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Trump uniquely placed to ‘whisper’ in Erdogan’s ear over Turkish regional ambitions: Greek defense minister

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FIRST ON FOX: Expansionist rhetoric has been a major concern in NATO for several years amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but according to Greece’s top defense official, the security alliance should take seriously similar threats from within its own coalition, in particular from Turkey.

A decades-old feud over the island nation of Cyprus between Greece and Turkey, both of which have been members of NATO since 1952, has plagued the alliance for over half a century and spill-over conflicts pushed the two countries nearly to the brink of war in the 1990s.

Though relations between Greece and Turkey have become less outwardly hostile in recent years, Erdoğan’s pursuit of regional natural resources coupled with his controversial geopolitical actions in the Middle East and Aegean Sea have long drawn criticism that he is looking to “recreate” the Ottoman Empire.

Nikos Dendias, minister of national defense of Greece, delivers a speech for Greece’s Independence Day in Athens March 25, 2024. (Giorgos Arapekos/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

TURKEY AND GREECE LEADERS TO MEET, PUT FRIENDSHIP INITIATIVE TO THE TEST AMID GAZA AND UKRAINE WARS

“There’s some people in Turkey that go back to the Ottoman times and believe that they could recreate the Ottoman Empire, including parts of Greece, parts of Syria, parts of Iraq, parts of Iran, half of the Caucasus, etc.,” Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said during an interview with Fox News Digital.

“I hope that this is daydream, but it creates a lot of problems in the relations with Greece, a lot of problems within NATO.”

Erdoğan, who has been president of Turkey since 2014, has long been criticized for his aggressive approach in dealing with regional nations like Iraq, Yemen, Libya and Israel, but also his oppressive practices at home that have targeted non-Sunni communities, including Shiites and Christians, journalists, women and Kurds. It’s an issue that has not only blocked Turkey from joining the European Union, but has increasingly held geopolitical ramifications for the U.S.

The U.S.’s chief ally in the fight against ISIS in Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has found itself in Ankara’s crosshairs as it views the Kurdish-affiliated force as being akin to the terrorist network, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Turkey has routinely targeted the group and prompted international concern over how the SDF will be able to continue to effectively fight ISIS should the Trump administration withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.

U.S. forces provide military training to members of the YPG/SDF, which Turkey considers an extension of PKK in Syria, in the Qamisli district in the Al-Hasakah province of Syria Aug. 18, 2023. (Hedil Amir/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

“ISIS, let us be frank and honest, is down but not out,” Dendias said. “The ideology behind ISIS, the ideology behind the Muslim Brotherhood is there, is alive and kicking.

“And I have to say, the worst thing that you can do in life is forget your allies, forget the people who fought by your side in your hour of need, and turn against them or forget about them,” the defense minister continued. “I’m speaking about the Kurds fighting against ISIS for years. They should not be forgotten by the West.”

TRUMP SAYS TURKEY ‘DID AN UNFRIENDLY TAKEOVER’ IN SYRIA AS US-BROKERED CEASE-FIRE APPEARS TO FAIL

The fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime has renewed concerns over regional stability, and the close dynamic between Trump and Erdoğan has raised more questions about how the Turkish president will pursue his regional ambitions.

Dendias argued that the close relationship allegedly shared between the two world leaders will not necessarily embolden Erdoğan and could uniquely position Trump to “whisper” in the ear of the Turkish leader and remind him that “international law, international [rules] of the sea, is a way of life in this modern world.”

“I assume that it will not be good at all for NATO and would not be good at all for the United States of America to encourage Turkey to create a huge problem in the eastern front of NATO, taking also into account what’s happening in the Middle East and what’s happening between Russia and Ukraine,” the defense minster added.

