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Trump’s AG pick has ‘history of consensus building’

Trump’s AG pick has ‘history of consensus building’

President-elect Donald Trump last week announced the nomination of Florida’s former attorney general, Pam Bondi, to head up the Justice Department, touching off a flurry of speculation as to how Bondi, a longtime prosecutor and close ally of Trump, might lead the department. Former colleagues who knew her best during her time as a Florida prosecutor, including a Democrat opponent for state attorney general who she later tapped to be her drug czar, described Bondi in a series of interviews as an experienced litigator whose leadership style is more consensus-builder than bridge-burner and whose tenure may generate less friction among rank-and-file career staff at the Justice Department than early critics might fear.  If confirmed, those close to Bondi told Fox News Digital that she will likely espouse many of the same priorities she did in her years as a prosecutor in Florida, primarily in cracking down on drug trafficking, illicit fentanyl imports and in running a Justice Department that enforces fair treatment of both political and career appointees alike. “From a lawyer’s standpoint, this woman knows how to be a lawyer and a trial lawyer,” Nicholas Cox, Florida’s statewide prosecutor, told Fox News Digital of Bondi’s record. “There’s just not a question about it.”  Here are some of the ways her time in Florida could inform her tenure as attorney general.  Drug crackdown:  In Florida, Bondi quickly earned a reputation for cracking down on opioids and the many “pill mills” operating in the Sunshine State when she was elected as the state’s attorney general in 2010. At the time, Florida “was the epicenter of the opioid crisis,” Florida statewide prosecutor Nicholas Cox said in an interview. It was also a hub for so-called drug tourism: Out-of-state residents traveled to Florida from across the country to purchase opioids in bulk, relying on the state’s many-house pharmacies, “cash-only” clinics and a lack of statewide prescribing laws to purchase the addictive medications, largely without restriction. When Bondi took office, opioids were killing around seven people each day, Dave Aronberg, the state attorney for Palm Beach County, who formerly served as Bondi’s drug czar, said in an interview.  There were also “more pain clinics than McDonald’s locations” in Florida at the time, he said, illustrating the magnitude of the problem.  Aronberg, a Democrat who ran against Bondi for attorney general in 2010 before she appointed him to the post, credits his former boss as being the person “most responsible for ridding the state of Florida of destructive pill mills.” He and others point to Bondi’s push for legislation that helped eliminate pill mills in the state, her crackdown on doctors and clinics responsible for prescribing the pain pills en masse, and her work in enforcing Florida’s “Statewide Prescription Drug Diversion and Abuse Road Map” to best coordinate federal, state and local efforts as helping end the crisis.  Later, she served in Trump’s first presidential term as a member of his Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission. If confirmed as U.S. attorney general, Bondi has made clear she plans to remain focused on drug trafficking issues, including cracking down on drug cartels, trafficking and more.   Now, these people told Fox News Digital they expect Bondi will bring the same playbook to Washington as attorney general, this time with an eye to drug trafficking and illicit fentanyl use. ‘UNLIKELY COALITION’: A CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM ADVOCATE SEES OPPORTUNITIES IN A SECOND TRUMP TERM Working across the aisle: Bondi has spent years as a prosecutor in Florida, first as a prosecutor in the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office before being elected in 2010 as the state’s attorney general.  Cox, the Florida state prosecutor, noted that Bondi’s career was also heavily shaped by her 18 years working in the Florida District Attorney’s Office, a career position that was not informed by politics.   “We all worked together, and it made for a really strong criminal justice system,” Cox said. Aronberg echoed this assessment. In Florida, Bondi “was not seen as a very partisan person,” he said, citing her “strong working relationship with Democrats,” which continued even after being sworn in as state attorney general.  “She would support legislation regardless of whether it was supported by Democrats or Republicans,” Aronberg said, and in return, she was well-liked across the aisle.  DNC UNION LAUNCHES GOFUNDME TO HELP FORMER STAFFERS HIT BY MASSIVE LAYOFFS AFTER ELECTION LOSSES TRUMP ‘ENEMIES’ In announcing Bondi as his nomination for attorney general, Trump again took aim at the Justice Department, which he characterized as being “weaponized” against him. “Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again,” Trump said in the statement. But those close to Bondi said they do not think of her as an overly political person, saying they believe the many years she spent as a litigator and state attorney general will help her deftly navigate the unique political pressures in the role, including Trump’s calls to go after his so-called “enemies” within the Department of Justice. Though Bondi herself has echoed calls to “investigate the investigators” involved in the special counsel investigations into Donald Trump, former colleagues said they think she has learned from former Justice Department leaders before her, including former Attorney General Bill Barr and former Special Counsel John Durham, who was tapped by Barr to investigate alleged misconduct in the Trump-Russia probe.  “I’ve told my Democratic friends not to overreact because we have been through this before,” Aronberg said, citing the special counsel probe led by Durham. In the next four years, he said, “I think we will see more of that.” But Aronberg sees a difference between Bondi and others, including Trump’s former attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz.  Bondi “is not going to burn the house down,” Aronberg said. “She’s not going to manufacture evidence as a way to walk Trump’s enemies out in handcuffs.”

