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Schumer, Jeffries mend rift, present united front on DHS reforms as deadline nears

Top congressional Democrats promise ‘tough, strong legislation’ within 24 hours after House leader previously bucked Senate deal with Trump

By Alex Miller
Fox News

Published February 4, 2026 1:02pm EST

The top congressional Democrats appear to have mended their rift over the controversial Homeland Security spending bill and presented a revamped list of demands to earn the party’s support to fund the agency.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., presented a unified front on Wednesday to unveil a retooled wish list of reforms for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after the top House Democrat bucked his colleague’s deal with President Donald Trump.

“We’re united as House and [Senate Democrats,” Schumer said. “We’re going to have tough, strong legislation. We hope to have it within the next 24 hours that we will submit together. And then we want our Republican colleagues to finally get serious about this.”

[GOP SENATOR JABS JEFFRIES AS ‘BUTT HURT’ OVER TRUMP-SCHUMER DEAL]

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., hold a joint news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 8, 2026.(Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

Schumer laid out congressional Democrats’ requirements for their support of a full-year DHS funding bill, which varied little from the same list of demands he unveiled last week. The only difference now is that he had a buy-in from House Democrats.

Among the demands are an end to roving patrols, oversight by state and local governments where ICE and DHS are operating, along with the right to sue. Lastly, Schumer demanded that there be “no secret police.”

“I find it amazing that the Speaker of the House, [is] saying … they should be allowed to have masks,” Schumer said. “This group, which needs to be identified more than any other group, should have a standard much more lenient and hidden than other police forces?”

[THUNE BLASTS JEFFRIES, SCHUMER AS ‘AFRAID OF THEIR SHADOWS’ AS DHS FUNDING FIGHT HEATS UP]

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., walks from the chamber to speak with reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Nov. 12, 2025.(J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

“I would bet when Speaker Johnson goes [down to Louisiana, the sheriffs and the police deputies are well identified as they are in almost every city,” he continued.

Jeffries spurned Schumer and Senate Democrats just a day earlier when he and the vast majority of House Democrats rejected the funding deal that the top Senate Democrat struck with Trump that allowed Congress more time to negotiate over the DHS funding bill.

That divide, for now, appears to have been bridged.

[SHUTDOWN AVERTED FOR NOW, BUT SENATE WARNS DHS FIGHT COULD TRIGGER ANOTHER IN DAYS]

President Donald Trump arrives at a dedication ceremony for a portion of Southern Boulevard that the Town of Palm Beach Council recently voted to rename President Donald J. Trump Boulevard at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., Jan. 16, 2026.(Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)

The negotiations over the funding bill are expected to largely take place in the Senate, and Republicans are leery that Democrats will actually negotiate in good faith, given that they abandoned an already bipartisan bill and Jeffries’ defection from Schumer over the Trump-backed spending deal.

But Democrats argue that their demands aren’t too burdensome, and should be accomplished with legislation, not through executive action at the White House.

[CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP]

“These are just some of the commonsense proposals that the American people clearly would like to see in terms of the dramatic changes that are needed at the Department of Homeland Security before there is a full-year appropriations bill,” Jeffries said.

Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.

House conservatives warn Trump-Schumer deal undercuts GOP leverage on DHS funding

One House Republican tells Fox News Digital, ‘We just shot ourselves in the foot’

By Elizabeth Elkind
Fox News

Published February 4, 2026 12:39pm EST

House conservatives are quietly grumbling about the deal President Donald Trump entered into with Senate Democrats to keep the government open — particularly regarding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Some Republican lawmakers are concerned that the plan will force them to swallow concessions on immigration enforcement policies that they would not normally entertain while the GOP holds all the levers of power in Washington, albeit with slim majorities.

“I don’t think we have any more leverage,” one House Republican granted anonymity to speak candidly told Fox News Digital. “We just shot ourselves in the foot, and nine days later we’ll do it again.”

