‘Damn right’: Liz Cheney’s past USAID employment faces backlash after lashing out at Elon Musk
Former GOP Congresswoman Liz Cheney was ripped by conservatives on social media after she defended her previous work at USAID, which became the most prominent target of DOGE in recent days, in an exchange on X that drew the attention of DOGE’s leader, Elon Musk. “Damn right, @Elon,” Cheney said on X in response to Musk, tagging an account that does not belong to Musk, on Wednesday. “I’m proud of what America did to win the Cold War, defeat Soviet communism, and defend democracy. Our nation stood for freedom. You may be unfamiliar with that part of our history since you weren’t yet an American citizen.” Musk had written “interesting” in response to a post from Foundation For Freedom Online Executive Director Mike Benz, who had written that Cheney was “spawned” out of USAID, citing her previous position as an officer for the embattled and now seemingly shuttered agency. Cheney spent time at USAID working within embassies related to efforts in Poland, Hungary, Russia and Ukraine. MEET THE YOUNG TEAM OF SOFTWARE ENGINEERS SLASHING GOVERNMENT WASTE AT DOGE: REPORT Several conservatives on social media took issue with Cheney’s comment and defended Musk against any implication that he is “unfamiliar” with U.S. history. “He is an American by choice instead of by birth, which is a weird thing to insult someone over, but more importantly, he didn’t commit so many crimes against the country that he had to be pardoned by Joe Biden, so he’s got that going for him,” Federalist Editor-in-Chief Mollie Hemingway posted on X. “You care more about illegals coming to this country stealing from this country than @elon giving to this country,” former Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones posted on X. “Ya, but he was around when your daddy was making the military industrial complex billions sending me and my buddies to die chasing the ghosts of WMDs in Iraq,” Fox News contributor Joey Jones posted on X. WHO IS SAMANTHA POWER? MEET THE BIDEN-ERA USAID LEADER FACING BACKLASH AMID MUSK’S DOGE CRACKDOWN “Love the anti-immigrant sentiment from Liz,” Right Turn Strategies President Chris Barron posted on X. “Funny how they always end up being everything they claim their opponents are.” “The fact Elon said a single word and was able to set you off tells me a lot, Liz,” Twitchy.com editor Samantha Janney posted on X. “What’s also revealing is your connection to USAID. Damn proud of WY for firing you.” “What a xenophobe,” Breitbart senior editor Joel Pollak posted on X. “Pure bigotry.” “From Liz Cheney to Barack Obama, a lot of people still don’t appreciate how much of America’s political aristocracy class grew up in USAID families,” Benz posted on X earlier this week. The online debate about Cheney’s time at USAID comes after Musk’s DOGE efforts have resulted in the agency being effectively shut down over what the Trump administration argues is wasteful spending. “For decades, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been unaccountable to taxpayers as it funnels massive sums of money to the ridiculous — and, in many cases, malicious — pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats, with next-to-no oversight,” the White House said Monday. The future of USAID remains unclear, though the doors to its headquarters were closed Monday, and thousands of employees across the globe sat waiting to hear whether they still had jobs after the apparent Musk takeover. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been named the acting director, and he agreed Monday with the White House that the agency needed an overhaul. “The president made me the acting administrator,” he told Fox News. “I’ve delegated that power to someone who is there full time, and we’re going to go through the same process at USAID as we’re going through now at the State Department.” Fox News Digital’s Caitlin McFall contributed to this report
New York ‘polluters pay’ law backcharging oil, gas companies faces Republican AGs’ lawsuit: ‘Devastating’
