Trump jokes he’d like to be pope, ‘Number 1 choice’ – then names a real contender
President Donald Trump joked to reporters Tuesday that he’d “like to be pope” while departing for Michigan, where he will hold a rally celebrating his 100 days back in the Oval Office. “I’d like to be pope,” Trump joked to a gaggle of reporters when asked who he would like to see lead the Catholic Church after Pope Francis’ death. “That’d be my number one choice,” he continued. TRUMP AND ZELENSKYY HAVE ‘VERY PRODUCTIVE’ TALK AS THEY ATTEND POPE FRANCIS’ FUNERAL Pope Francis died Easter Monday at the age of 88 amid ongoing health issues. Trump and first lady Melania Trump attended the funeral Mass Saturday at the Vatican, where the president also held a private meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. CONCLAVE TO PICK NEXT POPE TO BEGIN MAY 7, VATICAN SAYS “No, I don’t know. I don’t have a preference. I might say, we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who is very good. So we’ll see what happens,” Trump, who is not Catholic, continued, referring to Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Though unlikely to become pope, Dolan is one of 10 U.S. cardinals who will be voting for Francis’ successor. CARDINAL DOLAN GIVES INSIDE LOOK INTO CONCLAVE, HOLY SPIRIT’S ROLE IN SELECTING A NEW POPE The Vatican will hold a papal conclave in May, which will gather the church’s cardinals to elect the next pope. Any baptized Catholic male is canonically eligible to be pope, but the church has for centuries elected the next pope from the College of Cardinals, EWTN reported. Trump’s remarks came as he departed for Macomb County, Michigan, which is located near Detroit, to celebrate his 100th day back in the Oval Office. Trump has ended each of his three presidential campaigns with rallies in the battleground state of Michigan, including capping off his successful 2024 campaign in Grand Rapids.
Trump Cabinet official vows major food stamp reforms that will help hungry children
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said her department has a “massive plan” for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program reforms, as the Trump administration continues to make spending cuts throughout the federal government. The USDA recently announced that they will be pushing for additional safeguards to ensure illegal immigrants are not illegally getting on food stamps, Fox News Digital reported, but there are other changes expected to be made. “The Biden administration increased that program through some discretionary spending by almost 40%,” Rollins told Fox News Digital in an interview on Friday. Spending on the food stamps program soared from $63 billion in 2019 and to $123 billion as of 2023, which is still high despite pandemic-related changes, according to the Cato Institute. USDA THREATENS TO HALT MEXICAN BEEF IMPORTS OVER FLESH-EATING FLY CRISIS “You’ll be seeing a big announcement in the coming weeks on this. Another step, another five steps, another 10 steps toward more accountability, toward more intentionality, and toward a much more efficient and effective government program,” she continued. The Republican Cabinet secretary quelled fears about whether cutting spending will impact Americans who rely on SNAP to put food on the table, saying that the reforms will help put a renewed emphasis on the mission of the social service. “This administration will not let any child go hungry. So as we make these reforms and as we cancel future contracts that we don’t believe were within the original intent or mission of the program, or the USDA, or the government, you’re going to hear the Democrats and the left basically start, you know, yelping about how we hate children and old people and we’re stealing the food out of their mouths. That could not be further from the truth,” Rollins said. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DEMANDS CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS POTENTIALLY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF KEY BENEFIT She also anticipates that certain health-based reforms will be made for the program administered by state governments. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. backs not allowing soda to be bought with food stamps, according to Scripps News, and Rollins has also backed efforts by states like Arkansas to limit the purchase of candy and soda with SNAP. “What we are doing is ensuring those hungry people actually get the food that they need. And of course, the layer on that is the [Make America Healthy Again] movement, hopefully more nutritious food than we’ve been able to serve before,” the secretary added. EXPERTS REVEAL TRUMP’S NEXT MOVE COULD BE ‘NAIL IN COFFIN’ FOR BIDEN-ERA REGULATIONS ON NICOTINE “I’m so proud of President Trump and his just resolute conviction in working to make America great again and across every single government agency, and I think this food stamp piece is a really big part of it,” she added. Over 42 million Americans use SNAP benefits monthly as of 2023, according to USDA’s Economic Research Service data.
