University of Virginia to remove its DEI office: ‘Voted for commonsense’
The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors Friday voted to close its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) office after President Trump’s executive orders against DEI efforts in the federal government. “DEI is done at UVA,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin wrote on X Friday. “Today, the University of Virginia Board of Visitors voted for commonsense saying NO to illegal discrimination and YES to merit-based opportunity. Students at Mr. Jefferson’s University—and across America—deserve unlimited intellectual freedom, not ideological gatekeeping.” The university’s Board of Visitors is made up of 17 voting members appointed by the governor. “This is a huge step to restoring the values of Mr. Jefferson, who founded the university, who understood that we are all created equal, and that’s exactly what this is about — ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity,” Youngkin said on the “Ingraham Angle” Friday. TRUMP TO SHIFT AWAY FROM DEI VISA POLICY THAT ‘SURGED’ UNDER BIDEN, EXPERT SAYS He said the university’s resolution also eliminates “any program that violates the Constitution, the Civil Rights Act or, of course, President Trump’s executive order that laid all of this out and prohibits moving these programs someplace else where they would be hidden or using third-party contractors.” Youngkin said his administration has been working against DEI efforts in the state since his election. “We, of course, embrace the idea that we come from a diverse society, diverse experiences, and, of course, diverse views, and that, of course, is one of our strengths as a nation, but we have to eliminate illegal discrimination,” he explained. “And now we’re in a moment where we have our flagship university make a very clear statement that DEI is done at the University of Virginia,” he added. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CLARIFIES DEI GUIDELINES, SAYING BLACK HISTORY MONTH DOESN’T VIOLATE ORDER The resolution said the “University’s Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Partnerships is hereby dissolved,” adding the school “shall immediately transfer permissible programs to a new organizational home.” The resolution didn’t specify what would count as a “permissible” program. The resolution added that the university’s president would update the board on compliance within 30 days. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The board cited the university’s mission statement, which “includes a commitment to [developing] the full potential of talented students from all walks of life” in its resolution. It continued by saying that the board “highly values diversity, including diversity of thought and experience, and fosters an inclusive environment, encouraging a culture of opportunity for all, which immensely enriches our Grounds, and is committed to providing every student an education that is free from discrimination and grounded in merit.”
Former illegal immigrant aide to AOC self-deports to Colombia amid questions about employment: report
An illegal immigrant who once served as an aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has reportedly self-deported to Colombia, praising the “freedom of movement” in the South American nation after working in Congress despite being in the country illegally. Diego de la Vega was born in Ecuador and immigrated to the United States as a 7-year-old in 2001 on a visitor’s visa that he overstayed, Migrant Insider reported. The news raises thorny questions about his employment status for the Queens-based congresswoman. “It’s bittersweet. I hadn’t left the country in 23 years — from age seven to age 30,” de la Vega told Migrant Insider. “Now, I can’t go back to the U.S. It feels like exile. It’s a very permanent move. But my wife and I are confident we made the right decision. And, after some time, it’s been a real pleasure to be here. VANCE TAKES VICTORY LAP IN BORDER VISIT AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT NUMBERS PLUMMET “It feels surreal to not be illegalized anymore. I don’t have to live in the shadows or constantly worry about paperwork,” he added. “That freedom of movement is incredibly satisfying.” De la Vega became politically active after the failure of the Dream Act in 2010, when the legislation fell just five votes short in the Senate. STATE TROOPERS, NYPD DESCEND ON AOC’S ‘RED LIGHT’ NEIGHBORHOOD TO CLAMP DOWN ON RAMPANT PROSTITUTION, CRIME After working for an immigrant rights group, he served as communications director for Robert Rodriguez, then a member of the New York State Assembly, who currently serves as president and CEO of the New York State Dormitory Authority, according to his LinkedIn page. In 2021, de la Vega was hired by Ocasio-Cortez’s re-election campaign and eventually became her deputy communications director. “Diego is amazing,” Ocasio-Cortez told the news outlet. “We love him.” De la Vega worked for Ocasio-Cortez despite not being a U.S. citizen. DACA recipients are barred from paid positions in congressional offices. Fox News Digital has reached out to the congresswoman’s office. “We were always honest with voters in New York City,” de la Vega said of working with Ocasio-Cortez. “We didn’t dumb it down or tell them what they wanted to hear. We engaged with them honestly. We listened, then explained that Alexandria was fighting for reform, but Republicans were blocking it.” He noted that he became frustrated with how the immigration movement was going. “Protections are going away, regardless of who is in the White House. The strategy hasn’t adapted to the modern era,” he said. “Biden had a trifecta — the House, Senate and White House, but dropped the ball.” As a child, de la Vega said he lived in fear but said he had a good childhood in New York. He said he may not be able to return to the U.S. “for many years” but that “it feels fulfilling to be home.”
