The Nobel Committee awarded this year’s peace prize to Maria Corina Machado amid calls for President Donald Trump to receive the award in the wake of his brokering a historic deal between Israel and Hamas. 

Machado, a Venezuelan opposition leader, was described as a ‘brave and committed champion of peace’ by Joergen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

‘She is receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy,’ Frydnes said.

Trump has received several high-profile nominations since returning to office. However, the committee’s deadline for nominations was Jan. 31, meaning he could be eligible for next year’s prize.

During a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Trump was asked about the Nobel Peace Prize, but did not comment on the award in his response. Instead, he focused on the possibility of addressing Israel’s Knesset.

Earlier this week, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group representing the families of hostages and terror victims formed after Oct. 7, appealed to the committee on Trump’s behalf.

‘In this past year, no leader or organization has contributed more to peace around the world than President Trump. While many have spoken eloquently about peace, he has achieved it. While others have offered empty promises, he has delivered tangible results that have saved countless lives,’ the forum wrote in a letter to the committee dated Oct. 6.

‘He has not merely spoken of peace — he has delivered it,’ the forum added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Trump in July during a visit to Washington, D.C., that he had nominated the president for the Nobel Peace Prize. Netanyahu handed the letter he sent the committee to Trump when he told him the news.

‘The president has already realized great opportunities. He forged the Abraham Accords. He’s forging peace, as we speak, in one country and one region after the other,’ Netanyahu said. ‘So, I want to present to you, Mr. President, the letter I sent to the Nobel Prize committee. It’s nominating you for the peace prize, which is well-deserved.’

Weeks prior to that meeting, the U.S. and Israel carried out major operations that destroyed Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, as both countries warned a nuclear Tehran would be a threat to the world.

Trump was nominated for the award in the past but was not selected. Notably, U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., nominated Trump for the prize in 2020 when he brokered the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations between Israel and Arab nations.

Had he won, Trump would have become the fifth U.S. president to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Previous laureates include former President Barack Obama, former President Jimmy Carter, former President Woodrow Wilson and former President Theodore Roosevelt.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.

Nothing woke America up to the realities of gender ideology quicker than the photo of Riley Gaines standing next to her National Championship opponent, a 6’1′ male towering over her with his broad shoulders and smoldering grin. You felt it in your bones – this isn’t right. 

The moment sparked a nationwide campaign to try and convince everyday Americans that this feeling was not just instinct; it was internalized bigotry and evidence that there was noble, progressive work still to do. Only one problem. It was all a lie. And recent admissions show that not even the top Democratic leaders believed what they were selling.  

Just five years ago, I was a freshman in college, testifying in my dorm room about a bill that stated men cannot compete on women’s sports teams. ‘Politics are crazy,’ I thought, ‘Why do I even need to testify on something so obvious?’ 

I quickly learned of my own naivety when the bill did not pass in my very conservative state. ‘This isn’t a real issue,’ they insisted while I, a female athlete who had previously competed against a man, sat in front of them. There was clearly much more to this problem than I realized.

When the spotlight on the issue grew, it was somehow immediately deemed partisan. The issue was linked to the Democrats’ pro-LGBTQIA+ position, which they had insisted was the civil rights issue of our time, and now it was squarely at odds with something plainly unjust. But they were in too deep. 

At every turn, those who tried to find solutions to the problem of men in women’s sports, including traditionally far-left organizations like Women’s Liberation Front, found themselves up against the powerful political operatives of the Democratic Party. Though the ties between LGB and T were fading, the radical left insisted that to be pro-gay or pro-woman, you had to also stand for men in women’s sports. Democrats obliged.

In some ways, this makes sense. If the Democrats acknowledge that sex exists in sports, then what does this mean to other parts of their agenda that rely on sex-denying ideology? The crusade to abolish sex is one that spans decades, and they are not about to budge now. So, they doubled down, even redefining ‘sex’ as ‘gender identity’ wherever they could, including in landmark pro-woman legislation like Title IX, and they continued to label anything contrary as ‘extreme’ through the 2024 election. 

Concerned Women for America LAC exit polling suggests this issue played an outsized role in the election, and the Democrats paid the price with a resounding loss in both chambers of the federal government and the White House. Voters did not buy the lie that their concerns were merely internalized bigotry. And at least some Democrats are finally ready to face the music and speak more openly about it.

