Dems who lashed out at Trump for being ‘threat to democracy’ flip script with last-minute delay tactics
American voters overwhelmingly elected President Donald Trump to carry out his “Make America Great Again” agenda despite Democrats calling him a “threat to democracy.” Now that Trump is back in the White House, Dems are delaying key cabinet appointments and vowing to “blow this place up” in the name of democracy. Several Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., are calling for a halt to all of Trump’s cabinet nominations. Protests hosted by lawmakers have erupted in Washington, D.C., this week as Democrats rally against Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). “God d—it shut down the Senate!” Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., said during an anti-DOGE protest in Washington, D.C., Tuesday. “We are at war!” While Democrats spent 2024 promising Americans they were the party who would protect democracy and uphold the rule of law in a post-Jan. 6 world, they are dancing to the beat of a new drum in 2025 by practicing civil disobedience. ‘LOSING THEIR MINDS’: DEM LAWMAKERS FACE BACKLASH FOR INVOKING ‘UNHINGED’ VIOLENT RHETORIC AGAINST MUSK Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., told the crowd Tuesday, “We are here to fight back.” “We are gonna be in your face, we are gonna be on your a–es and we are going to make sure you understand what democracy looks like, and this ain’t it,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, added. Democrats have doubled down on their call to action this week after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told Americans to “fight” Trump’s agenda “in the streets” last week. “We have to stand up and protest,” Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass, said at another rally in Washington, D.C., Wednesday. “When we come back here the next time, there should be hundreds of thousands and millions of people descending on Washington, D.C.” SOCIAL MEDIA, TEAM TRUMP REACT TO CORY BOOKER’S ‘MELTDOWN’ OVER ELON MUSK’S USAID CRACKDOWN “We will fight their violation of civil service laws. We will fight their violation of civil rights laws. We will fight their violations of separation of powers. We will fight their violations of our Constitution of the United States of America. We will not shut up. We will stick up. We will rise up,” Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., added. Democrats held an all-night session Wednesday protesting Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Russell Vought, who served as OMB director during Trump’s first term, was a key architect of Project 2025. Democratic candidates and surrogates during the 2024 campaign cycle pointed to Project 2025 as proof of Trump’s “threat to democracy.” Trump maintained he had nothing to do with it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Vought is a “horrible, dangerous man” at the rally Tuesday. Democratic leaders and their constituents have spent all week protesting in major cities across the country. From Texas to California, protesters are speaking out against Trump’s ICE raids and federal government layoffs and the administration’s stance that there are two genders. Despite the Democrats’ protests, the Trump administration said it is following through on the agenda the American people voted for, and those who “incite violence” should be held accountable. “President Trump was elected with a mandate from the American people to make this government more efficient,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “For Democratic officials to incite violence and encourage Americans to take to the streets is incredibly alarming, and they should be held accountable for that rhetoric. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “If you heard that type of violent, enticing rhetoric from our side of the aisle, from Republican leaders on Capitol Hill, I think there would be a lot more outrage in this room today. It’s unacceptable.”
