‘You frighten people’: Top 5 most memorable moments from Wednesday’s Trump nominee hearings
The latest confirmation hearings for President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees were packed with fiery exchanges with lawmakers, interruptions from protesters, and tearjerking testimonies that came as the Senate works to fill out the president’s administration. Several candidates under consideration to head key positions in the Trump administration were grilled by lawmakers during their Senate confirmation hearings on Wednesday. The hearings were off to a fiery start with the Senate Finance Committee’s questioning of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services. The Senate also held confirmation hearings for Howard Lutnick, Trump’s longtime friend, who he picked to head the Department of Commerce, and Kelly Loeffler, who is being considered to lead the Small Business Administration (SBA). During the heated confirmation hearing of Kennedy, Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., told the Trump nominee that he frightens people, specifically referring to his stance on vaccines. “Americans are going to need to hear a clear and trustworthy recantation of what you have said on vaccinations, including a promise from you never to say vaccines aren’t medically safe when they, in fact, are, and making indisputably clear that you support mandatory vaccinations against diseases that will keep people safe,” Whitehouse said during the hearing. “You’re in that hole pretty deep.” Whitehouse then referenced a recent measles outbreak in Rhode Island as he pressed Kennedy on his vaccine stance. “Frankly, you frighten people,” Whitehouse told the Trump nominee. However, Kennedy pushed back on the claims that he is anti-vaccine, noting that all his children are vaccinated. Kennedy’s Senate confirmation hearing was disrupted by several protesters who snuck into the Senate Finance Committee hearing room. After Kennedy told lawmakers that he is not against vaccines, one protester stood up and was heard shouting, “You lie.” Howard Lutnick, who was introduced by Vice President JD Vance, shared an emotional story about his brother being tragically killed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City. Lutnick’s brother, Gary, was tragically killed while working at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, along with 657 of the Lutnick brothers’ friends at their financial firm, Cantor Fitzgerald, the commerce nominee described during the hearing. Lutnick said that he took his son to kindergarten that day, sparing his life. “The company was located on the top five floors of the World Trade Center. I still can’t say it without being emotional, sorry, but no one in the office survived,” he said on Wednesday, appearing to hold back tears. “I made the decision that I’ve made enough money in my life,” Lutnick said. “I can take care of myself. I can take care of my family. It is now my chance to serve the American people.” Kennedy and Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., went back and forth after the Democratic senator claimed the Trump nominee previously likened the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to “Nazi death camps.” “You compared the CDC work to Nazi death camps. You’ve compared it to sexual abusers in the Catholic Church. You’ve also said that many of them, as in the direct quote, belong in jail,” Warnock said during the hearing on Wednesday. Asked if he stands by the statements, Kennedy refuted the claim. “I don’t believe that I ever compared the CDC to Nazi death camps. I support the CDC. My job is not to dismantle or harm the CDC. My job is to empower the scientists,” Kennedy said. “I never said it.” Warnock read a transcript of Kennedy’s remarks at a conference making the reference, but the HHS nominee further defended the intent of his statement. “I was comparing the injury rate of children towards other atrocities,” Kennedy said. “I wouldn’t compare the CDC to Nazi death camps.” SBA pick Kelly Loeffler got into a heated exchange with a member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee while defending Trump against Democratic claims that he “acted illegally” twice in the past week. “The president has already acted illegally twice in the last 5 days. He fired the inspectors general. That was illegal, under the law. He froze all funding on Monday night. That was also against the law,” Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts claimed during his questioning of Loeffler. “So it’s not as though he won’t ask you to do something that is illegal and unconstitutional, he’s been doing it all week. And this is the first week,” he added. However, Loeffler immediately came to the defense of Trump and doubled down on her support of the president’s recent actions. “If I could just, for the record, note that these were not illegal actions,” Loeffler told the committee. “I support the president’s actions. It’s in his right to select members of the executive branch, that’s what he’s doing. And he’s certainly in the right to stop wastefully spending as most presidents do when they come in to pause wasteful spending.” Markey began speaking over Loeffler as she defended the president before changing the subject. Fox News’ Emma Woodhead contributed to this report.
