Texas A&M regents may soon decide the university system’s next leader
Regents are scheduled to meet in Houston on Monday to discuss the search in executive session and potentially vote on a finalist. Their pick will replace outgoing Chancellor John Sharp.
Trump set to meet with world leaders in DC during busy week as Russia-Ukraine peace talks continue
President Donald Trump is set to have another busy week meeting with foreign leaders in the nation’s capital as administration leaders continue working out a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Trump will meet with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron in his fifth week back in the Oval Office, national security advisor Mike Waltz said on Fox News’ “America Reports.” The announcement follows Macron calling for an emergency meeting of world leaders after the Trump administration excluded Europe from sitting at the negotiating table to settle the war between Ukraine and Russia. “Just a few months ago, everyone was talking about this war as though it would never end,” Waltz said on “America Reports” after confirming Starmer and Macron will visit Washington, D.C. “In just a very short amount of time, President Trump has us, everyone – the Ukrainians, the Russians, the Europeans – talking about it now and debating.… Only President Trump could drive that shift in conversation. And we have to acknowledge that that’s happened.” TRUMP SOUNDS OFF ON ZELENSKYY’S INSULTS AS US WORKS TO BROKER UKRAINE PEACE DEAL WITH RUSSIA: ‘I’VE HAD IT’ Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff met in Riyadh last week with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin’s foreign affairs advisor Yuri Ushakov to hash out ways to end the conflict. Ukraine was absent from the negotiations in Saudi Arabia. RUSSIA, UKRAINE TAKE ‘SIGNIFICANT FIRST STEP TOWARD PEACE’ AFTER RUBIO-LED NEGOTIATIONS, WHITE HOUSE INSISTS Ukraine’s lack of involvement sparked President Vlodomyr Zelenskyy to double down on the stance that his nation will not accept a peace deal unless they are a part of the negotiation process. Zelenskyy told reporters Tuesday in Turkey that “nobody decides anything behind our back,” after stressing in recent days that Kyiv will not agree to a peace negotiation without Ukraine’s input. Trump amplified his rhetoric against Zelenskyy last week, including arguing Zelenskyy is a poor negotiator and that he’s “sick of it.” “I’ve been watching this man for years now as his cities get demolished, as his people get killed, as his soldiers get decimated,” Trump told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade last week. “I’ve been watching him negotiate with no cards. He has no cards, and you get sick of it,” he continued. “You just get sick of it, and I’ve had it.” TRUMP’S FRUSTRATIONS WITH ZELENSKYY ESCALATE AS US TURNS UP PRESSURE ON UKRAINE TO REACH PEACE DEAL “I get tired of listening to it,” Trump responded. “I’ve seen it enough, and then he complains that he’s not at a meeting that we’re having with Saudi Arabia trying to intermediate peace. Well, he’s been at meetings for three years with a… president who didn’t know what the hell he was doing. He’s been at the meetings for three years and nothing got done, so I don’t think he’s very important to be at meetings, to be honest with you. He’s been there for three years. He’s he makes it very hard to make deals.” Trump added on Friday that Macron and Starmer “haven’t done anything” since 2022 to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Trump’s recent remarks on Zelenskyy have apparently alarmed European leaders who have backed Ukraine throughout the war. Macron previewed in remarks on Thursday that he will reportedly take a tough tone with Trump during their meeting. TRUMP AND ZELENSKYY WAR OF WORDS HEATS UP EVEN AS US LOOKS TO WIND DOWN WAR IN UKRAINE “Trump, I know him. I respect him and I believe he respects me,” Macron, who will meet with Trump on Monday, said during a question-and-answer session on social media. “I will tell him: deep down you cannot be weak in the face of President (Vladimir Putin). It’s not you, it’s not what you’re made of, and it’s not in your interests.” Starmer, who is slated to meet with Trump on Thursday, said on Sunday in Scotland that there cannot be peace talks without Ukraine’s input. “Nobody wants the bloodshed to continue. Nobody, least of all the Ukrainians,” he said Sunday, according to Reuters. “But after everything that they have suffered, after everything that they have fought for, there could be no discussion about Ukraine without Ukraine, and the people of Ukraine must have a long-term secure future.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt spoke to members of the media on Saturday following CPAC, saying a peace deal could be reached as soon as this week. “The president, his team are very much focused on continuing negotiations with both sides of this war to end the conflict, and the president is very confident we can get it done this week,” she said. Fox News Digital’s Bailee Hill, Morgan Phillips and Diana Stancy contributed to this report.
