LA Hughes Fire only 14% contained after burning 10K acres
The Hughes Fire in Los Angeles has now burned over 10,000 acres and remains just 14% contained, fire authorities in the city announced Thursday. The Hughes Fire, which was first reported on Wednesday morning, was first located in the unincorporated community of Castaic in northwestern Los Angeles County. It quickly spread thanks to aggressive winds that have plagued fire-fighting efforts for weeks. More than 4,000 fire personnel are assigned to Hughes Fire, authorities say. “The weather is what is predominantly driving this fire and its spread right now. A red flag warning remains in effect until 10 a.m. Friday,” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said in a statement. “It remains a difficult fire to contain, although we are getting the upper hand.” CALIFORNIA FIRES: ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM The blaze has forced some 50,000 people to evacuate, and it also caused temporary road closures on Interstate 5 on Wednesday. LA FIRES DESTROYED RYAN O’NEAL’S MALIBU HOME HE ONCE SHARED WITH FARRAH FAWCETT Earlier in the day, Cal Fire urged residents in several regions near the Hughes Fire to leave immediately, including the vicinity of Castaic Lake, Paradise Ranch and the Ridge Route. “Immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to LEAVE NOW,” the Cal Fire alert reads. “The area is lawfully closed to public access.” There have also been reports of a fire in the Sepulveda Pass near Sherman Oaks. The fire was initially reported as one acre, but the Los Angeles Fire Department has since reported all forward progress stopped with the fire held at approximately 40 acres. “The Evacuation Warning is LIFTED. There are no structures damaged and no injuries reported. Firefighters will remain on scene through the night conducting mop up operations to ensure no hot spots remain. Traffic on the 405 Freeway will likely remain impacted as crews and apparatus work alongside the freeway,” the notice stated. Mayor Karen Bass says that although the fire is being addressed, all Angelenos should heed the warnings from public safety officials. “Air support and other aggressive actions have been deployed to fight a new fire just east of the 405,” she posted to X. “To all Angelenos in the area, follow guidance from public safety officials to stay safe.” The new fires come amid a deadly wildfire season in the Golden State, as firefighters have battled destructive Southern California blazes for weeks. Fox News’ Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.
GOP leaders rally to revoke China’s ‘most favored nation’ status after 20-year run
FIRST ON FOX: The movement to eliminate the free trade perks China enjoys in the U.S. is gaining steam under Republican control of the government. GOP leaders in the House and Senate are once again introducing legislation that would end China’s most favored nation status by repealing Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR). Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., reintroduced the Restoring Trade Fairness Act in the Senate, with Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., as a cosponsor. The bill has bipartisan support in the House – Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Moch., China Competition Committee chair, introduced it along with Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y. The measure would create a minimum 35% tariff on non-strategic goods and a 100% tariff on strategic goods, phased in over five years. SENATE REPUBLICANS LAUNCH EFFORT TO BAN CHINESE NATIONALS FROM BUYING LAND IN US It would end “de minimis treatment” for China, or the value threshold below which imports are not subject to customs duties. The revenue generated, according to the bill, would go toward farmers and manufacturers injured by potential Chinese retaliation and the purchase of key munitions important to a potential Pacific conflict. The bill follows a recent Trump executive order that directs the secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade representative to assess proposals regarding PNTR. Congress voted to grant China PNTR in 2000 under a directive from then-President Bill Clinton, which also allowed it to join the World Trade Organization (WTO). The designation fundamentally changed China-U.S. trade relations. U.S. consumers gained access to low-priced Chinese imports, and between 2001 and 2021, the value of goods imported from China quadrupled to $500 billion. The U.S. share of global manufacturing production dropped from 25% in 1997 to 17% in 2019. Nations with PNTR enjoy an average tariff rate of around 3%. Additional tariffs on Chinese goods by sector that kicked off under the first Trump administration drive that figure higher for the CCP. TRUMP, CHINA’S XI SPEAK ON PHONE AHEAD OF INAUGURATION Critics of PNTR say it allowed companies to outsource their manufacturing to China, and that renewed tensions with Beijing could lead to supply chain issues. Proponents of PNTR say that removing that status would cause inflation, allowing further tariffs on billions’ worth of Chinese goods. “For too long, permanent normal trade relations with China have undermined our manufacturing base, shifted American jobs abroad, and allowed the CCP to exploit our markets while betraying the promise of fair competition,” Moolenaar said in a statement.” “China’s Permanent Normal Trade Relations status has enriched the Chinese Communist Party while costing the United States millions of jobs,” said Cotton. “This comprehensive repeal of China’s PNTR status and reform of the U.S.