Tom Homan, President-elect Trump's "border czar," floated the idea of putting the children of illegal immigrants in halfway homes as part of the incoming administration's mass deportation plan.
"As far as U.S. children — children, that’s going to be a difficult situation, because we’re not going to detain your U.S. citizen children, which means, you know, they’re going to be put in a halfway house," Homan told NewsNation on Thursday, The Hill reported
"We're going to ask the American people to take notice: see something, say something and contact us," Holman told Kellyanne Conway on "Hannity." "If one phone call out of a thousand saves a child from sex trafficking or forced labor, then that's one life saved."
Homan acknowledged it would be a "daunting task," but "we're going to give it everything we've got."
During his interview with NewsNation, Homan said giving birth to children born in the U.S. won't spare illegal immigrants from being deported.
"Having a U.S. citizen child does not make you immune to our laws, and that’s not the message we want to send to the whole world, that you can have a child and you’re immune to the laws of this country," Homan said.
In addition to mass deportations, Trump has threatened to go after birthright citizenship, which automatically grants American citizenship to those born in the country.
Congressional Democrats are pushing for federal policies mandating that gyms and fitness centers in the U.S. be accessible for Americans with disabilities.
Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., introduced a bill "to promote the provision of exercise machines and equipment, and exercise and fitness classes and instruction, that are accessible to individuals with disabilities" earlier this week, the Congressional Record shows.
It appears to be a companion bill to the "Exercise and Fitness For All Act" introduced in the upper chamber by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., earlier this year.
The legislation would direct the U.S. Access Board, a federal agency regulating accessibility for people with disabilities, to create new rules for fitness facilities across the country.
It would mandate "that exercise or fitness instruction offered by the exercise or fitness service provider are accessible to individuals with disabilities," and that at least one employee trained in working with people with disabilities be on the clock during all operating hours.
If implemented, it would be a significant step forward for accessibility advocates in the U.S., and a significant change for potentially hundreds of U.S. businesses.
Duckworth told Forbes in July of this year that part of her inspiration for the bill came from her own struggles to find adequate gym equipment. Duckworth, a retired lieutenant colonel, lost both of her legs when a rocket-propelled grenade hit the helicopter she was co-piloting in Iraq in 2004.
She and DeSaulnier were both part of a prior push in the 117th Congress to introduce the bill, alongside late Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska.
"[F]ar too many Americans are still excluded from basic access to exercise equipment and fitness classes due to outdated equipment and services, inaccessible to individuals with disabilities," DeSaulnier said in a statement at the time.
"It is unacceptable that these barriers still exist that make it more difficult for individuals with disabilities to get the exercise they need to live healthy lives."
His re-introduction of the bill on Tuesday appears to be largely symbolic, considering there are no more legislative days in the 118th Congress’ calendar.
Fox News Digital reached out to DeSaulnier’s office for further comment.
Former presidential hopeful Marianne Williamson announced a bid to become the next Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair.
In a letter addressed to DNC members posted to her Transform with Marianne Williamson site, she pledged that as chair she would seek to "reinvent the party."
She also warned that President-elect Trump's political accomplishments should not be underestimated.
"President Trump has ushered in an age of political theatre – a collective adrenaline rush that has enabled him to not only move masses of people into his camp but also masses of people away from ours. It does not serve us to underestimate the historic nature of what he has achieved," Williamson said.
"In fact, it’s important that we recognize the psychological and emotional dimensions of Trump’s appeal. We need to understand it to create the energy to counter it. MAGA is a distinctly 21st century political movement, and it will not be defeated by a 20th century tool kit. Data analysis, fundraising, field organizing, and beefed-up technology – while all are important - will not be enough to prepare the way for Democratic victory in 2024 and beyond," she asserted.
"We will create a surge of patriotic fervor, and a connectedness of the American heart to the great historical legacy of this country. Our ultimate success will be creating in people’s minds a sense that in order to further that legacy, your smartest move is to vote for Democrats," she contended.
Williamson, an author who says she has "worked as a spiritual/political activist" over the course of her career, pursued the Democratic presidential nomination during the last two presidential election cycles but failed to gain traction in both cases.
In early 2020 she dropped out before the first nominating contest, the Iowa caucus, took place. In 2024, she suspended her campaign in February but unsuspended it later that same month.
Other figures have also announced bids for the DNC chair role, including former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who recently served as Social Security Administration commissioner.
Congress spasmed between a staggering, 1,500-page spending bill. Then defeated a narrow, 116-page bill – which President-elect Trump endorsed. Things got worse when the House only commandeered a scant 174 yeas for the Trump-supported bill and 38 Republicans voted nay. Circumstances grew even more dire when the House actually voted to avert a holiday government shutdown – but passed the bill with more Democrats (196) than Republicans (170). Thirty-four GOPers voted nay.
It was long likely that House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., might face a problem winning the speaker’s gavel immediately when the new Congress convenes at noon ET on Jan. 3. Congressional experts knew that Johnson could be in trouble once the contours of the reed-thin House majority came into focus weeks after the November election. This could blossom into a full-blown crisis for Johnson – and House Republicans –when the speaker’s vote commences a little after 1 p.m. ET next Friday.
Johnson emerges bruised from last week’s government funding donnybrook. Anywhere from four to 10 Republicans could oppose Johnson in the speaker’s race.
The House clocks in at 434 members with one vacancy. That’s thanks to former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. He resigned his position for this Congress a few weeks ago. Even though Gaetz won re-election in November, his resignation letter – read on the floor of the House – signaled he did not plan to serve in the new Congress, which begins in January.
This is the breakdown when the Congress starts: 219 Republicans to 214 Democrats.
Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., remains in the House for now. So does Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. Trump tapped her to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. That’s pending Senate confirmation – perhaps in late January or early February. Once Waltz and Stefanik resign, the GOP majority dwindles to 217-214.
But the speaker’s election on Jan. 3 poses a special challenge. Here’s the bar for Johnson – or anyone else: The speaker of the House must win an outright majority of all members casting ballots for someone by name. In other words, the person with the most votes does not win. That’s what happened repeatedly to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., when he routinely outpolled House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for speaker to begin this Congress in January 2023. But it took days for McCarthy to cross the proper threshold.
More on that in a moment.
So let’s crunch the math for Mike Johnson. If there are 219 Republicans and four voted for someone besides him – and all Democrats cast ballots for Jeffries, the tally is 215-214. But there’s no speaker. No one attained an outright majority of all members casting ballots for someone by name. The magic number is 218 if all 434 members vote.
By rule, this paralyzes the House. The House absolutely, unequivocally, cannot do anything until it elects a speaker. Period.
The House can’t swear in members. Technically, they’re still representatives-elect. Only after the House chooses its speaker does he or she in turn swear in the membership.
The House certainly can’t pass legislation. It can’t form committees. It’s frozen in a parliamentary paralysis until it elects a speaker.
Now, I hope you’re sitting down for the next part.
This also means that the House cannot certify the results of the Electoral College, making Trump the 47th president of the United States on Jan. 6.
The failure to elect a speaker compels the House to vote over and over…
And over... and... over…
Until it finally taps someone.