Hegseth says he’s undoing ‘social justice/Biden initiative’ that Trump signed into law
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that he had “proudly ended” the Women, Peace and Security program at the Pentagon on Tuesday, a program signed into law by President Donald Trump in his first term. “WPS is yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops – distracting from our core task: WAR-FIGHTING,” Hegseth wrote in a post on X. “WPS is a UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists. Politicians fawn over it; troops HATE it.” Hegseth said the department would comply with the minimum requirements of the program dictated by law and lobby to fully end it in the next budget. “GOOD RIDDANCE WPS!” he added. HEGSETH VOWS CRACKDOWN ON MILITARY OBESITY AFTER SHOCKING RESERVE, GUARD REPORT But the message raised eyebrows as much of the rest of Trump’s administration has supported the WPS programs. Trump signed the WPS Act into law in 2017 and released a WPS strategy in 2019. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem penned the 2017 Women, Peace and Security Act as a House member from South Dakota alongside Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.). Secretary of State Marco Rubio co-sponsored the legislation when he was in the Senate, and national security advisor Mike Waltz was a founding member of the WPS congressional caucus when he was in the House. “The WPS Strategy recognizes the diverse roles women play as agents of change in preventing and resolving conflict, countering terrorism and violent extremism, and building post conflict peace and stability,” the strategy read. Hegseth later clarified that he meant the Biden administration had “ruined” WPS. “The woke & weak Biden Administration distorted & weaponized the straight-forward & security-focused WPS initiative launched in 2017. So—yes—we are ending the “woke divisive/social justice/Biden (WPS) initiative,” he added in a follow-up post on X. “Biden ruined EVERYTHING, including ‘Women, Peace & Security.’” The White House could not be reached for comment on whether it still supported the program. EX-PENTAGON AIDE URGES TRUMP TO FIRE HEGSETH, CITING ‘FULL-BLOWN MELTDOWN’ AND ‘TOTAL CHAOS’ “The WPS Strategy seeks to increase women’s meaningful leadership in political and civic life by helping to ensure they are empowered to lead and contribute, equipped with the necessary skills and support to succeed, and supported to participate through access to opportunities and resources,” the Trump-era strategy read. It guided WPS plans at the Defense, State and Homeland Security departments as well as USAID. “Around the world, conflict and disasters adversely and disproportionately affect women and girls, yet women remain under-represented in efforts to prevent and resolve conflict, and in post-conflict peacebuilding or recovery efforts. Research has shown that peace negotiations are more likely to succeed, and result in lasting stability, when women participate,” the document went on. Trump promoted the program on his “Women for Trump” accomplishments page of his campaign website. The Women, Peace and Security Act originated with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 in 2000, and the U.S. became the first country to adopt a whole-of-government approach to undertaking the WPS agenda in 2019. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Rubio touted the legislation as recently as this month. “President Trump also signed the Women, Peace, and Security Act, a bill that I was very proud to have been a co-sponsor of when I was in the Senate, and it was the first comprehensive law passed in any country in the world – the first law passed by any country anywhere in the world — focused on protecting women and promoting their participation in society,” he said at a Women of Courage awards ceremony on April 1.
Dem governor blasts Trump, Musk in new attack campaign as 2028 buzz grows
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s political arm launched a new video series, “The Real Cost of Trump’s Cuts,” on President Donald Trump’s 100th day in office amid speculation the Democrat is considering a 2028 presidential bid. “Donald Trump and Elon Musk are ruining people’s lives to fund the largest tax break in history for the wealthiest Americans,” JB for Governor Senior Political Advisor Mike Ollen said in a statement released Tuesday. “Illinoisans across the state are paying the price for Trump and Musk’s’ cruelty, and their stories deserve to be heard.” POTENTIAL 2028 HOPEFUL ACCUSED OF ‘INCITING VIOLENCE’ AFTER CALL FOR ‘MASS PROTESTS’ AGAINST TRUMP The campaign said the videos will highlight Illinoisans affected by Trump and Elon Musk’s drastic cuts to the federal government through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 2028 AUDITIONS FOR DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION KICK OFF AS BLUE-STATE GOVERNOR VISITS KEY EARLY STATE “In just 100 days, workers have lost their jobs, seniors have struggled to get food or access their Social Security payments and families have had their childcare jeopardized. As Trump and Musk gut services that working people rely on to give the wealthy a tax break, the new series aims to tell the stories of their destruction and damage,” a press release says. The first video in the series highlights “Moses,” whom the Pritzker campaign said lost his national security job due to DOGE’s cuts to the federal workforce and is “now unemployed and left without insurance as he tries to take care of his ailing mother.” The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
WATCH: Trump’s border security success touted by GOP lawmakers while Dems decry ‘damaging’ 100 days