-China trade relationship will protect American workers, enhance our national security, and end the Chinese Communists’ leverage over our economy.” On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump suggested tariffs as high as 60% on Chinese goods. However, this week, after taking office, he said he intended to start off with a 10% tariff on Chinese products on Feb. 1. Ending China’s most favored nation status was a pipe dream under the previous administration, when Democrats controlled the Senate and White House. However, with Republican control of the executive branch and both chambers of Congress, the legislation has gained momentum. House Republicans who spoke with Fox News Digital said they wanted to see the legislation get passed this Congress. “China needs to be isolated,” said Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis. “That takes tariffs. It takes tariffs without any permanent normal trade relations. They never should have been allowed into the WTO – the Democrats gave them favored nation status.” “That started the downward spiral out of our military industrial complex crashing in the ground,” he went on. “We can’t produce enough weapons right now because all the manufacturing – it’s not just that we’re not buying bombs from China, that there’s component parts that have to go into all these weapons systems that left the country. That’s a national security issue.” “There’s no question in my mind that I would like to see an end to normal trade relations,” said freshman Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C. “China is not our friend. They are our adversary. I would go so far as to say they are our enemy.” “I would never have voted for a permanent trade authority for China or for Russia,” said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. “You have to meet certain requirements to be a most favored nation,” he went on. “Previous presidents made the mistake of saying that we should give them the status because they were going to stop doing the wrong thing. No, they need to do the right thing. And then we’re certainly happy to have them back in.”
Pro-lifers pounce on Fetterman for opposing ‘Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act’: ‘Infanticide’
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and all other Senate Democrats blocked the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act” from advancing in the chamber on Wednesday. The measure would require health care practitioners to seek to save the life of a baby born during an attempted abortion, and ensure that the infant is hospitalized. “I’ve always stood on the side of Roe and a woman’s right to make her own health care choices. It’s absurd to mandate criminalization because of those choices. Any bill that does so, including the Born-Alive Survivors Protection Act, is a NO from me,” Fetterman declared in a post on X. JOHN FETTERMAN AND LINDSEY GRAHAM ADVOCATE FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM In a 52-47 party-line vote, 52 Republicans voted to proceed, while 45 Democrats and the two independent senators aligned with the Senate Democratic Caucus voted to block the bill from moving toward a vote. The text of the measure stipulates that healthcare providers present when a baby is born alive amid an attempted abortion must “exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of the child as a reasonably diligent and conscientious health care practitioner would render to any other child born alive at the same gestational age” and then “ensure that the child born alive is immediately transported and admitted to a hospital.” The measure explicitly precludes prosecution of the child’s mother. “The mother of a child born alive described under subsection (a) may not be prosecuted for a violation of this section, an attempt to violate this section, a conspiracy to violate this section, or an offense under section 3 or 4 of this title based on such a violation,” the text of the legislation reads. CHIP ROY LEADS HOUSE REPUBLICANS IN EFFORT TO REPEAL LAW USED BY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO PROSECUTE PRO-LIFERS Pro-lifers decried Fetterman’s position. “You just voted against medical care for a crying infant, begging for help, struggling to survive after a failed abortion. You have believed the leftist lie that killing babies – in this case now a BORN baby struggling for his life – is ever acceptable. Pure evil,” Lila Rose, president and founder of Live Action, declared in a tweet. Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins placed the handshake emoji in between the words “Fetterman” and “Infanticide.” SEN. DAVE MCCORMICK ‘OPTIMISTIC’ ABOUT WORKING WITH SEN. FETTERMAN TO FIND ‘COMMON GROUND’: ‘EMBRACING’ CHANGE Katie Glenn Daniel, director of legal affairs and policy counsel for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, wrote in response to Fetterman’s post, “My dude, it’s literally called the Born-ALIVE Abortion SURVIVORS Protection Act. A baby is born, breathing and squirming, and you voted to deny her the life-sustaining healthcare that she would be owed if she was born under any other circumstance.”
