Fetterman still enthusiastically supportive of Stefanik for US ambassador to UN: ‘Always was a hard YES’
After speaking with Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., reaffirmed his support for the congresswoman’s nomination to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. “Always was a hard YES for @EliseStefanik but it was a pleasure to have a conversation. I support defunding UNRWA for its documented Hamas infiltration and fully look forward to her holding the @UN accountable for its endemic antisemitism and blatant anti-Israel views,” Fetterman said in a post on X. The senator made the comments when retweeting Stefanik, who shared a photo of herelf and Fetterman doing a double thumbs up for the camera. FETTERMAN SLAMS LEGAL CASES AGAINST TRUMP, HUNTER BIDEN IN FIRST TRUTH SOCIAL POST: ‘CASES WERE BOTH BULLS—’ “Thank you to @SenFettermanPA for hosting a very productive meeting where we discussed our shared commitment to standing with Israel and combating antisemitism,” Stefanik said in her post. “Senator Fetterman shared his ideas for strong national security leadership and I highlighted my ideas on implementing President @realDonaldTrump’s America First peace through strength national security agenda,” Stefanik added Last month, President-elect Donald Trump announced Stefanik as his choice for the role of U.S. ambassador to the UN. FETTERMAN HAILS RUBIO AS ‘STRONG CHOICE’ FOR SECRETARY OF STATE, SAYS HE WILL VOTE TO CONFIRM HIM Fetterman described Stefanik and Sen. Marco Rubio, who Trump tapped to serve as Secretary of State, as “serious, qualified individuals,” indicating last month that he planned to vote in favor of confirming both of them. The Democratic lawmaker, an unflinching supporter of Israel, accused the UN of “rank, pervasive antisemitism,” noting, “I look forward to voting for @RepStefanik to continue a strong and unapologetic pro-Israel position.” After Trump tapped Dr. Mehmet Oz — who lost Pennsylvania’s 2022 U.S. Senate contest to Fetterman — to serve as Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator, Fetterman indicated that he was open to supporting confirmation. FETTERMAN WOULD BE WILLING TO CONFIRM DR. OZ — ON ONE CONDITION CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “If Dr. Oz is about protecting and preserving Medicare and Medicaid, I’m voting for the dude,” Fetterman noted.
Scholarship programs slapped with lawsuits for alleged discrimination against White men
FIRST ON FOX: Two scholarship programs for “underrepresented” minorities are being slapped with lawsuits for allegedly discriminating against White people. The nonprofit organization Do No Harm (DNH) is challenging the Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons’ (SOMOS) E. Anthony Rankin Scholarship Program on behalf of a DNH member who said he could not continue with the application process because he is a White male. The program, which is “meant for underrepresented medical students,” matches students with a “U.S. Military host” at one of two medical centers, the complaint states. The program spans four weeks, during when students can receive up to $12,000 “to cover ‘travel, housing, and daily per diem for the duration’ of their time hosted by the military,” the filing reads, quoting the program’s website description. SUPREME COURT REJECTS BOSTON PARENTS’ APPEAL CLAIMING RACIAL BIAS IN ADMISSIONS POLICY “Member A was hurt and dismayed that SOMOS would use his race — which he cannot control — to preclude him from participating in the program and learning from some of the country’s most distinguished orthopaedic surgeons in service of our nation’s military and veteran communities,” the complaint states. DNH also named as defendants Director of the Defense Health Agency Telita Crosland and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, as well as others in their official capacities, arguing that they are violating the Fifth Amendment by operating “in partnership with SOMOS, a race-based service-learning program” for students interested in orthopedic surgery. “But the program excludes white, male applicants,” the complaint states. DNH is asking for a permanent injunction barring enforcement of the program’s requirements and, if necessary, “a preliminary injunction barring Defendants from enforcing the program’s racial requirement.” GORSUCH MAKES IT CLEAR THAT NIXING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION WAS STOPPING RACE DISCRIMINATION DNH is also challenging the University of Colorado’s “Underrepresented Minority Visiting Elective Scholarship” on behalf of one member “who is ready and able to apply for the scholarship” but cannot because of his race. The scholarship is offered via the university medical school’s Radiation Oncology Department within the school’s