Rep. Tony Gonzales announces he will not seek re-election amid House Ethics investigation into affair
Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, announced Thursday evening he will not seek re-election amid a House Ethics investigation into an affair he admitted to having with a former staffer. Gonzales, a married father of 6, admitted to the affair for the first time on Wednesday – a day after advancing to the GOP primary runoff for his congressional district. “At 18, I swore an oath to defend our nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic. During my 20 years in the military and three terms in Congress, I have fought for that cause with absolute dedication to the country that I love,” Gonzales said in a statement. “From overcoming the border crisis to taking a stand with my communities after the worst school shooting in Texas’ history, my philosophy has never changed: do as much as you can, and always fight for the greater good,” he continued. MIKE JOHNSON ASKS EMBATTLED HOUSE REPUBLICAN TONY GONZALES TO DROP RE-ELECTION BID “After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election while serving out the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I’ve always had to my district,” he added. “Through the rest of my term, I will continue fighting for my constituents, for whom I am eternally grateful. Gonzales confessed to the affair during an appearance on a conservative talk radio show one day after advancing to a runoff election in his congressional district’s GOP primary. The House Ethics Committee also launched an investigation into Gonzales on Wednesday to determine if he engaged in sexual misconduct with a female member of his staff and whether he doled out special favors or privileges as a result.
DOJ continues Biden autopen probe despite former president unlikely to face charges
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is continuing its investigation into former President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen in the final months of his administration — focusing on pardons and commutations — though a senior official said Biden is unlikely to face criminal exposure. A senior DOJ official told Fox News the autopen investigation is ongoing and not closed, adding investigators are reviewing clemency actions taken in the final months of the Biden administration. The official also pointed out, however, that the use of an autopen by a sitting president is “established law.” The issue under review is whether the autopen was used in violation of the law, specifically, whether Biden personally approved each name included on pardon and commutation lists. TOP BIDEN OFFICIALS QUESTIONED AND CRITICIZED HOW HIS TEAM ISSUED PARDONS, USED AUTOPEN: REPORT “These types of cases are tough. Executive privilege issues come into play,” the official said. What is also clear, the official indicated, is that the target of any potential prosecution would not likely be Biden. “It’s hard to imagine how [Biden] could be criminally liable for pardon power,” the senior DOJ official said. BIDEN’S AUTOPEN PARDONS DISTURBED DOJ BRASS, DOCS SHOW, RAISING QUESTIONS WHETHER THEY ARE LEGALLY BINDING The official noted that one reason the former president would be unlikely to face charges stems from a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that originally involved current President Donald Trump but would also apply to Biden. “We conclude that under our constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of Presidential power requires that a former President have some immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts during his tenure in office,” the Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. United States in 2024. “At least with respect to the President’s exercise of his core constitutional powers, this immunity must be absolute.” Sources familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s team continues to review the Biden White House’s reliance on an autopen, contradicting a recent New York Times report that indicated the investigation had been paused. DOJ SIGNALS IT’S STILL DIGGING INTO BIDEN AUTOPEN USE DESPITE REPORTS PROBE FIZZLED Trump has pushed for consequences over the autopen controversy, alleging on social media that aides acted unlawfully in its use and raising the prospect of perjury charges against Biden. Biden has rejected those claims, saying in a statement last year he personally directed the decisions in question. “Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency,” Biden said. “I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.” The House Oversight Committee has homed in on Biden’s clemency actions, including five controversial pardons for family members in the final days of his presidency, citing what it described as a lack of “contemporaneous documentation” confirming that Biden directly ordered the pardons. The committee asked the DOJ to investigate “all of former President Biden’s executive actions, particularly clemency actions, to assess whether legal action must be taken to void any action that the former president did not, in fact, take himself.” Fox News Digital’s Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.
