Jeffries claims Trump budget bill will steal food from ‘the mouths of babies’ while enriching billionaires
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries railed against a budget bill that would advance President Donald Trump’s agenda as legislation that would take food from the mouths of babies in order to enrich billionaire “puppet masters.” “These MAGA extremists are trying to jam a reckless budget down the throat of the American people,” Jeffries said during a Monday press conference. “Take away health care from the American people. Strip away veterans benefits from the American people. And hurt nutritional assistance and literally take food out of the mouths of babies in America.” “Why? Because they want to pass massive tax breaks for their billionaire donors and puppet masters like Elon Musk. This is Republican policy in America, and it’s a complete and total disaster.” The House’s framework for the budget bill passed in February and included $4.5 trillion for extending Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and implementing newer Trump proposals like no taxes on tipped wages. Senate Republicans approved a blueprint version of the bill Saturday. The legislation currently hangs in the balance as Republican lawmakers hash out details of the final version of the bill. The New York Democrat’s press conference was in response to Trump’s recently unveiled tariff plans that will level customized tariffs on countries that have historically higher tariffs in place on American goods, as well as a baseline tariff of 10% on other nations. HOUSE MINORITY LEADER JEFFRIES DESCRIBES TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS AS ‘MOST DIVISIVE’ IN AMERICAN HISTORY The House minority leader added in his address that the Trump administration is “extreme” and that the president is “intentionally inflicting” economic “pain on the American people.” “Instead of costs going down, which Donald Trump promised would happen on day one of his presidency, costs aren’t going down. They’re going up. Inflation is going up. Donald Trump and Republicans are actually crashing the economy in real time,” he said. TRUMP WHITE HOUSE DEMANDS APOLOGY AFTER JEFFRIES CALLS FOR DEMS TO FIGHT PRESIDENT’S AGENDA ‘IN THE STREETS’ “They are intentionally inflicting pain on the American people,” Jeffries claimed. “This Trump tax, these reckless tariffs will cost the American people thousands of dollars a year. It’s the largest tax increase on the American people since 1968. This is what Donald Trump’s presidency and Republicans in control of the House and the Senate are delivering to America, not lower costs.” “The Leader’s comments yesterday speak for themselves,” Jeffries’ office told Fox Digital when approached for additional comment on the matters. Trump slammed mounting concerns over the economy following his tariff announcement Wednesday, which Trump dubbed “Liberation Day” — and coined a new term called “panican,” which the president described as a political party of “Weak and Stupid people.” “The United States has a chance to do something that should have been done DECADES AGO. Don’t be Weak! Don’t be Stupid! Don’t be a PANICAN (A new party based on Weak and Stupid people!). Be Strong, Courageous, and Patient, and GREATNESS will be the result!” he posted to Truth Social Monday. HAKEEM JEFFRIES LEADS PROTEST AGAINST TRUMP, MUSK’S ‘UNCONSCIONABLE’ REFORM EFFORTS “Oil prices are down, interest rates are down (the slow moving Fed should cut rates!), food prices are down, there is NO INFLATION, and the long time abused USA is bringing in Billions of Dollars a week from the abusing countries on Tariffs that are already in place,” Trump added. The Trump administration has celebrated the recent tariff announcements as evening the trade playing field for the U.S. after decades of other nations leveling lofty duty taxes on U.S. goods, as well as ushering in a job boon, lowering taxes for citizens and protecting the U.S. supply chain by manufacturing goods on American soil. “American steel workers, auto workers, farmers and skilled craftsmen,” Trump said from the White House Rose Garden Wednesday afternoon. “We have a lot of them here with us today. They really suffered, gravely. They watched in anguish as foreign leaders have stolen our jobs, foreign cheaters have ransacked our factories, and foreign scavengers have torn apart our once-beautiful American dream. We had an American dream that you don’t hear so much about. You did four years ago, and you are now. But you don’t too often.” “Now it’s our turn to prosper, and in so doing, use trillions and trillions of dollars to reduce our taxes and pay down our national debt,” he continued. “And it will all happen very quickly. With today’s action, we are finally going to be able to make America great again, greater than ever before. Jobs and factories will come roaring back into our country, and you see it happening already. We will supercharge our domestic industrial base.” Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