The Blue Homeland-2025 Exercise, organized by the Turkish Naval Forces Command in the Black Sea, Aegean Sea, and Eastern Mediterranean, commenced Jan. 8, 2025, in Mugla, Turkey. (Sabri Kesen/Anadolu via Getty Images)

TURKISH LEADER CLAIMS US BASES IN GREECE POSE DIRECT ‘THREAT’ AMID SPAT WITH ATHENS OVER NATO EXPANSION

Earlier this month, Turkey relaunched military exercises in the Black, Mediterranean and Aegean Seas known as “Blue Homeland,” which Greece has long viewed as a show of force and prompted long-held maritime disputes to resurface.

“This [is a] new Turkish neo-imperialist, neo-Ottoman approach,” Dendias said. “It started appearing somewhere in the first decade of the 21st century … which, in essence, claims that half of the Greek islands in the Aegean belong to Turkey.

President Donald Trump, during his first presidency talks with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as they arrive together for a family photo at a summit of heads of state and government at NATO headquarters in Brussels. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File) (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

“And sometimes they even go further. They claim that Crete, a huge island with very important NATO presence and an American base in Souda – again, should belong to Turkey.”

The defense minster said Greece’s tense relations with Turkey have made its defensive posture in NATO unique because it has forced Athens to be on top of its defense spending, an issue that has once again become a top matter of discussion in the NATO alliance due to Trump’s push to have all nations meet a 5% GDP spending limit, up from 2%.

The latest NATO spending figures released in June 2024 show Greece was the fifth-highest spender on defense in the alliance, spending more than 3% of its GPD, while Turkey came in 18th and spent just over 2% of its GDP on defense.

ANKARA, TURKEY- MAY 13: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (L) of Greece shakes hands with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey during a press conference after their meeting on May 13, 2024 in Ankara, Turkey. (Yavuz Ozden/ dia images via Getty Images)

Dendias said European nations need to collectively agree on how they view security threat levels and the importance of defense spending.

“Regardless of President Trump’s position on 5%, it’s an internal issue and needs to be resolved,” Dendias added.

“The biggest threat is countries that do not abide by international law and do not abide by international law of the sea. Countries that believe that borders [are] something that you can disregard, that treaties and international treaties should work only if it’s to your advantage,” Dendias said. “That is the biggest threat to the whole world, not just Greece.”

Additional questions to Dendias about President Trump’s recent comments on his refusal to rule out military intervention in acquiring Greenland and the Panama Canal were not answered.

The Turkish embassy in Washington, D.C. did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions but instead pointed to a statement issued by the Turkish Minister of National Defense, Yaşar Güler, who ahead of the “Blue Homeland” exercises said, “Our country, located at the very heart of a region surrounded by conflicts and disputes, consistently emphasizes its commitment to international law and peace in preventing tensions and resolving crises.

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“We approach the development of our relations with our neighbor Greece within this framework and take significant steps toward resolving problems,” he added. “The efforts to portray Turkey’s determination to protect its rights and interests in the ‘Blue Homeland’ as ‘historical expansionism and aggression’ are nothing more than a futile attempt to disregard the rights granted to Turkey by international law.

“However, while striving for a peaceful solution, we strongly emphasize that we will never compromise our national rights and interests,” Güler said earlier this month.

February 1, 2025
Trump envoy Richard Grenell secures freedom for 6 Americans following meeting with Maduro in Venezuela

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Following a meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas to discuss, in part, the release of Americans being held in the country, Richard Grenell, President Donald Trump’s envoy for special missions announced on X Friday night that he was returning to the U.S. with six of them.

“They just spoke to @realDonaldTrump and they couldn’t stop thanking him,” Grenell said in his post without identifying the six men, four of whom were dressed in light-blue Venezuelan prison outfits.

TRUMP OFFICIAL TRAVELS TO VENEZUELA IN PUSH FOR MADURO REGIME TO TAKE BACK TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBERS

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It’s been reported that at least nine Americans have been held by Venezuela where Maduro’s officials have accused most of them of being involved in terrorism or acting as “mercenaries.”

On a call earlier on Friday with reporters, Mauricio Claver-Carone, the U.S. special envoy on Latin America, said that “American hostages need to be released immediately, unequivocally.”