President Donald Trump is celebrating the first 100 days of his second term in the White House, and lawmakers are split along party lines about his greatest accomplishments. While Republicans are touting a secure border and government efficiency, Democrats couldn’t seem to identify a single accomplishment of Trump’s second term. Fox News Digital spoke with lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle this week to see how Capitol Hill is reacting to Trump’s first 100 days. “Border security. It’s absolutely incredible. Many Americans are so thankful, and they feel the difference. People feel safe again,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said, adding that Americans are “just so proud of that.” The White House kicked off Trump’s first 100-day celebrations on Monday by touting the Trump administration’s early efforts to thwart illegal immigration in the United States, a leading 2024 campaign promise. TRUMP ADMIN RELEASES SHOCKINGLY LOW NUMBER OF ILLEGAL ALIENS COMPARED TO BIDEN YEARS: ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) records in March reveal the southwest border saw the lowest number of crossings ever last month, with just 7,180 recorded. By comparison, the monthly average border crossings under former President Joe Biden was 155,000. TRUMP STEAMS AHEAD ON THESE CAMPAIGN PROMISES AS HE REACHES 100 DAYS IN OFFICE “I would say in his first hundred days, he’s more than Joe Biden did in his four years — securing the border alone,” Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., said before adding, “These are things that they said that couldn’t be done unless legislation was passed. All they needed was a different president named Donald Trump.” “Tom Homan has been amazing, and he’s a great spokesperson for securing the border. Obviously, the first role of government is to protect the people, and if you don’t have borders and laws, you’re not a country,” Rep. Mary Miller, R-Illinois, said as she praised Trump for fulfilling his campaign promises to the American people. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., agreed that border security was Trump’s top accomplishment after “virtually stopping the illegals coming in.” He added that Trump’s international diplomacy has been a key accomplishment thus far, telling Fox News Digital, “Our enemies fear us, and our friends respect us again.” Burchett also joined Republicans in acknowledging Elon Musk’s work heading up the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). While Republicans are relishing Trump’s first 100 days, Democrats’ reviews haven’t been so favorable since they relinquished control to the Trump administration this January, particularly on DOGE cuts, which have included massive layoffs to the federal workforce. “The biggest accomplishment so far I’ve seen from Trump is one of the DOGE firings — Elon Musk,” Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., quipped to Fox News Digital. Musk, who was appointed a “special government employee” to oversee DOGE, must step down from his position after 130 days, according to the Office of Government Ethics. Musk has until May 30, about one month from now, to carry out his ambitious plans to cut waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said Trump has accomplished ‘a lot of destruction’ during his first 100 days. “Well, he’s accomplished a lot of destruction of our federal agencies. He’s broken the constitutional separation of powers. He’s destroyed the foundation of due process, which is essential to our freedom here in America. He’s very successfully driven up costs for all Americans. And he’s put our small and large businesses at risk with this chaotic tariff plan. I guess he’s accomplished a lot, all of it damaging to America,” Merkley told Fox News Digital. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., couldn’t name a single accomplishment of Trump’s second term, instead focusing on his criminal conviction in New York City last year. “His greatest accomplishment is just getting elected again when he’s a convicted felon. That will go down in history as pretty amazing,” Moulton told Fox News Digital. And while Democrats maintain that Trump’s first 100 days have been “damaging to America,” Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., said, “It’s certainly getting a lot of people to pay attention to politics right now.” Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz, Cameron Arcand, Peter Pinedo and Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
Cory Booker delivers animated speech for pro-LGBT Equality Act, claiming Trump is targeting transgender people
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., accused President Donald Trump’s administration of targeting the transgender community on Tuesday, urging Congress to pass the Democrat-backed Equality Act. Booker made the emotional speech during an appearance on Capitol Hill alongside prominent Democrats from both the House and Senate. His speech, which lasted several minutes, borrowed heavily from the language of Martin Luther King, Jr. “The Equality Act is on the right side of history, and right now we stand in the cold shadow of injustice. And so here we are again, introducing this bill. But it is not a normal time that we introduce this bill. We introduced it in the backdrop of a president that in his very campaign, singled out an opportunistic bigotry. The trans community. We stand here in the backdrop of a time that LGBTQ Americans are being targeted and singled out for more injustice,” Booker said. “I want you to know, we reintroduce this bill with attitude. We reintroduce this bill with swagger. We entered the bill Tuesday’s bill with confidence, because there are a lot of people who are