McCarthy’s election incinerated 15 ballots over five days two years ago.
The House settled into a congressional cryogenic freeze for three weeks after members ousted McCarthy in October 2023. It burned through two speaker candidates off the floor – House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn. – and one candidate on the floor: Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.
So you see the problem.
Consider for a moment that prior to last year, the House never went to a second ballot to select a speaker since Speaker Frederick Gillett, R-Mass., in 1923.
It took 63 ballots before the House finally settled on Speaker Howell Cobb, D-Ga., in 1849.
But that’s nothing. The longest speaker’s election consumed two months before the House elected Speaker Nathaniel Banks, R-Mass., in 1856 – on the 133rd ballot.
So anything which elongates this into a collision with Jan. 6 - the statutory day to certify the election results and now one of the most ignominious days in American history – is dangerous.
To be clear: there is no dispute that Trump won the election. There is no anticipation of a repeat of a riot at the Capitol like four years ago. But a failure to certify the Electoral College on the day it’s supposed to be completed – especially after the 2021 experience – is playing with fire. Such a scenario would again reveal another, never-before-considered vulnerability in the fragile American political system.
On Jan. 6, the House and Senate are supposed to meet in a joint session of Congress to tabulate and certify the electoral votes. Any disputes over a state’s slate of electoral votes compels the House and Senate to then debate and vote separately on those results. The election is not final until the joint session concludes and the vice president – in this case Kamala Harris – in her capacity as president of the Senate, announces a victor.
Congress is not required to certify the Electoral College on the calendar day of Jan. 6. There is actually some leeway to wrap things up. In 2021, the Electoral College wasn’t certified until around 3:52 a.m. on Jan. 7. It only becomes a major problem if this drags on through noon on Jan. 20. That’s when the Constitution prescribes that the president-elect take the oath of office.
What happens if the Electoral College isn’t sorted out by Jan. 20? Well, President Biden is done. So he’s gone. The same with Harris. Next in the presidential line of succession is the speaker of the House. Well, there’s no speaker. So who becomes president?
Well, there is at that moment a president pro tempore of the Senate, the most senior member of the majority party. He or she is fourth in line to the presidency. At this moment, the president pro tempore is Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. But Republicans claim control of the chamber in early January. And unlike the House, if it’s stymied over a speaker, the Senate is functioning. That means 91-year-old Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, becomes Senate president pro tempore. Grassley has served in the Senate since 1981.
If the House is still frittering away time, trying to elect a speaker on Jan. 20, Grassley likely becomes "acting president."
I write "likely" because this gets into some serious, extra-constitutional turf. These are unprecedented scenarios. Strange lands never visited in the American political experience.
And it all hinges on Mike Johnson – or frankly, someone else – wrapping up the speaker’s vote with dispatch on Jan. 3. Any interregnum like the past two speaker elections begins to establish challenging historical precedents.
But frankly, it’s unclear if the House can avoid such contretemps.
It’s about the math. And once again, balancing that parliamentary equation is tenuous at best.
A Texas man is being charged with attempting to smuggle over 100 illegal immigrants into the U.S. in a locked tractor trailer.
Juan Manuel Aguirre, 49, is facing a three-count indictment of conspiracy to transport an undocumented alien within the United States and the transportation of an undocumented alien within the United States for financial gain, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas on Monday.
Aguirre, a resident of the South Texas city of Laredo, was observed by law enforcement loading a large group of migrants into a white trailer in a warehouse parking lot on Dec. 2. After it departed, authorities conducted a traffic stop on the white truck hauling the trailer and allegedly found 101 undocumented immigrants, including 12 unaccompanied children, crammed in.
The Justice Department statement said two of the migrants reported having difficulty breathing and feared for their lives due to the conditions in the trailer.
Aguirre is facing 10 years in prison for each of the three counts and fines of up to $250,000.
The number of individuals sentenced for alien smuggling offenses in the U.S. has steadily risen under the Biden administration, reaching 4,731 in fiscal year 2023, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission.
The top five districts for human smuggling are all along the southern border. With Texas accounting for over 60% of the U.S. border with Mexico, the top two districts for human smuggling were both in Texas.
There were 64,124 alien smuggling offense cases reported in 2023. About 10% of alien smuggling cases involve unaccompanied minors.
In October, local news source KGNS reported a concerning rise in human smuggling incidents in Laredo, resulting in high-risk vehicle pursuits and other dangerous situations.
Earlier this month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott launched a new billboard ad campaign in Mexico and Central America to warn potential illegal migrants of the dangers of attempting to cross into the U.S. illegally.
"We’re here to expose the truth to immigrants who are thinking about coming here, the truth about the traffickers who assault so many of the women and children along the way," the governor said. "The message is: Do not risk a dangerous trip just to be arrested and deported."
The State Department’s foreign disinformation center, accused by conservatives of censoring U.S. citizens, shut its doors due to lack of funding this week.
Elon Musk had deemed the Global Engagement Center (GEC), established in 2016, the "worst offender in U.S. government censorship & media manipulation," and its funding was stripped as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the Pentagon’s yearly policy bill.
"The Global Engagement Center will terminate by operation of law [by the end of the day] on December 23, 2024," a State Department spokesperson said in a statement. "The Department of State has consulted with Congress regarding next steps."
Lawmakers had originally included funding for the GEC in its continuing resolution (CR), or bill to fund the government beyond a Friday deadline. But conservatives balked at that iteration of the funding bill, and it was rewritten without money for the GEC and other funding riders.
The agency had a budget of around $61 million and 120 people on staff.
At a time when adversaries like Iran and Russia sow disinformation throughout the world, Republicans saw little value in the agency’s work, arguing that much of its disinformation analysis is already offered by the private sector.
The GEC, according to reporter Matt Taibbi, "funded a secret list of subcontractors and helped pioneer an insidious—and idiotic—new form of blacklisting" during the pandemic.
Taibbi wrote last year when exposing the Twitter Files that the GEC "flagged accounts as ‘Russian personas and proxies’ based on criteria like, ‘Describing the Coronavirus as an engineered bioweapon,’ blaming ‘research conducted at the Wuhan institute,’ and ‘attributing the appearance of the virus to the CIA.’"
"State also flagged accounts that retweeted news that Twitter banned the popular U.S. website ZeroHedge, claiming that it 'led to another flurry of disinformation narratives.'" ZeroHedge had made reports speculating that the virus had a lab origin.
The GEC is part of the State Department but also partners with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Special Operations Command and the Department of Homeland Security. The GEC also funds the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab).
DFRLab Director Graham Brookie previously denied the claim that they use tax money to track Americans, saying its GEC grants have "an exclusively international focus."
A 2024 report from the Republican-led House Small Business Committee criticized the GEC for awarding grants to organizations whose work includes tracking domestic as well as foreign misinformation and rating the credibility of U.S.-based publishers, according to the Washington Post.
The lawsuit was brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Daily Wire and the Federalist, who sued the State Department, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other government officials earlier this month for "engaging in a conspiracy to censor, deplatform and demonetize American media outlets disfavored by the federal government."
The lawsuit stated that the GEC was used as a tool for the defendants to carry out its censorship.
