President Donald Trump suffered a rare defeat from his own party on Thursday when a handful of Senate Republicans rebelled to curb his usage of military force in Venezuela. 

The attempt to reassert Congress’ war powers authority, led by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., survived despite broad support among most Senate Republicans, who argued that Trump’s use of the military in Venezuela was justified. 

Among the defectors were Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who co-sponsored the resolution, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, Todd Young, R-Ind., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo. 

But Thursday’s successful vote, which also handed Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., a rare defeat on the floor, is just the first step before the resolution officially passes. The Senate will have to take another vote, this time with the 60-vote filibuster threshold, before it becomes official. 

Kaine’s resolution would effectively end any further military operations involving Venezuela without explicit congressional approval. It was one of many bids since Trump took office last year by the bipartisan group to claw back Congress’ authority in weighing in on military action.

The outcome of the vote remained an open question, even just moments before the final gavel. 

The defectors were on the fence as to whether to rein Trump in following a classified briefing with administration officials on Operation Absolute Resolve, the code name of the mission to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Their issues weren’t necessarily with the actual operation itself but with what comes next. And more specifically, if there would be further military activity in the country.

‘We were told that there are currently no boots on the ground. Is it an option? What I heard was that everything is an option,’ Hawley said.

But top administration officials, and several congressional Republicans briefed on the matter throughout the week, argued that the strikes in Venezuela were justified and that the military was used to assist in a law enforcement operation to capture Maduro.

Still, Senate Republican leadership was confident they would have the votes needed to kill the bipartisan resolution.

‘Republicans support what the president has done,’ Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said. ‘It was an incredible act and the military was absolutely superb.’

Before the vote, Kaine and Paul were already looking ahead at other opportunities to curb the administration’s use of military force without congressional approval.

Greenland reemerged as a hot topic on the Hill this week, following comments from Trump officials that indicated that military action wasn’t off the table to capture the colossal, resource-rich Arctic territory, where the U.S. already has a military base.

Several Republicans like the idea of purchasing the territory from Denmark but have not yet committed to claiming it by force. There are other countries that have entered or long been in Trump’s crosshairs for conquest, too, that the duo want to ensure Congress has a say on.

‘We’re going to be working with others to file resolutions about Cuba, Mexico, Colombia and Greenland,’ Kaine said. ‘And Nigeria — people didn’t pay attention, but there was a U.S. military strike in Nigeria.’

Paul said he would likely support future war powers resolutions, given his strong feelings about Congress’ constitutional authority.

‘I’ve supported most of them, all of them,’ Paul said. ‘I probably will continue to support them, because I — there’s some symbolism to this, too, and symbolism is over who should initiate and declare war, which I feel strongly about.’

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., expressed support for the idea of the U.S. buying Greenland, which is linked to the nation of Denmark.

‘I believe Greenland has massive strategic benefits for the United States. I do not support taking it by force. America is not a bully. Ideally, we purchase it — similar to our purchases of Alaska or the Louisiana Purchase. Acquiring Greenland is a many decades-old conversation,’ the senator noted in a Wednesday post on X.

In a Fox News appearance last year, Fetterman had similarly noted that he would not support forcibly seizing Greenland but expressed an openness to the prospect of purchasing the land. He pointed to the Louisiana Purchase and the Alaska Purchase.

President Donald Trump has been eyeing the island, categorizing the U.S. acquiring the territory as a national security matter.

In a 2024 Truth Social post, he asserted, ‘For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.’

During a Sunday news gaggle aboard Air Force One, he said, ‘We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security. And the European Union needs us to have it.’

Trump has previously floated the idea of acquiring Greenland in the past, but the commander-in-chief spoke about the Artic territory recently when someone brought it up during the gaggle on Air Force One after the U.S. operation in Venezuela that captured Nicolás Maduro. Since then, the president said the U.S. is in charge of Venezuela and will be for the foreseeable future until a secure transition of power can take place.

In a Fox News appearance on Monday, Fetterman described the U.S. capture of Maduro as a ‘good thing,’ calling the operation ‘surgical.’ 

‘Removing Maduro was positive for Venezuela. As a Democrat, I don’t understand why we can’t acknowledge a good development for Venezuelans — and how deft our military’s execution of that plan was,’ he noted in a Tuesday post on X.

As anti-regime protests spread across Iran for a 12th straight day, the Islamic Republic has reportedly turned to foreign militias for support, with two independent sources confirming that roughly 850 Hezbollah, Iraqi militia and Quds Force–linked fighters crossed into Iran to bolster the regime’s security forces.