This is a developing story please check back for updates.

Christopher Guly is an Ottawa-based journalist and longtime member of the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery. He has reported from Canada for several media outlets in the U.S. and the U.K. He can be followed on X @ChristopherGuly

February 1, 2025
Trump official travels to Venezuela in push for Maduro regime to take back Tren de Aragua gang members

President Donald Trump’s envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, has traveled to Venezuela to deliver an in-person message to socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro about accepting violent criminals deported from the United States.

On a call with reporters Friday, Mauricio Claver-Carone, the U.S. special envoy to Latin America, said Grenell will tell Maduro to take back all the Venezuelan criminals and Tren de Aragua gang members that have been “exported to the United States, and to do so unequivocally and without condition.”

Grenell will also demand that Venezuela immediately release American hostages being held in that country, Claver-Carone said.

TRUMP TAPS RICHARD GRENELL AS PRESIDENTIAL ENVOY FOR SPECIAL MISSIONS, EDWARD S. WALSH AS IRELAND AMBASSADOR

Ric Grenell, former Acting Director of National Intelligence speaks on Day 3 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 17, 2024. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

The trip “focuses on two very specific issues. That we expect that Venezuelan criminals and gangs will be returned, as they are, to every country in the world, without conditions, and two, that American hostages need to be released immediately, unequivocally,” he explained.

“This is not a quid pro quo. It’s not a negotiation in exchange for anything. President Trump himself has made that very clear.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Friday that Grenell had arrived in Venezuela on orders from the president.

‘WEAPONIZED MIGRATION’: US FACES DEADLY CONSEQUENCES WITH MADURO IN POWER, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION WARNS

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro holds a news conference at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, July 31, 2024, three days after his disputed reelection. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Despite widespread belief among Venezuelans and much of the international community that Maduro lost the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election to opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, he was sworn into his third six-year term earlier this month.

The U.S. does not recognize Maduro as the legitimate head of state of Venezuela.

Opposition leader María Corina Machado has called on Venezuelan citizens to protest the Maduro regime and demand that González be installed as the rightful president of Venezuela.

DETAILS OF VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER’S POSSIBLE ARREST REMAIN UNCLEAR AMID MADURO INAUGURATION RESISTANCE

Still image from social media video shows suspected juvenile Tren de Aragua members based out of the Roosevelt Hotel, who have allegedly been attacking nearby Times Square in a string of robberies. (Obtained by New York Post)

As many as 10 Americans are currently detained in Venezuela, although the State Department has not declared them wrongfully detained. Three are U.S. citizens who allegedly participated in a plot to destabilize the country, according to Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.

The State Department has denied any U.S. involvement with a plot to overthrow Maduro.

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It remains unclear how many Americans are currently held in Venezuela following the significant prisoner swap in 2023 when Washington and Caracas negotiated the release of dozens of prisoners, including 10 Americans, in exchange for Colombian businessman Alex Saab, a close ally of Maduro.

Saab was arrested during the first Trump administration on charges related to a $350 million bribery scheme.

Chris Pandolfo is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital. Send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @ChrisCPandolfo.

January 31, 2025
‘Unfit to lead’: Blue state governor lashes out at Trump for targeting DEI policies after DC plane crash

Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker accused President Donald Trump of being too incompetent to lead the country because he suggested the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) prioritization of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) played a role in the tragic Washington, D.C., aircraft collision on Wednesday.

“We face the unfortunate reality that we must be honest with the nation about: Donald Trump is unfit to lead during moments of crisis like this,” Pritzker said in a statement Thursday night.

The blue state governor, whom Trump evoked on the campaign trail as an example of the downfall of Democrat-run states, urged the Trump administration to respond to the American Airlines crash with “information and facts to instill confidence in our nation’s aviation safety.”

