Johnson says price tag on Trump mass deportation plan is ‘small investment’ to ‘restore’ security, safety
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Sunday denied that President-elect Trump’s mass deportation plan could cost trillions of dollars, though said that there is no better investment than restoring the safety and security of the country. Johnson made the remarks during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” when he was asked about the border crisis and grocery prices, the two issues that Trump says helped him win the election. “I cannot think of a better dollar for dollar investment than to restore the security and the safety of the country,” Johnson said. “We’ve had a wide-open border for four years and millions upon millions of illegal persons. We have dangerous illegals in the country, criminals who have already committed crimes here, violent crimes against American citizens.” The speaker cited crime and “the untold humanitarian cost in terms of trafficking and fentanyl deaths” in the U.S. as important reasons to tackle border security, saying, “getting rid of that criminal element … is something the American people want us to do.” IMMIGRATION HAWKS URGE CONGRESS, TRUMP TO ‘BEGIN IMMEDIATELY’ ON MASS DEPORTATION PLEDGE “The number one job of the federal government is protecting the citizenry,” he said. “And when you have a wide-open border, you don’t have safety, security or even sovereignty, for that matter. President Trump is going to follow through on his campaign promises and the promises that we all made on the campaign trail. It costs money to do that. But there is a small investment in terms of what it costs us.” When asked whether the plan would come with a price tag in the trillions of dollars, Johnson rejected the notion. “It won’t cost trillions of dollars. I think we don’t yet know the dollar figure,” he said. “But I will tell you that the American people are going to support that effort. And we’re going to begin with the most dangerous elements. And you’re going to see a dramatic change in the country because of it.” Johnson did not provide an estimated cost for the deportation plan. BIDEN HAD NO IDEA HE SIGNED NATURAL GAS EXECUTIVE ORDER, JOHNSON SAYS Regarding grocery prices, Johnson said those costs would unquestionably come down under Trump with the return to “fiscal sanity” and “common sense.” Johnson said that Congress and the Trump administration will “turn the economic engines back on” like during the first Trump term when lawmakers “reduced the tax burden on the American people, but even more importantly, the regulatory burden.” “That’s going to be a major theme of the upcoming administration in this Congress, because if you release the red tape, you unleash the free market again. And that’s good for everybody,” he said.
How to watch, stream Trump’s 2025 inauguration on January 20th
On Jan. 20 2025, the nation and the world will be watching as President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance will officially begin their four-year tenure in the White House. Thousands will flock to the U.S. Capitol to see the historic moment in-person. For those watching from home, Fox News Media has a lineup of live broadcasts straight from Washington, D.C., as well as around-the-clock commentary for viewers. On Jan. 20, Fox News Channel and FoxNews.com will broadcast a live stream of the inauguration ceremony, where Trump and Vance will each officially be sworn into office. GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP’S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR? The swearing-in ceremony is slated to begin at noon. Additionally, throughout the ceremony, and at other events occurring on the day, there will be several live performances by A-list stars, including Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, Kid Rock, Lee Greenwood, Village People, Rascal Flatts, Parker McCollum and others. After the swearing-in ceremony, Trump will make his second inaugural address following his first presidency, with an inaugural parade following soon after along Pennsylvania Avenue. JD VANCE JOKES ABOUT SKIPPING INAUGURATION TO WATCH OHIO STATE IN TITLE GAME Later in the day, there will be three different official inaugural balls where Trump is expected to give remarks; the Commander in Chief Ball, Liberty Inaugural Ball and Starlight Ball. Surrounding live broadcasts of the events unfolding throughout the day on FOX News Channel and FoxNews.com will be Washington-based programming with commentary from Fox hosts. Fox News Channel’s Jan. 20 Inauguration Day coverage begins at 4 a.m., with “Fox & Friends First” with Carley Shimkus and Todd Piro and “Fox & Friends” with Brian Kilmeade, Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Lawrence Jones airing after. TRUMP, VANCE OFFICIAL PORTRAITS RELEASED AHEAD OF INAUGURATION At 9 a.m., Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer will take over coverage on “America’s Newsroom,” followed by “The Faulkner Focus” with Harris Faulkner. At 11 a.m., just shortly before the swearing-in ceremony is set to begin, Fox News Channel will air special coverage, “Inauguration of Donald Trump” until 5 p.m,, with Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum at the helm. Perino, Brit Hume, Harold Ford Jr., Faulkner and many others will contribute to this coverage throughout the afternoon into the evening. Fox coverage goes late into the night, with “The Five,” “Special Report with Bret Baier,” “The Ingraham Angle,” “Jesse Watters Primetime,” “Hannity,” “Gutfeld!” and “Fox News @ Night” with Trace Gallagher. FOX Business Network will also be providing live coverage on Inauguration Day, with Larry Kudlow live from Washington, D.C., beginning at 4 p.m. For those who wish to stream Inauguration Day events from their phone, tablet or computer, FoxNews.com will have a live broadcast available.
