Political strategists lay out how Trump should kick off his 4-year term
President Donald Trump will make the first address of his second term to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday. His first six weeks were dominated by ongoing executive actions, redefining international relations and government efficiency efforts. Political strategists shared with Fox News Digital what to expect from Trump’s big speech. Republican strategists say Trump should tell the story of his first six weeks, drawing contrast with former President Joe Biden’s administration. Meanwhile, Democrats are focused on what they say is Trump’s failure to lower prices. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., is tasked with the party’s rebuttal. “Trump is going to contrast himself with the previous administration. The previous administration was weak and directionless. No one knew who was in charge. No one really understood what the Biden administration stood for. There couldn’t be a more dramatic change from Biden to Trump,” political columnist Kristin Tate said. Republicans say Trump should highlight the themes of his first six weeks and explain how his executive actions reflect his greater vision for the country. HOW TO WATCH AND WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT TRUMP’S TUESDAY ADDRESS TO A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS “He needs to tell a story. He needs to weave in all the things he’s done, all this progress over the last month into a story and a theme and tell it,” Republican strategist Matt Gorman said. “He did it really well during his inauguration. It’s a status update. I think it’s really important that he weaves all of these actions and all the things he’s done into one big story about what it means for us as Americans but also what it means for his vision for the next three and four years.” FOUNDER OF CATHOLIC MINISTRY WORD ON FIRE TO ATTEND TRUMP ADDRESS TO CONGRESS Republican strategists told Fox News Digital that Trump should tell Americans how he has already delivered on key campaign promises, including slowing illegal border crossings, reversing Biden’s green energy policies, his “de-weaponization” of the Justice Department and his work to eliminate DEI. “I expect, and he will, take a victory lap on some of those items because it represents promises made, promises kept. But then he needs to cast the forward-facing vision: Where do we go from here? What are the big-ticket legislative items? How do we get past this legislative debate over one big bill or two separate initiatives and focus on what those bills contain, because time is fleeting,” said Republican strategist Colin Reed. Reed said Trump should focus on “the legislative priorities and go beyond just the executive orders.” And as leaders grapple with the fallout of Trump’s heated meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, Reed said Trump could reset the narrative on Tuesday night. “For everything that’s happened over the last few days on foreign policy, I think it’s an opportunity for him to reset the narrative on what he wants to do domestically,” Reed said. “The events of Friday are going to obviously cast a shadow over tomorrow. But look, President Trump is in many ways dealing with the leftover mess [of] his predecessor on the global front. In his mind, the issues he’s facing, the challenges that happened in Ukraine would not have happened on his watch. He still has the residue of the Biden administration to deal with. That’s going to be an overarching narrative for the foreseeable future,” Reed added. TUNE IN: LIVE COVERAGE OF TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS TUESDAY NIGHT ON FOX NEWS To contrast Trump’s speech, the Democratic National Committee argues that Trump is failing to deliver on his campaign promise to lower costs and boost the economy. DNC Chair Ken Martin has been traveling the country leading up to Tuesday night, telling Americans about the chaos Trump and Elon Musk are creating throughout the U.S. During Trump’s fifth address to a joint session of Congress, Democrats and Republicans agreed that he is unlikely to invite new Americans into the fold. “He’s president for everyone, but I don’t expect Democrats to suddenly have a change of heart. They’re trying to figure out less what they think about Trump and more what they’re going to do about him. And they don’t have an answer for the latter at all. They’re very much in an era of confusion right now in their party, trying to figure out what they stand for and how they’re going to adjust to actually get a majority of voters, again, just to support them,” Gorman added. Brad Bannon, president of Bannon Communications Research, said Trump has done very little in his first few weeks to appeal to anyone beyond his “base MAGA vote.” “I don’t see any sign that he’s trying to appeal to anybody who didn’t vote for him last year,” Bannon said. “He has control of Congress, a compliant Supreme Court. It seems to me everything he’s done … has been to appeal