“Before victims have even been identified, Trump is blaming people with disabilities,” Pritzker said, referring to FAA DEI hiring practices. “He’s blaming the U.S. service members in the Blackhawk helicopter. He’s blaming hiring programs he can’t even name or offer examples of. The buck stops with him — yet he is failing to demonstrate his role as protector of the American people and head of our government.”

TRUMP ATTACKS DEI POLICIES AFTER DC PLANE CRASH, SAYS FAA EMPLOYEES MUST BE HELD TO ‘HIGHEST STANDARDS’

President Joe Biden, right, is greeted by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker upon arrival at Soldier Field Landing Zone on his way to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19, 2024. (Reuters/Craig Hudson)

The second-term governor is among the long list of Democrats considering a 2028 presidential run. Pritzker has seized opportunities over the past two weeks to play a leadership role in Democrat opposition to Trump, refusing, for example, to follow Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship.

PRITZKER BASHES TRUMP ORDER ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP: ‘WE WILL NOT FOLLOW AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL ORDER’

Pritzker’s comments Thursday were the latest in a long-standing feud between the two.

“Sloppy J.B. Pritzker… has presided over the destruction and disintegration of Illinois at levels never seen before in any State,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in June. “Crime is rampant and people are, sadly, fleeing Illinois. Unless a change is made at the Governor’s level, Illinois can never be Great Again!”

Trump’s attacks have veered into the ad hominem, labeling Pritzker a “rotund Governor from the once great State of Illinois, who makes Chris Christie look like a male model.”

In his statement, Pritzker demanded the Trump administration answer his “critical questions,” including why the control tower was not fully staffed during the crash; why the Trump administration fired members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee; whether the president now understands fully staffing federal agencies is a “matter of life and death”; and whether he plans to reverse federal workforce cuts.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, right, slammed President Donald Trump’s leadership following the American Airlines crash. (AP/Getty)

Pritzker questioned whether Elon Musk played a role in the removal of the former FAA director; why a replacement for FAA director was not named until after the crash; whether the federal government authorized the Blackhawk helicopter to fly on a commercial flight path; and if the government will continue allowing helicopters to fly at the same altitude as commercial planes.

“Will the President, Vice President, Defense Secretary, and Transportation Secretary cooperate with the independent NTSB investigation and correct any misinformation they spread about the crash?” Pritzker demanded to know.

Trump on Thursday listed headlines about Biden-era FAA DEI hiring that he suggested weakened the agency.

“Here’s one,” Trump said in the White House briefing room. “The FAA’s diversity push includes focus on hiring people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities. That is amazing. And then it says the FAA says people with severe disabilities, the most underrepresented segment of the workforce, and they want them in. They can be air traffic controllers. I don’t think so.”

President Donald Trump speaks in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

“This was on January 14th, so that was a week before I entered office,” Trump said, seeking to push blame onto the Biden administration. “They put a big push to put diversity into the FAA’s program.“

Trump then expanded his list of conditions allowed among controllers: “Hearing, vision, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability, psychiatric disability, and dwarfism.”

The president drew a stark contrast between Democratic policies and his own first-week executive orders that halted DEI programs in the federal government and restored “the highest standards of air traffic controllers.”

“Brilliant people have to be in those positions,” he stated.

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When asked how he came to the conclusion that diversity had something to do with the crash, the president said, “Because I have common sense.”

Pritzker is not the only potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender who took issue with Trump’s comments. After Trump called former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg a “disaster,” Buttigieg, a 2020 Democratic primary candidate, called Trump’s comments “despicable.”

“As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying,” he wrote on X. “We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch. President Trump now oversees the military and the FAA. One of his first acts was to fire and suspend some of the key personnel who helped keep our skies safe.”

Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

January 31, 2025
LARRY KUDLOW: Trump tells Mexico and Canada — America First!

If President Donald Trump believes that Mexico and Canada are damaging America’s national security by failing to sufficiently help us on the border to prevent illegal crossings and the influx of fentanyl and other drugs, or not helping us defeat the Mexican cartels – then I believe he is absolutely right to use his tough tariff diplomacy by slapping 25% tariffs on both countries.