"Congress authorized the creation of the Global Engagement Center expressly to counter foreign propaganda and misinformation," the Texas Attorney General’s Office said in a press release. "Instead, the agency weaponized this authority to violate the First Amendment and suppress Americans’ constitutionally-protected speech.
The complaint describes the State Department’s project as "one of the most egregious government operations to censor the American press in the history of the nation.’"
The lawsuit argued that The Daily Wire, The Federalist and other conservative news organizations were branded "unreliable" or "risky" by the agency, "starving them of advertising revenue and reducing the circulation of their reporting and speech—all as a direct result of [the State Department’s] unlawful censorship scheme."
Meanwhile, America First Legal, headed up by Stephen Miller, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for deputy chief of staff for policy, revealed that the GEC had used taxpayer dollars to create a video game called "Cat Park" to "Inoculate Youth Against Disinformation" abroad.
The game "inoculates players . . . by showing how sensational headlines, memes, and manipulated media can be used to advance conspiracy theories and incite real-world violence," according to a memo obtained by America First Legal.
Mike Benz, the executive director at the Foundation For Freedom Online, said the game was "anti-populist" and pushed certain political beliefs instead of protecting Americans from foreign disinformation, accordig to the Tennessee Star.
A trio of House Democrats in the progressive "Squad" is demanding an end to the U.S.-led investigation into a key ally's anti-Israel arms embargo.
Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Summer Lee, D-Pa., wrote to the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), an independent agency that oversees maritime trade affecting the U.S., regarding Spain's "decision to deny port entry to ships carrying weapons bound for the Israeli government and its ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza."
"This investigation is a reckless insult to our allies in Spain, which has only sought to enforce in good faith its sovereign national policies and uphold international law, including its treaty obligations to prevent genocide," the hardline-left lawmakers wrote.
"It is bad enough that the United States is violating these same obligations and its own domestic laws by sending these weapons. We urge you to immediately suspend this obstruction of justice and withdraw this misguided investigation."
Spain, a longstanding U.S. ally and fellow member of NATO, said it would stop selling weapons to Israel when its war with Hamas broke out in October 2023.
Since then, the Spanish government has been accused in three separate instances of refusing ships from docking in its ports over allegations those ships were carrying weapons meant for Israel.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told state TV channel RTVE of one of the incidents in May, according to the Associated Press. "The Middle East needs peace. That is why this first denial of authorization will start a policy for any boat carrying arms to Israel that wants to dock at a Spanish port."
The FMC opened its probe earlier this month after receiving information that "indicates Spain has refused entry to certain vessels on at least three separate occasions this year," a press release read. "The two most recent instances involved U.S.-flagged vessels."
The agency will now "investigate whether regulations or practices of foreign governments result in conditions unfavorable to shipping in the foreign trade of the United States."
But the House Democrats wrote: "Spain's decisions to bar the Maersk Denver and the Maersk Seletar from stopping in transit at its port in Algeciras in early November, as well as its decision to deny port of call to the Marianne Danica at the port of Cartegena in May of this year, are legitimate actions taken by a sovereign state to ensure that it is in compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law."
Tlaib, Bush and Lee have been three of Congress' loudest critics of the Israeli government since it launched its invasion in Gaza.
The campaign was launched in response to Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 surprise attack in southern Israel. Terrorists crossed the border and killed more than 1,200 Israelis who were in their homes, attending a music festival, and other areas.
The responding operation to eradicate Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 45,000 people, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
The trio of House Democrats has frequently accused the Biden administration of improperly acquiescing to Israel, the U.S.'s closest ally in the Middle East.
They also argued the U.S. has no standing to investigate Spain's decision, claiming "these actions do nothing to threaten the reliable international ocean transportation supply system that the FMC is tasked with safeguarding."
"No agency of the United States should be in the business of punishing or sanctioning our allies for enforcing the international law that our government has refused to uphold," they wrote.
Spain, along with Ireland and Norway, made the decision to formally recognize Palestinian statehood earlier this year.
Fox News Digital reached out to the FMC for comment.
Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., a member of the progressive cadre of lawmakers known as the "Squad," thinks she will eventually run for political office again.
The outgoing congresswoman took office in 2021 and won re-election in 2022 but lost the Democratic primary in Missouri's 1st Congressional District this year.
"Running for office again is not off the table at all. I did not expect to only be in Congress for four years, and so I do believe at some point I will run again, whether it’s for Congress or something else, I don’t know. I don’t have any plans right now, but it’s not off the table," she said, according to Politico.
"The Squad will keep fighting," she declared. "The numbers will be lower for the 119th Congress, but they will keep fighting for people who have the greatest need. They’re not going to change their priorities and what they believe. The number of people in Congress on the team will just be smaller. But they’ve never been silent. Anyone who underestimates our power is severely mistaken, because we aren’t going anywhere, and I will always be Squad. I’m not going far."
Like Bush, outgoing Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., another Squad member who took office in 2021, is departing Congress after losing a Democratic primary this year.
Bowman has indicated that he may seek office again.
"The liberating aspect of no longer being in Congress formally is now I have an opportunity to be helpful and support my community in a variety of ways. There's many ways to teach and be an educator and lead as it relates to education. There's many ways to impact electoral politics. I plan to be a part of that from a community organizing perspective and a fundraising perspective. And yes, there is a good chance I will run for office again, at some point, depending on the right situation and where that goes," Bowman said, according to City & State.
"I'm going to be hyperlocal initially in my engagement," he noted. "It's time to build that power in places like Yonkers in the Bronx, across the city and state and across the country."
President-elect Trump dished out a fiery Christmas message on Wednesday in which he wished a "Merry Christmas" to "Radical Left Lunatics," told the 37 prisoners whose death row sentences were recently commuted by President Biden to "GO TO HELL!," and more.
"Merry Christmas to the Radical Left Lunatics, who are constantly trying to obstruct our Court System and our Elections, and are always going after the Great Citizens and Patriots of the United States but, in particular, their Political Opponent, ME. They know that their only chance of survival is getting pardons from a man who has absolutely no idea what he is doing," Trump declared on Truth Social.
"Also, to the 37 most violent criminals, who killed, raped, and plundered like virtually no one before them, but were just given, incredibly, a pardon by Sleepy Joe Biden. I refuse to wish a Merry Christmas to those lucky "souls" but, instead, will say, GO TO HELL! We had the Greatest Election in the History of our Country, a bright light is now shining over the U.S.A. and, in 26 days, we will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. MERRY CHRISTMAS!" he added.
Biden recently announced that he commuted the sentences of 37 prisoners on federal death row to life sentences without the potential for parole.
"Make no mistake: I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss," the president said in a statement, but noted that he is "more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level."
In a separate post, Trump declared, "Merry Christmas to all, including to the wonderful soldiers of China, who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal (where we lost 38,000 people in its building 110 years ago), always making certain that the United States puts in Billions of Dollars in 'repair' money, but will have absolutely nothing to say about 'anything.'
He also discussed Canada, referring to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the "Governor" of America's northern neighbor, while suggesting that Canadian businesses would boom if the nation became a U.S. state.
