GOP rebels head to White House for meeting to avoid government shutdown
A group of House conservatives are heading to the White House Wednesday to discuss the path forward for avoiding a partial government shutdown. “It’s a meeting with the House Freedom Caucus leadership, and then a few of the people who philosophically share our feelings about the fiscal situation,” House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital. “And we’re going to hear what the president has to say.” Fresh off an internal battle that ended with House Republicans taking the first step to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda through the budget reconciliation process, GOP lawmakers are facing another looming fiscal fight. Congressional negotiators have punted fiscal year 2025 government funding talks twice since the new fiscal year began Oct. 1, 2024. They did so by passing a continuing resolution, a short-term funding patch to extend current federal spending levels. TRUMP FIRES 17 GOVERNMENT WATCHDOGS AT VARIOUS FEDERAL AGENCIES Congress could risk a partial government shutdown on Trump’s watch if nothing is done by the end of March 14. To avoid that, however, GOP leaders are looking to pass another continuing resolution, this time through the end of fiscal year 2025. But Democrats and Republicans are at an impasse over the left’s demands that the resolution include assurances that Trump will not overstep Congress and spend less money than what’s appropriated. Democratic votes have been critical to passing every continuing resolution since Republicans took the House in January 2023. And with a razor-thin majority, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., can lose few votes to pass anything with just GOP support. FEDERAL JUDGE HINTS SHE WILL CONTINUE BLOCKING TRUMP FROM FIRING HEAD OF WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION AGENCY Trump has spoken out on the matter, calling on Republicans to pass a “clean” extension of last year’s funds through the end of the fiscal year. Republican leaders are hoping that will be enough to sway conservatives and other GOP lawmakers who normally are, on principle, opposed to continuing resolutions. It is why several such lawmakers will be at the White House Wednesday. “I’m hopeful we can get this off the ground,” Harris said. “But, again, it’s going to involve all hands on deck in the Republican conference in the House.” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., another House Freedom Caucus member who normally opposes continuing resolutions, suggested he may be open to supporting this latest bid. Norman, who will be at the White House Wednesday, was hopeful Trump’s push to cut government waste represented a new chapter that could allow for Republicans opposed to a continuing resolution to feel comfortable crossing that line. “I will be part of the group, and we’ll be talking with the president,” Norman said. “It’s real important to keep his momentum going. It’s a new day with the DOGE cuts. (Continuing resolutions) a lot of us don’t like. We haven’t voted for them in the past. Today is different, and I think we’ll pass the vote. “If we have to get Democrats, that’s not a good sign. And I don’t think we have to, nor should we. And there’s no one better to sell a program or a point of view than Donald Trump.” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, declined to say if he would attend the meeting but said he was supportive of Trump’s stance on a continuing resolution. Roy, the House Freedom Caucus policy chair, has become a de facto liaison between Republican leaders and the most hawkish members of the House GOP Conference. “I have publicly said that I’m happy to support the president’s request to have a (continuing resolution) the next six months, provided that it’s clean, provided that it is at current levels or below,” Roy said. “I’m not going to talk about private meetings and what I’ve been invited to, but let’s say I’m in close contact with the White House.”