And that includes the 10% tariff hike on China, which is supplying the fentanyl drug components that are then manufactured in Mexico and sent across the U.S. line. China is also subverting the USMCA North American free trade deal by building plants in Mexico and then dumping cheap cars into the U.S., without adhering to U.S. domestic content and other rules.

With today’s announcement by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt that President Trump has made up his mind and will impose these tariffs tomorrow, it’s very clear that that is the President’s conclusion.

Whether he has any specific metrics in mind regarding illegal border crossings or drugs, or sex trafficking, remains to be seen. Whether he will engage in additional negotiations with Canada and Mexico remains to be seen.

But he has laid down the law. Tariffs are a legitimate tool to engage in national security policy as well as economic policy.

Presumably, if Mexico and Canada meet Mr. Trump’s requirements, then the tariffs could be lifted. But we don’t know that. And we await some sort of statement from the President himself, perhaps tonight or tomorrow.

‘Kudlow’ panelists Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., and Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., analyze President Donald Trump’s foreign economic policies.

By the way, Mexico’s ties to China have become a major problem. Mexican imports from China have increased 50% over the last 5 years. And Chinese investment in Mexico is up the same 50%. USMCA rules must be changed to place explicit limitations on Chinese content.

Right now, the U.S. is running a $170 billion trade deficit with Mexico, sustained across numerous product groups.

Canada is a different story. The U.S. is running a $60 to $70 billion trade deficit with them, but if energy is removed we actually have a surplus with Canada – including auto and manufacturing goods. 60% of U.S. oil imports come from Canada.

But Canadian oil companies provide us with a 20% discount because their heavy crude has to be refined into gasoline and diesel fuels. As some oil experts point out, a 25% tariff wipes out the 20% discount. And they fear that gasoline prices in the Midwest and the northern states could jump by 40 to 75 cents. So, the oil industry is hoping for a carve-out from the 25% tariff.

On the tariff news announced by Mrs. Leavitt, the Dow Jones fell 330 points. Wall Street continues to believe that tariffs are inflationary.

As I’ve suggested before, they are not.

‘Kudlow’ panelists Taylor Riggs, Steve Forbes and John Carney unpack President-elect Donald Trump’s economic policies.

Sure, there might be some minor one-time product price increases. But exporters to the U.S. will bear 50% or more of the tariff increase by lowering their prices in order to sell to American consumers and businesses. That was our experience with China during Trump’s first term.

The only way inflation is going to pick up in any sustained fashion is if the Federal Reserve keeps the printing presses wide open.

In Mr. Trump’s Truth Social post on Wednesday, he criticized the Fed for failing to stop the massive Bidenflation that ruined blue-collar affordability with a 20%-plus price hike over the past four years.

But Mr. Trump’s economic program of lower tax rates, deregulation, unleashing energy production, large reductions in federal spending and the DC bureaucracy, is itself profoundly counter-inflationary and pro-growth. That is why inflation is not the issue.

And, yesterday, Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social that he will not tolerate any replacement of the mighty U.S. dollar in international trade. He threatened 100% tariffs on the so-called BRICS countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. King Dollar is also counter inflationary.

Instead, Mr. Trump’s tariff diplomacy is geared toward protecting America’s national security – and its economic security.

And he insists… that America comes first.

January 31, 2025
Trump administration to pause federal government websites in effort to eliminate DEI, anti-Trump content

The Trump administration will put a pause on most federal government websites Friday evening in an effort to eliminate DEI content and any language opposed to President Trump’s agenda, Fox News Digital has learned.

A Trump administration official told Fox News Digital that federal government websites are expected to go dark at around 5:00 p.m. Friday evening.

The official told Fox News Digital that the length of the pause on federal websites is unclear at this time, but will seek to remove content that is “anti-Trump administration.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.