Missouri wins $24B judgment against China in COVID lawsuit
A federal judge on Friday ruled in favor of Missouri in the state’s $24 billion lawsuit against China’s Communist Party that accused it of hoarding protective supplies during the coronavirus pandemic. “This is a landmark victory for Missouri and the United States in the fight to hold China accountable for unleashing COVID-19 on the world,” Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said in a statement. “China refused to show up to court, but that doesn’t mean they get away with causing untold suffering and economic devastation. We intend to collect every penny by seizing Chinese-owned assets, including Missouri farmland.” Bailey’s office said the judgment was six times larger than the previous largest judgment in the state’s history. 5 YEARS AFTER COVID, AMERICANS ARE SPLIT OF WHETHER IT’S STILL A THREAT Judge Stephen Limbaugh said in his ruling that the “Court finds that Missouri has provided evidence satisfactory to the Court to establish each Defendant’s liability to Missouri under Count IV of Plaintiff’s Complaint. The Court therefore enters a judgment against Defendants, jointly and severally, in the amount of $24,488,825,457.00, plus postjudgment interest.” The People’s Republic of China, the Communist Party of China, the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China, the Ministry of Emergency Management of the People’s Republic of China, the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, the People’s Government of Hubei Province, the People’s Government of Wuhan City, the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences were all named as defendants in the lawsuit. NEW BAT CORONAVIRUS DISCOVERED IN CHINA SPARKS PANDEMIC CONCERNS Bailey also wrote on X Friday, “Hey China, You owe Missouri $24 BILLION. I just won a judgment in court. Pay up — or we start seizing assets and farmland.” The ruling comes five years after former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt sued China for “obstructing the production, purchase, and export of critical medical equipment, including PPE, during the pandemic,” Bailey’s office wrote. A court of appeals ruled in Missouri’s favor in January, overturning a lower court ruling that threw out the lawsuit. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The appeals court ruled, however, that the lawsuit must be limited to accusations of supply hoarding after the lawsuit previously accused China of hiding information about the origins of the pandemic.
South Carolina man faces federal charges for allegedly threatening to assassinate Trump
A 47-year-old South Carolina man faces federal charges after he allegedly threatened to kill President Donald Trump. Travis Keith Lang, 47, of Irmo, South Carolina, was arraigned on federal charges Friday in a Columbia courthouse after being arrested Thursday. He pleaded not guilty and was denied bond. Lang is being held at the Lexington County Detention Center, according to WLTX-TV. NEW BOOK DETAILS SECURITY LAPSES AHEAD OF TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: ‘CLEAR THERE WAS A PROBLEM’ Lang’s indictment, filed Tuesday, said he had threatened to “take the life of, to kidnap, and to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States.” The U.S. Secret Service is investigating the allegations. Lang is scheduled to next appear in court for a March 14 bond hearing. SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR CURRAN ‘CONFIDENT’ THE AGENCY WILL SOLVE FAILED TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS Last year, Lang filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for president as a Republican, but he was not on the Republican primary ballot in South Carolina or anywhere else, and the only donation he received was for $6,000 from himself, according to FEC filings. He could face up to five years in prison, the South Carolina Daily Gazette reported, citing the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Carolina. Lang’s Facebook page still says “Travis Lang for President,” and his picture on his social media accounts is a split of his face and Abraham Lincoln. He has also been critical of former President Joe Biden, at one point in 2023 writing on Facebook that Congress should begin articles of impeachment against him. A U.S. attorney this week told a judge that Lang had previously made multiple threats to both Trump and Biden, the newspaper reported, adding that the Secret Service had visited him to tell him to stop making threats. Lang referenced the Secret Service visit on his social media, claiming it was sent there because Biden got “scared” when Lang decided to run for president. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The threats come after Trump faced two assassination attempts last year, including when he was grazed in the ear by a bullet while speaking at an outdoor campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office and the Secret Service for comment. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
We live in time: Daylight Savings and the ‘Time Lords’ of Congress