Lindsey Graham defends Kash Patel in heated exchange with CBS host
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., had a tense interaction on Sunday during a live interview with Margaret Brennan on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” Graham told Brennan he was “ready” to vote to confirm Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for FBI director, and believes Patel’s confirmation hearing “will expose him to be a very qualified man of the law.” The remarks came after Brennan quoted former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr’s memoir about Patel. “Patel had virtually no experience that would qualify him to serve at the highest level of the world’s preeminent law enforcement agency,” Barr wrote in his 2022 memoir. INAUGURATION DAY IS TOMORROW – HERE’S A COMPLETE GUIDE TO FOX NEWS CHANNEL’S COVERAGE AND WHAT TO EXPECT Graham said Barr was wrong when he wrote it, and wrong now about Patel. He said he takes his advice on the nominee from former Rep. Trey Gowdy, who worked with Patel. “Kash was a public defender, he was a prosecutor, he worked with Trey Gowdy about the Russia hoax,” Graham said. “So I do think he has the experience. He has the trust of the president.” TRUMP TO BE SWORN IN ON BIBLE GIVEN TO HIM BY HIS MOTHER, AND THE LINCOLN BIBLE “I’m ready to vote for him because I know him too. See [you] never asked about the Russia hoax that he exposed,” Graham continued. “People on the right believe that he was part of the solution, not the problem.” Graham then began to talk about this situation in the Middle East and its relation to the “world stage.” “You took me all the way to Israel from Kash Patel,” Brennan said. “You shouldn’t worry about Kash Patel,” Graham responded when Brennan asked about Patel “going after journalists.” “You should worry about reporting the news fairly, which you don’t do when it comes to everything Trump,” Graham concluded. The CBS host then reminded Graham he is a guest on the show because “we wanted to hear you out,” before cutting to a commercial break.
Immigration hawks urge Congress, Trump admin to ‘begin immediately’ on mass deportation pledge
FIRST ON FOX: A coalition of hawkish immigration groups, ahead of President-elect Trump’s inauguration, are urging Republicans in Congress and officials in the incoming Trump administration to follow through on their promises to launch a mass deportation operation – urging them not to back down or compromise on key issues, and to use the upcoming reconciliation process to put those promises into action. “The undersigned organizations and individuals write to express and pledge our support in fulfilling the promises you made to the American people,” the coalition says. The 10 groups include Heritage Action for America, NumbersUSA, the National Immigration Center for Enforcement and the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). In their letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, they warn that work needs to start immediately. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PLANNING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTS THROUGHOUT US ON ‘DAY ONE’ “Due to limitations in Congressional calendars, the threat of litigation from open-borders zealots, the slow pace of regulatory action, as well as the complexity of promised law enforcement operations, work needs to begin immediately, in earnest,” they say. “Mass deportations and secure borders are not only cornerstones of public safety and national security, but they are also a critical means to protect American workers and stop employers from engaging in unscrupulous activities,” they say. “Most importantly, they are not bargaining chips for other policies or political priorities.” DEM SENATOR QUIZZES NOEM ON HOW SHE WILL WORK WITH HOMAN: ‘WHO IS IN CHARGE?’ Trump has promised to launch a “historic” deportation operation and to provide additional border security. Many Republicans in Congress ran on those issues, and polls showed many Americans saw illegal immigration as a top issue. The groups note that the 2023 House-passed GOP border bill, which they repeatedly pushed lawmakers to pass, included a number of sweeping measures to secure the border and limit the ability of migrants to claim asylum. But they say now that the bill is a “floor, not a ceiling” and urge the incoming administration and Congress to go further, first with a funding package via the budget reconciliation process. “Now, with unified control of government and a critical window opening, we also stand ready to help you assemble a bold reconciliation package that reflects President Trump’s commitment to the American people and the very laws that govern and protect our nation,” they say. Their recommendations for the reconciliation package include additional resources to make “millions of deportations” happen, end loopholes in immigration law, cut funding to nonprofits and “prioritize the American worker