Georgia House advances bill to ease death penalty law for intellectually disabled people
The Georgia House unanimously passed a bill on Tuesday lessening the threshold for a person facing the death penalty to be considered intellectually disabled, which would make them ineligible for a death sentence. State Rep. Bill Werkheiser, a Republican, had previously introduced legislation aimed at making it easier for someone to prove they are intellectually disabled in order to avoid the death penalty in the Peach State, which has one of the nation’s toughest thresholds to overcome. That bill was proposed just months before Willie James Pye, whose IQ was allegedly low enough to show he was intellectually disabled, was executed after his conviction in the 1993 rape and shooting death of his former girlfriend, Alicia Lynn Yarbrough. Pye’s lawyers argued he was intellectually disabled and brain-damaged. Pye’s execution bothered Werkheiser, whose legislation at the time never had a vote in committee, but this bill has received more legislative support after passing the House unanimously. Now it heads to the Senate. SOUTH CAROLINA DEATH ROW INMATE CHOOSES FIRING SQUAD AS EXECUTION METHOD Georgia became the first state to outlaw the death penalty for intellectually disabled people in 1988. The U.S. Supreme Court later followed suit and ruled in 2002 that executing intellectually disabled people violates constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment. However, the court allowed states to determine the threshold for a person to be considered intellectually disabled. Georgia requires people to prove intellectual disability beyond a reasonable doubt, making it the only state with such a high burden of proof. The bill advanced on Tuesday also allows defendants to present evidence of intellectual disability at a pretrial hearing that would be mandatory if prosecutors agree. If convicted at trial, defendants could then present evidence of intellectual disability in a separate process before the same jury. Defendants who are found to have an intellectual disability would receive a life sentence if convicted. “I believe it is incumbent upon the state to protect those who cannot protect themselves,” Werkheiser said. In another case, Warren Lee Hill was executed in Georgia in 2015 for killing a fellow detainee despite his lawyers arguing that he had an intellectual disability. In 2002, a judge said that if Georgia used a lower standard than reasonable doubt, Hill would likely have been found intellectually disabled. When the Georgia Supreme Court in 2021 upheld the death penalty for Rodney Young, the justices found he had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he was intellectually disabled, although then-Presiding Justice David Nahmias wrote that he would “embrace” legislative efforts to lower the threshold. Young was sentenced to death in the 2008 killing of Gary Jones, his ex-fiancée’s adult son. Prosecutors have testified in committee hearings that they do not oppose amending the reasonable doubt standard, but they are against changes to the trial process and the addition of a pretrial hearing. “The proposed bill cherry-picks from several different states,” said T. Wright Barksdale III, district attorney for the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit in central Georgia. Proponents of the bill argue that if jurors have already heard the details of a gruesome crime, they may have a difficult time evaluating evidence of the defendant’s intellectual disability without bias. Most states allow defendants the opportunity to prove their intellectual disability before the trial and have separate processes for determining a defendant’s guilt and for determining their intellectual disability. “Changing only the standard of proof is insufficient for ensuring that Georgia does not continue to execute people with valid claims of intellectual disability,” said Mazie Lynn Guertin, executive director of the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. IDAHO MURDERS CASE: BRYAN KOHBERGER’S LIKELIHOOD OF FIRING SQUAD EXECUTION INCREASES Barksdale claims that the proposal would make the process too complicated and would prevent the death penalty from being carried out at all. “As this law is constructed, and based on my experience of trying capital cases, it would, for all intents and purposes, cripple us to a point that we would never have a real fair shot at ever obtaining a death penalty for anyone,” Barksdale said, adding that lawmakers should abolish the death penalty if that is what they want, but lawmakers have said that is not their intention. During two committee hearings on this bill, Republican and Democrat lawmakers seemed unconvinced that the procedural changes would make the process too complicated. Death penalty cases, they noted, already take a long time, including many motions and hearings ahead of the trial. “We have the death penalty in this state. I’m not going to debate it,” Democrat Rep. Esther Panitch, who is also a criminal defense attorney, said Tuesday. “But if we’re going to mete out the ultimate punishment, it should only be for the worst of the worst, and those we have spent the time to make sure understand their culpability.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Top 5 moments from Trump’s address to joint session of Congress
