‘Not My Presidents Day’ protests erupt across the country
Progressive groups across the country once again protested President Donald Trump on Monday. The “Not My Presidents Day” or “No Kings Day” protests were organized by the 50501 Movement, a coalition of activists united against Trump’s “executive overreach.” From Austin, Texas, to Orlando, Florida, and Boston to Phoenix, demonstrators gathered in cities across the United States holding handmade signs, singing songs of resistance and chanting in protest. More than a thousand gathered at the Capitol Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., this Presidents Day. “On Monday, we call on organizations and activists across the nation to once again stand united,” Sarah, a 50501 Movement and Voices of Florida organizer, said in a statement ahead of Presidents Day. “We will not cede ground to fascism quietly. We will fight back against Project 2025, and we will fight for the future of all of our beautiful communities.” Protesters at the nation’s capitol on Monday carried signs calling to “impeach” Elon Musk, resist the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and save our republic. Fox News Digital spoke with several protesters in Washington, D.C., about why they felt compelled to protest. Protesters said they gathered to reject Elon Musk and DOGE. TOP TRUMP AGENCY RECOVERS EYE-POPPING SUM AFTER LAUNCHING DOGE TASK FORCE “I’m here to protest the president, protest Elon Musk, and protest all the executive orders. He is not our president. Everything he’s done is a destruction of this country. He only cares about himself and his pockets and the pockets of his cronies. He’s not here to help any of the working Americans. Everything he’s doing is mass destruction. He is a weapon of mass destruction,” Jennifer, a protester in Washington, D.C., said. PROTESTS ERUPT AROUND THE COUNTRY AGAINST THE NEW TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S POLICIES Jennifer said Trump might be president, but he is not a president for the people. Mary Hart, an educator at the protest, said her immigrant and trans students have been targeted by the administration, and she wanted to be a part of the resistance. “I’m an educator, and I’m scared for my immigrant students,” Hart said. “I’m scared for my trans students. I’m scared for my country. I just had to show up and be part of the resistance. They’re being targeted and dehumanized by multiple people in this government. They’re coming to school scared, interrupting their learning. They’re being targeted and bullied by people who are emboldened by this administration, and it’s not right.” Jerome Bobowski, a girl dad from Detroit, led a “Where is Congress?” chant at the Washington, D.C., rally. He said he protested to protect his daughters’ rights. “My kids are power women, and they have to have as many rights as my wife, who is a power woman too. We want justice. We don’t want a country without laws. That’s why they all come here. Because we have rules. We are not kings,” Bobowski said. Protesters said they were afraid of losing personal liberties, but the White House told Fox News Digital that Trump is a “leader for all Americans.” Responding to the “Not My Presidents Day” protests, the Trump administration emphasized his “resounding mandate” from the American people on Election Day and his commitment to delivering on his campaign promises. “This Presidents Day, we honor the leadership of President Trump. He received a resounding mandate from the American people and swiftly took action to deliver on his promises of restoring common sense policies, strengthening the economy and re-establishing America’s dominance on the world stage. President Trump is a leader for all Americans, and he will continue to prioritize America’s interests in every decision,” principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields said. The 50501 Movement, which means 50 protests in 50 states on one day, began with a Reddit post, Sarah, who is a national core member of 50501, explained. From there, #buildtheresistance and #50501 gained traction on social media. On Feb. 5, they mobilized over 20,000 people across the country to protest Trump’s policies and Project 2025. “All of this happened very organically and very fast,” Sarah told Fox News Digital. “I think that people didn’t know where to put their feelings. They didn’t know how to move. I think that they were just shell shocked, and when that Reddit post happened, it gave people the power to go make their voices heard.” The 50501 Movement is taking a decentralized approach, allowing individual groups and cities across the country to articulate their own mission. Sarah is also the executive director of Voices of Florida, which emphasizes reproductive rights, immigrant rights and queer rights. “It goes down to what the states and the smaller groups want. We don’t tell people what their demands should be. To sum it up in a broad way, it’s to push back against Project 2025 and give the power back to the people,” Sarah added. The 50501 is not affiliated with a political party, and there is no clear leader of the organization. At the protest in Washington, D.C., the organizers preached peace and emphasized civil disobedience was not welcome.