over foreign labor.” They also warn lawmakers: “NO amnesty of any kind. (If you have to say it isn’t one, it is.)” CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS “It is time to bring order to our immigration system and restore fidelity to the rule of law. The American people are waiting,” they say. Rosemary Jenks, police director at the Immigration and Accountability Project, said Congress must “act immediately to deliver the resources, including ICE ERO officers and detention beds, that are required for President Trump to carry out the mass deportations necessary to reverse the damage done by the Biden Administration.” Fox reported on Friday that the incoming administration is planning to start mass immigration arrests as soon as day one. “What we’re telling ICE, you’re going to enforce the immigration law without apology,” border czar Tom Homan told “Jesse Watters Tonight.” “You’re going to concentrate on the worst first, public safety threats first, but no one is off the table. If they’re in the country illegally, they got a problem.”
Biden had no idea he signed natural gas export pause, Johnson says
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Friday recounted a meeting with President Biden from early last year when the president appeared to forget he signed an executive order pausing the export of liquified natural gas (LNG). Johnson publicly recalled the story for the first time to Bari Weiss during an episode of her podcast “Honestly” for The Free Press after saying that through his “personal observation” in dealing with Biden, the president “has not been in charge for some time.” Johnson’s story was first reported by the Wall Street Journal in June, though the newspaper’s reporting relied on anonymous sources at the time. When Weiss asked Johnson to elaborate on his observations, the speaker began his tale of how Biden’s staff kept brushing off his attempts to schedule a meeting with the president in January 2024 amid “big national concerns” that Johnson said he “was losing sleep over.” Johnson said that Biden’s staff finally relented after some pressure from the media and invited him to the Oval Office to meet with the president. Johnson, however, said the meeting did not start as expected. ‘WRONG-HEADED’: ENERGY INDUSTRY LEADERS BLAST BIDEN ADMIN REPORT ON NATURAL GAS EXPORTS “I show up and I realize it’s actually an ambush ’cause it’s not just me and the president,” Johnson said. “It’s also Kamala Harris, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem, you know, The CIA Director.” Johnson said the group began to “hot box” him on Ukraine funding when Biden asked if he could have the room with him, a request that Johnson said left the president’s staff visibly concerned. Once Biden and Johnson were alone in the Oval Office, the speaker asked the president about his pause on LNG exports. “I cannot answer this from my constituents in Louisiana,” Johnson recalled telling Biden. “Sir, why did you pause LNG exports to Europe? Liquefied natural gas is in great demand by our allies. Why would you do that? Cause you understand we just talked about Ukraine, you understand you are fueling Vladimir Putin’s war machine, because they gotta get their gas from him.” Johnson recounted how a stunned Biden replied: “I didn’t do that.” Biden initiated a pause on new LNG export permits in January 2024, a move which has been widely criticized by the oil community and bipartisan lawmakers in the House. Johnson said that when he reminded the president of the executive order he had signed just weeks ago, Biden denied that what he had signed was a pause on LNG. BIDEN ISSUES SWEEPING OFFSHORE OIL, GAS DRILLING BAN IN 625M ACRES OF FEDERAL WATERS AHEAD OF TRUMP TRANSITION Johnson said he argued that the pause would do “massive damage to our economy, national security,” and he even suggested that the president’s secretary print out a copy of the order so that the two of them could read it together. “He genuinely did not know what he had signed,” Johnson said. “And I walked out of that meeting with fear and loathing because I thought, ‘We are in serious trouble—who is running the country?’ Like, I don’t know who put the paper in front of him, but he didn’t know.” Biden’s LNG pause threatens nearly 1 million jobs over the next two decades if the restriction remains in place, according to a study by the National Association of Manufacturers, which Fox News Digital previously reported on. The export ban would stifle the U.S. GDP by between $122.5 billion and $215.7 billion in 2044, while between $26.9 billion and $47.7 billion in tax and royalty revenues to federal, state and local governments would be at risk in 2044 if the permit pause persists, the study found. President-elect Trump, however, reportedly “plans to go strong on the issue” of LNG exports when he assumes office, sources told Reuters in November. Fox News Digital’s Aubrie Spady and Eric Revell contributed to this report.
