Hawley calls for watchdog over Ukraine aid after Democrats blocked previous effort
FIRST ON FOX: Amidst a war of words between President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sen. Josh Hawley is pitching legislation that would install a special inspector general for Ukraine aid. Hawley, R-Mo., is reintroducing legislation he sponsored along with Vice President J.D. Vance, when Vance was in the Senate, for an independent watchdog to audit the more than $174 billion that Congress has appropriated for Ukraine aid. The Special Inspector General for Ukraine Assistance Act was voted down by the then-Democratic-controlled Senate when Hawley first introduced it in 2023. But with Republican control of both chambers of Congress and President Donald Trump’s increasing frustration over Ukraine aid, Hawley believes it now has a chance of becoming law. “American taxpayers shouldn’t have to wonder where their billions in aid to Ukraine went and what they’re funding there now. They deserve an accounting of every penny Congress shipped over there,” Hawley said in a statement. WALTZ SAYS UKRAINE SHOULD ‘TONE DOWN’ CRITICISM OF TRUMP The watchdog would be similar to those created for Afghanistan reconstruction, known as SIGAR, and one created to investigate CARES Act fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic, known as SIGPR, and another created after the 2008 financial crisis to audit the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP). Under Hawley’s bill, an inspector general’s office for Ukraine would conduct oversight of aid programs run by the Department of Defense, State Department, and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The legislation would siphon dollars from the Ukraine Economic Assistance Fund for the office, and the inspector general would be required to submit quarterly reports to Congress on the office’s findings. GOP SENATORS BACK TRUMP’S DEMAND FOR UKRAINE ELECTIONS, BUT WON’T CALL ZELENSKYY ‘DICTATOR’ And as Congress hashes out a budget blueprint, Hawley has issued a warning to Senate leaders not to try to “slip in” Ukraine aid. “We shouldn’t be giving a dime more to Ukraine. We should be auditing the billions we’ve already given them,” he said. Hawley’s action comes as tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy reached a fever pitch this week after Trump called the Ukrainian leader a “dictator” who “never should have started” the war. Zelenskyy in turn said Trump is operating in a “disinformation space.” This week, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz sat down with their Russian counterparts and agreed to increase their diplomatic presences in each other’s nations. Hawley, while veering away from calling Zelenskyy a “dictator,” backed up Trump’s assertion that Ukraine needed to hold elections, even in a time of war. TRUMP CALLS UKRAINE’S ZELENSKYY A ‘DICTATOR WITHOUT ELECTIONS’ AS RIFT WIDENS “We held elections during World War II,” Hawley said. “If they’re a democracy, they should hold elections. I don’t think that’s difficult.” “[Zelenskyy] is the elected leader of the country,” said Hawley. “But, you know, at a certain point you’ve got to hold elections.” Trump has been pushing Zelenskyy to pay up for past U.S. support. Last week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent traveled to Ukraine to hand the Ukrainian president a draft deal entitling the U.S. to hundreds of billions worth of its minerals. National security adviser Mike Waltz said on Thursday that Ukraine needs to “tone it down” and sign the mineral deal. “We presented the Ukrainians really an incredible and historic opportunity to have the United States of America co-invest with Ukraine, invest in its economy, invest in its natural resources and really become a partner in Ukraine’s future in a way that’s sustainable, but also would be – I think – the best security guarantee they could ever hope for, much more than another pallet of ammunition,” he said.