US restores diplomatic relations with Venezuela amid push for democratic transition
The United States and Venezuela’s interim authorities have agreed to reestablish diplomatic and consular relations, according to a State Department media note issued Thursday. “The United States and Venezuela’s interim authorities have agreed to reestablish diplomatic and consular relations,” the State Department said in a statement released March 5. The State Department said the agreement is intended to “facilitate our joint efforts to promote stability, support economic recovery and advance political reconciliation in Venezuela. “Our engagement is focused on helping the Venezuelan people move forward through a phased process that creates the conditions for a peaceful transition to a democratically elected government.” CIA DIRECTOR WAS IN VENEZUELA TO MEET WITH ACTING PRESIDENT DELCY RODRIGUEZ, OFFICIAL SAYS The announcement confirms the restoration of diplomatic and consular relations between the two governments. The State Department did not specify when embassy operations or visa services may resume. The statement also did not address potential sanctions changes, outline migration or security cooperation measures or provide additional details about diplomatic engagement moving forward. The announcement comes after months of U.S. engagement in Venezuela. MILLIONS LOSE POWER ACROSS CUBA AS TRUMP SANCTIONS CONTINUE TO FUEL ONGOING ENERGY CRISIS U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum traveled to Caracas March 4 and held meetings with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez during a two-day visit, U.S. and Venezuelan officials said. Burgum discussed opportunities related to mining and critical minerals supply chains and said the Venezuelan interim government had offered security assurances for foreign mining companies seeking to invest in the country. U.S. forces captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Jan. 3 in Caracas. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty two days later in federal court in New York to charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons-related offenses. Diplomatic and consular relations typically involve government-to-government engagement as well as the operation of embassies and consulates that facilitate visas, citizen services and diplomatic coordination. “The United States remains committed to supporting the Venezuelan people and working with partners across the region to advance stability and prosperity,” the statement said. The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz and Greg Norman-Diamond contributed to this reporting.
Operation Epic Fury destroys Iran’s navy and cuts missile attacks by 90% in ongoing campaign
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Thursday that U.S. forces have delivered devastating blows to Iran’s military in the opening days of Operation Epic Fury, crippling key naval and missile capabilities while signaling that a larger and more sustained campaign is underway. Speaking alongside U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Brad Cooper at CENTCOM headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, Hegseth described a fast-moving operation that has significantly degraded Iran’s ability to threaten U.S. forces and regional partners as officials shift toward preventing Tehran from rebuilding its military strength. “In just days of Operation Epic Fury, you and your team have delivered nothing short of devastating, precise strikes taking out the better part of Iran’s navy, making it combat ineffective, neutralizing missile sites and launchers and establishing total dominance over the skies,” Hegseth told Cooper. REP BRIAN MAST: DEMOCRATS DON’T WANT WAR POWERS, THEY WANT TO WAVE A WHITE FLAG “Our forces are executing with unmatched skill, and the mission is advancing decisively.” Cooper detailed the expanding maritime campaign, saying U.S. forces have intensified strikes against Iranian vessels in recent hours, surpassing previously disclosed totals and further weakening Tehran’s ability to project power at sea. “You may have heard the president say just a little while ago that we have sunk or destroyed 24 ships. That was true. At the moment, we’re now up over 30 ships,” Cooper said. “In just the last few hours, we hit an Iranian drone carrier ship roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier. And, as we speak, it’s on fire.” Beyond naval losses, sustained air operations have sharply reduced Iran’s ability to launch retaliatory attacks. U.S. bombers have targeted launchers, command infrastructure and air defenses deep inside the country in an effort to limit both immediate threats and future strike capacity. “Ballistic missile attacks have decreased by 90% since day one. Drone attacks have decreased by 83% since day one,” Cooper said. RED CROSS SHARES AUDIO OF IRANIAN CIVILIAN EXPLAINING SITUATION ON THE GROUND IN TEHRAN: ‘NO RESPITE’ The sharp decline in launches, officials indicated, reflects both the destruction of key systems and the disruption of Iran’s command-and-control networks, forcing Tehran onto the defensive as U.S. aircraft continue operating over the country. Hegseth made clear the operation is not slowing down, warning that significantly more firepower is moving into the region as additional forces and assets come online. “We have only just begun to fight and fight decisively,” Hegseth said. “The amount of combat power that’s still flowing, that’s still coming, that we’ll be able to project over Iran is multiples of what it currently is right now.” PENTAGON POLICY CHIEF GRILLED AS DEM CLAIMS TRUMP BROKE PROMISE ABOUT GOING TO WAR WITH IRAN He also sought to counter any suggestion that the U.S. could face supply constraints as the campaign continues, emphasizing both capacity and staying power. “Our capabilities are overwhelming and gathering still, as are those of our Israeli partners,” Hegseth said. “Our munitions are full up and our will is ironclad, which means our timeline is ours and ours alone to control as long as it takes to ensure the United States of America achieves these objectives.” Cooper confirmed the mission is entering a new phase aimed at Iran’s long-term missile production capacity, shifting from degrading existing stockpiles to preventing their regeneration. “We’re not just hitting what they have. We’re destroying their ability to rebuild,” Cooper said. “As we transition to the next phase of this operation, we will systemically dismantle Iran’s missile production capability for the future.” Together, the remarks underscored both the scale of the battlefield damage already inflicted and the administration’s message that the campaign — bolstered by additional forces and sustained munitions capacity — is positioned to intensify in the days ahead.