visiting elective rotation. The scholarship covers “up to ‘$2,000 reimbursement’ for ‘the cost of lodging, travel, and related expenses for [the] four-week elective,’” the initial complaint states. In order to apply for the scholarship, the visiting medical student must comply with several requirements, including being enrolled at an accredited medical school and being in good standing. The applicant is also required to submit a “brief statement of interest.” “Scholarship is prioritized based on the applicant’s interest in pursuing a career with underserved populations, service, leadership, and academic achievement,” the filing says, quoting the scholarship description found on the school’s website. “But the scholarship is not open to everyone,” the complaint states. The filing says the scholarship specifies eligibility is open to those “‘who identif[y] with groups who are recognized as historically underrepresented in medicine including but not limited to African American/Black, Native American, Hispanic/Latino, Pacific Islander, LGBTQ+, or those from a disadvantaged socioeconomic background.’” The website itself says the scholarship includes but is “not limited to” those races. The complaint states the plaintiff is a DNH member and “meets all nonracial eligibility requirements” for the scholarship. PARENTS ASK SUPREME COURT TO TAKE UP CASE TO RESTORE OPT-OUTS FOR INSTRUCTION ON GENDER AND SEXUALITY “Although Member A meets all the nonracial eligibility requirements and would be a strong candidate for the scholarship, Member A is not eligible to apply because he is a white, straight male and does not identify as any other ethnicity,” the complaint says. DNH is seeking a declaratory judgment that the scholarship violates the Equal Protection Clause and Title VI, as well as a permanent injunction “barring Defendants from seeing or considering applicants’ race when selecting the recipients” for the scholarship. “When we’re all on the operating table with a broken leg, we want the best surgeon. We don’t want someone based on the color of their skin, and we want merit,” Dr. Jared Ross, Senior Fellow with Do No Harm, told Fox News Digital. “And unfortunately, in the name of diversity — which is a laudable goal, having people from different backgrounds — we have essentially instituted discrimination and racial quotas to get to what the other side calls ‘equity.’” The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the use of race as a factor in college admissions in a 6-3 decision in 2023. The justices decided two separate legal challenges over just how Harvard University – a private institution – and the University of North Carolina – a public one – decide who fills their classrooms. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Student activist group Students for Fair Admissions brought cases against both universities. The group initially sued Harvard in 2014 for violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which “prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity that receives Federal funds or other Federal financial assistance.” Fox News Digital reached out to SOMOS, the Defense Department and the University of Colorado for comment.
Illinois governor says ‘violent’ illegal immigrants should be deported, open to meeting with Trump officials
The Democratic governor of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker, says he agrees with one part of border czar appointee Tom Homan’s historic mass deportation campaign under the incoming Trump administration. Pritzker was responding to comments made by Homan at the Northwest Side GOP gathering that happened Monday evening, according to FOX 32 Chicago, where he threatened to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. The move would impact tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants in Chicago and Illinois. “Violent criminals who are undocumented and convicted of violent crime should be deported,” Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference, the local station reported. “I do not want them in my state, I don’t think they should be in the United States.” Homan has said no one is off the table when it comes to deportations, although public safety threats will be the priority. He directly mentioned Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson in his remarks. CHICAGO RESIDENTS SLAM THE ‘STUPIDITY’ OF MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON’S LIBERAL POLICIES DURING CITY COUNCIL MEETING “If your Chicago mayor doesn’t want to help, he can step aside,” Homan said. “But if he impedes us, if he knowingly harbors an illegal alien, I will prosecute him.” Pritzker has said he would welcome a meeting with Homan or the incoming Trump administration, according to FOX 32, but no one has reached