The reported movement marks a significant escalation in the regime’s response, signaling a willingness to rely on allied foreign militias with combat experience to help suppress domestic dissent.

‘This is nothing new for the regime. It is the logical extension of a playbook the ruling clerics have used since 1979 to outsource repression to ideologically loyal militias and then integrate them into the state’s coercive infrastructure,’ Iran expert Lisa Daftari told Fox News Digital. 

‘From the Basij and Revolutionary Guard, which were built to crush internal dissent under the banner of defending the revolution, to today’s deployment of foreign proxies like Hezbollah and Iraqi Popular Mobilization units, the regime is signaling once again that it treats its own population the way it has long treated regional battlefields. The message is clear — The mullahs don’t care about the Iranian people. They are willing to go to any extent to blur the line between domestic policing and transnational militancy to preserve their grip on power.’

Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the reported use of foreign proxy forces could reflect growing concerns within the regime about internal cohesion among Iran’s own security services.

‘Since protests dating back to 2009, there were always allegations of Arabic being heard on the street,’ Ben Taleblu told Fox News Digital. ‘As the contest between the state and the street continues to heat up, all eyes will be on Iran’s security forces to see if they defect or disobey orders to crack down. The problem is, so is the regime. And to that end, the Islamic Republic may have devised a failsafe for itself against popular anger. Foreign proxies. Whether Lebanese Hezbollah, Iraqi Shiite militias, or the Afghan Fatemiyoun, their function would be the same: to fire on Iranians when other Iranians won’t.’

Earlier reporting from Iran International also indicated that Iraqi Shiite militia reinforcements were deployed to Iran in early January to assist in suppressing protests. Estimates placed the number of fighters at roughly 800, with militants reportedly crossing the border under the pretense of religious pilgrimages before gathering up at a base in Ahvaz and being dispatched to various regions.

The U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq Ghulam Isaczai replied to a Fox News Digital question about the Iraqi militias, saying he had no knowledge of the matter and that it was ‘new to him.’

Iran’s nationwide uprising entered its twelfth day on Thursday as protests and violent clashes were reported in more than 200 cities across 26 provinces, underscoring the breadth of unrest driven by economic collapse and long-standing political grievances.

Videos circulating Thursday showed demonstrators tearing the Iranian flag in northern Iran as protests fueled by soaring inflation, currency devaluation and deep discontent with the country’s theocratic leadership continued to spread.

Rights groups and independent monitoring organizations say at least 38 people have been killed and more than 2,200 arrested since demonstrations began in late December. 

While protests initially centered on Tehran, confrontations have expanded into western provinces, including Kermanshah, Lorestan, Ilam and Kurdish regions. Iranian authorities have responded by deploying numerous security forces, imposing internet blackouts and enforcing curfews in some areas in an effort to suppress the unrest.

The unrest comes as Iran’s economy continues to deteriorate. Tehran has warned suppliers against hoarding and price gouging as the rial collapses against the dollar, exacerbating public frustration and fueling daily demonstrations.

International concern is mounting as analysts warn that sustained nationwide unrest combined with the reported deployment of foreign militia forces could redefine Iran’s internal instability and carry broader regional security implications, particularly as U.S. warnings and sanctions pressure intensifies.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump and the first lady will attend the premiere of Melania Trump’s film, ‘MELANIA’ at the Trump–Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Jan. 29, Fox News Digital has learned. 

Washington is just one of the twenty cities across the nation hosting events ahead of the release of the highly anticipated movie.

‘MELANIA,’ a 104-minute film, is set to hit the big screen globally Jan. 30, appearing in theaters across North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and more.

But the night before, on Jan. 29, premiere events will be hosted across the nation, as Amazon brings the film to theaters.

Fox News Digital has learned that President Trump and the first lady will attend the premiere event at the newly minted Trump–Kennedy Center in Washington Jan. 29.

Premiere events also will be held in New York; Phoenix; Salt Lake City; Chicago; Miami; San Diego; Nashville, Tennessee; Orlando, Florida; Orange County, California; San Francisco/Palo Alto; Minneapolis; Philadelphia; Denver; Detroit; Kansas City, Missouri; Boston; Austin, Texas; Houston; Las Vegas; Dallas; and Los Angeles.

Fox News Digital has learned that Amazon executives will attend premiere events for the film.