FIRST ON FOX: In one of his first major moves, newly-elected West Virginia Attorney General J.B. McCuskey is suing New York over the state’s new “devastating” law that retroactively charges energy companies billions of dollars for pollution from 2000 to 2018. “This bill is an attempt by New York to step into the shoes of the federal government to regulate something that they have absolutely no business regulating, and we are more than happy to step in and tell the rest of the country, along with our incredible other state partners, that this is unconstitutional and it won’t stand,” McCuskey told Fox News Digital in an interview. The lawsuit alleges the law signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, known as the Climate Change Superfund Act, unfairly targets traditional energy producers—regardless of whether they operate in New York—by imposing massive financial liabilities. “These energy choices—and the benefits that come with them—entail necessary tradeoffs. All energy use, including energy deriving from ‘renewable’ sources, creates some pollution,” the 59-page lawsuit reads. “Traditional energy is no different.” HOCHUL SIGNS BILL THAT WILL CHARGE OIL AND GAS FIRMS $75B, BUT CRITICS SAY CUSTOMERS WILL REALLY FOOT THE TAB According to the complaint, the burden of these costs won’t fall on New York consumers but will instead be forced onto producers and consumers in other states. The suit also alleges that New York is using these funds to subsidize its own infrastructure projects, such as a new sewer system in New York City, that have been damaged by extreme weather events. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York Albany Division, cites New York AG Letitia James, Sean Mahar, the Interim Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Amanda Hiller, the Acting Tax Commissioner of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. “When you live in the real world, like I do, and you live in a place like West Virginia, where the values of the people indicate that we pay our bills, we’re humble, we’re modest, and we’re respectful of the people around us,” McCuskey said. “These kind of things hit us a lot harder. And so, you know, this is really a fight between the the elites and the people that make this country run on the back end.” Attorneys general for Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Wyoming also joined the lawsuit. The West Virginia Coal Association, the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia and the Alpha Metallurgical Resources, Inc., are also joining the complaint. The bill, first introduced under the Biden administration, is a “landmark legislation shifts the cost of climate adaptation from everyday New Yorkers to the fossil fuel companies most responsible for the pollution,” according to the governor’s December 2024 press release. TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER FORCES NEW JERSEY TO CANCEL ITS FIRST OFFSHORE WIND FARM “By ensuring those responsible for historic climate-altering emissions bear the costs of the significant health, environmental, and economic impacts already being passed on to New Yorkers, this law will complement the State’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, help communities adapt to the climate-driven impacts experienced today, and leverage the significant investments the Governor is making in climate resilience,” Mahar, the state’s Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner said in the press release. The law mandates that fossil fuel companies collectively contribute $75 billion over the next 25 years into a dedicated “superfund” that would then help rebuild climate change-induced infrastructure damage. “This liability could be devastating to traditional energy producers,” the lawsuit states. “Indeed, the ruinous liability that the Act promises—especially when paired with similar efforts that might arise in other States—could force coal, oil, and natural gas producers to shutter altogether.” FORMER TRUMP CABINET MEMBERS LAUNCH GROUP TO PROMOTE PRESIDENT’S ENERGY AGENDA In total, 38 firms – including American oil giants Exxon and Chevron, the UK’s Shell and BP, and Brazil’s Petrobras – categorized as “carbon polluters” could be on the receiving end of hefty bills, Fox News Digital previously reported. New York’s effort to hold energy producers accountable comes at a time when the Trump administration is moving in the opposite direction, rolling back climate commitments through a recent executive order. Trump signed two executive orders last month dramatically reshaping U.S. energy and environmental policy from the Biden administration’s priorities. The “Unleashing American Energy” order aims to boost domestic fossil fuel production by cutting regulations and expediting permits for oil, gas, and coal projects. Meanwhile, “Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements” withdraws the U.S. from global climate commitments, including the Paris Agreement, and halts funding for international climate initiatives. This is the second time under a Trump presidency that the U.S. has exited the Paris Agreement. Fox News Digital has reached out to the New York governor’s, attorney general’s, and acting tax commissioner’s offices as well as the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for comment.
