‘Dangerous’: Democrats Barge Into Speaker Johnson’s Office
‘Dangerous’: Democrats Barge Into Speaker Johnson’s Office
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Reps. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.) unexpectedly stormed into House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office, challenging him over Elon Musk’s team’s access to a Treasury Department payment system.
Their intrusion occurred soon after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent arrived at the speaker’s office to discuss how to carry out President Donald Trump’s tax agenda, amid a growing Democratic backlash against Musk’s takeover of the federal government.
Moore, however, claimed that when she and Chu confronted Johnson, Bessent was not present.
“Gwen Moore forced her way in there, and then I got to go in right behind her,” Chu told reporters. “And she was already confronting Speaker Johnson about Treasury Secretary Bessent and the stealing of Americans’ private information, tax information that should never be stolen and given to this billionaire Elon Musk.”
Last weekend, Bessent provided access to the payments system to members of Musk’s alleged Department of Government Efficiency while in Johnson’s office meeting with House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.). Trillions of dollars in tax refunds, Social Security payments, and numerous other government operations are managed by the system.
Musk’s team currently has “read-only” access to the system, the Treasury Department informed lawmakers on Tuesday, and their review “is not resulting” in any delays or suspensions of federal agency-approved disbursements.
Chu’s and Moore’s actions were condemned by a witness to the incident at Johnson’s office.
“In the face of incredibly rude, extremely aggressive and frankly unhinged behavior, the Speaker was more than gracious and allowed the members into his personal office to hear their concerns,” said the person, who asked not to be named to freely discuss the matter.
A spokesperson for Chu tried to claim that was not an accurate portrayal.
“She never barged, or shoved her way, into anything. She politely joined the meeting already occurring and the Speaker invited her in for a brief, civil discussion. The Secretary was not present, and she left immediately afterwards,” said Chu’s communication director, Graeme Crews, in a statement.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt faced questions on Monday about whether Elon Musk had received security clearance or passed a background check.
“Can you confirm that Elon Musk is a special government employee?” asked CNN chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins. “And what kind of security clearance does he have?”
“I can confirm he’s a special government employee. I can also confirm that he has abided by all applicable federal laws. As for his security clearance, I’m not sure, but I can check back with you,” Leavitt responded.
Collins pressed, “Did he pass a background check, do you know?” That led the press secretary to respond, “I don’t know about the security clearance, but I can check.”
Pressed further as to whether she knew if anyone on Musk’s team had received a security clearance, Leavitt again responded, “I don’t, no, but again, I can check on that for you.”
Also Monday, CNN reported that Musk’s designation as a special government employee means he “is not a volunteer but also not a full-time federal employee.” The outlet also reported that an unnamed source claimed that Musk had been given “a top-secret security clearance.”
CNN guest and attorney Arthur Aidala argued last month that Musk shouldn’t need a background check to work in government because he had “gotten us into space” and “gotten us to the moon.”
On that point, Musk vowed in January to bring home two astronauts who have been stranded in space for nearly eight months “as soon as possible” and criticized the Biden White House for failing to retrieve them sooner.
The SpaceX CEO and head of the Department of Government Efficiency revealed in a social media post that President Donald Trump personally requested his help in rescuing astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. The pair has been in space since last June on what was originally planned as a weeklong mission.
Plans to use a SpaceX capsule for their return had been in place since Biden’s presidency, but the mission was repeatedly delayed, the New York Post reported.
The two NASA pilots traveled to the International Space Station aboard a Starliner, which was Boeing’s first flight into space. However, issues arose with the capsule, including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions. As such, NASA ordered the Starliner back to Earth last year after technicians determined it was not safe to have humans aboard.
“The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @SpaceStation as soon as possible. We will do so,” Musk wrote on his social media app, X, Tuesday evening. “Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long.”
NASA had initially planned for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to return to Earth aboard a SpaceX capsule by February. However, the mission was pushed back to March or early April due to delays.
While the SpaceX capsule designated for their return is already in orbit, Musk’s company postponed the launch of the replacement crew, who must first arrive at the space station before Wilmore and Williams can depart, The Post noted.
The outlet said that typically, NASA likes to have overlapping crews at the station for an easier transition. SpaceX, meanwhile, postponed the launch of its capsule to work on it.
Initially, Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy were tapped to lead DOGE, though Ramaswamy has since bowed out to run for governor of Ohio.
Both were vocal throughout Trump’s campaign about the need to reduce the size and power of the federal government.