Hegseth blasts Brits, says Iran’s chaotic retaliation has driven its own allies ‘into the American orbit’
War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that Iran’s decision to strike neighboring countries has backfired strategically, driving Gulf states that had hoped to stay out of the conflict “into the American orbit” as the U.S. prepares to dramatically increase firepower over Tehran. “What Iran is doing by targeting allied countries that would otherwise want to stay out of this, they’ve actually pulled them into the American orbit,” Hegseth said during a briefing at U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida. He cited the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait as countries now offering expanded cooperation, arguing that Tehran’s retaliatory campaign has strengthened regional alignment with Washington rather than weakened it. U.S. military officials say Iran has launched strikes against a growing number of countries in the region since the conflict began, with CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper noting Tehran has targeted at least a dozen nations. THE FUTURE OF WAR? US-ISRAEL BLITZ ON IRAN UNVEILS NEXT-GEN ALLIED COMBAT Rather than isolating the United States, Hegseth suggested Iran’s actions are consolidating support for the campaign. “The amount of firepower over Iran and over Tehran is about to surge dramatically,” he said, pointing to additional base access and increased bomber operations. Hegseth also addressed allied base access, including the United Kingdom’s initial hesitation to grant U.S. forces early access to strategic facilities. He said the issue has since been resolved and that British-controlled bases are now part of the expanding U.S. air campaign. PETE HEGSETH CRITICIZES ‘FAKE NEWS’ COVERAGE OF IRAN STRIKES, SAYS ONLY TRAGEDIES MAKE FRONT PAGE “It was unfortunate that … the Brits didn’t, from day one say, ‘Hey, go ahead and have access,’” he said. “But we got there, we got there. And that’s now part of the way that we’re operationalizing bomber runs. … The amount of firepower over Iran and over Tehran is about to surge dramatically, and part of it is that we’re going to have even more basing.” Gulf and Arab governments have publicly condemned Iranian missile and drone strikes on their territories as violations of sovereignty and threats to regional security, while stopping short of criticizing U.S. military action. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan issued a joint statement strongly condemning Iran’s “indiscriminate and reckless” missile and drone attacks against sovereign territory in the region, reaffirming their right to self-defense. Regional leaders have framed Iran’s actions as dangerous escalations rather than legitimate retaliation, underscoring a rare moment of unified public opposition among Gulf Cooperation Council members. Beyond the Gulf, Azerbaijan has also protested what it says were Iranian drone strikes on its Nakhchivan exclave, which injured civilians and damaged the international airport. Baku summoned Tehran’s ambassador and said it reserved the right to take retaliatory measures in defense of its territory, even as Tehran denied responsibility for the incident. Some regional analysts say Iran appears to have miscalculated by striking at U.S. assets in third-party nations. US SURGES FORCES TO MIDDLE EAST AS PENTAGON WARNS IRAN FIGHT ‘WILL TAKE SOME TIME’ “It was absolutely inevitable that the Iranians would seek to lash out, to widen the conflict … but all they’ve really done is made everybody quite mad, and that was a really bad calculation on their part,” said Danielle Pletka, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Peter Doran, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, noted the shift in regional alignment. “It would have been unbelievable just one year ago to see Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states lining up with the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic,” he said. Hegseth dismissed suggestions that the war is spiraling outward, arguing that Iran’s actions are instead clarifying the battlefield and strengthening U.S. partnerships. “This idea that it’s expanding or going — no,” he said. “It’s actually simplifying in a number of ways exactly what we need to achieve and how we’ll achieve it.” Pentagon officials say U.S. bombers have struck nearly 200 targets in the past 72 hours, destroyed more than 30 Iranian naval vessels and significantly reduced missile and drone attacks since the opening days of the operation. Officials maintain that the campaign’s objectives remain limited to degrading Iran’s ability to threaten Americans and its neighbors, even as the president has suggested he needs to have a say in who becomes Iran’s next leader. “I think the president’s having a heck of a say in who runs Iran, given the ongoing operation we have,” Hegseth said.