Trump, GOP senators to dine at Mar-a-Lago before campaign retreat
Most of the Senate Republican conference will dine with President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Friday evening as the lawmakers prepare for a weekend campaign retreat. The dinner between Trump and the GOP senators was confirmed by several sources to Fox News Digital. Also in Florida, many of the senators will be attending the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) retreat afterward. The committee is preparing for the 2026 midterm election cycle. INSIDE SEN. TOM COTTON’S CAMPAIGN TO SAVE TULSI GABBARD’S ENDANGERED DNI NOMINATION While most of the GOP conference will be at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago dinner, not all of the senators are going. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., will instead be at dinner with his daughter, who lives in the area. Cassidy has had a fractured relationship with Trump in the past, as one of the handful of Republican senators who voted to convict him for allegedly inciting the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. LEADER THUNE BACKS SENATE GOP BID TO SPEED PAST HOUSE ON TRUMP BUDGET PLAN The Louisiana Republican is notably up for re-election in 2026 and will be at the NRSC retreat for the remainder of the weekend. While Cassidy’s state isn’t likely to pick a Democrat, he faces threats of primary challenges from the right. The office of moderate Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, whose race will be one of the NRSC’s most competitive this cycle, did not provide comment to Fox News Digital when asked whether she would be at the Mar-a-Lago dinner. FORMER NFL PLAYER SCOTT TURNER CONFIRMED TO LEAD HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Republicans will be put on defense in 2026 in key states North Carolina and Maine, protecting the seats of Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Collins, respectively. At the same time, the party is looking to expand its majority in the Senate, eyeing vulnerable Democrat-held seats in Georgia and Michigan. FORMER GOP LEADER MCCONNELL FALLS WHILE EXITING SENATE CHAMBER AFTER TURNER CONFIRMATION VOTE Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., is seeking re-election in swing state Georgia for the first time. Michigan is already a swing state, and with Democratic Sen. Gary Peters’ announcement that he isn’t running again, the party is losing an incumbent advantage.
Massachusetts migrant shelter resident charged with impregnating his teen daughter
A Massachusetts migrant shelter resident has been arrested and is being charged with raping and impregnating his own teenage daughter while staying at a government-funded shelter. The MetroWest Daily News reported that the man, who has not been identified by police to protect the identity of his daughter and victim, raped his daughter repeatedly, both during their journey to the U.S. and while in the country. The immigrant was staying at a shelter run by Eliot Community Human Services, which operates two government-funded shelters at Holiday Inn and Extended Stay hotels in Marlborough, Massachusetts, in the Boston area. BOSTON MAYOR SILENT ON SANCTUARY CITY POLICIES AMID MIGRANT CRIME REPORTS According to The MetroWest Daily News, Marlborough Police arrested the immigrant last week, following reports of his crimes being filed by shelter staff in May 2024. The outlet reported that the teen had sent text messages indicating she was pregnant “in the past by her father,” and that “her father had sex with her multiple times, both on the journey to the U.S. and in the U.S.” The Marlborough District Court arraigned the immigrant on Monday, charging him with one count of aggravated rape of a child. District Judge Meghan Spring ordered him held without bail pending another hearing on Friday, which will determine if he is a danger to the public. This comes after Jon Fetherson, a former director of the Marlborough migrant shelter, spoke out about what he said were incidents of widespread violence, child sexual assault and rape at shelters in the state. BLUE CITY RESIDENTS BLAST NEW 2,200-BED MEGA MIGRANT SHELTER AS ‘DUMPING GROUND’ The Maine Wire reported in December that shelter staff determined to separate Joseph from his daughter and he was given a taxpayer-funded Lyft ride to another shelter in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Maine Wire reported that after being moved, Joseph started yelling and making threatening gestures at the shelter staff. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Massachusetts is a “right to shelter” state with laws mandating the government provide housing to immigrants with no other means to obtain housing. Massachusetts is also a migrant “sanctuary” jurisdiction that prohibits police and law enforcement in the state from cooperating or assisting ICE and federal authorities in enforcing immigration law. This is not the first time a Massachusetts immigrant shelter has been used for illegal, criminal activity. In January, Revere Police arrested Dominican national Leonardo Andujar Sanchez, 28, after he was caught with an AR-15 and about $1 million worth of fentanyl in a state-subsidized hotel room. In response, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, a Democrat, has expressed outrage over the abuse of the state’s shelter system and called for the legislature to change the system’s rules to limit illegal immigrants staying in shelters. Fox News Digital Breaking News reporter Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Education bill would require parental notification to ‘TRACE’ foreign funding of curriculum as China looks on
EXCLUSIVE: Republican lawmakers will be putting forward a bill requiring parental notification of any foreign funding sources connected to their child’s public K-12 curriculum. House Education Committee members Aaron Bean, R–Fla., and Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., will put forward the TRACE Act – or Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education. It will amend the Elementary & Secondary Education Act of 1965 to make such parental notification a condition of federal funding allocation. The issue has come to the fore in recent years, as education officials in states like Oklahoma warn against Chinese Communist Party-linked Confucius Classrooms and other foreign-funded or globally-based initiatives. POMPEO LABELS TEACHERS UNION BOSS ‘AMONG THE MOST DANGEROUS PEOPLE’ IN THE US The TRACE Act would require schools to provide on an approximately monthly basis any education materials provided by, using funds received by or purchased from foreign governments. The bill will also require that parents have the right to know about any contract or financial transaction between a foreign country and their child’s school. Bean, who also leads the Congressional DOGE Caucus, forwarded a similar bill in 2024, but Republicans now hold full control of Congress – which they did not at the time. “American schools are for education, not espionage. We cannot allow our students – the future of our great nation – to be corrupted by foreign adversaries who are systematically and aggressively attempting to influence our nation’s K-12 schools,” Bean told Fox News Digital. “Yet, this is what happens when our institutions of learning accept the Trojan horse of foreign funding.” CHINESE INFLUENCE IN SCHOOLS LEADS TO GROWN CONCERNS, OKLAHOMA OFFICIAL SAYS Mackenzie, who just took office after a narrow but crucial GOP upset over Democrat Susan Wild in his Lehigh Valley district, called the TRACE Act “essential for safeguarding America’s children and schools against foreign influence.” “Parents have a fundamental right to know what’s happening in their children’s classrooms, especially in cases where foreign governments are funding curricular materials or compensating school personnel,” Mackenzie said. “By empowering parents to demand transparency and accountability, the TRACE Act will ensure that our children’s education remains free from external influence,” the Pennsylvanian added. Bean said parents deserve to know who is funding the materials used to educate their children and further warned against potential subtle indoctrination of America’s youth. Oklahoma’s top elected education official had called for congressional action in 2023 to blunt foreign influence in schools – and further pledged to be on the front lines of pushing back against untoward interference in children’s education. State Superintendent of Education Ryan Walters told Fox News Digital in June that foreign influence over education is a national security risk – especially when it comes without the knowledge of children or their parents. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP He challenged his state’s largest school district, alleging funding for Confucius Classrooms had been “hidden” from parents and that it was “actually the Chinese Communist Party that was funding a nonprofit that was working directly in the school.” In a statement to Fox News at the time, Tulsa Public Schools said the district “has no Confucius classroom programs in its schools.” In a report from The Oklahoman, the district reportedly funded a professional development class for a Chinese language teacher at one high school, which was facilitated through a Confucius Classroom Coordination Office at an outside, Texas-based organization. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., then chair of the House Education Committee, said it is clear “significant investments” from foreign nations are “flowing into America’s K-12 schools [and] possibly impacting decisions regarding personnel or curriculum.” Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Wis., took over for Foxx as chair of that committee in January.