The Democrats’ highest-ranking figure has finally addressed one of the biggest political flops of modern history, and while her confession is unsurprising, it should shake the party to its core. 

In her recently released book about her presidential candidacy, former Vice President Kamala Harris admits that she, too, shares concerns: ‘I agree with the concerns expressed by parents and players that we have to take into account biological factors such as muscle mass and unfair student athletic advantage when we determine who plays on which teams, especially in contact sports.’ 

But she added, ‘There was no way I was going to go against my very nature and turn on transgender people.’

And there it is. Tension unmasked. When reality collides with allegiance, the Democrats choose allegiance.

The highest leaders of the party know they were ignoring the real, reasonable and consequential concerns of millions of women. Abandoning women and their safety was a calculation worth making in their eyes. 

Harris is not alone. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has publicly admitted that this is ‘an issue of fairness – it’s deeply unfair.’ Yet, his state is one of the worst offenders of women’s rights in this area.

On this Worldwide X/X Day (Real Women’s Day), the good news is that some party members are choosing reality and abandoning ship. Just a few weeks ago, 10 House Democrats voted, for the first time, for a National Defense Authorization Act amendment that would keep men from competing on women’s athletic teams at service academies. Just a few months ago, most of these same members refused to vote for a bill with similar protections. 

As we hope this issue joins the parade of failed civil rights attacks of times gone by, voters and candidates alike should heed the warning. Never stand for a lie. Truth is our only sure foundation. Policy must be based on reality.

We know wrong when we see it. It is instinctive, and often clearly on display, like that photo of Riley Gaines’ medal being given to a male.

President Donald Trump turned heads when he signed a recent executive order promising to defend the state of Qatar from attack and – in so doing – protect U.S. interests. The language of the order is clear: if Qatar is attacked, ‘the United States shall take all lawful and appropriate measures – including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military.’

This move comes after Israel, another close American ally, hit Qatar with airstrikes targeting Hamas officials. Some people who don’t understand the full context of the president’s Middle East peace strategy have questioned this order, even though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has since apologized for the strikes and promised no further action in Qatar.

The truth is that Trump’s executive order is yet another example of his abiding commitment to protecting American interests in the Middle East. During his first term, he declared that ‘The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level.’ 

The Biden administration rewarded Qatar’s support during its withdrawal from Afghanistan by designating the nation a major non-NATO ally in 2022. We are in a new strategic calculus surrounding Qatar, and this is the context in which Trump has taken such a bold move.

President Trump is interpreting the strategic moment unlike any United States president before him. The Qatar announcement puts all parties in the region on notice: Israel conducted military strikes against Doha. It won’t do that again any time soon. Iran struck Qatar. It will think long and hard about doing anything close. The Saudis have paired up with the Pakistanis for mutual defense. Trump has done a checkmate. The political office of Hamas in Qatar is just less relevant now. 

Trump is forcing peace by clarifying options and the game for long-standing divisions from the Levant to the Gulf. This is bringing the broader Middle East closer to peace than it has been in years.

Who else could staunchly support Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas and Iran’s nuclear program while simultaneously being tough on Netanyahu to actively pursue peace? There’s a tremendous amount of nuance in this approach.

Here is the president’s goal: A durable peace deal, not just between Israel and Hamas, but one that brings all parties in the Middle East to the table. This is why the United States has been so involved in brokering a deal in the Middle East and has relied on the positive relationships that Trump has built through trade and diplomacy.

America has been clear that there is some room for negotiation, but some things won’t change. Primary among them is that Hamas must disarm. This is a prerequisite to any lasting peace and Trump knows it. That’s why the 20-part plan is take it or leave it on the condition of disarmament.

Further evidence of the genius of this approach is the broad support the plan has received from disparate countries, both in the Middle East and in Europe. It has garnered support from countries that are both for and against Palestinian statehood. The plan has served as a unifying beacon to a region (and a world) that has long wanted peace but has never had a leader courageous and tenacious enough to make that dream a reality.

