A closer look at Air Force One and the executive fleet
President Donald Trump has his sights on a new version of Air Force One as delays and cost overruns continue to plague Boeing’s long-awaited presidential aircraft replacements. The most recent data from 2020 says at least 20 planes make up the executive fleet. A newly constructed plane has not been added in nearly 27 years. Some of those currently in service are expected to stay flying for another 13 years. “They’re not building the plane fast enough. I mean, they’re actually in default,” Trump said about Boeing in a February interview with Sean Hannity. Air Force One is used to designate any Air Force aircraft carrying the commander in chief. There are currently two highly customized Boeing aircraft that were deployed in 1990 when George H.W. Bush was president. The planes have since carried presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Trump, Joe Biden and now Trump once again. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO: THE QATAR AIR FORCE ONE JET “I miss Air Force One,” Bush said at an event for Veterans in 2014. “In eight years, they never lost my baggage.” The two forthcoming Boeing planes have been plagued by delays due to the complex technology needed onboard Air Force One. “They’ve got to debug it, make sure there’s no signal intelligence risks. And I think just to make it secure against any potential military attacks. It was ironic for a long time. It was one of the prince’s planes, which I think they were trying to sell. And now they’re giving it to the U.S., and it’s costing quite a bit to update,” Jay Solomon, a staff writer for the Free Press, said. The Qatari jet is estimated to have a faster timeline than the two Boeing planes, but it still needs some of the same technology to make it Air Force One. “If you look at it just through economics, maybe it makes sense, but I still think the fact that we’re allowing a foreign country to gift something of that magnitude to a sitting president — on top of all these other concerns — I think it’s a risk, and it’s not a good look,” Soloman said. Air Force One is required to have four engines, unlike most of today’s passenger planes, which have two. Onboard is the highest level of classified communications and external protection against foreign surveillance. The planes are equipped with air-to-air refueling capabilities so they can fly for as long as needed. Air Force One is built for the worst possible scenarios, like nuclear war, so that the president can still command military forces from the sky. “They’re extremely complex, and I’m not going to go into it, but they’re not like a normal plane. You know, it’s not like building a 747 normal,” Trump said during his Middle East Trip on “Special Report” in May. TRUMP ACCEPTS JET FROM QATAR, WILL REFIT TO SERVE AS AIR FORCE ONE, DOD SAYS Air Force officials say it is possible to add some of the security features to the Qatari jet, but it’s unlikely to have the full suite of technology by Trump’s February timeline. “Initially, it was supposed to be like, ‘Maybe he’ll get it done by the end of his presidency,’” Solomon said. Four modified Boeing 757s or C-32As are the newest planes in the executive fleet. Those were added in 1998 and 1999. The Air Force is studying potential replacement options, but the current planes will continue to fly until 2038. The aircraft are primarily used by the vice president, Cabinet members, members of Congress and other officials. “Even today, and regardless of the airplane, we have to operate it differently based on the threat environment that even the current or any of the future aircraft will go into. Again, can’t talk in detail about that, but that is always a consideration,” Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said during a June Senate Hearing. Air Force One isn’t the only aging plane; much of the executive fleet is more than two decades old. The aircraft have undergone modernization modifications, but officials have questioned the timeline for major updates as several incidents have taken place over the years. INSIDE AMERICA’S 6TH-GEN ARSENAL: B-21, F-47, AND THE FUTURE OF AIR DOMINANCE In 2014, Obama was forced to switch planes during a campaign event in Philadelphia after a minor mechanical problem was reported on Air Force One. In 2021, Vice President Kamala Harris’ plane requested an emergency return to Joint Base Andrews as she began her first foreign trip overseas to Guatemala and Mexico. Most recently, Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s plane was forced to turn around while en route to Munich in February due to a mechanical issue. The newest aircraft among the executive fleet are the Marine One Helicopters. Biden first rode in the newly designed Marine One in 2024 during the Democratic National Convention. Updating those took nearly two decades and, in some cases, replaced helicopters flying since the 1970s. The Boeing 777X is expected to be the next new major commercial aircraft. It’s scheduled to enter service in 2026 after a nearly six-year delay with Lufthansa taking the first flight. The modernized plane is designed to have a folding wingtip, a touchscreen flight deck and wider cabin space.
