Zelenskyy says Putin’s ‘words’ aren’t enough as he speaks with Trump on energy ceasefire

(WASHINGTON) — Kristi Noem, South Dakota’s firebrand Republican governor, faces a grilling Friday at her confirmation hearing to be secretary of homeland security.

Noem, the daughter of a farmer and a former representative from South Dakota, will be questioned before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

She first came on the national scene during the pandemic and gained notoriety when she did not shut down businesses and schools in the state — instead keeping it open and even hosting a Fourth of July fireworks show at Mt. Rushmore.

“We didn’t mandate anything,” Noem said at the Republican National Convention in July 2024. “We never ordered a single business or church to close. I never even defined what an essential business was, because I don’t believe that the government has the authority to tell you that your business isn’t essential.”

During her last state budget address in December, Noem touted what she called progress on the state economy, education and public safety.

Noem was one of the Republican governors to send National Guardsmen to the southern border to help the Texas National Guard.

If confirmed, border security will be a main concern as Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would fall under her purview at the Department of Homeland Security.

“I have increased resources to combat the horror of human trafficking,” she said in December. “And when President Trump secures the southern border, we’ll cut off the primary pipeline for human trafficking into our country.”

In an interview on Newsmax shortly after President-elect Trump’s election victory she said the “number one priority” will be the border.

“We’ve got to secure our country, and we’ve got to get the murderers and terrorists and rapists out of this country, and make America safe again. That’s really what his goal is. And I’m just so proud of him that he’s working so hard at it immediately,” she said.

A one-time potential vice-presidential prospect, Noem would oversee 22 agencies with more than 260,000 employees — on issues ranging from the border to federal disaster management to the Secret Service.

Earlier this year, she was embroiled in a series of controversies, including drawing scrutiny and a lawsuit over her social media endorsement of a dental work she received from a practice in Texas.

She was also criticized for writing in her new memoir about how she shot and killed her 14-month-old dog “Cricket” after she said it demonstrated an “aggressive personality, and she was forced to admit what she called “errors” in her book, including claiming she once met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. That description was removed from the book, according to the publisher.

Trump defended and praised her amid the controversies last year, saying she’s gone through “rough” days but that he likes her “a lot.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx, 81, was tapped by House Speaker Mike Johnson to serve as the chairwoman of the powerful House Rules Committee, two GOP sources told ABC News, becoming the only woman to lead a House committee in the 119th Congress.

The House GOP conference voted to approve Foxx’s selection during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday.

“For two decades, Dr. Foxx has been a stalwart in the House and a leader in multiple policy areas,” Johnson said in a statement. “Her drive and personality have established her as among the most universally respected members of our Republican Conference. Dr. Foxx is an example of how Members should serve, and our Conference will benefit greatly with her at the helm of the influential Rules Committee.”

The Rules Committee is the last stop for big-ticket legislation before it can hit the House floor for a vote. Several Republicans urged Johnson to appoint Texas Rep. Chip Roy, who often bucks leadership, to lead the committee to ensure he’d win the gavel. Meanwhile, Foxx is a staunch supporter of Johnson and getting his priorities passed through the House.

“I feel very humbled,” Foxx told ABC News. “It’s going to be a tough session, but I’m committed to helping make it work.”

The news follows the announcement of the chairs of the 17 standing committees, which will be dominated by white men, in December. No people of color were selected.

“From securing our southern border, to unleashing American energy, to fighting to lower Bidenflation, and making our communities safe again, our Committee Chairs are ready to get to work fulfilling the American people’s mandate and enacting President Trump’s America-First agenda,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said in announcing the list of chairs, who were selected by the House Republican Steering Committee. “House Republicans are heading into the 119th Congress prepared to address the issues most important to hardworking Americans and fight for meaningful legislative wins.

“I look forward to working with these strong leaders and their Committees to advance President Trump’s priorities and deliver the American people the government they voted for in November,” he added.

Three Republican women led House committees in the 118th Congress: Texas Rep. Kay Granger chaired the Appropriations Committee, Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers chaired the Energy and Commerce Committee and Foxx chaired the Education and the Workforce Committee.

Neither Granger nor McMorris Rodgers ran for reelection in 2024, though Foxx did earn an 11th term in office. Foxx, 81, had been granted a waiver to lead the Education and the Workforce Committee in the 118th Congress beyond the six-year term limits the House GOP imposes, and she did not request an additional waiver. She had served as chairwoman in the 115th Congress, as well as ranking member in the 116th and the 117th. Michigan Rep. Tim Walberg will take over the chairmanship of the Education and the Workforce Committee instead.

“Chairmen of committees are very important positions, but we really do engage all the membership,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said earlier this week ahead of the selections. “We have extraordinary women serving in Congress and in the Republican Conference. In fact, we elected some really strong women in the upcoming freshmen class.

“We value those voices. And everybody has an equal say at the table,” he noted. “These are thoughtful elections. We have an embarrassment of riches, frankly.”

Florida Rep. Brian Mast, a close Trump ally, will lead the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan will continue to lead the Judiciary Committee, Kentucky Rep. James Comer will continue to lead the Oversight Committee and Missouri Rep. Jason Smith will continue to lead the powerful Ways and Means Committee.

