Fox News 2025-01-07 00:08:24


Harris faces own nightmare as her VP role forces her to play a key part in Trump’s historic win

Vice President Kamala Harris is set to do what only two other vice presidents in recent history have done – preside over her defeat in a White House election.

On Monday afternoon, Harris will preside over a joint session of Congress, when lawmakers will certify President-elect Donald Trump’s victory over the current vice president in November’s election.

The vice president said her mission is to ensure a peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON TRUMP’S RETURN TO THE WHITE HOUSE

Harris, in a recorded video message released ahead of congressional certification of the 2024 Electoral College vote, said it is a “sacred obligation” she will uphold, “guided by love of country, loyalty to our Constitution and my unwavering faith in the American people.”

CHECK OUT WHO TRUMP’S PICKED TO HELP STEER HIS SECOND PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION

Pointing to four years ago, when Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an unsuccessful effort to upend congressional certification of Trump’s 2020 election loss to President Biden, Harris said “as we have seen, our democracy can be fragile.”

“It is up to each of us to stand up for our most cherished principles,” the vice president emphasized.

The Capitol was attacked hours after Trump, at a large rally on the National Mall near the White House, repeated his unproven claims that the 2020 election was riddled with massive voter fraud and stolen from him. Trump urged then-Vice President Mike Pence not to certify the election results.

Harris, in her role of presiding over the Senate, becomes the first vice president to oversee the congressional confirmation of their electoral loss since then-Vice President Al Gore did it in January 2001, following his razor-thin defeat to then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush in the 2000 election, which was decided by a Supreme Court ruling.

Four decades earlier, then-Vice President Richard Nixon presided over the certification of his narrow election loss in a 1960 showdown with then-Sen. John F. Kennedy.

Biden, in comments Sunday night, joined Harris in emphasizing that he was “determined to do everything in my power to respect the peaceful transfer of power.”

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The president, pointing to the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the Capitol, told new Democrats in Congress that “now it’s your duty to tell the truth. You remember what happened, and I won’t let January 6th be rewritten or even erased.”

Trump’s final move to stop judge’s ‘unlawful sentencing’ ahead of inauguration

President-elect Trump filed a motion to stay the Jan. 10 sentencing in the New York v. Trump case, Fox Digital has learned. 

“Today, President Trump’s legal team moved to stop the unlawful sentencing in the Manhattan D.A.’s Witch Hunt. The Supreme Court’s historic decision on Immunity, the state constitution of New York, and other established legal precedent mandate that this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed,” Trump spokesman and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung told Fox Digital on Monday morning. 

NEW YORK JUDGE SETS TRUMP SENTENCING DAYS BEFORE INAUGURATION

“The American People elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate that demands an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and all of the remaining Witch Hunts. We look forward to uniting our country in the new administration as President Trump makes America great again,” Cheung continued. 

New York Judge Juan Merchan set Trump’s sentencing date in the case earlier this month, ahead of his inauguration as president on Jan. 20. The former and upcoming president had requested the verdict in the case be vacated based on the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision last year, which was denied by Merchan. 

Trump is set to be sentenced on Friday, Jan. 10, at 9:30 a.m. Merchan has already said he will not sentence the president-elect to prison, and instead issue a sentence of an “unconditional discharge,” which means there would be no punishment imposed. 

NY JUDGE ANNOUNCES UNCONDITIONAL DISCHARGE SENTENCING FOR TRUMP ON JAN 10

​​Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the Manhattan case in May. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office worked to prove that Trump falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to quiet her claims of an alleged affair with Trump in 2006.

Trump has maintained his innocence in the case and repeatedly railed against it as an example of lawfare promoted by Democrats in an effort to hurt his election efforts ahead of November. 