The compromise between Democrats and the White House funds 97% of the federal government through Sept. 30, but only keeps DHS running until Feb. 13.

PLAN TO END GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SURVIVES KEY HOUSE HURDLE AFTER TRUMP QUELLS GOP REBELLION THREATS

The White House and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer reached an agreement to fund the government, sidelining the controversial DHS funding bill in the process.(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)

That’s because House and Senate Democrats walked away from an initial compromise that would similarly fund DHS through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2026, in exchange for added guardrails on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) like a new body-worn camera mandate and required training on de-escalation and public engagement.

The earlier plan passed the House, mostly with only GOP support, but was rejected by Senate Democrats in the wake of unrest in Minneapolis over Trump’s immigration crackdown. Federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens there during anti-ICE demonstrations, with tensions escalating thanks to those fatal encounters and angry rhetoric by progressive local officials.

Trump’s new deal for DHS with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is aimed at giving time for more bipartisan negotiations on a longer-term funding plan.

GOVERNMENT SHUTS DOWN AGAIN AFTER DEMOCRATS REVOLT OVER DHS FUNDING

But the move frustrated some House Republicans all the way up to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who told his conference on a lawmaker-only call Friday that he was “frustrated” by the compromise but that congressional Republicans needed to stick by Trump’s decisions as the leader of their party.

He also told reporters during a Tuesday morning press conference, “This is not my preferred route. I wanted to keep all six bills together.”

“But listen, the president agreed with Schumer that they would separate Homeland, and we’ll do that, and we’ll handle it,” Johnson continued. “The Republicans are going to do the responsible thing.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson talks to protesters gathered outside the Supreme Court, Jan. 13, 2026, in Washington.(Jose Luis Magana/AP)

Frustrations about Trump negotiating away their leverage were brought up again by House conservatives during a GOP lawmaker-only meeting on Tuesday morning, two sources told Fox News Digital.

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES SKEPTICAL AS SENATE DEAL SACRIFICING DHS SPENDING REACHED: ‘NON-STARTER’

One senior House Republican said they’d heard such complaints but commended Trump for acting responsibly in a difficult situation.

“I think there were no good options. We obviously don’t want a shutdown, Democrats are very capable of that, they’ve demonstrated they’re willing to do that,” the senior House Republican said.

“They backed out on their end of the deal, and politically, they made a calculus, so the president had to be the bigger person. So, yeah, of course there was leverage that was given away. But leaders are the ones who can de-escalate. He seems to be de-escalating.”

Others who spoke on the record said they trusted Trump but were pessimistic about getting to Feb. 13 with a plan that Republicans could all support.

“Homeland Security is doing a tremendous job. It’s unfortunate that two people got shot, but it’s unfortunate that 20 million illegals came to America, too,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said Monday.

“Trump, I trust his judgment. I’m just saying my gut instinct is… they’ll use the two weeks to demagogue DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, they’ll use the two weeks to say how bad everything is with ICE. I think they’ll take the two weeks to make unreasonable demands on dismantling ICE. That’s not going to happen.”

HOUSE SENDS BILL ENDING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN TO TRUMP’S DESK AFTER 21 DEMS BREAK WITH JEFFRIES

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conduct enforcement operations in Minneapolis, Jan. 28, 2026.(Madison Thorn/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital, “I am concerned, but I’m hopeful that the president in the negotiations will hold firm, and hold strong.”

But two more House Republicans who spoke with Fox News Digital privately signaled they did not see a path to GOP success on DHS after Trump’s talks with Senate Democrats.

“Whatever will come of that will be something that I probably won’t be able to support,” one of them said.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“How are we in a better negotiating position in two weeks? The only difference will be time,” the second GOP lawmaker said. “At the end of the day, I’m worried that we’re going to make a lot of concessions that we wouldn’t normally make.”

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital that Trump would hold firm on implementing his immigration law.