DOD tells civilian workforce to ignore Elon Musk’s request to report productivity
The Department of Defense (DOD) told its civilian workforce to ignore billionaire and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Elon Musk’s request to report their productivity. In a letter to DOD personnel, Darin S. Selnick, who is performing the duties of the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, provided guidance on how to handle Musk’s demand through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). “DoD personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information. The Department of Defense is responsible for reviewing the performance of its personnel and it will conduct any review in accordance with its own procedures,” Selnick wrote. “When and if required, the Department will coordinate responses to the email you have received from OPM. For now, please pause any response to the OPM email titled, ‘What did you do last week.’” Musk, a senior advisor to President Donald Trump, said earlier on Saturday that employees would receive an email giving them a chance to explain how productive they were the previous week. If an employee fails to respond to the email, Musk said the government will interpret that as a resignation. ELON MUSK SAYS ‘BAR IS VERY LOW’ AFTER ORDERING FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TO FILL OUT PRODUCTIVITY REPORTS OR RESIGN “Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week,” Musk wrote on X. “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.” Later that day, Musk said the report should take under five minutes for employees to write. The deadline for responding to the email is 11:59 p.m. on Monday. ELON MUSK SAYS FEDERAL EMPLOYEES MUST FILL OUT PRODUCTIVITY REPORTS OR RESIGN “To be clear, the bar is very low here. An email with some bullet points that make any sense at all is acceptable! Should take less than 5 mins to write,” Musk wrote on X. A spokesperson from OPM confirmed Musk’s plans. “As part of the Trump Administration’s commitment to an efficient and accountable federal workforce, OPM is asking employees to provide a brief summary of what they did last week by the end of Monday, CC’ing their manager,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Agencies will determine any next steps.” WHITE HOUSE OUTLINES WHERE DOGE SAVINGS COULD GO AFTER TRUMP FLOATS RETURNING 20% TO AMERICANS Also telling employees to stand down was Kash Patel, who was confirmed by the Senate last week as the new director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). “FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information,” Patel told employees, according to The Associated Press. “The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures. When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses.” The State Department also reportedly issued a similar message to employees on Saturday, informing them that department officials “will respond on behalf of the Department,” according to a message sent by Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy, who serves as acting under secretary of state for management. Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion, Andrea Margolis and Fox News’ Patrick Ward contributed to this report.
Television star believes Trump’s policies will win in long run
Popular TV host Mike Rowe believes that President Donald Trump’s policies will be better for the country in the long run. Asked by Fox News Digital how he feels about Trump’s first few weeks back in office, Rowe indicated that he is “happy” with what he has seen so far and optimistic about the future outlook. “I’m a one-issue guy, I got a foundation, we’re trying to close the skills gap, he wants to bring manufacturing back, and I am all for it,” Rowe said of Trump from the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday. “But right now we got 7.2 million men, able-bodied, who are not looking for work. They’re just sitting out of the workforce. And we’ve got giant shortages already in dozens of skilled trades, so I think part of what has to happen is a PR campaign to reinvigorate the trades as we bring back the manufacturing.” THE AGE OF RELYING ON CREDENTIALS IS NEARING AN END, MIKE ROWE SAYS Rowe noted that he is willing to put his money where his mouth is to assist the effort and indicated he was available to help Trump with the issue as well. “I got a million bucks I am giving away this month to microworks.org to help train the next generation of skilled workers. If I could be of use in any other capacity in that regard, I am at his disposal,” Rowe said. MIKE ROWE WARNS ABOUT STIGMA ‘GUNK’ AROUND TRADES THAT KEEPS KIDS FROM EXPLORING INDUSTRY Touching on Trump’s tariff and trade policies, Rowe acknowledged the possibility of some short-term pain for American industries but argued the payoff would be worth it in the end. “Yes, they will hurt short term. Is it worth it long term?” Rowe said. “Look, do you want to be dependent on China? Do you want to be reliant on other countries? These are really simple, fundamental questions. If the answer is we want to be more independent, there’s going to be some short-term pain.” “I think it will be worth it to be less reliant on countries who hate us,” Rowe added. “I think it will be worth it to be less dependent on countries that aren’t terribly concerned with what’s best for us. I am all for an equal playing field, and I am all for every kind of independence we can muster, whether it’s energy independence, economic independence, workforce independence, all of it.”
