With the Department of Homeland Security set to shut down most operations at 11:59 p.m. Friday, members of Congress have left town for a week-long recess, ensuring no deal will happen for at least the next several days.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is in Germany to take part in two panels at the high-level Munich Security Conference, a bid to burnish her foreign policy credentials ahead of a possible 2028 White House run.

The far-left New York Democrat accused President Trump of “tearing apart” alliances with his administration’s foreign policy and putting America in a “compromised” position globally at the summit.

She also dodged a question about whether the 2028 Democratic presidential nominee should commit to re-evaluating US aid to Israel.

“I think that, personally, that the the idea of completely unconditional aid, no matter what one does, does not make sense. I think it enabled a genocide in Gaza,” AOC said.

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump traveled to Fort Bragg, NC, to meet with military families before continuing on to Mar-a-Lago, where they will spend the long Presidents’ Day weekend.

To catch up on previous coverage, click here.

AOC won't say whether US should defend Taiwan if China invades

By Josh Christenson

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) stumbled over her words at the Munich Security Conference on Friday and wouldn't commit to defending Taiwan if China ever invades.

"Um, you know, I think that this is such a, you know, I think that this is, this is of course a very longstanding policy of the United States," Ocasio-Cortez said as she struggled to answer the question from moderator Francine Lacqua of Bloomberg TV.

"What we are hoping for is that we want to make sure that we never get to that point," she added.

"And we want to make sure that we are moving in all of our economic research and our global positions to avoid any such confrontation, and for that question to even arise."

Trump: Midterms will have voter ID 'whether approved by Congress or not!'

By Samuel Chamberlain

President Trump is en route from Fort Bragg, NC, to Palm Beach to spend the holiday weekend at Mar-a-Lago resort, and has just posted a vow to enact nationwide voter ID -- by executive order, if necessary.

"The Democrats refuse to vote for Voter ID, or Citizenship," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "The reason is very simple — They want to continue to cheat in Elections. This was not what our Founders desired. I have searched the depths of Legal Arguments not yet articulated or vetted on this subject, and will be presenting an irrefutable one in the very near future.

"There will be Voter I.D. for the Midterm Elections, whether approved by Congress or not!

"Also, the People of our Country are insisting on Citizenship, and No Mail-In Ballots, with exceptions for Military, Disability, Illness, or Travel."

AOC won't say whether 2028 Dem nominee should re-evaluate US aid to Israel

By Josh Christenson

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) ducked a question about whether the 2028 Democratic presidential nominee should commit to re-evaluating US aid to Israel.

Asked by a journalist from the Israeli paper Haaretz, Ocasio-Cortez answered, "Personally, I think that the United States has an obligation to uphold its own laws, particularly the Leahy Laws."

The legislation, named for former Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), conditions American funding to nations committing human rights violations.

"I think that, personally, that the the idea of completely unconditional aid, no matter what one does, does not make sense. I think it enabled a genocide in Gaza," AOC added.

"We have thousands of women and children dead that that was completely avoidable.

Ted Lieu makes wild claim about Trump and Epstein -- but doesn't disclose unhinged source

By Brad Appleton

Rep. Ted Lieu made ‘wild rape accusations’ against former President Donald Trump during a House Judiciary Committee hearing. These claims stemmed from an unverified FBI document and were made by a man with an anti-Trump social media presence. Lieu failed to disclose the troubling origins of these allegations.

READ MORE

AOC opposes US strikes on Iran: 'Dramatic escalation'

By Josh Christenson

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said Friday that she opposed US strikes on Iran amid the regime's slaughter of protesters.

"That is a dramatic escalation that no one in the world wants to see right now," Ocasio-Cortez said during a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference.

"What the Iranian regime is doing, particularly with respect to protesters, is a horrific slaughter," she added. "Some estimates have tens of thousands of people."

"Now, I think that jumping into strikes," she also said. "We have so much, to me, there's still so much runway, so much that we can do to avoid that scenario."

Many people have called for US strikes on Iran — including some of AOC's colleagues in Congress like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

President Trump has also threatened military action if Tehran doesn't come to the table to reach an agreement limiting its nuclear program.

AOC unable to state single biggest foreign policy shift under Trump

By Josh Christenson

"Squad" Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was unable to articulate the single-biggest shift in US foreign policy under President Trump when pressed during a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.

"The single-biggest?" she asked moderator Francine Lacqua of Bloomberg TV, who posed the question.

"Well, I think zooming out beyond just this presidential administration," she continued, "I think that what we are seeing is between President Trump's first administration pulling out of long standing international agreements, then you have President Biden, who is opting in — back into — some of them, such as, for example, with the, the Paris Climate Accords, and then you have President Trump that's elected again, I think what we are seeing now is this idea that US foreign policy is — and some of our more basic and foundational values ... seem to be enacted based on the partisanship of whoever is elected."