President Donald Trump addressed both chambers of Congress Tuesday evening in an expansive speech that lasted more than 90 minutes, as he took a victory lap for his accomplishments thus far and previewed his vision for the future. The speech marked Trump’s first address before Congress since he reclaimed the Oval Office in January. Though similar to a State of the Union Speech, Trump’s address did not carry the same official title as he has not been in office a full year. Fox News Digital compiled the top five moments from Trump’s address, including Democratic protests, chants of “USA, USA, USA” and Trump revealing that a top terrorist has been apprehended. Trump spoke for about an hour and 40 minutes, notching the longest address a president has delivered before a joint session of Congress, according to the American Presidency Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara. The longest speech on record previously was held by former President Bill Clinton, when he spoke for one hour and 28 minutes during his State of the Union Address in 2000. “To my fellow citizens, America is back,” Trump declared at the start of his Tuesday speech. “Six weeks ago, I stood beneath the dome of this Capitol and proclaimed the dawn of the golden Age of America,” he said. “From that moment on, it has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action to usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of our country. We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years or eight years. And we are just getting started.” The audience broke out into chants of “USA, USA, USA” as Trump opened his speech by declaring “America is back,” Trump rattled off a handful of accomplishments since taking office, notably the Department of Government Efficiency’s work to stamp out government overspending, fraud and mismanagement, as well as securing the border and previewing how his tariff plans will lead to an economic “boom” for Americans. ‘HE’S BACK’: TRUMP’S JOINT ADDRESS TO CONGRESS TO BE BLANKETED WITH 6-FIGURE AD BUY TOUTING TAX PLAN “Every single day, we will stand up and we will fight, fight, fight for the country our citizens believe in and for the country people deserve,” Trump said in his conclusion. “My fellow Americans, get ready for an Incredible future, because the golden age of America has only just begun. It will be like nothing that has ever been seen before. Thank you. God bless you and God bless America.” Speaker of the House Mike Johnson ordered the sergeant at arms to remove Democratic Texas Rep. Al Green after he repeatedly shouted during Trump’s opening remarks. “Members are engaging in willful and continuing breach of decorum, and the chair is prepared to direct the sergeant at arms to restore order to the joint session,” Johnson warned as a handful of Democrats disrupted Trump. “Mr. Green, take your seat,” he said, as Green continued shouting and shaking his cane at Trump. Johnson ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove Green from the chamber. Green, one of Trump’s most vocal critics, already has filed impeachment articles against Trump over what he called “ethnic cleansing in Gaza.” DEMOCRAT REMOVED FROM HOUSE CHAMBER AFTER DISRUPTING TRUMP’S SPEECH TO CONGRESS: ‘TAKE YOUR SEAT’ Some Democrats had warned their colleagues against protesting Trump ahead of the speech, with former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, for example, saying they should let him “stew in his own juice.” Democrats, however, protested nonetheless, including remaining seated as Trump celebrated his policies, and held up signs reading “false,” “lies,” “Musk steals” and “Save Medicaid.” Some female Democratic lawmakers wore pink suits in protest of policies they claim are anti-woman, while other Democrats were heard jeering Trump throughout the speech. Trump honored the lives of Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray — who both were brutally killed by illegal immigrants under the Biden administration — including naming an animal refuge after Nungaray. “Alexis, I promised that we would always remember your daughter, your magnificent daughter,” Trump said while directing his attention to Jocelyn Nungaray’s mom, Alexis. “And earlier tonight I signed an order keeping my word to you. One thing I have learned about Jocelyn is that she loved animals so much. She loved nature. Across Galveston Bay, from where Jocelyn lived in Houston, you will find a magnificent National Wildlife Refuge. A pristine, peaceful, 34,000-acre sanctuary for all of God’s creatures on the edge of the Gulf of America.” The 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was sexually assaulted and murdered by strangulation when two illegal immigrants in their 20s allegedly lured the young girl under a bridge before killing her in June 2024. “Her precious Jocelyn walked to a nearby convenience store,” Trump said. “She was kidnaped, tied up, assaulted for two hours under a bridge and horrifically murdered. Arrested and charged with this heinous crime are two illegal alien monsters from Venezuela, released into America by the last administration through their ridiculous open border. The death of this beautiful 12-year-old girl, and the agony of her mother and family touched our entire nation greatly.” Trump also celebrated the life of Laken Riley, who was 22 years old when she was discovered beaten to death by an illegal immigrant in 2024 after going for a run on the University of Georgia’s campus. TRUMP HONORS LIVES OF LAKEN RILEY, JOCELYN NUNGARAY WHILE CELEBRATING STRIDES ON SECURING BORDER “Laken was viciously attacked, assaulted, beaten, brutalized, and horrifically murdered,” Trump said during his speech. “Laken was stolen from us by a savage illegal alien.” Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law upon taking office for a second time in January, saying that the U.S. will never forget Riley through the law that directs Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain illegal immigrants arrested or charged with theft-related crimes, or those accused of assaulting a police officer. Trump declared during his speech that the U.S. “will never, ever forget our beautiful Laken Riley” through legislation he singed into