China says JD Vance’s comments about ‘peasants’ are ‘words that lack knowledge and respect’
China is pushing back Tuesday after Vice President JD Vance told Fox News last week that the U.S. borrows “money from Chinese peasants to buy the things those Chinese peasants manufacture.” Vance, during an interview with “Fox & Friends,” made the remark while speaking about the effects of the Trump administration’s tariffs. “I think it’s useful for all of us to step back and ask us, ask ourselves, what is the globalist economy gotten the United States of America? And the answer is fundamentally, it’s based on two principles — incurring a huge amount of debt to buy things that other countries make for us, and to make it a little bit more crystal clear, we borrow money from Chinese peasants to buy the things those Chinese peasants manufacture,” Vance said. When asked about Vance’s comments on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said, “To hear words that lack knowledge and respect like those uttered by this Vice President is both surprising and kind of lamentable. JD VANCE HONORS HIS MOTHER AT WHITE HOUSE FOR REACHING 10 YEARS SOBRIETY “China has made its position perfectly clear on its trade relations with the U.S.,” he added. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. China’s criticism of Vance on Tuesday comes as the U.S. and China are involved in an escalating dispute over tariffs. TRUMP SAYS US NOT WILLING TO MAKE DEAL WITH CHINA UNLESS TRADE DEFICIT IS SOLVED “Remember the during the first Trump administration, everybody said that Trump’s tariffs were going to be inflationary back then. What actually happened — we had 1.5% inflation, we had the fastest growing economy in a generation. And we had the beginning of a manufacturing renaissance in the United States of America,” Vance told Fox News. “Then, of course, we had four terrible years of the Biden administration.” “We’ve seen closing factories. We’ve seen rising inflation. We’ve seen the cost of housing so high that most Americans can’t afford to buy a home right now,” he also said. “President Trump is taking this economy in a different direction. He ran on that. He promised it. And now he’s delivering.”
Delhi weather: Amid rising temperature, govt issues advisory, warns of heatstroke risks
With the temperature rising in the capital amid heatwave conditions, the Delhi government on Tuesday advised people to stay safe and take steps to avoid heat-related illnesses such as heatstroke.
Pakistan grants 6500 visas in a surprising move, what could be the motive behind it?
Pakistan unexpectedly allows over 6,500 Indian Sikh pilgrims for the 326th Vaisakhi Festival, raising logistical and diplomatic concerns.
Can China use ‘water bomb’ against India? Beijing to construct 60,000 MW hydel project at…
BJP Arunachal MP Tapir Gao claimed that the devastating floods of June 2000 caused by a similar “water bomb” that had washed away more than 10 bridges on the Siang river, as the Yarlung Tsangpo is known in Arunachal Pradesh before it becomes Brahmaputra upon entering Assam.
Popular former Republican governor whom Trump urged to run for NH Senate makes 2026 decision
Former Republican Gov. Chris Sununu is passing on a 2026 run for the Senate in the key swing state of New Hampshire for a seat that the GOP is targeting to flip from blue to red. “I’m not going to run,” Sununu said Tuesday morning in a radio interview. “For me and my family, it’s just not right for us.” Sununu, who in January completed serving four two-year terms as New Hampshire governor, had been heavily courted by national Republicans to run in the race to succeed longtime Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the first woman in the nation’s history to win election as a governor and as a U.S. senator, announced last month that she would not bid for a fourth six-year term in the Senate. TRUMP SAYS HE’D BACK THIS FORMER LONGTIME GOP CRITIC IF HE RUNS IN 2026 Sununu’s decision comes a week after he met at the White House with President Donald Trump. Trump, when asked by reporters about Sununu as he flew to Washington, D.C., on Sunday night aboard Air Force One, revealed the meeting. “I told him — he came to my office, came to the Oval Office, and [I] met with Chris Sununu, and I support him fully. I hope he runs,” Trump said. FIRST ON FOX: TRUMP HAULS IN BIG BUCKS FOR HOUSE REPUBLICANS Sununu, in an interview with host Jack Heath on “The Pulse of New Hampshire,” said, “I’m