Eric Adams vows to beat Mamdani amid rumors he’d drop out
New York Mayor Eric Adams held a news conference Friday to dispel widespread rumors he would drop his re-election bid and vowed to stay in the race, saying, “I’m running, and I’m going to beat Mamdani.” Adams, who was elected mayor as a Democrat in 2022, is running as an independent and facing an uphill battle against the Democratic Party’s mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, a Ugandan-born Muslim and socialist. Former New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo is also running as an independent after losing to Mamdani in the Democratic primary race in June. Adams took aim at Mamdani and Cuomo during his news conference, saying, “I have two spoiled brats running for mayor.” “I want to be clear with you,” Adams added. “Andrew Cuomo is a snake and a liar. I am in this race, and I’m the only one that can beat Mamdani. ANDREW CUOMO CHALLENGES MAYORAL OPPONENT ZOHRAN MAMDANI TO 5 DEBATES ACROSS EACH OF NYC’S BOROUGHS “This is such a pivotal and important period, and we have to get it right,” he added. “They were born with silver spoons in their mouths. Not like working-class New Yorkers. I’m a working-class New Yorker. They are not like us,” he said. “They’ve never had to fight. They never had to struggle. They never had to go through difficult times like you and I had to go through, New Yorkers.” He took particular aim at Cuomo, accusing him of having “a career of pushing Black candidates out of races.” He also addressed rumors that he is in discussions with President Donald Trump about possibly joining his administration. TRUMP WANTS ‘2 PEOPLE TO DROP OUT’ TO SET UP ‘1-ON-1’ MAYORAL RACE WITH MAMDANI IN NYC “There’s a lot of reports that I’m in Washington on Monday. Those reports are wrong. I’m not,” said Adams. “I’ll be moving throughout this city in the five boroughs that made me mayor in the first place. I’m running for re-election, and I’m going to tell New Yorkers every day why I believe I should be the mayor of the city of New York in 2026.” He acknowledged that he is significantly behind Mamdani in the polls but dismissed this, saying, “I hear the polls. I hear the comments. I hear the pundits. “But those are the same polls that stated eight weeks out that Andrew Cuomo was up by 36 points, and even his poll had him up by 10 points. Those are the same polls that stated he was going to walk into becoming the mayor of the City of New York, [which] he believes is a consolation prize because he made the determination to step down [as governor].” DNC AGAIN EMBRACES MAMDANI DESPITE COMMUNIST RHETORIC, REFUSAL TO DENOUNCE GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA: ‘BIG TENT’ “I’m running, and I’m going to beat Mamdani. And I’m going to continue the success that this city has witnessed,” he said. “I committed myself and dedicated myself to a city that I love, and I’m going to continue to do that. This polo shirt that I’m wearing that says Eric Adams, Mayor of the City of New York, I’m going to wear that for another four years.”
EXCLUSIVE: Franklin Graham praises VP Vance’s stand, critiques his ‘salty’ language in RFK Jr. defense
Rev. Franklin Graham, one of the nation’s most prominent Christian voices, is standing behind Vice President JD Vance after his profane rebuke of senators in a heated social media post over Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital, Graham acknowledged that while he admired Vance’s stand, the vice president’s “salty” choice of words could have been better. “We have had many vice presidents who have used salty language, but the point Vice President Vance was making is correct,” Graham said in the statement. “Could he have used a better choice of words? In my opinion, yes; but I appreciate the vice president standing up for Secretary Kennedy, who is trying to buck a very corrupt system and is trying to improve the health of the American people. God bless Secretary Kennedy and Vice President Vance.” VP VANCE CURSES OUT SENATORS AFTER HEATED KENNEDY HEARING: ‘FULL OF S— AND EVERYONE KNOWS IT’ The exchange followed Vance’s viral X post declaring senators were “full of s—.” Kennedy endorsed the message, one day after more than 1,000 current and former HHS employees called for Kennedy’s resignation. The clash unfolded during a contentious Senate Finance Committee hearing Thursday where Sen. Ron Wyden pressed Kennedy over health policies and accusations of promoting conspiracy theories. Kennedy pushed back, defending his record and policies aimed at challenging pharmaceutical companies. Vance quickly jumped to Kennedy’s defense on X. “When I see all these senators trying to lecture and ‘gotcha’ Bobby Kennedy today all I can think is: You all support off-label, untested, and irreversible hormonal ‘therapies’ for children, mutilating our kids and enriching big pharma. You’re full of s— and everyone knows it,” Vance wrote. Kennedy reposted the comment, thanking him. “Thank you @JDVance. You put your finger squarely on the preeminent problem,” RFK wrote. TRUMP STANDS BY RFK JR. AFTER HEATED SENATE HEARING: ‘I LIKE THE FACT THAT HE’S DIFFERENT’ That defense extended beyond Vance. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also backed Kennedy, framing Democrats’ criticism as proof the secretary is “over the target” in challenging entrenched interests. This is not the first time Graham has weighed in on political leaders’ language. He previously urged President Donald Trump to cut down on his profanity. “Your storytelling is great, but it could be so much better if you didn’t use foul language,” Graham wrote in a letter to Trump, citing Matthew 12:36: “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.” Graham later shared with the Deseret News that Trump often remembered the admonition in his speeches. “It seems like when he slips momentarily, my letter comes to his mind, and he tells the audience about it. So, it must have struck a chord with him,” Graham said. “The president, his pulpit — his microphone — is huge. That microphone goes a long way.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Graham closed his statement to Fox News Digital with a blessing: “God bless Secretary Kennedy and Vice President Vance.” Representatives for Vice President Vance did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News’ Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
Trump picks his Miami Doral resort to host 2026 G20 summit in Florida during nation’s anniversary year
President Donald Trump on Friday announced the 2026 G20 Summit will be hosted at his Doral resort in Miami, Florida. Trump shared the decision during a news conference in the Oval Office, noting the location was ideal due to its proximity to the airport. “It’s going to be a very exciting thing to host the G20,” Trump said. “As we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary next year, the United States will have the honor of hosting exactly that. The G20 summit right here in America, for the first time in nearly 20 years.” TRUMP DORAL MAKES RETURN TO PGA TOUR WITH $20M PURSE MIAMI CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2026 National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett will act as the lead coordinator of the summit, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will organize the agenda, according to the president. Trump noted he would not make any money from the event. During his first term, the Trump administration considered the Doral resort to host the 2020 G7 summit, though the idea was abandoned due to “media & democrat crazed and irrational hostility,” Trump wrote in an October 2019 social media post. TRUMP LOOKS TO SKIP G20 SUMMIT IN SOUTH AFRICA AFTER VIRAL OVAL OFFICE MEETING Citing Florida’s warm December weather, Trump added Miami Mayor Francis Suarez “really wanted it.” Suarez said “it puts us on the global map,” highlighting the positive economic boost. The president confirmed he will not be attending the 2025 G20 in South Africa, instead sending Vice President JD Vance in his place. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TO ATTEND FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP FINAL AT METLIFE STADIUM IN NEW JERSEY The international forum includes 19 developing and developed countries seeking solutions to economic and financial issues. They include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States, along with the European Union and the African Union, according to the G20 website. Meeting locations, dates and attendees vary from year to year. Trump said he has already invited Polish President Karol Nawrocki, who visited the White House Wednesday. The last time the U.S. hosted a full G20 Summit was in 2009 in Pittsburgh during the Obama administration. Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
Loyal Ex-Biden aide says fateful debate against Trump was ‘overblown’ in closed-door House grilling
One of former President Joe Biden’s top spokespeople dismissed the fallout from the former president’s disastrous June 2024 debate performance during a closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee that lasted over five hours. Andrew Bates, who served as White House senior deputy press secretary and worked in Biden’s communications shop for nearly his entire term, said reactions to Biden’s debate against Donald Trump were “overblown,” according to a source familiar with his interview. Bates “ultimately agreed with President Biden’s decision to drop out” after viewing polling data the week Biden made his choice to drop his re-election bid, the source said. A source close to Bates, however, said after he had time to process Biden’s decision and a change in public polling during the final week of Biden’s candidacy, he agreed Biden had made the right decision to withdraw. COMER DISMISSES BIDEN DOCTOR’S BID FOR PAUSE IN COVER-UP PROBE: ‘THROWING OUT EVERY EXCUSE’ He dismissed concerns about Biden’s age as a “polling problem,” however, and wrote off Americans’ concerns about his age and abilities as the product of mainstream media and right-wing critics, according to the first source, similar to previous Biden allies in their closed-door interviews. The former spokesman also described relatively infrequent interactions with Biden and allegedly said Biden only met with his press team a few times in a year. “He would see President Biden in person a little over once a month, but this could be anything from travel, going