“Very fitting in the MAGA Era – No Women Need Apply,” former Virginia Rep. Barbara Comstock, a Republican, posted ahead of the final selections in December when no women had been selected.

The Republican Party will have a trifecta after Trump’s inauguration with control of the House, Senate, and White House, but the razor-thin majority of 220 Republicans to 215 Democrats in the House will leave little room for dissent, especially with two members of the House GOP set to be nominated for posts in the Trump administration and the resignation of Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.

“After four years of suffering under the radical policies of the Biden-Harris Administration and a Democrat-controlled Senate, the American people made clear they are ready for a change,” Scalise added. “With Republicans taking control of the White House, Senate, and House, it is imperative we are in position to move President Trump’s agenda efficiently and thoughtfully so we can quickly restore our nation to greatness.”

ABC News’ John Parkinson contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The U.S. airstrikes that bombarded Yemen on Saturday targeted and “took out” multiple leaders of the Iranian-backed Houthis, White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said Sunday.

Speaking on ABC’s “This Week,” Waltz argued to co-anchor Martha Raddatz that these latest strikes differ from the countless strikes the Biden administration launched against the rebel group, which the Trump administration has designated a foreign terrorist organization.

“These were not kind of pinprick, back and forth — what ultimately proved to be feckless attacks,” Waltz said. “This was an overwhelming response that actually targeted multiple Houthi leaders and took them out. And the difference here is, one, going after the Houthi leadership, and two, holding Iran responsible.”

Waltz accused Iran of helping the Houthis attack U.S. warships and global commerce. Some 70% of global commerce is now diverting around South Africa to avoid the Houthis, resulting in higher shipping costs and supply chain issues, Waltz said.

“President Trump has found it unacceptable. What we inherited was — was a terrible situation, and this is one of what will be a sustained effort to right that wrong and to reopen global commerce,” Waltz said.

A source told ABC News Saturday that the strikes are not expected to be a single day event. On social media, President Donald Trump warned the Houthis that if their attacks do not stop, “HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE!”

Trump also issued a warning to Iran, calling on the Islamic Republic to stop supporting the Houthis, and adding: “Do NOT threaten the American People, their President… or Worldwide shipping lanes. If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it!”

Here are highlights from Waltz’s interview:

On the potential for U.S. military action against Iran

“Well, all actions are always on the table with the president. But Iran needs to hear him loud and clear. It is completely unacceptable and it will be stopped. The level of support that they’ve been providing the Houthis, just like they have Hezbollah, just like they have the militias in Iraq, Hamas and others. The difference here is the Houthis have incredibly sophisticated air defenses, and they also have anti-shipping cruise missiles, drones, sea skimming types of attack drones and other ballistic missiles even. They’ve launched dozens of attacks on multiple war ships, dozens of attacks, over 175 on global commerce, sank multiple ships. … We will hold not only the Houthis accountable, but we’re going to hold Iran, their backers, accountable as well. And if that means they’re targeting ships that they have put in to — to help their Iranian trainers, IRGC and others, that intelligence, other things that they have put in to help the Houthis attack the global economy, those — those targets will be on the table, too.”

On Trump urging Iran to engage in nuclear talks

“What the president has completely — has repeatedly said is that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. All options are on the table to ensure it does not have one. And that’s all aspects of Iran’s program. That’s the missiles, the weaponization, the enrichment. They can either hand it over and give it up in a way that is verifiable, or they can face a whole series of other consequences. But, either way, we cannot have a world with the ayatollahs with their finger on the nuclear button. We cannot have a situation that would result in an arms race across the Middle East in terms of nuclear proliferation. … Iran has been offered a way out of this to make sure that we don’t have a world that can be threatened by a radical regime, not only our ally Israel, but the entire world that would be threated with a – with – by a radical regime that could destroy, not only Israel, but its neighbors, and have the capability to hit the United States.”

On efforts to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine

“A fundamental aspect of the approach here from President Trump is that, you know, this has to be permanent. That’s what we continue to hear from the Ukrainians, that, you know, we cannot have a situation where this continues to break down. At the same time, we are engaging with the Russians. What we heard from President Putin was that he will absolutely consider a ceasefire. There are some other thing that he would like to see that President Trump’s national security team has — is considering over the coming days. So, this back and forth diplomacy is — is ongoing.”

On whether Ukraine will have to cede territory to Russia

“We have to ask ourselves, is it in our national interest? Is it realistic? We’ve talked to the Europeans about this, and the Ukrainians. Are we going to drive every Russian off of every inch of Ukrainian soil, including Crimea And what the strategy of the Biden administration was, was, as long as it takes, as much as it takes, no matter what the timeline is, which is essentially endless warfare, in an environment that we are literally losing hundreds of thousands of people in a matter of months. And could escalate into World War III. … We can talk about what’s right and wrong. And we also have to talk about the reality of the situation on the ground. And that’s what we are doing through diplomacy, through shuttle diplomacy, through proximity talks.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.