War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday the Pentagon will ask Congress for additional funding related to the Iran war as Operation Epic Fury continues into its third week.

Speaking at a Pentagon press briefing, Hegseth said the supplemental request would help cover the costs of operations and replenish U.S. weapons stockpiles.

“As far as $200 billion, I think that number could move, obviously. It takes money to kill bad guys,” he told reporters, confirming reporting from The Washington Post that the Department of War is seeking that level of funding.

“We’re going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure that we’re properly funded for what’s been done, for what we may have to do in the future, ensure that our ammunition is – everything’s refilled, and not just refilled, but above and beyond,” Hegseth added.

TRUMP RALLIES DEFENSE TITANS TO SURGE WEAPONS OUTPUT AS IRAN WAR RAGES

In December, Congress authorized about $856 billion for the Pentagon in fiscal year 2026 as part of a broader $891 billion national defense budget.

Fox News confirmed Thursday that the War Department is seeking funding “north of $200 billion,” with replenishing ammunition stockpiles expected to be the biggest challenge.

A senior House Republican source also told Fox News the price tag “will be whatever it will be.”

HEGSETH WARNS ‘MORE CASUALTIES’ EXPECTED IN OPERATION EPIC FURY AGAINST IRAN

The multibillion-dollar ask could face significant hurdles in Congress, where some lawmakers are expected to demand spending offsets that may be difficult to secure following recent budget cuts.

Democratic support also appears unlikely amid ongoing concerns about the lack of congressional authorization for the conflict.

The narrow Republican majority in the House adds another challenge, while any measure in the Senate would likely need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster.

Lawmakers have discussed using the budget reconciliation process to bypass the Senate threshold, but some Republicans remain wary of pursuing another reconciliation bill.

NEW IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER ‘LIKELY DISFIGURED,’ HEGSETH SAYS

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. will continue pursuing its military objectives and expand strikes deeper into Iranian territory.

He told reporters the U.S. military recently dropped 5,000-pound penetrator munitions on underground storage facilities housing coastal defense cruise missiles and other support equipment. 

“These weapons are bespokely designed to get through concrete and or rocks and function after penetrating those barriers,” he said. “We continue to hunt and kill mine storage facilities and naval ammunition depots. We continue to hunt and kill afloat assets, including more than 120 vessels and 44 minelayers and the pressure will continue.”

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said the U.S. military is striking “Iranian-aligned militia groups” in Iraq as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth vowed Thursday to “honor” the sacrifice of six U.S. service members killed in a plane crash there last week. 

President Donald Trump, Hegseth and Caine on Wednesday attended the dignified transfer of the six fallen soldiers at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. The Pentagon said last week that the U.S. forces were killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq during a combat mission in support of Operation Epic Fury. 

Caine said Thursday that in Iraq, AH-64 helicopters “have been striking against Iranian-aligned militia groups to make sure that we suppress any threat in Iraq against U.S. forces or U.S. interests.” 

“And we remain focused on pursuit of any platform that Iran could field to harm Americans or our partners,” he added.

TRUMP THREATENS KEY IRANIAN GAS FIELD AFTER ISRAELI STRIKE

Reflecting on the fallen U.S. service members, Hegseth said, “Yesterday at Dover Air Force Base, President Trump, the chairman, and I stood in solemn silence as heroes came home.” 

“Flag-draped caskets. We honored them. We grieved with their families, and we listened. What I heard through tears, through hugs, through strength and through unbreakable resolve was the same from family after family. They said, ‘finish this. Honor their sacrifice. Do not waver. Do not stop until the job is done.’ My response, along with that of the president, was simple — of course, we will finish this. We will honor their sacrifice,” Hegseth said. 

“Yesterday’s ceremony reminded us why we fight. Not for nation building or democracy promotion, but to crush direct threats to America, Americans, and our interests. We fight to win, and we are winning, on our terms, following our objectives,” he continued.