DOGE wars: Ruling expected as states seek restraining order against Musk, Trump quest to slash bureaucracy
The Trump administration’s quest to tame the sprawling federal bureaucratic leviathan is expected to face a key hurdle on Monday, as Judge Tanya Chutkan is expected to rule after more than a dozen states sought a temporary restraining order, accusing Elon Musk of “unconstitutional” actions. Musk, who is spearheading the effort to identify government components that can be eliminated or slimmed down, has been widely hailed by the political right. But Musk has been scrutinized and criticized by many on the political left as they raise alarms about DOGE probes. While Musk is leading the charge, he is doing so with President Donald Trump’s blessing, and the commander in chief is standing firmly behind the push to root out government waste. “DOGE: BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE BEING FOUND. CAMPAIGN PROMISE. IMPORTANT FOR AMERICA!!!” he declared in a Truth Social post last week. ELON MUSK SAYS MILLIONS IN SOCIAL SECURITY DATABASE ARE BETWEEN AGES OF 100 AND 159 In a post late Sunday night, Musk indicated that a Social Security database lists scads of people as 100 or older “with the death field set to FALSE!” “Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security,” he quipped. Musk shared a chart that indicated there were millions of individuals listed between the ages of 100 and 159, as well as some listed with ages even higher than that. A Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General Report issued in 2023 noted, “Our audit revealed that the Numident includes approximately 18.8 million more ‘living’ numberholders age 100 or older than the U.S. Census Bureau estimates are alive and residing in the United States.” “Agency officials noted that, as of March 2023, SSA had issued approximately 531 million unique SSNs, and the 18.9 million records represent approximately 3.6 percent of all Numident records. Officials also noted that almost none of the 18.9 million numberholders currently receive SSA payments,” the report stated. “At the time of our review, approximately 44,000 of the 18.9 million numberholders were receiving SSA payments,” a footnote added. The audit was conducted from September 2021 to May 2023, an appendix in the report indicated. TREASURY ‘MISTAKENLY’ GAVE MUSK DOGE WORKER ABILITY TO CHANGE PAYMENTS SYSTEM: COURT DOCS Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., declared in a post on X that while he wants to increase government efficiency and save billions of taxpayer dollars, “Rummaging through your personal s— is *not* that.” “A party of chaos loses—always,” he added in the Monday tweet. But Musk, a billionaire business magnate, fired back. “Bruh, if I wanted to rummage through random personal s—, I could have done that at PAYPAL. Hello???” Musk declared. “Having tens of millions of people marked in Social Security as “ALIVE” when they are definitely dead is a HUGE problem. Obviously. Some of these people would have been alive before America existed as a country. Think about that for a second …” Their exchange continued, as Fetterman responded. “Elon, the DOGE mission resonated in PA; I came at it with common sense and an open-mind,” Fetterman replied. “For many, it’s causing chaos and confusion—which IMO, doesn’t help DOGE. PA voters want their personal info secured and taxes spent wisely. Safe to assume both are priorities?” “I love the people,” Musk responded. “We just want to fix the waste and fraud that is bankrupting the country. The scrutiny on me is extreme, so it’s not like I could “get away” with something, nor do I have any incentive to do so.” ACTING HEAD OF SOCIAL SECURITY QUITS AFTER CLASH WITH DOGE OVER DATA: REPORT An interview featuring Trump and Musk is slated to air tonight on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity.”