Red state leader calls for states to stand behind Trump’s ban on funding illegal immigration
As Democrat states double down on resisting the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, Oklahoma Education Superintendent Ryan Walters is calling on states to stand behind the president and take a proactive role in implementing his executive orders. Walters, a Republican, believes that all state elected officials and agencies, including state education systems, have a role to play in implementing President Donald Trump’s agenda. “You’ve got Democrat governors, you’ve got Democrat elected officials saying we’re going to thwart this in any way we can,” he said. “Where are the states that are moving at lightning speed to enact these agenda items?” Last week, he filed an inquiry to Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond to clarify how the Oklahoma public education system can implement Trump’s executive order ending taxpayer funding for programs that incentivize illegal immigration. DEMS CLAIM TRUMP KILLED IMMIGRATION BILL, BUT HIS SUCCESS ON THE BORDER PROVES HE HAD THE RIGHT IDEA: EXPERT The order, titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders,” directs the heads of each federal executive department and agency to examine their agencies to “ensure, to the maximum extent permitted by law, that no taxpayer-funded benefits go to unqualified aliens.” The purpose of this, according to the order, is to “prevent taxpayer resources from acting as a magnet and fueling illegal immigration to the United States.” Drummond responded on Monday by praising Trump and his order while asserting that it does not affect state agencies and that Walters’ request is “nothing more than manufactured political drama.” He also criticized Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt for what he called his “many failures in dealing with this critical issue here in Oklahoma.” TRUMP ADMIN PROMISES TO BE ‘RUTHLESSLY AGGRESSIVE’ IN RESPONSE TO SUSPECTED CARTEL KILLING OF US CITIZEN Stitt, in turn, responded to these criticisms by telling Fox News Digital, “Sadly, once again, we are just getting noise from people campaigning for their next political promotion.” Stitt said that “being governor has been one of the greatest honors of my life” and he “will continue to do everything in my power to protect both Oklahomans and the innocent children in our communities.” In response, Walters said he was “disappointed but not surprised by AG Drummond’s response.” “He has a responsibility to offer opinions on all laws, not just the ones he deems worthy,” he said. “Once again, he is refusing to support President Trump’s executive order on illegal immigration at a time when we all need to move forward with a unified front to protect Oklahoma families.” In an interview with Fox News Digital, Walters asserted that though the order only pertains to federal tax dollars, it is also up to state education officials to make sure the funding they receive from the federal government complies with the order. “What we’ve seen here with this latest executive order is to not allow illegal immigrants to have access to federal funds. Well, in education, there’s a lot of different federal funding streams that come into states,” he explained. DEM AND GOP GOVERNORS URGE TRUMP TO ‘LET THE STATES PLAY A ROLE’ IN IMMIGRATION DECISIONS Walters said that under the Biden administration, the Oklahoma education system was flooded with illegal immigrant students, which he said caused “chaos” in the schools. He estimates Oklahoma spent a minimum of $474 million on illegal immigrant students, which he said took away resources and opportunities from students who are U.S. citizens. Since Trump retook the White House, Walters has been a vocal advocate for policies he believes will aid the administration in putting an end to the migrant crisis. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE In late January, he announced that Oklahoma public schools would begin tracking students’ immigration status and share that information with federal authorities. However, Stitt has opposed this policy, and it is currently under consideration by the state legislature. Walters continued, “We are applying President Trump’s executive orders in every way possible, and that means, yes, you’ve got to know how many illegal immigrants are in your school system, how does this apply to formulas funding streams, how does this apply to grant funding streams, so that you’re able to ensure that those executive orders are being followed through on.” TRUMP REPORTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AT HISTORIC LOWS DURING FIRST FULL MONTH IN OFFICE Ultimately, Walters believes “education systems across the country” should be following suit and moving quickly to similarly implement Trump’s orders. “Here’s the reality that’s facing states right now,” he said. “Are you going to align with President Trump’s illegal immigration agenda, which means you are going to ensure that illegal immigrants are being accounted for and that you are ensuring that every executive order from President Trump is being carried out for illegal immigration, or are you going to support President Biden’s illegal immigration view, which is don’t ask, don’t even acknowledge it?” “There couldn’t be a [more] clear mandate from this last election,” he went on. “Every state has a decision to make, and they should all be aligning with President Trump.”