We live in time. We can both make time. Even double time. And we can also lose time. But it’s Congress and Presidents who control time. Politicians have the power to dictate time. Down to the hour and the minute of what time it is. That’s why we spring forward this weekend. And when you lose your hour of sleep, you know who to blame. No. Not DOGE. But Congress, of course. This dates back more than two centuries. TRUMP CALLS TO ‘ELIMINATE’ DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME: ‘VERY COSTLY TO OUR NATION’ Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution grants Congress the power to “fix the Standard of Weights and Measures.” That’s listed right next to Congressional authority over bankruptcies and punishment for counterfeiters. After all, we lose an hour this weekend like a thief in the night. Congress formally established Daylight Saving Time with the Uniform Time Act of 1966. It also established time zones in the 1880s to help the railroads coordinate. Before that, time hinged on whatever locals said it was. That led to 144 distinct local times in the U.S. The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul even went by different clocks, despite only being separated by the Mississippi River. So, lawmakers are kind of like “Time Lords” from Doctor Who. But while they have not waged the Last Great Time War, for some lawmakers, time has expired for the biannual time change. “I haven’t had anybody come to me and say, ‘This is something that benefits our society.’ Why do we have it around anymore? Let’s get rid of the antiquated stuff that hold us back from advancement,” said Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga. CENSURE RESOLUTIONS: WHEN TO DOUBLE DOWN, AND WHEN TO TURN THE PAGE Florida lawmakers push especially hard to codify the time change in law. After all, Florida is the Sunshine State. Much of the state’s economy is based on what you can do outdoors. Sunbathe. Golf. Walk on the beach. Go to amusement parks. “In tourism, it’s huge,” said Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla. “Instead of getting dark at 5:39, it gets dark at 6:30. It makes a big difference. A lot of times the weather’s nice (people) like to be outside eating.” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., pushed time change legislation when he served as governor of the Sunshine State. He’s authored a bill which he believes will give all states more sunshine – by effectively freezing time. “It will lock the clock. So stop going back and forth between Daylight Savings Time and Standard Time,” said Scott. Former Sen. and now Secretary of State Marco Rubio, R-Fla., authored a bill to mandate Daylight Saving Time year-round several years ago. To everyone’s surprise, the Senate approved the bill by unanimous consent in 2022. But the bill then died in the House. Congress approved the Standard Time Act to create the first version of Daylight Saving time in 1918 during World War I. Proponents of the legislation argued that there was “wasted light” at the beginning of the day. Shifting the clocks would reward Americans with “extra” hours of daylight in the evening. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOOK: SORTING IT OUT “I used to think my state legislature had the foolishiest ideas in the world,” said Rep. Robert Thomas, D-Ky., of the measure at the time. “But it never tried to change the sun in its orbit.” Farmers and residents of the west opposed the plan. President Woodrow Wilson wanted to keep the time change. But Congress voted to repeal it. Wilson then vetoed the bill. What comes next is one of the most fascinating aspects of time legislation, Congress and the presidency. There have only been 112 successful overrides of a presidential veto in American history. One of them is on a piece of time legislation. Congress overrode Wilson’s veto and gave back the hour it picked up during World War I. Presidents have tinkered with changing the time via executive order to maximize daylight during times of crisis. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt shifted the clocks during World War II. President Richard Nixon did the same during the OPEC oil shocks of the 1970s. THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE SENATE TRYING TO ADVANCE TRUMP’S AGENDA It was thought that President Trump may wade into the time waters. He’s berated the seasonal time changes for years now, dating back to his first term in office. Mr. Trump posted about the time switch on Truth Social as recently as mid-December. “The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation,” wrote the president. But President Trump wasn’t inclined to turn back time when pressed about it by colleague Peter Doocy on Thursday. “It’s a 50/50 issue. And if something is a 50/50 issue, it’s hard to get excited about it. I assume people would like to have more light later. But some people want to have more light earlier because they don’t want to take their kids to school in the dark,” said Mr. Trump. The problem is that most people abhor changing the clocks. But they worry about it getting dark way too early in the winter. Or the sun “rising” at absurd times in the summer. It depends on where you live. HOUSE MINORITY LEADER JEFFRIES DESCRIBES TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS AS ‘MOST DIVISIVE’ IN AMERICAN HISTORY The country may harbor deep political divisions. But at least one lawmaker believes it’s time Americans rally around something. “I’d love for us to not have to switch our clocks if that’s something that actually probably can unite Americans right now,” said Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J. But at least once senior lawmaker hasn’t given the time of day to clock shifting efforts. “You have thoughts on daylight savings?” asked colleague Ryan Schmelz of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Jeffries chuckled. “There’s a lot going on in the United States of America. I haven’t been
Former GOP firebrand governor eyeing run for Congress in key swing district