12 ARAB AND ISLAMIC COUNTRIES UNITE TO CONDEMN ‘HEINOUS’ IRANIAN ATTACKS

“My 13-year-old son popped into my office last night while I was editing these remarks. He asked about the war and the families I met at Dover, and I looked at him and I said, ‘They died for you, son, so that your generation doesn’t have to deal with a nuclear Iran’,” Hegseth also said. “It’s the truth. And they did. So to the families who said, ‘finish this,’ we will. And I say the same to every American who wants peace through strength. May Almighty God continue to bless our troops in this fight. And again to the American people, please pray for them, every day, on bended knee, with your family, in your schools, in your churches, in the name of Jesus Christ. To the troops, keep going and Godspeed.” 

Those killed were Maj. John “Alex” Klinner, 33; Maj. Ariana Savino, 31; Tech. Sgt. Ashley Pruitt, 34; Capt. Seth Koval, 38; Capt. Curtis Angst, 30; and Master. Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28.

Caine said at the Pentagon Thursday that, “Our nation will never forget their sacrifice, and we will never forget their names,” and, “Our entire joint force mourns with you today.” 

Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report. 

EXCLUSIVE: Former Vice President Mike Pence says that a national voter ID law “is truly an idea whose time has come.”

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Pence urged the Senate to “make voter ID the law of the land in all 50 states.” The Senate is currently debating the SAVE America Act, which is strongly championed by Pence’s former boss, President Donald Trump.

The SAVE Act, which stands for Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, narrowly passed the GOP-controlled House in February mostly along party lines. But it’s stalled in the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the chamber, far short of the 60-vote threshold needed to pass the bill.

The federal bill would require strict voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements across the country. Republicans say the bill is necessary to secure election integrity.

FIRST ON FOX: REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS URGE CONGRESS TO PASS SAVE ACT

“I think requiring our voters to show photo ID at the ballot box or prove American citizenship is simply an idea whose time has come,” Pence emphasized.

And the former Indiana governor added, “I’m proud of the fact that the state of Indiana, 15 years ago, was one of the first states to adopt voter ID laws. Went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States and was upheld. It became model legislation for many states around the country.”

While polls indicate the vast majority of Americans — regardless of the political affiliation — support voter IDs at the polls and preventing noncitizens from voting in federal elections, Democrats argue the bill is not needed, since citizenship is already a requirement to vote and instances of noncitizen voting are rare.

FLORIDA REPUBLICANS SEND SAVE ACT-STYLE PROOF-OF-CITIZENSHIP VOTING BILL TO GOV. DESANTIS’ DESK

Democrats and voting rights groups also charge that the federal bill would create unnecessary barriers, making it harder for voters to cast a ballot. And longtime Senate Democratic leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York has framed the SAVE Act as “Jim Crow 2.0.”

Pence noted that “the time, place and manner of elections under the Constitution is governed by the states. But the federal government has, under our Constitution, the ability to set certain conditions and parameters, and I believe the Save ACT falls well within the constitutional prerogative of the Congress.”

The former vice president, through his policy and advocacy organization Advancing American Freedom, last month urged Congress to pass the bill.

Pence reiterated his stance in his Fox News Digital interview, noting, “We have championed the SAVE America Act since it was first introduced, and will continue to. I’d urge every member of the Senate to set politics aside, cast a vote to restore public confidence in election integrity in this country.”

SENATE GOP EYES BLAME GAME AS TRUMP-BACKED SAVE ACT HEADED FOR DEFEAT

Pence earned the ire of Trump’s supporters five years ago, when he dismissed the president’s unproven claims of massive voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election and certified former President Joe Biden’s electoral college victory. The certification was upended for hours by the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol, during which some of the rioters chanted “Hang Mike Pence.”

“We all remember the election controversies of six years ago. We saw states that literally changed the rules in the midst of COVID for how votes would be counted,” Pence recollected. “There was never any evidence of widespread fraud that would change the outcome of the election, but it undermined public confidence, and it’s one of the reasons we’ve strongly supported election reform in states across the country.”

And the former vice president reiterated, “I truly do believe that making sure the American people have confidence that those that are voting are citizens of this country, and that voter ID becomes the law of the land is truly an idea whose time has come.”

