Trump strips security clearances from law firm tied to Jack Smith cases
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump is expected to sign a memo Tuesday suspending the security clearances for employees of a top D.C.-based law firm who assisted in former special counsel Jack Smith’s investigations, Fox News has learned. The memo, first reported by Fox News, outlines the administration’s sweeping plans to suspend security clearances for all counsel members involved in Jack Smith’s dual special counsel investigations into Trump, the White House confirmed. It’s the latest in a string of punitive actions Trump has taken to strip power from his political and legal foes. The memo orders the federal government to review and terminate the engagement of law firm Covington & Burling by the U.S. government “to the maximum extent permitted by law,” and will conduct a detailed evaluation of funding decisions to ensure they with American citizens’ interests and the priorities of this Administration, as detailed in executive directives. MORE THAN 1 MILLION FEDERAL EMPLOYEES COMPLIED WITH MUSK’S ‘WHAT DID YOU DO LAST WEEK’ EMAIL: WH Among those targeted is Peter Koski, the former deputy chief of the Justice Department’s public integrity section. Covington vice chair Lanny Breuer, who helped lead the Justice Department’s criminal division under then-President Barack Obama, is also expected to be squarely in the crosshairs of the review. Breuer, for his part, had recruited Smith in 2010 to head up DOJ’s Public Integrity Section. The two made headlines earlier this month after Politico reported they had been offering pro bono legal services to Jack Smith prior to his resignation from the Justice Department last month. The White House said Tuesday that the firm had offered Smith $140,000 in free legal services. In revoking the government clearances of top Justice Department personnel, the administration said Trump is “sending a clear message that the Federal Government will no longer tolerate the abuse of power by partisan actors who exploit their positions for political gain.” “The Federal Government will review and terminate engagement of Covington & Burling LLP by the United States to the maximum extent permitted by law,” the memo is expected to say, according to a White House official. Smith was tapped by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 to investigate the alleged effort by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, as well as Trump’s keeping of allegedly classified documents at his Florida residence after leaving the White House. He had previously indicted Trump in D.C. on charges stemming from his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Smith also brought federal charges against Trump in Florida for his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House. Both cases were dropped after Trump’s election, in keeping with a longstanding Justice Department memo that states it is against DOJ policy to investigate a sitting president for federal criminal charges. The memo says it is a violation of the separation of powers doctrine to do so. They have also cited a July Supreme Court decision that widened the criteria for immunity for sitting presidents. Covington & Burling LLP did not immediately respond to Fox News’s request for comment. This is a breaking news story. Check back soon for updates.
Here are the agencies that followed Musk’s DOGE productivity email verdict – and the ones that didn’t
When Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Chair Elon Musk asked federal staffers to respond to a personal productivity email or get fired — not all federal agencies complied. While some leaders of federal agencies voiced support for the Office of Personnel and Management (OPM) email instructing staffers to provide a summary of the tasks they accomplished the previous week by Monday at 11:59 p.m., and participated themselves, others instructed their agencies to ignore it. One million federal workers did comply with Musk’s request, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday. “All federal workers should be working at the same pace that President Trump is working and moving,” Leavitt told reporters at the White House Tuesday. “We have a country to save, and we want this federal government to be responsive to the needs of the American people who re-elected this president to have historic, massive reform. And that’s what the intention of this idea is.” Musk unveiled the email in a post on X Saturday and cautioned that a failure to reply was equivalent to handing in a resignation. “Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week,” Musk wrote. “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.” Although the deadline has passed, it’s not over for those who didn’t reply. Musk said later on Monday in a post on X that “subject to the discretion of the President, they will be given another chance” to respond. Failure to do so will result in termination, he said. ‘IF YOU DON’T ANSWER…YOU’RE FIRED’: TRUMP STANDS BEHIND MUSK’S DOGE PRODUCTIVITY EMAIL However, the White House said Tuesday that employees should look to their own agency for guidance on how to proceed with the directive. “Agencies should consider any appropriate actions regarding employees who fail to respond to activity,” a White House official told Fox News Digital Tuesday. “It is agency leadership’s decision as to what actions are taken.” Musk is heading up the newly created DOGE, which aims to reduce government waste and fraud. Here are the agencies that followed Musk’s directive: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy listed five accomplishments he completed for the week, pointing to the Trump administration’s effort to halt New York City’s congestion pricing toll program, which charges passenger vehicles $9 to enter certain areas of Manhattan. “Mr. President, 5 things I did last week:” Duffy posted to X Monday. “1. Terminated NYC elitist, anti-worker congestion pricing. 