Leavitt on offense at first briefing, stressing Trump will deport ‘heinous’ illegal immigrant criminals
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned that foreign nationals attempting to enter the U.S. illegally are not welcome under President Donald Trump’s administration. “So to foreign nationals who are thinking about trying to illegally enter the United States, think again,” Leavitt told reporters Tuesday at the White House press briefing. “Under this president, you will be detained and you will be deported. Every day, Americans are safer because of the violent criminals that President Trump’s administration is removing from our communities.” Specifically, Leavitt pointed to recent arrests that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has conducted in January, including arresting a Honduras citizen convicted of rape and a Dominican Republic citizen with a criminal conviction for second degree murder. TRUMP-ERA SOUTHERN BORDER SEES MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS PLUMMET BY OVER 60% AS NEW POLICIES KICK IN “These are the heinous individuals that this administration is removing from American communities every single day, and to the brave state and local law enforcement officers, [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] and ICE agents who are helping in the facilitation of this deportation operation, President Trump has your back, and he is grateful for your hard work,” Leavitt said. Trump has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration during his campaign and declared a national emergency at the southern border following his inauguration. He also immediately ordered the expulsion of migrants without the possibility of asylum. TRUMP ADMIN TOUTS PURGING ‘WORST’ ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIMINALS FROM US STREETS: ‘WORKING TIRELESSLY’ Leavitt also defended the Trump administration’s decision to issue a freeze on federal grants and loans on Monday — a move that prompted backlash from Democrats. Leavitt issued reassurance that those who receive individual federal assistance will not be impacted by the pause. “I have now been asked and answered this question four times,” Leavitt said. “To individuals at home who receive direct assistance from the federal government: You will not be impacted by this federal freeze.” Programs including Social Security benefits, Medicare, food stamps, welfare benefits and other assistance going directly to individuals will still continue under the pause, according to Leavitt. However, she said she would “check back” regarding the status of Medicaid. INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING DIRECT ASSISTANCE WON’T BE IMPACTED BY FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE, PRESS SECRETARY SAYS Democrats including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., claim the decision is an overreach of power and said it is an attempt to circumvent Congress and withhold congressionally approved funds. “More lawlessness and chaos in America as Donald Trump’s Administration blatantly disobeys the law by holding up virtually all vital funds that support programs in every community across the country,” Schumer said in a statement. “If this continues, the American people will pay an awful price.” “They say this is only temporary, but no one should believe that,” Schumer said. “Donald Trump must direct his Administration to reverse course immediately and the taxpayers’ money should be distributed to the people.” Leavitt also unveiled major changes to White House press access, and announced that the Trump administration would restore the press passes for 440 journalists whose passes she said “were wrongly revoked” by the Biden administration. “In keeping with this revolutionary media approach that President Trump deployed during the campaign, the Trump White House will speak to all media outlets and personalities, not just the legacy media who are seated in this room,” Leavitt said. Fox News’ Adam Shaw and Kristine Parks contributed to this report.