Pope penned resignation letter in 2013: report
Pope Francis signed a letter of resignation in 2013 to be used in case he was forced from his duties as a result of bad health. “I have already signed my resignation. Tarcisio Bertone was Secretary of State. I signed it and I told him: ‘In case of impediment for medical reasons or whatever, here is my resignation,’” the Pope said during a 2022 interview, according to a report at the time from the New York Post. The resurfaced interview comes as Francis has been hospitalized for over a week and was reported to be in critical condition after suffering an asthmatic respiratory crisis on Saturday, according to a report from the Associated Press. POPE FRANCIS HAD PEACEFUL NIGHT’S REST AT HOSPITAL FOLLOWING RESPIRATORY CRISIS, VATICAN SAYS Francis also received blood transfusions after tests revealed he had a low platelet count, according to a Reuters report. Francis, who turned 88 in December, has long faced questions about what he would do if health issues left him unable to carry out his duties. Such questions would have been unheard of prior to 2013, when Pope Benedict XVI resigned, becoming the first papal resignation in over 600 years. Francis revealed during the 2022 interview that he gave his resignation letter to the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, a holdover from Benedict XVI, about six months after being elected to the papacy in March 2013. POPE FRANCIS SHARES WRITTEN MESSAGE WHILE CONTINUING HOSPITALIZATION “You have it. I don’t know to whom Cardinal Bertone may have given it, but I gave it to him when he was secretary of state,” Francis said at the time. As Francis continued his hospitalization in Rome on Sunday, he shared a message thanking those who have kept him in their prayers during his health struggle. “I have recently received many messages of affection, and I have been particularly struck by the letters and drawings from children,” Pope Francis posted on X Sunday. “Thank you for your closeness, and for the consoling prayers I have received from all over the world!” “I urge you to continue your apostolate with joy and to be a sign of a love that embraces everyone, as the #GospelOfTheDay suggests,” another post said. “May we transform evil into goodness and build a fraternal world. Do not be afraid to take risks for love!”
Trump envoy Witkoff seeking ‘extension’ of Phase 1 of Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, to head back to Middle East
President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said Sunday that he would aim to negotiate an “extension” of Phase One of the Israel-Hamas hostage release and ceasefire deal when he returns to the region this week. “We have to get an extension of Phase One. And, so I’ll be going into the region this week, probably Wednesday, to negotiate that,” Witkoff said during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “And we’re hoping you have the proper time to finish off to begin Phase Two and finish it off and get more hostages released. And move this – move the discussion forward.” Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close confidante of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reportedly met with Witkoff in Washington, D.C., last week. In regard to the meeting, CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Witkoff if he believes Netanyahu “wants to move forward with the ceasefire, or does he want to resume the war to try to eliminate Hamas?” ISRAEL DELAYS PALESTINIAN PRISONER RELEASE AFTER HAMAS’ ‘HUMILIATING’ TREATMENT OF HOSTAGES, NETANYAHU SAYS Witkoff said he believes the prime minister “is well-motivated” and wants to see “the hostages released,” as well “to protect the state of Israel.” “And so he’s got a red line,” Witkoff said. “And he said what the red line is, and that is that Hamas cannot be involved in a governing body when this thing is resolved.” “They can’t be any part of governance in Gaza,” the U.S. envoy said of Hamas. “And, you know, as to existing, I’d leave that – that detail to the prime minister.” In another Sunday show appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Witkoff said he would arrive “probably Wednesday evening” in the Middle East and would visit various countries, including Qatar, Egypt, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. He added that the last remaining living American hostage, Edan Alexander, remains a top priority in negotiations. “He’s front and center for us,” Witkoff said. “I know his parents. We talk all the time. He’s critical. It’s one of President Trump’s most important objectives is to get all Americans home. And we’re going to be successful in getting Edan home, I believe.” REMAINS OF SHIRI BIBAS, MOM OF TWO KILLED, ALLEGEDLY RETURNED TO ISRAEL FOLLOWING HAMAS’ BROKEN PROMISE According to the May 27 protocol agreement, Witkoff explained that Phase Two involves both “a permanent ceasefire, a cessation of all violence,” as well as “the fact that Hamas cannot be allowed to come back into the government” in Gaza. “And I think the way you square that circle is that Hamas has to go. They’ve got to leave,” Witkoff said, adding, “I would say physically, that’s correct.” The envoy said he was not at liberty to say which countries might take in people from Gaza during ongoing negotiations, but stressed that Gaza would not be a safe living environment for another 15 to 20 years following the war and requires an extension reconstruction plan. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced Saturday night that “in light of Hamas’s repeated violations, including the ceremonies that humiliate our hostages and the cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda purposes, it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists that was planned for yesterday until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies.” In a video message Friday, Netanyahu condemned how Hamas “brutally murdered” two young Israeli boys, whose bodies were initially returned to Israel without the remains of their mother, Shiri Bibas. In what Netanyahu decried as a “brazen violation of their agreement,” Hamas initially handed over the wrong body for Bibas, whose actual remains were later returned and identified Saturday following an intense standoff with the terrorist group. Hamas handed over another six Israelis on Saturday in the latest scheduled release of living hostages.