Nearly all Democrats opposed legislation Thursday targeting noncitizens who harm law enforcement animals. 

Lawmakers voted 228-190 largely along party lines to approve the measure, with just 15 Democratic lawmakers voting “yes.” All Republicans who voted supported the legislation.

The Bill to Outlaw Wounding of Official Working Animals (BOWOW) Act, introduced by Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., would make any noncitizen who is convicted of or admits to harming animals used in law enforcement operations deportable and not allowed to return.

“The dogs and horses on the front lines of our federal law enforcement efforts alongside our officers deserve our protection,” Calvert said upon introducing the legislation. “[It] sends a clear message that we will stand up for our four-legged friends and have zero tolerance for any immigrants who assault them.”

POLICE DOG HELPS SNIFF OUT BURGLARY SUSPECT HIDING IN AIR VENT

Calvert cited an incident at Dulles Airport in June 2025 when Hamed Aly Marie, an Egyptian traveler, kicked a police K-9 that was screening his luggage and caught smuggled produce. The foreign national, who was promptly arrested by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), pleaded guilty to malicious assault on a police animal and returned to Egypt.

The California Republican’s legislation would have made Marie eligible for deportation and inadmissible to the United States.

“Can’t we at least all agree that kicking a 5-year-old beagle at an airport should disqualify a foreign national from entering our country ever again?” Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif, said in support of the measure Thursday.

A majority of Democrats opposed the legislation because they argued that offenders could already be deported under existing law.

SPARKS FLY AS GOP SENATOR REACTS TO BIDEN ADVISOR’S ‘I DON’T KNOW’ ANSWER ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION LAW

Democrats also raised concerns that Calvert’s measure would infringe on legal immigrants’ due process rights by allowing for their removal before obtaining a formal conviction.

“Here’s what America is talking about: Donald Trump’s unauthorized, undeclared war of choice,” Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said on the House floor Thursday. “What are MAGA Republicans in Congress talking about this week? They’re talking about the BOWOW Act.”

The legislation will likely be dead on arrival in the Senate given expected opposition from Democrats in that chamber. 

In addition to the BOWOW Act, House Republicans also passed legislation this week seeking to crack down on noncitizens who commit fraud in the United States. All GOP lawmakers — and 20 Democrats — supported a measure on Wednesday that would make noncitizens who are convicted of or admit to defrauding the government eligible for deportation and banned from future entry.

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., one of the most vulnerable Democrats running for re-election, notably opposed the measure.

EXCLUSIVE: The Texas Senate primary runoff is reaching a fever pitch as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton receives a slate of new endorsements from major state lawmakers and candidates over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

The bitter rivals have been lobbing increasingly personal attacks at each other after a bruising primary election in which neither candidate achieved the 50% threshold to receive the GOP nomination. 

Now, Paxton has received 13 new state-level political endorsements, including prominent Texas Republican Sens. Bob Hall and Donna Campbell, and state Rep. Janis Holt. This brings his total to 250 Texas leaders, including Texas members of Congress Reps. Lance Gooden and Troy Nehls, who have endorsed Paxton.  

JAMES TALARICO’S PAST ANTI-MEAT STANCE GOES VIRAL, DRAWS REPUBLICAN FIRE FROM ACROSS TEXAS POLITICAL LANDSCAPE

While an endorsement from President Donald Trump has remained notably absent for either candidate, the new endorsements represent a groundswell of renewed grassroots enthusiasm for Paxton as he and Cornyn close in on their May runoff election. 

Whichever candidate emerges victorious will have to defend the critical GOP Senate seat against progressive Democratic candidate state Rep. James Talarico.

In response to the endorsements, Paxton told Fox News Digital he is “honored to be endorsed by leaders all across the state who are fighting for Texas and our future.”

“The momentum behind our campaign continues to grow stronger every single day,” Paxton continued, adding that “Texans are ready for a change and are ready to be represented by an America First warrior who is going to work tirelessly to help Texas and support President Trump.”

“That’s exactly what I’ve done as Attorney General, and it’s what I’ll continue to do as our next United States Senator,” he emphasized.