DEI-charged claims fly over contract talks for military school’s leader as lawmaker demands ethics probe
Virginia Democratic lawmakers are raising racially tinged concerns that the Virginia Military Institute’s board might decide against offering a comprehensive contract extension to the historic school’s first Black superintendent. According to Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., a board member at Virginia Military Institute revealed that at least one member of the Virginia legislature had expressed concerns about the potential non-extension of Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins’ contract, and brought race into the situation. Cline, whose district runs nearly 200 miles from Roanoke to Winchester and includes VMI, wrote a letter Tuesday to the clerks of the Virginia House of Delegates and Virginia Senate asking for an ethics probe into Sen. Jennifer Carroll-Foy. Carroll-Foy, D-Prince William, reportedly warned a VMI Board of Visitors member of state funding repercussions unless Wins’ contract is renewed properly. CLIMATE PROTESTERS INTERRUPT YOUNGKIN’S 9/11 SPEECH “I am just trying to help VMI,” Carroll-Foy – also a VMI graduate – told the board member. “Cedric is African American. The leadership of the General Assembly is African American. Your board appointments and budget amendments are in peril. You can fix this by giving Cedric a four-year contract extension,” she said. Virginia House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, and Senate Leader L. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, are both Black. The exchange troubled Cline, who said in his letter that “these actions, specifically the direct threats made by [Carroll-Foy] are unbecoming, inappropriate, and ethically questionable.” “These race-related comments – totally unbecoming of a member of the General Assembly and completely inconsistent with the values of our nation – make plain the leadership in the General Assembly is attempting to exert undue influence on the decisions of the board in exchange for funding priorities of VMI,” Cline wrote in-part in the letter obtained by Fox News Digital. A source familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital there are other lawmakers besides Carroll-Foy who have connected race or DEI considerations to the contract debate. A statement from Cline’s office said that the congressman – and former member of the Richmond legislature himself – believes that attempts to “strong-arm members of the VMI board by withholding funding . . . reveal a clear and troubling effort to exert undue influence over VMI’s governance.” DOJ ONCE OK’D KAINE-ERA LAW AT CENTER OF YOUNGKIN VOTE CULLING ORDER FEDS NOW SUING TO BLOCK “The idea that members of the General Assembly would use their positions of power to intimidate VMI Board members by conditioning funding on the extension of the superintendent’s contract is not just inappropriate, it is an outright abuse of power,” Cline said in a statement. “These comments, wholly unbecoming of a member of the General Assembly and completely inconsistent with the values of our nation, make plain the leadership of the General Assembly is attempting to exert undue influence on the decisions of the Board in exchange for funding priorities of VMI,” he added. Scott did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that he and former Virginia Gov. Douglas Wilder – the first Black governor in U.S. history – would like to see Wins’ contract extended. However, the speaker told the paper that the debate is “not about Gen. Wins’ contract – it’s about whether the school is moving in the right direction.” Current Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who has seen Democrats stymie several of his appointments to collegiate boards of visitors – including counter-antisemitism crusader Kenneth Marcus at George Mason University – said through a spokesman that the members he had previously named to the VMI board have his full support. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The governor appointed experienced and strong members to the board of visitors, all deeply committed to VMI and its mission,” spokesman Christian Martinez said. “He has full confidence the board will act in the best interest of [VMI] and the Commonwealth.” Two of Youngkin’s 12 VMI appointees were recently removed by state Senate Democrats, the Times-Dispatch reported. Fox News Digital also reached out to Carroll-Foy and a representative for VMI. VMI is the oldest state military institution in the country, founded in 1839. Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson notably taught at VMI in the lead-up to the Civil War. More recent famous VMI alumni include the late actor Fred Willard, World War II figures George Marshall and Gen. George Patton, award-winning comic Mel Brooks and Col. Douglas Macgregor – a veteran of the historic Battle of 73 Easting and an occasional Fox News guest.
