Blinken questioned over in-house therapy sessions hosted by State Dept after Trump win

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., took aim at Secretary of State Antony Blinken after it was reported that the State Department held therapy sessions for employees who were upset by President-elect Trump’s election victory.

“I am concerned that the Department is catering to federal employees who are personally devastated by the normal functioning of American democracy through the provision of government-funded mental health counseling because Kamala Harris was not elected President of the United States,” Issa said in a letter to Blinken last week.

The letter comes after a Free Beacon report earlier this month that detailed two alleged therapy sessions that were held at the State Department after Trump’s victory, with sources telling the outlet that one such instance amounted to an information “cry session.”

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In another instance, an email went out to agency employees and touted a separate  “insightful webinar where we delve into effective stress management techniques to help you navigate these challenging times” after Trump’s victory, according to the report.

“Change is a constant in our lives, but it can often bring about stress and uncertainty,” the email said. “Join us for an insightful webinar where we delve into effective stress management techniques to help you navigate these challenging times. This session will provide tips and practical strategies for managing stress and maintaining your well being.”

In his letter to Blinken, Issa argued that the reported sessions were “disturbing” and that “nonpartisan government officials” should not be suffering a “personal meltdown over the result of a free and fair election.”

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While the Republican lawmaker acknowledged that the mental health of the agency’s employees was important, he questioned the use of taxpayer dollars to counsel those upset about the election, demanding answers on how many sessions have been conducted, how many more are planned, and how much the sessions are costing the department.

Issa also raised fears that the sessions could also call into question the willingness of some of the State Department’s employees to carry out Trump’s new vision for the agency.

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“The mere fact that the Department is hosting these sessions raises significant questions about the willingness of its personnel to implement the lawful policy priorities that the American people elected President Trump to pursue and implement,” the letter said. “The Trump Administration has a mandate for wholesale change in the foreign policy arena, and if foreign service officers cannot follow through on the American people’s preferences, they should resign and seek a political appointment in the next Democrat administration.”

The State Department did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

Adam Schiff tells Democrats that Biden isn’t the only one responsible for Harris’ loss

California Senator-elect Adam Schiff said the “entire Democratic Party” is to blame for Vice President Kamala Harris’ election defeat as party leaders continue to point fingers over their colossal losses earlier this month.

In an interview on “Meet the Press” Sunday, host Kristen Welker played a clip of Schiff on her show a month prior to Election Day when he predicted that Harris would win “overwhelmingly.” 

Asked now what Democrats got wrong, Schiff replied, “I think Joe Biden’s decision to step aside and pass the torch is the right decision. It gave us a chance to win, not a guarantee. I thought she could win. I thought she could win in all the battleground states.”

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Schiff said President-elect Donald Trump’s victory boiled down to an “anti-incumbent wave” in the U.S. “that took out both progressives and conservatives and our party became associated with the status quo.”

“That was too much to overcome. I think the principal issue is the economy,” he argued. “And over years and decades it has gotten more and more difficult for people working full-time to make a living. And until we resolve that challenge to the economy, we may find the presidency is easier to get than it is to keep.”

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Welker pressed further, asking Schiff whether he agreed with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who blamed President Biden for costing the party the election by failing to drop out of the race sooner.

Schiff deflected, arguing instead that Democrats have to make a new case to the American public who no longer feel the party represents their interests.

“Senator-elect, do you believe that President Biden bears some responsibility for staying in too long?” Welker pressed again.

“Look, I think the entire Democratic Party bears the responsibility,” Schiff retorted.

 “Myself included. And the former president…they mounted an effective campaign. You have to give them credit for that. The challenge we have is we need to put forward a bold vision of how we’re going to move the economy forward, make the economy work for every American. To me, the existential question is if you, working hard in America, can you still earn a good living and too many people doubt that that’s possible.”

Democrats have spent the days following Trump’s resounding victory casting blame at different factions of the party for Harris’ stunning loss. Some have blamed Biden for staying in the race as long as he did, while others said Harris was to blame for covering up Biden’s mental decline. Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders pinned blame for the loss on the Democratic Party for “abandoning” the working class.

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Other Democrats and insiders pointed to former President Barack Obama for the loss, after Obama reportedly worked in the background over the summer to encourage Biden’s ouster from the race. Some media pundits blamed the Democratic Party’s shift away from blue-collar, middle class voters for the loss with others warning that the party’s embrace of “woke” progressive ideologies likely cost them the election.