honored to have his [Trump’s] support. I’m honored and grateful that he would make the effort. He invited me down. We had a great conversation.” “The only reason I kept the door open was because of the president. His words and his support meant a lot,” Sununu emphasized. He added when it comes to his decision, “I’m very at peace with it.” Sununu, who left office in January with very positive approval and favorable ratings, was seen by national Republicans as the best candidate to win the seat. However, he was not the only Republican mulling a Senate bid in New Hampshire. Former Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts, who later narrowly lost to Shaheen in New Hampshire in the 2014 election, is seriously considering a 2026 run. Brown, who served four years as U.S. ambassador to New Zealand during Trump’s first administration, has been holding meetings with Republicans across New Hampshire for a couple of months and has met multiple times with GOP officials in the nation’s capital. POLL POSITION: WHERE TRUMP STANDS WITH AMERICANS 11 WEEKS INTO HIS SECOND TOUR OF DUTY IN THE WHITE HOUSE Earlier this year, Brown met with top Trump administration political officials at the White House, sources told Fox News. “.@ChrisSununu and the entire Sununu family are patriots who have made our state a better place – looking forward to seeing what’s next for him and working alongside him for New Hampshire’s future.” Brown wrote in a social media post following Sununu’s blockbuster announcement. In the race for the Democratic Senate nomination in New Hampshire, four-term Rep. Chris Pappas formally launched his campaign last week. On Monday, Pappas took aim at Sununu over his meeting with the president. ELON MUSK FRONT-AND-CENTER AS FIRST CANDIDATE IN KEY SENATE RACE LAUNCHES BID “Chris Sununu went to the White House to nab an endorsement while Trump was destroying the economy and pushing devastating cuts to Medicaid. Apparently the cost of a Trump endorsement is selling out New Hampshire. Hope it was worth it,” Pappas argued. However, Pappas may not have the Democratic Senate primary in New Hampshire all to himself. Sources close to Rep. Maggie Goodlander, New Hampshire’s other House member, said last month that the first-term representative is considering a Senate run. Sununu supported Trump during the 2016 general election and again when Trump unsuccessfully ran for re-election in 2020. The then-governor had a strong working relationship with the Trump White House, including close ties with then-Vice President Mike Pence. WHY TRUMP, MUSK, FACE BLAME OVER BALLOT BOX SET BACKS LAST WEEK However, Sununu pushed back against Trump’s unproven claims that the 2020 presidential election was “rigged” and “stolen.” He also started stating in early 2021 that the GOP was larger than any one person, which was perceived as a swipe at the then-former president. Sununu amped up his criticism of the former president during numerous national interviews on cable news networks and Sunday talk shows, repeatedly arguing that Trump had too much political baggage to win back the White House. Additionally, Sununu began mulling a possible 2024 White House run of his own, which he ultimately decided against. He ended up backing and becoming a top surrogate of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the 2024 GOP presidential primary. Haley ended up being the final rival to Trump in the nomination race. Trump occasionally returned fire at Sununu, calling him a “spoiled brat” and a “nasty guy,” among other things. After Trump clinched the 2024 GOP nomination, however, Sununu said he would vote for his party’s presidential nominee. WHAT SUNUNU TOLD FOX NEWS ABOUT POTENTIALLY RUNNING FOR THE SENATE Earlier this year, Sununu said in a Fox News Digital interview that “Donald Trump is the head of the party, and he’s the voice of the Republican Party, and I got to say, I think he’s doing a pretty darn good job in the first couple months.” On Tuesday, Sununu continued to praise Trump. “I respect what he’s doing. I really do,” Sununu said of the president. “There’s definitely a different attitude down in Washington and I thought, wow, I could really be part of this. He’s talking about the things I care about – fiscal responsibility and making tough decisions.” Four years ago, Sununu expressed interest in running for the Senate against his predecessor as governor, Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan, who was up for re-election in 2022. The popular governor was heavily courted by national Republicans to take on Hassan, but on Nov. 9, 2021, Sununu announced that he would instead run for
Florida AG bans law firms with DEI policies from serving as outside counsel