NIH director clarifies HHS communications freeze, confirms some essential functions can continue
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Acting Director Matthew Memoli sought to clarify the extent of the Trump administration’s freeze on communications and other functions within the Health and Human Services Department, which has raised concern among agency officials and lawmakers. Memoli’s memo, sent Monday to leaders across the NIH’s more than two dozen centers and institutions, said the freeze had been issued to “allow the new team to set up a process for review and prioritization,” but noted that due to “confusion on the scope of the pause” he wanted to provide additional guidance. The internal memo was first reported by STAT News .The NIH did not respond to repeated requests for comment. TRUMP DEI CRACKDOWNS LAUDED FOR BRINGING MERIT BACK TO MEDICINE: ‘MAKE HEALTHCARE GREAT AGAIN’ Last week, the new Trump administration abruptly paused external communications at HHS through the first of next month. In addition to halting announcements, press releases, website and social media posts, new guidance, and new regulations, the freeze also halted public appearances and travel by agency officials, and prohibited new purchases or service requests related to agency work. The move caused anger and confusion among both HHS officials and those in the broader medical community. Following the directive, scientific meetings and grant reviews were canceled, raising significant concerns about the impact on research. “We write to express our grave concerns about actions that have taken place in recent days that potentially disrupt lifesaving research being conducted and supported by the National Institutes of Health,” a trio of Democratic lawmakers from Maryland said in a Monday letter to HHS’s Acting Secretary Dr. Dorothy Fink. “Without quick corrective action, the consequences of further disruption could be disastrous.” According to Memoli’s memo, while agency officials are not permitted to begin new research while the pause is in effect, any research or clinical trials initiated before Jan. 20 can keep going “so that this work can continue, and we do not lose our investment in these studies.” Officials working on these studies may also purchase any “necessary supplies” and conduct meetings related to such work. Although new research projects are still prohibited, NIH staff can continue submitting papers to medical journals and can communicate with those journals about submitted work. TRUMP AND A HEALTHIER AMERICA WELCOMED BY DOCTORS: ‘NEW GOLDEN AGE’ The freeze on purchases was further clarified by Memoli’s memo, which indicated that while the pause remains, purchases “directly related to human safety, human or animal healthcare, security, biosafety, biosecurity, or IT security,” can continue. Travel and hiring for such work can continue as well, Memoli indicated, but his office must grant specific exemptions for new hires as President Donald Trump also initiated a freeze on the hiring of new federal civilian employees across all agencies during his first week in office. Routine travel planned for after Feb. 1 “does not need to be canceled at this time,” Memoli added. Patients receiving treatment at NIH facilities can also continue to do so. AI HAS PUT MEDICINE IN ‘HYPER SPEED,’ DR. MARC SIEGEL SAYS Meanwhile, external communications will continue to be prohibited except for “announcements that HHS divisions believe are mission critical.” On Monday, amid the freeze, Fink announced that HHS would begin evaluating its current practices to ensure they meet federal requirements under the Hyde Amendment, a law prohibiting the use of federal funds for non-medically necessary, elective abortions. One subject area that was notably absent from Memoli’s memo to federal health leaders was clarifications around grant review meetings. However, the acting director’s memo concluded by indicating that further guidance is expected to be made available later this week. While the pause at HHS has caused a firestorm of concern and criticism, a former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientist who is now the dean of the University of Nebraska’s school of public health, Dr. Ali Khan, told the Associated Press that such pauses are not unusual. Khan said concern is only warranted if the pause was aimed at “silencing the agencies around a political narrative.” “I think the intention of such a chaotic freezing of communications was to scare us, to demoralize us, and to set science back a bit in an effort to make us look bad,” said a long-time NIH staffer who spoke to Forbes on the condition of anonymity. “We are by no means perfect, but, ffs, our job is literally to enable research to save lives, what the heck?”
White House press secretary says all illegal immigrants arrested are criminals: ‘That’s exactly what they are’
The White House on Tuesday clarified that all the illegal immigrants arrested by federal immigration authorities in recent days “are criminals,” as far as the Trump administration is concerned. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was taking questions during her first press briefing since President Donald Trump returned to the White House last week when she was asked about the mass arrests. “The 3,500 arrests that ICE (U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement) has made so far since President Trump came back into office. Can you just tell us the numbers? How many have a criminal record versus those who are just in the country illegally,” one reporter asked. FIRST IMAGES OF ICE MASS DEPORTATION EFFORTS SHOW ARRESTS OF MS-13 GANG MEMBERS, MURDER SUSPECTS “All of them, because they illegally broke our nation’s laws, and therefore, they are criminals as far as this administration goes,” Leavitt replied. “I know the last administration didn’t see it that way. So it’s a big culture shift in our nation to view someone who breaks our immigration laws as a criminal, but that’s exactly what they are.” The reporter then asked if they all have criminal records. “If they broke our nation’s laws, yes, they are a criminal,” Leavitt said. TRUMP’S ICE RACKS UP HUNDREDS OF ARRESTS, INCLUDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED FOR HORROR CRIMES Federal immigration authorities have arrested thousands of illegal immigrants, mainly targeting those with criminal records, since Trump took office. On Sunday alone, ICE arrested 1,000 people and lodged 554 detainers. Border Czar Tom Homan warned that daily deportation numbers will rise in coming weeks as the administration expands its operations.