‘History is set in motion during the 20 days of my life prior to the U.S. Presidential Inauguration,’ the first lady told Fox News. ‘For the first time, global audiences are invited into theaters to witness this pivotal chapter unfold — a private, unfiltered look as I navigate family, business, and philanthropy on my remarkable journey to becoming first lady of the United States of America.’

The film takes the audience through the first lady’s life leading up to her husband’s second inauguration — from her home in Trump Tower in New York City, to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, and behind-the-scenes access in Washington. 

Melania Trump first had the idea for the film in November 2024, after President Trump won the election. 

Marc Beckman, Melania Trump’s agent and exclusive senior advisor, led negotiations on her behalf with Amazon beginning Nov. 18, 2024. 

Fox News Digital has learned that Disney sought to obtain the exclusive rights to the film, as well as Netflix and Paramount. Amazon and MGM had the highest bid, purchasing the license for the film for $40 million — the largest documentary deal in history.

‘I’m honored to be working with Amazon — they’ve been great partners from the minute we started to negotiate the deal, through production and now as we gear up for the film’s release,’ Beckman told Fox News Digital.

‘Speaking of the deal, there has been so much speculation in the press on the bidding and how we ended up with Amazon, that we’re at a point where it’s worth clarifying a few things,’ Beckman said.

First, Beckman told Fox News Digital that some bidders were ‘interested only in a film, and others only in a series.’

‘Amazon ended up bidding on both, and checked all the boxes we were looking for, as they could also deliver a theatrical film release,’ Beckman explained.

Beckman stressed that he negotiated the deal on behalf of the first lady while dealing with ‘all the studios directly.’

‘I’ve seen reporting that Amazon paid nearly three times the nearest other bid, and that’s just false,’ Beckman said. ‘It was an incredibly competitive bidding process with multiple rounds of bids.’

Beckman added: ‘Yes, Amazon had the highest bid, but they also bid on the most product — series and film.’

Filming began in December 2024. The film is executive produced by Trump and Fernando Sulichin of New Element Media, with Brett Ratner of RatPac Entertainment serving as director. 

The film itself is produced in a ‘highly cinematic’ way. Sources familiar with the production told Fox News Digital that the first lady did not want the film to look like a documentary, but rather an ‘elevated film.’ 

Fox News Digital has learned that the first lady was involved ‘in every aspect’ of the film — from her ‘creative vision,’ to working as a producer on the film and to ensuring the post-production marketing is executed properly. Fox News Digital has learned that the first lady has been very ‘hands on’ from start to finish. 

‘She is giving the audience unprecedented access to her life — and to any first lady’s life — during this 20-day period,’ a source familiar with the planning of the film told Fox News Digital. 

Fox News exclusively obtained the trailer in December 2025, which opens with the first lady walking into the U.S. Capitol rotunda ahead of her husband’s second inauguration. She looks to the camera in her now-iconic inauguration outfit, and says: ‘Here we go again.’

The trailer jumps from the first lady and president at the inauguration; to standing together outside of Mar-a-Lago; behind-the-scenes of the inauguration showing Barron Trump and Melania Trump’s father; to a series of images of the first lady; Air Force One; the presidential seal and more.

The famous Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) lion roars and takes over the screen. 

The trailer then shows Melania Trump entering a room where President Trump stands at a podium during a meeting and is rehearsing a speech.

‘My proudest legacy will be that of peacemaker,’ Trump said. 

The first lady breaks in and says: ‘Peacemaker and unifier.’ 

The trailer shows the first lady getting out of a vehicle, sporting a pair of black stiletto boots, and jumping to the East Wing residence, where she stands in her stunning white and black inaugural ball gown, and smiles at the camera. 

The trailer invites the audience to ‘witness history in the making.’ 

The trailer also shows the first lady reviewing materials with staff and more. 

It cuts to a scene of Melania Trump asking a security detail, ‘Is it safe?’ and the agent confirming, ‘It is safe,’ before the film cuts to sirens and the motorcade driving through a city. 

’20 days to become first lady of the United States,’ the trailer says. 

‘Everyone wants to know,’ Melania Trump says. ‘So here it is.’ 

The trailer ends with Melania Trump calling ‘Mr. President’ to say ‘congratulations.’ 

‘Did you watch it?’ President Trump says over the phone. 

‘I did not.  Yeah, I will see it on the news,’ Melania Trump says. 

