Vulnerable House Dem lashes out at Trump’s ‘racist’ SOTU challenge: ‘That was uncomfortable’

Rep. Janelle Bynum criticized Trump’s request for listeners to stand if they prioritize American citizens over illegal aliens

By Leo Briceno | Fox News

Published February 26, 2026 8:58pm EST

Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Ore., called a challenge from President Donald Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address “racist” when he asked listeners to stand if they agreed the U.S. should prioritize the safety of its own citizens over illegal aliens.

“If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support,” Trump said.

“The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”

Democrats remained seated for over a minute and a half as the Republican side of the chamber burst into prolonged applause.

President Donald Trump ahead of his 2026 State of the Union Address Feb. 24, 2026.(Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images)

After the address, Bynum, who is on the National Republican Congressional Committee’s list of vulnerable Dem incumbents, said the moment made her uneasy.

“I think you can agree with the ‘what’ — like standing up for American citizens,” Bynum said. “But I disagree with the ‘how.’

“There’s thinly veiled racist language, anti-immigrant language in what he was asking, and that was uncomfortable.”

Bynum’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how Trump’s challenge had asked lawmakers to discriminate on the basis of race.

TRUMP SHAMES DEMOCRATS IN VIRAL STATE OF THE UNION CHALLENGE ON MIGRANT CRIME: ‘FIRST DUTY’

Trump’s remarks to Democrats Tuesday came as a partial government shutdown drags on over demands Democrats have made to reform the agency at the heart of Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Ore., and President Donald Trump(Getty Images)

Democrats are demanding a set of 10 enforcement reforms for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and won’t vote to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) until Republicans meet their demands.

DHS, which oversees ICE, went into a shutdown Feb. 14.

DHS SHUTDOWN DRAGS INTO WEEK TWO AS IRAN THREAT, SOTU CLASH COMPLICATE HILL TALKS

Among other changes, Democrats are looking for a ban on masks, an end to roaming patrols, visible identification and stiffer warrant requirements for arresting illegal aliens in public.

Republicans have dismissed those demands, arguing that Democrats must first pass legislation to restrict “sanctuary cities,” communities that have instructed their law enforcement not to cooperate with federal agents on immigration apprehensions and deportations.

DHS Agents in Charlotte, N.C.(Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

In a press release after the State of the Union address, Bynum, who voted against DHS earlier this year, listed Trump’s framing of his immigration crackdown among her many critiques of the address.

“Tonight, I watched President Trump spend the majority of his speech lying about the state of our economy, demonizing immigrants and spewing more of the same divisive BS. I can’t say I’m surprised,” she wrote.

Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.

阿富汗在坎大哈和赫尔曼德省向巴基斯坦展开报复

2026年2月27日 09:06 / 联合早报

2月22日，阿富汗帕克蒂卡省乌尔贡区巴利什村夜间遭巴基斯坦空袭，一辆汽车被炸毁。 （法新社）

阿富汗政府发言人星期五（2月27日）在社交媒体上说，在喀布尔、坎大哈等地遭到巴基斯坦军队空袭后，阿方从坎大哈省和赫尔曼德省向巴基斯坦军事目标发起大规模报复行动。

阿富汗政府发言人穆贾希德当天凌晨在社交媒体上证实，阿富汗首都喀布尔、坎大哈省、帕克蒂亚省部分地区遭到巴基斯坦军队空袭，目前尚无人员伤亡报告。

27日凌晨2时10分左右，喀布尔市中心传出爆炸巨响，疑似有飞机飞过的声音，后续传出激烈枪声。

巴基斯坦和阿富汗26日晚在两国边境地区爆发激烈交火。

巴基斯坦空袭阿富汗首都喀布尔等地

2026年2月27日 08:48 / 联合早报

2月26日发布的一段视频显示阿富汗楠格哈尔省的一条道路上出现军用车辆。 （路透社）

阿富汗政府发言人穆贾希德星期五（2月27日）凌晨在社交媒体上证实，阿富汗首都喀布尔、坎大哈省和帕克蒂亚省部分地区遭到巴基斯坦军队空袭，目前尚无人员伤亡报告。

27日凌晨2时10分左右，喀布尔市中心传出爆炸巨响，疑似有飞机飞过的声音，后续传出激烈枪声。

巴基斯坦军方消息人士告诉新华社，巴方当天凌晨空袭阿方在喀布尔、坎大哈省和帕克蒂亚省的重要军事设施。空袭行动旨在回应阿方26日晚间攻击巴方边境哨所，行动摧毁阿方多处指挥所、弹药库及后勤基地。