USDA official fired by Trump admin escorted out of office after ‘refusing to comply’ with termination: report
The former inspector general of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) was escorted out of her office Monday after she “refused to comply” with her termination, according to Reuters. Phyllis Fong, who has worked for the USDA for 22 years, was fired on Friday, but she reportedly told her colleagues that she planned to continue working. At the time, the government employee said she believed that the newly inaugurated Trump administration was acting improperly by firing officials so suddenly. In an email obtained by Reuters, Fong said the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) had “taken the position that these termination notices do not comply with the requirements set out in law and therefore are not effective at this time.” Fong, who was appointed as inspector general by President George W. Bush, also worked for the CIGIE from 2008 to 2014, after being elected the council’s first chairperson. According to the USDA’s website, Fong’s job as inspector general involved “audits, investigations, and other oversight activities relating to USDA’s programs and operations.” INSPECTATOR GENERAL DISMISSED BY TRUMP CALLS MASS FIRINGS A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY “The Office of Inspector General (OIG) provides leadership in promoting economy and effectiveness in USDA programs and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse,” the description reads. “Ms. Fong’s priorities as IG have been to focus OIG’s resources on the protection of public health and safety related to USDA’s mission and operations, and to improve the management and financial integrity of the Department’s programs.” Since Jan. 20, President Donald Trump has fired several government employees across dozens of agencies. Inspectors general are one of many targeted employees, along with those in DEI roles. On Saturday, a White House official told Fox News that 17 independent watchdogs at various federal agencies were sacked late Friday. The inspectors general worked for the Defense Department, State Department and Energy Department, in addition to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Veterans Affairs and more. TRUMP SAYS IRON DOME CONSTRUCTION WILL BE ‘IMMEDIATE,’ SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER At the time, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, expressed concern that the sudden firings may have violated federal law that requires the president to give 30 days’ notice to Congress of intent to fire independent watchdogs, according to The Associated Press. “There may be good reason the IGs were fired. We need to know that if so,” Grassley, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. “I’d like further explanation from President Trump. Regardless, the 30 day detailed notice of removal that the law demands was not provided to Congress.” Fox News Digital reached out to Fong, the White House and the USDA for comment. Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson and Chris Pandolfo and Reuters contributed to this report.
Greg Abbott orders state agencies to cooperate with Trump’s deportation efforts
The move comes just days after federal agents launched immigration operations in various Texas cities.
An immigrant faces deportation after a routine traffic stop in Texas, sparking more fear
Advocates worry that rapidly shifting federal and state immigration initiatives will prompt more city police to funnel migrants without criminal records to federal agents.
Senate advances Trump’s pick to lead the US Interior, Doug Burgum
The Senate voted Wednesday to advance President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department — former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum — for a final confirmation vote. Burgum appeared before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in mid-January, where he told lawmakers that national security issues and the economy were his two top priorities for leading the agency. “When energy production is restricted in America, it doesn’t reduce demand,” Burgum said in his opening statement Jan. 16. “It just shifts production to countries like Russia and Iran, whose autocratic leaders not only don’t care at all about the environment, but they use their revenues from energy sales to fund wars against us and our allies.” TRUMP ENERGY NOMINEE HECKLED BY CLIMATE PROTESTERS, DERIDED BY DEM SENATOR AS ‘ENTHUSIAST FOR FOSSIL FUELS’ Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, questioned Burgum on whether he would seek to drill for oil in national parks if Trump asked him to. “As part of my sworn duty, I’ll follow the law and follow the Constitution. And so you can count on that,” Burgum said. “And I have not heard of anything about President Trump wanting to do anything other than advancing energy production for the benefit of the American people.” BURGUM GRILLED ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES TARGETED BY TRUMP DURING CONFIRMATION HEARING: ‘DRILL, BABY, DRILL’ Additionally, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., questioned whether Burgum backed repealing credits for electric vehicles that may be in jeopardy under the Trump administration. “I support economics and markets,” Burgum said. Burgum served as governor of North Dakota from 2016 to 2024. He also launched a presidential bid for the 2024 election in June 2023, where energy and natural resources served as key issues during his campaign. ZELDIN GRILLED BY DEMOCRATS ON CLIMATE CHANGE, TRUMP’S STANCE ON CARBON EMISSIONS DURING EPA HEARING Burgum appeared during the first two Republican presidential debates, but didn’t qualify for the third and ended his campaign in December 2023. He then endorsed Trump for the GOP nomination a month later ahead of the Iowa caucuses. Aubrie Spady, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Trump begins second term in stronger position than the first: poll