to the people who already support him, and he’s not making any effort to reach out. I would be very surprised if he does Tuesday night.” Tate, however, urged Trump to extend an olive branch to moderate Democrats during his speech. “I even believe that he is going to reach out across the aisle and throw some compliments to some of the more moderate Democrats. He really needs to do this. Sen. [John] Fetterman from Pennsylvania would be a great first choice to highlight as a Democrat who is not blinded by hateful partisanship but is rather looking to find common ground to help everyday Americans,” she said. “Trump has a lot to be proud of, and rest assured he will shine a light on all of those grand achievements which have taken place in such a short period of time, and he is going to paint a grand vision for the future of America, including not just what America represents, but what it can be at its finest,” Tate continued. Trump has the headlining speech Tuesday night, but Democrats also have an opportunity
Trump report card: Conservative and liberal analysts reveal their grades for president on top issues
Fox News Digital spoke to two political analysts on where President Trump stands grade wise with the American public on some of the top issues heading into his address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night. Rob Bluey, president and executive editor of the Daily Signal, and Julian Epstein, longtime Democratic operative, attorney, and former chief counsel to the House Judiciary Committee, gave Trump grades of A-F on some of the top issues he is expected to touch on in his speech. Immigration: BLUEY: A “Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and border czar Tom Homan are among the most visible members of the Trump administration,” Bluey told Fox News Digital. FOUNDER OF CATHOLIC MINISTRY WORD ON FIRE TO ATTEND TRUMP ADDRESS TO CONGRESS “Their work is paying off. Customs and Border Protection is encountering a record-low number of illegal aliens at the southern border. Thanks to combination of increased enforcement and the threat of deportation, President Trump is delivering on his promise to end illegal immigration. He’ll need more resources from Congress to finish the job and finally secure the border.” EPSTEIN: A “Promises made, promises kept, the public is strongly behind him on this, and Democracies don’t survive too long under the Biden open borders approach,” Epstein said. Foreign Policy: BLUEY: B “President Trump promised to end the war between Russia and Ukraine in 24 hours. That’s proving to be more difficult, mostly because of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s unrealistic demands,” Bluey said. “After Friday’s blowup in the Oval Office, it’s unclear when peace talks will resume. In the Middle East, Trump is hoping to replicate the success of the Abraham Accords negotiated during his first term. Trump set the tone with his ultimatum for Hamas to release hostages, although there are approximately 59 still in captivity. With the first phase of the ceasefire coming to an end, it’ll take more U.S. diplomacy to get a deal done.” EPSTEIN: B “The Zelenskyy Presser meltdown didn’t make anyone look good on the global stage, Epstein said. “Rule #1: get your act together before you go public. And where are our hostages in Gaza? On the other hand, Trump is playing three-dimensional chess in each theater, where Biden was playing checkers and never made much meaningful progress.” Culture wars (DEI, trans issue): Bluey: A+ “Using his executive powers, President Trump ordered an end to DEI throughout the federal government—and exposed its deep roots across the bureaucracy,” Bluey told Fox News Digital. “By eliminating DEI jobs, he’s ensuring that taxpayers no longer subsidize this Marxist idea. He also signed an executive order banning men from women’s sports, an iconic moment with young athletes cheering him on. His confrontation with Maine Gov. Janet Mills over the issue shows he’s serious about enforcing it.” Epstein: A “The American people never wanted the cultural revolution that the far left was trying to impose on race and gender, the president will have a super majority of public support on this,” Epstein said. TRUMP SET TO CONTINUE UNPRECEDENTED LEVEL OF ACTIONS, ADDRESS CONGRESS IN 7TH WEEK BACK IN OFFICE DOGE: Bluey: A “Elon Musk and the DOGE team are on the hunt to save taxpayers $1 trillion, which would cut the budget deficit in half,” Bluey told Fox News Digital. “They’ve already found $65 billion and showcased the results on a public website. But that represents just 6.5% of Musk’s goal, revealing what a daunting task it will be. Fortunately, there’s finally someone in Washington with the guts to cut spending and bring accountability to federal agencies. Musk shows no signs of slowing down, buoyed by recent polls showing support for spending reductions.” Epstein: B+ “Trump, must, will have public support to rid the bureaucracy of all its flab, self dealing and cultural revolutionary ideology,” Epstein said. “But they’re acting like they are in a breathless race against father time on this, when in fact they have time to make sure they don’t cut off important things like cancer research.