2. Launched an investigation into the $16 billion in taxpayer dollars wasted on a high-speed rail project that, after 17 years, has yet to lay a single mile of track. 3. Saved $10 million a year by eliminating redundant and outdated landlines.” Other tasks Duffy listed included visiting the Air Traffic Control Command Center in Warrenton, Virginia, and touring the Burbank, California, traffic control tower. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins posted his own productivity report to X Monday, taking credit for processing 1 million disability claims for fiscal year 2025 and identifying “wasteful” contracts to cancel. “I launched a review of VA’s community care practices so we can maximize Veterans’ health care choices (more on this in the future)!” Collins said in the post. Kelly Loeffler, who is leading the Small Business Administration (SBA), shared a list with Fox News Digital of five things she accomplished following her Wednesday confirmation. Among the tasks she cited were supporting “the Office of the Advocate to work across agencies to cut burdensome regulation imposed on small businesses,” and establishing the Office of Manufacturing and Trade to advance President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda. Other tasks included creating a fraud working group to analyze loan fraud and meeting with governors to discuss SBA’s services at the state level. SBA aims to provide small business owners with counseling, capital and contracting expertise to advance their businesses. TRUMP RATTLES OFF ‘FLAGRANT SCAMS’ UNCOVERED BY DOGE, TAKES AIM AT FORT KNOX IN CPAC SPEECH Here are the agencies that have pushed back on Musk’s email edict: Darin Selnick, who is performing the duties of the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, issued a letter Sunday to civilian personnel at the Pentagon about how to handle the matter. “When and if required, the Department will coordinate responses to the email you have received from OPM,” he wrote. “For now, please pause any response to the OPM email titled, ‘What did you do last week.’” The State Department also ensured its staff didn’t need to feel compelled to respond to OPM’s email. “The State Department will respond on behalf of the Department,” Tibor Nagy, the acting undersecretary of management, said in an email Saturday. “No employee is obligated to report their activities outside their Department chain of command.” FBI Director Kash Patel also instructed his employees to disregard Musk’s email. DOD TELLS CIVILIAN WORKFORCE TO IGNORE ELON MUSK’S REQUEST TO REPORT PRODUCTIVITY “FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information,” Patel told employees in an email on Saturday. “The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures. When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses.” Likewise, the Justice Department also issued similar instructions, according to a letter obtained by CNN. While the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) didn’t order its employees to disregard the OPM email, it did warn its personnel to exercise caution if they chose to respond and use “a high level of generality and describe your work in a manner to protect sensitive data,” NBC News reported. “There is no HHS expectation that HHS employees respond to OPM and there is no impact to your employment with the agency if you choose not to respond,” the email from HHS said, according to NBC News. “That said, if you choose to respond, here are the guidelines you should
Ohio transgender bathroom law takes effect as top proponent calls it ‘victory for safety & common sense’
Ohio’s new law, which designates student restrooms, locker rooms and shower facilities be categorized for use by biological sex, took effect Tuesday. The law, signed by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine in November, was a major win for Republicans, and derided by critics, including on the Buckeye State’s many college campuses. “No school shall permit a member of the female biological sex to use a student restroom, locker room, changing room, or shower room that has been designated by the school for the exclusive use of the male biological sex,” the text of the law reads. There are exceptions made for single-person “family restrooms” and other similar latrines. SPEAKER JOHNSON ANNOUNCES NEW CAPITOL BATHROOM POLICY IN RESPONSE TO DELAWARE LAWMAKER CONTROVERSY “The bathroom bill going into effect is a victory for privacy, safety, and common sense. Ohio is standing up for women and girls by ensuring that bathrooms and locker rooms remain single-sex spaces,” Ohio House Majority Whip Nick Santucci, R-Niles, told Fox News Digital. Santucci said just as Texas and Florida led the nation on this issue, Ohio is stepping up as well. “With the upcoming [midterm] election, Ohio is set to become a state to watch,” he said. FLASHBACK: SCOTUS DECLINES IN SCHOOL’S APPEAL OF TRANSGENDER BATHROOM ORDER “This is a small step in proving that Ohio is a state of common sense and leadership.” The whip said to expect more “bold” legislation from Columbus as the Buckeye State takes the “lead in protecting its citizens and upholding conservative values.” State Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Cleveland, the bill’s sponsor, said at the time of DeWine’s signing, the policy “protects our children and grandchildren in private spaces where they are most vulnerable.