Trump tariffs will bring Mexico to the table, Texas Democrat says

Trump tariffs will bring Mexico to the table, Texas Democrat says

A Texas Democrat believes President-elect Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on Mexico will get the country to come to the table “so we can solve the problem about immigration and fentanyl.”  Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas’ 28th Congressional District – which borders Mexico in the southern part of the state – made the comment Tuesday during an interview on NewsNation.  “If it means a 25 percent tariff to potentially fix the border, would you favor that?” Cuellar was asked.  “Well, let me put it this way: Laredo’s the largest port; we handle 40 percent of all the trade between the U.S. and Mexico. I know this is a way to negotiate, get some leverage. I know that Mexico will come to the table,” he responded.  TRUMP LIKELY TO MAKE SEVERAL BORDER SECURITY MOVES ON FIRST DAY, SAYS EXPERT “But nobody wants a 25 percent tariff on them, and the Mexicans are threatening to do the same thing, and we don’t want to get into that,” Cuellar added. “But I think this will definitely get Mexico to the table so we can solve the problem about immigration and fentanyl.”  Trump has vowed to impose tariffs on Mexico when he returns to the White House in January.  “As everyone is aware, thousands of people are pouring through Mexico and Canada, bringing Crime and Drugs at levels never seen before,” Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social. “Right now a Caravan coming from Mexico, composed of thousands of people, seems to be unstoppable in its quest to come through our currently Open Border.” “On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders. This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!” Trump continued.  “Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem,” he declared. “We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!”  MEXICAN PRESIDENT MIGHT BE CHANGING VIEW ON US AS TRUMP WIN SENDS WARNING TO RULING SOCIALISTS  A source told Reuters that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a “good discussion” with Trump regarding trade and border security following that Truth Social post. Trump also said Monday, “I have had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular Fentanyl, being sent into the United States – But to no avail.” “Until such time as they stop, we will be charging China an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs, on all of their many products coming into the United States of America,” he added. In response to that, the China Daily newspaper – which is run by the Chinese Communist Party – published an editorial Tuesday saying, “The excuse the president-elect has given to justify his threat of additional tariffs on imports from China is far-fetched,” according to Reuters. The editorial added: “There are no winners in tariff wars. If the U.S. continues to politicize economic and trade issues by weaponizing tariffs, it will leave no party unscathed,”

University of Austin weeds out DEI, replaces it with merit-based initiatives: VP

University of Austin weeds out DEI, replaces it with merit-based initiatives: VP

The University of Austin (UATX) welcomed its first cohort of students this fall, and instead of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, the private liberal arts university is touting freedom of speech, open debates and merit-based admissions. “They talk about safe spaces. We want to create an environment that’s safe for ideas to be explored and where there’s not risks to the student for taking positions as they explore,” UATX Vice President Michael Shires told Fox News Digital.  The university, which is currently unaccredited, was founded in 2021 by a group of academics and public figures, including former New York Times reporter Bari Weiss, who were concerned about the decline of free speech across college campuses. STATE LAWMAKERS, COMPANIES PREPARE TO PUSH BACK AGAINST DEI, ‘WOKE’ INITIATIVES: EXPERTS While its inaugural students are not eligible for federal financial aid, the university has had significant support from private donors, including billionaire Bill Ackman and activist Harlan Crow, allowing it to offer free tuition to its first cohort.  “As we look ahead, obviously this is a time when people are trying to figure out how to foster free speech on campus,” Shires said. “Oct. 7 was a critical juncture in the last year and a half that really showed some of the holes in the environment we’re in.” While the university was founded prior to Donald Trump’s re-election, Shires said the “Trump administration is an exciting time for us to build an institution in an environment where there’s value on open discourse and dialogue.”  Trump has signaled he would also roll back DEI and “woke” policies within federal agencies, including dismantling the Department of Education, signaling a potential for more schools to adopt UATX’s model. He has also said he would sue and tax “excessively large private universities” who implement “woke” policies. DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER RANTS ABOUT ‘THE WHITE MAN’ DURING HEARING ON THE DISMANTLE DEI ACT The threat of what constitutes hate speech has been a major concern for many public universities in recent years – leading to the rise of what critics call censorship and cancel culture – but Shires said defining the term depends “what are the value systems you’re applying to those.”  “And you know, for us, that’s our goal, is to create an environment where there’s civil discourse and where, basically, respect for the other person, and you’re debating and maybe even disagreeing on ideas,” he said. TRANSGENDER WOMEN TO BE BANNED FROM CAPITOL HILL FEMALE BATHROOMS UNDER NEW HOUSE GOP PROPOSAL UATX employs the Chatham House Rule to encourage open classroom discussions. Under the rule, students can share ideas or information they hear in class but cannot attribute them to specific individuals. At institutions like Harvard, only 3% of faculty identify as conservative, while more than 75% identify as liberal, undergirding the ideological gap that UATX founders aim to address. According to Shires, while the school has an admissions constitution that accepts students based on a variety of merit measures, he said UATX’s “students are all over the place, ideologically, politically, philosophically.” “We are an institute, so we don’t believe the institution should have a position or an orthodoxy or an ideology,” he said. Over the last four years, several universities have faced legal challenges concerning their DEI policies, including the California Community College system, Northwestern University Law School, Stanford University and Fordham University. In March, the University of Florida announced its plan to eliminate the chief diversity officer position and DEI staff, earmarking the funds to be spent elsewhere in the university.