Trump Warns New York Mayor-Elect Mamdani: ‘We’ll Have To Arrest Him’
Trump Warns New York Mayor-Elect Mamdani: ‘We’ll Have To Arrest Him’
President Donald Trump on Wednesday addressed sharp criticism from Zohran Mamdani, who defeated disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s mayoral race. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, ordered the president during his fiery victory speech to “turn the volume up.”
“I think it’s a very dangerous statement for him to make,” Trump told Fox News host Bret Baier. “He has to be a little bit respectful of Washington, because if he’s not, he doesn’t have a chance of succeeding. And I want to make him succeed.” He quickly clarified, “I want to make the city succeed, I don’t want to make him succeed.”
Trump has frequently attacked the progressive candidate throughout his campaign, which focused on affordable housing and expanding social safety nets. Mamdani faced racist attacks from critics before defeating Cuomo, whom Trump had endorsed.
In his victory speech Tuesday, Mamdani called Trump a “despot” who has “betrayed” the nation. He urged his supporters to use their votes and voices to “stop the next Trump” by “dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power.”
“I thought it was a very angry speech,” Trump told Baier. “Certainly angry toward me, and I think he should be nice to me. I’m sort of the one that has to approve a lot of things coming to him, so he’s off to a bad start.”
Supporters countered that Mamdani, 34, is off to a great start as the first Muslim and South Asian mayor in city history, and its youngest in more than a century.
“Look, for thousands of years communism has not worked. Communism, or the concept of communism, has not worked. I tend to doubt it will work this time,” Trump said. He added that he was “torn” by Mamdani’s win due to his “love” for New York City, saying he “would like to see the new mayor do well.”
When asked if he’s thought about reaching out, Trump replied, “I would say he needs to reach out to us, really. I’m here. We’ll see what happens, but I would think it would be more appropriate for him to reach out to us.”
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In June, when asked about Mamdani’s vow to “stop masked ICE agents from deporting our neighbors,” Trump said, “Well then, we’ll have to arrest him.”
“Look, we don’t need a communist in this country, but if we have one, I’m going to be watching over him very carefully on behalf of the nation,” Trump added.
Trump Admin Wildly Surpasses Biden Energy Record In Matter of Months
The White House marked the one-year anniversary of the National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC) on Saturday, February 14, 2026, touting a massive surge in U.S. energy production that has fundamentally reshaped the global market in just over twelve months.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who chairs the Council alongside Energy Secretary Chris Wright, presented data showing that U.S. output has not only eclipsed the previous administration’s peaks but has done so at a pace federal officials are calling "unprecedented."
Record-Breaking Production Levels
The administration's "Energy Dominance" agenda, codified by executive order exactly one year ago, has driven U.S. crude oil production to a record 13.6 million barrels per day in 2025. By comparison, it took the Biden administration nearly four years to move production from 11.3 million to 13.2 million barrels—a threshold the current administration cleared in its first few months.
Natural gas output has seen a similar vertical climb. In November 2025, production reached 110.1 billion cubic feet per day, the highest level since federal tracking began in 1973. This represents an 8% increase over the previous administration's average.
“Gasoline prices have fallen to some of the lowest levels in years, permitting has been streamlined, and American energy exports are surging,” Secretary Burgum told Fox News Digital. “These achievements mean real savings for families, farmers, and small businesses.”
Surging Global Influence and LNG Exports
The U.S. has significantly widened its lead as the world’s premier liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter. Average LNG exports rose to 15.1 billion cubic feet per day in 2025, a sharp jump from the 11.9 billion recorded in late 2024.
This surge is credited to the Council's aggressive focus on "unleashing" American resources through:
Regulatory Rollbacks: Modernizing financial risk evaluations to free up billions for offshore exploration.
Permitting Speed: The Department of the Interior has approved 63.7% more Federal and Indian drilling permits compared to the previous administration over the same period.
Infrastructure Investment: New agreements with a bipartisan group of governors to advance over $15 billion in power-generation projects.
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The Economic Impact: Addressing Affordability
A central pillar of the NEDC's mission is to use energy abundance as a tool against inflation. While recent Middle East tensions have caused temporary spikes in crude prices, the administration maintains that the expanded domestic grid and increased output are the only long-term solutions to lowering transportation and grocery costs.
Secretary Burgum reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to "conservation abundance," arguing that environmental stewardship and fossil fuel development are not mutually exclusive. As the U.S. enters the second year of this policy, the White House expects to export four billion more cubic feet of natural gas per day than in 2024—a 33% increase.