Border Patrol taking control of former USAID HQ
The downtown Washington, D.C., Ronald Reagan building will undergo a dramatic shift as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) takes over the longtime headquarters of the Agency for International Development (USAID), Fox News Digital has confirmed. “CBP has signed a license agreement to occupy approximately 390,000 usable square feet in the USAID tower,” a CBP spokesperson told Fox News Digital. The news, which was originally reported by Politico, comes after a federal judge on Friday declined to keep in place a temporary block that was preventing President Donald Trump from removing all but a small number of USAID staffers, clearing the way for the administration to continue its dramatic cuts to federal departments, according to a report from the Associated Press. USAID WORKERS SEND MESSAGE TO TRUMP ON BOXES WHILE LEAVING OFFICE FOR LAST TIME USAID, a decades-old foreign assistance agency, was one of the first targets for cuts by the new administration, sparking a lawsuit filed by unions representing federal workers in an attempt to block the layoffs. The suit accused the Trump administration of stalling medical evacuations for USAID staffers and family members overseas and cutting off contractors from emergency communications while also challenging the constitutionality of the administration’s sudden cuts, which the suit argues requires congressional approval. “At present, the agency is still standing,” U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols wrote in the ruling. “And so the alleged injuries on which plaintiffs rely in seeking injunctive relief flow essentially from their members’ existing employment relationships with USAID.” ‘WASTEFUL AND DANGEROUS’: DOGE’S TOP FIVE MOST SHOCKING REVELATIONS With the drastic reduction in staffing and the loss of its longtime headquarters, questions remain about the future of USAID and its mission. Earlier this month, the State Department announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been appointed as acting administrator for the agency with an eye toward possible reorganization of its activities under the State Department. “The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has long strayed from its original mission of responsibly advancing American interests abroad, and it is now abundantly clear that significant portions of USAID funding are not aligned with the core national interests of the United States,” the State Department said in a statement. “As we evaluate USAID and ensure it is in alignment with an America First agenda and the efforts of the State Department, we will continue to protect the American people’s interests and ensure their tax dollars are not wasted.”