Attorney General Pam Bondi to travel to New Orleans to survey Super Bowl LIX security
Pam Bondi will spend her first full day as U.S. attorney general Thursday traveling to New Orleans to survey security of the Super Bowl game this Sunday, Fox News has learned. Her trip is part of an effort to highlight the administration’s broader commitment to crack down on violent crime and acts of terrorism. Bondi will be accompanied by Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, the Justice Department said, where she will meet with multiple law enforcement groups at the federal and local level, including DOJ components and the FBI field office. BONDI’S DOJ DAY 1 DIRECTIVES; FIGHT WEAPONIZATION OF JUSTICE, ELIMINATE CARTELS, LIFT DEATH PENALTY BAN Her visit comes less than two months after a man used a vehicle to ram through crowds on Bourbon Street in New Orleans early New Year’s Day, killing at least 14 people and injuring more than 30 others in what FBI officials said was being investigated as an act of terrorism. While in New Orleans, Bondi plans to conduct briefings during the visit related to preventing another terrorist attack in New Orleans, DOJ officials told Fox News. The visit comes as Bondi looks to move on her Day One prioritie— among them, cracking down on terrorist-linked or inspired attacks on U.S. soil. This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
Why oil and gas companies want state oversight for carbon dioxide injection
Environmentalists are worried the state — known for a lax approach to regulation — is not prepared for the added responsibility of regulating certain carbon capture projects.
Liz Cheney to Elon Musk regarding her past work at USAID: ‘Damn Right’
Former Rep. Liz Cheney emphatically acknowledged her past work for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) when responding to a tweet by Elon Musk. Musk, who is spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort to slash government waste and fraud, has the agency in his crosshairs. “Interesting,” Musk wrote in response to a post in which Mike Benz, founder and executive director of the Foundation for Freedom Online, said Cheney had been “spawned out of USAID.” Benz shared a screenshot from an article that said Cheney had worked at the agency. “Damn right, @Elon. I’m proud of what America did to win the Cold War, defeat Soviet communism, and defend democracy. Our nation stood for freedom. You may be unfamiliar with that part of our history since you weren’t yet an American citizen,” Cheney declared when retweeting Musk. USAID STAFFERS STUNNED, ANGERED BY TRUMP ADMIN’S DOGE SHUTDOWN OF $40B AGENCY Benz shared screenshots of Cheney’s post and of Musk’s post, and wrote, “‘Damn right I was spawned out of USAID.’ – Liz Cheney.” “No kidding,” Musk replied when retweeting Benz. President Donald Trump shared a screenshot of Musk’s post on Truth Social. The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress notes that Cheney was a staffer at USAID from 1989-1992. She was one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. BIDEN AWARDS LIZ CHENEY, JAN 6 COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN A MEDAL: US ‘IS BETTER BECAUSE OF THEIR DEDICATION’ Last year she endorsed, and even campaigned with, former Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate who lost to Trump. During her congressional tenure, Cheney served on the House Select Committee that probed the Jan. 6 episode. President Joe Biden, who awarded Cheney the Presidential Citizens Medal, pardoned lawmakers and staffers who served on the committee out of concern that they could be targeted in “politically motivated prosecutions.” WHAT IS USAID AND WHY IS IT IN TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS? During a recent X spaces, Musk said that unlike an apple contaminated by a worm, USAID is “a bowl of worms.” “There is no apple,” he said. “It’s beyond repair.”