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Economy: Bluey: B “President Trump acknowledged that inflation will be hard to tame, placing the blame on his predecessor,” Bluey explained. “It’s true that the Biden administration’s spending spree got us into this mess. And it doesn’t help that Trump is also facing a bird flu outbreak causing a spike in egg prices. Voters, however, expect Trump to deliver on his promise to help with the cost of living. His efforts to reduce regulatory burdens and provide tax relief are important steps. He’ll need to keep a watchful eye on Americans’ views of their personal finances to measure his success.” Epstein: B “Biden made a lot of mistakes and did a lot of dumb things, probably the dumbest was back shelving inflation,” Epstein said. “For all of the whirlwind, we’ve seen very little in the way of Trump tackling inflation in the first month. This has to change.” TUNE IN: LIVE COVERAGE OF TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS TUESDAY NIGHT ON FOX NEWS Trump will address Congress on Tuesday night in a speech expected to tout his accomplishments to date while previewing his agenda in the months and years ahead.
Trump to deliver first address of his second term to joint session of Congress
President Donald Trump is set to address a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night for the first time in his second term and is expected to deliver a speech to outline his plans for the nation under the theme of “The Renewal of the American Dream.” The president is scheduled to speak before all members of Congress on Tuesday at 9 p.m. EST. THEME OF TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS REVEALED The speech is not officially called the “State of the Union” because Trump has not been in office for a full year, though it operates in a similar fashion. The yearly presidential address is intended to showcase the administration’s achievements and policies. The president has been working at a breakneck pace to align the federal government with his “Make America Great Again” policies. The president took more than 200 executive actions on his first day in office on Jan. 20 and has not slowed the pace since. White House officials exclusively told Fox News Digital that the speech, themed “The Renewal of the American Dream,” will feature four main sections: accomplishments from Trump’s second term thus far at home and abroad; what the Trump administration has done for the economy; the president’s renewed push for Congress to pass additional funding for border security; and the president’s plans for peace around the globe. Trump’s joint address “will be must-see TV,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital. TRUMP SET TO CONTINUE UNPRECEDENTED LEVEL OF ACTIONS, ADDRESS CONGRESS IN 7TH WEEK BACK IN OFFICE “President Trump has accomplished more in one month than any president in four years, and the renewal of the American Dream is well underway,” Leavitt said. “In his joint address to Congress, President Trump will celebrate his extraordinarily successful first month in office while outlining his bold, ambitious and commonsense vision for the future.” The president will review his administration’s “accomplishments from his extraordinarily successful first month in office, both here at home and abroad,” White House officials told Fox News Digital. Officials said the president will also discuss what his administration has done and continues to do to “fix the economic mess created by the Biden administration and end inflation for all Americans.” The president is expected to highlight the more than $1.7 trillion in investments made since he took the oath of office to bring manufacturing back to the United States, including increases in energy production, investments in the private sector on AI and more. Also in the address, the president will push Congress to pass more border security funding to fund deportations and the continued construction of the border wall along the U.S. southern border. On foreign policy, the president is expected to outline his plans “to restore peace around the world.” A White House official told Fox News Digital that he will lay out his plans to end the war in Ukraine. He will also focus on the work of his administration to ensure the release of all hostages from Gaza. The president posted on his Truth Social account on Monday morning teasing his address, saying, “Tomorrow night will be big. I will tell it like it is!” When asked for comment on the president’s post, a White House official told Fox News Digital, “As always, President Trump will keep it real and speak the truth.” Fox News Channel, Fox News Digital and Fox News Go will have live coverage of the event Tuesday evening. Fox News Channel will also preview the speech during its prime-time and afternoon programming.
