Michigan’s Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she believes America is ready for a woman president, pushing back on recent comments by former first lady Michelle Obama, who said U.S. voters were not ready to elect a woman to the White House.

In an interview with NPR released on Tuesday, Whitmer said she has ‘love’ for the former first lady and ‘the last thing I want to do is disagree with her,’ but that she has a different perspective.

‘I think America is ready for a woman president,’ Whitmer said. ‘The question comes down to a choice between two people, and what we saw in this last election, while Kamala Harris didn’t beat President Trump, we saw women get elected across the country.’

‘We saw women win up and down the ballot in hard, important states to win, so I do think there’s an appetite,’ she added. ‘I just, for whatever reason, we have not had a woman president yet. I think we will at some point in the near future.’

The governor cited the election victories last year for Democratic Govs. Abigail Spanberger in Virginia and Mikie Sherill in New Jersey, as well as Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., in 2024.

In November, Obama said Americans are ‘not ready’ to elect a woman to the White House, pointing to former Vice President Kamala Harris’ election loss to President Donald Trump in the last presidential election.

‘As we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain’t ready,’ the former first lady said at the Brooklyn Academy of Music at the time while promoting her book, ‘The Look.’

‘That’s why I’m like, don’t even look at me about running, because you all are lying. You’re not ready for a woman. You are not … We’ve got a lot of growing up to do, and there’s still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman, and we saw it,’ she added.

Pressed on whether Harris lost to Trump in the presidential election because she is a woman, Whitmer responded: ‘I don’t think it was just gender, no.’

Whitmer, who is term limited and cannot seek a third term as governor, said she does not currently have plans to run for another office.

She has been floated as a potential presidential candidate in 2028, but the governor said her focus remains on serving Michigan and helping her party’s candidates win the upcoming midterm elections.

Asked about how Democrats could win in the midterms this year, Whitmer pointed to her gubernatorial campaign’s decision to remain ‘focused on the fundamentals.’

‘I don’t think Michigan is unique in that,’ Whitmer said. ‘I think every person in this country wants and expects government to make their lives better, and so that’s been our formula here in Michigan and I think that can be replicated everywhere successfully.’

Air Force One was forced to return to Joint Base Andrews shortly after takeoff Tuesday evening with President Donald Trump aboard, the White House said.

The crew experienced a ‘minor electrical issue’ after takeoff at 10:20 p.m. and returned ‘out of an abundance of caution,’ according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Trump was en route to Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum.

Air Force One landed at Joint Base Andrews at 11:07 pm. The president is expected to board a different aircraft and continue on to Switzerland.

Leavitt joked aboard Air Force One that a Qatari jet sounded ‘much better’ at the moment.

The lights in the press cabin briefly went out after takeoff, reporters on board said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Gunfire echoed through Tehran Tuesday as heavily armed militias were deployed across the Iranian capital, transforming some districts into fortified zones under intense security.

Video footage showed bursts of automatic weapons after dark as government buildings, state media sites and major intersections were reportedly placed under guard, with armored pickups and masked fighters patrolling the streets in Toyotas.

The trucks were mounted with heavy machine guns and were moving in convoys with weapons firing into the darkness as armed men shouted commands.

In the video, large-caliber guns can be heard rattling as vehicles maneuver through urban streets.

‘There has been a deployment of dozens of Toyotas mounted with heavy machine guns (DShK) and other heavy weapons in Tehran,’ Ali Safavi, a senior official with the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told Fox News Digital.

‘They are reportedly being used by elements linked to Lebanese Hezbollah and Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF),’ he said.

‘Their commander speaks in Farsi, and these fighters are Iraqi Hashd al-Sha’bi, Popular Mobilization Force and Hezbollah fighters who have joined the IRGC. The IRGC are their commanders, and you can hear them shouting in Farsi.’

According to Safavi, the Iranian regime has increasingly relied on foreign proxy forces to maintain control of the capital.

‘The regime has brought in at least 5,000 foreign elements now from Iraq and Hezbollah to control Tehran,’ he explained.

‘They are guarding the government buildings and the state radio and TV and are using heavy machine guns, which are Russian-made and 50 caliber.’

Safavi added that ‘at night, there are fierce clashes that are ongoing as well as running street battles between the protesters and the special unit forces.’

The footage emerged as the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported what it described as Day 24 of nationwide protests marked by a continued communications blackout.

‘The number of confirmed deaths has reached 4,519, while the number of deaths still under investigation stands at 9,049,’ the agency said, adding that at least 5,811 people have been seriously injured and 26,314 arrested.