Another outcome of this broad support is the true isolation of Hamas. They’re the only ones who are for their continued militarization. In effect, by their protracted resistance to peace, they have alienated almost everyone who may be sympathetic to some of their nonviolent goals. That puts Hamas under enormous pressure – pressure that is both intentional and calculated to move the Middle East toward lasting peace.

All this comes while Trump has doubled down on American and European support of Ukraine to find a way to speed up the end of Europe’s horrible war, yet another example of the administration keeping promises made during the presidential campaign. The approach should sound familiar. 

The president provided Russia with every opportunity to end the conflict peacefully. Despite that effort, Moscow refused and has continued its aggression toward Ukraine. Now, as a last resort — just like the situation with Iran’s nuclear program – the United States is providing additional support to its allies, all in service of the ultimate goal, which has always been and will always be lasting peace, not just for the Middle East, but for the world. Trump is determined to be the peace strategist. 

The Senate is set to leave town on Friday until early next week as neither side is ready to give in the ongoing government shutdown stalemate.

Lawmakers voted deep into the night on Thursday on the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which advanced on a largely bipartisan vote. But the $925 billion package, which authorizes funding for the Pentagon, was effectively the last hurrah for the week in the upper chamber.

While there was discussion of putting the House GOP’s continuing resolution (CR), along with congressional Democrats’ counter-proposal, on the floor for one last vote, the plan never came to fruition. Both would likely have failed for an eighth consecutive time.

Senate Republicans and Democrats will instead return on Tuesday next week, after observing Columbus Day, to continue the ongoing back and forth on the GOP’s CR following a week of trying and failing to pass the bill and reopen the government.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., plans to continue bringing the Republicans’ bill to the floor in an effort to fragment Senate Democrats. So far, only three Democratic caucus members have consistently split from their largely unified party.

Talks have continued in the background behind closed-doors, but nothing has quite yet materialized into full-blown negotiations on expiring Obamacare, formally known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), tax credits to find an off-ramp as the government shutdown barrels into a third week.

‘The ACA issue is important to a lot of us, not just to Democrats,’ Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said. ‘The tax subsidies were enhanced during COVID. They do need to be reformed, but they do need to be extended as well.’

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., is one of a handful of Republicans consistently meeting with Democrats. He said he’s not meeting with lawmakers ‘so dug in that they can’t get off their position,’ but still, no movement across the aisle has happened.

Mullin and other Republicans want to pass their short-term CR until Nov. 21, while Senate Democrats are adamant that, unless there is a deal on the ACA subsidies, they won’t provide GOP with the votes to reopen the government.

‘Well, if it continues, the way it’s gone, the longer we go, the harder it is,’ Mullin said. ‘It’s a big task. Anything to do with ACA or healthcare, you get a lot of moving parts. I think that gets very difficult the longer this thing [goes on]. You get into next week. I mean, we’ve got four and a half weeks left, right, and so that timeframe keeps getting shorter.’

Their return next week also all but guarantees that members of the military will not receive their paychecks on time, given that the date to have payroll locked in and processed falls on Monday.

‘Certainly, if folks miss a paycheck, the intensity will go up,’ Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., said.

The continued gridlock has most in the Senate GOP unwilling to consider turning to the ‘nuclear option,’ a move they made last month when they unilaterally changed the Senate’s rules for confirmations on nominations to break through Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus’ blockade of President Donald Trump’s nominees, to change the filibuster.

‘There’s always a lot of swirl out there, as you know, from, you know, social media, etc., but no, we’re not having that conversation,’ Thune said.

But not every Republican wants to ignore nuking the 60-vote filibuster as, day in and day out, the GOP’s plan to reopen the government falls five votes short.

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said that if the shutdown continues, it’s an option that should be considered.

‘Look, 50%, 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck,’ he said. ‘We’re going to trip that wire next week. Now if there’s another paycheck — that’s probably 80% of Americans that can’t go without two paychecks in a row. I think at that point we have to look at it and say ‘the Democrats are still doing political stunts.’’

Republicans also found a new point of attack against Democrats. Schumer told Punchbowl News in an interview that ‘Every day gets better for us,’ in his assessment of Senate Democrats’ political momentum as the shutdown marches onward.

‘Who is ‘us?’ Not better for the American people,’ Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said. ‘Who does he mean by ‘us?’ Not the military who is not getting paid. Not the Border Patrol who are not getting paid. Not the air traffic controllers who are not getting paid. Who is ‘us?’ He’s playing a game!’