“President Trump and his entire administration have been clear: we will not waver when implementing the president’s electoral mandate to enforce federal immigration law. Democrats should not hold funding hostage for disaster relief as many Americans continue to recover from winter storms,” Jackson said.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com

美官员称将立即从明尼苏达州撤离700名执法人员 | 联合早报

发布/2026年2月4日 23:45

美官员称将立即从明尼苏达州撤离700名执法人员

美国政府边境事务主管霍曼星期三（2月4日）宣布，将立即从明尼苏达州撤离700名联邦执法人员。 （法新社）

美国政府边境事务主管霍曼星期三（2月4日）宣布，将立即从明尼苏达州撤离700名联邦执法人员。

法新社报道，霍曼指这项决定将“立即”生效，称此举是基于与地方当局加强合作的结果，但未说明这些警员将撤离明尼阿波利斯市，还是从其他地区撤离。

霍曼解释称，如今“更多警员直接从监狱接收被羁押的外国犯人”，而非在街头拘捕，而这大幅减少所需的人力。

但他说，缩编后明尼苏达州仍将保留约2000名警员，远高于大规模移民执法行动前约150人的规模。

霍曼强调，自己不会离开明尼阿波利斯，“直到我们完成所有任务”。

在特朗普政府升级移民执法、联邦人员大规模进驻明尼苏达州期间，明尼阿波利斯居民普雷蒂于1月24日被执法人员枪杀，成为该行动中第二名丧生的当地居民，事件迅速引发当地紧张局势升级以及全美多州抗议。

[美国][移民][示威]

上一篇 挪威王储妃之子出庭作证 坦言生活奢靡否认强奸

纽时：华邮计划裁掉数百名记者

发布时间：2026年2月4日 23:41 来源：联合早报

据报道，《华盛顿邮报》是在星期三（2月4日）的一次视频会议上告知员工关于裁员的消息。图为华邮位于华盛顿的总部。 （路透社）

（华盛顿讯）美国媒体报道，另一家美国大报《华盛顿邮报》计划展开大规模裁员，预计新闻编辑部将裁减数百名记者，严重影响报社在本地、国际和体育新闻方面的报道。

《纽约时报》报道，华邮是在星期三（2月4日）的一次视频会议上告知员工关于裁员的消息。华邮执行总编辑默里（Matt Murray）在会议上说：“我们正在采取的措施包括进行广泛的战略调整，并大幅裁员。”

纽时引述一名了解华邮战略的人士说，华邮领导层正在采取措施挽救这家机构；通过裁员，华邮试图使其内容更好地契合读者的喜好。

纽时说，华邮的裁员决定表明，华邮老板、也是美国互联网巨头亚马逊公司创始人贝索斯，虽然凭借在网上卖东西成为世界最富有的人之一，但他尚未找到在互联网上建立和维持盈利出版物的方法。在贝索斯入主后的最初几年，华邮发展迅速，但近年来却步履维艰。

2023年底，贝索斯聘请曾任道琼斯公司首席执行官和《华尔街日报》出版人的英国媒体人刘易斯（William John Lewis）担任华邮出版人，希望为华邮找到取得盈利之道。刘易斯尝试了多项改革措施来重塑华邮，尤其是大力运用人工智能（AI）技术来驱动评论、播客和新闻聚合等功能。

但是，在2024年的一次员工会议上，刘易斯警告，华邮正处于困境。“我们正在亏损巨额资金。近年来，你们的读者数量减少了一半。人们不再阅读你们的内容了。”

华邮并非唯一在盈利困境中挣扎的报社。许多媒体的纸版发行量持续暴跌，而数码流量则受到生成式AI技术的阻碍，受众也分散到各个社交媒体平台。为了弥补损失，各家报社只能尝试不同的收入来源，例如举办活动和推出高级会员服务。

U.S.-Iran talks planned for Friday in Oman after U.S. shoots down Iranian drone

February 4, 2026 / 10:27 AM EST / CBS News

[U.S.-Iran talks] are expected to be held in Oman on Friday, sources told CBS News, after the [U.S. military said it shot down an Iranian drone] and Iranian forces threatened to seize a U.S.-flagged vessel.