VA Dems reject Youngkin’s antisemitism expert pick from George Mason Univ board amid troubling incidents
As George Mason University grapples with the latest incident of antisemitism linked to its Fairfax, Virginia, campus, Democrats in the Virginia State Senate rejected Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s nomination of one of the nation’s preeminent antisemitism scholars to its Board of Visitors. Kenneth Marcus, the Brandeis Center’s founder and a former undersecretary in the Education Department’s civil rights division, was one of a few Youngkin nominees who were struck from consideration by the Senate Privileges & Elections Committee on a party-line vote. Marcus has been described by The New York Times as “the man who helped redefine campus antisemitism,” and told Fox News Digital in a Wednesday interview he had hoped to continue that work at GMU. “It was disappointing to see Democratic senators moving to block my nomination at precisely the same time that we were achieving a fairly significant victory over antisemitism in our Harvard University case,” Marcus said, noting he had served without incident on the GMU board since mid-2024. HARVARD SETTLES TWO LAWSUITS DEALING WITH ALLEGATIONS OF ANTISEMITISM “There’s really nothing that I can think of that I have done that would stir any controversy other than working to protect George Mason students from antisemitism,” he said, noting the school has struggled with the issue as of late. A GMU freshman IT major and Egyptian national is being investigated by the FBI on charges of distributing information on weapons in furtherance of a violent crime and threats against a foreign official, according to NBC News. Abdullah Ezzeldin Taha Mohamed Hassan, 18, of Falls Church, Virginia, was allegedly trying to orchestrate a bombing of the Israeli Consulate in New York City. Leaders from Students for Justice in Palestine were also banned from campus after police found “Death to Jews” and “Death to America” signage along with firearms. “This is a huge issue right now at George Mason with some very disturbing high-profile issues happening,” Marcus said. A person familiar with Youngkin’s thoughts on the situation said the governor has “kept his cool” and is not engaging publicly but is incensed about the Democrats’ move. “He is quietly working in hopes Democratic senators are seeing the error of their ways,” the person told Fox News Digital. YOUNGKIN ‘PERSONALLY INVITES’ NEW TRUMP ADMIN WORKERS TO SETTLE IN VA OVER DC, MD Marcus said he worked hard to combat antisemitism on campus in the seven months he has been on campus. “I have been very pleased to have the opportunity to work with the administration and board of that institution to address a very serious problem going on here.” Marcus said one item he had been working on was incorporating antisemitism definitions into GMU’s anti-discrimination policy. “Since I joined the board, the most significant thing I’ve done has been to work with the administration to incorporate the idea of a working definition of antisemitism into George Mason’s anti-discrimination policy. That was a huge advance, and it’s been very influential. It was disappointing to see members of the General Assembly respond as they have,” he said. GMU has also been subject to anti-Zionist vandalism. As of last February, GMU President Gregory Washington said there had been at least 70 antisemitism incident reports to administrators and acknowledged a federal probe into reported malign activity. “I have been asked on numerous occasions to stop the student protests. Even when you’re protesting against me, I still support it because I support freedom of speech,” Washington told the Fourth Estate student newspaper. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Senate P&E Committee also removed nominations for former Vice President Mike Pence Chief of Staff Marc Short and Nina Rees, a senior official for the George W. Bush Presidential Library, as well as an education attorney from the Richmond firm McGuire-Woods. Richmond Republicans are hoping to add Marcus’ name back to the legislation listing confirmed nominees on Thursday, but a source suggested their path remains unlikely without any Democrat defections in the 21-19 Senate. Fox News Digital reached out to both Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Alexandria, and Senate P&E Committee Chair Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach, about Marcus’ rejection.