Trump’s ICE limits illegal immigrant releases amid moves to shake off Biden ‘hangover’
EXCLUSIVE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is taking dramatic steps to limit the number of illegal immigrants released from custody, as it moves at speed to shake off what one official described as the “hangover” from the Biden administration. Fox News Digital is told that, as of this week, officials are being instructed that any release of an illegal immigrant in ICE custody must be personally signed off on by acting ICE director Caleb Vitello. The administration has racked up thousands of arrests in the first week as it launched a mass deportation operation in cities and states across the U.S., with agents quickly hitting over 1,000 arrests a day as the agency drops Biden-era restrictions and takes a more aggressive stance towards illegal immigration. TRUMP DOJ SLAPS ILLINOIS, CHICAGO WITH LAWSUIT OVER SANCTUARY LAWS “We are fending off the hangover and some of the bad habits,” a senior ICE official told Fox News Digital, comparing the task to turning around the Titanic. “We are fixing four years of really bad habits.” ICE currently has just under 42,000 beds available to it, and has been exceeding capacity under the current administration. The administration has been pushing hard to get more beds and detention space, but sources tell Fox it typically takes around 30 days for contractors to deliver given the time taken to identify buildings, hire people, conduct background checks and related requirements. That help is expected soon, but it is still in the process of coming online. The White House confirmed on Wednesday that around 460 illegal immigrants have been released from custody of the more than 8,000 arrested. While that’s a small percentage, it’s expected to get even smaller with the additional restrictions. “I expect the number of releases to fall off a cliff,” the ICE official told Fox News Digital, stressing that the new sign-off requirement sends a message to agents about a new posture by the agents. The official stressed that any releases do not include public safety or national security threats. Anyone released is only done so with monitoring like ankle bracelets. Cases where illegal immigrants could be released could include someone who is pregnant or who is ill with cancer. “That’s someone we are likely going to release…not only for the human side of it, but ICE and the government incur all of those medical costs the minute we take somebody into custody and so now we’re passing that on to the taxpayer as well,” they said. While there are now additional limits on releases, ICE is also moving quickly to ramp up detention space. ICE has requested an apportionment of around $575 million from Congress as an advance of its funding for the year in order to be able to work quicker and get another step closer to a reported target of 100,000 beds and one million removals a year. It’s also working with the Bureau of Prisons to identify space to house illegal immigrants as well as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) — where there may be plenty of open space in soft-sided facilities due to a dramatic plunge in encounters at the border. This week, the administration began flying illegal immigrants to Guantanamo Bay, where there are expected to be around 30,000 spaces. “We are looking well outside the box,” the official said. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Family detention is one of the biggest challenges facing the agency. The Biden administration ended family detention in 2021, choosing instead to release families on Alternatives to Detention. The Trump administration is turning that back on. “The Biden administration cut down so many of our beds and they canceled so many contracts. And the problem with that is you can’t just immediately turn those back on. It’s not a switch, it’s a dial,” they said. ICE has been talking with other agencies, including the State Department to expedite travel documents for deportable illegal immigrants. That’s in addition to a slew of new agreements by the Trump administration with other countries. Venezuela and Colombia have both announced they will accept back illegal immigrants. That cooperation was on display on Wednesday when Guatemala has said it will accept migrants from other countries in what is known as a safe third country agreement. That announcement came shortly after both Mexico and Canada had announced new restrictions at their borders with the U.S. in response to the threat of U.S. tariffs.
Walz is back in Minnesota with $1M in the bank and ‘wants the national spotlight’
Gov. Tim Walz returned home from the campaign trail to a divided state legislature. Minnesota’s public perception of the former vice presidential Democratic nominee is just as split. Walz ended 2024 with over $1 million in campaign cash, year-end campaign finance reports show. The blue wall state governor raised the bulk of those funds before joining Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential ticket, where he wore his camo hats and middle-class status as a badge of honor. Walz has not formally announced whether he will seek a third term for governor but said he will likely make a decision this summer. A spokesperson said Walz is focused on leading a split state legislature in the meantime. “Regardless of the chaos unfolding in Washington, D.C., Governor Walz will continue working with Republicans and Democrats at the State Capitol to balance the budget and make Minnesota the best state to live, work, and raise a family,” Walz’s spokesperson said in a statement. TIM WALZ SAYS LOSING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS ‘PURE HELL,’ ADMITS DEMS ARE ‘FATIGUED’ IN MSNBC INTERVIEW While Walz says he is committed to working across the aisle, Minnesota’s state house has spent weeks at a standstill. Republicans proposed a recall of their Democratic colleagues for failing to show up to work. “They