But Senate Democrats are largely shrugging off the issue. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, contended that it was Republicans’ latest attempt to ‘change the topic from 114% increase in premiums,’ a point Democrats have argued could happen if the Obamacare tax credits aren’t extended.

‘They’re a little desperate to change the news cycle, and this is their latest attempt,’ Schatz said. 

Senate Republicans are taking a hands-off approach to threats from White House budget chief Russ Vought, arguing that his pressure on Senate Democrats to reopen the government, for now, is warranted.

Away from the gridlock on Capitol Hill, Vought, who is the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), has made moves to pressure Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to reopen the government.

Before the shutdown started earlier this month, the OMB released a memo to government agencies instructing mass firings beyond the typical furloughs of nonessential employees during government shutdowns. He has since withheld nearly $30 billion in infrastructure funding to blue states and cities.

And earlier this week, a memo circulated around the White House that suggested that furloughed employees would not receive back pay when the government reopened — a move that runs counter to a law signed by President Donald Trump in 2019.

‘We heard earlier, right at the beginning of the shutdown, that we may see some terminations, some firings within the department,’ Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told Fox News Digital. ‘We saw a lot of big numbers kind of thrown around, and they haven’t materialized, which I think is good, but certainly what it does, it’s very unsettling.’

The administration’s latest actions come as conversations on a path out of the shutdown have been ongoing. For now, Republicans don’t believe that Vought’s moves are undercutting those talks.

Sen. John Hoeven. R-N.D., told Fox News Digital that Vought was what Vought ‘thinks probably helps push Democrats to come to the table and open the government back up.’

‘I mean, that’s for him to decide,’ he said. ‘What I’m looking to do is to try to talk to enough Democrats, and I hope that between reaching out to them and pressure they get from back home, we can get the government open and back to work on these things.’

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital that the administration was ‘going to do what they’re going to do, and they’ve got to manage this, and they’re going to manage it according to their priorities.’

‘I think they’re trying to be sensitive to discussions up here that might be productive,’ Thune said. ‘But, you know, as of right now, it’s like I said before, all this stuff is just kind of window dressing until we fundamentally get down to the issue about, are we going to open up the government or not?

‘And I think when all those issues go away, these guys, the things that the White House is talking about doing or hinting that they might do, become unnecessary,’ he continued.

Senate Democrats are demanding a deal extending expiring Obamacare subsidies, and won’t provide the votes needed to reopen the government unless they get more than a guarantee to tackle the issue.

Thune and Senate Republicans are adamant that they will negotiate on extending the tax credits, with reforms baked in, only after the government reopens. And so far, as the stalemate has dragged on, neither Vought nor the administration have taken action on their threats of mass firings or back pay.  

‘Right now it’s fine,’ Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital. ‘If he starts taking Draconian sorts of actions, then I think it creates a more difficult scenario for us. It puts us further away from what he wants to get accomplished, too.’

Still, Senate Democrats have not taken kindly to his overtures.

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., told Fox News Digital that there was ‘no question’ Vought was hurting ongoing talks between the parties.

‘Russ Vought is basically acting like a bomb thrower, and bomb throwers are never helpful in negotiations,’ he said. 

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg is facing backlash after using an image of an emaciated Israeli hostage in an Instagram post allegedly showing Palestinians suffering.

The post read, ‘The suffering of Palestinian prisoners is not a matter of opinion — it is a fact of systemic cruelty and dehumanization. Humanity cannot be selective. Justice cannot have borders.’ It also included three images, including one of hostage Evyatar David, who was taken from the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023. 

The image of David was a still frame from a Hamas propaganda video. In the video, David appears extremely frail as he describes the conditions in captivity and says he hasn’t eaten for days. The part of the video that shocked many was when David’s captors forced him to dig his own grave.

Yeela David, Evyatar’s sister, commented on the post saying Thunberg needed to do research before posting ‘things you don’t understand.’ She then added that, ‘every minute you are not deleting the post, you are becoming a bigger joke. Embarrassing.’

The post, which contained multiple images, appears to have since been edited and the slide with David’s image is no longer visible. The comment section, however, is full of reminders that his image was there, with users decrying the ‘lies’ showcased in the post.