Top 5 moments from Trump’s ‘Hannity’ interview
President Donald Trump sat down for an exclusive interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Wednesday, his first since returning to the White House. Trump has routinely answered questions from reporters during his first week in office, including from Hannity. In front of a primetime audience, Trump reflected on his return to the White House four years after his loss to former President Joe Biden, threatened a reckoning with FEMA, shared his view on TikTok’s future and discussed Biden’s preemptive pardons for officials and family members. Here are the standout moments. TRUMP’S ‘SHOCK AND AWE’: FORGET FIRST 100 DAYS, NEW PRESIDENT SHOWS OFF FRENETIC PACE IN FIRST 100 HOURS Trump looked back on his historic return to the White House in his interview with Hannity, saying his political comeback proves the policies and philosophies of the “radical left” throughout the past four years are “horrible” and “don’t work.” The 47th president lamented the Biden administration’s policies, once again targeting inflation, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the onset of the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars. “With all that being said, I think it’s bigger. It’s bigger than if it were more traditional,” he said on “Hannity,” referring to his two nonconsecutive terms. “I think we got there just in the nick of time.” Hannity revealed he told Trump after the 2020 election that a return to the White House four years after the Biden administration would be “bigger” than a consecutive win, comparing it to Winston Churchill’s return as prime minister following World War II. “Maybe I shouldn’t disclose this, but I will, and it was after the 2020 election, and you asked me a question. And we’ve known each other for 30 years, so we have a friendship, and we have a professional relationship,” Hannity said in his exclusive interview with Trump on Wednesday. “And the question you asked me, ‘maybe in the end, it will be better that if I came back in four years.’ And we talked about history. After World War II, Winston Churchill was thrown out, but they brought him back. Grover Cleveland, the only other American president that did not serve consecutive terms,” he continued. TRUMP WARNS FEMA FACES A RECKONING AFTER BIDEN ADMIN: ‘NOT DONE THEIR JOB’ Churchill served as prime minister twice, from 1940-1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. Trump is the second U.S. president to serve two, non-consecutive terms behind President Grover Cleveland, the nation’s 22nd and 24th president. Hannity explained that he believed “it would be bigger if you came back.” Trump agreed that it is already shaping up that way after three days in office. “It’s turning out to be bigger. And I think one thing is happening is people are learning that they can’t govern and that their policies are terrible. I mean, they don’t want to see a woman get pummeled by a man in a boxing ring?” he said. Trump warned that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is set to face a reckoning following four years under the Biden administration, arguing the emergency agency has “not done their job.” “FEMA has not done their job for the last four years. You know, I had FEMA working really well. We had hurricanes in Florida. We had Alabama tornadoes. But unless you have certain types of leadership, it’s really, it gets in the way. And FEMA is going to be a whole big discussion very shortly, because I’d rather see the states take care of their own problems,” Trump said. FEMA came under the nation’s microscope last year when Hurricane Helene ripped through North Carolina, devastating residents as it wiped out homes and businesses and killed more than 100 people. FEMA and the Biden administration faced fierce backlash for its handling of the emergency, while Trump accused the agency of obstructing relief efforts in Republican areas. ‘TOTALLY PREPARED’: TRUMP ALLIES SAY HE’S BETTER POSITIONED THAN EVER TO ENACT AGENDA “The Democrats don’t care about North Carolina. What they’ve done with FEMA is so bad. FEMA is a whole ‘nother discussion, because all it does is complicate everything,” he said. “So I’m stopping on Friday. I’m stopping in North Carolina, first stop, because those people were treated very badly by Democrats. And I’m stopping there. We’re going to get that thing straightened out because they’re still suffering from a hurricane from months ago,” Trump said. Trump will visit North Carolina on Friday, his first trip as president, where he is expected to tour and meet with residents who were left devastated by the hurricane in September. He will also visit California that same day, where wildfires have ripped through the Los Angeles area this month. Trump credited his campaign’s decision to go on TikTok with his strong 2024 election performance with youth voters, though he told Hannity the short form video platform must be sold by its Chinese owners to continue to operate in the U.S. “I think TikTok ought to be sold,” Trump said. “People want to buy it.” On his first day in office Monday, Trump issued an executive order granting TikTok more time to operate and work toward compliance with a law forcing the platform’s Beijing-based owner, ByteDance, to either divest the app to an American buyer or shut the platform down in the U.S. He has stated that the U.S. should own half of TikTok and suggested that billionaire Elon Musk or Oracle founder Larry Ellison should purchase the app. TRUMP’S 90-DAY TIKTOK EXTENSION COULD BE ‘LEGALLY INVALID,’ JONATHAN TURLEY WARNS In the interview, Trump seemed dismissive of Hannity’s concerns that TikTok is a “spying app for the communist Chinese.” “But you can say that about everything made in China. Look, we have our telephones made in China for the most part. We have so many things made in China. So why don’t they mention that, you know?” Trump said. “You’re dealing with a lot of young people,” he added. “So they love it. Is it that important for China to be spying