technically had the organizational majority to kick off on Jan. 14 when we began our legislative session,” Republican state Sen. Mark Koran said. “The Democrats refused to. They held a special swearing-in ceremony in secret for their 66 members, and then they’ve refused for over three weeks now to show up to the Minnesota House to organize, so they can do business.” MINNESOTA LAWMAKER SOUNDS ALARM ON GOV WALZ’S ‘RADICAL AGENDA’ AHEAD OF ELECTION: ‘SO HEINOUS’ Koran said Walz has been missing in action, telling Fox Digital that the governor is anything but bipartisan. “He is nonexistent as far as the Democrats holding this hostage,” Koran said. “He’s not taking a leadership role. I can tell you about the only thing he does in a bipartisan manner is he doesn’t work with Republicans or Democrats, and so he’s very isolated and doesn’t meet with anybody.” Walz defended Minnesota Democrats for boycotting their legislative session in an interview with FOX 9 KMSP, elevating the state conflict to the national level by taking aim at DOGE’s ongoing federal layoffs. “We are not going to allow you to do what we’re seeing at the federal level. You are not going to go in and fire state employees. You are not going to take power in a short-term window of gap. That’s not what the voters voted for,” Walz said. Minnesota Republicans told Fox Digital that controversies on the campaign trail have tarnished his reputation back home. Walz’s background dominated headlines this summer; over claims of “stolen valor” for inconsistencies describing his military service, saying he “misspoke” when he said he visited Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, and over his family’s in vitro fertilization story that never was. Walz laughed off the missteps, calling himself a “knucklehead.” “The average Minnesotans didn’t really know who Tim Walz was,” retired Minnesota State Patrol Lt. John Nagel told Fox Digital. “With running for vice president, people suddenly realized this guy is not who so many of us thought he was. He’s not this happy grandpa teacher that wears plaid. He is an individual that wants to keep his power. He’s lied to make himself look better. “Walz’s ego is bruised,” Nagel added. “He is not happy that he’s not walking around as vice president.” Nagel and Koran agreed the national reporting during the presidential campaign made Minnesotans think twice about Walz. “I think Minnesotans should reject his political agenda, just as the nation did. He came back extraordinarily damaged. The Democrats are going to take him out within his own party, likely in the next gubernatorial primary. There’s a Senate seat open in Minnesota. He wants the national spotlight. At the end of the day, if he has nothing else, I think he’ll be running for governor again,” Koran said. Newly elected DNC Chair Ken Martin, former chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party, said in a statement that Republicans “have tried to tear down Governor Walz” but the governor has maintained the trust of Minnesota voters by delivering key progressive policy. “Partisan Republicans have tried to tear down Governor Walz, but the support and trust that he has earned from Minnesotans has endured,” Martin said. “From free school meals to paid family leave, the working-class agenda that Governor Walz and DFL leaders have championed enjoys strong support from a clear majority of Minnesotans. Our party is ready to fight with Governor Walz to lower costs while protecting critical investments in our schools and the programs that support working families.”
HUD secretary directs agency to ban transgender women from federally funded women-only shelters
On his first day in office, Eric Turner made a bold move as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He directed agency staff to suspend all pending and future enforcement actions related to the Obama-era Equal Access Rule, which required HUD-funded programs and shelters to determine eligibility based on a person’s self-identified gender. Turner said that the move was part of President Donald Trump’s agenda to “restore biological truth to the federal government.” “We want to protect the ladies entering any HUD facilities,” Turner told reporters Thursday, adding that he wants to “restore equal rights, but no extra rights.” The Secretary added that most of the females who utilize HUD shelters already come from domestic violence situations, and he wants to ensure that their tragedies are not exacerbated when they turn to the federal government for help. TRUMP’S PICK AS HUD SECRETARY, A FORMER NFL PLAYER, SAYS HE WANTS TO HELP AMERICANS GET OFF GOVERNMENT AID Turner’s directive follows Trump’s Day One executive order terminating federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and mandating the federal government only recognize two genders, male and female. This week, Trump signed an executive order preventing biological males who identify as females from competing on women’s sports teams, as well as another prohibiting minors from receiving puberty blockers or transition surgery. Under the 2016 Equal Access Rule that Turner is rescinding, homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters and other federally funded HUD-assisted housing programs were prohibited from requiring people to prove they are biologically female. Following Turner’s directive, this will no longer be prohibited. In 2018, nine California women filed a lawsuit against a local women’s shelter in Fresno, which operates with public funds, for allegedly forcing them to take showers alongside a biological male who identified as a woman and who they claimed sexually harassed them. 15 STATE AGs VOW TO PROTECT TRANS PROCEDURES FOR MINORS DESPITE TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER Last year, police in Greenville, South Carolina, arrested a transgender woman, Michelle Silva Perez, for stabbing a shelter employee after Perez was admitted to the emergency shelter meant only for women and mothers. The facility, which receives both state and federal funding, said it would have acted differently if it had known that the suspect was not a biological woman. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