Former two-term Republican Gov. Paul LePage of Maine is considering a 2026 run for Congress. A source on Friday confirmed to Fox News the conservative firebrand is mulling a bid in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District. The mostly rural district comprises roughly 80% of the state’s total land area and is the largest congressional district east of the Mississippi River. The seat is held by Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, a Marine veteran who served combat tours in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Golden is a moderate Democrat who is often at odds with his party’s leadership. HOUSE GOP CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE CHAIR MAKES 2026 PREDICTION LePage, first elected governor in 2010 and re-elected four years later, was prevented by term limits from seeking a third straight term in 2018. The pugnacious LePage became known both inside Maine and across the country for stirring controversy due to his off-the-cuff remarks. He also often touted that “I was Donald Trump before Donald Trump became popular.” HOUSE DEMOCRATIC RE-ELECTION CHAIR REVEALS MIDTERMS BLUEPRINT He made an unsuccessful comeback in 2022 against his successor, losing the gubernatorial election to Democratic Gov. Janet Mills. There’s speculation that Golden, who won re-election in November by a razor-thin margin, is considering a run for governor in 2026, when Mills is term-limited. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON MAINE Maine is one of just two states, along with Nebraska, that divides its electoral votes in the presidential election by congressional district. And Trump won the single electoral vote at stake in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District by carrying the district in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections. The GOP, when at full strength, will hold a razor-thin 220-215 majority in the House, which means the Democrats only need a three-seat gain in 2026 to win back the chamber for the first time in four years. And Republicans are also dealing with plenty of political history because the party in power traditionally faces electoral headwinds in the midterms.
Trump assassination attempt suspect legal team battles DOJ over evidence, test-firing gun
Ryan Routh, the man accused of trying to assassinate then-candidate Donald Trump in September 2024, appeared in court as his team battled with the Justice Department over evidence. The defense team and the DOJ lobbed accusations back and forth over alleged withholding of evidence as they prepared for the Sept. 8, 2025, trial. A major point of contention between the defense and the prosecution is the issue of firearm testing. The defense is calling for the firearm, which is in the DOJ’s position, to be tested. The defense’s reason for testing is that they believe the gun was too old to fire the distance the DOJ claims it would have. However, the prosecution maintains that firearm testing is unusual, and it could destroy evidence. “As we told defense counsel, their request to inspect the firearm in this manner was highly unusual in the experience of the FBI, but nonetheless we made it happen,” the prosecution wrote in a court filing. TRUMP SAYS HE’D BE WILLING TO RELEASE REPORTS ON ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS AGAINST HIM The DOJ apparently has 90 gigabytes of bodycam footage from their search of Routh’s home in Hawaii. The search was carried out in September, weeks after the botched alleged assassination attempt. In addition to the footage, the prosecution says it has hundreds of law enforcement reports to sift through but is confident that they will turn it over in the next two weeks. The prosecution says in a court filing it is submitting evidence as it becomes available, but that the defense has not submitted anything. The defense team maintained that they were not under any obligation to provide evidence to the DOJ. While they had ruled out using an insanity defense, Routh’s team refrained from offering any theories, saying that they needed to go over all the prosecution’s discovery. SON OF ACCUSED ATTEMPTED TRUMP ASSASSIN HAS OUTBURST IN COURT AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO SERIOUS CHARGES Now, Routh’s defense team is calling for a full list of evidence and information on where everything is located. The defense claims that when they went to try to see the firearm in question, some items that went with the gun were not in the evidence box. However, in its court filing the prosecution claims that any remaining physical evidence as at the FBI’s facility in Miramar, Fl., or is in transit on its way there. Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley told “America Reports” that Routh’s defense team “has not been forthcoming” in the case. Additionally, Turley says that many of Routh’s actions after being caught negate a possible insanity plea. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Routh is accused of waiting over 12 hours on the perimeter of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, where he was hoping to assassinate then-candidate Trump while he was playing golf on Sept. 15, 2025. A Secret Service agent allegedly saw Routh before Trump came into range. Routh then allegedly targeted the agent before fleeing the scene. He was later arrested and indicted by a grand jury. President Trump said he would be willing to release findings on the two assassination attempts made against him during the 2024 campaign. However, there are no firm details at this time.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: ‘Final Moments’ With Iran