这名消息人士称，喀布尔遭到空袭后，阿方请求停火，但巴方决定继续空袭直至完全达成目标。

对喀布尔的空袭发生在两国边境爆发冲突几小时后。穆贾希德26日晚在社交媒体发文称，为回应巴基斯坦军方“挑衅”，阿方打击巴方边境地区军事设施。阿富汗国防部稍后发表声明，声称夺取巴方15处军事哨所，打死55名巴方士兵。

巴基斯坦总理夏巴兹的发言人发表声明说，巴方安全部队采取有效反击，打死72名阿富汗武装人员、打伤120人，摧毁16处阿方哨所，占领7处阿方哨所。

巴基斯坦总统扎尔达里在社交媒体发表声明说，巴基斯坦不会在和平与领土完整问题上作出任何妥协。巴方安全部队的回应全面且果断。那些将巴方维护和平的意愿误认为软弱的人将会面临强有力反击。

过去几天，阿富汗与巴基斯坦在阿东部与巴西北部接壤地带发生间歇性交火。起因系巴方2月21日夜间至22日凌晨空袭两国边境地区多处巴方指认的恐怖分子营地。巴方称空袭打死80多名恐怖分子，阿方称空袭造成包括妇女儿童在内的18人死亡。

消息指华盛顿施压叙利亚弃用中国电信系统 | 联合早报

发布/2026年2月27日 10:07

消息指华盛顿施压叙利亚弃用中国电信系统

美国国务院回应路透社询问时说：“我们敦促各国在所有关键基础设施采购中，优先考虑国家安全和隐私，而非低价设备和服务。” （路透社）

三名知情人士透露，美国近日警告叙利亚，不要在电信领域依赖中国技术，理由是这与美国利益相冲突，并威胁美国国家安全。

路透社报道，这一消息是在星期二（2月24日）美国国务院代表团与叙利亚通信部长海卡尔（Abdulsalam Haykal）在旧金山会晤时传达的。美叙这次会晤并未对外公开。

据熟悉旧金山会议的一名人士说，叙利亚对与美国公司合作持开放态度，但由于时间紧迫，而出口管制和“过度合规”仍然是一个问题。

自2024年叙利亚阿萨德政权倒台后，华盛顿一直与现任叙利亚总统沙拉保持密切协调。阿萨德掌权时与中国建立了战略伙伴关系。

一名参与采购谈判的叙利亚商人透露，叙利亚正在探讨采购中国技术以支持其电信塔和当地互联网服务提供商的基础设施建设。

了解谈判情况的另一名消息人士说：“美方要求叙方澄清他们采购中国电信设备的计划。”叙利亚官员表示基础设施开发项目时间紧迫，大马士革方面希望供应商更加多元化。

一名美国外交官告诉路透社，美国国务院“明确敦促叙利亚，在电信领域使用美国技术，或来自美国盟友国家的技术”。

目前尚不清楚美国是否为此向叙利亚承诺提供财政或后勤支持。

美国国务院发言人在回应路透社询问时说：“我们敦促各国在所有关键基础设施采购中，优先考虑国家安全和隐私，而非低价设备和服务。如果听起来好得令人难以置信，那很可能是靠不住的。”

国务院发言人还说，中国情报和安全部门“可以合法强制中国公民和企业分享敏感数据，或未经授权访问其客户系统”，而中国企业承诺保护客户隐私“与中国自身的法律和既定做法完全不符”。

中国多次否认有关其利用技术从事间谍活动的指控。

叙利亚电信部告诉路透社，任何与设备和基础设施相关的决策都是按照国家技术和安全标准做出的，以确保数据安全和服务连续性。

叙利亚电信部还说，它将优先考虑合作伙伴关系和技术来源的多元化，确保符合国家利益。

叙利亚电信（Syriatel）和MTN是叙利亚仅有的两家电信运营商。据其中一家公司一名高级消息人士和路透社查阅的文件，华为技术在这两家公司基础设施中的占比超过50%。

