the spending package as a way to get it up for a Senate vote. The legislation, which would require nationwide documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote, has already passed the House but has yet to be voted on in the Senate.
On X, Rose wrote that Senate Majority Leader John Thune “is already backtracking on what he reportedly told some House Republicans: that if we reopened the government, he’d keep his word and bring the SAVE Act to the floor.”
“House Republicans MUST hold the line and refuse to fold on something as fundamental as election integrity. The SAVE Act belongs on must-pass legislation,” he added.
The House voted to end the shutdown on Tuesday afternoon, as Congress gears up for a battle over Department of Homeland Security funding, which was only approved through Feb. 13.

TrumpJohn Rose Split (getty)

Tennessee Republican Threw Wrench Into Shutdown Vote Because He Was ‘Mad’ At Trump, Congressman Says

john rose

Marsha Blackburn

Mike Johnson

Tennessee

Negotiations on potential restrictions for federal immigration enforcement are already off to a rocky start in Congress, as they face a Feb. 13 deadline or a lapse in funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
On Wednesday night, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) released their list of ten requests: “targeted enforcement,&#8221; ending of masking for officers, more public identification of authorities, “body cameras for accountability,” use of force restrictions, and greater “state and local coordination and oversight” are among the asks. Much of the funding for the administration&#8217;s goals on immigration was already approved in the &#8220;One Big Beautiful Bill Act&#8221; last year, but Democrats are hoping to use the recent tensions as leverage to shift policy – as DHS also holds other key agencies that are not immigration-related, including FEMA and TSA.
Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), who’s considered a key negotiator in the Senate, slammed some of the suggestions as outlandish.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEWS — Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries release 10 policy demands in ICE funding fight, in letter to GOP leaders: <a href="https://t.co/M3cInciKYT">pic.twitter.com/M3cInciKYT</a>
— Stephen Neukam (@stephen_neukam) <a href="https://twitter.com/stephen_neukam/status/2019236836636500411?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
“Democrats’ newest proposal is a ridiculous Christmas list of demands for the press. This is NOT negotiating in good faith, and it’s NOT what the American people want,” Britt posted to X on Wednesday.
“They continue to play politics to their radical base at the expense of the safety of Americans,” she added. “DHS, FEMA, Secret Service, and the Coast Guard run out of money in 9 days. Democrats don’t seem to care one bit.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) also brushed off the demands made by Democratic leadership.
“It’s totally unrealistic, their demand list went from 3 items to 10 items,” Thune told <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/2019431486307406008?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>. “It just shows you they’re not serious. There’s a bunch of stuff in there that’s a non-starter, and they know it. Maybe they had to put it in there to satisfy MoveOn or some of their left-wing special interest groups.”
The original requests included a move away from administrative warrants to judicial warrants for arrests, no more roving patrols, an end to masking for officers, and more rules as it pertains to how force is used. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-how-democrats-could-cripple-ice-without-defunding-dhs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> reported that a change in the type of warrants used could make some immigration arrests exceedingly difficult.
The government dealt with a brief shutdown that ended Tuesday, as the House had to go back and pass amended appropriations bills after the White House and Senate Democrats agreed to split DHS funding from the rest of the federal government’s funding.
The push for the funding split came after the Alex Pretti shooting in Minneapolis, which resulted in numerous other changes made in how the Trump administration approached the end of Operation Metro Surge in the region, leading to the arrests of thousands of people in the country illegally. White House Border Czar Tom Homan announced on Wednesday that 700 agents are headed out as part of a “drawdown” effort.
“We currently have an unprecedented number of counties communicating with us now and allowing ICE to take custody of illegal aliens before they hit the streets, unprecedented cooperation. And I’ll say it again, this is efficient, it requires only one or two officers to assume custody of a criminal alien target rather than eight or ten officers going into the community and arresting that public safety threat,” Homan said, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/homan-strikes-deal-in-minnesota-yanks-hundreds-of-immigration-officers?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Homan+Strikes+Deal+In+Minnesota%2C+Yanks+Hundreds+Of+Immigration+Officers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> reported.
“More officers taking custody of criminal aliens directly from the jails means less officers on the street doing criminal operations. This is smart law enforcement, not less law enforcement. This is safer for the community, safer for the officers, and safer for the alien,” he said.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-mass-deportation-campaign-could-use-softer-touch-after-minneapolis-shootings?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Says+Mass+Deportation+Campaign+Could+Use+%E2%80%98Softer+Touch%E2%80%99+After+Minneapolis+Shootings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">President Donald Trump</a> told NBC News on Wednesday night that he “learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch” after the sky-high tensions in Minneapolis amid anti-ICE protests.
“But you still have to be tough. These are criminals. We’re dealing with really hard criminals,” he added.