SCOOP: Republican Daniel Cameron blasted by likely GOP opponent as McConnell successor fight begins
FIRST ON FOX: Just after announcing his bid for former Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell’s seat, Daniel Cameron is being slammed for his electability, or lack thereof, by a potential GOP opponent. “When President Trump and Andy Barr teamed up in his 2018 election, they won Kentucky’s toughest Congressional race against Amy McGrath and the Trump resistance,” Tyler Staker, spokesperson for Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. “When President Trump endorsed Daniel Cameron for Governor, Daniel embarrassed the President and our party by losing in a state that President Trump won by over 30 points—including losing Andy Barr’s district by 19 points. We need proven winners, not folks who can’t win even with the support of the greatest President we’ve ever seen,” he continued. SUSAN COLLINS VOWS TO OPPOSE TRUMP FBI DIRECTOR NOMINEE KASH PATEL AHEAD OF CRITICAL VOTE Brandon Moody, Cameron’s Senate campaign strategist, told Fox News Digital in a statement, “Daniel Cameron is up 30 points on Andy Barr in the latest statewide public polling. So Andy is a little confused about electability. Probably too much wine last night from his hundredth lobbyist dinner of the month.” McConnell announced on Thursday that he would not be seeking re-election when his seat is up in 2026, opening up an opportunity for new candidates in red Kentucky. “I’ve never liked calling too much attention to today’s date, February 20th. But I figured my birthday would be as good a day as any to share with our colleagues a decision I made last year about how I’ll approach the 119th Congress,” the longtime Republican leader said on the Senate floor. “My current term in the Senate will be my last,” he revealed. KASH PATEL’S CONFIRMATION AS TRUMP FBI PICK ‘WILL HAUNT YOU,’ SENATE DEMS WARN GOP AHEAD OF VOTE Immediately following the news, Cameron announced his campaign for the seat. He notably served as Kentucky’s attorney general before unsuccessfully running for governor, losing to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C., issued the following statement on the retirement news: “Senator Mitch McConnell dedicated his life to public service and the state he loves. Our country is grateful for his leadership and legacy of confirming conservative judges and justices, and safeguarding the Republican Senate Majority. Kentucky is a red state, so the NRSC is confident that our eventual nominee will be a principled, America First conservative who will join our Majority’s fight for our nation’s Golden Era.” FETTERMAN LOSES TWO TOP STAFFERS AS HE MAKES WAVES BY BUCKING DEMOCRATIC PARTY Barr did not say whether he would jump into the Senate race on Thursday, but he did write on X, “As I’ve said before this announcement, I am considering running for Senate because Kentucky deserves a Senator who will fight for President Trump and the America First Agenda. I’ve done that every day in the House and would do so in the Senate. I’m encouraged by the outpouring of support and my family and I will be making a decision about our future soon.” Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House Oversight Committee, won’t be running for McConnell’s seat. Spokesperson Austin Hacker said in a statement, “Congressman Comer will not be running for Senate in 2026 but is strongly considering a run for Governor in 2027.” SCOOP: TOP GOP SEN. COTTON TO MEET WITH EMBATTLED TRUMP DEFENSE NOMINEE AS DOUBTS SWIRL Kentucky is strongly favored for Republicans in the 2026 Senate race, but Democrats are expected to put significant money and effort into making it competitive. Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) spokesman David Bergstein said in a statement, “Republicans were already facing a difficult Senate map and now another open seat has created an additional defensive headache for them.”
FBI Director Kash Patel vows to restore trust in bureau, hunt down bad actors ‘in every corner of this planet’
EXCLUSIVE: FBI Director Kash Patel vowed to rebuild trust by creating a “transparent, accountable” agency that is “committed to justice,” while warning those who “seek to harm Americans” that the bureau will “hunt you down in every corner of this planet.” Patel was confirmed by the U.S. Senate Thursday as the ninth ever FBI director, succeeding Christopher Wray. “I am honored to be confirmed as the ninth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Patel told Fox News Digital, thanking President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi for their “unwavering confidence and support.” HERE’S WHAT KASH PATEL’S FORMER COLLEAGUES ARE SAYING ABOUT HIM “The FBI has a storied legacy — from the ‘G-Men’ to safeguarding our nation in the wake of 9/11,” Patel said. “The American people deserve an FBI that is transparent, accountable, and committed to justice.” “The politicization of our justice system has eroded public trust — but that ends today,” he added. Patel told Fox News Digital that his “mission” as FBI director “is clear.” “Let good cops be cops,” he said. “And rebuild trust in the FBI.” “Working alongside the dedicated men and women of the bureau and our partners, we will rebuild an FBI the American people can be proud of,” Patel said. And Patel issued a stark warning. “To those who seek to harm Americans — consider this your warning,” Patel said. “We will hunt you down in every corner of this planet.” He added: “Mission First. America Always. Let’s get to work.” Patel has an extensive background in national security and intelligence, with experience ranging from personally carrying out dangerous missions in the Middle East in an effort to bring home U.S. hostages to implementing counterterrorism strategies against America’s most-wanted terrorists. FBI IGNORED ‘CLEAR WARNING SIGN’ OF CLINTON-LED EFFORT TO ‘MANIPULATE’ BUREAU FOR ‘POLITICAL PURPOSES’ Current and former U.S. national security officials and lawmakers told Fox News Digital that he, “objectively,” is “one of the most experienced people ever to be nominated” to lead the bureau. During the first Trump administration, Patel served as a deputy assistant to Trump and as senior director for counterterrorism. In that role, Patel was involved in presidential missions aimed at decimating al Qaeda