‘Adorable’ videos of a young Barron Trump speaking with mom’s accent go viral

Videos of future first son Barron Trump speaking in a Slovenian accent as a young boy are spreading like wildfire on social media after his father’s massive electoral win earlier this month. 

“I like my suitcase,” a 4-year-old Barron Trump said with an apparent Slovene accent in 2010 during a Larry King segment.

The video shows Barron Trump in his father’s office with both of his parents as he grabs a brown suitcase and asks his mom about going to school. 

“I have to go to school now?” Barron Trump asks, again with an accent. 

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“You have lunch, and then you go to school,” Melania Trump responds. 

“Now I’m gonna go?” Barron Trump asks again, speaking with the same accent as his mom. 

“First you will have lunch, then you will go to school,” Melania tells her young son as he holds his brown briefcase. 

Clips of the video have spread like wildfire across social media, most notably on TikTok, where users have filmed their own videos imitating Barron Trump, accompanied by the tag “sootcase,” as a play on how Barron Trump pronounced “suitcase.” 

Social media users have reacted with shock over learning the eventual first son had a slight accent as a young boy, with many calling it “adorable,” “cute” and lauding Melania Trump for her close relationship with her young son. The videos had long floated on social media, but are only going viral after Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election this month. 

One user on TikTok said, “i can’t help but giggle every time i hear or see this video his Slovenian accent is so cuteness,” and another said, “he was adorable,” and another saying Melania Trump “seems like an amazingly sweet mom.” 

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Dozens of videos on TikTok have racked up hundreds of thousands of views each, and have even led to social media users creating song remixes of Barron Trump’s accent and social media commenters noting they never knew the first son had an accent as a young boy. 

Melania Trump, who had a successful modeling career before she became first lady, was born in Novo Mesto, Yugoslavia – now Slovenia – and explained in the interview with Larry King in 2010 that her son has an accent because he spent the majority of time with his mom. 

“He has an accent,” King noted in a live interview with Trump and his wife after footage of Barron speaking in an accent was aired. 

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“He spends most of the time with me,” Melania Trump responded, before King asked the eventual president, “what do you think of that?”

“I think it’s great,” Donald Trump responded. “Anything he does is OK with me.”

“He speaks three languages, actually,” Melania Trump added. 

“Smart one,” Donald Trump said. 

In another clip, Donald Trump is seen telling his son to avoid drugs, alcohol and tattoos when he grows up. 

“I want all As,” Donald Trump said in the clip. “And when you get older, no drugs. No alcohol. No cigarettes. And, you know what else? No tattoos. I don’t ever want to see tattoos on you.”

Footage of Barron Trump in 2009 is also going viral, showing the roughly 3-year-old boy with his mom attending a charity event where Entertainment Tonight held a short interview with the pair. Barron Trump declared his love of playing the drums while again pronouncing his words similar to his mom’s Slovene accent. 

“I like to play drums,” he said, adding he wants drums “like on the television” for his birthday. 

Barron Trump is now 18-years-old and attends New York University. The first son overwhelmingly stays out of the public spotlight when compared to his older siblings, such as Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, who frequently conduct media interviews and joined their father on the campaign trail. 

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Barron Trump, who notably stands at about 6-foot-9 and towers over his parents, was seen on stage when his father delivered his victory speech earlier this month after his massive victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump wrapped up the election with 312 electoral votes to Harris’ 226, and won the popular vote. 

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“Every citizen, I will fight for you, for your family and your future. Every single day, I will be fighting for you. And with every breath in my body, I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America. That’s what we have to have. This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again,” Trump said in his victory speech, flanked by his family and other high-profile supporters such as tech billionaire Elon Musk and UFC CEO Dana White. 

Another town’s entire police force resigns, former chief points finger as locals stunned

A South Carolina community is without a police force after the entire department resigned, including the chief of police.

On Friday, McColl Mayor George Garner confirmed that the town no longer had any police officers and told WMBF News that the community is in a “difficult situation.”

“We’re actively working to hire a new police chief and more officers,” Mayor Garner said. 

Garner said Police Chief Bob Hale put in his resignation first and the other officers then followed suit. 

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In a public Facebook post, Hale stated his resignation was due to alleged repeated harassment and personal attacks and “hostile work environment” by an unnamed member of the city council. 

“It is with a heavy heart that I do confirm my resignation as Chief of Police of the McColl Police Department along with all four of my fellow officers,” Hale wrote. “My personal decision to step away from the McColl Police Department can be attributed to repeated acts of harassment, personal attacks on my character, and the overall creation of a hostile work environment perpetuated by a specific Councilman.”