"Also, to Governor Justin Trudeau of Canada, whose Citizens’ Taxes are far too high, but if Canada was to become our 51st State, their Taxes would be cut by more than 60%, their businesses would immediately double in size, and they would be militarily protected like no other Country anywhere in the World. Likewise, to the people of Greenland, which is needed by the United States for National Security purposes and, who want the U.S. to be there, and we will!" Trump declared.
With former president and now President-elect Trump term-limited and constitutionally unable to run again for the White House in 2028, Vice President-elect JD Vance is on a glide path to be the heir apparent to the America First movement and the Republican Party's powerful MAGA base.
It was a point driven home by Donald Trump Jr., the former and future president's eldest son and powerful ally of the vice president-elect.
"We are getting four more years of Trump and then eight years of JD Vance!" Trump Jr. said on the campaign trail in Ohio a few weeks ahead of November's election.
Plenty of Republican politicians, strategists and pundits agree that Vance, who was elected to the Senate in Ohio just two years ago, will likely be the clear frontrunner in the next Republican presidential nomination race.
David Kochel, another longtime GOP strategist with plenty of presidential campaign experience, told Fox News that Vance is the frontrunner due to "the size and the scope of last week's victory and the implied passing of the torch from Donald Trump."
"There will be no shortage of people looking at it. But most people looking at it are seeing the relative strength of the Trump victory and the movement," Kochel said.
And with Trump's support in a party firmly in the president-elect's grip, the 40-year-old Vance will be extremely hard to knock off.
However, Kochel noted that "nobody will completely defer to JD Vance. There will be a contest. There always is."
Carney added that "there may be other people who challenge him [Vance]… there’s a lot of people who want to be president, but it will be a very hard lane other than the Trump lane."
He added that a possible rough four years for the Trump/Vance administration would give potential Vance challengers "opportunities."
However, he praised the vice president-elect's messaging and accessibility on the campaign trail and that "he is the guy to beat, regardless of whether it’s a good four years or a rough four years."
Carney also touted that the Republican Party has a "deep bench."
Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley, a top Trump ally, said in a recent Fox News Digital interview that he's "very excited about the bench that we have in the Republican Party right now."
Pointing to Trump's remaking of the GOP, Whatley added that "as we go into 2028, we are in a great position to be able to continue the momentum of this agenda and this movement."
But he also emphasized that regardless of Vance's likely frontrunner status as 2028 nears, the RNC will hold to its traditional role of staying neutral in an open and contested presidential primary.
Here's a look at some of those on the bench that may have national aspirations and ambitions in 2028, or beyond.
The conservative governor of Florida was flying high after a landslide re-election in 2022, but an unsuccessful 2024 presidential primary run and a bruising battle with Trump knocked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis down in stature.
However, the term-limited 46-year-old governor, who has two years left in office steering Florida, proved over the past few years his fundraising prowess and retains plenty of supporters across the country.
DeSantis was also able, to a degree, to repair relations with Trump, helped raise money for the GOP ticket during the general election, and earned a prime time speaking slot at July's convention.
It's likely that DeSantis, who sources say Trump has considered as a plan B for Defense secretary if his nominee Pete Hegseth runs into trouble, has his eyes on another White House run.
The popular conservative governor is one of the few in the GOP who can claim he faced Trump's wrath and not only survived, but thrived.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who is term-limited, has two years left in office and enjoys strong favorable ratings in a crucial battleground state.
Expect to see the 61-year-old Kemp on the campaign trail across the country for fellow Republicans in 2026, as his national profile expands.
With his 2021 gubernatorial victory – the first by a Republican in Virginia in a dozen years – Gov. Glenn Youngkin instantly became a GOP rising star.
In Virginia, governors are limited to one four-year term, which means Youngkin has one year left in office.
The 58-year-old governor, who hails from the Republican Party's business wing but has been able to thrive in a MAGA-dominated party, likely harbors national ambitions.
A first step could be a Cabinet post in the second Trump administration after his term as governor ends.
The controversial conservative firebrand passed on challenging Trump again in 2024, as he ran for what was thought to be another difficult re-election bid, after narrowly surviving his 2018 re-election.
However, the 53-year-old senator ended up winning a third six-year term in the Senate by nearly nine points.
The Army veteran, who served in combat in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars before becoming a rising star in Republican Party politics, was considered to be on the larger list of potential Trump running mates.
The now-47-year-old Sen. Tom Cotton seriously mulled a 2024 White House run of his own before deciding against it in late 2022, putting his young family ahead of political ambitions. However, he did not rule out a future presidential bid.
Cotton is currently bidding for the GOP conference chair, the number three leadership position in the incoming Senate Republican majority.
The 44-year-old Sen. Josh Hawley, along with Cotton, is another rising conservative star in the Senate.
Hawley is also a strong defender of Trump's America First agenda and is thought to have national aspirations.
The former two-term South Carolina governor, who served as U.N. ambassador in Trump's first term, was the first GOP challenger to jump into the race against the former president in the 2024 nomination race.
While the 52-year-old Haley ended up backing Trump in the general election, her earlier clashes with the now president-elect during the primaries left their mark. Even though she addressed the GOP faithful at the convention, her political future in a party dominated by Trump is uncertain.
The first-term conservative governor of Arkansas is a well-known figure in MAGA world, thanks to her tenure as Trump's longest-serving White House press secretary during his first administration.
The 42-year-old Sanders, the daughter of former Arkansas governor and former two-time presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, has also grabbed national attention for delivering the GOP's response to President Biden's 2023 State of the Union address.
The multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur, anti-woke crusader and first-time candidate was one of the biggest surprises during the GOP presidential nomination race.
The now 39-year-old Vivek Ramaswamy, who touted during his campaign that he and Trump were the only two "America First candidates" in the large field of contenders, eventually dropped out of the race and became a major backer and surrogate for the former president.
He's now teaming up with billionaire Trump supporter and pal Elon Musk to steer DOGE, the new presidential advisory commission that will look to make massive cuts in the federal budget.
Others to keep your eyes on include Sen. Marco Rubio, who ran for the 2016 nomination and was nominated to serve as secretary of state in the second Trump administration; Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who ran unsuccessfully for the 2024 nomination but remains very popular; and Sen. Rick Scott of Florida and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who both mulled but decided against presidential runs this past cycle.
Also, not to be ignored – top Trump supporters Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida and Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, whom Trump picked to serve as U.S. ambassador to the U.N., and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who was named to head the Department of Homeland Security
Then there is Donald Trump Jr., the president-elect's eldest son and MAGA warrior. However, the younger Trump is very close to Vance, which would likely prevent him from making any White House bid in the next cycle.
Oregon’s top law enforcement officer rolled out what she called bilingual "Sanctuary Promise Community Toolkit" to help residents refresh their knowledge of the Beaver State’s relevant laws.
"Every person has the right to live, work, play, and learn safely in Oregon, period," Oregon Democratic Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said in a statement announcing the toolkit.
In 1987, Oregon lawmakers passed then-Rep. Rocky Barilla’s HB 2314 in response to several raids by INS – the U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service, which transformed into USCIS, DHS and ICE in 2003.
The law is largely considered the first "sanctuary state" policy in the country.