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -New report reveals illegal immigrant population hit new high during Biden-era crisis -House education chair backs Trump move to abolish federal agency –Kamala Harris reveals timetable for making major political decision in deep Blue state President Donald Trump signaled that a nuclear deal with Iran could emerge in the near future, just over a month after his administration reinstated a “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran. Trump on Friday told reporters that the U.S. is “down to the final moments” negotiating with Iran, and that he hoped military intervention would prove unnecessary. “It’s an interesting time in the history of the world. But we have a situation with Iran that something is going to happen very soon, very, very soon,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “You’ll be talking about that pretty soon, I guess. Hopefully, we can have a peace deal. I’m not speaking out of strength or weakness, I’m just saying I’d rather see a peace deal than the other. But the other will solve the problem.”…Read more STEELE THE SHOW: Trump cuts off federal resources for law firm that helped fuel 2016 Russia hoax COULD FOREIGN AID FREEZE SEE A THAW?: U.S. judge orders Trump admin to pay portion of $2B in foreign aid by Monday GRANTS CUT: Trump cuts more than $400 million in grants to Columbia over antisemitism concerns, more to potentially come ‘BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE’: Trump threatens sanctions on Russia, demands peace after major hits in Ukraine ‘MOST INTERESTED’: Zelenskyy confirms Ukraine will attend U.S. peace talks in Saudi Arabia, 1 week after Oval Office clash MONEY TROUBLES?: UN prepping for spending cuts as DOGE roots out waste in US, internal docs show HEALTH BATTLE: Pope Francis still getting oxygen therapy, will not read Sunday prayers ‘MADE US LOOK HEARTLESS’: Rep. Ro Khanna describes interaction with flight attendant following Trump speech THIS LAND IS OUR LAND: Congress exposes China’s potential loophole for Trump tariffs: ‘Drawing a line in the sand’ ‘INVESTIGATE AND ENFORCE’: HHS expands Title IX probe in Maine to include state association governing athletics, embattled high school BRAGG IS BACK: Fort Bragg is back: Army renames N.C. base to honor World War II hero ‘JUST THE BEGINNING’: Trump Organization, Eric Trump sue Capital One for ‘unjustifiable’ 2021 debanking based on ‘woke’ beliefs BREAKING NEWS: Bryan Kohberger case: Idaho court releases surviving housemates’ text messages from night of student murders ‘FALSE AND MISLEADING’: Noem team demands end to ‘fake news’ reports she spent $650K as governor on credit card — it was $2K WASTING MONEY: DOGE says government paying for 11,020 Adobe Acrobat licenses with zero users, plus more ‘idle’ accounts ‘ABSOLUTELY FACTUAL’: Stranded astronaut says he believes Musk’s claims Biden refused to conduct rescue mission COME NORTH: Top Dem governor issues order aiming to help fill ‘critical’ state jobs as DOGE cuts federal bureaucracy ‘DEEPLY UNFAIR’: Newsom calls biological men in women’s sports ‘deeply unfair’ in podcast with conservative activist Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Kristi Noem says 2 leakers accused of disclosing ICE operations ID’d: ‘Put law enforcement lives in jeopardy’
Two people within the Department of Homeland Security have been accused of disclosing DHS operations amid the Trump administration’s mass-deportation plans, Secretary Kristi Noem said. In a video exclusively provided to Fox News, Noem is seen giving an update on the matter. “We have identified two leakers of information here at the Department of Homeland Security who have been telling individuals about our operations and putting law enforcement lives in jeopardy,” she said. “We plan to prosecute these two individuals and hold them accountable for what they’ve done.” “We’re going to continue to do all that we can to keep America safe,” she added. ICE MAKES MAJOR MOVE ON DETAINING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN HEART OF BLUE STATE The names of the two alleged leakers were not disclosed. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News that they are expected to face charges. “We are preparing to refer these perpetrators to the DOJ for felony prosecutions,” she said. “These individuals face up to 10 years in federal prison. We will find and root out all leakers. They will face prison time, and we will get justice for the American people.” Earlier this week, Noem said her agency wasn’t deterred by leaks after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid was leaked ahead of time. The leaks drew anger from ICE, with one official telling Fox they feared the result of an ICE agent being killed. NEW HOUSE REPORT EXPOSES HOW CONTROVERSIAL ‘AMNESTY’ PROGRAM EXPLODED UNDER BIDEN Previous leaks to the news media have involved raids in Los Angeles and Aurora, Colorado. Last month, Border czar Tom Homan said the administration was closing in on the individual responsible for the leak of the Aurora raid. Noem had pointed the finger at the FBI. “The FBI is so corrupt,” Noem wrote on X. “We will work with any and every agency to stop leaks and prosecute these crooked deep state agents to the fullest extent of the law.” In February, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared on “Fox Report,” where she discussed immigration enforcement and was asked about leaks originating within the government. “Well, you know, if anyone leaks anything, people don’t understand that it jeopardizes the lives of our great men and women in law enforcement, and if you leaked it, we will find out who you are, and we will come after you,” Bondi said. “It’s not going to stop our mission. It’s not going to stop the president’s mission to make America safe again.”