‘America is back’: Lawmakers rally around Trump after ‘phenomenal’ joint address to Congress
Washington D.C. – Republican lawmakers say “America is back” after President Donald Trump’s joint speech to Congress, while Democrats labeled the address as “bizarre.” “President Trump was phenomenal. He laid out so many things he’s done in just 6 weeks, but also what’s ahead for the American people to get our country back on track,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said after the speech. The president delivered a joint address to Congress on Tuesday evening, which received frequent standing ovations from the GOP and saw several interruptions from members on the Democrat side of the aisle. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital that it was “fantastic,” while Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, called it “outstanding.” However, Democratic Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., said that the president’s address was “bizarre.” 13-YEAR-OLD CANCER SURVIVOR EARNS STANDING OVATION AS HE BECOMES SECRET SERVICE AGENT DURING TRUMP SPEECH Following the speech, Republican lawmakers began calling out their Democratic colleagues for not standing for the president’s guests, including DJ Daniel, a 13-year-old cancer survivor who was a guest at the speech. “I was so disappointed that my Democratic colleagues couldn’t stand and show love for some of the Americans that were recognized tonight. That was really heartbreaking to me,” Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., told Fox News Digital. “You have a little 13-year-old boy with brain cancer who worked diligently to overcome that. For him, when his dad lifted him up, for him to look out across that room and not to have everyone in there standing for him was heartbreaking.” “America is back,” said Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital. “The Democrats really embarrassed themselves. I mean they wouldn’t even stand up for DJ who survived cancer.” Asked what he thought about the speech, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., told Fox News Digital “not much.” TRUMP PROMISES ‘THIS WILL BE OUR GREATEST ERA’ IN JOINT ADDRESS TO CONGRESS “I think he did a great job,” Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, told Fox News Digital after the speech. “America is back. It’s how he started, it’s how he ended. Great pride, and look at the difference between that and Joe Biden.” “The biggest thing is it’s super embarrassing for Democrats,” Moreno said. “I think they totally disparaged themselves today by just standing there. They couldn’t clap for a 13-year-old boy.” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said that “Trump spent as much if not more time talking about retaking the Panama Canal, Greenland and its status, onward to the moon, as he did about how to reduce prices for the average American.” But Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., told Fox that Trump “was confident” and “knew what his mission was.” “I also saw someone who knows how to communicate with the American people exactly what he wanted to do,” Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., told Fox. “And he recapped what he ran on, and he recapped what he’s already accomplished in the short time since he’s taken the presidency.” Trump’s speech was interrupted by several Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Al Green, D-Texas., who was removed from the chamber by the sergeant at arms following an order from Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
Georgia Senate advances pair of bills to ban gender-transitioning treatment for minors, inmates
Georgia’s Senate passed two bills to ban most gender-transitioning treatment for minors and inmates in state prisons, with some Democrats joining Republicans in supporting the measures. Lawmakers voted 34-19 on Monday for a bill to ban most gender-transitioning treatments, including puberty blockers, for anyone under the age of 18, even for people already on treatment. In 2023, the state banned most gender-transitioning surgeries and hormone replacement therapies for transgender children unless they were already receiving treatment. “You’re asking [minors] to make changes that will have changes to the rest of their lives,” GOP Sen. Ben Watson, the bill’s sponsor, said