Meanwhile, Cornyn campaign senior advisor Matt Mackowiak told Fox News Digital that “Ken Paxton will be a down-ballot dead weight if he is the GOP nominee, while Sen. Cornyn will provide the strongest up-ballot support for all Republicans and give the GOP the best possible chance to win the five new congressional seats that are critical to Trump’s legislative agenda.”

Cornyn “has earned the endorsement of more than 500 current and former elected officials from every corner of the state who appreciate his integrity, work ethic, and effectiveness in fighting for Texas and enacting Trump’s agenda,” Mackowiak added. 

While Paxton’s list of state-level endorsements continues to grow, Cornyn, a leading member of the Senate who has filled the seat since 2002, has been endorsed by the likes of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who called him a “very effective, conservative senator for the state of Texas and does a lot of good things for our country on so many issues.” 

He has also received the support of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Border Patrol Council and a long list of local leaders, including the famed business leader and sports gambler Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale.  

CORNYN BLASTS ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ DEMOCRAT FOR HOLDING TSA AGENTS ‘HOSTAGE’ DURING AIRPORT CLASH

Both candidates continue to vie for the all-important endorsement from Trump.

While the president has yet to weigh in, he has repeatedly hinted at doing so. Trump has emphasized that he likes both candidates. 

He recently suggested that a voting integrity bill being voraciously debated in the Senate will play a role in his endorsement decision.

“A lot has to do with the SAVE America Act,” Trump said, according to NBC News. “A lot is going to determine — Republicans have to get that passed, because that will secure voting in this country.” 

DEMOCRAT DARLING TALARICO CALLED OUT FOR MAKING SIXTH-GRADE PUBLIC STUDENTS WRITE ‘OBAMA MEMOIRS’

Cornyn has notably reversed his previous position on nixing the filibuster to get the SAVE America Act passed.

President Donald Trump warned in a Truth Social post that the U.S. will powerfully attack Iran’s South Pars natural gas field if the Islamic Republic targets a Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility again.

“Israel, out of anger for what has taken place in the Middle East, has violently lashed out at a major facility known as South Pars Gas Field in Iran. A relatively small section of the whole has been hit. The United States knew nothing about this particular attack, and the country of Qatar was in no way, shape, or form, involved with it, nor did it have any idea that it was going to happen. Unfortunately, Iran did not know this, or any of the pertinent facts pertaining to the South Pars attack, and unjustifiably and unfairly attacked a portion of Qatar’s LNG Gas facility,” Trump declared in the Truth Social post.

“NO MORE ATTACKS WILL BE MADE BY ISRAEL pertaining to this extremely important and valuable South Pars Field unless Iran unwisely decides to attack a very innocent, in this case, Qatar — In which instance the United States of America, with or without the help or consent of Israel, will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before,” he continued.

GOP BLOCKS BOOKER-LED PUSH TO CURB TRUMP’S MILITARY AUTHORITY IN IRAN

Trump warned that while he does not want to take such action, he would be willing to do so.

“I do not want to authorize this level of violence and destruction because of the long term implications that it will have on the future of Iran, but if Qatar’s LNG is again attacked, I will not hesitate to do so,” he declared in the post.

Trump’s threat comes as the U.S. and Israel are deep into the third week of their controversial war with Iran.

DNI TULSI GABBARD SAYS TRUMP ACTED BECAUSE HE CONCLUDED THE IRANIAN REGIME ‘POSED AN IMMINENT THREAT’

Earlier this week, Joe Kent resigned from his position as National Counterterrorism Center director due to his opposition to the war.

“Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” Kent declared in his resignation letter.

FORMER COUNTERTERRORISM CHIEF JOE KENT UNDER FBI INVESTIGATION FOR ALLEGED CLASSIFIED LEAKS

Trump pushed back on Tuesday, saying that “it’s a good thing that he’s out because he said that Iran was not a threat. Iran was a threat. Every country realized what a threat Iran was. The question is whether or not they wanted to do something about it.”

EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are sounding the alarm about the costs of a prolonged Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown as the funding lapse drags on with no end in sight. 