January 31, 2025
Trump admin files first antitrust action to block tech deal

Constellation Research CEO R. Ray Wang and Heritage Foundation public finance economist E.J. Antoni join Mornings with Maria to discuss their outlooks for 2025.

The Trump administration took its first antitrust action on Thursday, announcing a lawsuit to block a proposed $14 billion tech industry deal.

The U.S. Department of Justice filed suit to block Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) from acquiring a rival wireless local area network (WLAN) tech provider, Juniper Networks.

According to the complaint, Juniper has grown rapidly from being a relatively small competitor in the enterprise-grade WLAN market to become one of the three largest U.S. suppliers of the technology. The DOJ contends that Juniper’s innovation has brought competitive pressures that have lowered costs for consumers – a dynamic that would be undercut if the deal were to go ahead, as HPE and market leader Cisco would control over 70% of the market.

“HPE and Juniper are successful companies. But rather than continue to compete as rivals in the WLAN marketplace, they seek to consolidate – increasing concentration in an already concentrated market,” said acting assistant attorney general Omeed Assefi of the DOJ’s Antitrust Division.

INVESTMENT BANKERS SAY TRUMP MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS BOOM ALREADY UNDERWAY

Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s proposed $14 billion acquisition of Juniper was the subject of an antitrust lawsuit by the Trump administration’s DOJ. (AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images / Getty Images)

“The threat this merger poses is not theoretical. Vital industries in our country – including American hospitals and small businesses – rely on wireless networks to complete their missions. This proposed merger would significantly reduce competition and weaken innovation, resulting in large segments of the American economy paying more for less from wireless technology providers,” Assefi said.

Ticker Security Last Change Change %

JNPR JUNIPER NETWORKS INC. 34.74 +0.37 +1.08%

HPE HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE CO. 21.02 -0.14 -0.68%

DOJ’s complaint noted that HPE had a “mandatory training for its engineers and salespeople, to ‘beat’ Juniper when competing for contracts,” adding that HPE sales teams viewed the threat from Juniper as “dire.”

The complaint quoted one former HPE executive as telling his team that “there are no rules in a street fight” and that they should try to “kill” Juniper when competing with the firm for sales.

MERGERS THAT WERE BLOCKED OR CHALLENGED BY THE BIDEN ADMIN IN 2024

Juniper and HPE pushed back on the DOJ’s lawsuit and argued their tie-up would be beneficial for the market. (Jaque Silva/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

HPE and Juniper pushed back on the DOJ’s lawsuit to block the merger, arguing in a statement that the agency’s “analysis of this acquisition is fundamentally flawed” and vowing to “vigorously defend against the Department of Justice’s overreaching interpretation” of antitrust law.

“Consistent with the conclusions reached by all other major antitrust regulators who have reviewed the deal, this transaction brings together two complementary networking offerings and will create a networking player with the scope and scale to more effectively compete with global incumbents,” the companies wrote.

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The DOJ’s suit to block the acquisition comes as dealmakers expect the new Trump administration to take a lighter regulatory approach to scrutinizing proposed deals after the Biden administration blocked several high-profile mergers.

January 31, 2025
Trump official travels to Venezuela to negotiate deal for deporting Tren de Aragua gang members

President Donald Trump’s envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, has traveled to Venezuela to deliver an in-person message to socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro about accepting violent criminals deported from the United States.

On a call with reporters Friday, Mauricio Claver-Carone, the U.S. special envoy to Latin America, said Grenell will tell Maduro to take back all the Venezuelan criminals and Tren de Aragua gang members that have been “exported to the United States, and to do so unequivocally and without condition.”

Grenell will also demand that Veneuzeula immediately release American hostages being held in that country, Claver-Carone said.

TRUMP TAPS RICHARD GRENELL AS PRESIDENTIAL ENVOY FOR SPECIAL MISSIONS, EDWARD S. WALSH AS IRELAND AMBASSADOR

Ric Grenell, former Acting Director of National Intelligence speaks on Day 3 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 17, 2024. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

The trip “focuses on two very specific issues. That we expect that Venezuelan criminals and gangs will be returned, as they are, to every country in the world, without conditions, and two, that American hostages need to be released immediately, unequivocally,” he explained.