Hale added that the actions of the unnamed councilman made it impossible for the department to function effectively. 

“For months, I have endured unwarranted and malicious behavior aimed at undermining my integrity and leadership,” Hale continued in the post. “These actions have not only affected me personally but have also created a toxic atmosphere that has hindered the department’s ability to function effectively. Despite our efforts to address these issues professionally and through appropriate channels, the harassment and hostility have persisted.”

In his statement, Hale also alleged that money was cut from the police department’s budget and that other critical police needs were not being fulfilled.

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“I also can’t help but feel that these consistent negative acts were strategically used to inhibit the continued growth and success of the department. A significant amount of money was cut from our already depleted budget by the same Councilman upon his arrival to his elected position. Despite repeated appeals for funding to modernize equipment, enhance training, and increase staffing levels to meet the needs of our community, those critical needs went unmet. This lack of investment hampered our ability to operate at the standard the citizens of the Town of McColl rightfully expect and deserve. The safety of the residents and the well-being of the officers should have been prioritized by committing the necessary resources to build a department capable of addressing the complexities of 21st-century policing. Sadly, this was not the case and the majority of my tenure as Chief of Police was spent clearing the names of my officers as well as myself, from the numerous falsehoods that were made against us,” – Former McColl Police Chief Bob Hale

Hale said the decision to resign was not made lightly, and he deeply regrets the impact it may have on the community they have dedicated themselves to serving.

“I believe that stepping away is the only way to shed light on the severity of these issues and call for accountability and change. I remain hopeful that the Town of McColl will come together to address these challenges, prioritize ethical leadership, and create an environment where those in public service can perform their duties free from undue interference and hostility,” Hale wrote.

One McColl resident told WMBF now that the town is without a police department, he worries that residents could be at risk.

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“Say if someone were stabbed or shot or whatever – without police enforcement, they would have to come from the sheriff’s office in Bennettsville,” said McColl resident, William Groom. “We’re talking ten or fifteen minutes and someone could possibly expire in that amount of time. Without police enforcement, it’s definitely a bad situation.”

Despite Hales’ statement, Garner told WMBF that Hale was not leaving the town on bad terms.

“I hate to see them go. They were a great group. But we gonna continue on,” Garner said.

Garner added that he has asked the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office and other nearby agencies to help cover the town in the meantime. He also enlisted the help of the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division for additional help. 

The McColl Police Department is now accepting applications for Chief of Police and Garner said applications can be picked up at McColl Town hall. 

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Back in October, another community experienced a similar situation to the town of McColl.

The entire Geary Police Department in Oklahoma, including their chief of police, resigned citing political leaders for failing to meet the police department’s needs. 

Latest twist in trans volleyball player controversy shaking the nation

San Jose State’s volleyball team is currently guaranteed to face a team in the upcoming Mountain West Tournament that has already forfeited to it during the regular season. 

San Jose State has had six of its conference wins this season awarded via forfeit amid a national controversy over a trans athlete on the team. With those wins, the team finished with a 12-6 conference record and has earned a first-round bye in the upcoming tournament. 

Now, they are guaranteed to play the semifinal. And the opponent they are set to face in that match is guaranteed to be one of the four teams that refused to play them in the regular season. Utah State and Boise State are set to play in the quarterfinal match that will determine who faces the Spartans in the next round. 

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Boise State was so unwilling to play San Jose State during the regular season that it forfeited two scheduled matches against the Spartans, taking a pair of conference losses on its record. Meanwhile, Utah State, which only forfeited one game, has joined a lawsuit against The Mountain West over the presence of Fleming as it seeks to have that loss restored. 

On the other side of the bracket, Colorado State holds the No. 1 seed in the tournament. Colorado State played both games against San Jose State this year, as the teams split the series. Fresno State and San Diego States, two other teams that played the Spartans amid the controversy this year, will face off in the quarterfinal for the right to face Colorado State. 

But there is bound to be uncertainty in San Jose State’s semifinal, regardless of what team advances to that round, under the current setup. 

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Spartans co-captain Brooke Slusser, who is engaged in two lawsuits over the presence of her trans teammate Blaire Fleming, previously told Fox News Digital that her team doesn’t even know if their upcoming tournament opponents will face them. 