President Donald Trump is kicking off his second tour of duty in the White House in a stronger polling position than during the start of his first administration eight years ago, a new national poll indicates. Forty-six percent of voters say they approve of the job the Republican president is doing so far, with 43% disapproving, according to a Quinnipiac University survey released on Wednesday. The poll was conducted Jan. 23-27, during Trump’s first week back in the White House following his Jan. 20th inauguration. The president’s approval rating is an improvement from Quinnipiac polling in late January 2017 – as Trump began his first term in office – when he stood at 36% approval and 44% disapproval. WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLING SHOWS The survey indicates a predictable huge partisan divide over the GOP president. “Republicans 86-4 percent approve of the job Trump is doing, while Democrats 86-8 percent disapprove,” the poll’s release highlights. “Among independents, 41 percent approve, while 46 percent disapprove and 13 percent did not offer an opinion.” While Trump’s first approval rating for his second term is a major improvement from his first term, his rating is below the standing of his predecessor, former President Biden, in the first Quinnipiac poll from his single term in office. CLICK HERE FOR FOX NEWS COVERAGE OF TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS Biden stood at 49%-36% approval at the start of February 2021. His approval rating hovered in the low to mid 50s during his first six months in the White House. But Biden’s numbers sank into negative territory in the late summer and autumn of 2021, in the wake of his much-criticized handling of the turbulent U.S. exit from Afghanistan, and amid soaring inflation and a surge of migrants crossing into the U.S. along the nation’s southern border with Mexico. Biden’s approval ratings stayed underwater throughout the rest of his presidency. Trump has kept up a frenetic pace during his first week and a half in office, with an avalanche of executive orders and actions. His moves not only fulfilled some of his major campaign trail promises, but also allowed the returning president to flex his executive muscles, quickly put his stamp on the federal government, and also settle some longstanding grievances. “In our first week in office, we set records, taking over 350 executive actions,” Trump touted on Wednesday. “That’s not been done before, and it has reportedly been the single most effective opening week of any presidency in history.” TRUMP MOVING AT ‘WARP SPEED’ DURING HIS FIRST DAYS BACK IN OFFICE According to the new poll, six in ten approve of Trump’s order sending U.S. troops to the southern border to enhance security. “The huge deployment of boots on the ground is not to a dicey, far away war theater, but to the American border. And a majority of voters are just fine with that,” Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said. The poll indicates 44% support deporting all undocumented immigrants, while 39% back deporting only those convicted of violent crimes. According to the survey, 57% disapprove of Trump’s pardoning or commuting the sentences of more than 1,500 people convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters aiming to upend congressional certification of Biden’s 2020 election victory. Meanwhile, by a two-to-one margin, those questioned gave a thumbs down to Biden’s issuing of preemptive pardons – in his final hours in office – for five members of his family who haven’t been charged with any crimes. Voters were divided on Biden’s preemptive pardons for politicians and government officials who Trump had targeted for retaliation. The poll also indicates that 53% disapprove of Elon Musk – the world’s richest person – enjoying a prominent role in the new Trump administration, with 39% approving. Democrats lost control of the White House and the Senate majority and failed to win back control of the House in November’s elections. And the new poll spells more trouble for them. Only 31% of respondents had a favorable opinion of the Democratic Party, with 57% seeing the party in an unfavorable light. “This is the highest percentage of voters having an unfavorable opinion of the Democratic Party since the Quinnipiac University Poll began asking this question,” the survey’s release noted. Meanwhile, the 43% of those questioned had a favorable view of the GOP, with 45% holding an unfavorable opinion, which was the highest favorable opinion for the Republican Party ever in Quinnipiac polling. Quinnipiac questioned 1019 self-identified registered voters nationwide. The survey’s overall sampling error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
DHS suspends approval of applications with ‘X’ gender marker
Employees for the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Immigration Services will no longer be able to process applications that contain an “X’ marker for gender. In a letter sent to DHS Field Operations and USCIS employees that was obtained by Fox News Digital advises officials to “not make a final decision on any application that would produce a document with an “X” marker, citing President Donald Trump’s January 20 executive order that “prohibits using the ‘X’ marker on our documentation and in our systems.” “This is consistent with President Trump’s executive order that the U.S. recognizes two sexes, male and female,” DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. “This is common sense.” TRUMP FIRES TWO DEMOCRATIC COMMISSIONERS ON CIVIL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AS WHITE HOUSE TARGETS DEI The letter comes after Trump signed an Executive Order on his first day in office aimed at shifting the language used by the federal government in documentation, including a move to replace the term “gender” with “sex” on official documents. “The erasure of sex in language and policy has a corrosive impact not just on women but on the validity of the entire American system. Basing Federal policy on truth is critical to scientific inquiry, public safety, morale, and trust in government itself,” read the order that was signed by Trump. STATE DEPT PULLS MILLIONS IN FUNDING FOR ‘CONDOMS IN GAZA,’ AS TRUMP ADMIN LOOKS TO TRIM SPENDING The move also reverses changes made during the Biden administration, including giving Americans who do not identify with either of the two biological sexes the ability to mark documents such as passports with an “x” instead of “male” or “female.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP But Trump’s order calls for all federal government agencies to ensure that all documents “accurately reflect the holder’s sex,” which the order defines as “an individual’s immutable biological classification.”