with him to the Hill or just seeing him in the hallway,” the first source said. But a former Biden White House staffer argued that the press secretary and the communications director were the default representatives of the press and communications team for daily meetings with the president. RON KLAIN DODGES REPORTERS AFTER MARATHON GRILLING IN BIDEN COVER-UP PROBE Bates also allegedly told investigators he supported the sweeping and controversial pardon granted to Hunter Biden toward the end of the president’s term. The second source, however, said Bates told investigators that Biden conducted himself “honorably” when asked whether any of his actions were to benefit his son’s business dealings. That pardon and the hundreds of other clemency orders signed by Biden are of particular interest to the House Oversight Committee. Oversight Committee Republicans are investigating whether Biden’s top White House allies covered up signs of mental decline in the former president and, by extension, are looking into whether executive actions signed by autopen were executed with Biden’s full awareness and approval. Biden himself told The New York Times recently he made every clemency decision on his own. His allies have also blasted the GOP-led probe as a partisan exercise. During his opening statement, obtained by Fox News Digital, Bates defended Biden’s fitness for office while criticizing Trump’s actions as president. “I was proud to support Joe Biden as president because we believe in the same values. In the White House, it was universally understood that Joe Biden was in charge. That is completely consistent with my personal experience with the president,” Bates told House investigators, according to another source. A House Oversight Committee spokesperson blasted Bates as “delusional” and said his opening statement was leaked to the media before he read it in the room. Fox News Digital reached out to Bates via his public relations firm Wolfpack Strategies and his counsel for further comment.
Trump signs order renaming Pentagon back to ‘Department of War’
President Donald Trump on Friday signed his 200th executive order, authorizing the Department of Defense to change its name to the Department of War. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said the new name “sends a message of victory, a message of strength” to the world. “It has to do with winning,” the president added. “We should have won every war. We could have won every war. But we really chose to be very politically correct or woke. “We won the first World War. We won the second World War. We won everything before that and in between. And then we decided to go woke, and we changed the name to the Department of Defense. So, we’re going Department of War.” TRUMP TO RENAME PENTAGON, RESTORING HISTORIC ‘DEPARTMENT OF WAR’ IN LATEST MILITARY MOVE Trump said the name is “a much more appropriate name, especially in light of where the world is right now.” “We have the strongest military in the world. We have the greatest equipment in the world. We have the greatest men. New factories of equipment, by far. There’s nobody to even compete,” he said. Turning to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a smiling Trump said, “I’d like to ask our secretary of war to say a few words.” Hegseth thanked Trump for signing the order, saying, the name change restores the “warrior ethos” to America’s military. HEGSETH VOWS TO REBUILD MILITARY DETERRENCE SO ENEMIES ‘DON’T WANT TO F— WITH US’ “After winning a war for independence in 1789, George Washington established the War Department, and Henry Knox was his first secretary of war. And this country won every major war after that. … One hundred and fifty years after that, we changed the name after World War II from the Department of War to the Department of Defense in 1947, and, as you pointed out, Mr. President, we haven’t won a major war since,” said Hegseth. “This name change is not just about renaming, it’s about restoring,” the secretary said. “Words matter. It’s restoring, as you’ve gotten us to, Mr. President, restoring the warrior ethos, restoring victory and clarity as an end state, restoring intentionality to the use of force.” Hegseth pledged the War Department “is going to fight decisively, not endless conflicts. It’s going to fight to win, not to lose. We’re going to go on offense, not just on defense. Maximum lethality, not tepid legality. Violent effect, not politically correct. “We’re going to raise up warriors, not just defenders. So, this War Department, Mr. President, just like America is back.” ‘GOOD RIDDANCE’: HEGSETH PRAISES ARMY DUMPING COMMAND PROMOTION BOARDS AIMED AT ELIMINATING BIAS The executive order calls for using the Department of War as a secondary title for the Department of Defense, along with phrases like “secretary of war” for Hegseth, according to a White House fact sheet previously shared with Fox News Digital. It’s unclear if Congress, which has the authority to establish federal executive departments, will need to step in to issue final approval on the move. However, Trump expressed confidence the name will stick, saying, “We’re going with it, and we’re going with it very strongly … but we’ll put it before Congress.”