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Among those college students and leaders who are opposed to the policy, the law’s enaction comes at a time for “soul-searching,” according to the Associated Press. Oberlin College published policies saying the school will comply with the law, and is offering counseling. The school is also reportedly allowing pupils to move out of their dormitories, according to the outlet. A student at Antioch College told the AP the law is bound to cause “uncertainty” on campus. “It’s in the back of your head that this law is hanging over us.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump admin guts White House Correspondents Association in bid to end ‘monopoly’ of ‘DC journalists’
The White House Correspondents Association will no longer be responsible for determining which outlets get privileged access to the briefing room and the White House, President Donald Trump’s administration announced Tuesday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says the White House press team will now determine the rotations and which outlets get access, upending decades of WHCA supremacy. Leavitt clarified that legacy media outlets that have been prominent within the WHCA will still have a presence at briefings, and that the five major television networks will still be relied on to broadcast White House events. “I am proud to announce that we are going to give the power back to the people who read your papers, who watch your television shows, and who listen to your radio stations. Moving forward, the White House press pool will be determined by the White House press team. Legacy outlets who have participated in the press pool for decades will still be allowed to join, fear not. But we will also be offering the privilege to well-deserving outlets who have never been allowed to share in this awesome responsibility,” Leavitt told reporters during Tuesday’s briefing. The announcement comes just days after The Associated Press sued the Trump White House for denying the outlet access to the briefing room, Air Force One and other exclusive areas. A federal judge ruled in favor of the White House on Monday. TRUMP OFFICIALS LIST 5 WEEKLY ACCOMPLISHMENTS AHEAD OF MUSK MIDNIGHT DEADLINE Leavitt argued the WHCA had represented an entrenched monopoly of “DC journalists” who no longer represented the wider media landscape and how Americans get their news. “A select group of D.C.-based journalists should no longer have a monopoly over the privilege of press access at the White House. All journalists, outlets and voices deserve a seat at this highly coveted table,” she said. The White House decision “tears at the independence of a free press in the United States,” WHCA president Eugene Daniels said in a statement. “It suggests the government will choose the journalists who cover the president. In a free country, leaders must not be able to choose their own press corps.” Daniels said the WHCA received no heads up from the White House before the decision. The Trump White House had earlier introduced a “new media seat” in the briefing room to provide access to more diverse outlets. The digital outlet Semafor was represented at Tuesday’s briefing. GOOGLE MAPS UPDATE: GULF OF AMERICA, MOUNT MCKINLEY WILL BE IN AFTER TRUMP ORDERS NAME CHANGES The White House originally blocked The Associated Press last week from the Oval Office and Air Force One because the news organization has refrained from renaming the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America.” “The Associated Press continues to ignore the lawful geographic name change of the Gulf of America. This decision is not just divisive, but it also exposes the Associated Press’ commitment to misinformation. While their right to irresponsible and dishonest reporting is protected by the First Amendment, it does not ensure their privilege of unfettered access to limited spaces, like the Oval Office and Air Force One,” White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich wrote on X. “Going forward, that space will now be opened up to the many thousands of reporters who have been barred from covering these intimate areas of the administration,” Budowich continued. “Associate Press journalists and photographers will retain their credentials to the White House complex.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP AP senior vice president and executive editor Julie Pace wrote to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles last week after a reporter was blocked from attending a White House event. “The actions taken by this White House were plainly intended to punish the AP for the content of its speech,” Pace wrote, according to an AP report. “It is among the most basic tenets of the First Amendment that the government cannot retaliate against the public or the press for what they say.”