Pro-life movement to shake up messaging with big investment from these key players
FIRST ON FOX: In a second Donald Trump administration, the pro-life movement is trying to nail down its cultural messaging to adapt to a post-Dobbs era. It may get the boost it needs as a $30 million investment is being made through a membership-only organization, dubbed the Pro-Life Venture Fund, Fox News Digital has learned. Key figures in the pro-life movement, including Leonard Leo, Ray Ruddy and Princeton Professor Robert George, sent a letter Tuesday morning to major pro-life organizations about the new venture fund, which is being chaired by David Bereit, the founder of the pro-life organization 40 Days for Life. “We need to build more capacity and help meet the needs of those who are facing an unexpected pregnancy,” Bereit told Fox News Digital in an interview. “If we want to say to them, ‘You can do better than abortion,’ we need to say, ‘We will help you,’ and we need to provide the support, the resources and the tangible organizations that will walk with them.” PRO-LIFE ACTIVIST PROSECUTED BY BIDEN DOJ REACTS TO TRUMP PARDON: ‘I WANT TO GIVE HIM A HUG’ As the executive vice president of the Federalist Society, Leo helped vet and recommend conservative judicial nominees, including those who later contributed to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Ruddy co-founded the conservative news outlet Newsmax and has been deeply involved in financially supporting pro-life political action committees and candidates. George is a conservative philosopher and legal scholar at Princeton University who co-founded the American Principles Project. Rising as an influential voice in the pro-life movement, George has written extensively on the moral and philosophical arguments for opposing abortion. The group also announced the creation of the Life Leadership Conference, a members-only coalition featuring influencers and philanthropists “who know how to achieve genuine victories.” The memo states that while the Supreme Court has reversed the ruling of Roe v. Wade, “today a whole new set of challenges” faces the pro-life movement, which will require strong messaging to combat. Some of those challenges include combating the push to enshrine abortion into state constitutions. PRO-LIFE PROTESTERS COULD FACE UP TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON: ‘POLITICAL WITCH HUNT’ Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada and New York all approved state-level abortion referendums last year. “It should come as no surprise that, with the passage of time and changes in circumstance, old strategies for building public support and advancing the pro-life cause in legislatures and courts need to be rethought and, in some cases, revised,” the memo states. “Some groups have adapted and are charting winning strategies. Some are posting more losses than gains and are redefining what it means to win in ways that risk making the movement weaker and less effective.” “What’s more, the battle over abortion never was, and must never be allowed to become, simply about making sure the issue is delegated to the right government actors,” the memo continued in part. “The Life Leadership Conference is setting the bar higher. Our coalition will work tirelessly to provide genuine protection to unborn babies and practical assistance to pregnant women in need.” As such, Beirut added the group’s goal is to usher in “a new era of life-saving action and culture-shaping innovation.” PRO-LIFE PROTESTERS PARDONED BY TRUMP, FOX CONFIRMS Abortion emerged as a key issue in the 2024 election, with former Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party advocating for expanding federal abortion access. In contrast, President Donald Trump supported state-level restrictions, arguing for a more localized approach to the issue, including a ban on most abortions after 15 weeks. In one of his first executive actions, Trump pardoned 23 pro-life protesters – several of whom were elderly – imprisoned for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act under the Biden administration’s Department of Justice.
Top federal agency exposed for spending billions on migrants in a single year
The Biden administration spent tens of billions of dollars on grants to migrants and refugees through one of its government agencies, including over $10 billion in just one year, according to a new watchdog report. The watchdog group Open the Books looked at grants to nonprofits awarded by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement. Its responsibilities include caring for unaccompanied migrant children who crossed the southern border illegally and refugees entering legally. The watchdog found that in FY 2021, it distributed $2.4 billion in grants to nonprofits. In FY 2022, it distributed $3.4 billion, then that number skyrocketed up to $10 billion in FY 2023 before being reduced to $4.2 billion in FY 2024. ‘CLAWED BACK’: DHS CHIEF NOEM SECURES EYE-POPPING SUM SENT TO NYC FOR MIGRANT HOTELS The numbers surged amid a historic migrant crisis at the southern border which plagued the Biden administration between 2021 and 2024. According to the watchdog, the money included spending to help migrants save for car and home purchases, while another gave out business and personal loans, along with other programs for legal aid and cultural orientation. “We’re hurting American taxpayers. People in places like North Carolina, Los Angeles that have lost everything,” Open the Books CEO John Hart told Fox News. “How is it moral to ask them to pay the bill for someone who wants to come to this country illegally? That’s outrageous.” DOGE PUTS DEI ON CHOPPING BLOCK WITH TERMINATION OF OVER $370M IN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT GRANTS The revelation comes amid a government-wide scrutiny of funding, including funding for migrants, by the Trump administration and led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced last week that it had taken back $59 million in FEMA funds earmarked for hotels housing migrants in New York City and had fired four FEMA employees involved in the payments being distributed. “There will not be a single penny spent that goes against the interest and safety of the American people,” a DHS spokesperson said. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been ramping up border security and cracking down on releases into the interior. It has suspended refugee resettlement, taken off limits imposed on Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and declared a national emergency at the southern border.