TRUMP SLAMS MERCHAN, DEMOCRATS, WHO ‘JUST WANT TO SEE IF THEY CAN GET A POUND OF FLESH’ AMID FAILED CASES

“Virtually ever legal scholar and pundit says THERE IS NO (ZERO!) CASE AGAINST ME. The Judge fabricated the facts, and the law, no different than the other New York Judicial and Prosecutorial Witch Hunts. That’s why businesses are fleeing New York, taking with them millions of jobs, and BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TAXES. The legal system is broken, and businesses can’t take a chance in getting caught up in this quicksand. IT’S ALL RIGGED, in this case against a political opponent, ME!!!” Trump posted to Truth Social on Sunday evening of the case. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Trump’s sentencing in the case has been repeatedly delayed. Trump’s lawyers had asked Merchan to overturn the former president’s guilty verdict after the Supreme Court ruled in July that former presidents have substantial immunity from prosecution for official acts in office, but not for unofficial acts.

Biden swears at reporters in testy exchange after signing Social Security law

President Biden gave some parting attacks to the press during a public White House event Sunday night.

Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson reported that after signing the Social Security Fairness Act, Biden took a few questions from the crowd which led the president to target President-elect Donald Trump.

“Do you still believe he’s a threat to democracy?” a reporter asked.

“I think what he did was a genuine threat to democracy,” Biden responded.

BIDEN GETS TESTY WITH NBC’S LESTER HOLT OVER UNFAVORABLE MEDIA COVERAGE: ‘WHAT’S WITH YOU GUYS?’

After responding to the allegation that Trump plans to end birthright citizenship, Biden switched the topic to attacking the reporters.

“I might be the oldest president, but I know more world leaders than any one of you have ever met in your whole goddamn life!” Biden said.

Some X users quickly blasted the comment. 

“He’s fine guys,” journalist Salena Zito joked.

Conservative communicator Steve Guest commented, “What a bitter person.”

“This is Washington credentialism in a nutshell. Politicians become ‘qualified’ by simply existing. It doesn’t matter that Biden is an abject failure and the worst foreign policy figure in American history. You see, he knows a lot of people, and that’s all that matters,” RedState writer Bonchie wrote.

CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings quipped, “The most civil, decent, and devoutly Catholic president we’ve ever had.”

Biden has lashed out at the press throughout his term, sometimes lobbing aggressive comments at the reporters themselves.

In November, Biden mocked a reporter asking him whether he could broker a hostage deal between Hamas and Israel before leaving office.

“President Biden, do you think we can get a hostage deal by the end of your term?” an Israeli Channel 13 correspondent asked.

BIDEN’S HABIT OF SNAPPING AT REPORTERS CONTINUES AFTER HITTING ‘DUMB’ QUESTION FROM NY POST JOURNALIST

Biden replied, stating, “Do you think you can keep from getting hit in the head by a — a camera behind you?” 

In 2022, he went as far as to refer to Fox News’ Peter Doocy as a “stupid son of a b—-” after asking a question about whether inflation would be seen as a political liability ahead of the midterms. Doocy said Biden later called him to “clear the air,” claiming the comments were “nothing personal.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Blue state Americans beg governor to send more police to combat crime in their city

The California Highway Patrol will expand its presence into another Bay Area city to combat crime, weeks after a petition started by a resident urged state leaders to deploy officers to combat crime amid a local police staffing shortage. 

Car sideshows, where people show off their vehicles and often perform dangerous stunts in vacant lots and public intersections, as well as drug crime, shootings and shoplifting, have made life in the enclave of Vallejo much more dangerous, resident Paula Conley wrote in a petition posted on Change.org.

Conley and other residents urged Gov. Gavin Newsom to deploy California Highway Patrol officers to Vallejo in similar fashion to how the governor sent CHP officers to Oakland earlier in 2024 to address a crime surge there. 

“We started seeing their (crime) statistics go down and their quality of life get better and getting a better handle on crime,” Conley told Fox News Digital. “We have the exact same problems Oakland does, but we’re just a smaller city. It’s going to take manpower to really help us.”

ALLEGED CALIFORNIA SHOPLIFTERS SHOCKED TO LEARN STEALING NOW A FELONY: ‘B—H NEW LAWS’

“We’re not asking for it lightly. This has just been a crisis situation for a very long time. Our leadership still has no urgency in handling it and at some point, somebody has to help us,” she added. 

In her petition, Conley wrote that deploying CHP officers and Solano County sheriff’s deputies to Vallejo could help address crime, serve as a deterrent to potential criminals and provide support to an overworked police force. 