Newsom bill could spend tax money to defend illegal immigrants from Trump deportation push: CA lawmaker
California Republican Rep. Bill Essayli is seeking answers from liberal Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration about whether bills introduced in the legislature’s special session to “Trump-proof” the state would thwart the president’s mass deportation program. During a hearing on Tuesday to discuss two bills that Newsom has proposed, which allocates a $50 million initiative to bolster the state’s legal defenses against anticipated federal policies from President Donald Trump’s administration, Essayli questioned officials from Newsom’s office about whether the funds would be used “to defend illegal immigrants from deportation.” “It’s not very clear to me, but basically, these groups provide free legal services to illegal immigrants,” Essayli told Fox News Digital in an interview. “And what I wanted to know is, if they’re going to be defending illegal immigrants from deportation who have criminal records, and they could not answer the question. I think the answer is, absolutely they are.” IS NOW THE RIGHT TIME … TO FIGHT DONALD TRUMP?’: CA HOUSE SPEAKER DODGES FIERY QUESTIONING FROM REPORTER During the hearing, Essayli asked one of Newsom’s officials if the money would be used to defend criminal illegal immigrants from deportation. “Assembly member, as a budget staffer, I can only tell you what the grant is for, I don’t know that I can get you that level of guarantee,” she responded. She later added she’s “not certain about that” when asked further if any funds given to nonprofit organizations would go to defending criminal illegal immigrants. Newsom’s proposal includes earmarking $25 million to the California Department of Justice to enhance its capacity to sue the Trump administration over policies that could “harm Californians,” including environmental regulations and abortion access. An additional $25 million is designated for nonprofit organizations to defend “immigrant families.” ‘DEVASTATING’: CALIFORNIA HAD RECORD RAINFALL LAST YEAR, BUT LACKED INFRASTRUCTURE TO STORE IT “All of this is for show, just to say, ‘Oh, we had a public hearing on these bills,’ and then we’re supposed to vote,” Essayli said. “We didn’t get any questions answered.” Spokesperson for Newsom’s office, Brandon Richards, told Fox News Digital in a statement that “none of this funding will be used to support immigration-related services for criminals. Period.” Fox News Digital followed up with Newsom’s office inquiring whether funds would be used to defend any illegal immigrants in California from deportation. In response, Richards repeated his previous statement. The Trump administration has been moving full steam ahead with first deporting illegal immigrants who have already been convicted of committing crimes. In the last week, the Department of Homeland Security said that “law enforcement officials have removed and returned 7,300 illegal aliens.” NEWSOM PROPOSES $25M FROM STATE LEGISLATURE TO ‘TRUMP-PROOF’ CALIFORNIA Newsom called a special legislative session quickly after Trump’s electoral victory to secure additional funding for the state’s legal defense against the administration. Reacting to the development on his TruthSocial account at the time, Trump said, “He is using the term ‘Trump-Proof’ as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again,’ but I just overwhelmingly won the Election.” The state has a history of legal battles with the Trump administration, having filed 123 lawsuits during his first term, primarily concerning environmental, illegal immigration and healthcare issues. California was also among the first states to establish itself as a “sanctuary state” for transgender transition treatments for minors, a practice that Trump barred from receiving federal support through an executive order on Wednesday. The California Senate has already approved Newsom’s proposal, and the Assembly will vote Thursday. If the Assembly passes the measures without amendments, they will be sent to Newsom’s desk by Friday. Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
Trump DoD creates task force to abolish DEI offices that ‘promote systemic racism’
DEI is about to die at the DoD. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth zeroed in on the controversial programs, releasing a memorandum on Wednesday stating that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is incompatible with Department of Defense (DoD) values, and created a task force to address the abolition of the program. Further, it outlined how the department will restore America’s fighting force – citing promotion and selection reform; elimination of quotas; and prohibition of Critical Race Theory, gender ideology, and DEI. In an executive order issued Monday, “Restoring America’s Fighting Force,” President Donald Trump prohibited any preference or disadvantage for an individual or group within the Armed Forces on the basis of sex, race or ethnicity. DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH SAYS ‘NO MORE DEI AT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE’: ‘NO EXCEPTIONS’ The memorandum – for senior pentagon leadership, commanders, and DoD field activity directors – noted the DoD will strive to provide merit-based, color-blind, equal opportunities for service members, but will not guarantee or strive for equal outcomes. All decisions related to