NSA investigates ‘secret sex chats’ under guise of DEI on internal agency message board
Federal employees within the intelligence community are under investigation for allegedly misusing an internal agency messaging board to dish on their sexual fantasies under the guise of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), officials say. Chat logs from the National Security Agency’s (NSA) “Intelink” messaging platform, obtained by researchers from the conservative Manhattan Institute reportedly via sources within the NSA, revealed employees from various intelligence agencies discussing their experiences with gender-reassignment surgery, artificial genitalia, hormone therapy, polyamory and pronoun usage. Some of these agencies reportedly include the Defense Intelligence Agency, U.S. Naval Intelligence and the NSA. One Defense Intelligence Agency officer who had gender transition surgery appears to have written messages about experiences “being penetrated,” while other messages included graphic descriptions of laser hair removal, hormone replacement therapy and breast augmentation, among other procedures. Some discussions included talk about sexual arousal post-operation and other lewd sexual experiences. DOGE TEAM WELCOMED AT THE PENTAGON BUT SOME REMAIN SKEPTICAL After the Intelink chat logs were released Monday, an NSA spokesperson indicated to Fox News Digital that it was “actively investigating” potential abuses of the agency-operated messaging platform. “NSA hosts the Intelink service for the Intelligence Community. As the service provider, NSA takes very seriously the allegations in this reporting, and, if accurate, they would be violations of longn-standing Intelligence Community policy,” the agency spokesperson said. “The Intelligence Community places great trust in those personnel that we authorize to access U.S. Government systems, and in return we expect full compliance with all laws, policies and regulations which govern our work.” Meanwhile, recently confirmed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard called the uncovered behavior “unacceptable,” writing on social media that “those involved WILL be held accountable.” JUDGE BLOCKS PARTS OF TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS TARGETING DEI, CITING FREE SPEECH “These disgusting chat groups were immediately shut down when [the president] issued his EO ending the DEI insanity the Biden Admin was obsessed with,” Gabbard wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday evening. “Our IC must be focused on our core mission: ensuring the safety, security, and freedom of the American people.” The chat logs in question stemmed from DEI-focused groups hosted on the NSA’s Intelink Messenger, titled “LBTQA” and “IC_Pride_TWG,” according to the Manhattan Institute’s Christopher Rufo, a senior fellow. Rufo said the sources that approached him indicated the sexually explicit chats were given legitimacy through the NSA’s DEI efforts, which the agency has described as “not only mission critical, but mission imperative.” TRUMP ADMIN DIRECTS FEDERAL AGENCIES TO END DEI CONSIDERATIONS IN GOVT CONTRACTS AS DOGE’S IMPACT SPREADS The messages were part of DEI-focused employee resource groups that had been hijacked by activists who “spent all day” holding meetings with titles such as “Privilege,” “Ally Awareness,” “Pride,” and “Transgender Community Inclusion,” the source who leaked the chat logs reportedly informed the Manhattan Institute. The source recounted, according to Rufo, that they were particularly “disgusted” by a chat that included discussions of weekend group sex. Other discussions included conversations about spending thousands of dollars in countries like Italy and Thailand to obtain gender-reassignment surgery, experiences of being publicly “groped” at a concert, and using “it/its” pronouns. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The NSA source highlighted to Rufo that the chat logs raised questions about some intel officials’ mental fitness for their jobs. “These are folks with top secret clearances believing they are an IT!” the source said to Rufo.