White House press secretary defends Trump’s firing of inspectors general
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday defended the legality of President Donald Trump’s abrupt firing of at least 17 inspectors general, telling reporters that the administration is confident that the oustings, ordered across nearly every major federal agency, would survive any potential challenges in court. Speaking to reporters for the first time from the podium of the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, Leavitt defended Trump’s decision to fire, without warning, the inspectors general of nearly every Cabinet-level agency – an abrupt and unprecedented purge that shocked many outside observers. Asked about the terminations Tuesday, Leavitt doubled down on Trump’s argument that the president is well within his power to fire the independent watchdogs, regardless of their Senate-confirmed status. Trump’s firings of the inspectors general included watchdogs for the Departments of Defense, State, Transportation, Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Energy, Commerce, as well as the EPA, among others. “It is the belief of this White House and the White House counsel’s office that the president was within his executive authority” to do so, Leavitt said Tuesday. ‘BLATANTLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL’: US JUDGE TEMPORARILY BLOCKS TRUMP’S BAN ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP Trump, she added, “is the executive of the executive branch, and therefore he has the power to fire anyone within the executive branch that he wishes to.” Leavitt then referenced a 2020 Supreme Court decision, Seila Law LLC v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which ruled that the CFPB’s agency structure violates the separation of powers under the U.S. Constitution. “I would advise you to look at that case, and that’s the legality that this White House was resting on,” Leavitt said. Asked by the reporter whether the Trump administration believed its order would survive a lawsuit or court challenge from the former inspectors general, Leavitt responded affirmatively. “We will win in court,” she said decisively, before moving on. The remarks come as Trump’s Friday night terminations have sparked deep concern from lawmakers. The terminations were criticized by Republicans and Democrats in Congress, who noted that the independent watchdogs were created to identify and root out government waste, fraud, abuse and misconduct. Many of the individuals fired were also installed during Trump’s first term. Lawmakers have noted that Trump ordered the terminations without notifying Congress of his intent to do so at least 30 days in advance, as required for the Senate-confirmed roles. TRUMP’S AG PICK HAS ‘HISTORY OF CONSENSUS BUILDING’ A group of House Democrats criticized the action in a letter this week as “unethical,” arbitrary and illegal. “Firing inspectors general without due cause is antithetical to good government, undermines the proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and degrades the federal government’s ability to function effectively and efficiently,” reads the letter, signed by Reps. Jamie Raskin, Maxine Waters, Adam Smith, Bennie Thompson and Gregory Meeks, among others. Tuesday’s briefing is the first conducted by Leavitt as White House press secretary. At 27, she is the youngest person in White House history to serve in the role. It is unclear how often Leavitt will hold press briefings. Her role was announced in November by Trump, who praised the “phenomenal job” she did as his campaign and transition spokesperson. “Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator,” Trump said in a statement announcing her role. “I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium, and help deliver our message to the American People as we Make America Great Again.” Trump’s first term saw several White House advisers and communications aides, who struggled at times to communicate the views of a president who frequently opted to share his views directly via public rallies, briefings and social media posts. This prompted high-profile clashes with some of the individuals tasked with officially communicating his views. Trump’s most recent White House press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, did not hold a single press briefing during her time in office. Famously, former White House communications aide Anthony Scaramucci served in his post for just 11 days.