Obama-appointed judge who became Trump rival during election interference case overseeing pivotal DOGE hearing
A federal judge President Donald Trump once described as “the most evil person” is now hearing a lawsuit brought by blue states to stop the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing government data. First named to the bench in 2013 by then-President Barack Obama, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan of the District of Columbia Court rose to notoriety in 2021, when she presided over the criminal investigation into Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Though, her role Monday centered on whether billionaire Elon Musk’s DOGE should be blocked from accessing government data or firing federal employees. Chutkan is a longtime legal foe of the current president – at least, if her actions from her more than 10 years on the bench are any indication. LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS In 2021, Chutkan rejected Trump’s claims of presidential immunity in the 2020 election interference case. The decision was later overturned by the Supreme Court, whose ruling considerably expanded the notion of immunity for U.S. presidents. The judge did little to remedy any strained tensions in the months that followed. Beyond boasting the harshest sentencing record for all criminal defendants that appeared before her for their roles in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots, Chutkan has been outspoken about her view of the day. After Trump moved to pardon and grant clemency to the more than 1,500 convicted, she said the president’s actions “cannot whitewash the blood, feces and terror that the mob left in its wake.” “And it cannot repair the jagged breach in America’s sacred tradition of peacefully transitioning power,” she continued. Chutkan also denied Trump’s attempt to block the release of records requested by the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, supplying them with some 1,800 pages of documents despite the staunch opposition from Trump’s legal counsel. Trump famously described her, in response, as the “most evil person.” These actions and words have made her a target of Trump allies. In 2024, Chutkan was the victim of a “swatting” attack in her Washington, D.C., home, where police responded to what was later determined to be a false shooting report. DOGE SCORES BIG COURT WIN, ALLOWED ACCESS DATA ON 3 FEDERAL AGENCIES While it seems unlikely she will side with the states to block DOGE access to federal government data, her record of opposition to Trump’s agenda is unlikely to reassure Trump and his supporters. During the first Trump administration, Chutkan was criticized by administration officials for many actions they saw as harmful to their policy agenda. In 2018, she temporarily halted the U.S. from blocking the abortions of illegal teenage immigrants – a ruling that was later overturned. The following year, she ruled then-Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos had illegally delayed implementing an Obama-era special education equity rule, which required states to identify and correct for racial disparities in special education programs across the country. She ordered the administration to begin implementing the program “immediately,” despite requests from Education Department officials who said they needed more time to do so. ‘WASTEFUL AND DANGEROUS’: DOGE’S TOP FIVE MOST SHOCKING REVELATIONS She has also not been shy about using her position on the bench to criticize Trump’s actions. Following Trump’s decision to grant a mass pardon of the 1,600 criminal dependents involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Chutkan reportedly had to reassure Capitol Police who were at the scene that the “rule of law still applies,” as Politico reported last month. However, she added at the time, “I’m not sure I can do that very convincingly these days.”