Iran had objected to holding the talks in Turkey, which was the initial proposed location.

Iran is seeking direct talks with the U.S. without the usual third party intermediary, according to two sources — an Arab diplomat and a source familiar with the matter. The direct format has long been sought by the Trump administration.

White House spokespeople didn’t immediately comment.

The United States does not have formal diplomatic relations with Tehran and Iran is still designated as a state sponsor of terrorism by the U.S. government.

Ahead of the talks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff on Tuesday in Israel. Netanyahu told Witkoff that Iran has proven its promises cannot be relied upon, according to a readout from the meeting.

Israel remains skeptical of the diplomacy that Arab and Turkish allies of the U.S. have scrambled to put together to avoid U.S. strikes against Iran.

Drone and tanker incidents

---

The U.S. military said a Shahed-139 drone “aggressively” approached the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier as it was moving through the Arabian Sea roughly 500 miles from the southern coast of Iran on Tuesday. The drone flew toward the carrier “despite de-escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters,” U.S. Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said in a statement.

“An F-35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board,” Hawkins said. “No American service members were harmed during the incident, and no U.S. equipment was damaged.”

Hours later, in the Strait of Hormuz, an Iranian drone and two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boats “threatened to board and seize” a U.S.-flagged tanker, Hawkins said.

The U.S.-crewed merchant vessel, the [M/V Stena Imperative], was “lawfully transiting the international sea passage,” he said. The situation de-escalated after the USS McCaul responded to the scene and escorted the tanker with air support.

U.S. military buildup near Iran

---

The U.S. has built up military presence near Iran in recent days. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and three destroyers were in the Arabian Sea as of Tuesday, according to a Navy official. Other destroyers were positioned in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, while three littoral combat ships were in the Persian Gulf.

Mr. Trump told reporters last month that the military was sending ships to the Middle East “just in case,” as his administration watched Iran’s response to massive protests that broke out in December.[Thousands of protesters] are believed to have been killed in a crackdown on the[demonstrations].

The president told reporters last week he has had conversations with Iranian officials and planned to hold more discussions.

“I told them two things: No. 1, no nuclear. And No. 2, stop killing protesters,” the president said. “They’re going to have to do something.”

Iran’s supreme leader has [warned] that any attack by the U.S. would spark a “regional war” in the Middle East.

The [U.S. struck nuclear sites in Iran] last summer.

[Haley Ott], [Melissa Quinn] and [Eleanor Watson] contributed to this report.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/us-military-shoots-down-iranian-drone-near-aircraft-carrier/

Justice Department plans to seek death penalty for man accused of shooting National Guard members

2026-02-04T15:33:57.856Z / CNN

By [Holmes Lybrand]

3 hr ago

PUBLISHED Feb 4, 2026, 10:33 AM ET

Crime Gun violence Federal agencies US military

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National Guard soldiers from Alabama look at a makeshift memorial honoring West Virginia National Guard soldier Sarah Beckstrom, on December 2, 2025.

Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

The Justice Department said it will seek the death penalty for the man accused of shooting two National Guard members, and killing one of them, near the White House in November.

The man, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, pleaded not guilty to the nine charges against him — including first-degree murder — during his initial appearance in federal court Wednesday.

When Judge Amit Mehta pressed prosecutors on whether they would be pursuing additional charges that would allow them to seek the death penalty for Lakanwal, prosecutors waffled, eventually telling the judge they are pursuing “death-eligible charges.”

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According to court documents, Lakanwal traveled from Washington state to the capital city in late November before he ambushed the two officers, shooting them both in the head with a snub-nosed revolver.

Another National Guard member, having heard the shots, pulled out his service weapon and shot Lakanwal, who fell to the ground and was quickly detained, court records say.