GOP’s two top Dem Senate targets justify blocking bill to bar men from women’s sports
The two most vulnerable Democratic senators voted against advancing a bill this week to prevent biological males from participating in women’s and girls’ sports, despite popular public support for such a policy. Now, they’re justifying why they did it. “I listened to what I heard in New Hampshire, and what we heard from people who were keeping track of how many — Charlie Baker, for example, who heads the NCAA, who said that it only applies to one person,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., told Fox News Digital. “I don’t think we need legislation to do that. I think we can police it through the organizations,” she said. SENATE BID TO PREVENT BOYS FROM PLAYING GIRLS’ SPORTS GETS STUCK ON FILIBUSTER “This bill was overreach,” Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a statement. “School districts and athletic associations can ensure fair, safe competition without subjecting the bodies of adolescent student athletes — children — to intrusive investigation by the federal government,” he said. Fox News Digital reached out to Ossoff’s office but did not hear back in time for publication. In a recent New York Times/Ipsos survey, the vast majority of Americans said men and boys who identify as transgender women and girls “should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports.” However, in a Senate procedural vote on Monday, every single voting Democrat blocked the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act from moving on to a final vote on passage. All voting Republicans voted in favor of limiting debate on the measure and thereby overcoming the legislative filibuster, which is what the 60-vote threshold on Senate cloture motions is often called. TRUMP FDA NOMINEE TURNS VACCINE QUESTION ON DEM, RECALLING CONTROVERSIAL BIDEN DECISION Because the vote was only 51 to 45, the bill won’t move forward to a final vote at this time. Among Democrats in the NYT/Ipsos poll, 67% agreed with Republicans that biological males shouldn’t be allowed to participate in female sports. The bill, introduced by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., would require Title IX to treat gender as “recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth” and would not allow for it to be applied to a differing gender identity. “This past week showed us how evil the Democrat party truly is. Every single senator voted to strip away the rights of women and girls everywhere,” Tuberville said in a statement. “Both Sen. Jon Ossoff and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen pretend to care about women, but they clearly don’t give a rip about their privacy, safety, or right to fair competition. They think protecting female athletes is an ‘overreach,’ but are perfectly okay with forcing women to share locker rooms and shower with fully intact males. One thing is clear: Jon Ossoff and Jeanne Shaheen are completely out of touch with their voters.” After their votes, the National Republican Senatorial Committee took a shot at its top Senate targets. “Jon Ossoff could have joined the overwhelming majority of Georgians in the fight for common sense and keeping men out of women’s sports,” NRSC Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia said in a statement. “Instead, he told parents and their daughters that Democrats believe they must play sports and share locker rooms and bathrooms with biological males.” TRUMP’S BIPARTISAN-BACKED LABOR PICK CLEARS LAST HURDLE BEFORE CABINET CONFIRMATION Both Shaheen and Ossoff are up for re-election in 2026 in New Hampshire and Georgia. While Ossoff has been gearing up for a tough Senate battle for months, Shaheen has yet to announce whether she will be running. She is expected to announce her decision at some point this month, sources in New Hampshire confirmed to Fox News Digital. Shaheen is the only remaining Senate Democrat in a competitive seat who has not yet publicly revealed her re-election plans. Gov. Brian Kemp, R-Ga., is the GOP favorite to take on Ossoff for the southern state’s Senate seat, but he has not said whether he will launch a bid. He said he has “really got a lot on my plate right now,” in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. INSIDE ELON MUSK’S HUDDLE WITH GOP SENATORS: DOGE HEAD TOUTS $4M SAVINGS PER DAY “I’m in the middle of my legislative session. We’ve got a big tort reform fight going on. I’m chairing the Republican Governors Association. I made a commitment on that.” “I know I can’t keep holding out forever, so we’ll have something to say on that down the road,” he added. Nonpartisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report has rated the Georgia Senate race as a “Toss Up,” while the New Hampshire seat is considered “Lean Democratic.”