Conservatives rally around ‘rock star’ Leavitt after first White House briefing: ‘Competence is back’
Conservatives on social media praised newly minted White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s performance in her first press conference on Tuesday and made the case that her tenure would be a welcome change from the previous administration’s. Leavitt stepped to the White House pressroom podium on Tuesday and answered questions from more than a dozen reporters with various political affiliations and spoke for almost an hour on Tuesday. As Leavitt addressed the media, conservatives on social media reacted with positive reviews of her handling of the questions and the variety of reporters she called on. “Karoline Leavitt is a rock star,” actor James Woods posted on X. “These next four years are going to be sublime.” INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING DIRECT ASSISTANCE WON’T BE IMPACTED BY FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE, PRESS SECRETARY SAYS “Well @karolineleavitt is certainly up for the job,” Fox News contributor Joey Jones posted on X. “Impressive, but not surprising.” “Both KJP and Jen Psaki were extremely dependent on their oversized binders jam-packed with scripted talking points,” talk show host Addison Smith posted on X. “Today, @karolineleavitt took to the podium for the first time with a couple sheets of paper that she barely even glanced at. Competence is back.” TRUMP WHITE HOUSE ROLLS OUT SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT TO HOLD ‘FAKE NEWS ACCOUNTABLE’ “Damn White House press secretary @karolineleavitt absolutely smoking left wing reporters,” Outkick founder and radio host Clay Travis posted on X. “This Press Secretary – Karoline Leavitt – is so refreshingly clear in the positions she articulates,” Rush Limbaugh’s longtime friend and producer, James Golden, posted on X. “No dancing around facts, no avoidance of questions, in contrast to the previous Press Secretary.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Karoline Leavitt is 30 minutes into a Press Briefing and she hasn’t looked up a single answer yet,” Fox News contributor and comedian Jimmy Faila posted on X. “KJP would have gone through three binders and a Magic 8 Ball by now. THIS is why people wanna ditch DEI for Meritocracy.” “How refreshing to have a Press Sec at the podium who can answer questions directly and without reading word for word from a script,” Coign Vice President Cassie Smedile Docksey posted on X. “We are so back.” Leavitt, 27, is the youngest press secretary in the nation’s history, surpassing President Richard Nixon’s press secretary, Ron Ziegler, who was 29 when he took the same position in 1969. Leavitt was a fierce defender of Trump throughout his campaign against former Vice President Kamala Harris and also made her own political mark with a congressional run in 2022. Leavitt served in Trump’s first administration as assistant press secretary before working as New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik’s communications director after the 2020 election. She launched a congressional campaign in her home state of New Hampshire during the 2022 cycle, winning her primary but losing the election to a Democrat. Leavitt picked up the torch of press secretary from the Biden administration’s chief spokesperson, Karine Jean-Pierre. Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.
‘Red flag’: Education activist rails against ‘dangerous’ Trump nominee for key education post
President Trump is facing pushback from conservatives on social media, as well as an education activist who spoke to Fox News Digital, over his nomination of Dr. Penny Schwinn for deputy secretary at the Department of Education. “Being from Tennessee and being under Schwinn and her Berkeley-educated, radical views, I was actually shocked when I heard that she was being nominated by President Trump because she is the most unlike President Trump, and her policies are not the same,” Laurie Cardoza Moore, member of the Tennessee Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission and founder of Proclaiming Justice To the Nations, told Fox News Digital about Trump’s nomination of Schwinn. Trump announced his nomination of Schwinn, the former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education, in a recent Truth Social post, saying that she is “committed to delivering the American Dream to the next Generation by returning Education BACK TO THE STATES.” Moore told Fox News Digital that Schwinn’s record is not compatible with the agenda Trump is trying to implement and fears that someone recommended Schwinn to Trump without fully explaining her background. NEW GUIDE HELPS PARENTS PROTECT KIDS AGAINST ‘WOKE’ IDEOLOGIES IN SCHOOLS “I decided to call on President Trump to rescind his nomination of Penny Schwinn for the deputy secretary of Education appointment because of the policies that she implemented here in the state of Tennessee. You know, I fought for a couple of years for Gov. Lee to call for her resignation because of her, her policies, her values,” Moore said. “But under her leadership, and this is what’s important for the audience to understand, the children in Tennessee — and this is not just Tennessee because she’s been to Texas and Florida — but our kids were subjected to pornographic and anti-Semitic content in library books, for example, ‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’ was one of them. She exposed Tennessee children to dark content like the Wit and Wisdom curriculum, all of which violate child indecency laws and obscenity laws here in the state of Tennessee, which is really troubling to me. She developed a plan to conduct child welfare checks on Tennessee children from birth to 18 to make sure they had