Senate to hold final vote on RFK Jr nomination to serve as Trump’s Health secretary
The Senate is expected on Thursday to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary in President Donald Trump‘s cabinet. The final showdown over Kennedy’s controversial nomination was set in motion after the Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday – in a 53-47 party-line vote – invoked cloture, which started the clock ticking toward the final confirmation roll call. Kennedy, the well-known vaccine skeptic and environmental crusader who ran for the White House in 2024 before ending his bid and endorsing Trump, needs a simple majority to be confirmed by the Senate. TRUMP HEALTH SECRETARY NOMINEE RFK JR. SURVIVES HEATED HEARINGS Kennedy survived back-to-back combustible Senate confirmation hearings late last month, when Trump’s nominee to lead 18 powerful federal agencies that oversee the nation’s food and health faced plenty of verbal fireworks over past controversial comments, including his repeated claims in recent years linking vaccines to autism, which have been debunked by scientific research. During the hearings, Democrats also spotlighted Kennedy’s service for years as chair or chief legal counsel for Children’s Health Defense, the nonprofit organization he founded that has advocated against vaccines and sued the federal government numerous times, including a challenge over the authorization of the COVID-19 vaccine for children. HEAD HERE FOR LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS BACK IN THE WHITE HOUSE With Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee voting not to advance Kennedy, the spotlight was on Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a physician and chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). Cassidy issued a last minute endorsement before the committee level vote, giving Kennedy a party-line 14-13 victory to advance his confirmation to the full Senate. Cassidy had emphasized during Kennedy’s confirmation hearings that “your past of undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments concerns me,” which left doubt about his support. However, after speaking again with the nominee, Cassidy rattled off a long list of commitments Kennedy made to him, including quarterly hearings before the HELP Committee; meetings multiple times per month; that HELP Committee can choose representatives on boards or commissions reviewing vaccine safety; and a 30-day notice to the committee, plus a hearing, for any changes in vaccine safety reviews. “These commitments, and my expectation that we can have a great working relationship to make America healthy again, is the basis of my support,” the senator said. Earlier this week, another Republican senator who had reservations regarding Kennedy’s confirmation announced support for the nominee. “After extensive public and private questioning and a thorough examination of his nomination, I will support Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,” GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine announced on Tuesday. Another Republican who was on the fence, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, also voted to advance Kennedy’s nomination. Murkowski noted that she continues “to have concerns about Mr. Kennedy’s views on vaccines and his selective interpretation of scientific studies,” but that the nominee “has made numerous commitments to me and my colleagues, promising to work with Congress to ensure public access to information and to base vaccine recommendations on data-driven, evidence-based, and medically sound research.” Former longtime Senate GOP leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, a major proponent of vaccines, also voted to advance Kennedy’s nomination. Kennedy, whose outspoken views on Big Pharma and the food industry have also sparked controversy, has said he aims to shift the focus of the agencies he would oversee toward promotion of a healthy lifestyle, including overhauling dietary guidelines, taking aim at ultra-processed foods and getting to the root causes of chronic diseases. The push is part of his “Make America Healthy Again” campaign. “Our country is not going to be destroyed because we get the marginal tax rate wrong. It is going to be destroyed if we get this issue wrong,” Kennedy said as he pointed to chronic diseases. “And I am in a unique position to be able to stop this epidemic.” The 71-year-old scion of the nation’s most storied political dynasty, launched a long-shot campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination against then-President Joe Biden in April 2023. However, six months later, he switched to an independent run for the White House. Trump regularly pilloried Kennedy during his independent presidential bid, accusing him of being a “Radical Left Liberal” and a “Democrat Plant.” Kennedy fired back, claiming in a social media post that Trump’s jabs against him were “a barely coherent barrage of wild and inaccurate claims.” However, Kennedy made major headlines again last August when he dropped his presidential bid and endorsed Trump. While Kennedy had long identified as a Democrat and repeatedly invoked his late father, former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and his late uncle, former President John F. Kennedy – who were both assassinated in the 1960s – Kennedy in recent years built relationships with far-right leaders due in part to his high-profile vaccine skepticism. After months of criticizing him, Trump called Kennedy “a man who has been an incredible champion for so many of these values that we all share.” Trump announced soon after the November election that he would nominate Kennedy to his Cabinet to run HHS. The final vote on Kennedy’s nomination comes one day after another controversial pick, director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, was confirmed by the Senate in a 52-48 vote.