华为尚未对路透社的报道置评。

阿富汗在坎大哈和赫尔曼德省向巴基斯坦展开报复

2026年2月27日 09:06 / 联合早报

2月22日，阿富汗帕克蒂卡省乌尔贡区巴利什村夜间遭巴基斯坦空袭，一辆汽车被炸毁。 （法新社）

阿富汗政府发言人星期五（2月27日）在社交媒体上说，在喀布尔、坎大哈等地遭到巴基斯坦军队空袭后，阿方从坎大哈省和赫尔曼德省向巴基斯坦军事目标发起大规模报复行动。

阿富汗政府发言人穆贾希德当天凌晨在社交媒体上证实，阿富汗首都喀布尔、坎大哈省、帕克蒂亚省部分地区遭到巴基斯坦军队空袭，目前尚无人员伤亡报告。

27日凌晨2时10分左右，喀布尔市中心传出爆炸巨响，疑似有飞机飞过的声音，后续传出激烈枪声。

巴基斯坦和阿富汗26日晚在两国边境地区爆发激烈交火。

President outlined key priorities including the SAVE Act requiring citizenship proof for voting and a congressional stock trading ban

By Chad Pergram | Fox News

Published February 26, 2026 10:31pm EST | Updated February 26, 2026 10:42pm EST

State of the Union speeches are all about aspirations. It doesn’t matter if you’re Reagan. Clinton, Obama, the Bush tandem or Trump. Aspirations are the quintessence of State of the Union speeches. What presidents aspire to do. And what a president wants Congress to do.

All of this flows toward the ultimate of political aspirations: winning elections. Be it the next presidential election. Or, House and Senate seats during the midterms.

There were two big asks — and one admonition — from President Donald Trump this week. He wants Congress to approve the SAVE Act, requiring proof of citizenship for people to vote. He wants lawmakers to pass a stock trading ban, handcuffing Congress from dealing in stocks. And the President doesn’t want Congress to meddle in tariff policy.

Image 45: placeholder

President Trump touted his new tariffs, arguing that they will eventually replace the nation’s income tax. This commander-in-chief has wielded executive power more broadly than any other president. So he instructed lawmakers to trade in their tariff authority.

“Congressional action will not be necessary,” Trump said of his new tariffs.

The Constitution blesses Congress with the power to impose tariffs. The Supreme Court upheld that power last week. But President Trump went ahead and slapped another set of tariffs on all nations, leaning on a different law.

Image 46: Rick Scotts talks about the SAVE Act at a press conference

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., speaks to reporters on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act at the U.S. Capitol. The legislation would introduce more proof-of-citizenship requirements for Americans voting in federal elections.(Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)

Like most presidents, Trump wants to control legislation. That includes precluding Congress from tampering with his tariffs. However, a number of Republicans have their own aspirations: getting re-elected. That’s why some House Republicans, who believe their districts are getting hammered by tariffs, would like to reclaim that power. Or, at the very least, be on the record opposing the president.

The House voted a few weeks ago to extinguish a special rule House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and others put in place to block members from unwinding the tariffs for a year. Then the House adopted a plan to undo tariffs with Canada.

TRUMP’S PUSH TO ‘KNOCK OUT’ FILIBUSTER GAINS NEW GOP TRACTION AS FUNDING DEADLINE NEARS

Image 47: placeholder

But again, these are aspirations of some Republicans fed up with tariffs. The bulk of Republicans are okay with keeping them in place. And that’s exactly what Trump wants – regardless of what the Supreme Court decided.

Image 48: President Donald Trump exits the House Chamber after addressing a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol.

President Donald Trump leaves after delivering the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, in Washington, D.C.(Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Let’s go back to Trump’s two major legislative asks in his speech. The SAVE Act is the one he really wants to be passed. This fits nicely with Trump’s narrative about illegal immigration, his claim that former President Joe Biden stole the 2020 election and voter fraud.

“They want to cheat. They have cheated. And their policy is so bad that the only way they can get elected is to cheat,” said the President of Democrats during his speech. “Cheating is rampant.”

TRUMP UNDERCUTS GOP PUSH TO ATTACH SAVE ACT TO SHUTDOWN BILL AS CONSERVATIVES THREATEN MUTINY

A study examining election fraud by the conservative Heritage Foundation, discovered that examples of election fraud are minuscule. For instance, Pennsylvania, a swing state, has only unearthed 39 instances of voting fraud over the past three decades.

The House already approved the SAVE Act. But the question is the Senate.