hiring, promotion, and selection of personnel for assignments will be based on merit, the needs of the department, and the individual’s desires, according to the memo. Officials created a “Restoring America’s Fighting Force” Task Force to oversee the department’s efforts to abolish DEI offices, boards, councils and working groups. WHITE HOUSE OPM ORDERS ALL DEI OFFICES TO BEGIN CLOSING BY END OF DAY WEDNESDAY It will also eliminate any “vestiges of such offices that subvert meritocracy, perpetuate unconstitutional discrimination, and promote radical ideologies related to systemic racism and gender fluidity.” Officials also nixed any programs, elements or initiatives that were established to promote “diverse concepts,” according to the memo. Moving forward, officials said the DoD will not consider sex, race or ethnicity when considering individuals for promotion, command or special duty. The department will also eliminate quotas, objectives and goals that are based on those characteristics. U.S. Service Academies and other defense academic institutions will “teach that America and its founding documents remain the most powerful force for good in human history,” according to the memo. U.S. Naval Academy officials told Fox News Digital the institution will follow Trump’s orders. “In accordance with the Department of Defense, the U.S. Naval Academy will fully execute and implement all directives outlined in the Executive Orders issued by the President, ensuring that they are carried out with utmost professionalism, efficiency, and in alignment with national security objectives,” officials said. Fox News Digital requested comment from the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, but did not immediately receive a response. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP An initial report on progress will be provided to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USDP&R) by March 1, and a final report by June 1.
Anxious Republicans demand action from House leaders as GOP retreat ends without budget plan
DORAL, Fla. — The House GOP’s three-day annual retreat has ended without public progress on Republicans’ budget reconciliation plans, and some lawmakers are getting nervous about falling behind schedule. “After two days at our House Republican winter retreat, we still do not have a plan on budget reconciliation and our Speaker and his team have not offered one,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., wrote on X Wednesday morning. “Basically, just get started doing something. We have only been presented with the same policy and budget cut proposals that we have been presented with for a month now at all our meetings and at a full Saturday conference meeting earlier this month.” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters on Tuesday that an initial “blueprint” would be “prepared by tomorrow, by the time we leave.” TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS The budget reconciliation process allows the majority party in the House and Senate, in this case Republicans, to pass a broad-ranging conservative policy overhaul, provided the contents are relevant to the budget and other fiscal matters. It does so by lowering the threshold for passage in the Senate from 60 votes to 51. It starts with a budget resolution that includes instructions for specific committees to work toward changes to fiscal policy law under their respective jurisdictions, including topline numbers. When asked by reporters about whether he expects those broad toplines to emerge on Wednesday morning, Johnson said, “We’ll be getting to that final number. What we’ve emphasized, with our group, is that we want to have some flexibility in the how the instructions are given to the committees.” “Stay tuned for the number. It will be substantial, because it has to be. I mean, we have a $36 trillion federal debt, and we’re committing that in this process. Anything we do is going to be deficit neutral at least or deficit-reducing,” he said. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT DOGE AND ITS QUEST TO SLASH GOVERNMENT WASTE, SPENDING Johnson said later in the press conference, “The objective is to, by the time we leave here today, to have a blueprint that will inform the budget committee for when they work on that budget resolution.” The details and parameters of that blueprint are not immediately clear. By Wednesday afternoon, however, a majority of lawmakers who were staying at President Donald Trump’s golf resort in Doral, Florida left without a sense of their next steps. “I think the general feeling is leadership needs to make a play call and start executing on it,” one House GOP lawmaker told Fox News Digital. Asked if they were optimistic about leaders making that call soon, the lawmaker said, “They better if they want to get this done.” Another House Republican said the meetings were “productive” but with a caveat — “as long as leadership takes our input, ideas and concerns seriously.” Other GOP lawmakers signaled they were exasperated by weeks of “listening sessions” among Republicans that have not led to specific directives from House leaders. But Johnson was confident that the House Budget Committee would have its “blueprint” to work from when Congress is back “when we return to the hill” – which is next week. “That’s going to happen, and we’ll get it through the whole chamber, and we’ll be voting on that by late February,” he said.