Duffy blasts Buttigieg, accusing Biden-era official of ‘mismanagement’: ‘Mayor Pete failed for four years…’
Current Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy slammed former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a post on X, accusing the Biden-era official of “mismanagement.” He leveled the criticism when responding to a post in which Buttigieg wrote, “The flying public needs answers. How many FAA personnel were just fired? What positions? And why?” Duffy responded, blasting Buttigieg. “Mayor Pete failed for four years to address the air traffic controller shortage and upgrade our outdated, World War II-era air traffic control system. In less than four weeks, we have already begun the process and are engaging the smartest minds in the entire world,” Duffy declared. SEAN DUFFY TELLS HILLARY CLINTON TO ‘SIT THIS ONE OUT’ AFTER SHE CHIMES IN ON HIS DOGE ANNOUNCEMENT Prior to serving in the Biden administration, Buttigieg served as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana. “Here’s the truth: the FAA alone has a staggering 45,000 employees. Less than 400 were let go, and they were all probationary, meaning they had been hired less than a year ago. Zero air traffic controllers and critical safety personnel were let go,” Duffy continued. He accused Buttigieg of utilizing the Department of Transportation “as a slush fund for the green new scam and environmental justice nonsense,” and claimed “that over 90% of the workforce under his leadership were working from home – including him. The building was empty!” PETE BUTTIGIEG BLASTS TRUMP AFTER PRESIDENT EXCORIATES HIM DURING PRESS BRIEFING “When we finally get a full accounting of his mismanagement, I look forward to hearing from him,” he declared. Buttigieg fired back, “At least one of the claims here (concerning telework rates) is demonstrably false, so forgive us for seeking more specifics on the rest. Is the Secretary claiming, and will he show, that none of the hundreds of FAA personnel he just fired were important to safety?” In a post on Sunday, Duffy had indicated that individuals from SpaceX were slated to visit the Air Traffic Control System Command Center on Monday. DUFFY BRINGS UP CLINTON WHILE NOTING SPACEX WORKERS WILL VISIT AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM COMMAND CENTER “The safety of air travel is a non-partisan matter. SpaceX engineers will help make air travel safer,” Elon Musk replied.
Russian officials make ultimatums on NATO, Ukraine as Saudi Arabia peace talks begin
U.S. and Russian officials held peace talks in Saudi Arabia without any Ukrainian officials present on Tuesday. Russia’s foreign ministry issued several ultimatums as the talks began early Tuesday morning. Russian officials noted that Ukrainian membership in NATO is unacceptable, and they said a simple refusal by NATO to allow Ukraine to join is not a sufficient protection. Instead, Russian officials said NATO must disavow promises of Ukrainian membership in NATO made during a 2008 summit in Bucharest. The groups, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, are seeking terms for a peace agreement in Ukraine as well as negotiating a potential meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two groups broke for a working lunch at roughly 2 p.m. local time. PUTIN VIEWED AS ‘GREAT COMPETITOR’ BUT STILL A US ‘ADVERSARY’ AS UKRAINE NEGOTIATIONS LOOM, LEAVITT SAYS Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his country would never accept peace terms negotiated by the U.S. and Russia without Ukrainian involvement. Trump has vowed that Ukraine will be involved in the larger process. Trump envoy Steve Witkoff emphasized on Sunday that the ongoing meeting in Riyadh is more about “trust building” than getting into the details of an actual peace agreement. Zelenskyy urged Trump not to trust Putin in a phone call last week. “I said that [Putin] is a liar,” Zelenskyy said of the call. “And he said, ‘I think my feeling is that he’s ready for these negotiations.’ And I said to him, ‘No, he’s a liar. He doesn’t want any peace.’” FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE MARC FOGEL LANDS IN US AFTER YEARS IN RUSSIAN CAPTIVITY The Ukrainian leader nevertheless said he believes Putin is a “little bit scared” of Trump. Also excluded from Tuesday’s talks are any European representatives, a notable absence given the stern rebuke of European allies delivered by Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference last week. Some European allies are taking the cue, with U.K. Prime Minister Kier Starmer announcing that he is willing to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine to ensure its security as part of a peace deal. “I do not say that lightly,” he wrote in the Daily Telegraph. “I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm’s way.” “But any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent, and the security of this country,” he added.