“This is not a quid pro quo. It’s not a negotiation in exchange for anything. President Trump himself has made that very clear.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Friday that Grenell had arrived in Venezuela on orders from the president.

‘WEAPONIZED MIGRATION’: US FACES DEADLY CONSEQUENCES WITH MADURO IN POWER, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION WARNS

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro holds a news conference at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, July 31, 2024, three days after his disputed reelection. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Despite widespread belief among Venezuelans and much of the international community that Maduro lost the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election to opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, he was sworn into his third six-year term earlier this month.

The U.S. does not recognize Maduro as the legitimate head of state of Venezuela.

Opposition leader María Corina Machado has called on Venezuelan citizens to protest the Maduro regime and demand that González be installed as the rightful president of Venezuela.

DETAILS OF VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER’S POSSIBLE ARREST REMAIN UNCLEAR AMID MADURO INAUGURATION RESISTANCE

Still image from social media video shows suspected juvenile Tren de Aragua members based out of the Roosevelt Hotel, who have allegedly been attacking nearby Times Square in a string of robberies. (Obtained by New York Post)

As many as 10 Americans are currently detained in Venezuela, although the State Department has not declared them wrongfully detained. Three are U.S. citizens who allegedly participated in a plot to destabilize the country, according to Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.

The State Department has denied any U.S. involvement with a plot to overthrow Maduro.

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It remains unclear how many Americans are currently held in Venezuela following the significant prisoner swap in 2023 when Washington and Caracas negotiated the release of dozens of prisoners, including 10 Americans, in exchange for Colombian businessman Alex Saab, a close ally of Maduro.

Saab was arrested during the first Trump administration on charges related to a $350 million bribery scheme.

Chris Pandolfo is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital. Send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @ChrisCPandolfo.

January 31, 2025
Since taking office, what are the legal challenges launched against the Trump admin?

Since taking office, President Donald Trump and his administration have become the target of multiple lawsuits over the president’s agenda and policies.

The Trump White House has faced numerous legal challenges, including deportation policies, an executive order to end birthright citizenship and a directive to freeze federal funding.

Birthright citizenship

On the day of his inauguration, Trump signed an executive order ending birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants, with many legal experts arguing that the right is enshrined in the Constitution under the 14th Amendment.

BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘PURGE’ OF ‘MINORITY’ FEDERAL WORKERS

“The privilege of United States citizenship is a priceless and profound gift,” Trump says in the order, titled, “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship.”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration that same day “on behalf of organizations with members whose babies born on U.S. soil will be denied citizenship under the order.” The ACLU also claimed the order is unconstitutional and against congressional intent and Supreme Court precedent.

Since taking office, President Donald Trump and his administration have become the target of multiple lawsuits over the president’s agenda and policies. (Reuters/Carlos Barria)

Eighteen Democrat-led states then launched their own lawsuit, also claiming the order is unconstitutional and “unprecedented.”

“The President has no authority to rewrite or nullify a constitutional amendment or duly enacted statute. Nor is he empowered by any other source of law to limit who receives United States citizenship at birth,” the lawsuit reads.

TRUMP COULD BE ON VERGE OF LEGAL VICTORY AGAINST CBS AS SETTLEMENT SPECULATION HEATS UP

Attorneys general from New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine and others signed on to the suit, along with the city and county of San Francisco, Calif., and Washington, D.C.

A U.S. district judge also temporarily blocked Trump’s order in a separate lawsuit filed by the states of Arizona, Illinois, Oregon and Washington, describing the action as “blatantly unconstitutional.”

Mass deportations

Several Chicago sanctuary city groups filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its mass deportation policy, saying it violates their First Amendment rights.