Trump-Zelenskyy shoutfest could dissolve support not just for Ukraine but our European alliance
Most of the media are blaming Donald Trump for the shocking shouting match that led to him kicking Volodymyr Zelenskyy out of the White House. The result, these journalists and commentators say, is to put America’s relationship with Ukraine on life support as its people continue to fight and die in an invasion launched by Russia, even as Trump continues to tout his good relationship with Vladimir Putin. It’s the Kremlin leader who is the dictator, not Zelenskyy, and it is Russia, not Ukraine, that started the war to restore its smaller neighbor to Soviet satellite status – as Trump well knows. There is no question that Trump, prodded by JD Vance, lost his temper in the Oval Office and that derailed the meeting, leaving the lunch that had been prepared for their teams to be eaten by staffers. But Trump also makes a fair point that he can’t do a deal with Russia if he’s constantly attacking its leader (something he’s obviously not inclined to do, given their history, including the Helsinki summit). TRUMP BANISHES ZELENSKYY AFTER OVAL OFFICE SHOUTING MATCH At the same time, Zelenskyy was justified in asking for security guarantees, saying that Putin has a history of violating agreements, from the 2014 invasion of Crimea to the brutal war – including the deliberate targeting of civilians – that he launched three years ago. But Zelenskyy had one job: Manage the meeting with Trump and sign the expected rare minerals agreement. And he utterly failed. He took the bait. And while he might have gotten some sympathy – Britain and France embraced him and promised to send peacekeeping troops after a settlement – the Ukrainian leader may have irreparably damaged his relationship with Trump. The president was blunt in saying that without U.S. aid, Zelenskyy doesn’t have “the cards” to play – but he is right. I did a lengthy “Media Buzz” interview with Karoline Leavitt, Donald Trump’s press secretary, leading off with the White House fireworks. She is very skilled at pushing back. DECIPHERING DONALD TRUMP: HOW HIS RHETORIC SENDS DIFFERENT MESSAGES She told me Zelenskyy was “antagonistic, and frankly, he was rude. He picked a fight with the Vice President of the United States.” (It was kinda the other way around.) “He repeatedly interrupted President Trump.” (That’s true.) “President Zelenskyy wouldn’t even agree to a ceasefire. If you want a war to end. How can you not agree to stop the fighting? You have the greatest deterrent in the Oval Office in President Trump, and you need to trust his ability to deter Russia’s aggression.” Well, Zelenskyy doesn’t trust Trump because he believes a ceasefire would lock in Russia’s territorial gains from the invasion. But what choice does he have? The thing that struck me most is that I can’t imagine this meltdown would have happened if the meeting was held behind closed doors – the usual venue for finalizing agreements. So as much as I support journalistic access, it’s 40 minutes of press questions that framed the dialogue. So I asked Leavitt why, even though Trump ended things by pronouncing it “great television,” he did the meeting in public. “Because President Trump is the most transparent president in history,” she responded. “And as he said, it was great for the cameras to be in there because the American people and the world were able to see what the president and his team has seen behind the scenes in negotiating with President Zelenskyy’s team.” Will Zelenskyy come back to the White House when, as Trump said, he’s ready to make peace? Who the hell knows at this point? But it’s a huge setback. UK PRIME MINISTER LAYS OUT UKRAINE PEACE DEAL FRAMEWORK AS ZELENSKYY RESPONDS TO RESIGNATION CALLS David Sanger, the veteran diplomatic correspondent for the New York Times, has the most penetrating big-picture take. What the president wants “is a normalization of the relationship with Russia. If that means rewriting the history of Moscow’s illegal invasion three years ago, dropping investigations of Russian war crimes or refusing to offer Ukraine long-lasting security guarantees, then Mr. Trump, in this assessment of his intentions, is willing to make that deal.” Sanger suggests that Trump, a constant critic of NATO, is walking away from the Atlantic alliance that has thrived for 80 years. The president “makes no secret of his view that the post-World War II system, created by Washington, ate away at American power.” To Trump, “such a system gave