The slides were part of a collaboration post with Thunberg, Yasmin Acar, a member of the steering committee of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition; the Gaza Sumud Flotilla and two other accounts.

The first slide of the post read, ‘The world is rightly horrified by what the Sumud Flotilla hostages are enduring,’ referring to detainees arrested when Israel intercepted their fleet last week. ‘Their suffering is real and no human being should ever be subjected to such pain, fear or humiliation.’ The post then goes on to compare this to the plight of Palestinians in Israeli prisons, with the activists asserting that over 11,000 Palestinian ‘hostages and prisoners’ were held in unhygienic and inhumane conditions. 

The group also included a video from 2015 in their post showing Ahmad Manasra, who was 13 at the time. Manasra was arrested in 2015 in connection with a Jerusalem stabbing attack during what is often called the ‘Knife Intifada,’ according to The Jerusalem Post.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted a screenshot of the deleted slide next to a zoomed-in version of the still image of David, declaring, ‘Ignorance blinded by hate is trending.’

‘Greta Thunberg posted about ‘Palestinian prisoners’ using the image of Israeli hostage Evyatar David – starved, abused, and forced by Palestinian Hamas to dig his own grave,’ the ministry wrote on X.

Thunberg, who became renowned for her climate activism while still in high school, has become a vocal critic of Israel since the war in Gaza began. She has participated in two Gaza-bound aid flotillas, both of which were intercepted by Israeli forces.

Fox News Digital reached out to Thunberg for comment.

Tensions erupted on Capitol Hill Wednesday as two members of the House of Representatives got into a screaming match on the eighth day of the 2025 government shutdown.

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., confronted House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., outside the latter’s news conference over a bipartisan compromise on enhanced ObamaCare subsidies, a key flashpoint in the fight over federal funding.

He also taunted Jeffries about whether he would endorse democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City — which Jeffries did not answer.

‘First of all, I don’t answer to you. You don’t even answer to yourself,’ Jeffries responded.

The heated exchange began with Lawler challenging Jeffries to sign onto bipartisan legislation extending COVID-19 pandemic-era enhancements to ObamaCare subsidies for one year.

Those subsidies are set to expire at the end of 2025 without congressional action, and Democrats have been demanding that the issue be addressed before they would agree on a federal funding bill to end the shutdown.

‘We’ve got a one-year extension, why don’t you sign on right now?’ Lawler asked.

Jeffries responded angrily, ‘Did you get permission from your boss? Did your boss Donald Trump give you permission?’

‘He’s not my boss,’ Lawler replied.

The two men spoke over each other for nearly five minutes, both accusing the other’s party of derailing the government.

‘You’re an embarrassment,’ Jeffries said, before confronting him for voting for President Donald Trump’s massive policy bill, the One, Big Beautiful Bill Act.

‘I voted for a tax cut bill that gave the largest tax cut to Americans in history — including, by the way, the average New Yorker getting a $4,000 tax cut. Are you against that?’ Lawler asked.

Jeffries responded, ‘You’re embarrassing yourself. The largest cut to Medicaid in American history — you voted for that.’

The House Democratic leader pointed his finger into Lawler’s chest, telling him, ‘You’re not going to talk to me, and talk over me, because you don’t want to hear what I have to say. So why don’t you just keep your mouth shut?’

‘Oh, is that the way to talk?’ Lawler retorted.

They continued debating the merits of the Republicans’ policy bill, though Lawler repeatedly tried to ask Jeffries if he would sign onto the temporary ObamaCare extension.

Jeffries then shifted the conversation to accusing House Republicans of remaining in their districts during the government shutdown — something Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., urged them to do in order to keep the focus on D.C. on Senate Democrats refusing the GOP’s funding bill.

‘You wanted Republicans to be here, I’m here,’ Lawler said. ‘And by the way, you can pass an [Affordable Care Act] extension right now. Sign onto this bill.’

Jeffries asked, ‘Mike, is your boss Donald Trump behind it?’

He argued it would take more Republicans than those signed onto the legislation to get it passed in the House as the fight further devolved into insults.

‘Are you mathematically challenged, bro?’ Jeffries asked.