The suit, filed by Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Organized Communities Against Deportations, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights Inc., and Raise the Floor Alliance, states that “the threat of ICE agents flooding into communities has already impacted Chicagoans and chilled their rights to freely exercise their religion and assemble.”

ICE and DEA migrant raids in New York City. (Drug Enforcement Administration New York)

Ending DEI policies

Trump also signed an executive order ending all federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. On Monday, the president signed an order stating that the “adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life.”

TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDERS STRIPPING FEDERAL FUNDING FROM SCHOOLS THAT TEACH CRT, SUPPORTING SCHOOL CHOICE

Six transgender military members filed suit against the Trump administration, arguing that the order is unconstitutional and violates the Equal Protection component of the Fifth Amendment.

“Rather than being based on any legitimate governmental purpose, the ban reflects animosity toward transgender people because of their transgender status,” the suit claims.

Freezing federal aid funding

The Office of Management and Budget issued a memo on Monday with a directive to pause all federal grants and loans aiming to eradicate “wokeness” and the “weaponization of government” in an effort to improve government efficiency. The memo claims that nearly $3 trillion was spent in 2024 on such assistance programs.

New York Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday led a coalition of 22 other attorneys general suing to stop the implementation of the memo. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Congressional Black Caucus Foundation)

The White House shortly thereafter insisted that the freeze did not affect programs such as Social Security, Medicare or other entitlement payments.

Alongside Senate Democrats announcing a coordinated response with Democratic governors, blue state attorneys general, along with advocacy and non-profit groups, filed their own suits over the directive.

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On Tuesday, New York Attorney General Letitia James led a coalition of 22 other attorneys general suing to stop the implementation of the memo.

Likewise, a handful of non-profit organizations and health associations, including a LGBTQ+ advocacy group, filed a lawsuit Tuesday over the directive.

A federal judge on Tuesday imposed a stay on Trump’s action, delaying it until Monday.

Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw, Breanne Deppisch and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

Haley Chi-Sing is a Writer for Fox News Digital. You can reach her at @haleychising on X.

January 31, 2025
Deion Sanders’ son likens himself Trump when discussing people who ‘always just try to destroy you’

The Sanders family is in the football limelight, and for very good reason.

Shedeur Sanders may very well be the first selection in this year’s NFL Draft just as his father, Deion, has put the Colorado football program on the map as the team’s head coach.

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After a successful season, Deion’s name has been floated around the NFL rumor mill, perhaps not coincidentally, as his son will go pro in about three months.

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Shilo Sanders and Donald Trump (IMAGN/AP Newsroom)

Shedeur’s brother, Shilo, isn’t as highly touted as the others in his family, but he was still at the Senior Bowl this week to give scouts another look.

Well, the practices didn’t go great for him, as several video clips of him getting beat went viral.

Shilo was asked about those videos, and then he compared himself to President Donald Trump.

“If you just hate me, or you want to hate me . . . paint me in a bad picture, they do that to our President, they do that to everybody, you know. So I’m not going to be safe from it,” Sanders said. “But it does get aggravating whenever you’re putting in work, and you’re working on your craft and people are just steadily destroying you.”

Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders (21) runs for a touchdown after making an interception against the Colorado State Rams during the first half at Folsom Field. (Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports)

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“I just care about what the scouts think, I care about what Coach Prime thinks and my family thinks,” he added. “And I’ve got a good circle around me, so I really don’t let that stuff affect me. It’s just really stupid, though, how people always just try to destroy you, and I don’t do nothing bad to nobody.”

The actual Senior Bowl itself was a better showing for Shilo. Although his West team lost, 25-0, he finished with five tackles and a pass breakup.

Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders (21) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA Today Sports)

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Shilo joined the Buffaloes along with his father and brother, who left Jackson State at the end of the 2022 season to head to Boulder. Shilo played in 10 games this past season, recording 67 tackles as a corner, the same position his father played during his Hall of Fame career.

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January 31, 2025