Kash Patel’s nomination to lead FBI faces first major Senate hurdle
The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote Thursday on whether to advance Kash Patel’s nomination for FBI director to the Senate floor after a fiery confirmation hearing last month. The vote is scheduled for 9 a.m. ET. If Patel passes through committee, his nomination will be up for a full Senate vote. Democrats had successfully delayed Patel’s committee vote last week in an effort to force the Trump nominee to testify a second time. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa., said attempts by Judiciary ranking member Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and others to force Patel to testify again were “baseless” as he already sat before the committee for more than five hours and disclosed “thousands of pages” of records to the panel, as well as nearly 150 pages of responses to lawmakers’ written questions. PATEL CAMP DECRIES DURBIN ACCUSATIONS AS ‘POLITICALLY MOTIVATED’ ATTEMPT TO DERAIL FBI CONFIRMATION This week on the Senate floor, Durbin alleged that Patel was behind mass firings at the FBI. Durbin said he’d seen “highly credible” whistleblower reports indicating Patel had been “personally directing the ongoing purge of FBI employees prior to his Senate confirmation for the role.” An aide to Patel denied Durbin’s claim, telling Fox News Digital the nominee flew home to Las Vegas after his confirmation hearing and has “been sitting there waiting for the process to play out.” Patel, a vociferous opponent to the investigations into President Donald Trump and who was at the forefront of his 2020 election fraud claims, vowed during his confirmation hearing that he would not engage in political retribution. However, the conservative firebrand was likely chosen for his desire to upend the agency. In his 2023 book, “Government Gangsters,” he described the FBI as “a tool of surveillance and suppression of American citizens” and “one of the most cunning and powerful arms of the Deep State.” Patel has said intelligence officials are “intent” on undermining the president, but he promised he would not go after agents who worked on the classified documents case against Trump. 4 OF THE BIGGEST CLASHES BETWEEN PATEL, SENATE DEMS AT HIS CONFIRMATION HEARING “There will be no politicization at the FBI,” Patel said. “There will be no retributive action.” Additionally, in another message meant to assuage senators’ concerns, Patel said he did not find it feasible to require a warrant for intelligence agencies to surveil U.S. citizens suspected to be involved in national security matters, referring to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). “Having a warrant requirement to go through that information in real time is just not comported with the requirement to protect American citizens,” Patel said. “It’s almost impossible to make that function and serve the national, no-fail mission.” “Get a warrant” had become a rallying cry of right-wing conservatives worried about the privacy of U.S. citizens and almost derailed the reauthorization of the surveillance program entirely. Patel said the program has been misused, but he does not support making investigators go to court and plead their case before being able to wiretap any U.S. citizen. Patel also seemed to break with Trump during the hearing on the pardons granted to 1,600 persons who had been prosecuted for their involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, particularly around those who engaged in violence and had their sentences commuted. “I have always rejected any violence against law enforcement,” Patel said. “I do not agree with the commutation of any sentence of any individual that committed violence against law enforcement.” Patel held a number of national security roles during Trump’s first administration – chief of staff to acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, senior advisor to the acting director of national intelligence, and National Security Council official. FORMER TRUMP OFFICIALS REJECT WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIM THAT FBI DIRECTOR NOMINEE KASH PATEL BROKE HOSTAGE PROTOCOL He worked as a senior aide on counterterrorism for former House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, where he fought to declassify records he alleged would show the FBI’s application for a surveillance warrant for 2016 Trump campaign aide Carter Page was illegitimate, and served as a national security prosecutor in the Justice Department. Patel’s public comments suggest he would refocus the FBI on law enforcement and away from involvement in any prosecutorial decisions. In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, he suggested his top two priorities were “let good cops be cops” and “transparency is essential.” “If confirmed, I will focus on streamlining operations at headquarters while bolstering the presence of field agents across the nation. Collaboration with local law enforcement is crucial to fulfilling the FBI’s mission,” he said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Patel went on: “Members of Congress have hundreds of unanswered requests to the FBI. If confirmed, I will be a strong advocate for congressional oversight, ensuring that the FBI operates with the openness necessary to rebuild trust by simply replying to lawmakers.” Fox News’ Breanne Depisch contributed to this report.