HRANA reports also described an overwhelming security presence, particularly with law enforcement, the IRGC, Basij units and plainclothes agents after nightfall, creating what the group called an atmosphere of deterrence and fear.

The first protests began Dec. 28 and rapidly spread nationwide, driven by economic grievances and opposition to clerical rule.

Demonstrations have persisted despite mass arrests, lethal force and internet shutdowns.

‘Sometimes the protesters hold their ground to the gunfire, ammunition and volleys of tear gas,’ Safavi said.

He alleged that IRGC units attacked a hospital in Gorgan, killing wounded patients, stationing snipers on rooftops and firing into surrounding areas.

‘They then took around 76 bodies to a warehouse and are refusing to hand them over to families because the forces want to bury them in secret,’ he claimed.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has repeatedly blamed foreign enemies for unrest while backing the IRGC’s response.

President Trump on Tuesday warned Iran that continued assassination threats from leaders in Tehran would trigger overwhelming retaliation.

‘Anything ever happens, we’re going to blow the whole — the whole country’s going to get blown up,’ Trump told NewsNation.

NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi rejected the notion that external military action could topple the regime.

‘A foreign war cannot bring down this regime,’ she said in a statement. ‘What is required is an organized nationwide resistance rooted in active, combat-ready forces inside Iran’s cities to defeat one of the most brutal and repressive apparatuses in the world today — the IRGC.’

Israel is watching Iran and is sending a blunt warning to the regime, which is facing international pressure over growing protests.

‘We are in high readiness,’ Israeli United Nations Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters. ‘We are ready with our defense capability, and we’re ready with our offensive capabilities… We would advise Iran not to test our capabilities.’

Danon also said that Israel was aware of where Iran is keeping its ballistic missiles, something Tehran used against Jerusalem during the 12-day war in June 2025.

In June 2025, Israel started ‘Operation Rising Lion,’ which was aimed at destroying Iran’s nuclear capabilities. The U.S. ultimately got involved and launched ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ in which it destroyed Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities.

The diplomat said that what happened over the summer was a ‘partial’ showing of Israel’s capabilities, though he did not elaborate on the point.

Danon told reporters that it would ultimately be up to the U.S. to decide what and whether this could happen and that Israel would ‘respect that decision.’

‘Our position is very clear, it is a decision of the United States. We are ready,’ Danon said. ‘We will not tell the U.S. if they should do it or not do it and when to do it.’

The diplomat also implied that the U.S. could be ready to come to Israel’s aid, saying that if Iran were to attack Israel that ‘the U.S. or somebody else will attack them.’

On Tuesday, Iran warned President Donald Trump not to take action against its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

‘Trump knows that if any hand of aggression is extended toward our leader, we not only cut that hand, but also we will set fire to their world,’ Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi, a spokesman for Iran’s armed forces, said, according to The Associated Press.

The remarks came in response to Trump’s call for ‘new leadership in Iran.’ He made the comment in an interview with Politico and told the outlet that Khamenei ‘is a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people.’

Since the protests in Iran began in late December, both the U.S. and Israel have expressed support for the civilians taking to the streets. President Donald Trump threatened that if the regime met protesters with violence, the U.S. would act. However, the U.S. has yet to intervene, and the president has signaled that he has held off on military strikes because of canceled executions.

‘I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (over 800 of them), have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran. Thank you!’ Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed a similar message to reporters, saying that all options remained on the table. She told reporters at a White House briefing that Trump told Iran ‘if the killing continues, there will be grave consequences.’

Israel has been open about its support for the people of Iran, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying on Jan. 11 that the country was ‘closely monitoring’ what was taking place. He also vowed that once Iran was ‘liberated from the yoke of tyranny’ Israel would be prepared to be a partner in peace.

‘Israel is closely monitoring the events unfolding in Iran. The protests for freedom have spread throughout the country. The people of Israel, and the entire world, stand in awe of the immense bravery of Iran’s citizens. Israel supports their struggle for freedom and firmly condemns the mass killings of innocent civilians,’ Netanyahu said at the beginning of his weekly cabinet meeting.

‘We all hope that the Persian nation will soon be liberated from the yoke of tyranny, and when that day comes, Israel and Iran will once again be faithful partners in building a future of prosperity and peace for both nations,’ he added.

Iran has also linked the U.S. and Israel to the protests. On Jan. 16, an Iranian ambassador said that both the U.S. and Israel were responsible for instilling ‘political destabilization, internal unrest and chaos.’ The representative also blamed the U.S. and Israel for ‘the innocent blood that has been shed in my country.’