Musk’s demand that fed employees list their accomplishments roils workforce: ‘Mass civil disobedience’
Department of Government Efficiency chair Elon Musk announced that federal employees must report their accomplishments from the last week or face losing their jobs, which has roiled the federal workforce as some Democratic lawmakers and unions call on employees to flout the directive. “This is a good opportunity for mass civil disobedience. Musk has no authority to do this. Encourage all federal employees to report to work, prepare GFY letters and continue to demonstrate the public service and patriotism he lacks,” Illinois Democratic Rep. Sean Casten posted to X on Saturday evening. The acronym GFY is internet slang typically meaning “go f— yourself.” “It takes a remarkable combination of arrogance and stupidity to think that this is the best use of time for our intelligence officers, VA workers, air traffic controllers, and everyone else we depend on to do their job well,” he continued. Musk said on Saturday that federal employees would receive an email directing them to list their accomplishments from the week prior, with the DOGE leader adding later that day that the assignment should take less than five minutes to accomplish. Employees have until 11:59 pm on Monday to send the list or lose their employment, according to emails regarding Musk’s directive that were sent by the Office of Personnel Management. TRUMP RATTLES OFF ‘FLAGRANT SCAMS’ UNCOVERED BY DOGE, TAKES AIM AT FORT KNOX IN CPAC SPEECH “Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week,” Musk wrote on X. “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.” “To be clear, the bar is very low here. An email with some bullet points that make any sense at all is acceptable! Should take less than 5 mins to write,” Musk added. Musk’s message followed President Donald Trump remarking that he’s been pleased with Musk and DOGE’s work investigating various federal agencies for government overspending, fraud and mismanagement, but that he would like to see Musk “get more aggressive.” Musk responded on X: “Will do, Mr. President!” CPAC STRAW POLL REVEALS WHO CONSERVATIVES BELIEVE WILL BE 2028 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE Unions lambasted Musk’s directive that federal employees detail their work accomplishments to DOGE, with a chapter of the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents FDA employees, telling members they “strongly” encourage them to flout the order. “We work for HHS/FDA, not OPM: OPM directives that have not been formally adopted or communicated by our employer, the FDA, do not create an obligation for you to respond,” the NTEU chapter’s guidance stated. The chapter’s website states in bolded, all-capitalized letters: “NTEU ADVISES YOU NOT TO SIGN THAT EMAIL… UNTIL WE GET MORE INFO.” ELON MUSK SAYS ‘BAR IS VERY LOW’ AFTER ORDERING FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TO FILL OUT PRODUCTIVITY REPORTS OR RESIGN The chapter noted in a comment to Fox News Digital that it is only one chapter of hundreds under the national NTEU’s umbrella, and only represents FDA employees in five states, as well as Washington, D.C. Fox Digital reached out to the national NTEU’s press office on Sunday morning, but did not immediately receive a reply. The national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, Everett Kelley, also released a statement on Saturday evening, arguing that Musk and the Trump administration were showing “their utter disdain for federal employees and the critical services they provide to the American people.” “It is cruel and disrespectful to hundreds of thousands of veterans who are wearing their second uniform in the civil service to be forced to justify their job duties to this out-of-touch, privileged, unelected billionaire who has never performed one single hour of honest public service in his life,” Kelley said in a statement. “AFGE will challenge any unlawful terminations of our members and federal employees across the country.” ELON MUSK SAYS FEDERAL EMPLOYEES MUST FILL OUT PRODUCTIVITY REPORTS OR RESIGN Trump joined the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday afternoon, where he took a victory lap for the breakneck pace of work his administration has accomplished in his first month back in the Oval Office, while lauding Musk for his DOGE efforts. “I signed an order creating the Department of Government Efficiency – you probably haven’t heard of it – which is now waging war on government waste, fraud and abuse. And Elon is doing a great job,” Trump said at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center Saturday in Oxon Hill, Maryland, just outside the nation’s capital. “He’s doing a great job.” WHITE HOUSE OUTLINES WHERE DOGE SAVINGS COULD GO AFTER TRUMP FLOATS RETURNING 20% TO AMERICANS Trump also touted that his administration is gutting the government of “corrupt” and “incompetent” federal employees. “We have a very corrupt group of people in this country, and we’re finding them out,” Trump said during his speech. “We’re removing all of the unnecessary, incompetent and corrupt bureaucrats from the federal workforce.” The Senate confirmed Kash Patel as the new director of the FBI last week, and he reportedly told staffers on Saturday that his office will handle reviewing their productivity. “FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information,” Patel reportedly told employees. “The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures. When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses.” The State Department also reportedly issued a similar message to employees on Saturday, informing them that department officials “will respond on behalf of the Department,” according to a message sent by Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy, who serves as acting under secretary of state for management. The NSA told its employees that “NSA and CYBERCOM are awaiting further guidance” from the Defense Department, the Washington Post reported. Musk doubled down on X on Sunday that the initiative is important due to an alleged swath of government employees who accomplish such little work that they are not even