Monday. “It is not a fair decision to them. It is not a fair decision to the parents.” A second bill — sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Randy Robertson — that would ban most gender-transitioning treatment for inmates in state prisons passed 37-15. SENATE DEMS FACE BACKLASH AFTER BILL TO PREVENT BOYS FROM PLAYING GIRLS’ SPORTS FAILS TO BREAK FILIBUSTER Opponents of the measures accused Republicans of playing politics by targeting transgender people and argued that lawmakers should focus on more pressing issues. They said both bills infringe on the rights of transgender people and their families to make decisions about gender-transitioning treatment. “This body has promulgated bill after bill attacking trans people with the ultimate goal of making trans folks disappear. We’ve been here before,” Senate Minority Whip Kim Jackson, a Democrat who is openly lesbian, said Monday. At least 26 states have enacted laws restricting gender-transitioning treatment for minors, although most have been slapped with lawsuits. TEXAS LAWMAKER PROPOSES BILL TO BAN GENDER TRANSITION TREATMENT FOR EVERYONE, INCLUDING ADULTS Jackson and other Democrats proposed an amendment to Watson’s bill that would have allowed minors already receiving gender-transitioning treatment to continue to avoid the medical and emotional risks of stopping in the middle of treatment, but the amendment failed. Democrat Sens. Elena Parent and Sonya Halpern reaffirmed their commitment to protecting the rights of transgender people but bucked party lines to vote for Robertson’s bill, saying they do not believe taxpayers should be burdened with the cost of gender-transitioning treatment for inmates. Parents proposed an amendment to make an exception for inmates already undergoing hormone replacement therapy, but that amendment also failed. “I will not let my party be dragged into an argument that makes us look out of touch with the very people we claim to represent,” Halpern said. Democrat Sen. Sally Harrell, who has two transgender children, said she wanted “to remind people that we are talking about very real people — parents, children, families.” Sen. Freddie Powell Sims was the lone Democrat who voted for both bills, while four Democrats supported the bill banning gender-transitioning treatment for inmates. Last month, the Senate passed bills to ban biological boys from playing in girls’ sports and stripped public funding for gender-transitioning treatment for adults. The four bills will now head to the House. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
‘Would have lost us the Cold War’: Slotkin blasts Trump’s foreign policy in response to Congress address
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., blasted President Donald Trump’s foreign policy agenda Tuesday after the president addressed Congress, claiming that Trump would have lost the Cold War if he’d been president in the 1980s. Slotkin’s remarks come after Trump delivered an address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday in a speech similar to the annual State of the Union, where he declared that “America is back” and that the “American dream is surging.” “We all want an end to the war in Ukraine, but Reagan understood that true strength required America to combine our military and economic might with moral clarity,” said Slotkin, who was tapped to deliver the official Democratic Party response to Trump’s address. “As a Cold War kid, I’m thankful it was Reagan and not Trump in office in the 1980s. Trump would have lost us the Cold War.” TRUMP PROMISES ‘THIS WILL BE OUR GREATEST ERA’ IN JOINT ADDRESS TO CONGRESS Slotkin zeroed in on Trump’s tense Friday exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance sparred with Zelenskyy over whether diplomacy was the best avenue to bring peace to end the conflict. Trump and Vance said Zelenskyy wasn’t grateful to the U.S., and the exchange stalled peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine and put a pause on a rare-earth minerals deal between Washington and Kyiv. However, Trump revealed in his speech to Congress Tuesday that Ukraine was ready to resume peace negotiations, and was ready to sign a minerals agreement that would allow the U.S. access to Ukraine’s minerals in exchange for U.S. support in the country. While Trump has touted he seeks to