Sarah Beckstrom, one of the National Guard members who was shot in the back of the head, was pronounced dead the next day. The other member, Andrew Wolfe, is still in recovery.

Lakanwal worked with the CIA for over a decade in Afghanistan before the US military withdrew from the country. He came to the US in 2021.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal

Department of Justice

According to court records, Lakanwal had been given the pistol, which prosecutors say was stolen, by an unnamed person after Lakanwal said he needed a firearm to protect himself during his job driving for Uber and Lyft.

Investigators say that, at the time, Lakanwal had been banned by Uber and had not been employed for around two months before the shooting.

Initially, he wanted a firearm that could hold as much as a 30-round magazine, court documents say, and when given the revolver, asked “only five rounds?”

Prosecutors also allege that on the same day that he was given the stolen firearm, Lakanwal went to a sporting goods store and purchased a box of bullets. Two hours later he allegedly searched “Washington, DC” in Google maps and, the next day, searched for the address of the White House.

Ten days later he allegedly shot the two National Guards members two blocks from the White House.

His next hearing in the case is scheduled for early May.

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Trump anti-fraud task force targeting California and more states to be led by JD Vance, sources say

February 4, 2026 / 12:09 PM EST / CBS News

A new White House anti-fraud task force that will search for welfare abuses in California and other states is in the final stages of planning by the vice president and the head of an independent consumer protection agency, multiple sources briefed on the plans told CBS News.

President Trump intends to sign an executive order in coming days naming Vice President JD Vance as chairman of the task force, a move that’s meant to signal the importance of the effort to the president.

Andrew Ferguson, a federal official whose job is to prevent consumers from being exploited, will be vice chairman. Ferguson will manage both the Federal Trade Commission, where he is currently chairman, and the daily activities of the new task force, two of the sources said.

The plan calls for Colin McDonald, who has been nominated by Mr. Trump for a newly created fraud investigator role at the Justice Department, to fall within the DOJ’s management structure – reporting to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy AG Todd Blanche – but to work closely with Vance and Ferguson.

Such an arrangement will likely trigger concerns from Democrats and watchdogs about whether the White House could try to exert political pressure on McDonald to investigate Mr. Trump’s enemies.

The new anti-fraud efforts could sidestep existing fraud units at the Justice Department. That’s partly because of frustration with resistance from career staff who disagree with some of Mr. Trump’s priorities and tactics, which some officials think Bondi and Blanche have struggled to deal with, one of the sources said.

Other officials said the DOJ’s national fraud enforcement division, which Vance announced last month, and the task force came about because of keen interest in clamping down on fraud in taxpayer-funded programs.

California auditors have discovered billions in fraud in unemployment claims, pandemic assistance, and health care. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, a likely presidential candidate in 2028, has defended efforts to clean up and block fraud.

In Minnesota, Democratic Gov. Tim Walz dropped his reelection bid amid scrutiny of massive fraud in state child care and other welfare programs.

The timeline for Mr. Trump’s signature creating the task force could shift to later this month, sources said.

White House spokespeople declined to comment.

Vance currently serves as the vice chair of the White House’s task forces for the 2026 FIFA World Cup 2026 and 2028 Summer Olympics, and well as finance chair for the Republican National Committee — a key fundraising position that allows him to interact with a network of campaign donors.

He is one of the top messengers of the administration’s economic agenda, traveling to numerous states, and a central defender of the administration’s immigration policies after the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in encounters with federal officials in Minnesota.

At the trade commission, Ferguson has continued litigation against major U.S. companies, including tech giants, and has sought refunds for consumers. Amazon in September agreed to a $2.5 billion settlement, and FTC is appealing its case against Meta for allegedly breaking antitrust laws when it bought Instagram and WhatsApp.