US, Russian officials propose peace plan, lay ‘groundwork for cooperation’ in Riyadh
U.S. and Russian officials held diplomatic talks in Saudi Arabia without any Ukrainian officials present on Tuesday. The groups, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, are seeking terms for a peace agreement in Ukraine as well as negotiating a potential meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. They have proposed a framework that could involve a ceasefire, elections in Ukraine followed by the signing of a peace agreement. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce also confirmed that Rubio’s team agreed to “lay the groundwork for cooperation” with Russia on various issues in addition to Ukraine. They also agreed to appoint “high-level teams” to begin working on a path to ending the conflict in Ukraine. Reports from multiple foreign diplomatic sources say forcing Ukraine to hold new elections could be a key part of a peace deal. Both the U.S. and Russia believe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has a low chance of winning re-election, the sources say. PUTIN VIEWED AS ‘GREAT COMPETITOR’ BUT STILL A US ‘ADVERSARY’ AS UKRAINE NEGOTIATIONS LOOM, LEAVITT SAYS “Putin assesses the probability of electing a puppet president as quite high and is also convinced that any candidate other than the current President of Ukraine will be more flexible and ready for negotiations and concessions,” the diplomatic sources said in a readout of the meeting. Zelenskyy has said his country would never accept peace terms negotiated by the U.S. and Russia without Ukrainian involvement. Trump has vowed that Ukraine will be involved in the larger process. Trump envoy Steve Witkoff emphasized on Sunday that the ongoing meeting in Riyadh is more about “trust building” than getting into the details of an actual peace agreement. Zelenskyy urged Trump not to trust Putin in a phone call last week. “I said that [Putin] is a liar,” Zelenskyy said of the call. “And he said, ‘I think my feeling is that he’s ready for these negotiations.’ And I said to him, ‘No, he’s a liar. He doesn’t want any peace.’” FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE MARC FOGEL LANDS IN US AFTER YEARS IN RUSSIAN CAPTIVITY The Ukrainian leader nevertheless said he believes Putin is a “little bit scared” of Trump. Also excluded from Tuesday’s talks are any European representatives, a notable absence given the stern rebuke of European allies delivered by Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference last week. Some European allies are taking the cue, with U.K. Prime Minister Kier Starmer announcing that he is willing to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine to ensure its security as part of a peace deal. “I do not say that lightly,” he wrote in the Daily Telegraph. “I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm’s way.” “But any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent, and the security of this country,” he added.
South Carolina bill would ban smoking inside cars while children are passengers
A bipartisan group of senators in South Carolina introduced a bill this week that would ban smoking in the car with a child present. South Carolina Sen. Darrell Jackson, a Democrat, said it is aimed at protecting kids from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke and is similar to legislation already in place in a dozen other states. “I think the time has come for us to have a serious discussion, having South Carolina join these other states. Many of them are Southern states,” Jackson said. SMOKING SHRINKS THE BRAIN AND DRIVES UP ALZHEIMER’S RISK, NEW STUDY FINDS “As a father and grandfather, I believe we have a duty to create a healthier future for the next generation,” Jackson said. “This legislation is not about punishing smokers; it’s about ensuring our kids can grow up in an environment free from unnecessary health risks.” The bill would make it unlawful for a person to smoke a tobacco product in a motor vehicle with a passenger under the age of 12 present. It goes on to outline “tobacco product” as a product that contains tobacco and is intended for human consumption. POPULAR ITALIAN CITY OFFICIALLY BANS CIGARETTE SMOKING OUTDOORS The bill suggests a person in violation “must be fined not more than one hundred dollars” each time the offense takes place. Jackson filed similar legislation in the state almost two decades ago. Though it passed the state Senate, it never reached the governor’s desk.