House passes bill to permanently classify fentanyl as Schedule 1 drug
The House passed legislation Thursday to permanently classify fentanyl as a Schedule 1 drug, which lawmakers say will allow law enforcement to be better equipped to prosecute drug traffickers and stop the flow of such substances. In 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a temporary scheduling order (TSO) for fentanyl as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), but the TSO is set to expire in March. With the expiration date looming, Reps. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., and Bob Latta, R-Ohio, introduced the Halt All Lethal Trafficking (HALT) of Fentanyl Act that, if passed, would permanently amend the CSA to reflect the current scheduling order. The legislation passed on Thursday with bipartisan support, 312-108, with 107 Democrats voting against its passage. ‘THIS IS ABOUT FENTANYL’: TARIFFS ARE CRUCIAL TO COMBATING ‘DRUG WAR,’ TRUMP AND CABINET OFFICIALS SAY Schedule 1 drugs under the CSA are defined as “a drug, substance, or chemical that has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and mandatory minimum administrative, civil, and criminal penalties.” PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: WE HAVE TO STOP FENTANYL FROM COMING IN The legislation also expands the mandatory minimum sentencing for manufacturing, importing, or possessing fentanyl-related substances with intent to distribute. “I voted for the HALT Fentanyl Act to hold dangerous drug traffickers accountable for their crimes and equip our law enforcement officials with the tools that they need to confiscate deadly drugs, protect our families, and save lives,” Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, told Fox News Digital after the bill’s passage. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we will continue to lock down our border, take on the drug cartels, support our border patrol agents 100%, and keep deadly drugs out of our communities,” Feenstra said. “The HALT Fentanyl Act is not just about strengthening law enforcement—it is about saving lives and protecting communities,” Drug Enforcement Association of Federal Narcotics Agents President Marshall Fisher wrote in a letter supporting the bill. “By permanently scheduling fentanyl analogues, we are sending a strong message that the United States will not tolerate the continued destruction caused by this drug.” The House Energy and Commerce Committee, in promotion of the bill, shared data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that found in 2023 alone, there were nearly 75,000 deaths from synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The bill comes amid a government-wide crackdown on fentanyl under President Donald Trump’s administration. Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all goods entering the United States from Mexico and Canada, which were set to go into effect early February but were delayed by a month just hours before their enactment. Trump, however, did impose a 10% tariff on goods from China as part of his effort to combat fentanyl trafficking across the nation’s borders.
Trump spells out tax plan for House GOP leaders in White House meeting
President Donald Trump gathered with House Republican leaders at the White House on Thursday to relay his tax priorities. In the meeting, he told House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and others that he wants to fulfill his campaign promise to stop taxing tips. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt updated reporters as the lengthy meeting was still ongoing, detailing that Trump wants “no tax on seniors, Social Security, no tax on overtime pay.” TRUMP, GOP SENATORS TO DINE AT MAR-A-LAGO BEFORE CAMPAIGN RETREAT Additionally, she said, he wants to renew his tax cuts from 2017 in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). The legislation’s provisions begin to expire later this year. Leavitt added that Trump is focused on also adjusting the cap on State and Local Tax (SALT) deductions, which has been a sticking point for Republicans in states with high costs of living. Further, Trump laid out to House Republicans that he is looking to “eliminate all the special tax breaks for billionaire sports team owners; close the carried interest tax deduction loophole,” and institute “tax cuts for Made in America products.” INSIDE SEN. TOM COTTON’S CAMPAIGN TO SAVE TULSI GABBARD’S ENDANGERED DNI NOMINATION “This will be the largest tax cut in history for middle-class working Americans. The president is committed to working with Congress to get this done,” Leavitt said. Trump’s meeting with the House GOP leaders on taxes comes as the lower chamber attempts a one-bill budget plan that includes all of the president’s agenda priorities, including both the border and taxes. LEADER THUNE BACKS SENATE GOP BID TO SPEED PAST HOUSE ON TRUMP BUDGET PLAN The budget reconciliation process lowers the threshold to advance a bill in the Senate from 60 votes to just 51. And with a 53-vote majority in the upper chamber, Republicans are poised to push policies through with only support from the GOP conference. The House Republicans have yet to move forward with a plan for the budget, however, allowing the Senate GOP to move out ahead of them. SENATORS LEAPFROG HOUSE REPUBLICANS ON ANTICIPATED TRUMP BUDGET BILL On Wednesday, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., announced his intent to push a first bill on border, defense and energy through next week. Taxes would be addressed later in the year as part of a second budget resolution. The move threatened the House Republicans’ positioning to lead the process and spearhead a one-bill approach.