Officials in Blanche’s office were still in the early stages of figuring out how to build the Justice Department’s new fraud division from scratch, including factors such as where it will be located, how it will be be staffed and what IT infrastructure needs to be in place, a source familiar with the planning said this week.

It was also unclear how it would be structured to avoid duplicating the several existing units that pursue fraud probes, both at the department’s Washington, D.C. headquarters and in U.S. attorneys’ offices across the country.

Trump’s Iran threats face ‘Obama red line’ test as White House pivots to diplomacy

US forces shot down Iranian drone as naval buildup continues

By Morgan Phillips
Fox News

Published February 4, 2026 10:34am EST | Updated February 4, 2026 10:36am EST

Trump warns Iran ‘BAD things will happen’ if no deal is reached

President Donald Trump warns of a military response if nuclear negotiations in Turkey fail, as the Wall Street Journal editorial board calls for U.S. support to ‘topple the ayatollah’ amid mass protests in Tehran.

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For weeks, President Donald Trump has promised the Iranian people that “help is on the way” while positioning a massive U.S. naval armada within striking distance of Iran’s coast. But as the White House pivots toward a diplomatic summit in Istanbul Friday, analysts warn the president may face a growing credibility test if threats are not followed by action.

By threatening “speed and fury” against a regime accused of killing thousands of protesters, Trump has drawn a red line — one that analysts say echoes President Barack Obama’s 2013 warning over Syria’s use of chemical weapons. Obama ultimately chose diplomacy over military strikes, a decision critics said weakened U.S. credibility and emboldened adversaries, while supporters argued it avoided a broader war and succeeded in removing large portions of Syria’s chemical arsenal. Trump now faces a similar debate as he weighs whether to enforce his own warnings against Iran.

Trump’s envoys are set to meet Friday in Istanbul with Iranian officials to press for an end to Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, curbs on ballistic missiles and a halt to support for proxy groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah — terms Tehran has shown little public sign of accepting. Trump has also demanded an end to the regime’s violent crackdown on protesters.

But signs of strain are already emerging around the talks.

Iran is now seeking a change in venue to Friday’s meeting — wanting it to be held in Oman, according to a source familiar with the request — raising questions about whether the summit will proceed as scheduled or produce substantive progress.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sits next to a senior military official in Iran.(Getty Images)

TRUMP CREDITS HALTED IRAN EXECUTIONS FOR HOLDING OFF MILITARY STRIKES

Tensions on the ground have continued to rise even as diplomacy is pursued. This week, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces shot down an Iranian drone after it aggressively approached the USS Abraham Lincoln while the aircraft carrier was operating in international waters in the Arabian Sea. CENTCOM said the drone ignored de-escalatory measures before an F-35C fighter jet downed it in self-defense.

No U.S. personnel were injured.

Hours later, Iranian naval forces harassed a U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed commercial tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to CENTCOM. Iranian gunboats and a surveillance drone repeatedly threatened to board the vessel before the guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul intervened and escorted the tanker to safety.

CENTCOM warned that continued Iranian harassment in international waters increases the risk of miscalculation and regional destabilization.

Despite weeks of delay, foreign policy analysts say the pause does not mean military action has been taken off the table.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN ALREADY HAS US TERMS AS MILITARY STRIKE CLOCK TICKS

“If you just look at force movements and the president’s past statements of policy, you would have to bet on the likelihood that military action remains something that is coming,” Rich Goldberg, a former Trump National Security Council official now at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.

“I don’t think the window is closed,” said Michael Makovsky, president of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America. “If the president doesn’t do something militarily, it would damage his credibility.”

Iranians block a street during a protest in Tehran, Jan. 9, 2026.(MAHSA/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

The standoff is reviving comparisons to Obama’s 2013 decision not to carry out military strikes in Syria after warning that the use of chemical weapons would cross a U.S. “red line.” The moment became a touchstone in debates over American deterrence.

The Syria episode remains a touchstone in Washington’s red-line debates. Critics argued Obama’s decision not to strike emboldened adversaries, while supporters said diplomacy prevented war — a divide resurfacing as Trump weighs his next move.