Man in US illegally wanted for allegedly groping 7-year-old Texas girl on her way home from school
A man with a lengthy criminal history who was previously on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold is on the run after being accused of groping a 7-year-old Texas girl as she walked home from school. Carlos Jose Ayala Morales, 43, has been charged with felony attempted indecency with a child, the Houston Police Department said. He is accused of grabbing the girl Jan. 27 while she was on her way home from her elementary school, Fox Houston reported. The girl and her mother told the news outlet she was walking behind her older sister and a friend. They said the man ran up, groped her and ran away. The girl didn’t scream because she was in shock and told her older sister when they got home. TOM HOMAN BELIEVES ICE RAID LEAKS ARE ‘COMING FROM INSIDE’ AS AURORA LEAKER CLOSER TO BEING IDENTIFIED “A man came behind me, and he touched my private parts,” the girl told the station. “I hope he’s caught and put away much longer, so he can’t hurt other children,” her mother said. Morales has a lengthy criminal history. In 2017, he was charged with four counts of indecency with a child and evading arrest. At the time, police believed Morales, who they called Ayala, was linked to “at least 10 sexual assault incidents in the northeast Houston and Harris County areas.” Authorities were investigating a string of “sexual assaults of school-aged juvenile females, 7-15 years of age, as they traveled to and from school,” according to the news outlet. FEDERAL COURT BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN FROM SENDING DETAINED VENEZUELAN IMMIGRANTS TO GUANTÁNAMO BAY “Ayala would come up behind the victims and inappropriately touch them through their clothing,” a police news release states. In one incident, Ayala attempted to abduct one of the victims, a 7 year-old female, as she walked home from school with her 9-year-old brother,” police said. “Reading that made me so scared, because that could have been [my child],” the victim’s mother said. When he was arrested in 2017, ICE filed a detainer request for Morales, a Honduran citizen, which was lifted when he was convicted. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice told FOX 26 Ayala was transferred to prison to serve concurrent seven-year sentences for indecency with a child by exposure, three counts of indecency with a child, evading arrest, detention with a vehicle and burglary. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In February 2024, he was released into ICE custody. Fox News Digital has reached out to ICE.
Chicago mayor’s office gives inside look at ‘gift room’ after watchdog report flagged ethical concerns
The City of Chicago recently shared a video of its “gift room” after a watchdog group accused Mayor Brandon Johnson of improperly accepting valuable gifts. On Wednesday, the city also announced new protocols for receiving gifts, along with a log and video of items currently inside its “gift room.” The transparency attempt comes after the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) accused Johnson of accepting valuable gifts and failing to report them. Alleged unreported gifts included jewelry, alcohol, AirPods, designer handbags and size 14 men’s shoes, prompting ethical concerns. CHICAGO RESIDENTS SLAM THE ‘STUPIDITY’ OF MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON’S LIBERAL POLICIES DURING CITY COUNCIL MEETING The new protocols, which went into effect on Tuesday, note that officials must report and properly log gifts within 10 days; store gifts in a designated area that can be viewed publicly via video recording quarterly; and donate excess gifts. The first video log was sent out on Wednesday and featured artwork, clothing, hats and shoes. The footage attempts to combat OIG claims that Johnson denied internal investigators access to the room where the items were stored during an unannounced inspection in November. TRUMP SUPPORTERS RIP CHICAGO MAYOR TO HIS FACE JUST DAYS BEFORE CITY COUNCIL REJECTS HIS TAX HIKE A written log contains 18 pages of items, along with their location and the organization that donated the gifts. “These procedures reaffirm the Mayor’s commitment to ethical governance and transparency and ensure prompt disclosure of all gifts received on behalf of the City,” according to a statement from the mayor’s office. Johnson previously accused the inspector general of a “mischaracterization,” while insisting he never personally benefited from any gifts. The OIG report listed Hugo Boss cuff links, a personalized Montblanc pen, a 2023 U.S. National Soccer Team jersey, a Gucci tote bag, a Kate Spade red purse and Carrucci size 14 shoes from Feb. 2, 2022, through March 20, 2024. While spotted in the video log, dated Feb. 11, the online log does not account for the tote bag, purse or shoes, as of Wednesday. Other items like the cuff links and pen, while accounted for in the log, do not list the organization or person who donated the gift. Fox News’ Patrick McGovern, Greg Wehner and Alexis McAdams contributed to this report.