The House Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing next Wednesday examining the security risks and financial hardship many DHS employees are facing as a result of the shutdown, Fox News Digital has learned. Senior officials from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Coast Guard and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) — agencies overseen by DHS — are expected to testify about how the funding lapse is impacting their operations and the well-being of their personnel.

House Republicans have slammed nearly all Democrats for withholding their support for a full-year DHS measure amid a massive spring travel season and a heightened threat environment amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. The department is still expected to be shut down next week after Democrats panned the White House’s latest counteroffer on reforms to immigration enforcement, which Democrats have demanded to end the funding lapse.

“Amid one of the busiest travel seasons and as we face heightened physical and cyber threats from the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism and other adversaries, it is deeply troubling that DHS’s core mission continues to be undermined by Democrats’ political games,” Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., said in a statement. “Each day this shutdown continues, it jeopardizes the safety of Americans and creates worsening financial hardship for the frontline DHS personnel who work hard every day to protect the homeland.”

TSA PAY BILL UNVEILED AS SHUTDOWN LEAVES AGENTS UNPAID, STRAINS AIRPORT SECURITY

The shutdown’s impact on air travel has become a growing headache for Americans — 170 million of whom are expected to pass through the country’s airports during the spring travel season this year.

More than 50,000 TSA employees have not received their salaries during the prolonged shutdown, leading some to quit their jobs or not show up to work, according to the House Homeland Security Committee.

Among that cohort, more than 360 TSA employees have resigned during the 34-day partial shutdown, and roughly 10% of agents did not report to work on Sunday, according to the TSA.

MOST VULNERABLE SENATE DEM BLAMES REPUBLICANS FOR UNPAID TSA WORKERS AFTER OPPOSING FUNDING BILL

These staffing constraints have led to hours-long security lines in some of America’s largest travel hubs, though some airports still appear to be processing passengers relatively quickly.

Lines at New York City’s JFK and LaGuardia airports were under 20 minutes Wednesday evening.

FEMA staff, 85% of whom worked through the shutdown in fall 2025, are likely reporting to work in similar numbers without pay. FEMA leadership has warned that the agency could struggle to respond to a major disaster event in a shutdown.

The hearing comes as Democrats are proposing legislation that would fund every DHS sub-agency that does not handle immigration enforcement. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., announced Wednesday that Democrats intend to force a vote on the measure by filing a discharge petition. The petition would have to secure a handful of GOP signatures to trigger a vote on the underlying bill.

Garbarino criticized Democrats’ proposal in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“I hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle recognize that there is far too much at stake to continue blocking full funding for the department, and that any piecemeal funding efforts simply fail to meet the moment,” Garbarino said.

Senate Republicans have blocked similar legislation in the upper chamber, arguing that all of DHS — including its immigration enforcement functions — must receive full-year funding.

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania said during an appearance on the “All-In Podcast” that the Democratic Party does not have a leader, but then opined that “TDS” controls the party.

“TDS” is an abbreviation for “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” a term often used by Trump supporters to describe strong opposition to the former president.

“Who do you think leads the Democratic Party today?” David Friedberg asked the lawmaker during the podcast.

Fetterman said we don’t have one,” but added that he believes “TDS is the leader right now,” saying “our party is governed by TDS.”

FETTERMAN CONDEMNS DEMOCRATS FOR REFUSING TO PUT ‘COUNTRY OVER PARTY’ ON IRAN STRIKES

The senator highlighted his strong support for Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. attack against Iran.

Fetterman said that he is “literally the only Democrat in America, uh, in Congress, that I’ve come across that’s saying, I think it’s a great thing to break and destroy the Iranian regime. I think it’s entirely appropriate to hold them accountable.”

HANNITY TELLS SEN FETTERMAN ‘I HAD YOU ALL WRONG’ IN CANDID APOLOGY ON NEW PODCAST

Later during the podcast, Fetterman brought the issue up again, saying, “you asked me earlier, what’s the leader of the Democratic Party right now. I would say it’s TDS.” 

The senator suggested that Trump “could come out for ice cream and lazy Sundays and now suddenly Democrats would hate it. We would wanna vote it down.”