“They have challenged the president now to try to turn him into Obama in 2013 in Syria, rather than Donald Trump in 2025 in Iran,” Goldberg said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Obama’s office for comment.

Trump has publicly encouraged Iranian protesters to continue their demonstrations, telling them in early January to “KEEP PROTESTING” and promising that “HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”

U.S. officials, however, have previously said the pause reflects caution rather than retreat, pointing to concerns about retaliation against American forces and uncertainty over who would lead Iran if the regime were significantly weakened. Trump himself raised those questions in January, publicly casting doubt on whether any opposition figure could realistically govern after decades in exile.

“As for the president, he remains committed to always pursuing diplomacy first,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday. “But in order for diplomacy to work, of course, it takes two to tango, you need a willing partner to engage.”

“The president has always a range of options on the table, and that includes the use of military force,” she added.

The standoff is reviving comparisons to President Obama’s 2013 decision not to carry out military strikes in Syria after warning that the use of chemical weapons would cross a U.S. “red line.”(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

TRUMP SAYS GULF ALLIES KEPT IN DARK AS US NEGOTIATES WITH IRAN: ‘CANT’ TELL THEM THE PLAN’

Some analysts reject the premise that the administration has meaningfully slowed its military posture.

“I don’t think they’ve paused action,” said Gregg Roman, executive director of the Middle East Forum. “The more assets that the president deploys to the theater gives the U.S. more maneuvering room, rather than less.”

Roman pointed to continued U.S. force movements into the region, arguing the buildup signals preparation rather than restraint.

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“That’s not the behavior of a country backing away from military options,” he said.

Fox News’ Aishah Hashnie contributed to this report.

纽时：华邮计划裁掉数百名记者

2026年2月4日 23:41 / 联合早报

据报道，《华盛顿邮报》是在星期三（2月4日）的一次视频会议上告知员工关于裁员的消息。图为华邮位于华盛顿的总部。 （路透社）

（华盛顿讯）美国媒体报道，另一家美国大报《华盛顿邮报》计划展开大规模裁员，预计新闻编辑部将裁减数百名记者，严重影响报社在本地、国际和体育新闻方面的报道。

《纽约时报》报道，华邮是在星期三（2月4日）的一次视频会议上告知员工关于裁员的消息。华邮执行总编辑默里（Matt Murray）在会议上说：“我们正在采取的措施包括进行广泛的战略调整，并大幅裁员。”

纽时引述一名了解华邮战略的人士说，华邮领导层正在采取措施挽救这家机构；通过裁员，华邮试图使其内容更好地契合读者的喜好。

纽时说，华邮的裁员决定表明，华邮老板、也是美国互联网巨头亚马逊公司创始人贝索斯，虽然凭借在网上卖东西成为世界最富有的人之一，但他尚未找到在互联网上建立和维持盈利出版物的方法。在贝索斯入主后的最初几年，华邮发展迅速，但近年来却步履维艰。

2023年底，贝索斯聘请曾任道琼斯公司首席执行官和《华尔街日报》出版人的英国媒体人刘易斯（William John Lewis）担任华邮出版人，希望为华邮找到取得盈利之道。刘易斯尝试了多项改革措施来重塑华邮，尤其是大力运用人工智能（AI）技术来驱动评论、播客和新闻聚合等功能。

但是，在2024年的一次员工会议上，刘易斯警告，华邮正处于困境。“我们正在亏损巨额资金。近年来，你们的读者数量减少了一半。人们不再阅读你们的内容了。”

华邮并非唯一在盈利困境中挣扎的报社。许多媒体的纸版发行量持续暴跌，而数码流量则受到生成式AI技术的阻碍，受众也分散到各个社交媒体平台。为了弥补损失，各家报社只能尝试不同的收入来源，例如举办活动和推出高级会员服务。

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