Clinton-appointed judge orders government to begin refunding $130B in Trump tariffs after SCOTUS ruling
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Wednesday to begin the drawn-out task of refunding billions of dollars to companies that paid tariffs the Supreme Court recently invalidated. Judge Richard Eaton, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, laid out the estimated $130 billion refund process in a three-page order, saying it would begin with U.S. Customs and Border Protection calculating what importers would have paid without the now-invalid tariffs. Eaton also made clear he had sole jurisdiction over the refunds, which more than 1,000 companies have sued over in the U.S. Court of International Trade. “The Chief Judge has indicated that I am the only judge who will hear cases pertaining to the refund of [International Emergency Economic Powers Act] duties,” Eaton wrote. “So there is no danger that another Judge, even one in this Court, will reach any contrary conclusions.” The case in question was brought by Atmus Filtration, Inc., a company that paid President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which Trump imposed on nearly every country on an emergency basis under IEEPA last year. THOMAS RIPS SUPREME COURT TARIFFS RULING, SAYS MAJORITY ‘ERRS’ ON CONSTITUTION The IEEPA is a 1977 law that allows the president – after declaring a national emergency in response to foreign threats – to regulate or block certain economic transactions, such as by imposing sanctions. The Supreme Court decided 6-3 in February to block Trump’s use of the emergency law to impose sweeping tariffs on trading partners. The majority held that IEEPA does not authorize tariffs, even after a national emergency declaration, because Congress did not clearly grant the executive branch that power. All importers who paid those duties were entitled to benefit from the Supreme Court’s ruling, Eaton said. Eaton said CBP should calculate the affected imports as if the tariffs had never applied, which the judge signaled would eventually pave the way for refunds to the companies. TRUMP RESPONDS TO SUPREME COURT RULING REJECTING SWEEPING TARIFFS POWERS: ‘A DISGRACE’ The Supreme Court majority left the refund process unaddressed in its decision, leaving it to the lower courts to mete out. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, however, questioned in his dissent how the U.S. Treasury could go about refunding companies to the tune of billions of dollars, warning of “serious practical consequences.” “The United States may be required to refund billions of dollars to importers who paid the IEEPA tariffs, even though some importers may have already passed on costs to consumers or others,” Kavanaugh wrote. “As was acknowledged at oral argument, the refund process is likely to be a ‘mess.’” Eaton disputed that notion during a hearing just prior to issuing his order. “There is nothing particularly novel about the provision of refunds. … I believe that there will be no chaos associated with the provision of these refunds and that it will not result in a mess,” Eaton said, according to Politico. The Trump administration indicated during the hearing that it is likely to appeal Eaton’s order to delay it from taking effect. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment. Eaton is set to preside over a closed-door conference with the parties in the case on Friday to further discuss the refund process.