FIRST ON FOX: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier will announce new policy changes Tuesday prohibiting law firms which have diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from working with the attorney general’s office as outside counsel. “I am deeply troubled that these discriminatory practices have been embraced and amplified by many of our nation’s law firms,” Uthmeier wrote in the policy memo. “If we are truly committed to the rule of law, then we must be truly committed to equal justice under law. DEI and ESG practices flout those bedrock principles.” “Beginning immediately, the Florida Attorney General’s Office will no longer engage or approve the engagement of private law firms who have or continue to engage in illegal and inappropriate discrimination and bias. Racial discrimination, in any form, is wrong and illegal. Florida taxpayer resources should not redound to the benefit of law firms who pretend otherwise,” the policy reads. JASMINE CROCKETT SETS OFF SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER TOUTING BEING BLACK AS QUALIFICATION FOR PUBLIC DEFENDER JOB Law firms with a history of so-called racially discriminatory practices will be banned from collaborating with the state unless they demonstrate significant changes, the memo states. The ban targets law firms involved in several types of DEI programs, including those with Mansfield Certification, which mandates diversity in leadership roles; minority diversity scorecards; and racial diversity targets in hiring, promotions, and contracting. “My office will immediately commence a review of existing outside counsel engagements to assess compliance with this policy,” Uthmeier said. When reviewing its counsel, the AG’s office will also consider “excellent” individual lawyers who “personally reject the DEI and ESG rouses,” even if they are part of law firms with DEI programs. COLORADO DEMS RAM ABORTION, TRANSGENDER BILLS THROUGH ON LIMITED SUNDAY SESSION DEBATE: ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ Other practices under scrutiny include diversity fellowships limited to specific racial or ethnic groups, diversity mentorship programs, DEI-focused hiring websites, and workplace DEI trainings that “are so egregious as to constitute a plausible basis for a hostile work environment claim or allegation.” Firms involved in third-party diversity programs such as the Leadership Council for Legal Diversity may also be disqualified, as well as Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks. As President Donald Trump targets DEI programs and initiatives across the federal government and U.S. institutions, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been waging his own years-long battle against them at the state level. CONCERNED PARENTS OF TRANS KIDS COMPARED TO ‘HATE GROUPS’ BY COLORADO DEM: WOULDN’T ‘ASK THE KKK’ FOR OPINION Florida enacted the Stop WOKE Act in April 2022, which restricted employers from mandating DEI training that could be construed as promoting certain concepts, such as inherent racism or sexism. But a federal district court permanently blocked provisions of this act last year, declaring that it violated free speech rights under the First and 14th Amendments. In 2023, DeSantis signed legislation banning public colleges and universities from allocating state or federal funds to DEI programs. In March 2025, the state’s high court considered eliminating the requirement that law students graduate from American Bar Association (ABA)-accredited schools due to the ABA’s diversity mandates.
Musk spars with White House advisor Peter Navarro: ‘Dumber than a sack of bricks’
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk sparred on social media Tuesday with White House Senior Counselor Peter Navarro, after Navarro said in an interview Monday that Tesla was a car “assembler” rather than a manufacturer. “Tesla has the most American-made cars. Navarro is dumber than a sack of bricks,” Musk said in an X post on Tuesday. “Navarro is truly a moron,” Musk said in a separate post. “What he says here is demonstrably false.” Both Navarro and Musk are two of Trump’s closest advisors, and Navarro previously served in Trump’s first administration as the director of the White House National Trade Council and the director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy. Musk is currently spearheading the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative to curb government waste and spending as a “special government employee.” The executive or legislative branches are permitted to take on temporary employees to address short-term projects for up to 130 days in a single 365-day period, which will expire at the end of May for Musk. This is a breaking story and will be updated.