achieve peace through strength, a term coined by former President Ronald Reagan, Reagan must be “rolling in his grave” following the “spectacle” between Trump and Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, Slotkin said. Slotkin, a former CIA analyst who worked at the Pentagon and the White House under both the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, also attacked the administration’s efforts to whittle down the federal government workforce. “The mindless firing of people who work to protect our nuclear weapons, keep our planes from crashing, and conduct the research that finds the cure for cancer — only to re-hire them two days later? No CEO in America could do that without being summarily fired,” Slotkin said. DEMOCRAT REMOVED FROM HOUSE CHAMBER AFTER DISRUPTING TRUMP’S SPEECH TO CONGRESS The Trump administration sent a memo in February instructing agencies across the federal government to launch plans for “large-scale reductions in force” and construct reorganization plans by mid-March. Slotkin did signal that Republicans and Democrats should work together on immigration, after Trump touted Tuesday that his administration has “launched the most sweeping border and immigration crackdown in American history.” “Every country deserves to know who and what is coming across its border. Period,” Slotkin said. “Democrats and Republicans should all be for that.” On Tuesday, Trump said that he’d sent Congress a detailed funding request laying out how to eliminate threats and carry out the “largest deportation operation in American history,” and urged Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to pass such a measure so he could sign it into law quickly. Slotkin also encouraged U.S. citizens to remain engaged and hold their elected officials accountable — a task she described as “American as apple pie.” “Hold your elected officials, including me, accountable,” Slotkin said. “Watch how they’re voting. Go to town halls and demand they take action.”
Social media explodes after Dems do not stand for 13-year-old cancer survivor: ‘Truly sick people’
Most Democrats appeared to remain sitting as a 13-year-old brain cancer survivor was asked to be made an honorary Secret Service agent, which led to swift criticism on X Tuesday night. “A terminally ill child with brain cancer is given an honorary Secret Service award and the Democrats refuse to stand or clap for the child,” Trump administration official Ric Grennell tweeted regarding the interaction between the 13-year-old and the president. “Democrats refused to stand for the brain cancer surviving kid! How awful can one party be?” Outkick founder Clay Travis tweeted. TRUMP INTRODUCES ELON MUSK TO GOP OVATION BEFORE RATTLING OFF SEVERAL DOGE VICTORIES: ‘WE APPRECIATE IT’ “Democrats didn’t even stand for the boy who survived brain cancer,” Republican activist Scott Pressler posted on X. “Democrats refused to stand or clap for a little boy fighting cancer,” Libs of TikTok posted on X. “Truly sick people.” “Can’t believe the lousy Democrats can’t even applaud a little boy with brain cancer or a Kennedy who wants to Make America Healthy Again,” New York Post columnist Miranda Devine posted on X. However, others highlighted the overall importance of the moment. “This is the first time I can remember crying during a state of the union. Thank you President Trump,” Meghan McCain posted. “This is so beautiful. Anyone who has been impacted by brain cancer knows how special this is.” DEMOCRAT REMOVED FROM HOUSE CHAMBER AFTER DISRUPTING TRUMP’S SPEECH TO CONGRESS: ‘TAKE YOUR SEAT’ McCain’s father, the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., died of brain cancer in 2018. Others explained why they were skeptical of the interaction. “Trump is using a kid who had brain cancer as a prop. He wants to be a cop so he made him an honorary member of the secret service,” liberal commentator Kyle Kulinski posted to X. SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER HOUSE DEM AL GREEN INTERRUPTED TRUMP’S ADDRESS: ‘EMBARRASSING THEMSELVES’ Some Democrats protested at the start of Trump’s speech on Tuesday night, which even led to the removal of Rep. Al Green by the Sergeant of Arms at the request of House Speaker Mike Johnson. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-V.T., also exited the speech early.