their vaccinations.” Moore expressed concerns that the Berkeley-educated Schwinn hired a math expert in Tennessee, Rachael Maves, who promoted “math equity” in California, along with Schwinn’s support of the Wit and Wisdom program, which critics say is a mask for CRT. TRUMP DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DISMISSES ‘MERITLESS’ BOOK BAN COMPLAINTS Schwinn was grilled by Tennessee lawmakers in 2020 over her handling of textbooks and contracts but defended her actions taken as education commissioner. Schwinn was hired by former University of Florida President Ben Sasse, a vocal Trump critic, in 2023 and was one of several employees to face criticism for racking up thousands in travel costs in order to work from home before she was fired in 2024, WUSF reported. While Trump has garnered widespread praise from conservatives for the majority of his appointments, many conservatives on social media echoed Moore’s concerns about Schwinn. “President Trump needs the full story on Penny Schwinn’s education history in TN,” conservative commentator Robby Starbuck posted on X. “I really hope he reconsiders her nomination.” “Penny says her core value is ‘Equity for all… no matter what.’ On her watch TN’s Department of Education even embraced DEI for hiring teachers. She may be a very nice person but naming her Under Secretary of Education at this critical juncture isn’t a good idea when she’s been a believer in this toxic DEI ideology.” “Anytime someone claims their desired outcome is equity, understand they’re pushing a communist agenda,” former NCAA swimmer and conservative commentator Riley Gaines posted on X. “NO to Penny Schwinn.” Country music star John Rich also criticized Schwinn in a post on X, saying that Trump’s decision needs to be “reversed.” Other conservatives came to Schwinn’s defense, including journalist Chris Rufo, who is considered the most effective critic of Critical Race Theory in many conservative circles. “President Trump and Secretary McMahon selected Penny for a reason, and we should all work together to make sure she is successful,” Rufo wrote on X. Schwinn’s appointment also earned praise from GOP Sen. Tim Scott, who posted on X, “The closest thing to magic in America is a quality education. With @realDonaldTrump, @Linda_McMahon, and Penny Schwinn leading our education policy, we will empower parents and prioritize students.” “God does not give brains out based on zip code or income. Let’s unleash school choice so all students can thrive.” Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders posted on X that McMahon and Schwinn are “both champions on parental empowerment and education freedom through universal school choice we’re implementing in Arkansas.” Many conservatives have made the case that Trump has a “mandate” from the voters to appoint whoever he sees fit to these high-profile positions, but Moore called Schwinn a “red flag” who will not adhere to Trump’s agenda in the department, specifically his plan to downsize or even eliminate the department. “Somehow somebody has put the bug in Trump’s ear that he should nominate her,” Moore told Fox News Digital. “But President Trump, you know, I know that he’s very concerned about the future and the state of education, and Penny Schwinn is the last person. She would embarrass him ultimately down the road because she would implement her left policies, her Berkeley-educated policies, and introduce them to the whole country. Very dangerous.”
Key Trump ally to decide on possible run against leading Republican in ‘next couple of months’
Speaking to Republican Party members in Denton County Monday night, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, listed several Republicans he plans to purge from the Texas GOP for being insufficiently conservative. Among those on Paxton’s list was Texas’ senior U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, one of the most powerful members of the Senate GOP. The crowd erupted into loud applause as Paxton said, “The second thing we need to do, and I might play a role in this, is replace John Cornyn in the U.S. Senate.” GARY PETERS, DEMOCRATIC SENATOR FROM TRUMP STATE, WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION The attorney general, who worked with the Trump team to file a lawsuit in December that successfully secured a court order stopping the Biden administration from continuing sales of border wall materials, has long hinted at a potential run to replace Cornyn. “I can’t think of a single thing he’s accomplished for our state or even for the country,” Paxton said in a September 2023 interview on the Fox News Channel. And pointing to a possible Senate run in 2026, Paxton said, “Somebody needs to step up and run against this guy,” adding, “everything’s on the table for me.” In an interview with Fox News Digital, Paxton gave more credence to the rumors, saying despite “loving what I’m doing … I’m looking potentially at the U.S. Senate.” He shared that he is in talks with groups in Texas about a possible 2026 Senate run and will likely decide in the “next couple of months.” Paxton claimed Cornyn does not represent the conservative values of Texans and accused him of not being an ally of Trump. He has also regularly labeled Cornyn a “RINO,” a “Republican in name only” and an insult MAGA and “America First” Republicans have regularly used to criticize more mainstream or establishment members of the GOP. PETE BUTTIGIEG GIVING ‘SERIOUS LOOK’ TO 2026 SENATE RUN IN TRUMP-WON MICHIGAN Another source close to Paxton told Fox News Digital the attorney general “plans to spend the next few months meeting with voters, donors and grassroots activists across the state to gauge interest and decide how he can serve Texas best.” The attorney general has faced his own set of