New Navy chief ‘regrets’ costly missile strikes against Houthis, pushes for cheaper Red Sea defense
New acting Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. James Kilby said he regrets the Navy’s reliance on expensive, high-powered missiles to counter the Houthi threat in the Red Sea and pledged to push for cheaper, more efficient solutions. Speaking to reporters at the Sea Air Space conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Kilby said he was “not concerned” about the Navy’s ability to protect its people – such as the 350 sailors aboard the USS Carney missile destroyer – or its ability to safeguard commercial shipping. He is concerned, however, about “not having better ways to more economically attrit the threat.” In his former role as vice chief of naval operations, Kilby said he was “focused on a high-end laser – 500kW to one megawatt – and I have regret for that.” TRUMP ADMIN FIRES NAVY ADMIRAL AT NATO TARGETED BY CONSERVATIVE GROUP “I had not been thoughtful enough to think about the UAV threat, where I think a much lesser-powered weapon would have done what we needed it to do,” Kilby said. He promised the Navy was now working to overhaul its costly defense tactics with “much more cost-effective” technologies to counter autonomous vehicles in the Red Sea, as he called on the defense industry to more quickly produce munitions for the mission. “We have to get after our industrial base or munitions industrial base the same way we have to get after our shipbuilding industrial base,” said Kilby. When asked if the Navy had enough munitions to counter the Houthi threat, Kilby replied, “I think we need more munitions.” “We certainly need more depth of magazine, if we’re going to get into a protracted conflict.” The U.S. launched a renewed offensive campaign against Yemen’s Houthi rebels last month, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday, “it’s about to get worse” for the Houthis. Onlookers have long decried the disproportionate cost of taking on the Yemeni rebels. Naval missiles that run around $2 million a shot have been used to take out drones that cost the Houthis no more than $2,000. Since the March 15 offensive began, the Houthis have also downed three MQ-9 Reaper drones — each worth about $30 million. Kilby replaced Adm. Lisa Franchetti in an acting capacity in February, after she was let go as part of a broader purge of high-level military leadership by the Trump administration. Former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. C.Q. Brown and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife were also relieved of command. It is not yet clear whether Kilby will be nominated to serve as CNO in a permanent capacity and put forward for Senate confirmation. However, Kilby said he would continue Franchetti’s goal of getting the Navy to a point where 80% of its ships are ready to deploy for combat at any given moment. Currently, he said, submarines are operating at 67% combat readiness, ships are at 68% and aircraft carriers are at 70%. Kilby told Fox News Digital he was pleased that “awareness seems to be higher” regarding the nation’s shipbuilding issues, adding, “it’s going to take a national effort.” He also said he was “super focused” with the Marine Corps commandant and deputy commandant on getting the Medium Landing Ship (LSM) program back on track. HOUTHIS SHOOT DOWN 3RD US REAPER DRONE AS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CONTINUES DAILY AIRSTRIKES The LSM program, viewed by many as crucial to moving Marines around remote islands in the Indo-Pacific in the event of conflict with China, has been plagued by delays, with work on the program stalling late last year. The vessel is envisioned to be able to transport forces right onto a beach without any port access, where they would be able to fire anti-ship cruise missiles and collect intelligence. Kilby said Navy and Marine Corps leadership are now looking to get approval to procure a ship to enter the testing phase of such a vessel. “We’re going to go through we’ll look at those requirements, make sure we produce a ship that can meet the needs of the Marine Corps and support their force design. But I’m thankful we’re doing it now not when our ship’s in construction. So I’m optimistic here. And we need that. You know, we need to have this expedition.” Kilby also laid out his goals for sailor recruitment shortfalls. “I’ll take that 23,000-person gap, make it 18,000 this year and 8,000 the next year.”