The launch of the film comes a year after the release of her first-ever book, ‘Melania.’ The memoir presents an intimate portrait of Melania Trump and includes personal stories and family photos she had not previously shared with the public. 

‘Melania’ has been at the top of The New York Times’ best sellers list since its release to the public. 

Upon the release of the memoir in 2024, the first lady told Fox News Digital that writing her story was ‘an amazing journey filled with emotional highs and lows.’

‘Each story shaped me into who I am today,’ she said. ‘Although daunting at times, the process has been incredibly rewarding, reminding me of my strength, and the beauty of sharing my truth.’ 

‘Melania’ is the first lady’s first book. She released the original book along with a special collector’s edition that includes photos hand-selected by the first lady, many of which she photographed herself, of her home and of various trips she has taken around the world. 

The Trump–Kennedy Center is pushing back on a recent media narrative that its annual Honors awards show suffered a ratings flop under President Donald Trump compared to years prior, arguing that the broadcast performed strongly despite industry-wide headwinds and a dramatically different scheduling landscape.

‘Comparing this year’s broadcast ratings to prior years is a classic apples-to-oranges comparison and evidence of far-left bias,’ Roma Daravi, Trump–Kennedy Center vice president of public relations, told Fox News Digital of the ratings. ‘The program performed extremely well across key demographics and platforms, despite industry and timing disadvantages, including a Tuesday air date two days before Christmas.’

The 48th Kennedy Center Honors awards show was held in Washington, D.C., Dec. 7 and honored artists such as country singer George Strait, the members of rock band KISS, Tony-award winner Michael Crawford, Grammy-winner Gloria Gaynor, and Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone. The awards show is held each year to celebrate ‘individuals whose unique artistic contributions have shaped our world,’ according to its website. 

Trump hosted the event, with its broadcast held weeks late Dec. 23, 2025, on CBS and Paramount+. 

The event averaged 3.01 million viewers, which is a 25% drop from 2024’s ratings when an average 4.1 million viewers tuned in, according to a report from Nielsen Live + Same Day Panel + Big Data reported by Variety in December. The ratings yielded headlines reporting that viewership ‘plummeted,’ and late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert mocked Trump for hosting ‘the lowest-rated Kennedy Center Honors telecast of all time,’ as Kimmel said in his Monday monologue.

Daravi countered that viewership for the awards show ‘tied for the #1 spot among adults aged 25–54, alongside a live NBA doubleheader’ while citing that overall TV usage is ‘down roughly 20 percent year over year.’ 

The NBA’s Tuesday night doubleheader Dec. 23, 2025, featured the Denver Nuggets visiting the Dallas Mavericks, followed by the Houston Rockets taking on the Los Angeles Clippers.

 ‘And on social media, Honors garnered 1.5 Billion impressions in just one night—up from only 50 Million similar impressions last year,’ Daravi continued. ‘This was a successful night celebrating the outstanding achievements of our Honorees at the Trump Kennedy Center.’ 

Trump predicted ahead of the event that ratings would be sky-high and that he would garner more viewers than late-night host Kimmel, who is a longtime critic and political foe of Trump’s. The president also predicted critics would ‘say, ‘He was horrible. He was terrible. It was a horrible situation.’ No, we’ll do fine. I’ve watched some of the people that host.’ 

Trump celebrated during the event that ‘we’re bringing this building back to life like nobody ever thought was even possible.’ The Honors awards show raised a record $23 million, nearly doubling 2024’s $12.7 million raised under the Biden administration’s final days. 

The 2024 broadcast was also held on a Sunday and had an NFL viewership in the lead up to the program, including a New England Patriots versus Buffalo Bills game that afternoon. 

The broadcast was held just days after the Trump administration announced that the center’s board of trustees unanimously voted to rename it ‘The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.’ 

Presidents appoint the majority of the board’s trustees, with Trump dismissing the previously appointed Board of Trustees ‘who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture’ in the early weeks of his second administration. Trump is also the first and only president to serve as the center’s chairman of the board. 

The name change set off swift rebuke among Democrats, with nonvoting board members including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and others claiming the move was illegal as it did not earn congressional approval ahead of time. 

The center said that the board agreed Trump saved the institution from financial ruin during his second term. 

‘The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees voted unanimously today to name the institution The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,’  Daravi told Fox News Digital of the name change. ‘The unanimous vote recognizes that the current Chairman saved the institution from financial ruin and physical destruction.’