challenges. In 2022, he defeated a primary effort by former Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush amid charges of bribery and corruption. In 2023, the Texas House of Representatives voted to impeach Paxton, but he was eventually acquitted of all charges by the state senate. For his part, Cornyn, who has served in the Senate since 2002, has no intention of leaving the Senate. After serving in key GOP leadership positions, including chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, from 2009-2013, and Senate majority whip, from 2015-2019, he threw his hat in the ring to become the Senate majority leader in 2024, though he ultimately lost to South Dakota Sen. John Thune. TULSI GABBARD, RFK JR. EXPECTED TO FACE OPPOSITION IN SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARINGS Cornyn, meanwhile, has said he will “absolutely” run again in 2026. In recent months, he has also been a vocal supporter of Trump’s Cabinet picks and has slammed Democrats for delaying confirmations for key positions. In a speech on the Senate floor earlier this month, he said, “Our first and most urgent task is to confirm President Trump’s nominees for his Cabinet.” With both considered leading Republicans and both holding significant support, any potential primary race between the two in the Lone Star State promises to be a dramatic — perhaps messy — showdown. SENATE WILL ‘KEEP GRINDING THROUGH’ TO GET TRUMP TEAM CONFIRMED, JOHN THUNE SAYS One of the primary questions that remains is whether the president would support his longtime ally Paxton or if he would, in the interest of preserving party unity, support a GOP establishment that has previously been criticized as “weak” and “ineffective.” “The big question is whether Trump would support Paxton over Cornyn in a primary challenge,” Matt Mackowiak, a veteran Republican strategist and communications consultant based in Texas and Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital. “Cornyn’s never lost a race. Cornyn has a lot of support around the state. He’s traveled all corners of the state for a long time and is very well known and very well liked,” said Mackowiak. “We haven’t had a Republican senator lose a primary since Richard Lugar in 2004. “As much as people sometimes think it’s doable, think it’s easy, think it’s inevitable, it really just doesn’t happen. But I’m not saying it can’t happen. I’m not saying that Paxton can’t win. I think he certainly has a decent chance.” SPEAKER JOHNSON INVITES TRUMP TO ADDRESS CONGRESS AMID BUSY FIRST 100-DAY SPRINT CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Mackowiak added that if Paxton runs, it “would be a massive race with national consequences.” “You’d have national activists and money involved on both sides,” he said. “It could end up being one of the biggest primaries of the cycle and probably the most significant statewide primary in Texas since Dewhurst-Cruz [when former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz defeated Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst for the GOP Senate nomination in 2012 en route to winning his first U.S. Senate election] or it may not materialize at all. And I think it’s going to be several months before we know.”
Trump’s first presidential trip shows his ‘man of the people’ cred after Ohio ‘turning point,’ WH spox says
In her first White House briefing from the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump’s first presidential trip showed why he is a “man of the people.” Leavitt suggested Trump’s visit to Hurricane Helene-ravaged parts of the Great Smoky Mountains and wildfire-torched areas of southern California were a predictable start to a second presidency that was, in part, inspired by a previous trip to visit “forgotten” Americans dealing with tragedy. “President Trump still talks about his visit to East Palestine, Ohio. That was one of the turning points, I would say, in the previous election campaign where Americans were reminded that President Trump is a man of the people and he, as a candidate, visited that town that was just derailed by the train derailment, no pun intended,” Leavitt said. SENIOR TRUMP OFFICIAL REVEALS WHAT VISIT SET TRAJECTORY FOR VICTORY Trump visited Columbiana County, Ohio, in the wake of the 2023 caustic crisis, and handed out Trump Water and other supplies, while meeting with residents and local leaders. “He offered support and hope, just like I saw the president do this past week [in North Carolina and California]. It was a purposeful decision by this president on his first domestic trip to go to North Carolina and to California to visit with Americans who were impacted by Hurricane Helene and also by the deadly fires…” Leavitt added. “[A] red state and a blue state.” Leavitt said Californians and North Carolinians in the affected areas feel forgotten by the Biden administration, adding Trump will continue to “put Americans first,” whether they voted for him or not. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The September hurricane caused widespread destruction from Augusta, Georgia, to Damascus, Virginia – notably swelling the banks of the Savannah, Toccoa and Pigeon rivers and wiping out whole communities like Chimney Rock, North Carolina. A piece of Interstate 40 collapsed into the Pigeon River in Haywood County, North Carolina, and a portion of the crucial U.S. Route 58 artery near Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, remains shut down several months later due to the damage incurred. Actor Mel Gibson recently gave Fox News Channel a tour of what little remained of his home in Pacific Palisades, California, following this month’s wildfires – as innumerable other houses were reduced to their foundations. “Everyone is putting on a brave face,” the “Patriot” star said.