Days before the diplomat made his comments, the Iranian mission to the U.N. said on X, ‘The satanic plot hatched by the United States and the Zionist regime to fragment Iran and to engineer an internal civil war will be neutralized through the national solidarity of the Government and the people of Iran, the ignominy of which will remain upon them.’

Iranian officials frequently use the phrase ‘Zionist regime’ to refer to Israel.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which tracks unrest in Iran, reported on Monday that the number of confirmed fatalities reached 4,029 since the protests began. The agency said at least 5,811 people were severely injured and that 26,015 people had been arrested during the protests.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, the State Department and the Iranian Mission to the U.N. for comment.

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom slammed foreign world leaders for ‘rolling over’ when confronted by President Donald Trump, declaring he should have brought ‘kneepads’ for foreign dignitaries attending the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. 

‘People are rolling over. I should have brought a bunch of kneepads for all the world leaders,’ Newsom told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos. ‘It’s just pathetic.’

Newsom is attending the World Economic Forum and is expected to address the forum with a speech Thursday. Trump is set to depart for Switzerland Tuesday evening, which comes as the president levels threats of imposing steep tariffs on a handful of nations as he works to acquire Greenland for the United States. 

Greenland is a self-governing island within the Kingdom of Denmark that is located in the Arctic. European leaders have balked at Trump as he intensified rhetoric that it is crucial for the U.S. to take control of Greenland from a national security standpoint. 

China has recently intensified its activities in the Arctic region, while Greenland has historically served as a strategic outpost for the military to conduct missile detection during the Cold War. 

Newsom said European leaders were ‘being complicit’ with Trump, urging them to ‘have a backbone’ while slamming gifts foreign leaders have given Trump, such as Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado gifting her Nobel Peace Prize to the president in January. 

‘This is pathetic,’ Newsom continued in his comment to reporters. ‘Nobel Prizes, they are being given away. I mean, it’s just pathetic. And I hope people understand how pathetic they look on the world stage. I mean, at least from an American perspective. It’s embarrassing.’

Newsom suggested that Trump is ‘playing folks for fools’ and compared Trump to a T. rex who is on the prowl to mate or eat. 

‘This is diplomacy with Donald Trump. He’s a T.rex. You mate with him, or he devours you, one or the other. The Europeans could be (devoured) if they continue down this path and process. They need to stand tall, stand firm, stand united,’ Newsom said. 

‘Look, a year ago we should have been having this conversation, and they didn’t. And now you’re paying the price — exactly what any one objective observer would have anticipated we’d be where we are today.’ 

Newsom’s office did not provide additional comment on the governor’s remarks when approached by Fox News Digital Tuesday afternoon. 

Amid his meetings in Davos, Newsom was photographed with left-wing billionaire Alex Soros, the son of billionaire philanthropist George Soros, who is also attending the World Economic Forum. 

Trump announced in January that he would levy a 10% tariff on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the U.K., the Netherlands and Finland starting Feb. 1 if no deal to acquire Greenland is reached. The tariffs are bumped to 25% on June 1 if there is no deal at that stage, the president said, which has flared tensions with European leaders. 

‘The proposed additional tariffs are a mistake, especially between long-standing allies. The European Union and the United States have agreed to a trade deal last July. And in politics, as in business, a deal is a deal,’ European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the forum. 

Trump was asked about Newsom’s presence in Davos Tuesday during a press briefing considering the pair’s ongoing political spats that commonly focus on Trump criticizing the left-wing governor’s policies in the deep blue state. 

‘I had a very good relationship with Gavin Newsom when we were, you know, in office together,’ Trump told the media, referring to his first term in the Oval Office. ‘I was president. He was the governor of California. We had a really … he would talk about it often. And, somewhere, we just went astray. I just, I just hate the way California is being run. 

‘We actually have people leaving. It’s never happened before, but I hate the way it’s being run. He and I had a very good relationship. Really, close to the word exceptional, but now we seem not to.’

President Donald Trump has suggested his proposed ‘Board of Peace’ in Gaza could replace the U.N., underscoring what one national security analyst has described as a revision of the ‘existing international order.’

Asked Tuesday whether he envisioned the new body supplanting the U.N., Trump replied, ‘It might.’

Speaking at a White House press conference, the president also told reporters the U.N. has consistently failed to fulfill its mission.

‘The UN just hasn’t been very helpful. I’m a big fan of the UN, but it has never lived up to its potential,’ Trump said. While arguing the U.N. should continue to exist, he added, ‘The UN should have settled every one of the wars that I settled.’

National security analyst Kobi Michael claimed the proposal already signaled a break with the international order that has defined global politics for decades.