First images of ICE mass deportation efforts show arrests of MS-13 gang members, murder suspects
Fox News embedded exclusively with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Boston as the agency targeted egregious criminal aliens, including MS-13 gang members and murder suspects, as part of mass deportation efforts under President Donald Trump. Fox News witnessed ICE Boston make eight arrests, including multiple MS-13, Interpol Red Notices, murder and rape suspects, and a volatile Haitian gang member with 18 convictions in recent years who told our cameras that he “ain’t going back to Haiti” and “f— Trump, Biden forever!” ICE also made what is known as a “collateral” arrest, where ICE arrests an illegal alien who wasn’t their initial target. In that case, the illegal alien was with an MS-13 gang member who had been released by a sanctuary jurisdiction on Tuesday with an ICE detainer that was not honored. TRUMP’S ICE RACKS UP HUNDREDS OF ARRESTS, INCLUDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED FOR HORROR CRIMES Trump’s border czar Tom Homan has previously warned that collateral arrests are something that would happen in sanctuary jurisdictions. As ICE Boston was arresting a violent illegal alien in one neighborhood, Fox News heard a woman yell out “thank you” to the agents. ‘PROMPT REMOVAL’: TRUMP DHS EXPANDS EXPEDITED DEPORTATION POWERS AS OPERATIONS RAMP UP The arrests come as the Trump administration moves rapidly to fulfill its promise to launch a historic mass deportation operation, which it has said will focus primarily – but not exclusively – on public safety threats. In the first days of the Trump administration, ICE has made more than 460 arrests of illegal immigrants, including those with criminal histories that include sexual assault, domestic violence and drugs and weapons crimes. Arrests took place across the U.S. including Illinois, Utah, California, Minnesota, New York, Florida and Maryland. Agents arrested nationals from a slew of countries, including Afghanistan, Angola, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Senegal and Venezuela. Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
‘Stealing American jobs’: Anti-CCP group unleashes ad demanding GOP lawmakers back Trump on saving US farms
FIRST ON FOX: A group focused on combating the influence of China in the United States has launched a major ad buy to push state Republicans to move on President Trump’s agenda related to the threat China poses to U.S. agriculture. The Protecting America Initiative, which bills itself as a “coalition of concerned American citizens and public policy experts who are committed to stopping Chinese influence in the states,” launched a five-figure ad buy for the one-minute ad set to run in key agricultural states warning of China’s push to “control the U.S. agriculture industry.” “The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) is buying up farmland across our country,” the ad says. “Stealing American jobs: Communist China is moving in to control the agricultural industry. This new war is happening right now without armies or any shots being fired. Who will dominate the world’s food supply? China is on the rise.” “We’re being ripped off at levels that nobody’s ever seen before,” Trump says in a clip in the ad before the narrator says, “Republicans in the states need to step up and help President Trump combat the CCP.” DAVID MARCUS: CHINA ALREADY PLAYED US WITH TIKTOK. LET’S NOT MAKE IT WORSE A farmer is featured in the ad with a clip from a Fox News interview in which he explains that “we all feel that we’ve been forgotten about here.” “We just want Trump to keep doing what he’s doing: Put America first,” the farmer, Pennsylvania GOP state Rep. Eric Davanzo, continues. “Make sure that America’s food is safe right here and make sure that we have the land and the opportunity to produce and grow our food here.” TRUMP WANTS TO VISIT CHINA AGAIN AFTER HE TAKES OFFICE: REPORT “Tell Republicans to stand with Trump and protect America’s food supply,” the closing line of the ad states. The ad will be placed on national cable channels, including Fox News, in the key agricultural states of Missouri, Iowa, Georgia and Idaho. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Last year, the Protecting America Initiative released polling it said demonstrated that the “overwhelming majority of Americans are concerned about the CCP’s threat to the United States’ national security, food security, infrastructure, and higher education, and influence over our elected officials.” Fox News Digital reported last year that the USDA’s most recent data suggests that, as of 2021, foreign investment in U.S. agricultural land grew to approximately 40 million acres. Additionally, Chinese agricultural investment in the U.S. increased tenfold between 2009 and 2016 alone. The increasing number of land purchases has sparked concern that foreign companies and investors, particularly those from China, may be establishing a stranglehold on key U.S. food and energy supplies. “The Chinese national government, or some people say the Chinese Communist Party, has been about acquiring all manner of assets, not just in the United States but around the world, to control all sorts of resources,” GOP Rep. Frank Lucas of Oklahoma told Fox News Digital in a 2023 interview. “I would argue that, in addition to the importance of national security – the guns and the bullets and the planes and the resources to defend ourselves – if we cannot feed ourselves, then we are lost.” Fox News Digital’s Thomas Catenacci contributed to this report.