senior leadership and ISIS command and control. Patel was involved in the planning of the mission to take out Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, among others. Patel also was involved in efforts to bring some of the most-wanted terrorists to the U.S. for prosecution, and worked on Trump administration efforts to return dozens of U.S. hostages back home. Beyond his counterterrorism work, Patel was heavily involved in U.S. strategy to counter Chinese, Russian, Iranian and North Korean efforts against U.S. interests. He also worked on the implementation of multimillion dollar sanctions against foreign adversaries. Prior to working as a deputy to Trump and in the National Security Council, Patel worked in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) as the principal deputy to the acting DNI Ric Grenell and helped former Director John Ratcliffe transition into the role. Trump nominated Ratcliffe in January to serve as the director of the CIA. At ODNI, Patel also worked to focus intelligence collection against counter-narcotic and transnational threats. Prior to joining the first Trump administration, Patel served as the national security advisor and senior counsel for counterterrorism to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Patel was also the chief investigator for the committee’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Throughout his investigation, he led the effort to uncover FISA abuse and exposed the FBI and the DOJ’s unlawful actions before federal court to illegally surveil Americans, including members of the 2016 Trump campaign. Patel uncovered the government surveillance abuse that led to the appointment of two special counsels: one who determined there was no such collusion, Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and another who determined the entire premise of the FBI’s original investigation was bogus, Special Counsel John Durham. In July 2016, during the 2016 election cycle, the FBI launched an investigation into whether the Trump campaign was colluding with Russia to influence the outcome of the election. That investigation, inside the bureau, was known as “Crossfire Hurricane.” By January 2017, then-FBI Director James Comey had notified Trump of a dossier, known as the Steele dossier, that contained salacious and unverified allegations about Trump’s purported coordination with the Russian government, a key document prompting the opening of the probe. DECLASSIFIED TRUMP-RUSSIA PROBE DOCUMENTS: WHAT TO KNOW The dossier was authored by Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence officer, and commissioned by Fusion GPS. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign had hired Fusion GPS during the 2016 election cycle. It eventually was determined that the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee funded the dossier through the law firm Perkins Coie. Trump fired Comey in May 2017. Days later, Robert Mueller was appointed as special counsel to take over the “Crossfire Hurricane” probe and investigate whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election cycle. While Mueller investigated, the HPSCI opened its own investigation into alleged Trump-Russia collusion. Patel, as chief investigator for Nunes, by February 2018 had discovered widespread government surveillance abuse, including improper surveillance of former Trump campaign aide Carter Page. “While most members of Congress were ready to ignore the unprecedented civil rights abuses against the Trump campaign and myself, Kash Patel’s training as a top public defender made him the perfect advocate for exposing one of the greatest election interference scandals of all time,” Page told Fox News Digital. Patel was an integral part of the creation of a memo released by then-Chair Nunes in February 2018, which detailed the DOJ’s and FBI’s surveillance of Page under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. DURHAM FINDS DOJ, FBI ‘FAILED TO UPHOLD’ MISSION OF ‘STRICT FIDELITY TO THE LAW’ IN TRUMP-RUSSIA PROBE Nunes and Patel revealed that the infamous anti-Trump dossier funded by Democrats “formed an essential part” of the application to spy on Page. The memo referred to closed-door
NY Gov Hochul to ramp up oversight of NYC Mayor Adams amid pressure to remove him
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is planning to announce new state and city bills that would add oversight to the New York City mayor’s office, sources familiar with the governor’s decision told Fox News on Thursday, a move that comes amid Mayor Eric Adams’ legal woes and his recent cooperation with President Donald Trump. Instead of removing Adams from office, as the governor had reportedly considered, the sources said that Hochul would set up guardrails, which could include the addition of an independent monitor at City Hall. Hochul reportedly met with multiple New York leaders this week while considering removing Adams from his job. Senior prosecutors in New York and Washington have reportedly resigned after refusing to follow a Department of Justice (DOJ) order to drop charges against Adams. FEDERAL JUDGE WAITS TO DECIDE ABOUT DISMISSING CORRUPTION CHARGES AGAINST NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS The former police officer-turned-politician was indicted on charges linked to wire fraud, bribery, and soliciting campaign funds from foreign sources. The indictment was unsealed in September 2024, and Adams subsequently pleaded not guilty. Adams’ fellow Democrats have accused him of trying to cozy up with the Trump administration in order to get out of his criminal charges. ERIC ADAMS GETS SURPRISE GOP ALLY IN CONGRESS AS RUMORS SWIRL GOV. HOCHUL COULD OUST HIM Adams has denied accusations of any quid pro quo deals. “I want to be crystal clear with New Yorkers: I never offered — nor did anyone offer on my behalf — any trade of my authority as your mayor for an end to my case. Never,” Adams said in a statement Friday. But Hochul remains concerned about what has been happening at City Hall, according to the sources, and was waiting for U.S. District Judge Dale Ho to rule on the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss the case against Adams before making any announcements. Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind and Diana Stancy contributed to this report.