‘The norms, international institutions and organizations and liberalism are out, and real politics, interests and power are in,’ Prof. Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told Fox News Digital, before adding that ‘the EU is much less important.’

Michael’s comments come as the Trump administration moved forward with plans for the board, an initiative officials say extends far beyond the immediate conflict in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement Jan. 16, the White House said, in alignment with the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, the ‘Board of Peace will play an essential role in fulfilling all 20 points of the President’s plan, providing strategic oversight, mobilizing international resources, and ensuring accountability as Gaza transitions from conflict to peace and development.’

As previously reported by Fox News Digital, preparations are said to be underway for a signing ceremony in Davos, Switzerland with Bloomberg first reporting the plans.

‘Dozens’ of countries were invited, officials confirmed, with formal invitations sent Friday. Trump extended invitations to leaders from Russia, Belarus, China, Ukraine, India, Canada, Argentina, Jordan, Egypt, Hungary, and Vietnam, among others.

The White House said Trump will chair the Board of Peace and be joined by senior political, diplomatic and business figures, including Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, and billionaire Marc Rowan.

According to Michael, the initiative reflects a new approach to the international system.

‘We are talking about something which is much bigger than the Gaza Strip,’ he said, before describing ‘a revisionist approach of President Trump regarding the existing international order, where the board is a tool in his vision of changing the existing international order.’

Michael said Iran sits at the center of that calculation, as protests engulfed the country amid economic and political pressure.

‘Iran is the real game changer, and we are in front of a very significant and dramatic change, well coordinated with Prime Minister Netanyahu,’ he said.

Russia’s role on the board is uncertain, with the Trump administration extending invitations to Russia and Belarus, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirming President Vladimir Putin is reviewing the offer.

Michael suggested Moscow’s participation would come with conditions. ‘If Putin is in it, it will be in order to finish the Ukrainian war and be forced to give up on some major demands,’ he said. 

‘The president invited Putin to join the board basing an understanding with him about division of power and influence, promising him to relieve sanctions and cut a deal.’

‘Still, alliances are out, whereas allies and regional structures are in,’ Michael added.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

President Donald Trump fueled fresh uncertainty Tuesday, offering a terse ‘you’ll find out’ when asked at the White House how far he would go to get Greenland.

Trump dismissed concerns that Greenlanders do not want to join the U.S. and that a move to seize the island would undermine the NATO alliance.

In recent weeks, Trump has zeroed in on Greenland, the world’s largest island and a strategic outpost in the Arctic.

The remote, semi-autonomous Danish territory, a NATO ally, hosts a key U.S. military base and occupies a strategic position in an Arctic region growing more competitive as melting ice opens new shipping lanes and access to critical resources. 

Trump has repeatedly framed Greenland as a national security necessity, arguing that Russia and China would gain ground in the region if the U.S. does not acquire it.

The latest revelation comes as Trump heads to the snow-capped city of Davos, Switzerland, where global leaders have flocked to attend the World Economic Forum. 

The issue of Greenland is likely to dominate the sidelines of the summit as European leaders grapple with Trump’s fresh threat to impose tariffs on countries opposing his Greenland plans.

The threat of additional tariffs comes as his administration awaits a Supreme Court ruling on whether some of the trade duties he imposed in 2025 were legal. 

European leaders suggested over the weekend that they would be willing to hit back with retaliatory measures worth up to $107.7 billion.

Trump first raised the idea of acquiring Greenland during his previous term, drawing swift pushback from Denmark and other European leaders, resistance he now appears willing to confront again.

Whether the Trump administration strikes a deal to take over Greenland remains unclear. But as ice melts and competition in the Arctic intensifies, the island’s strategic importance is only likely to grow.

President Donald Trump slammed Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., a member of the far-left ‘Squad’ in the House, over her multimillion-dollar net worth during a news conference from the White House Tuesday afternoon.

Trump called the Somali-born lawmaker from Minnesota ‘crooked’ Tuesday amid a probe by congressional Republicans on the House Oversight Committee looking into how Omar’s wealth exploded after she became a lawmaker. 

In just one year, Omar’s net worth reportedly jumped $30 million, according to financial disclosures first reported last week.

‘I was told that Ilhan Omar is worth $30 million,’ Trump then quipped. ‘She never had a job. She’s a crooked congressman. So here you – it’s another one.

‘Nobody talks about the fact that $19 billion, at a minimum, is missing in Minnesota, given to a large degree, but, by Somalians — they’ve taken it. Somalians. Can you imagine? And they don’t do it. A lot of very low-IQ people, they don’t do it. Other people work it out, and they get them money, and they go out and buy Mercedes-Benzes.