smaller and less powerful countries leverage over the United States, leaving Americans to pick up far too much of the tab for defending allies and promoting their prosperity. “While his predecessors – both Democrats and Republicans – insisted that alliances in Europe and Asia were America’s greatest force multiplier, keeping the peace and allowing trade to flourish, Mr. Trump viewed them as a bleeding wound.” Look, Trump ran as the America First candidate who kept us out of wars. Many Americans, especially Republicans, have lost patience with U.S. aid to Ukraine when the money could be spent at home. The aid, I should add, is nowhere near the $350 billion that Trump keeps claiming, but it’s been substantial. The rare minerals deal at least would have given the United States an economic incentive to keep backing Ukraine and partially paid our country back for its generosity. But there is, in my view, a far stronger argument for supporting Ukraine. If Putin succeeds in dismembering part of the country, he will have been rewarded for launching the illegal invasion, and its barbaric practice of deliberately bombing apartment buildings and train stations. And does anyone seriously believe he would stop there? Isn’t it extremely likely that Putin would attack another neighboring country? Trump’s approach, aligning ourselves with Russia at the expense of Europe, may well be popular. But if he stands by that plan, the shouting in the White House may be remembered as a turning point for the old world order. Footnote: Zelenskyy said something monumentally
NYC gives migrants more ways to obtain city ID making it easier for them to get benefits, housing: report
New York City officials are making it easier for illegal aliens to acquire a city residency ID card, in turn making it easier for them to obtain housing and free healthcare, according to reports. City Council members passed a change backed by Mayor Eric Adams that opens up 23 additional types of IDs that immigrants can provide to obtain a New York City residency card. The New York Post reported that some of the examples of identification that immigrants can provide include an expired driver’s license; documents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or the Federal Bureau of Prisons; and about 100 other forms of identification to obtain an IDNYC card. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration first introduced the city IDs in 2015 to help migrants access free healthcare, enroll in school, open accounts at banks and more. NYC MAYOR DELIVERS BLUNT MESSAGE TO LEFT-WING CRITICS OVER DESIRE TO MEET WITH TRUMP’S INCOMING BORDER CZAR The program is open to all New Yorkers who are 10 and older, no matter what their immigration status is. To date, nearly 1.7 million people have acquired the ID card. Last year there were 132,054 IDs handed out, while the previous year there were 127,859, according to the city. Not everyone thinks it is a good idea to ease the process for obtaining a city ID. In fact, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., told The Post it was a “terrible idea.” “To provide a legitimate government ID to individuals in the country illegally then gives them access to government buildings and services is just another incentive [to come here],” she told the publication. “Most disturbing is that there is no vetting, no process to ensure documents provided to prove identity are not fake and, to boot, they destroy these documents that could be helpful in an investigation.” NEW YORK CITY ANNOUNCES CLOSING OF MIGRANT SHELTERS AS NUMBERS DROP Still, a representative from the city told The Post they vigorously vet applicant backgrounds for criminal issues. In an Op-Ed published in Harlem World Magazine, Adams highlighted his administration’s accomplishments with immigration. “New York City is a city built by immigrants, and we are not just stronger because of our diversity – we are the greatest city on the globe because of it,” he said. Beginning in 2022, the city faced what he referred to as an “unprecedented influx of asylum seekers,” which his administration tackled head-on. “Thanks to our efforts, over 189,100 of the 232,600 of the migrants – or 81 percent – who requested services from the city in the last three years have taken the next step in their journeys toward self-sufficiency,” Adams said, adding that his administration’s support to asylum seekers while they pursued the American Dream resulted in 84 % of the adults receiving or applying for work authorization. MAYOR ERIC