Into the Arena: Hostile Democrats, skeptical Republicans tear into Kennedy on the Hill
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. found himself in the arena Thursday morning. Room 215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building is not a conventional “arena.” It’s the hearing room for the Senate Finance Committee, but circumstances converted the room into such a venue. Kennedy was due to appear before the Senate Finance panel long before August “happened,” but Kennedy’s “August” is what placed special focus on Kennedy’s appearance. RFK Jr. sacked newly-confirmed Centers for Disease Control Director Susan Monarez – four weeks after senators greenlit her nomination – and issued new, stringent, controversial eligibility guidelines for people to receive a COVID-19 booster this fall. TRUMP STANDS BY RFK JR. AFTER HEATED SENATE HEARING: ‘I LIKE THE FACT THAT HE’S DIFFERENT’ The forum was hostile. The hearing for Kennedy quickly devolved into a verbal judo match. He sparred with senators from both parties. They jousted over science and politics, but the heart of the conflict was internal turmoil at the CDC and vaccines. “Do you accept the fact that a million Americans died from COVID?” asked Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., of Kennedy. “I don’t know how many died,” answered Kennedy. Warner was apoplectic. “You’re the Secretary of Health and Human Services. You don’t have any idea how many Americans died from COVID?” asked an incredulous Warner. “I don’t think anybody knows because there was so much data chaos coming out of the CDC,” replied Kennedy. RFK JR AND TOP DEM CLASH DURING HEATED SENATE HEARING: ‘THIS IS ABOUT KIDS’ This bewildered Warner. “The Secretary of Health and Human Services doesn’t know how many people died from COVID? Doesn’t know if the vaccine helped prevent any deaths. And you are the sitting Secretary of Health and Human Services,” continued Warner. “How can you be that ignorant?” That was only part of Democrats unloading on Kennedy. “You’re so wrong on your facts,” the Secretary charged when tangling with Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. The Washington Democrat wasn’t having it. “You’re interrupting me. And, sir, you’re a charlatan,” said Cantwell. “You’re the one who conflates chronic disease with the need for vaccines.” “You are putting America’s babies’ health at risk. America’s seniors’ health at risk. All Americans’ health at risk. And you should resign,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. At one point, RFK Jr. tussled with Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. “You’re evading the question,” Kennedy yelled at the senator. RFK JR. INVOKES DEMOCRAT FATHER’S WORDS TO DEFEND TRUMP-BACKED CDC SHAKEUP AT SENATE HEARING Bennet wouldn’t allow the witness to flip the script. “I’m asking the questions here! I’m asking the questions!” thundered Bennet. “I’m asking the questions on behalf of parents and schools and teachers all over the United States of America who deserve so much better than your leadership.” But the secretary gave as good as he got. “You’re making things up to scare people and it’s a lie,” alleged Kennedy when facing questions from Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H. He went on to accuse Hassan of “crazy talk” and claimed she was “just making stuff up.” BERNIE SANDERS CALLS FOR RFK JR. TO RESIGN AS HHS SECRETARY OVER VACCINE POLICIES: ‘RALLY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE’ Kennedy’s new COVID jab guidelines roiled the hearing. He told Warren that “anyone can get the booster.” “So you’re saying that is now the official rule. Just anybody is eligible to get a booster by just walking into the pharmacy?” queried Warren. “It’s not recommended for healthy people,” Kennedy said. “No, no!” retorted Warren. “If you don’t recommend it, then the consequence of that in many states is that you can’t walk into a pharmacy and get one.” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., is an orthopedist, but even he was vexed by Kennedy’s vaccine vacillation. “In your confirmation hearings, you promised to uphold the highest standards for vaccines,” said Barrasso. “Since then, I’ve grown deeply concerned.” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who is no stranger to calling out the Trump administration, warned Kennedy to tread carefully on vaccines. “We’re playing with fire here,” warned Tillis outside the hearing room. “If the death rates go up for children who aren’t vaccinated, they need to own it. Own it. Don’t say, ‘whoops, we got the science wrong.’” RFK JR DENIES TELLING FORMER CDC DIRECTOR TO APPROVE VACCINE RECOMMENDATIONS Senate Health Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., is a gastroenterologist. He was skeptical of Kennedy’s qualifications for the job – before ultimately voting to confirm him. Cassidy seemed baffled by the secretary’s stance on vaccines. “Do you agree with me that the president deserves a Nobel Prize for Operation Warp Speed?” asked Cassidy about the Trump administration’s effort to fast-track a COVID-19 shot in 2020. “Yeah, absolutely, senator. It’s phenomenal,” Kennedy responded. “But you just told Sen. Bennet that the COVID vaccine killed more people than COVID?” said Cassidy. “Wait! I did not say that!” Kennedy fired back, but Cassidy wasn’t through. “It surprises me that you think so highly of Operation Warp Speed, when as an attorney, you attempted to restrict access,” said Cassidy. MORE THAN 1,000 HHS WORKERS DEMAND KENNEDY RESIGNATION OVER CDC DIRECTOR FIRING AND AGENCY CHANGES During the hearing, Kennedy claimed on multiple occasions that he canned Monarez as CDC chief because she didn’t tell the truth. “Are you telling us that the former head of CDC went to you and you asked, ‘are you a trustworthy person?’ And she said, ‘no, I am not a trustworthy person,’” questioned Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. “She didn’t say ‘no. I’m not a trustworthy person.’ She said ‘no,’” said Kennedy. “Wow!” exclaimed Sanders. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., who is an OB-GYN, defended the firing – even though President Trump nominated Monarez and Marshall just supported her confirmation in July. “I voted for her. I made a mistake. I thought she could do the job. But unfortunately, she’s not part of the President’s mission of Secretary Kennedy turning the CDC upside down,” said Marshall. As we said, August “happened.” VP VANCE CURSES OUT SENATORS AFTER HEATED KENNEDY HEARING:
Justice Barrett defends Jackson jabs as ‘warranted’ in rare public appearance
NEW YORK – Justice Amy Coney Barrett spoke about her recent controversial opinion on universal injunctions on Thursday, saying her stern words for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson in it were appropriate. When asked by the Free Press’ Bari Weiss about her surprisingly sharp comments on Jackson, Barrett said she felt she “set the calibration right” in the majority opinion, which she authored in June. “I thought Justice Jackson had made an argument in strong terms that I thought warranted a response,” Barrett said. Barrett, a Trump appointee, spoke for more than an hour on stage at the Lincoln Center in Manhattan to kick off a string of appearances she is set to make to promote her new book “Listening to the Law” while the Supreme Court is out of session. FEDERAL JUDGES ANONYMOUSLY CRITICIZE SUPREME COURT FOR OVERTURNING DECISIONS WITH EMERGENCY RULINGS “I personally tend not to be spicy for the sake of being spicy, but I am from New Orleans and everyone likes a little Tabasco sometimes,” Barrett said of her opinion on universal injunctions. Barrett’s remarks came in response to a question from Weiss about a high-profile emergency order in which the Supreme Court blocked lower courts from imposing the injunctions on the government. Such injunctions, which the court reviewed in Trump v. CASA, have become a point of contention with the administration as judges routinely block key policies of President Donald Trump, only for the Supreme Court to often reverse those orders on its emergency docket. APPEALS COURT BLOCK TRUMP FROM FIRING FTC COMMISSIONER IN CASE TESTING PRESIDENT’S REMOVAL POWERS Barrett, who authored the opinion banning universal injunctions, accused Jackson of subscribing to an “imperial judiciary” and instructed people not to “dwell” on her colleague’s dissent. Speaking on stage to the packed auditorium, Barrett said she has the “deepest respect for Jackson” and stressed that she was not attacking Jackson personally. “We just disagreed about the scope of judicial power,” Barrett said. “I attack ideas. I don’t attack people,” Barrett added, attributing the quote to the late Justice Antonin Scalia, for whom she once clerked. Barrett, a closely watched justice who has raised eyebrows for deviating from her conservative colleagues’ opinions on occasion, was adamant that she and all of her colleagues were amicable. In a “lightning round” of questions, she was asked to describe each of the justices in one word. “Chief,” she quickly replied when asked about Justice John Roberts. Justice Neil Gorsuch got “out west,” and her word for Justice Brett Kavanaugh was “sports.” On Jackson, Barrett paused before landing on “actor, Broadway.” This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Trump to speak at Museum of the Bible on religious liberty in education