CHP Deputy Commissioner Ezery Beauchamp told reporters at a news conference in Oakland last week that the agency has assisted the Vallejo Police Department since July, making 600 traffic enforcement stops and making 32 arrests.

CHP leaders have met with Solano County Sheriff Thomas Ferrara and the agency is “committed” to working with Vallejo Interim Police Chief Jason Ta “to help combat sideshows and illegal street racing that is plaguing the community,” said Beauchamp.

Newsom acknowledged the request for a CHP presence in Vallejo last week but said city leaders have to ultimately address the police staffing woes. 

“I just want the folks in Vallejo to know you’re not getting the CHP to do the work of local law enforcement,” he said. “They think somehow, ‘Well, the state’s going to come in and provide this support for free’. They have a lot of vacant positions… and instead of contracting, for example, with the sheriff’s office and the county, they’re hoping to get the state to do it for free. We’re not going to be in that business.”

Newsom added that “we are in the business of support. You see what we’re doing in Vallejo. We’re supporting them.”

Conley agreed that Vallejo authorities need to address police staffing issues.

“Just like Oakland’s police need to do their part in running their department correctly, so does Vallejo. That’s a big component of why we are in this state of decline and I agree with the governor on that responsibility,” she told Fox News Digital. “Our city can’t expect anyone else to save our situation but to give us the support to gain control in the rebuilding process.”

In September, the governor signed emergency legislation to allow retired Solano County sheriff’s deputies to return to the force full-time to help meet Vallejo’s public safety needs. The Vallejo Police Department currently has only 75 officers out of 129 available positions, Vallejo police Sgt. Rashad Hollis told Fox News Digital. 

Vallejo City Manager Andrew Murray said that the city was aware of Conley’s petition. 

“We respect and appreciate our community’s right to voice their concerns and welcome ongoing dialogue about public safety in Vallejo,” Murray said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital by the Vallejo Police Department and city leaders when asked to comment on the matter. “The Mayor, City Council and I have also sent recent requests for law enforcement support to the Governor, State and regional agencies.”

SAN FRANCISCO MINORS, AS YOUNG AS 12, CAUGHT ALLEGEDLY SHOPLIFTING OVER $84K OF MERCHANDISE: POLICE 

Rebuilding the beleaguered police department is a top priority but more needs to be done, acknowledged Murray. The department coordinates daily with neighboring law enforcement agencies, he said. 

The Solano County Sheriff’s Office responds to certain calls in Vallejo to assist local authorities, said Sheriff’s Sgt. Rex Hawkins. The sheriff’s office is in the process of submitting a service proposal to the city of Vallejo, he said. 

If approved, “a contract for services will be submitted and when the contract is signed, the process of building a law enforcement response will take place,” Hawkins told Fox News Digital. 

Some Vallejo residents have cited the lack of police officers for the decrease in quality of life. 

As of Dec. 27, the city experienced 24 murders in 2024, up from 21 in the same time period last year, according to police data. Rapes and larceny were up as well. Vehicle break-ins and thefts, as well as assaults and robberies, were slightly down. 

HOW A POLITICAL EARTHQUAKE ROCKED CALIFORNIA AND MADE CRIME ‘FINALLY ILLEGAL AGAIN’

Scott, a Vallejo resident who declined to provide his last name over fears of repercussions from local criminals, told Fox News Digital he’s seen the city suffer an overall decline since relocating more than two years ago from San Francisco, where he lived for two decades. 

“We have issues with drug houses and prostitution out in the open,” he said. “The criminal elements, they just come to the city and they take advantage of the fact that there are so few police.”

“San Francisco is way safer than Vallejo. I can walk around San Francisco late at night. Vallejo, I will not walk around at night. The criminal activity is too much,” Scott, 54, added. “The media likes to pick on San Francisco. There’s no comparison.”

Vallejo city leaders declared a police staffing emergency in July, which gave the police chief and Murray, the city manager, powers to address the issue, including seeking assistance from the sheriff’s office and the CHP. 

Murray said progress was being made to address police staffing levels, but that “we recognize there is more work ahead.”