hearing our voice right now that don’t understand that they are implicated. There’s no bystanders in history. When injustice is in our midst, and you say nothing and you do nothing, you are part of the perpetuation of that injustice,” he added. MULTIPLE FEDERAL AGENCIES END LINKEDIN CONTRACTS OVER DEI “I remind those Americans, that even the truth, when crushed to the ground, after lie, after lie, after lie, that the truth will still rise again, that this is still one nation under God. That we still swear an oath of liberty and justice for all, and that we will not stop until freedom rings from every coast in this country. That freedom rings for every person and every soul. That freedom rings for every American, no matter who you are. Race, color or creed, LGBTQ, American or straight ally,” he continued. “That we declare that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it doesn’t bend automatically.” TRUMP VOWS ‘NEW ERA OF NATIONAL SUCCESS,’ SAYS AMERICA’S ‘DECLINE IS OVER’ IN INAUGURAL ADDRESS “We declare today and every day until justice is established in this land, until the Equality Act passes, we declare that we, the people, will grab hold of that arc and pull and bend it until we live up to our promise in a country and truly are free at last, free at last,” he finished. The Equality Act would prohibit discrimination based on “sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity.” Booker was joined by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., as well as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., among other lawmakers. MAJOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER ACCUSED OF HIDING DEI PROGRAMS, INFLUENTIAL SENATOR CALLS THEM OUT The legislative push comes as Trump’s administration has pushed to end unpopular diversity, equity and inclusion programs throughout the federal government. The president’s efforts to end DEI across the federal government also prompted the cancellation of such programs across the private sector. Meta, in January, canceled its DEI programs, as did McDonald’s. And after the 2024 election, Walmart, Ford Motor Co., John Deere, Lowe’s and Toyota also ended DEI programs. As recently as April, according to Forbes, IBM, Gannett, and Constellation Brands Inc., made changes to DEI policies. Earlier in 2025, UnitedHealth Group, MLB, Victoria’s Secret, Warner Bros. Discovery, Goldman Sachs, Paramount, Bank of America, BlackRock, Citigroup, Pepsi, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Coca-Cola, Deloitte, PBS, Google, Disney, GE, PayPal, Chipotle and more scaled back or canceled their DEI programs. Meanwhile, in March, the National Institutes of Health rescinded the agency’s “Scientific Integrity Policy” implemented during the last few weeks of President Biden’s term, to peel back any DEI requirements. Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Top energy group demands governor take swift action against radical ‘extremists’ crippling power grid
FIRST ON FOX: As Puerto Rico’s power grid continues to fail and put the lives of residents in the U.S. territory at risk, a pro-energy nonprofit organization is calling on the island’s governor to take action to resist “left wing extremists” who the group believes are weaponizing courts to push a disruptive climate change agenda. “Left-wing extremists tried to muscle the Green New Deal through Congress during your tenure as Puerto Rico’s Resident Commissioner,” American Energy Institute CEO Jason Isaac wrote in a letter to Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón. “They failed. Now they have turned to the courts to impose their agenda on our country – and Puerto Rico is participating.” The letter outlines “three active tracks of litigation” that Isaac labels a “coordinated lawfare attack on our quality” of life, including a lawsuit filed by dozens of Puerto Rico cities and towns blaming energy companies for climate change and seeking damages. GLOBAL CHURCH NETWORK PUSHES ‘CLIMATE JUSTICE’ NARRATIVE DURING HOLY WEEK: ‘MORAL IMPERATIVE’ “Their goal is to bankrupt energy companies or to leverage the threat of tort damages to force outcomes that would be disastrous for Puerto Rico and the rest of the nation,” Isaac wrote. Isaac told Fox News Digital that groups like the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) have been instrumental in the green energy push in Puerto Rico and throughout the United States. The Washington, D.C.-based ELI created the Climate Judiciary Project (CJP) in 2018, establishing a first-of-its-kind resource to provide “reliable, up-to-date information” about climate change litigation, according to the group. The project’s reach has extended to various state and federal courts, including powerful appellate courts, and comes as various cities and states pursue high-profile litigation against the oil industry. Fox News Digital has previously reported on the group, funded by left-wing nonprofits, and how critics say it continues to work with judges and experts involved in climate change litigation despite publicly downplaying the extent of those connections. “They’re going out and really kind of rigging the game before cases have even been brought to the courts,” Isaac said. “They’ve tainted over 2,000 American judges at the federal and state level using climate education, these so-called climate education modules, modules that had even been debunked by left-leaning organizations like Snopes.