Rosenblum explicitly acknowledged Oregon’s place in that regard, noting the law prohibits state and local law enforcement resources from being used to apprehend suspects charged solely with being present in the U.S. without papers.
A press release from the attorney general’s office noted Barilla’s bill passed "nearly unanimously" in 1987 but that by 2024, sanctuary laws have become an "intensely partisan issue."
"I asked my Civil Rights Unit here at the Oregon DOJ to do whatever we could to provide the people, businesses, and local governments of our state with easy-to-read materials to help them know their rights and educate others, and I’m so pleased with what they’ve put together," Rosenblum said in her statement.
In the toolkit, documents relating to the 1987 law’s passage are available for easy public consumption, along with a "conversation" with figures involved in getting the law passed.
The toolkit includes several FAQs, including "how do I prepare myself and my family for encounters with ICE or other federal immigration authorities?" – "Is there a place I can call to report ICE or other federal immigration authorities active right now in my community?" and "After an encounter with ICE or other federal immigration authorities, what information should I write down?"
Oregon also hosts a statewide "hotline" to report sanctuary law violations.
There are also links to press coverage, as well as a separate "law enforcement bias response" toolkit.
Rosenblum said she also recommends Oregonians discuss the issue with family in the next few weeks to "know your rights… and make a plan for what to do if immigration officials come to your home or place of business."
"Knowing your rights in advance is essential," she said.
President-elect Trump tapped former ICE Director Thomas Homan as his "border czar" – succeeding Vice President Kamala Harris.
President-elect Trump picked Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera to serve as ambassador to Panama.
Calling the Miami-Dade County Commissioner a "fierce fighter," Trump said that he would advance the "MAGA agenda" to the Central American country.
"Kevin is a fierce fighter for America First principles. As a Miami-Dade County Commissioner, and Vice Chairman of the International Trade Consortium, he has been instrumental in driving Economic growth, and fostering International partnerships," Trump wrote in the Wednesday announcement. "In 2020, Kevin did an incredible job as my Florida State Director and, this year, advanced our MAGA Agenda as a Member of the RNC Platform Committee."
"Few understand Latin American politics as well as Kevin - He will do a FANTASTIC job representing our Nation’s interests in Panama!" he said.
The announcement came after Trump said that Panama was "a Country that is ripping us off on the Panama Canal, far beyond their wildest dreams."
In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump also accused Chinese soldiers of illegally operating the canal and "always making certain that the United States puts in Billions of Dollars in 'repair' money but will have absolutely nothing to say about 'anything.'"
As a change in presidential administrations approaches, President-elect Trump and President Biden both marked the Christmas holiday, with Biden acknowledging that it would be his last time as president to wish the nation a merry Christmas.
Trump, who will be sworn in on Jan. 20, exclaimed in a post on Truth Social, "MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!" In another post he shared a photo of himself and his wife Melania — the photo bore the message "MERRY CHRISTMAS!"
In a post on the @POTUS presidential X account, Biden said: "For the last time as your president, it's my honor to wish all of America a very Merry Christmas. My hope for our nation, today and always, is that we continue to seek the light of liberty and love, kindness and compassion, dignity and decency. May God bless you all."
A post on the @JoeBiden X account that features a photo of the president and first lady Jill Biden reads, "Merry Christmas, everyone!"
Trump — who defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the November election — made history this year by becoming the second president ever to win election to two non-consecutive terms. The first was Grover Cleveland in the 19th century. While the new year will mark a new chapter in Trump's political career, it also marks the end of Biden's decades-long stint at the top levels of Washington politics.
Biden, the oldest president in U.S. history, bowed out of the 2024 presidential contest earlier this year in the face of tremendous pressure from within his party after a widely panned debate performance against Trump.
President Biden’s age — and whether he should stay or go — nearly tore Democrats apart this summer.
In fact, a decision for the president to bow out earlier — and give other candidates, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, the chance to run for the Oval Office — may have salvaged the election for the party.
The divide between old and new and the direction of the party is threatening to drive a wedge through the Democratic coalition. In fact, the race between Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., to serve as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee represented a microcosm of that skirmish.
The 74-year-old Connolly, recovering from esophageal cancer, bested the 35-year-old Ocasio-Cortez for the high-profile spot in the Democratic Caucus recently. The ranking Democrat on that panel will duel daily with Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky. Connolly is also expected to serve as the party’s lead attack dog for looming tangles with the incoming Trump administration.
Comer was rooting for Ocasio-Cortez. He knew selecting her would amplify her positions as to the direction of the party.
"I hope they put her on there because she symbolizes what the Democrats stand for. She's a socialist. She's the architect of the Green New Deal in the House," said Comer.
It was a generational choice for Democrats.
Youth versus experience.
But what about the future of the party?
Ocasio-Cortez is an icon of the progressive movement. She’s one of the highest wattage stars in Congress — albeit sometimes a lightning rod.
Does the party want to tout liberal pols like Ocasio-Cortez — which would resonate in the left-leaning, multicultural precincts of Jackson Heights and College Point in New York? Or figure out how to speak to swaths of swing voters and even moderate Democrats in Omaha, Nebraska, parts of Ohio and the Dakotas?
It wasn’t that long ago that Democrats represented many of these places. The entire North and South Dakota delegations — House and Senate — were comprised of Democrats. Former Sens. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., and Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., were political icons in the Cornhusker State. Ohio was a swing state at the presidential level.
Connolly is by no stretch a "conservative" Democrat. He lacks the political allure of Ocasio-Cortez. That is neither a good thing nor a bad thing. Connolly is a workhorse. He’s a serious legislator with a nimble mind and can go toe-to-toe with the best of them verbally on the committee dais or on the House floor.
The question is: Did House Democrats again stiff the progressives? Did they again shut out youth and vigor?
Unclear.
An Ocasio-Cortez victory would have signaled that Democrats veered left. That was one of the problems for the party in the election. But when it comes to "youth" and "turning the page" in the party, few have more currency on this subject than outgoing Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn. Certain quarters of the Democratic establishment excoriated Phillips when he made a quixotic challenge to President Biden in the party. Now Phillips is retiring from Congress.
"It is time to elevate the best and brightest. We have literally kept them from ascending to leadership positions, which means they go elsewhere," lamented Phillips. "And when we lose that kind of talent of ambitious, competent, patriotic young Americans, we're in trouble."
Democrats are trying to figure out where they will land after a brutal election loss. The path to rebuild a viable coalition is a challenge. Especially after President-elect Trump figured out a way to grow the GOP base and lure disaffected voters in his direction.
"It's quite apparent that the Democratic caucus has long valued people who have been here a long time," said Phillips, criticizing how the party doesn’t recruit "young, talented Americans." He said that Democrats "will continue losing" if they do not "open up" to younger voters.
For his part, Connolly argued the old versus young debate was a "false narrative, frankly, propounded by the media."
But even as Connolly won, the party selected several younger lawmakers (and keep in mind that "younger" is a relative term when it comes to Congress) to serve as the ranking members on several committees.
Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., who is 77, stepped aside as the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee in favor of the practically spright 62-year-old Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md. Raskin just recovered from lymphoma.
Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., a 78-year-old, was absent for much of the year suffering from cancer. Grijalva has served as the leading Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee. He stepped away from that role, while 60-year-old Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., defeated a newcomer to Congress — 45-year-old Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., — to serve as ranking member of that panel.
"Only in Congress do I get to be young at 60 years old," quipped Huffman. "So it's like the fountain of youth."
Like Grijalva, 79-year-old Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., was absent for chunks of time over the past year due to health problems. He is the ranking Democrat on the Agriculture Committee. Scott declined to step down. Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., who is 72, and 52-year-old Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., challenged Scott, as Democrats clashed over age and experience.
"I don't know that it's a clash," said Costa before the vote. "We’ve got a terrific group of members in our Democratic Caucus. Members that have been elected in recent classes. But certainly we've got on spectrum, tremendous experience and a solid bench."
The younger Craig defeated both Scott and Costa to claim the ranking position on Agriculture.
After prevailing, Craig did not focus on age. She addressed political practicalities instead.
"Democrats overall are not connecting with rural communities. That's something we've been able to do in my district. I represent a D-plus one district and I just won it by about 14 percentage points," said Craig.
In other words, her district in southeastern Minnesota nominally favors Democrats, but the moderate Craig whipped her opponent.
"(When) we show up, we listen to people and they know that we care about them and about their lives," said Craig. "And I think the Democratic Party needs to do more of that. Show up. Listen. And make sure that people know they care about them."
As Democrats sorted out their committee leaders, yours truly spotted 78-year-old Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, near a Capitol stairway.
Kaptur is an anomaly in Congress, in so many ways.
First elected in 1982, Kaptur is the longest-serving woman in Congressional history. She’s a pro-life Democrat. And despite her seniority — and one might argue gender — Kaptur has never gotten to chair or serve as the top Democrat on any House committee.
Much of that is due to her stance on abortion. But Kaptur’s experience and Ocasio-Cortez’s experience bring this debate full circle. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., advocated for Connolly over the New York Democrat. And for years, Kaptur asserts that the powerful Pelosi blocked her ascension, too.
"In the case of the Appropriations Committee, the people that get elected in my party tend to come from the coasts," observed Kaptur, saying it took her a decade to even get a slot on the Appropriations roster. "I had to defeat Nancy Pelosi to do that on about five ballots. I began to understand the way this organization called ‘Congress’ functions."
Kaptur says that most Democratic ranking members on committees are "all from the coasts. They’re not from our region of America."
Kaptur believes the party must focus on "bread-and-butter issues at home" if they’re going to reclaim the voters who President-elect Trump scored in November.
"The President-elect was correct when he talked about prices when he went to a McDonald’s. That’s where so many of my constituents work and eat," said Kaptur.
She added that Trump’s ride in a garbage truck sealed the deal with working-class Americans.
"He artfully identified with their plight," said Kaptur.
That characterization from Kaptur is the quintessential distillation of the entire presidential race. It explains many of the reasons why Trump won. It underscored how Democrats struggle to speak to "working class" Americans and those who reside in the middle of the country.
The tug-of-war will continue for Democrats as moderates and progressives — plus newcomers and the older guard — scrap over the future of the party.
But it’s hard to argue with Kaptur — both from electoral experience and politics. She won re-election in a state carried by Trump. That’s to say nothing of Sen.-elect Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, winning statewide, as well.
When it comes to choice spots on key committees, Democrats have ignored lawmakers like Kaptur and shut them out. Ocasio-Cortez lost to Connolly. Raskin, Huffman and Craig are now the top Democrats on several committees. It’s a mixture of younger members, but more pragmatism. Does it mean Democrats got the message? Not necessarily.
Check back in six months to see if these maneuvers represent a major course correction.
As millions of Americans gather together with loved ones to celebrate the Christmas holiday and ring in the new year, hundreds of thousands of American men and women in uniform will mark the holidays away from family in decidedly less festive corners of the world.
As of June, 165,830 U.S. service members were on deployment across the Middle East, Indo-Pacific region and Europe. That figure has likely ticked higher amid recent unrest across the Middle East, and it doesn’t include service members working at U.S. bases over the holidays and civilian personnel on overseas contracts.
Here’s a look at where service members will spend the holidays on deployment across the world:
Around 43,000 troops are stationed across the Middle East as of October, an increase from the usual 34,000 amid the recent unrest and outbreak of war between Israel and Iranian proxy forces Hamas and Hezbollah.
The Pentagon announced in October it would be moving troops into Cyprus to prepare for escalating unrest in Lebanon. And last week the Pentagon divulged that some 2,100 troops were in Syria — not the 900 they had long claimed. Another 1,000 troops are in Iraq carrying out missions to thwart ISIS.
U.S. forces are stationed across Europe to support NATO forces and deter any potential Russian aggression.
Major areas of deployment include Germany (34,894), Italy (12,319) and the United Kingdom (10,180).
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin thanked U.S. troops for serving over the holiday season in a Christmas message.
"We know firsthand the holidays can be especially hard if you're far away from your loved ones. So for our troops stationed around the globe, we deeply appreciate your sacrifice," he said. "We know that your families serve too, and our military families are the foundation of America's strength."
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., is calling for the swift trial, conviction, and execution of the man charged in connection with the gruesome murder of a woman burned alive on a New York City subway.
The outspoken Republican took to social media on Tuesday to address the incident, in which Guatemalan national Sebastian Zapeta, 33, is accused of setting a woman on fire while on a train in Brooklyn.
"Death penalty, don’t waste money on a lengthy trial. Convict him and finish him. What he did is so incredibly evil," Greene declared in a post on X. "I can’t watch the video anymore. And how it seems like no one tried to save her is beyond me. Maybe they did but it doesn’t seem like it."
Zapeta faces charges of first- and second-degree murder, and first-degree arson, with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with no parole.
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., declared in a post on X, "A woman was intentionally lit on fire on the subway today. Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies do not work."
New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch noted during remarks on Sunday that Zapeta allegedly "used what we believe to be a lighter to ignite the victim's clothing, which became fully engulfed in a matter of seconds." Assistant District Attorney Ari Rottenberg alleged in court on Tuesday that the suspect fanned the fire with a shirt.
Zapeta's next court appearance is scheduled for Friday, according to online records.
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson said in a statement that Zapeta had been removed from the U.S. in 2018 and then re-entered the country illegally at some point "on an unknown date and location."
Fox News' Bill Melugin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
As the smell of pine fills the air and the stockings are hung with care, some liberal media outlets served up advice that’s as hard to swallow as a dry fruitcake. Their mission? Equipping you to survive holiday conversations with Trump-supporting relatives.
From suggested scripts that sound more like hostage negotiations to icebreakers better suited for therapy sessions than a festive family gathering, here are five of the most over-the-top ideas mainstream media is dishing out to keep your Christmas "Trump-proof."
For one HuffPost contributor, the election of Trump wasn't just a political turning point — it was a holiday deal-breaker. Faced with the knowledge that her husband and his family voted for the former president, she decided to cancel both Thanksgiving and Christmas altogether. No lights, no carols, no awkward family dinners.