Trump blasts Department of Education as ‘con job,’ says he wants it closed ‘immediately’
President Donald Trump called the Department of Education a “con job,” after saying he saw a report that the nation ranks 40th around the world in education, but number one in cost per pupil. Trump spoke with reporters on Wednesday afternoon from the Oval Office when he was asked how soon he wanted the Department of Education (DOE) to be closed. “Oh, I’d like it to be closed immediately. Look at the Department of Education. It’s a big con job,” he answered. “They ranked the top countries in the world. We’re ranked number 40th, but we’re ranked number 1 in 1 department: cost per pupil. So, we spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, but we’re ranked number 40.” Trump said the last time he looked at where the U.S. ranked in education, it was ranked 38th, but then he looked two days ago, and the country had fallen to number 40. DOGE SLASHES OVER $100M IN DEI FUNDING AT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT: ‘WIN FOR EVERY STUDENT’ He even noted that China had ranked in the top five. “As big as it is, it’s ranked in the top five, and that’s our…primary competitor,” Trump said. “So, if we’re ranked number 40, that means something’s really wrong.” The president has ordered the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the department led by Elon Musk, to find ways to slash wasteful spending, and the DOE made the chopping block this week. TRUMP PUTS HIGHER EDUCATION ON NOTICE FOR ‘DANGEROUS, DEMEANING, AND IMMORAL’ DEI TEACHINGS In fact, DOGE announced on Monday that $881 million was being cut in connection with 89 DOE contracts. Of that $881 million, DOGE identified $101 million that was being used for DEI training, including teaching educators to “help students understand/interrogate the complex histories involved in oppression, and help students recognize areas of privilege and power on an individual and collective basis.” “Your tax dollars were spent on this,” Musk wrote of the DOE spending. Last month, Trump signed two executive orders on education: one to remove federal funding from K-12 schools that teach critical race theory (CRT), and another to support school choice. TRUMP EDUCATION DEPT LAUNCHES PROBE INTO ‘EXPLOSION OF ANTISEMITISM’ AT 5 UNIVERSITIES The teaching of CRT, and other controversial content in schools, has sparked backlash from parents at school board meetings across the nation over the past several years. During his presidential campaign, Trump pledged to cut federal funding for schools that promote CRT, transgender ideology and “any other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content on our children.” Trump has signed a flurry of executive orders targeting federal funding for schools as testing scores continue to drop, according to the Nation’s Report Card. Trump administration officials are also reportedly weighing a plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, according to a Wall Street Journal report published last week. Fox News Digital’s Kristine Parks contributed to this report.
Judge restores Trump administration’s buyout offer to federal workers
A federal judge restored President Donald Trump’s deferred resignation program for federal workers in a decision Wednesday evening. U.S. District Judge George O’Toole of Massachusetts made the ruling. The deferred resignation program, also known as the administration’s “Fork in the Road” offer, involved asking government workers to either stay or leave after Trump mandated them to return to their offices shortly after his inauguration. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) emailed more than 2 million federal civilian employees offering them buyouts to leave their jobs. Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report. This is a breaking news story. Check back with us for updates.