Key Senate chairman criticizes ‘anonymous sources with ulterior motives,’ stands by Hegseth nomination
A key senator on the Armed Services Committee says he is standing by President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, pushing back on those he called “anonymous sources with ulterior motives” who are casting doubt on his character. Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., in a statement Wednesday criticized recent reports on a confidential briefing on the FBI background investigation of Hegseth as “starkly and factually inaccurate.” “It is disturbing that a sensitive, longstanding process used by committee leadership to vet presidential personnel is being litigated in the press by anonymous sources with ulterior motives,” Wicker said, adding that he’s received three separate, detailed briefings on the FBI’s background investigation. Wicker was responding to a CNN report that cited two sources familiar with the matter who claimed that Hegseth’s ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth, gave a statement to the FBI about Hegseth’s alleged alcohol use. The outlet said one of the sources said Samantha Hegseth told the FBI, “He drinks more often than he doesn’t.” HEGSETH LAWYER SLAMS ‘FLAWED AND QUESTIONABLE AFFIDAVIT’ FROM EX-SISTER-IN-LAW A source familiar with the FBI investigation confirmed the recent briefing and its contents to Fox News, saying “yes, Samantha provided a prepared statement to the FBI in which she said Pete Hegseth has had and continues to have a problem with alcohol abuse. That statement was communicated by the FBI to Senators Wicker and Reed.” Meanwhile, Wicker says that he continues to stand by Hegseth. “After this thorough review, I am ironclad in my assessment that the nominee, Mr. Hegseth, is prepared to be the next Secretary of Defense, and that the allegations unfairly impugning his character do not pass scrutiny,” the senator said. Wicker said that Hegseth has the confidence of Trump and the backing of Senate Republicans, and called on the Senate to confirm the nominee “as fast as possible” during this “precarious national security moment.” ‘DESPERATE ATTEMPT’: SENATORS RECEIVE AFFIDAVIT WITH ALLEGATIONS ABOUT HEGSETH’S PREVIOUS MARRIAGE A vote on the Defense Secretary nominee is expected to come this weekend if the Republicans and Democrats in the Senate do not come to a time agreement to expedite the process. Hegseth has faced controversy throughout his confirmation process. On Tuesday, Fox News obtained an affidavit from Hegseth’s former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, which alleges he has an alcohol abuse problem and at times made his ex-wife, Samantha, fear for her safety. Danielle Hegseth was married to Pete Hegseth’s brother. She is not the sister of Samantha, Pete Hegseth’s second wife. But Danielle Hegseth added that she never witnessed any abuse herself, physical or sexual, from Pete against Samantha. Samantha Hegseth has also denied any physical abuse in a statement given to NBC News. “There was no physical abuse in my marriage. This is the only further statement I will make to you. I have let you know that I am not speaking and will not speak on my marriage to Pete. Please respect this decision,” she reportedly said. Fox News’ Tyler Olson, Kelly Phares and Daniel Scully contributed to this report.