"But I will not give thanks and hold hands in a circle with people who voted for a party that wants to take rights away from LGBTQ people," guest contributor Andrea Tate wrote. "I will not pass the turkey to someone who supports people who have signaled they will cause harm to people with disabilities and the elderly. I will not sit by a Christmas tree celebrating the birth of Jesus and sipping eggnog when I know how many people may now find themselves in grave – even deadly — danger because they cannot get the reproductive care they need. I will not unwrap gifts given to me by people who voted for a party that has talked about building internment camps and mass deportation."
After a psychologist made headlines last month arguing people should avoid Trump-supporting relatives this holiday season, "The View" co-host Sunny Hostin agreed, saying many people feel "someone voted not only against their families but against them."
Shortly after the election, Yale University chief psychiatry resident Dr. Amanda Calhoun spoke to MSNBC host Joy Reid about how liberals who are devastated by Trump’s re-election can cope with the news, including separating from loved ones.
"There is a push, I think just a societal norm that if somebody is your family, that they are entitled to your time, and I think the answer is absolutely not," Calhoun told the talk show host. "So if you are going to a situation where you have family members, where you have close friends who you know have voted in ways that are against you, like what you said, against your livelihood, it’s completely fine to not be around those people and to tell them why, you know, to say, ‘I have a problem with the way that you voted, because it went against my very livelihood and I’m not going to be around you this holiday.’"
If your holiday feast feels more like a political debate than a festive gathering, Time magazine has your back with a list of 11 carefully crafted phrases to defuse family tension.
The top pick? A simple yet stern declaration: "I won’t be talking about politics today." Framed as a way to create a politics-free safe zone, the advice encourages setting boundaries with relatives whose views you loathe — so you can focus on what really matters.
"Emphasize that you want to keep the focus on the festivities at hand, and ask for a commitment to avoid polarizing topics. If the conversation still ends up turning in that direction, shut it down: ‘OK, that’s enough of that,’ or, ‘We’re not talking about that here today,’" the Time article states.
The Associated Press has a simple solution: take a breather. Whether the conversation veers into a political minefield or Uncle Bob just won’t stop, the AP suggests calmly excusing yourself from the fray. No need for a dramatic exit — just a composed stroll to the kitchen, the porch, or anywhere that isn’t the battlefield of your family table.
"Things getting intense? Defuse the situation. Walk away. And it doesn’t have to be in a huff. Sometimes a calm and collected time out is just what you — and the family — might need," the article recommends.
In a searing MSNBC op-ed, writer Amira Barger challenges the notion that family gatherings should always be sacred if they have different beliefs. The author doesn't differentiate between Trump-supporting family members and liberal voters.
"I have come to realize that being related by blood doesn’t necessarily mean that those gathered will protect you," Barger wrote. "Finding family isn’t always about unity, or forcing yourself to remain in a place that causes you harm. Sometimes, it’s about clarity, and the difficult choices that come with it.
"This fall, after a conversation that spanned more than 1,000 texts in various family group chats, my husband and I made the difficult decision to hold a hard and fast boundary with much of my immediate family, whose stated values and votes made it clear to us that we could not feel comfortable around them."
She adds, "These were decisions we did not make lightly or hastily, but sometimes the best course of action is, in fact, to ban the bad actors."
Fox News Digital's Alexander Hall contributed to this report.
The traditional English carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas" has long been a favorite during the holiday season, standing the test of time through the centuries and inspiring amusing parodies like Bob Rivers' "Twelve Pains of Christmas."
But the song – which counts up from Christmas to Epiphany on Jan. 6 – has also become the peg for a whimsical way to gauge year-over-year inflation. Pennsylvania-based PNC Bank and other financial institutions have tracked the costs of each set of gifts from "Twelve Drummers Drumming" to a "Partridge in a Pear Tree" to see exactly how much it might cost a man to deliver each to his true love.
PNC’s Christmas Price Index indicated the overall cost of the song’s gifts increased 5.4% since 2023, totaling just under $50,000.
Meanwhile, the Texas-based business company Swyft Filings noted in 2023 that costs would also vary depending on each state. Taxes, regulations and other factors would be the most likely variables. The company found California, Hawaii and Washington to be the most expensive and Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama to be the least expensive, given that variation.
Here's a breakdown of the costs counting down from the 12th day.
12 Drummers Drumming
PNC Bank cited wage inflation as the driving factor behind the increase in renting a 12-piece drum corps this year. Their estimated cost was $4,017; an increase of 15.6% over 2023.
Several websites estimated the average cost of a drummer for two hours was between $250 and $500, depending on the set. Taking the median of that rate and multiplying by a dozen drummers places the cost around $4,500, plus gratuity, of course.
11 Pipers Piping
Eleven flutists, or hiring an 11-piece wind ensemble, bear a similar cost-per-head as drummers.
In that regard, PNC Bank estimated the same 15.6% increase as the dozen drummers, with a final cost of $3,715.
10 Lords-a-Leaping
In the British political system, a lord is a title of peerage or nobility dating back to feudal England, and the House of Lords is the current name for the upper chamber of Parliament.
Placing the phrase in an American context, it remains illegal to physically or proverbially purchase a senator for any purpose including leaping, and public corruption has often been a topic in the media.
However, some estimates have been published on what the cost would be to pay 10 senators or lords to jump.
PNC reported 10 lords-a-leaping would be the most expensive purchase of the 12, with an estimated 2024 cost of $15,579.65 – an increase of 7.2% since 2023.
Nine Ladies Dancing
According to the website GigSalad, the average cost of a dance troupe for a 30-minute performance is between $200 and $400. The freelancing platform UpWork listed dancers for hire ranging from $30 per hour to more than $100 per hour.
The median cost per dancer per hour multiplied by nine comes out to $405 for a half-hour.
In PNC’s tracking, nine ladies dancing in the form of a professional troupe would cost $8,557 for an undisclosed set time, up 3% in the past year.
Eight Maids-a-Milking
Milk prices are back on the upswing in recent months, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. In November, the average price-per-gallon of whole milk was $4.14, an increase from a flat $4 that time last year.
The ubiquitous beverage saw a spike during COVID and settled in the two years since, but is on the increase once more.
Adding milkmaids to the equation, PNC Bank estimated a cost of $58, unchanged from 2023.
Seven Swans-a-Swimming
One Midwest swan farm listed the price-per-bird at $400. In 2020, the city of Lakeland, Florida, was dealing with an overpopulation of about 80 swans on a lake in the community outside Tampa. The going price then was also $400, according to CNN.
Listings on BirdsNow ranged from $400 to $2500, with a pair being markedly more expensive than two individuals. Altogether, PNC estimated the total cost to exceed $13,000, with no increase over 2023.
Six Geese-a-laying
While a South Dakota goose farm listed the price of an 8- to 10-pound goose for consumption at $140 each – calculating to $8,400 for a half-dozen, the cost of live geese that can lay eggs was different.
Prices for live goslings averaged $40 each online, or $240 for six.
PNC’s Christmas index, however, calculated the full cost at $900, or 15% higher than 2023.
Five Gold Rings
On Monday, gold futures hovered around $2,600 per ounce. While PNC estimated the total cost of five gold rings to be $1,245, the actual value may vary depending on the carats, size of ring and other factors.