“The Senate is working. I think every Republican over there is obviously in favor of the SAVE America Act, and they’re trying to cobble together the votes. It’s a 70% Democrat issue. It’s over 90% in some polls,” said Johnson. “Hopefully, some Democrats will come to their senses. I don’t know how they can go home to their voters and say that they were opposing that when it’s such a popular issue. So we’ll see how it goes.”

Image 49: placeholder

See how it goes is right.

It was notable that in his plea for Congressional action on the SAVE Act, Trump did not demand that senators end the filibuster. Fifty GOP senators now support the SAVE Act. But the trick is whether those who endorse the legislation can hit the magic threshold of 60 yeas. That’s the number of votes required to break a filibuster.

Senate Majority leader John Thune, R-S.D., has repeatedly resisted altering the Senate’s filibuster customs and precedents to pass the SAVE Act. The bill will never become law unless the Senate changes things. And Thune reiterated his opposition to undoing the filibuster.

Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and others have advocated a “talking filibuster.” That means senators must actually speak and hold the floor for hours on end. Otherwise, the Senate must vote. Talking filibuster proponents don’t want senators to silently object from the sidelines. That’s what compels the Senate to take procedural votes needing 60 yeas to overcome a filibuster.

LEAVITT DEMANDS SENATE GOP ‘GET OFF THEIR BUTTS’ AND ABOLISH FILIBUSTER RULE TO ADVANCE TRUMP’S AGENDA

“The talking filibuster issue is one on which there is not a unified Republican conference. And there would have to be (unity) if you go down that path,” said Thune.

He mentioned that the GOP must “keep 50 Republicans unified pretty much on every single vote,” adding that “there isn’t the support for doing that at this point.”

Image 50: Donald Trump walking into the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol.

President Donald Trump arrives to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, in Washington, D.C.(Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo)

Image 51: placeholder

Fox News is also told that there is some friction between House and Senate Republicans. Some Senate Republicans don’t appreciate the House amping up pressure to ditch the filibuster. The right to filibuster is a privilege to which senators of both parties cling tightly.

MARK HALPERIN: TRUMP STRATEGY SUPER SESSION PLOTS MIDTERM SURVIVAL AS HISTORY STALKS GOP

Moreover, subjecting the Senate to lengthy debate could tee up amendment votes which many vulnerable senators may find unsettling. Getting them on the record on a host of controversial issues wouldn’t help the GOP ahead of the election.

So, while it’s Trump’s aspiration to pass the SAVE Act, his aspirations regarding the filibuster are unclear at best.

Then, there’s the aspiration about prohibiting lawmakers from trading stocks. Even Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., stood and applauded when Trump made that entreaty.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: TRUMP’S STATE OF THE UNION BECOMES POLITICAL BOXING MATCH AS DEMOCRATS BOYCOTT

Johnson said that the House is trying to “move (the bill) as aggressively and as quickly as we can.” But says he’s got to have “the votes for it.”

Image 52: placeholder

That’s the reason the House hasn’t addressed the bill yet. It lacks the votes. For now, that is an aspiration. If the bill has the votes, Johnson will deposit the legislation on the floor.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

There’s an old expression that the president “proposes” and Congress “disposes.” It’s certainly possible that even a GOP Congress will do that this year with some of Trump’s legislative wishes.

But that doesn’t handicap presidential aspirations. After all, even presidents can dream.

Related Article

Image 53: LIZ PEEK: America expected one thing from Trump’s State of the Union. It got another

LIZ PEEK: America expected one thing from Trump’s State of the Union. It got another

Chad Pergram currently serves as Chief Congressional Correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based out of Washington, D.C.

乌美日内瓦会谈结束 下一轮三方会谈或在阿布扎比举行

发布时间 / 来源：2026年2月27日 10:22 / 联合早报

2月26日，美国分别与乌克兰和俄罗斯举行的会谈在日内瓦四季酒店举行，酒店外有警察车巡逻。 （路透社）

乌克兰和美国代表星期四（2月26日）在瑞士日内瓦举行的会谈结束。乌总统泽连斯基说，下一轮乌美俄三方会谈可能于3月初在阿联酋首都阿布扎比举行。

新华社报道，据乌方代表团团长、乌国家安全与国防委员会秘书乌梅罗夫在社交媒体上发布的消息，乌方星期四既与美方举行了双边会谈，也与美方和瑞士方面举行了三方会谈。乌方代表和美国总统特使威特科夫等美方代表还一道与泽连斯基通电话，讨论会谈结果及后续步骤。