Mike Pence aims to be ‘constructive force’ during Trump’s second term while willing to challenge him
Former Vice President Mike Pence is positioning himself as a “constructive force for the conservative agenda” during President Donald Trump’s second term as one of the few Republicans willing to challenge him. “Well, for me, it’s always principles first. It’s not personal,” Pence said in an interview with the Associated Press. Despite publicly falling out with Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, Pence said he would support the new Trump administration on issues he agreed with, but would challenge others. Pence’s political advocacy group, Advancing American Freedom, spent nearly $1 million on ads opposing Trump’s newly confirmed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. DOGE MUST ‘DEFUND’ PLANNED PARENTHOOD, MIKE PENCE’S WATCHDOG GROUP URGES MUSK The former vice president said he and those who work for him received “a lot of quiet encouragement” in opposing Kennedy. Pence described finding it necessary to speak out on finding the “nomination of an abortion rights supporter to be secretary of HHS to be a dramatic departure from 50 years of strong pro-life leadership at HHS under Republican administrations.” Asked why Republicans might be reluctant to oppose Trump publicly, Pence said, “I never speculate on motives. You know, I’m not new to town. I’ve waged lonely battles before.” “But you know, you have to be willing to step out and lead,” the former vice president said. “My hope is that when the next issue of life comes up, that people will have been encouraged, emboldened to know that they’re not alone.” Regarding RFK Jr.’s nomination, Advancing American Freedom President Tim Chapman told Fox News Digital that the group believed “it would be an abdication of duty and responsibility if nobody said anything about the life issue in particular, let alone some of the other concerns.” “I think it’s more likely now that he’s better on life than if we had not engaged in the issue at all,” Chapman said. “Part of being constructive is weighing in and sending a market signal when the administration or Republican leadership might try to go in a direction that’s not tethered to conservative principles. And so you’re not always going to win all those fights. And in fact, we don’t even view it as our job to win all those fights. We view it as our job to start the conversation.” In the second Trump term, Chapman argued, “there is a far stronger echo chamber on the outside that is currently encouraging and sometimes, you know, doing more than encouraging Republicans and outside groups to stay in line with the administration.” He said it’s “creating an atmosphere where some people who may disagree with a nominee or with a policy decision are choosing to bide their time and not make that disagreement public.” “Time will tell whether that environment remains permanent and time will also tell whether that echo chamber serves the president well or ends up not serving him well. For various reasons, we don’t feel the pressure from that echo chamber to stay silent if we disagree,” Chapman told Fox News Digital. “We’ll do our best to constructively, you know, make our points. And when we disagree, try to pull the administration towards our view on policy. But then, you know, when we agree, be totally there running beside them and trying to help them push their priorities over the finish line.” Advancing American Freedom is now lobbying against Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Trump’s pick for labor secretary, accusing her of being pro-union. While Pence’s group plans to spend the coming months pushing to increase military spending, shrink the deficit, and make permanent the Trump 2017 tax cuts, as well as trying to convince Trump to stop implementing tariffs on allies, the former vice president and those who work for him insist they won’t take on the “Never Trump” mantle. Pence has been delivering speeches urging Trump to stand with long-standing foreign allies and lobbying members of Congress, while his aides write letters and opinion columns. Advancing American Freedom says they intend to praise the administration when they agree with it, while raising concerns when they don’t, advocating for longtime conservative principles that they believe have taken a back seat to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” brand of populism. “We’re calling balls and strikes here,” Pence told the AP. “I think that the way we want to approach this is with integrity to principle. And I’m very encouraged. I think the Trump administration is off to a great start… I’m very pleased about the president undoing Biden’s border policies and putting back into place the policies that we had negotiated and established that secured the border.” Pence said he believes “some of the prominent voices in the party have embraced a more populist thinking” but that “the overwhelming majority of people that ever vote Republican think any differently than they thought during our administration when we hewed to a conservative agenda or the years before or since.” To support his opinion, the former vice president recalled an interaction he had with a farmer at a campaign stop in Iowa in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. Despite the farmer saying he agreed with “absolutely everything” that Pence stumped about regarding “strong American support for Israel, strong American leadership in the world, continued support for Ukraine in their fight and limited government and bringing about reforms to put our fiscal house in order and right to life,” the former vice president recalled how the farmer said he could not vote for him in 2024 and that “I got to be for Trump this time.” “And he goes, ‘But I’ll see you in four years. You’re going to be a great president someday,’” said Pence, who briefly pursued the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. “I said, ‘Would you mind telling me, you know, why?’ And he said words I never forgot, which was in effect: He lamented Biden’s failed record. And I saw that he was