There is some debate over whether the original lyric is really "four colly birds" versus "four calling birds." A colly bird is a blackbird in English vernacular. The term "colly" has its roots in how something looks when blackened by coal dust.
The cost of a live blackbird is between $150 and $225, and PNC estimates four to cost just under $600 – which indicates the lower end of that price spectrum. The bank estimated the cost remained unchanged since 2023.
Three French Hens
The French Bresse hen is considered one of the most sought-after chickens in the world.
Butchers in Paris were selling French hens for €40 per kilo or about $92 per pound. Live poults purchased from farms in the United States ranged from a few dollars up to about $250 as of Monday.
In PNC’s index, the cost of three French hens increased 5% from 2023 to about $347.
Two Turtledoves
In 1992’s "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York," Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin McCallister visits "Duncan’s Toy Chest" – a play on Manhattan’s iconic FAO Schwarz department store.
The elderly owner, played by Eddie Bracken, offers Kevin any one of his store’s Christmas tree’s ornaments.
Mr. Duncan tells Kevin he should keep one turtledove and give the second to "a very special person."
"Turtledoves are a symbol of friendship and love," he explains. "As long as you each have a turtledove, you’ll be friends forever."
Kevin ultimately gives the second turtledove to Brenda Fricker’s "Pigeon Lady" at the end of the film after she helps capture the movie's villains, Daniel Stern’s Marv and Joe Pesci’s Harry.
While that cinematic pair may have been priceless, PNC’s index placed the price of a pair at $750, and European turtledoves themselves are considered a threatened species.
And a Partridge in a Pear Tree
The Home Depot listed Bartlett pear trees at about $58 this week.
Additionally, in an American context, Alaska’s state bird – the Willow Ptarmigan – is a more common type of western partridge.
"Huns" or Hungarian gray partridges were also introduced in the Lower 48’s northwest in the early 20th century.
Costs of both live ptarmigan and ptarmigan meat were unavailable on Monday, but PNC estimated the combined cost as $160. The bank reported the cost of the bird remained the same, but the pear tree increased in price since 2023.
In its reporting on its own estimations, PNC officials said on the bank’s website that the internet has made the calculation and potential availability of the items in the ancient English carol much more accessible in the 40 years it has calculated their costs.
"Believe it or not, we're still seeing the cause and effect of the pandemic-inflation hangover, even nearly five years later," PNC Asset Management Group chief investment officer Amanda Agati said in a statement.
"With years of steep price increases, we'd think inflation has nowhere to go, but we'd be wrong. This latest PNC CPI is an accurate reflection of what we're seeing in the market."
Online purchases of the lyrical items were calculated to be more expensive online than at a brick-and-mortar store due to shipping costs.
The overall cost of the 12 Days of Christmas increased 133% in the past four decades, with factors such as minimum wage increases particularly affecting the for-hire gifts such as pipers and drummers.
If an enterprising fellow were to purchase his beau the song's 364 total gifts from the 12-day giving spree, it would rise from 2023 by 3.6% to an estimated cost of $209,272.
Christmas Day is a time for Americans and others across the world who celebrate the holiday to spend time with loved ones while participating in time-honored traditions – and members of Congress are no exception.
Far away from the bustle and drama of Capitol Hill, lawmakers opened up to Fox News Digital about their favorite ways to spend the Christmas holiday, both past and present.
"Jacquie and I are excited to have the whole crew under one roof for an ice cold Minnesota Christmas, complete with four grandkids who're getting a crash course in the joy (and noise!) of an Emmer family holiday," House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital. "The Christmas Village is all set up, and ugly sweaters are a must."
In South Dakota, Republican Sen. Mike Rounds has more than 100 members of his family in attendance each year for Christmas Eve to eat homemade chicken noodle soup, his office told Fox News Digital.
"Senator Rounds’ late wife Jean was also very talented at making cross stitch and needlework art, and Senator Rounds and his children decorate the whole house with all of her handmade Christmas art," his office said.
Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., recalled a Christmas scavenger hunt that her parents orchestrated.
"My parents always set up a treasure hunt on Christmas Eve. My four siblings and I had to de-code a series of clues that led us to various parts of the house to find the next clue, that eventually led us to the final clue, which was where the presents we opened were found," Tenney said.
She said locations included "the trunk of the car, the dryer, or a storage closet."
"It was really fun, and my parents made the clues more and more clever and challenging each year," Tenney said. "Then we went to our neighbor's across the street for their annual Christmas Eve party. The entire neighborhood was invited. Afterward, many of us, including our Jewish neighbors, went to midnight mass at the Presbyterian Church."
Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., meanwhile, said her favorite Christmas tradition was skiing with her grandchildren in Star Valley in western Wyoming.
And for Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., Christmas means family dinners and board games.
"We go to Christmas Eve Mass at the parish I grew up in and go to dinner at my parents' house," Schmitt told Fox News Digital. "Larger family gets together after Christmas for [an] epic game of RISK."
Presidents have historically developed their own Christmas traditions as they make their unique marks on the White House during their terms. In recent years, Christmases have been spent in an array of places by commanders in chief, from Hawaii, to Texas to Mar-a-Lago.
President Joe Biden opted in 2021 to move his family's Christmas celebration to the White House, rather than its usual location in his home state of Delaware. The extended Biden family reportedly attended Mass on Christmas Eve and then returned to the White House where they enjoyed a pasta dinner and had a sleepover, which are traditions in the family.
Before him, former President Donald Trump — who will soon take office again — spent Christmases in Florida at his Mar-a-Lago estate, per reports. During their holidays in Florida, Trump and first lady Melania Trump attended Christmas services at a local Episcopal church in Palm Beach, where the two married in 2005.
Former President Barack Obama established a tradition as president of spending the Christmas holiday with his family in Hawaii. As reported, the president's Christmases in the state were relatively quiet, spent with friends and family. However, they established a tradition of visiting a local Marine base to thank soldiers for their service on Christmas Day.
Prior to Obama, President George Bush chose to spend his Christmases near to the nation's capital at the Camp David presidential retreat. This was something first established by his father, former President George H. W. Bush. In 2008, the Bush family reportedly celebrated what was their 12th Christmas at Camp David.
Further back, U.S. presidents have held a variety of events to mark the Christmas season at the White House, some more elaborate than others. In 1835, President Andrew Jackson famously hosted an indoor "snowball" fight for children at his "frolic" party. The party included games, dancing and a festive dinner and ended with a snowball fight, during which the participants used specially made cotton balls.
President Franklin Roosevelt had his own tradition of reading Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" aloud after a Christmas Eve meal.
According to the White House Historical Association, there is a popular myth suggesting that President Theodore Roosevelt banned trees from being cut down and placed in the White House as decoration. This was prompted in part by the fact that the Roosevelts did not mark the holiday with a tree.
The WHHA noted that Christmas trees in every home is a relatively modern tradition.
Per the association, Roosevelt's son Archie started his own tradition by sneaking a small tree into the White House and placing it in a closet. He decorated it before revealing the tree to his family and starting a new holiday tradition.