Biden pardons late Black activist Marcus Garvey, 4 others
President Biden issued five more pardons on Sunday on his last full day in office, including for political activist and Black nationalist Marcus Garvey. “America is a country built on the promise of second chances,” Biden said in a statement. “As President, I have used my clemency power to make that promise a reality by issuing more individual pardons and commutations than any other President in U.S. history. Today, I am exercising my clemency power to pardon 5 individuals and commute the sentences of 2 individuals who have demonstrated remorse, rehabilitation, and redemption. These clemency recipients have each made significant contributions to improving their communities.” In addition to Garvey, the clemency recipients are Darryl Chambers, Ravidath “Ravi” Ragbir, Don Leonard Scott, Jr., and Kemba Smith Pradia. Garvey was granted the pardon posthumously. BIDEN COMMUTES NEARLY 2,500 MORE SENTENCES IN FINAL DAYS OF PRESIDENCY The Biden White House described Garvey, who influenced Malcolm X, as “a renowned civil rights and human rights leader who was convicted of mail fraud in 1923, and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.” Former President Calvin Coolidge commuted his sentence in 1927. “Notably, Mr. Garvey created the Black Star Line, the first Black-owned shipping line and method of international travel, and founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association, which celebrated African history and culture. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. described Mr. Garvey as ‘the first man of color in the history of the United States to lead and develop a mass movement’,” the White House said. “Advocates and lawmakers praise his global advocacy and impact, and highlight the injustice underlying his criminal conviction.” Congressional leaders had pushed for Biden to pardon Garvey. Supporters long argued that Garvey’s conviction was politically motivated and an effort to silence the increasingly popular leader who spoke of racial pride. Biden also pardoned Ragbir, an immigrant rights activist, and Smith Pradia, an advocate for criminal justice reform. Ragbir was convicted of a nonviolent offense in 2001 and was sentenced to two years in prison. Smith Pradia is an advocate convicted of a drug offense in 1994 when she was sentenced to 24 years behind bars. President Bill Clinton commuted her sentence in 2000. Biden also announced he is commuting the sentences of 2 additional individuals – Michelle West and Robin Peoples – so that their sentences expire on Feb.18, 2025. West was convicted in the ’90s on charges that included conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, drug-related homicide and aiding and abetting in drug-related homicide, court records show. The White House said West “is currently serving a life sentence for crimes she committed between 1987 and 1993.” “During her three decades of incarceration, Ms. West has demonstrated extraordinary rehabilitation and personal transformation,” the Biden White House argued. “Ms. West’s clemency petition has received overwhelming support from the civil rights community, women’s rights advocates, former fellow inmates, and lawmakers. Supporters describe Ms. West as a role model who has built a 31-year record of rehabilitation and redemption.” Meanwhile, court records show Peoples was convicted of bank robbery and other associated offenses. Peoples “is currently serving a 111-year sentence for crimes he committed in the late 1990s,” the White House said in their announcement. “Mr. Peoples would likely face a significantly lower sentence under current law and policy. While in custody, he has demonstrated remarkable rehabilitation and courage. Mr. Peoples’s clemency petition has received overwhelming support from the civil rights community, government officials, friends, and family members. Mr. Peoples’s supporters describe him as a model inmate, an inspiring mentor, and someone deserving of a second chance.” It’s still not clear whether Biden will use his last full day in office to give pardons to people who have been criticized by President-elect Donald Trump. Biden had floated the idea of issuing preemptive pardons for possible offenses by Trump’s critics that could be investigated or prosecuted by the incoming administration. Doing so would stretch the powers of the presidency in untested ways. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump to be sworn in on Bible given to him by his mother, and the Lincoln Bible