Federal watchdog releases first DOGE-era report detailing areas of government prone to fraud, waste and abuse
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report Tuesday detailing areas of the federal government especially vulnerable to fraud, waste and abuse, hours ahead of a House Oversight Committee hearing to discuss its findings. The government’s chief watchdog releases a report at the start of each Congress to identify which federal programs are most susceptible to waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement. Tuesday’s report, which includes recommendations to executive branch agencies as well as Congress, is the first delivered during the age of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency. The GAO’s 2025 High-Risk List highlights 38 areas across the federal government “that are seriously vulnerable to waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement or that are in need of transformation.” WHITE HOUSE PUSHES BACK ON REPORT CLAIMING SOME CANCELED DOGE CONTRACTS WON’T SAVE TAXPAYERS MON The report cites $84 billion in savings as a result of GAO recommendations over the past two years, but the watchdog adds that “the progress made overall varied.” The watchdog added a new section this year dedicated to federal disaster assistance in the wake of California wildfires and back-to-back hurricanes that pounded the Southeast over the past several months. GAO Comptroller General Gene Dodaro testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform regarding the report. Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., has billed the report as a “roadmap” provided to the Trump administration and DOGE, led by Elon Musk, to “take on the runaway federal bureaucracy.” “Despite GAO’s recommendations to protect taxpayers and their comprehensive reports released each year, bloated federal programs continue to squander taxpayer funds and fail to meet basic objectives. Americans are tired of the federal government failing its report card and demand action,” Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said in a statement last week. “Americans are demanding action and President Trump, DOGE, and Republicans in Congress are delivering on that promise.” FEDERAL AGENCY TELLS STAFF RESPONSES TO MUSK’S DOGE PRODUCTIVITY EMAIL MAY BE READ BY ‘MALIGN FOREIGN ACTORS’ Last year, 27 natural disasters caused at least $1 billion in economic damage and 568 deaths. The GAO assessed that the “federal approach to disaster recovery is fragmented across over 30 federal entities,” meaning “many entities involved with multiple programs and authorities, differing requirements and timeframes, and limited data sharing across entities could make it harder for survivors and communities to navigate federal programs.” “FEMA and other federal entities – including Congress – need to address the nation’s fragmented federal approach to disaster recovery,” according to the report summary. “Attention is also needed to improve processes for assisting survivors, invest in resilience, and strengthen FEMA’s disaster workforce and capacity.”
Trump surprises first White House tour of the year
President Donald Trump surprised guests at the first White House tour of the year Tuesday, drawing a “USA!” chant after thanking them for visiting. “I want to thank you very much for coming. The tour is so great… the First Lady worked very hard in making it perfect and I think you are going to really love it,” Trump was heard telling the group in a video shared by the White House. “And I heard you were here and I said ‘let’s stop by and say hello.’” “It’s a group of very smart looking people I must say, very smart, maybe someday you’ll be here as the president, right?” Trump continued, drawing laughter from the crowd. “Somebody in this group has a chance. Have a good time, have a great tour.” “You are going to get a special tour. Have fun everybody,” Trump concluded, before a “USA!” chant broke out. FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP ANNOUNCES REOPENING OF PUBLIC WHITE HOUSE TOURS The White House says on its website that the public can request tours through their member of Congress. EAGLES WILL ACCEPT WHITE HOUSE VISIT AS SOON AS PRESIDENT TRUMP EXTENDS INVITE “Tours of the White House include the public rooms in the East Wing and the Residence, which include the Vermeil Room, the Library, the China Room, the Blue Room, Red Room, Green Room, the State Dining Room, and a view of the White House Kennedy Garden,” the White House said. “Secret Service Officers are stationed along the tour route and are available to answer questions about each room’s history, art, furnishings, current uses, and beyond,” it added.