“We’re just mostly wondering, are teams even gonna play us, period, if we go there? Because of just everything that’s happened this season,” Slusser said. “It seems like every few days it looks like it’ll be a fine day and everything’s normal and then something else happens. So, I truly do think everyone’s just kind of taking things day by day and taking the punches as they come.”

A Mountain West spokesperson previously told Fox News digital that the conference is preparing for San Jose State, and all of its opponents to compete, but also has a plan in place in the event of forfeits. That plan includes a willingness to recognize the winner of the conference final if their theoretical opponent in that game were to forfeit, the spokesperson said. 

“If we get to a championship game, and it’s San Jose State vs. whoever, if that institution forfeits the game, then San Jose State wins that match, and then they are tournament champions. And they would be the automatic qualifier out of the Mountain West,” the spokesperson said. 

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However, that plan could change pending a ruling by a federal judge in Colorado after an emergency hearing on Thursday. Judge Kato Crews presided over a hearing after plaintiffs, including Utah State, contested that Fleming shouldn’t be allowed to compete in the tournament.

Crews, who was appointed by President Biden in January, dedicated the first 45 minutes of the hearing to a debate between the plaintiffs and defendants over what pronouns to use when describing Fleming and whether Fleming’s name should be used during the hearing for the sake of privacy. The judge eventually decided to use she/her pronouns when referring to Fleming but told everyone else they could use whatever pronouns they wished.

Crews concluded the hearing by saying he will deliver a ruling on the case in a “timely fashion.” The tournament is set to begin next Wednesday. 

San Jose State has repeatedly defended the presence of Fleming on the team. 

“Our athletes all comply with NCAA and Mountain West Conference policies and are eligible to play under the rules of those organizations. Our volleyball team members have earned the right to compete, and we are deeply disappointed for them and with them that they are being denied those opportunities through cancellations and forfeits. We are also proud of how they have persevered through these challenges on the court,” a statement provided to Fox News Digital by a university spokesperson said.

Israel reportedly moves toward ceasefire deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon

Israel is reportedly moving towards a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah in Lebanon after nearly a year of fighting escalated into an all-out war in September. 

Israeli media outlets including YNET and Haaretz have reported that Israel has tentatively agreed to a U.S.-backed proposal for a ceasefire. No final deal has been reached, according to the reports. 

Lebanon and the militia group Hezbollah reportedly agreed to the deal last week but both sides need to give the final okay before it can materialize. 

The reported ceasefire deal comes after Hezbollah launched one of its largest rocket attacks on Israel in exchange for Israeli forces striking Hezbollah command centers in Beirut. 

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GOP rep delivers reality check to sanctuary states, cities ahead of Trump’s return to WH

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on Sunday said leaders of sanctuary states and cities should have to explain why they deserve federal dollars to a new congressional subcommittee bent on cutting government waste.

Greene, who was tapped to lead a subcommittee working with the Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), laid out how she hopes to cut government spending during an appearance on “Sunday Morning Futures.”

One area Greene said she wants the subcommittee to investigate is tied to the immigration crisis.

“I’d like to talk to the governors of sanctuary states and the mayors of sanctuary cities and have them come before our committee and explain why they deserve federal dollars if they’re going to harbor illegal criminal aliens in their states and their cities,” she said.

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Greene specifically noted the death of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was brutally murdered while jogging on the University of Georgia campus in Athens in February. Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan illegal immigrant, was convicted in her murder. Ibarra had been granted a “humanitarian flight” from New York City to Atlanta in September 2023.

Greene also laid out a slew of other areas that could face the chopping block under the subcommittee’s plan to cut government spending.

“The way to do that is to cut programs, contracts, employees, grant programs, you name it, that are failing the American people and not serving the American people’s interests,” Greene said.

The congresswoman said government-funded media programs like NPR, which she claimed “spread nothing but Democrat propaganda,” will be under the subcommittee’s microscope.

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She also said it will investigate active government contracts and programs to see if they still “make sense” or if “their purpose has expired.”

Greene mentioned government workers who have been working remotely since the COVID-19 pandemic – which forced many across the workforce, both in the government and private sectors, to work from home.

“We’re also looking at many – we have thousands – of buildings that the federal government owns and pays for with over $15 billion a year, but yet those government buildings stood empty and these government employees stay at home.”

Greene called these points “failures” in the government’s service to the American people.

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“And we don’t care about people’s feelings,” Green said. “We’re going to be searching for the facts and we’re going to be verifying if this is worth spending the… American people’s hard-earned tax dollars on.”