Trump’s ‘shock and awe’: Forget first 100 days, new president shows off frenetic pace in first 100 hours
Buckle up. President Donald Trump is back in the White House and moving at warp speed. In his inauguration address, the new president vowed that things across the country would “change starting today, and it will change very quickly.” And moments later, White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich took to social media to tease, “Now, comes SHOCK AND AWE.” They weren’t kidding. TRUMP UNPLUGGED: WHAT THE NEW PRESIDENT IS DOING THAT BIDEN RARELY DID Trump signed an avalanche of executive orders and actions in his first eight hours in office, which not only fulfilled major campaign trail promises, but also allowed the returning president to flex his executive muscles as well as settle some longstanding grievances. The president immediately cracked down on immigration, moved towards a trade war with top allies and adversaries, reversed many policies implemented by former President Biden, including scrapping much of the previous administration’s federal diversity actions and energy and climate provisions. HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS UPDATES ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS IN THE WHITE HOUSE He also sparked a major controversy by pardoning or commuting the sentences of roughly 1,500 supporters who took part in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol in an unsuccessful attempt to upend congressional certification of Biden’s 2020 election victory. Among those whose sentences were commuted included some who violently assaulted police officers on one of America’s darkest days. Trump also fired some top government officials, made a high-profile half-trillion dollar tech investment announcement, held unscripted and wide-ranging, informal, and impromptu news conferences during his first two days back at the White House, and even renamed the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. “I think it’s brilliant how they’ve been handling it, to immediately meet the moment with action. It’s exactly what he needs to do and its exactly what the people voted for,” veteran Republican strategist Kristin Davison told Fox News. “Americans vote for decisive, fast action, and true leadership. And Trump understands that more than anyone. I think he and his team knew how important it was out the gate to show that they heard what the people wanted and are answering with leadership,” Davison argued. WATCH: TRUMP SITS DOWN IN OVAL OFFICE WITH FOX NEWS’ HANNITY Longtime Republican consultant Alex Castellanos agreed “He’s flooding the zone. He’s making a case for action. He’s demonstrating action. He is rallying a wave of American support for a massive transformation of government,” Castellanos, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns, told Fox News. Seasoned Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo didn’t dispute Trump’s frenetic actions. “The pace of this shouldn’t be surprising to anyone. Trump made it abundantly clear he was going to act quickly, he was going to act boldly, and he was going to do exactly what he told voters he would do,” Caiazzo said. But he argued that “the things he is doing is going to directly negatively impact working families from coast to coast. It’s also a signal he has no respect for the rule of law.” TRUMP’S AVALANCHE OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS Asked if Trump’s actions were what Americans voted for this past autumn, Caiazzo replied “of course not. What Americans voted for was cheaper groceries. What Donald Trump is going to give us is a litany of policies that work to deteriorate our institutions, that work to enrich the wealthy and solidify his standing among the oligarchy in this country.” There’s another reason for Trump’s fast pace – even though he’s the new president, he’s also a term-limited and lame-duck president. And by Labor Day, much of the political world will start looking ahead to the 2026 midterm elections. “This is his second term. He’s got to move quickly,” Davison emphasized. Trump’s show of force in the opening days of his second administration is also in contrast to eight years ago, when he first entered the White House. The president and his team are much more seasoned the second time around, and the supporting cast is intensely loyal to Trump. “In the past administration, there would be logjams and bottlenecks because there were people who didn’t agree with him,” a senior White House source told Fox News. “Now we have a whole infrastructure and staff that’s built around him, in support of him. When he says something, it’s getting done. It’s testament to him and the team that he built.” Credit is also being given to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who, as co-campaign manager of Trump’s 2024 presidential bid, kept the trains on the tracks. “What Susie has done is look at the totality of Trump and found the best players and put them in the best positions to support the president. Trump is surrounded by Trump people who’ve all proven themselves over the years not just to be loyal but ultra-competent operators,” added the adviser, who asked for anonymity to speak more freely.