Fetterman has consistently remained an ardent supporter of Israel.

FETTERMAN OPENS UP ABOUT NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE AND HOW IT CHANGED HIS APPROACH TO POLITICS

“As a Democrat, I’m deeply proud to stand with Israel through the horror of 10/07,” he declared in a Tuesday post on X. “I’m deeply proud of our military and what they’ve accomplished in Epic Fury. Picking country over party is never wrong.”

Frustrations, friendship and questions of temperament dominated the confirmation hearing for Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., as the Senate sprints to confirm him to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The hearing, led by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chair Rand Paul, R-Ky., started with a tense exchange between him and Mullin and ended with questions about whether the committee would even hold a confirmation vote.

President Donald Trump tapped Mullin to replace outgoing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. The Senate has little time to move through the process, given that Trump set a deadline of March 31 to have Mullin installed as the next Homeland Security chief.

MULLIN FACES DEMOCRAT GRILLING IN FIRST HURDLE TO LEAD DHS AMID SHUTDOWN FIGHT

Paul plans to oppose him, meaning that unless Mullin can generate support from Democrats on the panel, his nomination will be substantially slowed.

It was fast, explosive and marred by the ongoing DHS shutdown, which entered its 33rd day on Wednesday. Below are top moments from the back-and-forth that will decide whether Mullin gets the job to lead the embattled agency.

The hearing immediately opened with fireworks over Mullin’s comments that Paul’s 2017 assault, which left him with several broken ribs and the removal of part of his lung, was “justified.”

Paul accused Mullin of never having “the courage to look me in the eye and tell me that the assault was justified.”

“I just wonder if someone who applauds violence against their political opponents is the right person to lead an agency that has struggled to accept limits to the proper use of force,” Paul said.

Mullin shot back before launching into his opening remarks, saying Paul called him a “liar,” and argued, “everybody in this room knows that I’m very blunt and direct and to the point.”

“And if I have something to say, I’ll say it directly to your face. If you recall, back in my House days, we actually did have this conversation because of remarks that I made.”

“You were in a room. I simply addressed that,” he continued. “I said I could understand, because of the behavior you were having, that I could understand why your neighbor did what he did.”

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., the panel’s top Democrat, pressed Mullin on his accusation that Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minnesota, was a “deranged individual that came in to cause max damage.”

“Could we expect those kinds of quick responses if you are confirmed as secretary?” Peters said. “Would you be — basically — were you responding as Secretary Noem, are we going to expect that same behavior all over again?”

Mullin didn’t push back against Peters’ question.

HOUSE GOP LEADER LAUNCHES SENATE BID AS TRUMP TAPS MARKWAYNE MULLIN FOR DHS

“Those words probably should have been retracted,” Mullin said. “I shouldn’t have said that. If secretary, I wouldn’t. The investigation is ongoing.”

“And there is — like I said — there’s sometimes going to make mistakes, and I own that one. I went out there too fast. I was responding immediately without the facts,” he continued. “That’s my fault. That won’t happen as secretary.”

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is no stranger to bucking his own party, and he’ll likely do it again during Mullin’s confirmation vote.

The pair became friendly during a congressional delegation trip and have maintained that relationship ever since.

And he recognizes that he’ll likely be the key vote to confirm his colleague.

“I came here and committed to come here with an open mind, and I’m going to continue to do that. It’s not going to be about gotcha moments for me. My experience with you has been consistent and professionalism,” Fetterman said.

But Fetterman also took a moment to blast his party for continuing to block DHS funding and noted that he was “the only Democrat that refused to shut our DHS down.”

“It’s a strange devotion. I don’t understand why you would shut the entire agency down just because you want those kinds of reforms on ICE that have absolutely no impact on ICE and don’t force any of those things,” Fetterman said. “I refuse to do that.”

The nature of a shadowy trip Mullin took while serving in the House nearly derailed his expected confirmation vote on Thursday.

Peters questioned the lawmaker about an undisclosed trip taken between 2015 and 2016 and charged that “quite frankly, as we’ve had these conversations, you have not been forthcoming with me or this committee.”