Supporters defend Trump’s pick to control America’s nuclear arsenal before Senate grilling
A former GOP congressman tapped by President Donald Trump to oversee the country’s nuclear arsenal is facing a grilling before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday on his road to confirmation. Brandon Williams, nominated to become Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security, is a Navy veteran who formerly chaired the energy subcommittee for the House Science, Space and Technology Committee during his brief stint in Congress. He brings with him thousands of hours of experience supervising the operation of a nuclear power plant and propulsion plant on a nuclear submarine, and he’s undergone rigorous training to supervise two naval reactor designs, sources tell Fox News Digital. Tom D’Agostino, a former administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration himself who served under former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, said Williams’ nomination comes at a critical time for nuclear deterrence. “There’s no question in my mind that he has what it takes from a technical expertise, technical competence and technical leadership standpoint, because he’s already proven it,” D’Agostino told Fox News Digital. “He’s proven it in the Navy. And just having gone through and made it through the nuclear propulsion program, which is the heralded program started by Admiral Rickover over 50 years ago, I have absolutely no doubt at all that he could run this organization.” REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER SAYS ENERGY ‘UNDERPINS EVERYTHING WE DO’ “It’s obviously proven time and time again, that electricity, power lifts the standard of living for all that have it,” D’Agostino said. “And so having a somebody at the helm of the NNSA, which isn’t a commercial nuclear power organization, it s a national security power organization, but there are relationships between the two, but having somebody like him in that position at this point in time is a really important, it’s very important.” “There’s no question that other powers – China, Russia, whatever, you can throw in, maybe, however you think about North Koreans – but the reality is there’s geopolitical instability,” he said. “Over years, having a strong nuclear deterrent led by people that know what they’re doing and will get the job done is a key of that nuclear deterrance. It’s not just the warheads themselves, it’s the technical competence of the people in the organization.” “Brandon Williams, absolutely, Congressman Williams certainly has that,” D’Agostino told Fox News Digital. “And he’s, you know, he’s confirmed he’ll be leading an organization that is filled with technically competent people that know how to get the job done. So this is an important time. The world is watching. There’s no question about it.” In his opening statement, Williams thanked Trump for the nomination and promised the committee that, if confirmed, he would “work diligently to strengthen the capability, credibility and communication of our strategic deterrence.” Williams said he “shares the president’s commitment to peace through strength” and looked forward to serving under Energy Secretary Chris Wright. “At the Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration has functioned in relative obscurity for many decades but has recently been thrust back into the public’s consciousness. In my estimation, the men and women of the NNSA compromise one of the greatest scientific and engineering organizations in human history,” Willaims said. “This workforce, since the Manhattan Project, continues to ensure the safety, security, reliability and effectiveness of our nuclear stockpile. If given the opportunity to lead this extraordinary organization, I will do so humbly in the shadow of great Americans like Admiral Rickover, Ernest Lawrence and Robert Oppenheimer.” Ahead of Tuesday’s hearing, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., penned a letter to Williams arguing that he lacks any of the extensive technical experience of his predecessors. Williams completed training at the Naval Nuclear Power School and served as a junior officer on a nuclear submarine, but Warren said he does not possess any advanced degree in physics or engineering. The Democratic senator said the NNSA is in the middle of a $200 billion nuclear modernization project, which the Government Accountability Office has found has already exceeded initial cost estimates by more than $2 billion and is behind by almost 10 years. Warren also hit at Williams’ experience in the private sector. He founded a software company that focused on modernizing and securing industrial controls for manufacturing industries, but Warren raised concerns over alleged Chinese ties. TRUMP ADMIN ANNOUNCES NEW OIL AND GAS LEASE SALE IN THE GULF OF AMERICA “I am concerned that a leader without strong technical expertise and extensive experience could put our nuclear deterrent at risk and waste billions of dollars,” Warren said in a statement. “The person confirmed to lead the NNSA…must also make it abundantly clear that they would not share information with companies that might support China’s own nuclear modernization efforts, further jeopardizing American national security.” Trump has touted nominees to his Cabinet as “outsiders,” as the Republican prioritizes upending the entrenched bureaucracy in Washington. American Nuclear Society CEO Craig Piercy told Fox News Digital that Williams participated in a number of discussions over the past few years as a House member focused on ensuring policymakers have a good textual understanding of nuclear energy. “The one thing that I can say about Brandon Williams is he’s thoughtful, he listens, and he asks good questions,” Piercy said. “Those are all the hallmarks of a good leader who cut their teeth in the nuclear Navy, right? And I mean, the nuclear Navy is the source for a significant portion of the workforce in nuclear today. And it brings a certainness free to core.” “He’s always been knowledgeable, he has always demonstrated an understanding, not just of technology, but of the larger, you know, geopolitical consequences of the technology,” Piercy said. Piercy said the next NNSA administrator must focus both on ensuring both the efficacy of the nuclear stockpile and deterring the proliferation of nuclear weapons. “I think that part of the challenge here is also, while we’re doing both of those things, ensuring that American nuclear companies have an opportunity to export civil nuclear technologies to other countries that have