Former USAID official Mark Moyar says ‘corruption’ at agency ‘subverted’ Trump White House
In President Donald Trump’s first term in the White House, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was rife with “corrruption” as staffers were intent on “subverting the president’s will,” on policy matters and sending taxpayer dollars overseas to further DEI and LGBT advocacy initiatives, a former USAID official told Fox News Digital in an interview. “A lot of them were beholden or had ties to the previous administration, the Obama administration, [and] the large majority of them had voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016,” Mark Moyar, who worked in the department from 2018 to 2019, said. “Now some of them did as they were told, but there was a large resistance element. And in one case, I was at a meeting, and they talked about how there was this aid going into Syria, and we needed to hide it from the White House, because we don’t want President Trump finding out about it and canceling it.” “They apparently just forgot I was in the room,” he added. WHAT IS USAID AND WHY IS IT IN TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS? Moyar resigned from his position in July 2019 after his security clearance was suspended due to a dispute over him publishing a book – “Oppose Any Foe: The Rise of America’s Special Operations Forces” – before the Defense Department was able to complete a prepublication review for potentially classified information, according to a court document. While USAID did not officially terminate his employment, Moyar said he was effectively “fired” without due process. He has also alleged that the suspension of his security clearance was a form of retaliation for reporting waste, fraud and abuse within the agency. Moyar said significant amounts of money were being spent at USAID without the knowledge of political appointees. He described a case from 2019, “more than halfway through the administration,” where officials discovered a “big slush fund that none of his political appointees knew about.” Once it was exposed, they were able to take action, but he emphasized that such issues were widespread across the agency. He also pointed to numerous conflicts of interest, where employees used their positions to benefit private businesses in which they had a stake – something he described as “totally illegal.” MUSK’S DOGE TAKES AIM AT ‘VIPER’S NEST’ FEDERAL AGENCY WITH GLOBAL FOOTPRINT Moyar explained that what ultimately led to getting in trouble at the department was reporting an office director who was not only using his role to assist a specific company but was also “the Chairman of the Board of that company.” Despite previous reports being made about the misconduct, he said no action was taken. Instead, he said the agency “helped him find employment at another federal agency, the Department of Defense, so he ends up OK.” “Meanwhile, they come after me and try to accuse me of publishing classified information and use that as a pretext to have me fired,” Moya said. “And I’m 100% sure this is fraudulent. I’ve actually sued the government to turn over the records, and still, five years later, the Department of Justice is fighting me. But it’s part of a larger pattern where the people who report the corruption are the ones who get kicked out, and the ones who are engaged in corruption thrive within the organization.” Moyar added this is part of why such “radical” changes are happening in real time at the USAID, as Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – the government accountability unit headed by billionaire Elon Musk – effectively shut down the $40 billion agency on Monday. The former director also detailed instances of government waste dating back to Trump’s first term, saying it;s “so important to get into the records of the agency” to determine how many taxpayer dollars have been used on wasteful initiatives. USAID STAFFERS STUNNED, ANGERED BY TRUMP ADMIN’S DOGE SHUTDOWN OF $40B AGENCY Uncovering the full extent of DEI-related spending at USAID will take significant effort, as much of it has been “disguised or rebranded,” Moyar said. He noted that while it’s clear a “huge amount” has already been spent, the actual figure is likely even higher. He also criticized the push for DEI abroad, calling it not only a “ridiculous ideology” but one that is actively harming U.S. relations with other countries. “Most other countries look at this DEI stuff and say, ‘This is crazy,’” he said, adding that efforts to promote a “radical LGBTQ agenda” overseas have sometimes been met with resistance. “So I think we’re going to find a great amount of waste, fraud and abuse, especially because the Inspector General, I think, has been asleep at the wheel,” Moyar said. “In the weeks and months to come, we’re going to hear a lot of horror stories about how USAID has been misusing the money.” USAID was set up in the early 1960s to act on behalf of the U.S. to deliver aid across the globe, particularly in impoverished and underdeveloped regions. The Trump administration alleges that much of the spending has been wasteful, promoting a liberal agenda around the world. Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department, Department of Defense and USAID for comment. Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
Trump announces executive order creating task force to ‘eradicate anti-Christian bias’