House GOP’s budget impasse thaws just as winter storm sacks Capitol
It is said that talk is cheap. And that’s why House Republicans have done so much of it as they attempted to forge an internal agreement on a budget plan to slash taxes and cut spending. It is now the middle of February. House Republicans struggled to finalize plans for what President Donald Trump terms a “big beautiful bill.” Especially when you consider all of the talking Republicans did – among themselves – since the start of the year. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE SHARES WHAT’S NEXT FOR HOUSE DOGE PANEL, WHETHER ELON MUSK WOULD TESTIFY House Republicans cloistered themselves for not one but two daylong sessions on Saturday, Jan. 4, and Sunday, Jan. 5, at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. That’s where House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, and Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo., presented their ideas to slash spending and engineer a budget reconciliation package. Keep that term in mind. Budget reconciliation. More on that in a moment. Back on Capitol Hill, House Republicans convened multiple large and small meetings to lay out details on their package. That included a three-day session at President Trump’s golf club in Doral, Florida. Republicans returned to Washington with claims of “unity.” But still no agreement. THE CONFIRMATION JUGGERNAUT: HOW TRUMP IS GETTING EVERYTHING HE WANTS IN BUILDING HIS CABINET Arrington hoped to prepare the budget plan in his committee last week. Such a meeting would produce a “budget reconciliation” package. Budget reconciliation is a process where the Senate can bypass a filibuster and approve a bill with a simple majority. But the package must be fiscal in nature, such as addressing spending cuts and taxes. Thus, this plan likely qualifies for reconciliation. Senate Republicans must lean on budget reconciliation because they only have 53 GOP members. Not 60, which are required to break a conventional filibuster. But reconciliation is part of the annual budget process. And the reconciliation option isn’t available unless a budget blueprint is in place. No budget? No reconciliation. House Republicans grappled last week to reach a deal. So the House GOP brass set off for the White House for a meeting with the president. “He’s going to have to make some decisions,” said one senior House Republican of President Trump, noting he’s the only one who could help the party coalesce around an idea. The session lasted for nearly five hours, although President Trump wasn’t in the session the entire time. Meantime, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was supposed to meet at the Capitol with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But Netanyahu was left cooling his heels on Capitol Hill as Republicans debated plans and scribbled figures on whiteboards. “[President Trump] set the tone for us to push through some things that we were stuck on,” said Arrington when he returned to the Capitol. “We made serious progress and have narrowed the gap to where we’re very close to getting ready to bring this to Budget Committee,” said Senate Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. Johnson even predicted the plan may be ready later that evening. Hence, a group of Republicans retreated for another set of meetings until well after midnight. “I’d like to see their plan,” complained Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn. “They’re not going to force me into something.” HOUSE AND SENATE REPUBLICANS CLASH OVER MAMMOTH TRUMP BUDGET BILL SEEKING $1.5T IN CUTS By Friday morning, Johnson was again diminishing expectations. “It may not be today,” said Johnson. However, the speaker hinted that the details could be ready later that weekend. “We’ve got a few more people we’ve got to talk with and a couple more boxes to check,” said Johnson. “The expectation is it we’ll be marking up a budget next week, potentially as early as Tuesday.” But the weekend optimism died when the speaker appeared on “Fox News Sunday.” “We were going to do a Budget Committee markup next week. We might push it a little bit further because the details really matter,” said Johnson on Sunday. “But we’re getting very, very close.” Johnson attended the Super Bowl in New Orleans later that day with President Trump. So could there have been a breakthrough amid the confetti, étouffée and Cooper DeJean madness of the Super Bowl? “Are we going to have this bill this week, yes or no?” yours truly asked the speaker as he entered the Capitol on Monday afternoon. Johnson deployed his favorite verbal placeholder. “Stay tuned,” said the speaker, who uses this line as frequently as a 1950s radio announcer. “You said last week we were going to have it,” I countered. “I know,” said Johnson. “I’ve got 220 people that have shared their opinions on this.” “Did you overpromise?” I followed up. “No. No,” responded Johnson. “The hard work of the negotiation has to be done on the front end so that we can deliver a product that we know everybody will support.” Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., tired of the House GOP’s dithering last week, wrote his own budget package, which significantly differs from what the House intends to do. While the House blueprint will focus on taxes and government cuts, Graham’s measure would boost energy production and also call for spending money to tighten the border. The South Carolina Republican has long observed that people voted for border security in the election. He argues that provision should come first. SENATE DOGE CHAIR SAYS SHE SPEAKS WITH ELON MUSK ‘EVERY FEW DAYS’ AS TRUMP ADMIN SLASHES SPENDING Johnson said he talked with Graham at the Super Bowl and “he and I are on the same page.” When asked by CNN’s Manu Raju whether Graham’s gambit was “complicating this,” Johnson answered, “Not much.” But when yours truly asked if the Senate moving first would help “increase the sense of urgency” in the House, the speaker responded differently. “I wouldn’t say it’s helpful,” said Johnson. An hour later, reporters again peppered Johnson for timing details. “I’m not going to give a projected date yet because then you’ll tell
Bondi announces new lawsuits against states failing to comply with immigration actions: ‘A new DOJ’
The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against the state of New York and its governor, Kathy Hochul, and Attorney General Letitia James for failing to comply with federal law by shielding illegal immigrants, newly sworn-in Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Wednesday. “This is a new DOJ,” Bondi announced at a news conference. “New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens. It stops. It stops today.” Also charged is Mark Schroeder, commissioner of the New York Department of Motor Vehicles. Bondi cited New York’s Green Light laws, also known as the Driver’s License Act, which allows illegal immigrants to get a driver’s license. TOM HOMAN BELIEVES ICE RAID LEAKS ARE ‘COMING FROM INSIDE’ AS AURORA LEAKER CLOSER TO BEING IDENTIFIED The law also prevents certain federal agencies from accessing New York State’s driver’s license information. “They have green light laws, meaning they’re giving a green light to any illegal alien in New York, where law enforcement officers cannot check their identity if they pull them over,” Bondi said. “And law enforcement officers do not have access to their background. And if these great men and women pull over someone and don’t have access to their background, they have no idea who they’re dealing with, and it puts their lives on the line every single day.” “If you don’t comply with federal law, we will hold you accountable,” Bondi said. “We did it to Illinois, strike one. Strike two is New York. And if you are a state not complying with federal law, you’re next. Get ready.” The Justice Department last week asked a federal judge to strike down sanctuary policies in Illinois and Chicago. Bondi was joined by so-called “Angel mom” Tammy Nobles of Maryland, whose 20-year-old daughter, Kayla Hamilton, was raped and murdered by an illegal immigrant and MS-13 member in 2022. FEDERAL COURT BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN FROM SENDING DETAINED VENEZUELAN IMMIGRANTS TO GUANTÁNAMO BAY The Department of Homeland Security “did not do their jobs,” Nobles said Wednesday, at times, choking back tears while sharing her family’s story. “They did not check his background,” she said. “I’m so thankful for Pam for having me here today, and I’m so thankful for the opportunities I got from Trump and and any other platform — and for the people me to share her story, because this is going to end.” The suspect, Walter Martinez, an MS-13 gang member from El Salvador who was in the United States illegally, entered the country through Texas as an unaccompanied minor in March 2022. He was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol and eventually sent to Maryland to live with a sponsor. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Four months later, Martinez moved to the mobile home in Aberdeen, where he was accused of killing Hamilton. During the news conference, Bondi urged states with sanctuary policies to comply with federal law. “We don’t want to sue you. We don’t want to prosecute people. We want people to comply with the law,” she said. “This is very simple. An MS-13 member murdered her daughter. That’s happening throughout this country.” “One angel mom is too many,” she added. “And we have angel moms throughout this country who should not be going through this. Comply with the law. This is the last thing we want to be doing.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital has reached out to the offices of Hochul, James and Schroeder.