泽连斯基在星期四晚的视频讲话中称，各方已就下一轮乌美俄三方会谈展现出更大意愿，会谈可能3月初在阿布扎比举行。

泽连斯基强调，战争必须结束，“这是乌克兰的立场”，下一轮三方会谈需要敲定切实的对乌安全保障，并筹备领导人层面的会谈。

乌梅罗夫星期四早些时候在社交媒体上说，乌美代表当天在日内瓦重点讨论乌克兰经济复苏议题，包括对乌经济支持机制、吸引投资工具及长期合作框架等内容。会谈还讨论了下一轮乌美俄三方谈判的筹备工作。

今年1月23日至24日、2月4日至5日，乌美俄三方代表在阿布扎比举行两轮会谈。第三轮会谈2月17日至18日在日内瓦举行。

消息指华盛顿施压叙利亚弃用中国电信系统

2026年2月27日 10:07 / 联合早报

美国国务院回应路透社询问时说：“我们敦促各国在所有关键基础设施采购中，优先考虑国家安全和隐私，而非低价设备和服务。” （路透社）

三名知情人士透露，美国近日警告叙利亚，不要在电信领域依赖中国技术，理由是这与美国利益相冲突，并威胁美国国家安全。

路透社报道，这一消息是在星期二（2月24日）美国国务院代表团与叙利亚通信部长海卡尔（Abdulsalam Haykal）在旧金山会晤时传达的。美叙这次会晤并未对外公开。

据熟悉旧金山会议的一名人士说，叙利亚对与美国公司合作持开放态度，但由于时间紧迫，而出口管制和“过度合规”仍然是一个问题。

自2024年叙利亚阿萨德政权倒台后，华盛顿一直与现任叙利亚总统沙拉保持密切协调。阿萨德掌权时与中国建立了战略伙伴关系。

一名参与采购谈判的叙利亚商人透露，叙利亚正在探讨采购中国技术以支持其电信塔和当地互联网服务提供商的基础设施建设。

了解谈判情况的另一名消息人士说：“美方要求叙方澄清他们采购中国电信设备的计划。”叙利亚官员表示基础设施开发项目时间紧迫，大马士革方面希望供应商更加多元化。

一名美国外交官告诉路透社，美国国务院“明确敦促叙利亚，在电信领域使用美国技术，或来自美国盟友国家的技术”。

目前尚不清楚美国是否为此向叙利亚承诺提供财政或后勤支持。

美国国务院发言人在回应路透社询问时说：“我们敦促各国在所有关键基础设施采购中，优先考虑国家安全和隐私，而非低价设备和服务。如果听起来好得令人难以置信，那很可能是靠不住的。”

国务院发言人还说，中国情报和安全部门“可以合法强制中国公民和企业分享敏感数据，或未经授权访问其客户系统”，而中国企业承诺保护客户隐私“与中国自身的法律和既定做法完全不符”。

中国多次否认有关其利用技术从事间谍活动的指控。

叙利亚电信部告诉路透社，任何与设备和基础设施相关的决策都是按照国家技术和安全标准做出的，以确保数据安全和服务连续性。

叙利亚电信部还说，它将优先考虑合作伙伴关系和技术来源的多元化，确保符合国家利益。

叙利亚电信（Syriatel）和MTN是叙利亚仅有的两家电信运营商。据其中一家公司一名高级消息人士和路透社查阅的文件，华为技术在这两家公司基础设施中的占比超过50%。

华为尚未对路透社的报道置评。

Pentagon shoots down government drone in Texas accident, congressional aides say

February 27, 2026 1:11 AM UTC / Reuters

WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) – The U.S. military shot down a U.S. government drone with a laser-based anti-drone system, an accident that prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to bar flights on Thursday in an area around Fort Hancock, Texas, congressional aides told Reuters.

The Pentagon did not immediately comment, but the FAA cited “special security reasons” in its notice about the restrictions on the airspace near the Mexican border.

Make sense of the latest ESG trends affecting companies and governments with the Reuters Sustainable Switch newsletter. Sign up here.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

U.S. Representatives Rick Larsen, Bennie Thompson and Andre Carson, top Democrats on committees overseeing aviation and Homeland Security issues, said in a joint statement the Pentagon reportedly shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone, and criticized the lack of coordination.