Border state’s crucial crackdown on illegal immigrants could get new federal protections: ‘Finish the job’
FIRST ON FOX: A Texas lawmaker is relaunching efforts to make sure his state can build a border buoy barrier without interference from the federal government after the state tackled a lawsuit by the Biden administration. Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, is reintroducing the Prevent Aliens Through Rivers of Lands (PATROL) Act that would bar the Department of Justice (DOJ) from using the Rivers and Harbor Act to sue states. Texas set up buoys on the Rio Grande in 2023 due to the surging migrant crisis at the southern border at the time. Texas claimed the barrier would protect sovereignty and save lives by preventing people from entering the water. Humanitarian groups and the DOJ argued the barriers were a safety risk and sued. TRUMP DOJ SLAPS ILLINOIS, CHICAGO WITH LAWSUIT OVER SANCTUARY LAWS The DOJ lawsuit argued the buoy barrier violates the Rivers and Harbors Act, which protects navigable waters from obstructions and outlines authorities for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The buoys were allowed to stay by an appeals court as the case moved forward, and it is not expected to be pursued by the Trump administration. The bill would remove the ability to sue under that act, meaning the barrier and similar barriers could go ahead unimpeded both during this administration and future administrations. “For the last four years, the White House had refused to secure our border and instead fought against the states that were stepping up to do it themselves,” Cloud said in a statement. “The PATROL Act makes it clear: Texas doesn’t need permission from the federal government to defend its communities. The DOJ should never again be used as a weapon against border security. TRUMP-ERA SOUTHERN BORDER SEES MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS PLUMMET BY OVER 60% AS NEW POLICIES KICK IN “Now that we have an administration under President Trump who cares about law and order and protecting our communities, it’s time to remove the last roadblocks and allow Texas to finish the job.” The bill has the backing of conservative groups, including NumbersUSA and Heritage Action, which said Congress should “build on [Trump’s] momentum to strengthen our immigration system and enforce the rule of law.” “States should have the right to secure the border and protect American citizens when the federal government fails to do so,” the group said. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced last month his state has installed more buoys along the river. “The Biden Administration tried — and FAILED — to prevent Texas from deploying these effective buoy barriers,” he said on X. “Glad to finally have a President who will work with Texas to secure the border.”
Health care access and economic insecurity top a list of challenges for Texas children
A San Antonio panel discussed the results of a new survey on the well-being of Texas children Thursday and proposed solutions to the state’s ongoing challenges.
‘Spreading atheism’: Vance warns religious efforts abroad ‘corrupted’ by US bureaucracy amid USAID controversy
Vice President JD Vance slammed U.S. bureaucracy that has “corrupted” aid programs to foreign nations amid the Trump administration’s investigation into USAID waste, directing his ire at a recent revelation that the government had funded a program to promote atheism — or disbelief in God or gods — in Nepal. “In recent years, too often has our nation’s international engagement on religious liberty issues been corrupted and distorted to the point of absurdity,” Vance, who is Catholic, said at the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. “Think about it: How did America get to a point where we’re sending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars abroad to NGOs that are dedicated to spreading atheism all over the globe? That is not what leadership on protecting the rights of the faithful looks like.” Vance did not mention the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by name in his speech to the religious crowd and those working to advocate for religious liberty in the U.S. and around the world. The forum was held as USAID faces an apparent dismantling as Elon Musk and his team at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) pore over the agency’s financial records to suss out government overspending and corruption. USAID’s website was shut down in early February, replaced with a message on Tuesday evening outlining how “direct-hire personnel” will be placed on leave Friday, except those on “mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs.” ‘SESAME STREET IN IRAQ’: USAID’S ‘WASTEFUL AND DANGEROUS’ SPENDING EXPOSED BY SENATOR Vance’s comment focusing on nongovernmental organizations using taxpayer funds to promote atheism around the globe is likely referring to a $500,000 grant solicited by the State Department in 2021, under the Biden administration. The grant hit the nation’s radar in 2024, when Republican House lawmakers sounded the alarm that the State Department was participating in a “pattern of obfuscation and denial” related to efforts to promote atheism on the world stage. ‘VIPER’S NEST’: USAID ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION, MISMANAGEMENT LONG BEFORE TRUMP ADMIN TOOK AIM Reps. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, Chris Smith, R-N.J., and Brian Mast, R-Fla., wrote in a letter sent to then-State Department Deputy Secretary Richard Verma in May 2024: “We write to address what the Department has now acknowledged were its misrepresentations made to Congress about the scope and nature of programming that – for the first time in US diplomatic history – has sought to promote atheism overseas under the guise of ‘religious freedom.’” The lawmakers were referring to the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor grant for $500,000, titled “Promoting and Defending Religious Freedom Inclusive of Atheist, Humanist, Non-Practicing and Non-Affiliated Individuals.” Fox News Digital reviewed an archived web link for the grant on Thursday, which detailed that the U.S. was working to “support Religious Freedom globally,” including to “combat discrimination, harassment and abuses against atheist, humanist, non-practicing and non-affiliated individuals of all religious communities.” The State Department’s announcement for the grant reads: “DRL’s goal is to ensure everyone enjoys religious freedom, including the freedom to dissent from religious belief and to not practice or adhere to a religion. By not adhering to a predominant religious tradition, many individuals face discrimination in employment, housing, in civil and criminal proceedings, and other areas especially in the context of intersectional identities.” The grant was awarded to Humanists International, a UK-based group that works to promote secularism and humanism, a philosophy that does not include a belief in God. The State Department’s funding announcement opportunity detailed how the program was expected to increase “capacity among members of atheist and heterodox individuals to form or join networks or organizations.” FEDS SPENT MILLIONS STUDYING TRANS MENSTRUATION, STRENGTHENING GAY RIGHTS IN THE BALKANS, DATABASE REVEALS Fox News Digital reached out to Humanists International on Thursday morning regarding the grant and Vance’s comments but did not immediately receive a reply. GOP HARDLINERS RALLY AROUND TRUMP, MUSK SCALING BACK USAID “But this administration is intent on not just restoring, but on expanding the achievements of the first four years, and certainly in the last two weeks,” he continued. “And in this short period, the president has issued orders to end the weaponization of the federal government against religious Americans.” “Pardon pro-life protesters who were unjustly imprisoned under the last administration,” he said. “And importantly, stop the federal censorship used to prevent Americans from speaking their conscience and speaking their mind, whether it’s in their communities or online.” “Now, our administration believes we must stand for religious freedom, not just as a legal principle, as important as that is, but as a lived reality both within our own borders and especially outside,” he continued. FLASHBACK: BIDEN ADMIN REPEATEDLY USED USAID TO PUSH ABORTION IN AFRICA Vance’s speech was followed by a virtual address from actor Rainn Wilson, who played Dwight Schrute in “The Office,” to discuss his Baha’i faith and the persecution of fellow adherents in Iran. Government funding directed to left-wing initiatives through agencies such as USAID or the State Department has come under the microscope recently, as DOGE launched investigations to cut government fat. Secretary of State Marco Rubio took over as acting director of USAID on Monday, telling the media that the agency needs to fall in line with Trump’s “America First” policies, which includes using taxpayer funds to strengthen U.S. communities rather than sending cash overseas. Democrats have seethed over DOGE’s work, holding protests outside government offices in Washington, D.C., and across the country to declare that they will fight the efforts tooth and nail. USAID EMPLOYEE SAYS STAFFERS HID PRIDE FLAGS, ‘INCRIMINATING’ BOOKS WHEN DOGE ARRIVED “What we are witnessing here is the biggest heist in American history,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said on Tuesday during one rally. “This is the most corrupt bargain we’ve ever seen in American history: Elon Musk gives $250 million to elect Donald Trump, and Donald Trump turns over the keys to United States government to Elon Musk and his billionaire friends and his cronies,” Van Hollen continued in his