Transgender service members and rights groups file suit against Trump’s Pentagon directive
A group of transgender service members and rights groups are filing a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s restrictions on transgender troops in the military. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of six active duty transgender service members by GLAD Law and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), argues that the new executive order violates the equality guarantees of the U.S. Constitution. Filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the suit says the six transgender service members would lose access to healthcare and retirement benefits as a result of the executive order. “When you put on the uniform, differences fall away and what matters is your ability to do the job,” said Army 2nd Lt. Nicolas Talbott, named as plaintiff in the suit: Talbott v. Trump. The new order, signed by Trump on Monday evening, requires Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to update medical standards to ensure they “prioritize readiness and lethality” and take action to “end the use of invented and identification-based pronouns” within DOD. TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDERS BANNING ‘RADICAL GENDER IDEOLOGY,’ DEI INITIATIVES IN THE MILITARY It says that expressing a “gender identity” different from an individual’s sex at birth does not meet military standards. The order also restricts sleeping, changing and bathing facilities by biological sex. It’s not an immediate ban, but a direction for the secretary of Defense to implement such policies. It revokes former President Joe Biden’s executive order that the White House argues “allowed for special circumstances to accommodate ‘gender identity’ in the military – to the detriment of military readiness and unit cohesion.” The categorical ban on transgender service members was lifted in 2014 under President Barack Obama. “I’ve been military my entire life. I was born on a military base,” said Navy Ensign Dan Danridge, student flight officer, a plaintiff in the suit. DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH SAYS ‘NO MORE DEI AT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE’: ‘NO EXCEPTIONS’ “Every day I lace up my boots the same as everybody else. I pass the same tests as everybody else. Being transgender is irrelevant to my service. What matters is that I can complete the tasks that are critical to our mission.” “I’ve spent more than half my life in the Army, including combat in Afghanistan,” said Army Sgt. 1st Class Kate Cole. “Removing qualified transgender soldiers like me means an exodus of experienced personnel who fill key positions and can’t be easily replaced.” Trump’s new order builds on another directive he issued last week that revoked a Biden-era order allowing transgender people to serve in the military. On the campaign trail, Trump promised to reinstate the ban on transgender troops he imposed during his first term. In his inauguration speech, he said he would formally recognize that there are only two genders: male and female. There are an estimated 9,000 to 14,000 transgender service members – exact figures are not publicly available. Between Jan. 1, 2016, and May 14, 2021, the DOD reportedly spent approximately $15 million on providing transgender treatments (surgical and nonsurgical) to 1,892 active duty service members, according to the Congressional Research Service. The move comes as part of a campaign taken up by Trump and Hegseth to weed out any diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices across the military. And GOP lawmakers successfully included an amendment in their 2025 defense policy bill that bans irreversible transgender care for minors in the military healthcare system.
Individuals receiving direct assistance won’t be impacted by federal funding freeze, press secretary says
President Donald Trump’s White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that federal individual assistance will not be affected by a freeze on federal grants and loans. “I have now been asked and answered this question four times,” Leavitt told reporters Tuesday during her first White House press briefing on Tuesday. “To individuals at home who receive direct assistance from the federal government: You will not be impacted by this federal freeze.” Programs including Social Security benefits, Medicare, food stamps, welfare benefits and other assistance going directly to individuals will not be impacted under the pause, according to Leavitt. TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS, ORDERS PAROLE REVIEW “There is no uncertainty in this building … this is not a blanket pause on federal assistance and grant programs from the Trump administration,” Leavitt said. The Office of Management and Budget issued a memo on Monday issuing a pause on all federal grants and loans aiming to eradicate “wokeness” and the “weaponization of government” to improve government efficiency. “Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal,” the memo, obtained by Fox Digital, reads. The pause takes effect at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday. Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.