The Bronx and Queens Democrat, speaking for the first time at a major international foreign policy summit, described the Trump administration as having played "hokey-pokey with USAID" as well.

"I think that what is best is for when we sign an agreement — and when we're a part of it — we stay in it, so that they know that our commitments are reflective of our nation's values in a way that transcends partisanship," AOC concluded.

"I think that instability is one, but then the other I think ... it goes far beyond just agreements, and it goes into real aberrations, I think, in interventionism, in, I think, a turning back on our commitment on human rights, as well as supercharging an economic regime that fuels the 1%. And I think that that that piece is the most concerning for everyday people."

Trump says regime change in Iran would be the 'best thing that could happen'

By Steven Nelson

President Trump said Friday that regime change in Iran is "the best thing that could happen" — as he continued to threaten a US military strike if Iran failed to reach a deal with American emissaries.

Asked if he wanted regime change during a visit to North Carolina, Trump replied: “Seems like that would be the best thing that could happen."

"For 47 years, they've been talking and talking and talking. In the meantime, we've lost a lot of lives while they talk," he said.

"Legs blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off. We've been going on for a long time. So let's see what happens. Who would you want to take over? Tremendous power has arrived, and additional power, as you know, and other carriers going out shortly, so we'll see it now, if we could get it settled for once."

Trump's negotiating team — led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner — met last Friday with Iran's foreign minister, who said they only discussed the country's nuclear program, which was bombed last June by Israel and the US.

Greenland annexation 'not a joke,' AOC says

By Josh Christenson

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called President Trump's threats to annex Greenland "not a joke" during a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.

"It is not funny. It threatens the very trust and relationships that allow peace to persist," the Bronx and Queens Democrat said.

"And so I believe what I can say is that, unequivocally, the majority — the majority, the vast majority — of the American people do not want to see these relationships frayed, and they are committed to our partnerships and our relationships and our allies."

Whitmer accuses Trump tariffs of driving Canada to buy China's cars

By Josh Christenson

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer accused President Trump's trade agenda of driving Canadian auto importers to seek new business with China — rather than US car makers.

"When we say no to Canada, it forces the Canadian government to do things like talking to China about opening up their doors to some Chinese EVs," the Democratic governor said during a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.

"We've been working so hard to shore up our autos, and we're competitive. We're building some of the finest automobiles on the planet, but we see what has happened in Europe, how the market has changed with the influx of subsidized Chinese vehicles and what it has meant," she continued.

Whitmer also offered praise for Trump's negotiation of the USMCA trade agreement and said he had the opportunity to renegotiate it successfully.

AOC says that US is in a 'compromised' position globally

By Josh Christenson

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said Friday that the US is in a "compromised" position globally with respect to the Trump administration's foreign policy.

The Bronx and Queens Democrat made the comments during a panel discussion with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker.

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks during the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Germany, February 13, 2026. REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen
Far-left New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks during the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 13, 2026. REUTERS

Compared with Whitmer, however, Ocasio-Cortez said that a shift has occurred in the past five years, rather than the past 14 months of the Trump administration.

Whitmer criticized President Trump's tariffs for crippling her state's trade with Canada and other global partners.

Trump jokes that he and Melania may retire to Fort Bragg

By Steven Nelson

President Trump teased first lady Melania Trump Friday — jokingly suggesting the couple may retire to Fort Bragg, NC, rather than to their luxurious homes in Palm Beach and Manhattan.

"It's a great area. In fact, I'm thinking about moving here someday. Maybe I'll maybe I'll move here with our great movie star, with our first lady," Trump said in a speech to military members.

"We'll move to Fort Bragg, would you like that darling?" Trump asked the first lady, who joined him for the trip.

"She loves the —" Trump relayed to his audience, before halting and dramatically adding, "it's a possibility."

The first couple, who will spend the long weekend at their Mar-a-Lago resort in South Florida, shared another lighthearted moment when Trump performed his signature dance moves following his speech — as she watched and grinned.

Trump has repeatedly said his wife finds his dancing unpresidential.

Trump jokes military tanks named for Georgia Democrat Stacy Abrams

By Steven Nelson

President Trump worked an apparent fat joke into his speech at Fort Bragg — saying a hulking battle tank was named after Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams.

"We're also purchasing 30 new and modified Abrams tanks — still the best tank, right? — it's named in honor of Stacey Abrams," Trump told an audience of military service members.

"Only a few very political people would understand," he dryly added.

Abrams is a perennial candidate in Georgia, where she lost the 2018 and 2022 gubernatorial elections to Republican Brian Kemp.

Fellow Democrats say her voter registration efforts helped Joe Biden narrowly defeat Trump in the 2020 election.

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