No longer taken advantage of: Trump signs order prioritizing ‘unified’ US foreign policy front
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday reinforcing a “unified” voice for U.S. foreign policy that prioritizes his “America First” agenda. The executive order emphasizes the State Department’s responsibility to uphold the Trump administration’s foreign policy priorities, and that the agency has the proper channels to ensure that “officers and employees faithfully implement the President’s policies,” according to a White House fact sheet. Additionally, the executive order instructs Secretary of State Marco Rubio to execute reforms to recruitment, evaluation, performance and retention standards to ensure that the State Department employs the most qualified individuals to represent the U.S., according to the fact sheet. Likewise, Rubio has the authority under the order to update the Foreign Affairs Manual or other procedural documents pertaining to foreign service. TRUMP MEETS WITH JORDAN’S KING AMID TENSE TALKS ABOUT RESETTLING PALESTINIANS “President Trump is committed to safeguarding the integrity of U.S. foreign policy by ensuring that America’s interests are prioritized through a unified diplomatic voice, with related personnel held accountable to the President’s vision,” the White House said in the fact sheet. “No longer will America be taken advantage of by foreign nations or by rogue actors who undermine our sovereignty or security,” the White House said. The executive order expands upon Trump’s America First policy directive that he signed after his inauguration, which states that “the foreign policy of the United States shall champion core American interests.” The Trump administration has put forward some bold foreign policy proposals during his second term, including unveiling an effort to shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development, a group that works to deliver aid to impoverished countries and development assistance. Rubio, now acting director of the independent agency, said Feb. 3 that USAID is not “functioning” and that the organization isn’t a “global charity.” TRUMP NOT COMMITTING TO PUTTING US TROOPS ON THE GROUND IN GAZA, WHITE HOUSE SAYS “It needs to be aligned with the national interest of the U.S.,” Rubio said. “They’re not a global charity, these are taxpayer dollars. People are asking simple questions. What are they doing with the money? We are spending taxpayers’ money. We owe the taxpayers assurances that it furthers our national interest.” Likewise, Trump also announced plans on Feb. 4 to “take over” the Gaza Strip in a “long-term ownership position” to deliver stability to the region during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The proposal prompted swift backlash from Arab countries, including Jordan, and Egypt announced plans on Sunday for an emergency Arab Summit to discuss “new and dangerous developments” regarding the resettling of Palestinians on Feb. 27. Trump met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Tuesday, who said he would wait for the Egyptians to take the lead on a proposal moving forward as they negotiate with the U.S. on plans to take over Gaza. However, Abdullah did reveal plans to accept 2,000 sick Palestinian children to Jordan. “I think let’s wait until the Egyptians can come and present it to the president and not get ahead of us,” Abdullah said.
Trump supporting California sheriff to launch GOP run for governor in race to succeed Newsom: sources
A tough-on-crime Republican sheriff in southern California who was a supporter of President Trump in last year’s election will launch a campaign for Golden State governor, a source familiar confirms to Fox News. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is expected to announce his candidacy at a scheduled event Monday in Riverside, California, about 50 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, in the 2026 race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Bianco, a vocal critic of Newsom and other state Democratic leaders when it comes to the issues of crime and punishment, was one of the leaders who helped push California’s Proposition 36 ballot measure to a landslide victory in last November’s elections. WHAT SHERIFF CHAD BIANCO TOLD FOX NEWS The measure, which took effect in December, mandates stiffer penalties and longer sentences in California for certain drug and theft crimes. MAJOR CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT PREEDICTS FORMER VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS WOULD CLEAR GUBERNATORIAL FIELD Bianco, who has worked in law enforcement for more than three decades, was first elected sheriff in 2018. He’s been openly flirting with a 2026 gubernatorial run since at least last spring. When asked late last year in a Fox News interview if he knew of anyone who might be capable of producing change in Sacramento – California’s capital city – Bianco responded, “I might, I might know someone that would go there with nothing but common sense and the betterment of the citizens of California rather than some crazy ideological agenda that truly makes absolutely no sense to any of us.” It’s been nearly two decades since a Republican won statewide office in heavily blue California. You have to go all the way back to former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2006 re-election victory. There has been plenty of speculation since former Vice President Kamala Harris’ election defeat last November to Trump regarding her next political move, with the two potential options likely being launching a 2026 gubernatorial run in her home state of California or seeking the presidency again in 2028. Harris served as San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general and U.S. senator before becoming vice president. Sources in the former vice president’s political orbit say no decisions have been made about any next steps. The Democrats’ field for governor in the heavily blue-leaning state is already crowded. Among the more than half-dozen candidates already running for governor are Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, a Harris ally, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Former Rep. Katie Porter, who unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic Senate nomination last year, has expressed interest in launching a campaign. Additionally, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who served in Congress and as California attorney general before joining the Biden administration, is also seen as a potential contender. Former Fox News Channel host and conservative commentator Steve Hilton is considering a Republican run for California governor. In California, unlike most other states, the top two finishers in a primary, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election.