President-elect Donald Trump will have his hand on two Bibles during his swearing-in ceremony on Monday, the culmination of the 60th Presidential Inauguration. Trump will use his Bible, given to him by his mother in 1955, to “mark his Sunday Church Primary School graduation at First Presbyterian Church, in Jamaica, New York,” a press release from his inaugural committee states. The religious text is a 1953 revised standard version that was published by Thomas Nelson and Sons in New York. Trump’s name is embossed on the lower portion of the front cover, and inside the cover are signatures of church officials, an inscription of the president’s name and details of when it was presented to him. In addition to the sentimental Bible, the Lincoln Bible, first used in 1861 to swear-in the 16th U.S. president, will be used. INAUGURATION DAY IS TOMORROW – HERE’S A COMPLETE GUIDE TO FOX NEWS CHANNEL’S COVERAGE AND WHAT TO EXPECT “It has only been used three times since, by President Obama at each of his inaugurations and by President Trump at his first inauguration in 2017,” Trump’s team states. “The burgundy velvet-bound book is part of the collections of the Library of Congress.” President Obama also took the oath of office on two Bibles back in 2013, the Associated Press reported. One was owned by Martin Luther King Jr. and the other was the Lincoln Bible. When Trump is sworn in as the 47th President of the United States inside the Capitol’s rotunda, he will do so facing a bust of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the federal holiday commemorating King’s legacy. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
How will DeSantis, Youngkin and other 2028 hopefuls stay relevant outside the Trump administration?
During a busy week in the nation’s capital, far from the action, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had no trouble keeping his name in the political spotlight. “This is a time for action. And a time for Washington, D.C., to deliver results to the American people. There are no more excuses for Republicans,” the conservative two-term governor and 2024 Republican presidential candidate said Thursday as he named Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to succeed Sen. Marco Rubio in the Senate. Two days earlier, President-elect Trump gave his onetime bitter GOP primary rival a shout-out after the governor called for a special state legislative session to implement Trump’s expected immigration crackdown. “Thank you Ron, hopefully other governors will follow!” the president-elect said in a social media post. VANCE IS THE EARLY FRONTRUNNER, BUT HERE ARE THE OTHER REPUBLICANS WHO MAY RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2028 Due to the national profile he’s built over the past four years, the governor of one of the country’s most important states will likely continue to stay in the headlines as he takes a lead on some of the nation’s most consequential issues. The spotlight should help DeSantis if he ends up launching a second straight GOP presidential nomination run in 2028, a race in which soon-to-be Vice President JD Vance will be considered the clear early frontrunner as the perceived America First and MAGA heir apparent to Trump. “He needs to do what he did in 2022, which is pick good fights. And he’s shown a lot of capability to pick good fights with the left both in Florida and nationally,” longtime Republican strategist David Kochel said of DeSantis. RNC CHAIR SAYS GOP HAS ‘DEEP BENCH’ FOR 2028 “I think he’ll be in demand to come do stuff in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina,” Kochel, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns, predicted, pointing to the three key early voting states in the Republican presidential primaries. “I wouldn’t change a lot from how he did the run-up to his 2024 campaign. The problem was he basically ran against an incumbent president. He didn’t have the wrong playbook. He had the wrong cycle.” While the initial moves in the 2028 White House run will likely start in the coming months, including some early state visits, most Americans won’t be paying a lick of attention until after the 2026 midterms, when the next presidential campaign formally gets under way. And that’s when DeSantis will be wrapping up his second and final four-year term steering Florida, allowing him to concentrate 100% on a White House run if that’s in his cards. But what about another high-profile Republican governor who likely has national ambitions in 2028? HERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS WHO MAY RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2028 The Virginia Constitution doesn’t allow for incumbent governors to run for a second consecutive term, so Gov. Glenn Youngkin will be out of office in Richmond in a year. Compared to DeSantis, who also enjoys large GOP majorities in his state legislature, which will allow him to continue to enact a conservative agenda, Virginia is a purple state where Democrats have a slight upper hand in the legislature. “It might be a little tougher for Youngkin, a little tougher for him to find ways to stay in the news” after he leaves office in a year, Kochel suggested. But, Younkin predicted, “You’re going to see me a lot.” “We’ve got a very aggressive agenda for being governor in the last 14 months,” he said in a Fox News Digital interview in November. “But part of that agenda that I have is to make sure that