“The story always seems to evolve, to kind of change, and as you know, candor, honesty, transparency are absolutely critical, particularly at this time, to try to build trust as the secretary of Homeland Security,” Peters said.

TEAMSTERS BOSS PRAISES MULLIN DHS NOMINATION DESPITE PAST HEATED HEARINGS

Paul asked Mullin to explain the trip in a classified setting and threatened to cancel the hearing otherwise.

“I’m still willing to have the vote tomorrow, but I can cancel the vote tomorrow,” Paul said. “I’m still willing to have the vote, get this done and get it over with.”

Mullin argued that, to his knowledge, only four people were aware of the details of the trip, and he did not have the authority to tell Paul or Peters.

“I would really enjoy sitting there and having a conversation with you, because I don’t want you to have questions or question my character on this,” Mullin said. “That’s very simple for me, but I can’t make that authorization. You guys know that.”

President Donald Trump on Wednesday renewed his calls to release Tina Peters, a pro-Trump election worker who was convicted for her role in a scheme aimed at finding evidence of election fraud in the president’s 2020 election loss.

Peters, a former election clerk in Mesa County, Colorado, is serving a nine-year prison sentence following her August 2024 conviction on seven charges, including four felonies, related to a 2021 security breach of the county’s voting systems as she sought evidence to support Trump’s claims that his loss to former President Joe Biden was due to voter fraud.

Trump has been pressuring Democrat Gov. Jared Polis to release Peters, 70, since he returned to the White House last year.

“Free Tina Peters, a 73-year-old woman with cancer, given a nine-year death sentence in a Colorado prison by a Democrat governor, Jared Polis, and a corrupt political machine, for exposing fraud by the Democrats during the 2020 presidential election,” Trump wrote Wednesday on Truth Social. “Again, free Tina!”

COLORADO GOVERNOR LAYS OUT CONDITION FOR GRANTING CLEMENCY TO PRO-TRUMP CLERK UNDER PRESSURE FROM PRESIDENT

Polis has acknowledged that Peters’ sentence was “harsh,” given that she had no prior criminal record.

The governor recently noted on social media that Peters was sentenced to nine years in prison, while a former state lawmaker convicted of the same crime was sentenced only to probation and community service.

“Justice in Colorado and America needs to be applied evenly, you never know when you might need to depend on the rule of law. This is the context I am using as I consider cases like this that have sentencing disparities,” Polis wrote on X.

But Polis said his decision about granting clemency would be influenced by whether Peters has expressed remorse for her actions — something officials say she has not done.

“What she would have to show in any successful clemency application would be appropriate contrition, apology. That’s the kind of thing I would be looking for,” he previously told KUSA-TV.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES PARDON FOR COLORADO CLERK: ‘SIMPLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR ELECTIONS WERE FAIR’

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, whose office helped prosecute Peters, has emphasized that she has not demonstrated any remorse for her actions.

“Clemency should be based on remorse, rehabilitation, and extenuating circumstances — not on political influence, favor, or retribution,” said Weiser, a Democrat running to succeed the term-limited Polis.

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., who is also hoping to replace Polis as governor, similarly said Peters should not receive a pardon or have her sentence commuted.

“Donald Trump may be seeking revenge on Colorado, but surrendering to his political pressure will not make our state stronger or safer,” he said.

Trump has repeatedly defended Peters on social media and announced last year he was granting her a “full pardon,” though such a move would not apply to a state conviction, as that authority rests with the governor.

Earlier this week, a federal judge found that the Trump administration had threatened to withhold funding from Colorado, describing it as potential retribution for the state’s reluctance to pardon Peters. The finding came shortly after Trump’s symbolic pardon announcement.

U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson wrote that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s threat in December to withhold millions of dollars in federal funding to Colorado’s SNAP program violated the Spending Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

“This larger context gives the game away; the pilot project seems to be about punishment and nothing more,” the judge wrote.

A lawsuit also claimed this week that the Trump administration targeted a climate and weather research lab as retribution against Colorado officials for imprisoning Peters.

Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.