President Donald Trump announced at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., on Thursday that he will sign an executive order instructing the Justice Department to create a new task force to “eradicate anti-Christian bias.” Trump praised new Attorney General Pam Bondi as a “great person,” saying she would lead the new task force. “About time, right? Anti-Christian bias. Yeah, I never heard of that one before, right? But there is,” Trump said. “The mission of this task force will be to immediately halt all forms of anti-Christian targeting and discrimination within the federal government, including at the DOJ, which was absolutely terrible. The IRS, the FBI, terrible, and other agencies.” The president said the task force will also “work to fully prosecute anti-Christian violence and vandalism in our society and to move heaven and earth to defend the rights of Christians and religious believers nationwide.” WHITE HOUSE CALLS DEMOCRAT CRITICISM OF DOGE ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ AND ‘INCREDIBLY ALARMING’ “While I’m in the White House, we will protect Christians in our schools, in our military, in our government, in our workplaces, hospitals and in our public squares, and we will bring our country back together as one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all,” Trump said. “Throughout history, those who have sought control and domination over others have always tried to cut the people off from the connection to their creator. At the same time, every nation with big dreams and great ambition has recognized that there is no recourse more precious than the faith in the hearts of our people. It’s the thing that makes our nation great and makes other nations great. When you don’t have it, you don’t see great nations. Without God, we are isolated and alone, but with God, the Scripture tells us, all things are possible,” Trump said. Fox News Digital is told that Trump will sign the executive order Thursday afternoon to “end the war on Christians” and protect Americans’ “fundamental right to religious freedom.” The White House said what will be known as the “Task Force to End the War on Christians” will be comprised of members of the president’s Cabinet and key government agencies, and the order seeks to “end the anti-Christian weaponization of government.” The White House told Fox News Digital that the task force will review activities of all departments and agencies to “identify and eliminate anti-Christian policies, practices, or conduct.” The task force will also gather input from various stakeholders to ensure “broad perspectives are considered,” including faith-based organizations and Americans affected by “anti-Christian conduct.” The task force is also directed to identify and address gaps in law enforcement that have “contributed” to that conduct. The executive order will also ensure that federal law enforcement remedy any “failures” to fully enforce the law against acts of anti-Christian hostility, vandalism and violence. “The previous administration engaged in an egregious pattern of targeting peaceful Christians while ignoring violent, anti-Christian offenses,” the White House said. “President Trump will not tolerate this abuse of government and is taking action to ensure that any unlawful and improper anti-Christian conduct, policies or practices are identified, terminated, and rectified.” The executive order comes after nearly two dozen pro-life Christians were charged and sentenced for demonstrating outside abortion facilities during the Biden administration. DEMOCRAT LAWMAKERS FACE BACKLASH FOR INVOKING ‘UNHINGED’ VIOLENT RHETORIC AGAINST MUSK It also comes after an FBI memo asserted that traditional Catholics were domestic-terrorism threats and suggested infiltrating Catholic churches as “threat mitigation.” The House Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government first discovered and investigated that memo. Speaking at the Washington Hilton Hotel, Trump invoked his own faith in discussing the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. “Well, look at me. I’m standing before you today. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be here. A lot of people said I shouldn’t have been here,” Trump said. “It was God that saved me,” Trump added, garnering applause. Earlier, the president spoke at another prayer breakfast Thursday at the U.S. Capitol, where he announced that he would sign an executive order to create a new national park called the “National Garden of American Heroes.” “The stories of legends like Washington, Winthrop, and Williams remind us that without faith in God, there would be no American story,” Trump said. “Every citizen should be proud of this exceptional heritage. We have an unbuilt, livable heritage, and we have to use that and make life better for everyone.” As the United States approached the 250th anniversary of its founding next year, Trump said he would sign an executive order to “resume the process of creating a new national park full of statues of the greatest Americans who ever lived.” “We’re going to be honoring our heroes, honoring the greatest people from our country,” Trump said. “We’re not going to be tearing down. We’re going to be building up.” Trump also remembered the 67 lives lost during the fatal midair collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger jet landing at Reagan airport in D.C. last week. The president said he would be speaking with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to come together on a “single bill” to upgrade U.S. air traffic control systems in the wake of the disaster.