ADAMS SAYS NYC’S ROOSEVELT HOTEL MIGRANT SHELTER WILL SOON CLOSE Adams also highlighted that the city purchased over 53,000 tickets to help those seeking asylum reach their “preferred destinations,” reducing the long-term costs of keeping them in the city for taxpayers. Adams announced last week that the Roosevelt Hotel migrant shelter in Manhattan will be shutting down in the next few months. The hotel, which was converted into a migrant shelter with about 1,000 rooms, has processed over 173,000 migrants since May 2023. It was set up as a migrant shelter in response to the wave of migrants that began coming to the city in 2022 in search of asylum. The Roosevelt Hotel’s shelter, along with the Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center located on the site, will now be closed by June, a source told the New York Post. NYC SUES AFTER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CLAWS BACK $80 MILLION MIGRANT HOUSING GRANT “While we’re not done caring for those who come into our care, today marks another milestone in demonstrating the immense progress we have achieved in turning the corner on an unprecedented international humanitarian effort,” Adams said in a statement last week. This week, he continued to address the city’s efforts. The New York City Department of Small Business Services connected the migrant population to hundreds of job opportunities, he noted, and other parts of his administration continued to search for ways to assist new arrivals, providing things from direct outreach and resource fairs to onsite English as a Second Language courses at shelters. “Our actions have shown an entire nation what can be accomplished when we lead with compassion and resourcefulness,” Adams said. “Because of the work we have done, we will emerge from this crisis stronger than ever before. We are all New Yorkers together: anything that affects one of us, affects us all. I have faith in our great city to continue to be a beacon of hope, and a place where people from every corner of the world can build a new life.” Fox News’ Mike Lee contributed to this report.
DOGE initial findings on Defense Department DEI spending could save $80M, agency says
The Department of Defense could save up to $80 million in wasteful spending by cutting loose a handful of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, the agency said Monday. The Defense Department has been working with the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in slashing wasteful spending, DOD spokesman Sean Parnell said in a video posted to social media. Parnell listed some of the initial findings flagged by DOGE, much of it consisting of millions of dollars given to support various DEI programs, including $1.9 million for holistic DEI transformation and training in the Air Force and $6 million to the University of Montana to “strengthen American democracy by bridging divides.” DOD TELLS CIVILIAN WORKFORCE TO IGNORE ELON MUSK’S REQUEST TO REPORT PRODUCTIVITY Among the initial findings were $1.6 million to the University of Florida to study the social and institutional detriment of vulnerability in resilience to climate hazards in Africa. “This stuff is just not a core function of our military,” Parnell said. “This is not what we do. This stuff is a distraction from our core mission.” “We believe these initial findings will probably save $80 million in wasteful spending,” he added. OPM’S SECOND EMAIL TO FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ASKS WHAT THEY DID LAST WEEK—AND ADDS A NEW REQUIREMENT: REPORT In an effort to gut spending, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed the DOD’s civilian workforce to comply with Musk’s DOGE productivity email, listing five things they accomplished after initially telling them not to reply. Last week, Hegseth said his agency would work with DOGE, which has conducted reviews of the Treasury, Labor, Education and Health departments, as well as at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Personnel Management and Internal Revenue Service (IRS). He added that many DOGE workers are veterans, and it is a “good thing” that they will find deficiencies. “They care just like we do, to find the redundancies and identify the last vestiges of Biden priorities — the DEI, the woke, the climate change B.S., that’s not core to our mission, and we’re going to get rid of it all,” Hegseth said. DOGE has come under scrutiny, with some accusing President Donald Trump of giving Musk too much leeway and access to sensitive data.