we have [Lt. Gov.] Winsome Sears as our next governor. [Virginia Attorney General] Jason Miyares is back as our attorney general and a super lieutenant governor who we will pick at our primaries.” Youngkin, who energized Republicans nationwide in 2021 as a first-time candidate who hailed from the party’s business wing, edged former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe to become the first GOP candidate in a dozen years to win a gubernatorial election in the one-time swing state that had trended toward the Democrats over the previous decade. He could also potentially end up in the Trump administration after his term in Richmond sunsets in a year. “I told the president when I called him and told him that I wanted to finish my term that I would be available to help him at any time while I’m governor and afterwards,” Youngkin told Fox News Digital, referring to a call he held with Trump right after the November election. But if he doesn’t enter the Trump administration, another route for Youngkin to stay in the spotlight in 2026 would be criss-crossing the country on behalf of fellow Republicans running in the midterm elections. It’s a role Youngkin previously played in 2022, helping fellow Republican governors and gubernatorial candidates. “He’s got to do the blocking and tackling, go state by state, help a lot of candidates, raise a lot of money for them. Get a bunch of governors elected,” Kochel suggested. “That’s the playbook for him.” What about NIkki Haley, the former two-term Republican governor of South Carolina and former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. in Trump’s first administration, who was the last rival standing against Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential primaries? Out of office and shut out of the Trump world while still facing social media zingers by the president-elect, Haley’s ability to grab attention should she seek the presidency again may be a more difficult climb within a party once again on bended knee to the former and future president. Haley does have a weekly national radio show on Sirius XM, where she noted a few weeks ago, “I had no interest in being in [Trump’s] Cabinet.” But a lot can happen in the two years until the next White House race officially gets under way. There could be some buyer’s remorse among voters if the new administration is not successful in enacting
Northern highlights: Alaska’s energy, security policies are the guide feds need amid transition, group says
EXCLUSIVE: Private citizens — right up to the governor himself — are primed to be part of a new Alaskan initiative aimed at promoting policies that have been effective in Juneau at a national level as a new administration signals a willingness to listen and adapt to new strategies. Just as Florida’s education policy under Gov. Jeb Bush served as a blueprint for national education reform, the nonprofit Future 49 aims to position Alaska as today’s model, focusing primarily on national security and energy. Its top funders are a group of Alaskans of all stripes as well as a few Washington, D.C.-based advocates. It is nonpartisan and simply pro-Alaskan, according to one of its proponents. It also seeks to dispatch with what one source familiar with its founding called the “out of sight, out of mind” feeling of some in the Lower 48 when it comes to how far-flung Alaska can translate its own successes in the cold north to a federal government that could benefit from its advice. One of Future 49’s founders is a commercial airline pilot whose family has lived in Alaska for more than 125 years. He said he wanted to show Washington issues Alaska deals with every day. AK GOV: BIDEN SEARCHING FOR OIL ANYWHERE BUT AT HOME Bob Griffin’s family has lived in Alaska since 1899, he said, remarking he is an example of grassroots support behind showcasing Alaska’s potential to be the driving force in key sectors for the rest of the country. Griffin said while there has not been any direct contact yet with the new administration, Gov. Mike Dunleavy is an ally of Trump’s and, in turn, primed to have a role in the group. “We’re focused on not only the Trump administration, but other decision makers, to just highlight and advertise that the successes we’ve had in Alaska in energy, natural resources and other policy priorities are a good fit and benefit to all Americans.” He noted the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge region spans the size of West Virginia, but the part of it federally budgeted for exploration in a recent fiscal year was only an area half the size of Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage, illustrating how Juneau must guide Washington. FLASHBACK: ALASKAN F-35s PREPARE FOR MAJOR SUB-ZERO ARCTIC WARFARE A source familiar with the founding of Future 49 told Fox News Digital how the group’s launch comes at a key juncture as one advice-averse administration transitions into one that has signaled its openness to undertake recommendations