Trump tells high school senior of West Point acceptance during joint address to Congress
President Donald Trump made a high school senior’s dream come true during his speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday evening. In a speech that focused on how hot topics across the country have impacted Americans personally, Trump began talking about Jason Hartley, whose dream is to “carry on the family legacy of service” by joining the U.S. military. Hartley’s father, grandfather and great-grandfather all served the country in the military. His father, who died in August 2018, also worked as a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy. His dream was to be accepted to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and, as a high school senior, Hartley had already applied for the prestigious school. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP DECLARES ‘AMERICA’S MOMENTUM IS BACK’ IN JOINT ADDRESS TO CONGRESS Trump bragged on Hartley during the speech, mentioning his accolades as a six-letter varsity athlete and a “brilliant student” with a 4.46 grade point average. Both feats were met with lots of applause from the chamber. Trump’s praise for the teenager led to a very exciting announcement, where he let Hartley know his dream of attending West Point would be coming true. “That’s a hard one to get into, but I am pleased to inform you that your application has been accepted,” Trump said, surprising Hartley and his mother. In a touching moment of congratulations, Hartley was approached by D.J. Daniel, a 13-year-old cancer survivor and aspiring police officer who Trump had sworn in as an honorary Secret Service agent. 13-YEAR-OLD CANCER SURVIVOR EARNS STANDING OVATION AS HE BECOMES SECRET SERVICE AGENT DURING TRUMP SPEECH Daniel could be seen tapping Hartley on the shoulder and giving him a high five before returning to his seat a few feet away. Hartley and Daniel were just two of many everyday Americans that Trump honored during his speech Tuesday night. After the address was over, FOX News hosts deemed the moments involving the two young men as some of the best of the entire night.
Trump proclaims that ‘wokeness is dead,’ calls to permanently ban sex changes for minors
President Donald Trump proclaimed that “wokeness is gone” during his joint address to Congress Tuesday night. Speaking to a bipartisan crowd in the U.S. Capitol building, Trump touted his administration’s early efforts to roll back “wokeness” in the U.S., taking aim at “gender-affirming” procedures for minors. “I want Congress to pass a bill permanently banning and criminalizing sex changes on children, and forever,” Trump said during his speech. “Ending the lie that any child is trapped in the wrong body. This is a big lie. And now a message to every child in America is that you are perfect, exactly the way God made you.” “Because we’re getting wokeness out of our schools and out of our military, and it’s already out and it’s out of our society,” he continued. “We don’t want it. Wokeness is trouble. Wokeness is bad. It’s gone.” TRUMP’S ELECTION COULD EXPOSE NAMES IN JEFFREY EPSTEIN’S ‘BLACK BOOK’ Trump’s comments come over a month after he signed an executive order to restrict “chemical and surgical” sex-change procedures for minors. “Across the country today, medical professionals are maiming and sterilizing a growing number of impressionable children under the radical and false claim that adults can change a child’s sex through a series of irreversible medical interventions,” the order, entitled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” stated. “This dangerous trend will be a stain on our Nation’s history, and it must end.” PEDO ACT: LAWMAKER MOVES TO PROTECT EPSTEIN FILES, ACCUSES ‘CERTAIN FBI AGENTS’ OF TRYING TO DESTROY DOCS Though Trump’s order has been resisted by hospitals and medical practitioners in Democratic-run areas, other hospitals have begun to comply with the order. In February, the University of Virginia Health Hospital announced it would begin to stop providing transgender treatments to new patients as young as 11 years old. “Common sense and medical ethics have prevailed,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R-Va., wrote in a post on X at the time. “I’m grateful to the University of Virginia Board of Visitors for its action today to stop harmful transgender treatments for minors and to transfer existing patients to other providers,” the governor added. Fox News Digital’s Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.