Social media erupts after ‘terrified’ Dem senator lashes out at Kash Patel ahead of confirmation vote
A fierce attack on FBI director nominee Kash Patel by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-RI, drew mockery from conservatives on social media ahead of an expected vote on Patel’s nomination Thursday afternoon. “Kash Patel, mark my words, will cause evil in this building behind us, and Republicans who vote for him will rue that day,” Whitehouse, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on Thursday morning outside the FBI headquarters. He spoke hours before the final vote on Patel’s nomination. KASH PATEL’S CONFIRMATION AS TRUMP FBI PICK ‘WILL HAUNT YOU,’ SENATE DEMS WARN GOP AHEAD OF VOTE Whitehouse mentioned Patel’s invocation of the Fifth Amendment before a grand jury examining whether President Donald Trump mishandled national security secrets. “You are so cringe,” the Trump War Room said. “They are terrified,” White House rapid response director Greg Price said. “Did Sheldon Whitehouse come up with this pathetic line of attack at his all-white beach club?” asked conservative commentator and longtime Trump adviser Steve Cortes, referencing Whitehouse’s membership in an exclusive beach club that has a controversial history. Whitehouse’s office previously denied that the club was all-White. SUSAN COLLINS VOWS TO OPPOSE TRUMP FBI DIRECTOR NOMINEE KASH PATEL AHEAD OF CRITICAL VOTE “Democrat Sen. Whitehouse seems awfully scared of Kash Patel cleaning up the FBI…,” conservative commentator Benny Johnson said. “Senator, the evil is already inside the building,” Republican digital operative Alex Sears said. Whitehouse’s comments were one of a number of comments made about Patel by Democrats on the committee. “There’s no question here he is unqualified and unprepared,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said. “The only question is whether my Republican colleagues will do the right thing.” He warned that a vote in favor of Patel’s nomination “will haunt you.” FETTERMAN LOSES TWO TOP STAFFERS AS HE MAKES WAVES BY BUCKING DEMOCRATIC PARTY “You will rue the day of this vote if it’s in favor of Kash Patel, because the American people will hold you accountable, and we will make sure that the American people know about this vote,” he concluded. According to a senior transition team official for Patel, the nominee had departed the capital the night of his hearing, flying home to Las Vegas, where he had “been sitting there waiting for the process to play out.” In addition to his trip home to Vegas, Patel has also spent time hunting away from Washington, the official said, providing photographic evidence of Patel’s activities. Fox News’ Breanne Deppisch and Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX engineers deployed to FAA to help modernize air traffic control
Elon Musk’s SpaceX engineers have already descended on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to help modernize air traffic control under the Trump administration. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said in a post to X on Wednesday that the deadly Jan. 29 crash between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines flight landing at Reagan airport in Washington, D.C., served as “a heartbreaking wake-up call that improvements must be made.” “This is why I’ve enlisted the brightest minds, including SpaceX engineers, to help upgrade our aviation system,” Duffy wrote. “I am fully committed to transportation excellence, as well as transparency and honesty with the public.” A spokesperson for the Department of Transportation reportedly told Reuters that SpaceX engineers tapped as part of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team at the FAA are serving as special government employees and will be kept separate from the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation – which handles regulations for the company – to avoid any conflicts of interest. TRUMP ADMIN MOVES TO BLOCK NYC CONGESTION TOLL PROGRAM Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau said in a Wednesday email to employees that the DOGE team would be visiting more FAA facilities – including FAA headquarters – after Monday stops at the Air Traffic Control Command Center and Potomac TRACON in Warrenton, Virginia, Reuters reported. “We are asking for their help to engineer solutions while we keep the airspace open and safe,” Rocheleau wrote. “They will contribute to our goal of continuous improvement, which is the key to making sure flying continues to be the safest mode of transportation. We will learn from them, and they will learn more about aviation safety from us.” Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was among critics to claim Musk’s team was inappropriately gaining special access to the FAA. Duffy told Fox News that the SpaceX engineers had gone to the FAA on Monday to “just observe” and would “craft a phased approach on how we might be able to fix the American system.” He added, “It’s not just SpaceX, we’re going to ask everyone else to come in that’s smart and bright and loves America to think through the process.” DUFFY BRINGS UP CLINTON WHILE NOTING SPACEX WORKERS WILL VISIT AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM COMMAND CENTER “We’re like using a rotary phone,” Duffy said. “We’re spending 90% of our money to keep the rotary phone working from back in the 1980s as opposed to thinking, well, we use cell phones today. We have such antiquated, old equipment that no one has fixed. Donald Trump has said, ‘Fix this system, make it work, keep people safe.’” Duffy said he planned on Wednesday to visit the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, but the trip was canceled due to bad weather and would be rescheduled. The secretary said he would go to the Air Traffic Control Command Center in Virginia on Wednesday to talk with FAA employees about “the critical need to upgrade our air traffic systems.” The D.C. crash, which killed all 67 people aboard both craft, happened nine days after President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president. It was the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster since 9/11. That crash was the first of several major North American aviation disasters within the last month. In Canada this week, a Delta flight from Minneapolis dramatically flipped upside down and burst into flames while landing at Toronto’s airport, but everyone aboard survived. In his post to X on Wednesday, Duffy rejected what he described as the “growing media narrative that there are more airplane crashes now in Trump’s presidency than under Biden.” He asserted that there were 57 aviation incidents in the U.S. during President Joe Biden’s first month in office, “compared to 35 under Trump,” adding that “the need for immediate improvement to our safety infrastructure is long overdue.”
‘GOOD RIDDANCE’: MAGA reacts to ‘RINO’ Mitch McConnell Senate exit
Many pro-Trump Republicans took to social media on Thursday to celebrate Republican Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell’s announcement that he would be leaving the Senate at the end of his term, with one commentator saying he has “done so much destruction” to the Republican Party. At 83 years old, McConnell has been in the Senate for 40 years. Known as a moderate conservative, he served as the leader of the Senate Republican Conference from 2007 until 2025, which makes him the longest-serving party leader in U.S. history. His seventh and final term will expire in January 2027. McConnell has at times been very critical of President Donald Trump. He recently voted against confirming some of Trump’s top Cabinet nominees, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., earning him the ire of many in the president’s sphere. He has also taken criticism for remaining in the Senate despite his advanced age and several frightening health episodes. Some conservatives have accused McConnell of being a “Republican in name only” (RINO). FBI NOMINEE KASH PATEL ADVANCES TO FINAL SENATE CONFIRMATION VOTE Speaking on the Senate floor Thursday morning, McConnell gave a heartfelt address in which he said: “Seven times my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate… Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last.” In response to McConnell’s announcement, Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, said, “It’s time for new blood from the great state of Kentucky” and that “exciting opportunities await” for the Republican Party. “GOOD RIDDANCE, RINO!” reacted conservative influencer Nick Sortor. “Mitch McConnell, whose birthday is today, will not be running for reelection in 2026. Good. The statement comes as McConnell has suffered multiple medical emergencies in the past few years. McConnell is 83 years old and has been a Senator in Kentucky since 1985,” said conservative media personality Collin Rugg. “Thank goodness. He has done so much destruction to this party,” he added. SENATE MAJORITY LEADER THUNE SAYS THIS IS THE REASON WHY HE AND TRUMP ARE WORKING WELL TOGETHER Another conservative influencer, Benny Johnson, who has previously criticized McConnell as being too old to remain in the Senate, described the retiring senator’s slow speech as an “absolutely brutal listen.” This prompted another political commentator, Mike Sperrazza, to suggest: “We still need term limits.” However, not everyone was so critical of McConnell. New Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., took to X to say, “McConnell’s legacy is one of remarkable service to the Senate, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and our nation.” “Over decades of tireless work, his mastery of Senate procedure, commitment to the institution, and dedication to the rule of law have shaped the course of American governance for generations to come,” said Thune. “His leadership has strengthened the Senate’s role as a deliberative body and delivered historic achievements, from advancing the judiciary to championing Kentucky’s interests.”