Minnesota GOP takes control of House after Dems’ weekslong boycott, pledges to ‘check’ Walz’s ‘extreme’ agenda
Republicans in Minnesota’s progressive-dominated government have notched a temporary majority in the House through a power-sharing agreement reached Thursday after Democrats refused to show up to work for several weeks. “So, 23 days as of yesterday, none of the Democrats have come into work,” Republican leader and now House Speaker Lisa Demuth told Fox News Digital in an interview Thursday. “They completely boycotted the session and prevented the work from getting started here in Minnesota.” The arrangement comes after a weeks-long saga beginning in December 2024 when a district court judge ruled that Democratic House Rep.-elect Curtis Johnson did not meet the residency requirements to represent Minnesota House District 40B, rendering him ineligible to take office. The decision temporarily tipped the balance of power in the Minnesota House, giving Republicans a 67-66 majority until a special election could be held. ‘SCARED’ AND ‘TRAUMATIZED’: WALZ’S SUPPORT FOR TRANS WOMEN IN MINNESOTA WOMEN’S PRISON ‘ENDANGERING’ INMATES Gov. Tim Walz announced Wednesday a special election will be held on Tuesday, March 11, which could bring back a 67-67 tie. As such, House Democrats boycotted the legislative session beginning Jan. 14, protesting what they perceived as an “abuse of power” by Republicans attempting to leverage their temporary majority to advance their policies. This stalemate effectively denied the House the quorum needed to conduct official business, leading to the state GOP threatening Democratic lawmakers with recall efforts. Demuth said the organizational agreement reached with Democrats taking effect when the Minnesota House convenes Thursday afternoon ensures she will serve as the Republican speaker for a full two-year term, regardless of the outcome of the upcoming special election. Currently, with a 67-66 Republican majority, the GOP holds committee chair positions and a one-vote advantage on all committees. If the election results in a 67-67 tie, committee leadership will be shared between Republicans and Democrats, alternating control over schedules and agendas. The Fraud Prevention and Agency Oversight Committee will remain under Republican control, with a 5-3 GOP majority, for the full two-year period, she said. “We definitely have an advantage,” Demuth said. “And I think it’s important to recognize that the reason that there is a special election that needed to be called is because the Democrats had a candidate that lied and cheated and couldn’t take office.” WALZ EDUCATION APPOINTEE WHO CALLED FOR THE US GOVERNMENT TO BE ‘OVERTHROWN’ UNDER GOP FIRE: ‘INSURRECTION’ Demuth said Republicans – who have been gaveled in by the state secretary every day despite the stalemate – are looking forward to addressing the state’s budget and other key issues once lawmakers convene Thursday. “We need to stop the fraud in the state of Minnesota,” Demuth said. “And according to test scores, our test results for our K-12 education, specifically in fourth and eighth grade, continue to plummet under the leadership of Gov. Walz, and so [the Democrats] have prevented all of that work to even begin.” Demuth criticized the governor for his lack of engagement during the legislative standoff, noting that “he has not contacted me at all as caucus leader during this time.” She said he issued a press statement suggesting that “Republicans need to start working with Democrats,” but argued that his statement was “very partisan” and ultimately “a disservice to Minnesotans.” MN GOP VOWS RECALL EFFORTS AS DEM LAWMAKERS THREATEN TO SKIP WORK FOR TWO WEEKS “Minnesotans need us to do the work. It’s not Republican or Democrat, but when you have a party that stayed out to prevent the work, you have a governor that isn’t even encouraging his own party to show back up, he’s really doing a disservice to the people of Minnesota,” said Demuth, whom the Minnesota Star Tribune noted becomes the state’s first Black House speaker. During the first week of the Democrats’ boycott, Walz told lawmakers, “Just work together on a power-sharing agreement,” the AP reported. “That’s the way it’s going to end up. And I think that can work out really well.” The Republican State Leadership Committee provided a statement to Fox News Digital in which it congratulated Demuth for securing the House leadership role, adding in part, “Voters have made it clear they want Minnesota House Republicans to be a strong check on Tim Walz and his extreme liberal agenda.” Fox News Digital has reached out to Walz’s office and the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party for comment.