Trump’s new tariff plan barrels back to court following multistate lawsuit
A group of two dozen state attorneys general sued President Donald Trump Thursday in an effort to block his new 10% tariffs from taking force, a move that all but ensures Trump’s newly revived tariff regime will end up back before the federal courts for the second time in nearly as many years. The lawsuit was filed Thursday in the Court of International Trade by attorneys general from 24 states, including New York, Oregon, California and Arizona. The state attorneys general argued in the lawsuit that Trump lacks the authority to impose the 10% tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. They described the effort as an attempt to “sidestep” last month’s 6-3 Supreme Court ruling, which blocked Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to unilaterally impose his 10% global tariff announced last April. TRUMP TARIFF PLAN FACES UNCERTAIN FUTURE AS COURT BATTLES INTENSIFY Trump responded to the ruling by immediately invoking Section 122 to keep the 10% tariffs in place in the near term. He also said then that the administration is planning to increase the import duties from 10% to 15% for certain countries. In the lawsuit, the state AGs said Trump “has made clear that he is going to impose worldwide tariffs by any means necessary” and argued that the effort is “an exercise of completely unrestrained executive power.” “As with his unlawful use of IEEPA, the President has once again exercised tariff authority that he does not have — involving a statute that does not authorize the tariffs he has imposed — to upend the constitutional order and bring chaos to the global economy,” they added. Next steps in the case are unclear, though the new lawsuit is likely to be met with fierce opposition from the White House and Justice Department. Trump has continued to embrace tariffs as the signature economic policy of his second White House term. Trump, who previously billed himself the “Tariff Man,” has described the issue as “life or death” for the U.S. economy. Last April, Trump declared a national trade emergency to invoke IEEPA, citing the law as a means to address trade imbalances, reduce deficits with key trading partners and boost domestic manufacturing and production. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS 5 TRUMP TARIFF EXECUTIVE ORDERS Two federal courts — the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit — previously blocked Trump’s use of IEEPA to enact his tariffs, prompting the administration to kick the case to the Supreme Court last year for emergency relief. (The Manhattan-based Court of International Trade ruled last year that Trump, as commander in chief, does not have “unbounded authority” to impose tariffs under the emergency law.) Lower courts had pressed the Justice Department to explain why Trump invoked IEEPA when other, more narrowly tailored statutes enacted by Congress more specifically address tariffs, including laws that cap tariffs at certain levels or set timeframes subject to congressional review. Section 122 tariffs can remain in place for up to 150 days without congressional approval, and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., vowed on the Senate floor last week that the Democratic caucus would not approve an extension of the broad import duties. Legally, the administration could have its work cut out for it as well. Some economists — as well as the state AGs — argue that there is a difference between a traditional balance of payment deficit and the trade deficit between the U.S. and other countries. “Contrary to the Section 122 Proclamation, a trade deficit is not a balance of payments deficit,” the states argued in their lawsuit. Justin Wolfers, an economist at the University of Michigan, told Fox News Digital in an interview last year that Trump’s focus on the trade “deficit” is in fact based on a common misconception. “We have a dollar deficit, but we have a stuff surplus,” he said. “What that means is we sell China a small amount of stuff, and they sell us a large amount of stuff,” Wolfers explained. For every dollar bill that goes to China, the U.S. gets something for it that Americans want to buy, like T-shirts.
Trump’s new DHS pick is an illegal immigration hawk who’s ‘all about the mission’: expert
Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin, President Donald Trump’s new pick to lead the embattled Department of Homeland Security, is a supporter of strict immigration enforcement who, in the last year, has proven invaluable in getting key pieces of the president’s agenda across the finish line. A first-term senator who identifies as Native American, Mullin is a self-described “bull in a China cabinet” who was instrumental in the Senate’s passage of the Trump-backed One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Lora Ries, a border security and immigration expert at the Heritage Foundation, predicted to Fox News Digital that Mullin will have a focused leadership approach as head of DHS. “It won’t be about him. It’s about the mission, and it’s about carrying out the president’s agenda to maintain a secure border but also mass deportations,” she said. Shortly after news of his appointment broke, Mullin called it a “big surprise” but said he is “excited” to take on the role. TRUMP NAMES MARKWAYNE MULLIN NEW DHS SECRETARY, REPORTEDLY UNHAPPY WITH KRISTI NOEM’S TESTIMONY “The president and I have a really good relationship; we talk all the time anyway. I wasn’t, to be quite honest with you, expecting the call today. But it’s super exciting,” he told reporters outside the Capitol. He said his focus as DHS secretary will be to “keep the homeland secure.” “Nothing is going to prevent me from doing my job,” he continued. “I’m going to enforce the policies and the laws that Congress has passed, and we’re going to protect the homeland.” Ries said Mullin’s appointment signals Trump doubling down on his agenda of maintaining a secure border. Ries also said she does not expect the transition from outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem to Mullin to disrupt the agency’s enforcement operations. “We can’t waste any time, given we’re concerned with sleeper cells from Iran and other locations, terrorist threats that Joe Biden let into the country,” she added. SCHUMER, DEMS HOLD FIRM ON DHS FUNDING DESPITE NOEM’S BOMBSHELL OUSTING At 48 years old, Mullin is a husband and father of six. He has served in the Senate for just over three years, entering office in January 2023. Before that, he served in the House of Representatives for about 10 years. Mullin serves as the chair