Lawler said, ‘No, I think you are. You have 215 Democrats.’

The fight came hours after Johnson confronted a pair of Senate Democrats outside his office who were demanding the Republican leader swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz.

Senate Democrats rejected the GOP-led funding bill for the sixth time on Wednesday, all but guaranteeing the shutdown will extend into a ninth day.

The House passed a bill to extend fiscal year (FY) 2025 federal funding levels through Nov. 21 to give lawmakers more time to create a longer-term deal for FY 2026 spending.

But Democrats, furious at being sidelined in federal funding talks, have largely said they’ll reject any deal that does not include an extension of the expiring ObamaCare subsidies.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he might make a trip to the Middle East as Gaza peace negotiations continue. 

‘I may go there, sometime toward the end of the week. Maybe on Sunday, actually, and we’ll see,’ Trump said Wednesday from the White House as he kicked off a roundtable discussion event focused on the left-wing radical group Antifa. 

‘We have a great team over there, great negotiators, and there are, unfortunately, great negotiators on the other side also,’ Trump added. ‘But it’s something I think that will happen. Got a good chance of happening.’ 

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are currently in Egypt hashing out details of a potential peace agreement between Israel and Hamas in a war that has raged since Oct. 7, 2023. 

Trump signaled Wednesday that negotiations are going well.

‘I was just dealing with people from the Middle East, our people and other people, on the potential peace deal for the Middle East,’ he said. ‘Peace for the Middle East. That’s a beautiful phrase, and we hope it’s going to come true, but it’s very close and they’re doing very well.’ 

Trump unveiled a 20-point plan to end the Gaza war on Sept. 29, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting the White House. The plan includes granting Hamas terrorists who give up their arms in favor of peace ‘amnesty,’ establishing Gaza as a ‘deradicalized terror-free zone’ and redeveloping the area so that it no longer poses a threat to its neighbors or residents alike. 

Trump warned Hamas that if it did not agree to the peace deal, the terrorists would face ‘massive bloodshed.’ Hamas announced Friday that it agreed to release all Israeli hostages, dead or alive, as part of Trump’s peace proposal. 

Israeli and Hamas officials convened Monday in the Egyptian coastal resort city of Sharm El Sheikh, located at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law who is credited with helping facilitate the Abraham Accords during the first Trump administration, and Witkoff are in Egypt as of Wednesday to help negotiate an agreement. 

An Israeli diplomatic source told Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin that the negotiations are coming down to a shortlist of names for prisoners and how the withdrawal corridors will be managed. The source added that the Israeli cabinet is convening to vote on next steps, which signals the negotiations are moving along. 

A U.S. official source added that negotiations on Gaza are ‘down to a couple of points,’ and that progress is being made in Sharm El Sheikh. Mediators ended talks with the Palestinian delegation and are moving to speak with the Israeli negotiators as of Wednesday afternoon.

Trump added Wednesday that ‘negotiations are going along very well.’

‘We’re dealing with Hamas and many of the countries… all of the Muslim countries are included,’ he said. ‘All of the Arab countries are included, very rich countries and some that are not so rich, but just about everybody is included. It’s never happened before. Nothing like that’s happened before in our final negotiation, as you know, is with Hamas. And, it seems to be going well.’ 

Trump said he would leave Saturday or Sunday if he does make a trip to the Middle East over the weekend. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., got into a tense confrontation with two Democratic senators outside his office on Wednesday as anxiety runs high on Capitol Hill on Day 8 of the government shutdown.

Sens. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., gathered reporters outside Johnson’s office in a bid to publicly pressure the House speaker to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., who won a special election last month to fill her late father’s seat.

Johnson appeared to catch the Democrats by surprise when he crashed their media gaggle.

‘Reopen the government so we can get back to work,’ he said in response to Gallego asking about Grijalva’s swearing-in.

Gallego retorted, ‘This excuse just keeps on moving.’

‘We’re happy that she got elected. She’s filling her father’s seat. That’s fantastic. We have a long tradition here and a process of how we administer the oath to a member,’ Johnson said despite the Democrats’ attempts at interruption.

‘We’re going to do that as soon as we get back to work, but we need the lights turned back on, so we encourage both of you to go open the government.’