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, ELI communications director Nick Collin said, “ELI has decades of experience providing highly respected judicial education programs. The Climate Judiciary Project offers evidence-based information about climate science and trends in the law so that judges can make informed decisions. It does not participate in litigation, support or coordinate with parties in litigation, and it does not tell judges how to rule in any case or on any issue.” Gonzalez, a Republican, has signaled that she is open to embracing fossil fuels and Isaac’s letter calls on her to take three key steps to push back on climate activists on the island. First, Isaac asks Gonzales to “Direct the Secretary of Justice to withdraw Puerto Rico’s complaint in the Puerto Rico v. Exxon Mobil case filed in the Superior Court of San Juan.” Second, the letter asks the governor to “file amicus briefs in the San Juan and Puerto Rican municipalities litigation in favor of dismissal with prejudice.” RESEARCHERS BLAME CA WILDFIRES ON CLIMATE CHANGE, PEDDLE ‘ALARMIST’ NON-PEER REVIEWED STUDIES: EXPERTS The letter also asks for judges to be appointed to the Puerto Rican judiciary who “will respect the separation of powers and leave political issues to the democratically elected branches” and for the government to “discourage state contracts with outside counsel, such as Milberg or Smouse & Mason, who are using public legal engagements to advance far-left political objectives.” Puerto Rico’s power grid is considered to be barely functional as blackouts have become a part of everyday life, including the most recent grid failure during Holy Week that left more than 1.4 million residents without power for days. It has been estimated that power failures cost the island $230 million in lost revenue every day. Ultimately, it’s the Puerto Rican people who suffer the most when climate litigation hampers the island’s grid, Isaac told Fox News Digital, explaining that residents are living in “energy poverty” with constant rolling blackouts and an unreliable grid. “They’re kind of experiencing what the energy transition does, it transitions people from affordable and reliable energy to less reliable energy, economic despair,” Isaac said. Fox News Digital reached out to Gonzalez’s office for comment. “Climate lawfare threatens to derail your administration’s common-sense approach,” Isaac wrote. “The climate plaintiffs are advancing a fundamentally neocolonial agenda. They are steering Puerto Rico toward a ‘green’ energy future it did not choose – one that ignores the basic needs of its people, who simply require cheap and reliable electricity.”
Pahalgam Terrorist Attack: PM Modi strengthens India’s stance, gives armed forces complete operational freedom
In the meeting, PM Modi expressed complete faith and confidence in the professional abilities of the Indian Armed Forces. They said that PM Modi stated that the Indian Armed Forces have complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets, and timing of India’s response.
Texas lottery bans online sales through third-party couriers amid mounting criticism
After years of claiming that companies selling lottery tickets online could not be regulated, the Texas Lottery Commission voted to ban the practice.
Trump to ease auto tariffs as he celebrates 100th day with Michigan rally
President Donald Trump will sign a proclamation later Tuesday aboard Air Force One that will soften auto tariffs, senior White House officials confirmed. Senior administration officials said Tuesday during a call with the media that the current 25% tariff leveled on imported cars will remain intact but that other similar tariffs, such as tariffs on steel and aluminum, will not stack on top of the 25% auto tariff. The announcement comes on Trump’s 100th day back in the Oval Office, which he will celebrate at a Michigan rally near Detroit — the U.S.’ former auto manufacturing capital. Additionally, domestic auto manufacturers that finish building cars in the U.S. will receive an offset for automobile part tariffs equal to 3.75% of the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of a manufacturer’s U.S. production for the next 12 months and 2.5% of U.S. production for year following. The figures were calculated to reflect the tariff that would be owed when a 25% duty tax is applied to 15% of the value of a U.S.-assembled car, Fox Digital learned. TRUMP TO REDUCE IMPACT OF AUTO TARIFFS AS INDUSTRY MAKES EFFORT TO RETURN MANUFACTURING TO US: ‘MAJOR VICTORY’ The 25% tariff on certain auto parts is set to take effect May 3, with administration officials explaining that auto manufacturers can use the offset credits against the tariff on auto parts. The administration stressed that the offset plan is not a rebate. TRUMP’S TARIFFS COULD DRIVE UP AUTO REPAIR COSTS, EXPERTS SAY “A part comes into the country and it gets tariffed,” a senior Commerce Department official said Tuesday. “And the auto manufacturers say, ‘Look, I sold a car, I have a credit. I have an offset amount of $1,600. Please use that $1,600 tariff offset amount against this particular part.’ So it will not cost the government any money whatsoever. It is basically allowing them to bring 15% foreign parts and put that in their cars.” NO ‘BUYERS’ REMORSE’: VETERAN UAW MEMBER ON IMPACTS PRESIDENT TRUMP’S TARIFFS COULD HAVE ON THE AUTO INDUSTRY The plan intends to allow all domestic auto manufacturers “to grow their plants, to grow their employment, and to build more factories in America,” according to senior Commerce Department officials, by building in a two-year time frame to amp up the U.S. supply chain for the auto industry, according to senior administration officials. The White House detailed that under the plan, if a car manufacturer builds a vehicle with 85% U.S. parts or parts made under the 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, they will effectively not owe tariffs. All other autos and auto parts imported to the U.S. will face 25% tariffs.