of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee. He does not serve on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the panel that he will soon sit before during his confirmation process. He is also a member of Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s leadership team and proved a decisive asset in extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts last year. It was, however, the relationships he built in the lower chamber that made him a de facto liaison with his former House colleagues. That role began when former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., with whom Mullin was close friends, was in leadership and has continued under House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. That role as liaison, which Mullin previously told Fox News Digital he never wanted, made him an invaluable asset last year when Republicans were trying to pass Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” Mullin had already become a member of Thune’s whip team and offered to help bridge the policy gap between House Republicans and Senate Republicans to ensure the legislation was passed. Both chambers were going back and forth on the bill, which Mullin told Fox News Digital last year wasn’t necessarily “a good indication that we were butting heads.” “Everybody was very passionate about this,” Mullin said. “I mean, they’ve been working for a long time. We looked at it as maybe a once-in-a-generation opportunity for us to be able to get this done.” ILLEGAL’S DRAGGING OF ICE AGENT SHOWS THE EXACT DANGER THE OFFICER WHO SHOT RENEE GOOD FEARED, EXPERT SAYS On Mullin’s website, he states, “We are a nation of laws, and those laws must be upheld. “We must ensure our immigration laws are enforced, bring back the Remain in Mexico policy, finish building the wall, and end the liberal incentives that are fueling the worst border crisis in American history.” Mullin has harshly criticized Democrats for moving to defund DHS, saying, “If we defund the Department of Homeland Security, they do a lot more than arrest illegals. You walk through the airport, they’re providing security. The Department of Homeland Security is there for a reason. … They protect us from threats at home and abroad, around the United States and across the world.” After the lapse in DHS funding, Mullin slammed the Democrats for “political theater,” saying he was focused on restoring the funding. When asked if there were any lessons Mullin had learned from Noem’s tumultuous tenure atop the agency, he noted that he and Noem were close friends, but he had not yet had time to call her yet after receiving the news. “Our families are friends. She was tasked to do a very difficult job. And I think she has, she has performed the best she can do,” Mullin said. “Is there always lessons that can be learned? You know, listen, my wife and I, we have, over the years, we have been fortunate enough to purchase companies and grow our companies, and every day there’s something you can do better,” he continued. “And, so, I think there’s, there’s an opportunity to build off successes, and there’s also opportunities to build off things that maybe didn’t go quite as planned.” Mullin said he and Trump are “great friends,” and “I look forward to working for him on his Cabinet. Of course, we still have this whole thing called confirmation, and we’re going to get started on that right away.”
Fox News Poll: Socialism gaining ground among voters
Socialism is gaining ground with voters, as half say capitalism is not working and a growing number are open to a shift toward socialism. The latest Fox News survey, released Thursday, finds a record 38% think it would be a good thing for the United States to move away from capitalism and in the direction of socialism — up from 32% in 2022, the last time the question was asked. In 2010, a low of 18% backed socialism. FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS GIVE POOR MARKS TO ECONOMY, CONGRESS AND TRUMP Very liberal voters (66%) and Democrats under age 45 (66%) are those most likely to think moving to socialism would be good. More than half of all Democrats (55%), Black voters (55%), and those under age 30 (53%) also favor moving away from capitalism. Still, a majority of 61% think it’s a bad thing to move toward socialism, including large majorities of Republicans (78%), conservatives (75%), men over age 45 (75%), and voters ages 65 and up (75%). The shift may be tied to divided views on capitalism itself. Voters are split over whether capitalism in the United States is working well: 51% say it’s working very or somewhat well, while nearly as many, 49%, say it’s working not very or not at all well. FOX NEWS POLL: VIEWS ARE DIVIDED ON US ACTION AGAINST IRAN Plus, equal shares say capitalism is working “very” well and “not at all” well (18% each). The biggest supporters of capitalism are Republican men (87% working very/somewhat well), MAGA supporters (85%), and Republicans ages 45+ (81%). In contrast, very liberal voters (79% working not very/not at all well), Democratic women (79%), and Democrats under age 45 (72%) are those most likely to give it poor marks. These findings seem to suggest frustration with the current system more than a clear preference for expanded government. When it comes to whether they would like the government to “lend me a hand” or “leave me alone” voters are again split: 48% opt for a hand up, while 51% prefer to be left alone — a 3 percentage-point edge for “leave me alone.” The last three times this question was asked, voters preferred a helping hand: by 7 points in 2025, 3 points in 2024, and 9 points in 2022. Before 2020, voters generally preferred to be left alone by wide margins. More than half of women, Black voters, Hispanic voters, voters under 30, households making less than $50,000, and Democrats would like a boost. More than half of men, White voters, those ages 65+, households with income $50,000 or more, and Republicans want to be left alone. CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE The survey finds a record high 48% of Democrats say, “leave me alone,” up from 39% in July 2025 and a low of 18% in August 2021. The overall shift back toward wanting to be left alone by the government comes as 43% have a positive view of their financial situation, up a touch since November when 40% were positive. Conducted February 28-March 2, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,004 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (104) and cellphones (642) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (258). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.