Gallego shot back that Johnson was keeping the House out of session in a bid to delay a vote on forcing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release files on the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

‘You just don’t want to vote on the Epstein discharge petition,’ Gallego said.

Johnson called the comment ‘totally absurd,’ adding, ‘You guys are experts at red herrings and distraction. It has nothing to do with Epstein. The House Oversight Committee is working on the Epstein files right now.’

Gallego called that an ‘excuse,’ prompting more back-and-forth between the men.

‘OK, you see, this is a publicity stunt. Let me tell you what’s happening. The House Oversight Committee is working on the release of the Epstein files. They are some of the biggest bulldogs in Congress, and the Republican and Democrat sides are working on that aggressively,’ Johnson said.

Gallego asked, ‘So why are you blocking her then?’

‘I’m not blocking her. I just told you,’ Johnson said.

At one point, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., joined the fray, telling the senators, ‘With all due respect, you voted multiple times to keep the government shut down, OK? The Republican members from Arizona voted to keep government open. So don’t sit here and try to lecture us about whether or not we did our job. We did our jobs. You did not.’

‘Get your people in and stop covering up for the pedophiles,’ Gallego said after more back-and-forth.

Lawler responded, ‘There’s nobody covering up for pedophiles, so knock it the hell off.’

Kelly, meanwhile, interjected multiple times that Democrats were fighting to extend enhanced ObamaCare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this year without congressional action.

The standoff occurred just as Senate Democrats blocked the GOP’s federal funding bill for a sixth time, extending the ongoing government shutdown.

The House passed a bill to extend fiscal year (FY) 2025 federal funding levels through Nov. 21 to give lawmakers more time to create a longer-term deal for FY 2026 spending.

But Democrats, furious at being sidelined in federal funding talks, have largely said they’ll reject any deal that does not include an extension of the expiring ObamaCare subsidies.

Grijalva won her race on Sept. 23.

The House has not been in session since Sept. 19, and Johnson has signaled the chamber would not return until Senate Democrats agree with the GOP’s funding plan.

President Donald Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio handed him a note indicating the United States is ‘very close to a deal in the Middle East,’ a revelation he made Wednesday at the White House during a roundtable on Antifa.

‘Yeah, I was just given a note by the Secretary of State saying that we’re very close to a deal in the Middle East, and they’ll get to need me, pretty quickly,’ Trump said.

Nearly two hours later, Trump posted on Truth Social that a deal had been struck.

‘I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan,’ he said. ‘This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.’

‘All Parties will be treated fairly!’ Trump added. ‘This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!’

Israeli TV Channel 12 reported the agreement will be signed at noon local time on Thursday, and the release of hostages and prisoners will take place Saturday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also weighed in, saying, ‘With God’s help we will bring them all home.’

Trump said earlier Wednesday he might travel to the Middle East as Gaza peace negotiations continued. He said he might make the trip on Sunday, adding there is a ‘great team’ of negotiators already there.

‘It’s something I think that will happen,’ Trump said. ‘Got a good chance of happening.’

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are in Egypt negotiating details of a potential peace agreement between Israel and Hamas in the war that began Oct. 7, 2023.

Later Wednesday, Trump signaled that negotiations are going well.

‘I was just dealing with people from the Middle East, our people and other people, on the potential peace deal for the Middle East,’ he said. ‘Peace for the Middle East. That’s a beautiful phrase, and we hope it’s going to come true, but it’s very close and they’re doing very well.’

Trump unveiled a 20-point plan to end the Gaza war on Sept. 29, when Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House. The plan includes granting Hamas terrorists who give up their arms in favor of peace ‘amnesty,’ establishing Gaza as a ‘deradicalized, terror-free zone,’ and redeveloping the area so it no longer poses a threat to its neighbors and residents.

Trump warned Hamas that if it did not agree to the peace deal, the terrorists would face ‘massive bloodshed.’

Hamas announced Friday that it agreed to release all Israeli hostages, dead or alive, as part of Trump’s peace proposal.

Israeli and Hamas officials met Monday in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El Sheikh at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. Kushner — Trump’s son-in-law, credited with helping facilitate the Abraham Accords during his first administration — and Witkoff remain in Egypt to help negotiate an agreement.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.