McMahon on Day 1 launches ‘final mission’ to send education back to the states
FIRST ON FOX: Linda McMahon, in her first act as Secretary of Education, is informing all employees that she will lead a “momentous final mission” to send education back to the states, according to a letter obtained by Fox News Digital. McMahon is sending a letter to all Department of Education (DoEd) employees on Monday evening, informing them of a “new era of accountability” as she oversees President Donald Trump’s promise to dissolve the department. “Our job is to respect the will of the American people and the President they elected, who has tasked us with accomplishing the elimination of bureaucratic bloat here at the Department of Education—a momentous final mission—quickly and responsibly,” McMahon wrote to employees in the letter that was shared first with Fox News Digital. The secretary said that the reconstruction of the department will “profoundly” impact staff, budgets and agency operations. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LAUNCHES ‘ENDDEI’ PORTAL FOR PARENTS, STUDENTS, TEACHERS TO REPORT DISCRIMINATION Under McMahon, the department will work from three base convictions, according to her letter: that parents are the primary decision makers in their children’s education, that taxpayer-funded education should refocus on “meaningful learning in math, reading, science, and history—not divisive DEI programs and gender ideology,” and that post-secondary education should be a path to a well-paying career aligned with workforce needs. “Removing red tape and bureaucratic barriers will empower parents to make the best educational choices for their children,” the letter reads. “An effective transfer of educational oversight to the states will mean more autonomy for local communities. Teachers, too, will benefit from less micromanagement in the classroom—enabling them to get back to basics. “ Trump has said that his goal is to “immediately” close the DoEd and that, in the process, he wants McMahon to “put herself out of a job.” “My vision is aligned with the President’s: to send education back to the states and empower all parents to choose an excellent education for their children,” McMahon told employees on Monday evening. “The Department of Education’s role in this new era of accountability is to restore the rightful role of state oversight in education and to end the overreach from Washington.” The Trump administration would need congressional approval in order to eliminate the federal department, and McMahon said that she will be partnering with the legislative branch “to determine the best path forward to fulfill the expectations of the President and the American people” in an effort to “eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy so that our colleges, K-12 schools, students, and teachers can innovate and thrive.” JUDGE BLOCKS DOGE FROM ACCESSING EDUCATION DEPARTMENT RECORDS “As I’ve learned many times throughout my career, disruption leads to innovation and gets results,” the secretary wrote. “We must start thinking about our final mission at the department as an overhaul—a last chance to restore the culture of liberty and excellence that made American education great.” The letter also applauded recent orders by the Trump administration to eliminate critical race theory (CRT), gender ideology, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), while “restoring patriotic education and civics” in schools. “This review of our programs is long overdue,” McMahon said. “The Department of Education is not working as intended. Since its establishment in 1980, taxpayers have entrusted the department with over $1 trillion, yet student outcomes have consistently languished.” “American education can be the greatest in the world. It ought not to be corrupted by political ideologies, special interests, and unjust discrimination. Parents, teachers, and students alike deserve better,” McMahon wrote in the letter. The secretary, who was confirmed by the Senate on Monday evening, encouraged employees to join the mission. “This is our opportunity to perform one final, unforgettable public service to future generations of students,” she said. “I hope you will join me in ensuring that when our final mission is complete, we will all be able to say that we left American education freer, stronger, and with more hope for the future.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for further comment but did not immediately hear back.
Top official at FBI New York Field Office forced to retire
The top official at the FBI New York Field Office was forced to retire on Monday, sources confirmed to Fox News Digital. James Dennehy was appointed by former FBI Director Christopher Wray as the assistant director in charge at the FBI field office in September 2024. In a letter to his colleagues, obtained by Fox News Digital, Dennehy said he was not given a reason why he was forced to retire. “Late Friday, I was informed that I needed to put my retirement papers in today, which I just did. I was not given a reason for this decision,” Dennehy said in a letter to his colleagues. “Regardless, I apologize to all of you for not being able to fulfill my commitment to you to serve as ADIC NY for at least two years. FBI RAIDS HOMES OF TOP AIDES FOR NEW YORK CITY MAYOR ERIC ADAMS “But as I leave today, I have an immense feeling of pride – to have represented an office of professionals who will always do the right thing for the right reasons; who will always seek the truth while upholding the rule of law; who will always follow the facts no matter where they lead and be unapologetic about it; who will never bend, break, falter, or quit on your integrity; who will always handle cases and evidence with an overabundance of caution and care for the innocent, the victims, and the process first; and who will always remain independent,” he added. Dennehy provided a top 10 list of things he will miss about working for the FBI, though his commute was not one of them. But among the items on his list were the investigations, the intensity, the FBI brand, the camaraderie, the badge, the independence, and everyone he worked with. “I’ve been told many times in my life, ‘When you find yourself in a hole, sometimes it’s best to quit digging,’” he wrote. “Screw that. I will never stop defending this joint. I’ll just do it willingly and proudly from outside the wire.” Dennehy’s departure is the latest in a series of oustings under President Donald Trump’s new administration.