Dems demand Trump resume cash flow as they finally get leverage in race to prevent shutdown
Congressional Democrats want to make sure President Donald Trump and his administration don’t attempt to impound, or choose not to spend some of the money that is allocated in a new spending bill to avoid a government shutdown on the March 14 deadline. They are specifically demanding assurance that Trump spends the money as Congress has appropriated, and this could take shape in a provision in the bill to stop the government from shutting down next month, four sources familiar with the discussions shared with Fox News Digital. The demand comes as Trump and congressional Democrats continue to feud over the 1974 Impoundment Control Act, which reasserted Congress’ power of the purse and barred the executive branch from holding back any appropriated funds. EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP WARNS MAJOR DEM AGAINST MOVE THAT COULD COST VOTERS TRILLIONS However, some constitutional scholars have argued this law was unconstitutional, a philosophy that Trump and his Office of Management and Budget (OMB) chief Russell Vought share. The clash over impoundment could eventually prompt the courts to rule on it. “The administration will not accept infringement on its lawful or constitutional authorities,” White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Yeah, I think we’re looking through and considering all the various possibilities at this point of how to comply with it,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital in a statement. “And again, I remind people, we’re in this situation because the Democrats didn’t move a single appropriation bill last year across the floor, even though 11 of them had been passed by the committee. So this is a pileup that they created, and now we have to try and figure out how to manage. But we’ll sort it out and figure out how to keep the government funded,” he added. ETHICS WATCHDOG FLAGS SENATOR HELPING MAKE MILLIONS FOR WIFE’S GREEN NONPROFIT As the majority leader referenced, the government has been funded largely through stopgap spending bills in recent years, with the Democrats unwilling to bring appropriations bills to the floor when they were at the helm in the previous Congress. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., spoke up during the GOP conference meeting on Tuesday, telling his colleagues that Democrats were asking for too high a price in negotiations that is restraining Trump’s authority, a Republican lawmaker shared with Fox News Digital. “We cannot just reach an agreement, pass a bill, and then stand by while President Trump rips our laws in half,” Senate Appropriations Committee ranking member Patty Murray, D-Wash., said recently, her office noted. “There is a serious, bipartisan path forward for our country – but it is one where Congress works together to avoid a shutdown, stops the de facto shutdown that is already happening, and reasserts its authority to protect the funding our communities need.” TRUMP TAX CUT PLAN HITS TURBULENCE AHEAD OF HOUSE VOTE AS REPUBLICANS SPLIT Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, also previously told reporters that Democrats’ request for guarantees from the Trump administration is “certainly a major issue,” as her office referenced. She explained, “There’s still not agreement. We’re close, but there’s still not agreement on the topline and the allocation under that for defense and non-defense. I’ve made four different offers. The last one was a joint offer with Tom Cole, and it was a very fair offer, as were all the others.” Democrats are in a position they haven’t been in the first several weeks of the new Congress as the two parties attempt to negotiate a spending bill to prevent a partial government shutdown: They have leverage. FOLLOWING KEY WINS, TRUMP POISED FOR CABINET COMPLETION IN RECORD TIME Republicans are going to need some level of Democratic support for a spending bill in order to get it through the House and Senate. Sixty votes are needed in the Senate, meaning at least seven Democrats will need to back the bill, provided that all Republicans also support it. In the House, only a majority is needed, but full Republican support of any bill is not guaranteed. With that in mind, Democrats are using their position to try and rein in Trump’s actions as it relates to shaking up the federal bureaucracy and canceling spending and contracts through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which billionaire Elon Musk was tapped to lead. The White House, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, and Cole did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication.