U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL)

Homeland Security Negotiations Off To Rocky Start In Congress: ‘Ridiculous Christmas List’

Department of Homeland Security

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent waged a verbal war on Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) during a Capitol Hill hearing on Wednesday, ultimately asking the California Congresswoman whether it would be possible for her to &#8220;maintain some level of dignity.&#8221;
Waters had spent some of her time leading up to that heated exchange asking whether Bessent would be &#8220;the voice of reason&#8221; and oppose President Donald Trump&#8217;s tariffs.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Maxine Waters goes on unhinged rant, repeatedly talking over Scott Bessent — then gets finished by one of Bessent’s trademark rhetorical daggers.
Waters: “Can you shut him up?&#8221;
Bessent: “Can you maintain some level of dignity?&#8221;
Oof. <a href="https://t.co/z3IXTBpfWX">pic.twitter.com/z3IXTBpfWX</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/2019079224041087029?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;So I ask you, Secretary Bessent, will you be the voice of reason in this administration and urge President Trump to stop waging a war on American consumers, harming housing affordability, and putting the economy at risk?&#8221; Waters asked. &#8220;Yes or no. You don’t have to explain.&#8221;
&#8220;Representative —&#8221; Bessent began, and when it was clear that he intended to give her a longer answer than she&#8217;d asked for, she began to talk over him.
&#8220;Will you be the voice? Will you be the voice? Will you be the voice of reason? Will you be the voice of — yes or no?&#8221; Waters demanded.
&#8220;A study from Wharton University has shown —&#8221; Bessent tried again, but Waters continued interrupting.
&#8220;Reclaiming my time. Reclaiming my time. Reclaiming my time. Reclaiming my time,&#8221; Waters repeated several times. &#8220;Mr. Chair, will you let him know when I ask to reclaim my time —&#8221;
Rep. French Hill, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, conceded that the time did, in fact, belong to Waters.
&#8220;Ten to 20 million Americans —&#8221; Bessent made one last attempt.
Waters, clearly exasperated, turned to Hill and asked, &#8220;Can you shut him up?&#8221;
&#8220;What about the housing stock for working Americans? And can you maintain some level of dignity?&#8221; Bessent jabbed at Waters, just as Hill announced that Waters&#8217;s time had expired.
Waters objected, but Hill repeated that her time had expired.
&#8220;The gentleman took up my time. I think you should recognize that, Mr. Chair,&#8221; she said.
Bessent also sparred with several other Democrats during Wednesday&#8217;s hearing, including Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA), who spent much of his allotted time shouting at the Treasury Secretary. When Bessent did get a chance to speak, he said calmly, &#8220;Could you speak a little louder? I can&#8217;t hear you.&#8221;
&#8220;Yeah, okay,&#8221; was Lynch&#8217;s sarcastic response.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 BREAKING: Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent just TRIGGERED Democrat Rep. Lynch after he erupted in a FIT OF RAGE
LYNCH: *Yelling incoherently*
BESSENT: &#8220;Could you speak a little louder? I can&#8217;t hear you!&#8221; 😂😂
LYNCH: &#8220;Yeah, OK&#8230;&#8221;
Bessent infuriates all of them! <a href="https://t.co/gN8dq1aTIV">pic.twitter.com/gN8dq1aTIV</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2019083215466549744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Maxine & Scott (3)

Scott Bessent Throws Down With Maxine Waters In Wild Capitol Hill Exchange

Maxine Waters

Scott Bessent

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