House Dem blasted for ‘unhinged’ Elon Musk rant telling him to ‘Go back to South Africa’
A Democratic Rep. drew criticism on social media Monday when she told DOGE Chief Elon Musk to “Go back to South Africa” and asked “What the hell” he is doing in the United States. “It was interesting yesterday I was watching a video of an interview of Elon Musk with someone where he said that the Italians should stay in Italy and the Chinese should stay in China, my question to Elon Musk is what the hell are you doing here in America?” Democratic Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez (N.Y.) said outside the HUD Department on Monday evening. “Go back to South Africa,” Rep. Velazquez said. Velazquez was repeating a claim promoted on social media about an Elon Musk interview in 2023 that liberal fact-checker Snopes deemed to be “false.” ELON MUSK TAKES AIM AT NATIONAL DEBT, WARNS OF ‘DE FACTO BANKRUPTCY’ WITHOUT DOGE: ‘$2 TRILLION IN DEFICITS’ Velazquez, who was born in Puerto Rico, added that the fight against DOGE is the fight “for the soul of our nation.” Conservatives on social media blasted Velazquez for her comments on Musk’s immigration status. “Unhinged,” Bobby LaValley, Rapid Response Director for House Speaker Mike Johnson, posted on X. “Completely unhinged…,” the White House Rapid Response team added in a post on X. “Elon has broken their brains so much that Democrats are now embracing nativism,” White House Rapid Response’s Greg Price posted on X. “Nydia Velasquez has finally found an immigrant she doesn’t like,” Claremont Institute Senior Fellow Jeremy Carl posted on X. “Not the tens of thousands of illegals in her district who live off of our tax dollars – but America’s greatest entrepreneur, a White immigrant. When the left tells you who they are believe them.” WHO IS DOGE’S NEWLY IDENTIFIED ADMINISTRATOR AMY GLEASON? ‘WORLD-CLASS TALENT’ “Imagine if any Republican said this about any liberal,” Right Turn Strategies President Chris Barron posted on X. Fox News Digital reached out to Velazquez’s office for comment. Velazquez had gathered outside the HUD building with fellow Democrats in the latest protest of Musk’s DOGE efforts which they argue is making cuts to programs that are vital to the everyday needs of Americans, a criticism the Trump administration has pushed back on. The controversial comment follows a similar sentiment expressed by Dem. Rep. Marcy Kaptur last week where she questioned Musk’s loyalty to the United States due to his immigrant status. “Mr. Musk has just been here 22 years,” Kaptur said outside the Capitol on Wednesday in a comment that received blowback from conservatives. “And he’s a citizen of three countries. I always ask myself the question, with the damage he’s doing here, when push comes to shove, which country is his loyalty to? South Africa? Canada? Or the United States? And he’s only been a citizen, I’ll say again, 22 years.” Fox News Digital’s Kyle Schmidbauer contributed to this report
Trump pauses aid to Ukraine after fiery meeting with Zelenskyy
The Trump administration is pausing all aid to Ukraine, including weapons in transit or in Poland. The pause comes days after a contentious meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump in the White House. This story is breaking. Please check back for updates.