A Biden-era legal win paved the way for Trump’s Kennedy Center board firings
A Biden-era legal win that allowed the president to fire certain board members set the stage for President Donald Trump to can several people who sat on the Kennedy Center board. Former Trump press secretary Sean Spicer – one of the plaintiffs in that case, Spicer v. Biden – told Fox News Digital that, evidently enough, the suit was “about sending a message to the President of the United States.” With Trump under fire for removing multiple Kennedy Center board members earlier this month, Spicer says his loss is Trump’s win. “The idea was to make sure that the Republican Party in the future had the legal backing to do what President Trump is doing now,” Spicer said. KENNEDY CENTER SHAKE-UP WILL USHER IN ‘GOLDEN AGE OF THE ARTS’ UNDER TRUMP, RIC GRENELL PREVIEWS Upon starting his term in 2021, President Joe Biden attempted to remove Spicer, current director of the Office of Management and Budget Russ Vought and others from their positions on the Board of Visitors for the Naval Academy. Spicer and Vought were serving statutory terms on the Naval Academy board after being appointed by Trump during his first term. Spicer’s term was set to expire in December 2021. At the time, he was also serving on the Commission of White House Fellows, to which he submitted his resignation shortly after Biden entered the Oval Office. On Sept. 8, 2021, Spicer and Vought received a letter from the White House Presidential Personnel Office, stating, “I am writing to request your resignation from the Board of Visitors to the United States Naval Academy. If we do not receive your resignation by end of day today, you will be terminated,” according to the initial complaint. TRUMP FIRES KENNEDY CENTER BOARD MEMBERS CITING DRAG SHOWS, APPOINTS HIMSELF CHAIRMAN Spicer said he would not be resigning. America First Legal, founded by current Trump White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, approached the board members with the proposal to pursue a lawsuit against the Biden administration. “This is about sending a message to make the President of the United States go to court and argue that he had the right to fire any of these people,” Spicer said. “It was America First Legal that came up with the strategy, and we were the two appointees that agreed to be the example.” Spicer said the suit “was not about getting back on the board,” and the irony of it all was that the goal was to lose the case in the courts. “The goal was to make sure that a future Republican president had the legal backing to clean house when they came into office and to be able to point to President Biden as the reason,” Spicer said. The suit was ultimately dismissed by the district court while the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled in a similar case, Severino v. Biden, that a presidential appointee similar to Spicer and Vought could be removed by the president at will. ACTRESS ISSA RAE CANCELS SOLD-OUT KENNEDY CENTER SHOW AFTER TRUMP NAMED CHAIRMAN OF VENUE “I think it was sort of to acknowledge that, even though it was unprecedented because the Kennedy Center Board had always been bipartisan, there was nothing to prevent Donald Trump from doing exactly that – appointing the trustees whom he wanted, and then having those trustees vote to have him become chairman of the Kennedy Center Board,” John Malcolm, vice president of the Institute for Constitutional Government at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital. Since the start of his second term, Trump and his administration have become the targets of over 70 lawsuits over his executive orders and directives, many of which seek to delineate how much power the executive branch truly has. On Friday, the Supreme Court paused the Trump administration’s efforts to dismiss former head of the Office of Special Counsel, Hampton Dellinger, after a lower court reinstated the Biden appointee to his post. In its initial appeal to the high court, the Trump administration argued that the judiciary is attempting “to seize executive power” as courts have blocked the president from firing certain federal employees. Likewise, just several weeks back, Trump’s Justice Department penned a letter to Congress stating that it was seeking to overturn a landmark Supreme Court case in an effort to give the president greater control over independent three-letter agencies. “The idea would be [that] we have a unitary executive and all that means is in Article II of the Constitution, that vests all executive branch authority in one president,” Malcolm said. “And the idea is that if you are an executive branch official, it is implied that the Constitution gives the president the authority to keep those officials or not keep those officials so that if they are not properly implementing executive branch policies, that the buck stops with the president and he can fire people.” Amid the legal pushback toward the Trump agenda, Spicer said, in hindsight, he and AFL “took a page out of [Trump’s] book to begin with.” “I think Trump, from the day he came down the escalator at Trump Tower, basically told conservatives, ‘Stop being such wusses and learn to fight back,’” Spicer said. “So, it was Trump in 2015, 2016 that made it clear that conservatives don’t have to sit and take it anymore. We can fight back. And that was kind of the notion of this lawsuit.”