The lawmakers said they warned months ago that the White House’s decision to sidestep a bipartisan proposal to train counter-drone operators and address coordination issues “was a short-sighted idea.”

“Now, we’re seeing the result of incompetence,” the statement said.

Congressional aides told Reuters the Pentagon was believed to have used the high-energy laser system to shoot down the CBP drone near the Mexican border, in an area that often has incursions from Mexican drones used by drug cartels. CBP and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

The FAA said it was expanding prior flight restrictions in the area to “include a greater radius to ensure safety” but said it did not impact commercial flights because of its location.

This month, the FAA said it was halting traffic for 10 days at the airport in nearby El Paso, Texas, only to reverse course and lift its order after about eight hours. Fort Hancock is about 50 miles (80 km) from El Paso.

Reuters and other media reported that the closure stemmed from concerns about the use of the laser-based anti-drone system and that the FAA had agreed to drop its restrictions around El Paso if the Pentagon agreed to delay further testing pending an FAA safety review.

Both the Pentagon and CBP told congressional aides earlier this week they believed they could deploy the laser without the FAA’s prior approval.

Aides said there was a lack of coordination between the FAA and Pentagon. The government informed congressional offices about the El Paso closure as well as the Fort Hancock incident late on Thursday.

The FAA notice barred all flights in the Fort Hancock area but said air ambulance or search and rescue flights can be authorized with the Joint Task Force-Southern Border. The flight restrictions are to last until June 24.

Government agencies briefed congressional staff earlier this week on the El Paso incident and are expected to brief lawmakers as soon as next week.

CBP deployed the laser technology this month to reportedly take down four suspected cartel drones, despite warnings from the FAA that the technology had not been deemed safe to use in the same vicinity as commercial flights, an aide told Reuters, adding agencies told them the laser had never before been deployed domestically.

Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Jamie Freed

About a dozen FBI staff who worked on Trump documents case fired over 2 days, sources say

Updated on: February 26, 2026 / 7:44 PM EST / CBS News

The FBI fired more employees Thursday linked to investigations into President Trump after terminating at least 10 Wednesday, multiple sources confirmed. Overall, the rough estimate is about a dozen in total over two days.

The firings began after FBI Director Kash Patel alleged that former special counsel Jack Smith had subpoenaed his phone records as part of his investigation into Donald Trump, multiple sources said.

The agents, analysts and support staff, most of whom worked on Smith’s probe into President Trump’s retention of classified documents, were removed from their jobs over the past two days by Patel, who claimed that Smith had overstepped his authority by obtaining both his phone records as well as phone records for Mr. Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles while they were private citizens.

Patel had said in a statement to Reuters Wednesday that the FBI had secretly subpoenaed his phone records “using flimsy pretexts and burying the entire process in prohibited case files designed to evade all oversight.” He did not describe the “flimsy pretexts.”

The types of phone records at the heart of his claim are known as toll records, which contain details such as the originating and recipient numbers, date, time, and duration of calls, but not the content. It is customary for law enforcement to obtain such records through a grand jury subpoena as part of a criminal investigation to help reconstruct timelines, establish connections and verify information.

During the Biden administration, after the National Archives had unsuccessfully sought the return of sensitive White House documents from Mr. Trump, the Justice Department seized White House files from Mar-a-Lago in August 2022, some of which were labeled “Top Secret.” Mr. Trump has said the documents were in his possession lawfully and claimed publicly that in the waning days of his presidency he declassified some material in his possession that had been classified.

Patel, who served in the first Trump administration, was designated by Mr. Trump at the time to be a representative to the National Archives and Records Administration, and he testified before a grand jury in the documents case in November 2022. In an interview with Breitbart News, Patel claimed to have been present when Mr. Trump declassified the material.

The FBI press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The FBI Agents Association has condemned the firings, saying the employees were terminated without any due process.

Smith’s investigations into Mr. Trump led to the first federal criminal indictments against a former president in U.S. history. The classified document charges were dismissed by a federal judge in Florida in mid-2024 on the grounds that Smith was unlawfully appointed, and Smith dropped the 2020 election charges after Mr. Trump won the 2024 race.

Since then, the Trump administration has taken aim at federal employees who worked on the two cases. The Justice Department fired a group of prosecutors who worked on Smith’s team, and the FBI has fired agents involved in the Arctic Frost election investigation.

Joe Walsh contributed to this report.