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Senate trying to advance Trump’s agenda
You’ll likely need a universal translator to decipher the fiscal discourse emanating from Capitol Hill this week and next. You’ll hear a lot about budget reconciliation. “One bill/two bill.” And “vote-a-rama.” Let’s break down what the House and Senate Budget Committees completed last week. That will set the table for what the full Senate addresses this week – and what the House aims to tackle next week. Congressional Republicans intend to enact President Donald Trump’s core agenda of cutting taxes and reducing federal spending. Republicans have their own problems passing such a plan in the House of Representatives because of the GOP’s slim majority. Republicans must stick together. But in the Senate, Republicans have 53 seats. That’s not enough to crack a filibuster on legislation. The bar there is 60. However, there’s a way to overcome that obstacle: use a special process called “budget reconciliation” to bypass a filibuster and pass the bill. ‘WOKE IS THEIR GOD’: EX-DEM FUNDRAISER SAYS PARTY ‘IN SHAMBLES’ AFTER 2024 ELECTION LOSSES “Budget reconciliation” isn’t a trick or scheme. It’s a time-honored parliamentary method used by both parties to enact their agenda when they can’t vault the filibuster. Democrats used budget reconciliation to clear filibuster hurdles to approve Obamacare in 2009-2010. Republicans deployed the reconciliation gambit to try to undo Obamacare in 2017. However, Republicans were more successful in approving President Trump’s tax cuts later that year via reconciliation. The issue is that you must have a budget in place in order to use reconciliation in the Senate. And, the House and Senate must approve the same budget vehicle for reconciliation. Let me say that again: it has to be the same budget vehicle for reconciliation. That lays the groundwork. Here’s what unfolded last week. House Republicans initially struggled to assemble a budget chassis for their eventual legislative plan. What they had to do first was construct and approve the legislative structure for this in the Budget Committee. That took a Herculean lift, but after six weeks of meetings, House Republicans finally advanced their plan through committee. It cuts $4.5 trillion in taxes, $2 trillion in “mandatory” spending (like entitlements) and lifts the debt limit by $4 trillion. TRUMP FBI DIRECTOR NOMINEE KASH PATEL PICKS UP SUPPORT FROM KEY GOP SENATOR Republicans specifically designed this measure to make it out of the Budget Committee and appeal to conservatives. Hold that thought for a moment about whom the committee targeted the bill for. House Republicans could no longer dither. That’s because Senate Republicans were marching ahead with their own plan. It was slimmer and didn’t focus on some of the same priorities demanded by the House. The Senate Republican package didn’t touch tax cuts. Instead, it bolstered military spending and infused the Department of Homeland Security and other related agencies with $175 billion to finish the border wall. It also increased energy production. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., long argued that voters elected President Trump and awarded Congressional Republicans the House and Senate because their message about border security resonated with them. Graham believes it’s a fool’s errand to deal with tax and spending cuts first. He says the border should be up first. Then move to other things. You’ve undoubtedly heard the debate about, “one bill, two bill.” This is the crux of the debate between the House and Senate. The House wants to do one bill, or in the vernacular of the president, a “big, beautiful bill.” However, the Senate approach of focusing first on energy and the border – and leaving tax and spending cuts for later – naturally dictates doing two pieces of legislation. This is the parliamentary problem facing Republicans. It doesn’t matter if it’s one bill, two bill, red bill, blue bill. Yes. I know this sounds like Dr. Seuss. Passing one thing is a lot easier than approving two things in Congress. And it’s far from clear that House Republicans can even pass their sole bill that just came out of committee. Graham forged ahead with his bill in committee – the day before the House Budget Committee could even meet. That created the very real possibility that the Senate could jam the House with its “one bill” because the House may never approve its own framework on the floor. But, there’s a risk involved. What happens if Republicans are stymied by infighting and can never re-up the tax cuts? The Senate began its 50-hour debate on the budget framework Tuesday night. 