Trump goes on ‘unprecedented’ Pentagon firing spree: report
President Donald Trump fired the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown, and a number of other top military officers over the weekend in a dramatic shakeup of Pentagon leadership. Trump announced on social media Friday that he was replacing Brown and planned on nominating retired Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to fill his role as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, making him the military’s top officer. A report from Reuters noted Trump’s move was “unprecedented,” becoming the first time a president has pulled a military officer out of retirement to head the Joint Chiefs. The move was just one of many changes Trump announced to top military brass in recent days, including plans to replace the U.S. Navy’s top officer, Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead one of the military branches. Trump is also removing the Air Force vice chief of staff, Gen. Jim Slife, and the judge advocates general of the Army, Navy and Air Force. OBAMA FIRED TOP MILITARY OFFICERS TO ALIGN PENTAGON WITH HIS POLICY VISION, NOW TRUMP SET TO DO THE SAME “I want to thank General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family,” Trump wrote in a social media post. Trump campaigned heavily on the idea of removing “woke” generals from the top of the military, especially those he believed were responsible for botching the U.S. exit from Afghanistan in 2021. Trump’s defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has also made it a point to root out Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the military, going so far as to question whether Brown was given the nod as the nation’s top military officer as a result of his race. “Was it because of his skin color? Or his skill? We’ll never know, but always doubt – which on its face seems unfair to CQ. But since he has made the race card one of his biggest calling cards, it doesn’t really much matter,” Hegseth wrote in his 2024 book. OFFICIALS PUSH BACK ON CLAIMS OF ‘LIST’ OF GENERALS HEGSETH PLANS TO FIRE AT PENTAGON The decision to move on from Franchetti also reverses a 2023 decision by former President Joe Biden, who surprised Pentagon leaders by tapping Franchetti over Adm. Samuel Paparo, who at the time led the Navy’s Pacific Command and was widely expected to be in line for the service’s top job. But Trump’s decision has also caused “upheaval” at the Pentagon, according to the Reuters report, where the Defense Department was already bracing for mass cuts to its civilian staff. The moves were also condemned by the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Jack Reed, of Rhode Island, who called the firings “political.” “Firing uniformed leaders as a type of political loyalty test, or for reasons relating to diversity and gender that have nothing to do with performance, erodes the trust and professionalism that our service members require to achieve their missions,” Reed told Reuters. The White House did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Hochul slams Trump’s ‘king’ remark after president’s move to block congestion pricing toll in NYC
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is defending the state’s congestion pricing program in New York City and pushing back against President Donald Trump’s “king” remark after his administration moved to block the scheme. Hochul appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday and was asked about her one-on-one Oval Office meeting with Trump at the White House last week. The governor said she wanted to use the meeting with Trump to make a case for the toll program “because our city is paralyzed with gridlock, and we had a path forward to be able to make the city move again, and it’s working.” “It was an adversarial meeting,” the Democrat said, “but I was very clear, especially after I found that the Trump administration had ended a program that was put in place, congestion pricing, by the duly elected members of our legislature representing the voice of the people, and with a tweet, he claims that he is the king, and therefore he has the power to destroy it.” The Trump administration on Wednesday ordered a stop to the program, which launched Jan. 5 with the goals of thinning traffic and funding mass transit by imposing a $9 toll on most vehicles entering Manhattan’s core south of Central Park. TRUMP ADMIN MOVES TO BLOCK NYC CONGESTION TOLL PROGRAM Trump declared victory on Truth Social after the announcement, writing, “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!” Hochul immediately fired back on Wednesday, criticizing the remark. She reiterated her stance Sunday. “And I have a problem with that characterization, because we labored under a king 250 years ago, and as I said, we’re not going back there,” Hochul said. NY GOV HOCHUL DECIDES NYC MAYOR ADAMS’ FATE; RAMPS UP OVERSIGHT OF CITY’S TOP OFFICIAL Despite the federal order, the tolls are remaining in place for now because of a federal lawsuit aiming to keep them alive that was filed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a state agency that runs public transit in New York City. The congestion tolling has been divisive in New York, with most opposition coming from suburban commuters or from those living in areas not well-served by the subway system. Advocates say it is an innovative way to speed up traffic and reduce air pollution. Hochul said that while her meeting with Trump may not have persuaded the president to rethink his move to block the program, she will continue to fight for it. “The people in my state need to know I’m willing to take the fight wherever I have to,” she said. Hochul said that she believes the state’s case will be won in the courts and that the congestion pricing toll program will continue. The Associated Press contributed to this report.