DRUG ARRESTS PROVE THIS CITY IS A ‘MAGNET’ FOR HOMELESSNESS, CRIME, ACTIVIST SAYS

“The Vallejo Police Department collaborates daily with our neighboring law enforcement agencies, and we are grateful for their consistent mutual aid support,” he said. “As we continue to rebuild, we remain open to exploring additional formalized police service support that enhances public safety for our community.”

Deploying more CHP officers to Vallejo would come months after Newsom had the state agency send officers in February to Oakland to address crime, including vehicle and organized retail theft and violent crime.

“As crime rates across California decrease — including right across the Bay in San Francisco — Oakland is seeing the opposite trend,” Newsom said at the time. “What’s happening in this beautiful city and surrounding area is alarming and unacceptable. I’m sending the California Highway Patrol to assist local efforts to restore a sense of safety that the hardworking people of Oakland and the East Bay demand and deserve.”

In July, the governor announced that he would quadruple the number of shifts CHP officers conduct in the city after CHP’s recovery of over a thousand stolen cars, seizure of 55 guns linked to crimes and the arrest of 562 suspects in the East Bay since February. 

Newsom announced last week that CHP would remain in Oakland for an additional month to boost the law enforcement presence there. He also criticized local leaders for not changing a policy that limits police pursuits of fleeing criminals, despite him asking them to over the summer, saying “they had a chance and they didn’t do it.”

Vallejo lies roughly 25 miles south of Oakland. 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Newsom’s office referred to a CHP statement highlighting CHP’s work in Vallejo. 

“The CHP is present and active in Vallejo and will continue to work with community stakeholders, including its police department, to ensure that its community is safe and protected,” CHP Sgt. Andrew Barclay said. 

CHP has contacted Ta, the interim Vallejo police chief, regarding law enforcement assistance to help bolster the police presence in the area, CHP said. Units from CHP’s Solano area office have been advised to assist on Vallejo streets when free or in the area, Barclay said. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In response to ther petition, much of the feedback has been positive, said Conley, who cited her frustration for why she created it in the first place. 

“I’ve tried working with our city and tried to get answers and everything, and I’ve talked to the county. I’m like ‘Well, who else can we go to?’ Let’s go to the governor,” she said. “I’ve never done a petition. This is all new to me. There’s a lot of apathy in our city because things have been bad for a long time and they kind of stay that way.”

Golden Globes host doesn’t hold back, takes shots at Diddy, Ben Affleck and more

Golden Globes, watch out – Nikki Glaser is here to host.

Glaser, 40, opened the show with a nod to weight-loss medication, announcing it was “Ozempic’s biggest night.”

While onstage live from the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., Glaser commended Zendaya for her role in “Challengers,” which follows the tennis ace in a love triangle with her husband and ex-boyfriend.

GOLDEN GLOBES FASHION: DEMI MOORE, HEIDI KLUM, SHARON STONE DAZZLE ON RED CARPET

“That movie was more sexually charged than Diddy’s credit card,” Glaser said. “I know … I’m upset, too. The after-party isn’t going to be as good.”

DENZEL WASHINGTON SETS NEW RECORD AFTER WILD YEAR OF RETIREMENT RUMORS, FAN FIGHTS AND EMBRACING RELIGION

She joked that Stanley Tucci would have to host now. “No baby oil this year, just olive oil,” Glaser said.

On March 25, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided in connection with a federal human trafficking investigation, officials confirmed to Fox News Digital at the time.

During the search, authorities allegedly seized various “Freak Off” supplies, including narcotics and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant, according to the federal indictment.

While rattling off the names of nominated films, a top star was thrown into Glaser’s mix, too.

“‘Wicked,’ ‘Queer,’ ‘Nightbitch’ … these are not just words Ben Affleck yells when he orgasms,” Glaser said.

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Affleck is in the midst of a divorce from his second wife, Jennifer Lopez.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

Prior to the show, Glaser reminisced on 22 years of hard work in the industry to get to the place she is today.

“I started out on ‘Last Comic Standing’ when I was in college,” Glaser told CBS before detailing her shows with MTV and Comedy Central.

It was previous Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais who gave her crucial advice about hosting.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“You’re going to do great,” she remembered Gervais saying. “You’re not one of them.”