4 OF THE BIGGEST CLASHES BETWEEN PATEL, SENATE DEMS AT HIS CONFIRMATION HEARING The budget process is lengthy and arduous. It culminates in a marathon vote series – known as a vote-a-rama Thursday, through Friday and perhaps into the wee hours of Saturday morning. This onerous exercise is to craft a legislative product which enables Republicans to bypass a Senate filibuster later. However, the proposal must be fiscal in nature and not add to the deficit over a ten-year period. Here’s something important to know. The mechanics just spelled out creates nothing more than a shell. This is the legislative chassis I referred to earlier. Both the House and Senate must have this in place to eventually debate substantive and “binding” provisions of legislation down the road – be it border security or massive tax cuts. No “chassis,” then no final bill. So, this is an important phase in moving the president’s agenda. But not the end result. Remember what I said about House Republicans writing their bill to appeal to conservatives on the Budget Committee? The maneuver by the GOP brass was to specifically pry a plan out of committee. But adopting that budget proposal on the House floor – let alone the final bill – is a challenge. Some conservatives don’t think the bill cuts enough. Some moderates worry about blowing a hole in the deficit with the tax cuts. High-tax state Republicans – like those from New York and California – may be loath to support the package if it fails
Riley Gaines featured in Trump HHS website that builds on ‘two sexes’ executive order
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released guidance Wednesday to implement sex-based definitions across the federal government and partners to expand President Donald Trump’s executive order signed last month titled, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.” HHS announced the department will also be working “to implement policies protecting children from chemical and surgical mutilation,” as well as developing a policy for women’s sports. As such, HHS also launched a new web page for the Office of Women’s Health featuring a video of former collegiate swimmer and activist Riley Gaines discussing keeping biological men out of women’s sports. 4 KEY WOMEN’S HEALTH ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED, DOCTOR SAYS “Thank you, President Trump and HHS for courageously defending truth, common sense and women,” Gaines said in the video. “The executive order ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports’ ensures the next generation of girls has a fair opportunity to compete with the safety, privacy and equal opportunity they’re entitled to,” Gaines said. “The clarity and decisiveness of the Trump administration sends a strong, clear message to women and girls across the country that we matter.” Other links on the new website include “Defending Women” and “Protecting Children.” A screenshot taken by Fox News Digital shows the difference between the new HHS web page on Thursday versus February 2024, under the Biden administration, when a purple “Know Your Rights: Reproductive Health Care” ticker can be seen on the Office of Women’s Health homepage. “This administration is bringing back common sense and restoring biological truth to the federal government,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement. “The prior administration’s policy of trying to engineer gender ideology into every aspect of public life is over.” TRUMP ADMIN ADMINISTRATION LAYS OUT WHO EXACTLY WAS CUT AT HHS IN FACE OF ‘DEMOCRAT HYSTERIA’ According to the guidance, “Sex” refers to a person’s immutable biological classification as either male or female. “Female” is defined as a person with a reproductive system designed to produce eggs, while “Male” refers to a person with a reproductive system designed to produce sperm. “Woman” and “Girl” represent adult and minor human females, respectively, while “Man” and “Boy” refer to adult and minor human males. The terms “Mother” and “Father” denote female and male parents, respectively. Wednesday’s announcement comes as the Trump administration has been seeking to restore “biological truth” to the public sector. The topic of gender was not included in the HHS guidance. MAHA CAUCUS MEMBER PLEDGES HEARINGS INTO ‘CORRUPTION’ OF A PUBLIC HEALTH SECTOR ‘CAPTURED BY BIG PHARMA’ Trump’s gender-related executive orders – which include banning biological men from women’s sports and transgender people from the military – have sparked legal challenges, with several lawsuits filed by progressive and LGBT advocacy groups arguing that the orders violate civil rights protections for transgender individuals.