Frustration at Elon Musk spills over after closed-door House GOP meeting: ‘Fed to the wolves’
EXCLUSIVE: Some House Republicans are increasingly frustrated with Elon Musk’s handling of his role in the federal government – frustrations that flared during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., raised concerns about Republican lawmakers not being on the “same page” as the White House and Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), three people in the room told Fox News Digital. He is not the only GOP lawmaker who feels that way, either. “He wants to see better communication between DOGE, the president, and the House, because we’re getting fed to the wolves, while Elon’s just tweeting,” one GOP lawmaker told Fox News Digital. BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘PURGE’ OF ‘MINORITY’ FEDERAL WORKERS A second GOP lawmaker said, “I’m going to echo Austin’s comments about, you know, it would be nice to have some heads up. There’s a lot of questions.” “Words matter, right? So let’s make sure we’re putting out accurate information that’s correct,” the second lawmaker said. Two House Republicans said Scott warned that DOGE needed to “measure twice, cut once” in its audits of the federal government. Two others, Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., and another lawmaker, said Scott took issue with Musk re-posting a meme on X that referred to people on federal benefits as the “parasite class.” “What Elon was talking about is those who are gaming the system are parasites. But Austin looks at it differently, which is fine, Austin means right. But he said his people took offense to that,” Norman said. Scott told Fox News Digital he supported DOGE’s goals but reaffirmed his frustration. “DOGE’s recent requests for federal employees should have been coordinated with the agencies before they were issued. I fully support those agencies working with DOGE to improve efficiency and eliminate tax dollar waste,” Scott said in a written statement. “With that being said, referring to Americans who may need government assistance as ‘parasites’ is unacceptable in any circumstance.” House lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill on Monday after a week in their home districts, during which more than half a dozen Republicans were confronted by constituents who were searching for more answers on DOGE. Several demonstrations were facilitated by progressive groups. GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital all said they support the goal of cutting government waste but had issues with Musk’s methods – several raised specific issues with his directive that federal employees email five bullet points on the work they did last week. While the email from the Office of Personnel Management did not mention job status, Musk posted on X that employees who failed to comply could be terminated. GOP LAWMAKER CALLS FOR CONGRESSIONAL HEARING OVER DC PLANE CRASH “It’s not how most normal good bosses would lay off somebody,” a third House Republican told Fox News Digital. “Some of them may be bad, but most of them are good. Treat them like Americans.” A fourth House Republican, a member of the House DOGE Caucus, told Fox News Digital that Musk’s comments were not “helpful.” Another person took issue with Musk’s suggestion of stimulus checks for Americans using DOGE savings. “I think it’s childish,” that person said. “Now we want to take the money for waste, fraud, and abuse that was collected by the federal government and give everyone $5,000…or we could just pay off the national debt, or we could use that for the next round of appropriations we have to pay for here in Congress.” Others were public with their frustration, like Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who posted on X, “Our public workforce deserves to be treated with dignity and respect for the unheralded jobs they perform. The absurd weekend email to justify their existence wasn’t it.” Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., said it was up to the executive branch to deal with its personnel. “Reductions in force are up to the executive branch agencies and the executive branch, which is run by President Trump. So if President Trump wants to make cuts to the executive branch agencies, that’s his prerogative,” Rutherford said. Additionally, the vast majority of Republicans are still backing Musk, at least publicly. “I would say that I think the vast majority, the American people, understand and applaud and appreciate the DOGE effort, the goal to scale down the size and scope of government,” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said during a press briefing on Tuesday. “The reason we’re excited about what Elon Musk and the team at DOGE are doing, the end result of that is going to be achieving the goal that we’ve always had, and that is to make government more efficient.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House’s DOGE spokesperson for comment.