from states and local groups. “The resources our nation needs to be energy-dominant are in Alaska, not in unfriendly nations like Russia and Iran who despise what we stand for and commit egregious environmental offenses on a daily basis,” the source said. ALASKA OUTRAGED AT BIDEN OIL LEASE SALE SETUP BEING ‘FITTING FINALE’ FOR FOSSIL FUEL AVERSE PRESIDENCY While the group is primed to express a pro-development approach to energy, it will remain nonpartisan and offer Washington successful strategies to develop both green and traditional energy based on work done in Alaska. Dunleavy has offered a similarly two-fold approach, saying in a recent interview that opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to responsible development may yield just as much economic growth for the nation as emerging green technology, such as a proposal to harness the second-strongest tides in the world churning in Cook Inlet outside Anchorage. Those parallels show why Future 49’s advent is coming at the right time, a source told Fox News Digital. Future 49’s plan to use Alaska’s long-term goal to utilize its energy resources as a roadmap was a sentiment also voiced in another confirmation hearing Thursday. Interior nominee Doug Burgum highlighted the need for domestic “energy dominance” for both economic and security reasons. With Russia having invaded Ukraine, Dunleavy said most sensitive national defense assets are housed in Alaska, so the state has a deep background in what is needed to deter malign actors. “We’re very close to the bear,” he said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Lessons learned from managing a National Guard force so closely tied to top-level national security concerns is another avenue Future 49 will likely seek to aid Washington in. The group plans to commission a survey of Lower 48 Americans on their view of the Last Frontier and how they perceive Alaska from thousands of miles away, said Alaska pollster Matt Larkin.
Youngkin orders flags to be raised for Trump’s inauguration amid mourning period for Jimmy Carter’s death
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, ordered flags to temporarily fly at full-staff for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday. “I hereby order that the flags of the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Virginia are to be flown at full-staff on all state and local buildings and grounds in the Commonwealth in recognition of the inauguration of the 47th President of the United States,” Youngkin said on Saturday. Youngkin’s directive comes despite President Biden’s order after the death of former President Jimmy Carter on Dec. 29 that flags at all government and public buildings and grounds across the country should fly at half-staff for a 30-day mourning period, which just happens to include Inauguration Day. It is a tradition when a former president dies to order a 30-day mourning period and order flags to be displayed at half-staff. WASHINGTON GOVERNOR ORDERS FLAGS AT FULL-STAFF FOR TRUMP INAUGURATION DESPITE MOURNING PERIOD FOR JIMMY CARTER Biden said the U.S. flag “should be displayed at half-staff at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions.” Flags in Virginia will return to half-staff to honor Carter on Tuesday following the presidential inauguration, Youngkin said. “The flags will be lowered back to half-staff the following day to continue honoring former President James Earl Carter, Jr. and remain at half staff through January 28, 2025,” the governor wrote. Youngkin joins several Republican governors who have also broken tradition and ordered flags to be raised on Monday, including Idaho Gov. Brad Little, North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. DESANTIS ORDERS FLAGS AT FULL-STAFF FOR TRUMP’S INAUGURATION DESPITE 30-DAY MOURNING PERIOD FOR JIMMY CARTER A trio of Democratic governors — California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson — have also ordered flags to fly at full-staff for Trump’s inauguration before the mourning period ends Jan. 28. House Speaker Mike Johnson also ordered flags at the U.S. Capitol to be flown at full-staff on Inauguration Day. Trump has criticized the idea of flags being displayed at half-staff for his inauguration following Carter’s death. “The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Jan. 3. “They think it’s so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don’t love our Country, they only think about themselves.” “Look at what they’ve done to our once GREAT America over the past four years – It’s a total mess! In any event, because of the death of President Jimmy Carter, the Flag may, for the first time ever during an Inauguration of a future President, be at half mast,” he continued. “Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Flags were flown at half-staff when former President Nixon was sworn-in for his second term in 1973 after Nixon ordered the flags to be lowered following the death of former President Truman.