President Donald Trump will deliver remarks Monday at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., during a high-profile hearing on religious liberty in education, a White House official confirmed to Fox News. The speech coincides with the second meeting of the Religious Liberty Commission, a panel Trump created earlier this year through an executive order as part of his new White House faith office. The commission’s mission is to safeguard Americans’ ability to practice their religion freely, particularly in public education, and to identify what the administration calls “emerging threats” to First Amendment protections. TRUMP ADMIN ISSUES NEW GUIDANCE TO PROTECT RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION ACROSS FEDERAL WORKFORCE At Monday’s hearing, parents and students are expected to testify about their experiences of expressing their faith in public schools, with Attorney General Pam Bondi also scheduled to speak. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement to Fox News: “The previous administration abused the federal government’s power to interfere with Americans’ First Amendment right to religious freedom. They even used the Department of Justice to target peaceful people of faith, specifically Christians.” TRUMP GATHERS CEOS FOR UNPRECEDENTED FAITH, ECONOMY MEETING TO RENEW US ‘SPIRITUALLY AND FINANCIALLY’ “This is exactly why President Trump established the Religious Liberty Commission — to stop the emerging threats against Americans’ inalienable right to practice their religion freely. President Trump is the greatest defender for people of faith in modern history and will continue to protect and promote America’s founding principle of religious freedom,” Rogers concluded. The event follows Trump’s second inaugural address earlier this year, when he framed his survival of the assassination attempt in Butler, Pa., as divine intervention, declaring, “I was saved by God to make America great again.” The renewed focus comes as courts and lawmakers continue to wrestle with religion in public schools. The Daily Wire first reported the White House’s plans for the hearing. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The event is anticipated to spotlight President Trump’s continued effort to make religious freedom a defining issue of his presidency and re-election narrative, placing emphasis on faith in God as a cornerstone of American life.
Hegseth vows to rebuild military deterrence so enemies ‘don’t want to f— with us’
COLUMBUS, Ga. — During a trip to Fort Benning on Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the department is working on reestablishing deterrence “so that when the enemy sees an American, they don’t want to f— with us.” The comments came after Hegseth spoke at an Officer Candidate School (OCS) graduation ceremony, where candidates were commissioned as second lieutenants in the Army or ensigns in the Navy. Following the ceremony, he made remarks at the Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course luncheon, sharing stories about his children wanting Army Ranger shirts, and noting the proudest moment of his life would be saluting them if they earned it. TRUMP TO RENAME PENTAGON, RESTORING HISTORIC ‘DEPARTMENT OF WAR’ IN LATEST MILITARY MOVE Hegseth also touched on military priorities under the Trump administration, noting the Department of Defense’s focus is rebuilding the military to ensure it has the best possible equipment from the warfighter perspective, across all services. “And then reestablishing deterrence, so that when the enemy sees an American, they don’t want to f— with us,” Hegseth said. “Because they know they’ll get the business end of the best warrior on the planet. We’re reestablishing that. Whether it’s midnight hammer, or freedom of navigation or narco-traffickers that are poisoning the American people.” WHITE HOUSE ADVANCES PLAN FOR DEPARTMENT OF WAR AS TRUMP LOOKS TO RESTORE HISTORICAL MILITARY TITLE He said the world knows that when President Donald Trump speaks, he means business, adding that the graduates are the faces of that deterrence. “It’s you that we remember and we think of when we make decisions,” Hegseth said. “It’s the job of policymakers and leaders in our positions to look down and say, ‘We’ve asked you to do tough things, we’re going to have your back when you do it. We’re going untie your hands and make sure you can unleash hell in Yemen.’ Absolute violence of action. “We’re going to push decision-making authority down to you, the platoon level, the company level, the battalion unit level, as much as possible.” HEGSETH VOWS TO RESTORE WARRIOR MENTALITY AND RAISE STANDARDS IN SWEEPING MILITARY TRANSFORMATION During the trip, the secretary also teased that the Defense Department may have a new name on Friday, which Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy and Emma Colton were first to confirm. Trump will sign an executive order allowing the department to use the Department of War as a secondary title, along with phrases like “secretary of war” for Hegseth. The order also directs Hegseth to propose legislative and executive actions to make the name change permanent. Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy and Emma Colton contributed to this report.