‘Ultra-right’: Trump budget chief pick Russell Vought faces fire from Dem senators
Democratic lawmakers grilled President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on a series of issues Wednesday, ranging from abortion to the constitutionality of the Impoundment Control Act. While Republicans argue that Russell Vought is qualified for the role because he served as Trump’s OMB director during the president’s first term, Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have labeled Vought an “ultra-right” ideologue. Vought appeared before the Senate Budget Committee on Wednesday for a confirmation hearing and defended his previous statements that the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional — an issue Democrats claim should disqualify him from leading the Office of Management and Budget. TRUMP’S TREASURY NOMINEE TURNS THE TABLES ON SANDERS IN TESTY EXCHANGE ABOUT BIDEN’S ‘OLIGARCHY’ COMMENTS The law, adopted in 1974, stipulates that Congress may oversee the executive branch’s withholding of budget authority, and affirmed that Congress holds the power of the purse. Ultimately, the law bars the executive branch from circumventing Congress and withholding appropriated funds. The first Trump administration and Vought have come under fire after the Office of Management and Budget held up $214 million in military aid for Ukraine in 2019, a decision that ultimately led to Trump’s first impeachment. “You’re quite comfortable assuming that the law doesn’t matter and that you’ll just treat the money for a program as a ceiling… rather than a required amount,” Senate Budget Committee ranking member Jeff Merkley said. “Well, the courts have found otherwise.” TRUMP TREASURY PICK: EXTENDING TRUMP TAX CUTS ‘SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ECONOMIC ISSUE’ Additionally, the Supreme Court also ruled in 1975 that the executive branch cannot impound funds without congressional oversight. In that case, Train v. City of New York, the Supreme Court determined the Environmental Protection Agency must use full funding included in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, even though then-President Richard Nixon issued orders not to use all the funding. Lawmakers have pointed to this case in Vought’s confirmation hearings as further evidence that the executive branch cannot tie up funding Congress has approved. Even so, Vought told lawmakers in multiple exchanges he believes the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional, because presidents historically could spend less than what Congress had approved prior to the Impoundment Control Act, and that Trump campaigned on that position. Democrats aren’t the only ones worried about Vought’s views on the Impoundment Control Act. Senate Budget Committee chair Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he also shared some concerns and would disclose them at a markup hearing for Vought’s nomination. Vought also faced questioning on his views regarding abortion, given his connection as an author of Project 2025, a political initiative The Heritage Foundation released in 2023 that called for policy changes, including instituting a national ban on abortion medication. Other proposals included in Project 2025 include eliminating the Department of Education, cutting DEI programs, and reducing funding for Medicare and Medicaid. “You have said that you don’t believe in exceptions for rape, for incest, or the life of the mother,” said Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington. “Is that your position?” “Senator, my views are not important. I’m here on behalf of the president,” Vought said. GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP’S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR? Trump has repeatedly stated that he backs abortion in certain instances, and stated that “powerful exceptions” for abortion would remain in place under his administration. Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., pressed Vought on whether healthcare is a “human right.” Sanders has previously introduced legislation called the Medicare for All Act that would establish a federal, national health insurance program. “Do you think we should join every other major country on Earth and say, ‘You know what? Whether you’re poor, you’re rich, you’re young, you’re old, healthcare is a human right,’” Sanders said. “We have the richest country in the history of the world. Do you think we should do what every other major country on Earth does?” Vought declined to disclose specifics, but said that he believed it’s critical to provide “legitimate, evidence-based outcomes for people within the healthcare system, and to make sure that we tailor all of the dollars that are spent toward that.” After serving as director of the Office of Management and Budget under the first Trump administration, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America in 2021. The organization claims its mission is to “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God,” according to its website. Vought also served as the vice president of Heritage Action for America. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. said his meeting with Vought only exacerbated his concerns about the nomination. “I walked out of the meeting even more deeply troubled,” Schumer said on the Senate floor on Wednesday. “Of all the extremists President Trump could have picked for OMB, he picked the godfather of the ultra-right.” Vought has repeatedly told lawmakers that he would uphold the law and that his personal views aren’t important — carrying out Trump’s vision is what matters. The OMB is responsible for developing and executing the president’s budget, as well as overseeing and coordinating legislative proposals and priorities aligned with the executive branch. The Associated Press contributed to this report.