‘They have no money. They never had money. They never had a life. They never had a government. They never had a country because there’s basically no country. Somalia is not even a country. They don’t have anything that resembles a country. And if it is a country, it’s considered just about the worst in the world. They come here, and they become rich, and they don’t have a job,’ Trump complained from the podium in the White House briefing room before turning his focus to Omar. 

Omar denied being a millionaire earlier this year, posting on X that she ‘barely’ has thousands, let alone ‘millions’ and has argued she is being targeted by House Republicans’ investigation.

The concern, according to Republican Oversight Chairman James Comer, is tied to both Omar and her politically connected husband Tim Mynett.

Omar disclosed 2024 evaluations of Rose Lake Capital LLC, a business firm co-founded by her husband, at somewhere between $5 million and $25 million in 2024. 

Just one year before, in 2023, she reported that the same company’s value was between $1 and $1,000.

Meanwhile, a winery registered in Santa Rosa, California, that first appeared on Omar’s disclosure reports in 2020, reported a value between $1 million and $5 million in 2024. The company, ESTCRU LLC, was evaluated at just $15,000 to $50,000 the previous year. 

Trump on Tuesday took to the White House briefing room to tout his achievements roughly one year after he was sworn in for his second term, including the arrest of thousands of criminals in Minnesota amid his administration’s federal immigration enforcement efforts in the state. Trump also slammed Minnesota and its leaders for the rampant fraud the Trump administration has been investigating involving the state’s large Somalian population.

‘Ilhan Omar, she comes from Somalia, a backward country,’ Trump added from the podium Tuesday. ‘But she’ll come here, and then she wants to tell us how to run our country. ‘The Constitution says that I have a title to this.’ I can’t stand her.’

In addition to House Republicans, officials within the Trump administration have also reportedly indicated they are aware of allegations against Omar and would be looking into them.

Fox News Digital’s Leo Briceno contributed to this report.

Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance announced on Tuesday they are expecting their fourth child.

The couple said the baby is a boy. 

‘Usha and the baby are doing well, and we are all looking forward to welcoming him in late July,’ the Vances wrote in a statement shared on social media.

‘During this exciting and hectic time, we are particularly grateful for the military doctors who take excellent care of our family and for the staff members who do so much to ensure that we can serve the country while enjoying a wonderful life with our children,’ they continued.

The White House retweeted the announcement, adding ‘The most pro-family administration in history! CONGRATULATIONS!’

Politicians including Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, also shared their congratulations via X.

‘Congratulations, @VP and @SLOTUS!’ Burgum wrote. ‘There is no greater joy than being a parent. Honored to work for an administration that puts family first!’

JD and Usha met at Yale University Law School and married in 2014.

Prior to her role as SLOTUS, Usha clerked for Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Brett Kavanaugh. 

She also worked as a litigator for the Munger, Tolles and Olson law firm until Vance was tapped as President Donald Trump’s running mate.

Their three children—Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel—have gone viral for appearances at the Inauguration Day swearing-in ceremony and the parade at Capital One Arena.

Breaking news. Check back for updates.

President Donald Trump fueled fresh uncertainty Tuesday, offering a terse ‘you’ll see’ when asked at the White House how far he would go to get Greenland.

Trump dismissed concerns that Greenlanders do not want to join the U.S. and that a move to seize the island would undermine the NATO alliance.

In recent weeks, Trump has zeroed in on Greenland, the world’s largest island and a strategic outpost in the Arctic.

The remote, semi-autonomous Danish territory, a NATO ally, hosts a key U.S. military base and occupies a strategic position in an Arctic region growing more competitive as melting ice opens new shipping lanes and access to critical resources. 

Trump has repeatedly framed Greenland as a national security necessity, arguing that Russia and China would gain ground in the region if the U.S. does not acquire it.

The latest revelation comes as Trump heads to the snow-capped city of Davos, Switzerland, where global leaders have flocked to attend the World Economic Forum. 

The issue of Greenland is likely to dominate the sidelines of the summit as European leaders grapple with Trump’s fresh threat to impose tariffs on countries opposing his Greenland plans.

The threat of additional tariffs comes as his administration awaits a Supreme Court ruling on whether some of the trade duties he imposed in 2025 were legal. 

European leaders suggested over the weekend that they would be willing to hit back with retaliatory measures worth up to $107.7 billion.

Trump first raised the idea of acquiring Greenland during his previous term, drawing swift pushback from Denmark and other European leaders, resistance he now appears willing to confront again.

Whether the Trump administration strikes a deal to take over Greenland remains unclear. But as ice melts and competition in the Arctic intensifies, the island’s strategic importance is only likely to grow.