Fox News Poll: Disapproval of ICE on the rise
An increasing number of voters disapprove of the job the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, or ICE, is doing, with nearly half wanting Congress to reduce its funding. That’s according to a new Fox News poll conducted before President Trump announced on Thursday that he will nominate Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., to replace Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem. The survey finds nearly 6 in 10 voters disapprove of ICE’s performance, while about 4 in 10 approve. This is the highest disapproval rating recorded, up 7 points since last fall and 17 points since the question was first asked in 2018. FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS GIVE POOR MARKS TO ECONOMY, CONGRESS AND TRUMP Nearly twice as many voters strongly disapprove as strongly approve. The increase in disapproval can mostly be attributed to voters under age 30 (+17 points more disapproving than in September), independents (+13), men (+11) and Democrats (+8). “This isn’t a complicated story,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who helps run the Fox News Poll with Democratic counterpart Chris Anderson. “ICE’s tactics in Minneapolis, along with negative news coverage, have caused a sharp drop in approval, especially among independents and members of the out-party.” Meanwhile, large majorities of MAGA supporters (94% approve), very conservative voters (87% approve) and Republicans (83%) back ICE. When asked about funding the agency, nearly half (46%) said reduce it. The other half wants to increase funding (20%), keep at current levels (18%) or fund at current levels but with new restrictions (16%). FOX NEWS POLL: VIEWS ARE DIVIDED ON US ACTION AGAINST IRAN Majorities of Democrats (77%) and independents (59%) want to defund ICE while Republicans would prefer to at least keep it at its current level (37%) if not increase it (43%). Today, voters are slightly more likely to feel the Trump administration’s immigration policies have made the U.S. safer (42% safer vs. 37% less safe) than they did last June, when they were split on the matter (39% each). Overall, 2 in 10 say the policies don’t make a difference to safety. But when looking at immigration from an economic lens, more voters think the administration’s policies are hurting the economy (49%) than helping it (33%). Two in 10 (17%) say they haven’t had an effect on the economy. Majorities of Republicans are more likely to say the immigration policies have made the U.S. safer (82%) and helped the economy (66%), while it’s the opposite for Democrats (62% less safe, 83% hurt). A majority of independents think the economy is being hurt (57%) but are more divided on safety: 27% safer, 40% less safe, 33% no difference. Views on what to do about illegal immigration remain nuanced. Two-thirds favor allowing illegal immigrants who have jobs in the U.S. to stay and apply for legal status (67% favor, 33% oppose). On the other hand, 6 in 10 favor deporting immigrants who are here illegally back to their home countries (59% favor, 40% oppose). Among voters favoring deportation, 53% would support immigrants who live here illegally but have jobs to stay and apply for legal status. Majorities of Hispanic voters favor allowing illegal immigrants with jobs to stay (74% favor), disagree with deportations (56% oppose) and disapprove of ICE (58%). CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE Big picture, border security and immigration remain President Trump’s best issues. Border security continues to be his only net positive job rating with 52% approving and 48% disapproving. While his handling of immigration stands at 47% approve and 53% disapprove, it is a slight improvement since the last recording in January when it was 45-55%. The president’s ratings on other issues remain underwater: jobs (43% approve, 56% disapprove), taxes (40-59%), foreign policy (40-60%), economy (38-61%), healthcare (38-61%), tariffs (36-63%), and cost of living (32-67%). Conducted Feb. 28 to March 2, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,004 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (104) and cellphones (642) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (258). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis and voter file data.