out to him. NEW DATA REVEALS AMERICA HAS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF NONCITIZENS FROM US ADVERSARY WITH DEPORTATION ORDERS Illinois republicans not only urge Pritzker to work with Homan, but say the state should repeal sanctuary laws that generally limit law enforcement’s cooperation with ICE. Currently, 1.4 million noncitizens have deportation orders but are not currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention, according to new figures obtained by Fox News. The top countries of nationals on the list include Mexico (252,044), Guatemala (253,413), Honduras (261,651) and El Salvador (203,822). Other countries include China, which has 37,908 nationals on the docket with final orders of removal, Haiti (32,363), Iran (2,618), Pakistan (7,76), Uzbekistan, (975) and Venezuela (22,749). Fox News’ Adam Shaw and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
5 biggest FBI scandals during Christopher Wray’s tenure as director
FBI Director Christopher Wray announced that he will step down from the helm of the federal law enforcement agency ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. “After weeks of careful thought, I’ve decided the right thing for the Bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current Administration in January and then step down,” Wray said during a town hall on Wednesday, announcing his resignation. “My goal is to keep the focus on our mission – the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day. In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the Bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.” Fox News Digital looked back on the director’s last seven years with the federal agency, compiling five of the biggest controversies that rocked the bureau, as well as the Biden administration overall. WHO IS KASH PATEL? TRUMP’S PICK TO LEAD FBI HAS LONG HISTORY VOWING TO BUST UP ‘DEEP STATE’ Approximately 30 armed FBI agents converged on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida in August 2022 to execute a search warrant regarding classified documents in the former president’s possession. The unprecedented raid included agents rifling through former and upcoming first lady Melania Trump’s wardrobe. The agents seized 33 boxes of documents amid the search warrant. “He invaded my home. I’m suing the country over it. He invaded Mar-a-Lago. I’m very unhappy with the things he’s done. And crime is at an all-time high. Migrants are pouring into the country that are from prisons and from mental institutions, as we’ve discussed. I can’t say I’m thrilled,” Trump said of Wray during an interview with NBC that aired Sunday. Earlier this year, it was revealed the Biden administration authorized the use of deadly force during the raid. The jarring revelation added fuel to the fire of conservatives slamming the raid, though the FBI clarified that the same language was used in a similar search warrant for President Biden’s Delaware home. SPECIAL COUNSEL, IRS WHISTLEBLOWERS SAY DON’T BUY BIDEN ‘SPIN’ ABOUT HUNTER BIDEN LEGAL SAGA Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, who called for Wray’s resignation in a scathing letter earlier this week, argued there were “serious questions” revolving around the raid considering Trump had been cooperating with investigators regarding the classified documents. “This raid occurred despite serious questions about the need for it. President Trump apparently was cooperating with the investigation, notwithstanding liberal press reports. He voluntarily turned over 15 boxes of documents months before the FBI’s drastic escalation,” Grassley continued, adding that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton never faced such a raid “even though she and her staff mishandled highly classified information while using a non-government server.” Trump, in reaction to Wray’s resignation, again railed against the “illegal” raid on Mar-a-Lago. RAID ON TRUMP’S MAR-A-LAGO ESTATE QUESTIONED BY SOME LEGAL SCHOLARS “Under the leadership of Christopher Wray, the FBI illegally raided my home, without cause, worked diligently on illegally impeaching and indicting me, and has done everything else to interfere with the success and future of America. They have used their vast powers to threaten and destroy many innocent Americans, some of which will never be able to recover from what has been done to them,” he wrote on Truth Social. Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee in July and defended that he “would not call it a raid” on Mar-a-Lago, instead saying the FBI conducted “the execution of a lawful search warrant.” GRASSLEY RIPS WRAY’S ‘FAILED’ LEADERSHIP AT FBI WITH 11 PAGES OF EXAMPLES IN BLISTERING ‘NO CONFIDENCE’ LETTER In January 2023, conservative lawmakers slammed an internal FBI memo from the Richmond field office, titled “Interest of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Almost Certainly Presents New Mitigation Opportunities.” The memo identified “radical-traditionalist Catholic[s]” as potential “racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists” and said that “racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists (RMVEs) in radical-traditionalist Catholic (RTC) ideology almost certainly presents opportunities for threat mitigation through the exploration of new avenues for tripwire and source development.” The memo was rescinded, but lawmakers scrutinized Wray as to why Americans were targeted due to their religious beliefs – which defies the U.S. Constitution. Twenty Republican lawmakers wrote in a letter to Wray last year, saying that the memo “singled out traditional Catholics for their pro-life views, accusing RTCs of ‘hostility towards abortion-rights advocates’ in the aftermath of the Dobbs decision…” “This specific call out to pro-life views is of even greater concern, considering the slow rate of investigation and response to the violent attacks that a number of pro-life pregnancy centers and Catholic Churches have experienced since the Dobbs decision was leaked in May of last year,” they wrote. Wray said in a 2023 Senate Judiciary hearing that, “We do not and will not conduct investigations based on anybody’s exercise of their constitutionally protected religious [expression].” HEAVILY REDACTED RECORDS SHOW FBI’S TARGETING OF CATHOLICS WENT BEYOND WHAT IT CLAIMED: WATCHDOG The FBI also came under fire during Wray’s tenure when the FBI raided a home and arrested a pro-life man in Pennsylvania in 2022. Mark Houck, a Catholic dad of seven who would often pray outside a Philadelphia abortion clinic, was arrested at his rural Pennsylvania home in Kintnersville by the FBI. The arrest stemmed from an altercation he had with a Planned Parenthood escort in Philadelphia in October 2021. Houck was accused of pushing the abortion clinic escort, who allegedly verbally harassed Houck’s 12-year-old son outside the clinic. The Biden administration alleged Houck violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which makes it a federal crime to use force with the intent to injure, intimidate and interfere with anyone because that person provides reproductive health care. Houck was acquitted by a jury last year after arguing that he was protecting his son. He and his wife Ryan-Marie argued the FBI used excessive force during the arrest, filing a lawsuit against the DOJ earlier
Americans rate Trump’s Cabinet picks in new poll
While a majority of American voters questioned in a new Fox News poll say they are hopeful about the re-election of President-elect Donald Trump, they are divided when it comes to the president-elect’s top nominees who will likely serve in his upcoming second administration. Fifty-four percent of respondents in the survey, which was conducted Dec. 6-9 and released on Wednesday, said Trump’s election victory last month in the White House race over Vice President Kamala Harris made them hopeful. However, when asked about the president-elect’s cabinet selections, which include some unconventional nominees, 47% of those polled said they approved, with 50% disapproving. It was the same response when asked about billionaire Elon Musk serving as a close adviser to the president-elect during the transition from President Biden’s administration to the Trump administration, with 47% approving and 50% disapproving. TRUMP ALLIES TURN UP THE HEAT ON GOP SENATE HOLDS IN NOMINATION SHOWDOWN Two other polls also conducted in recent days and released on Wednesday shed additional light on how Americans feel about the incoming administration and how Trump’s handling the process of building out his government. According to a CNN poll, 54% of Americans say they expect Trump to do a good job as president once he takes over the White House. Additionally, 55% said they largely approve of how the president-elect is handling the transition. That is a higher percentage compared to eight years ago, when Trump first won the White House, but it is still well behind other recent presidents, according to CNN polling. CHECK OUT OUR NEW FOX NEWS POLL ON TRUMP AND HIS TRANSITION Meanwhile, 47% of people questioned in a Marist Poll gave the former and future president a thumbs up when it comes to how he is handling the transition, with 39% disapproving and 14% unsure. Not surprisingly, the polls point to a massive partisan divide on the question. In the Marist survey, 86% of Republicans approved of how the GOP president-elect is handling the transition. However, 72% of Democrats disapproved. Among independents, 43% disapproved and 38% approved. “Although more people support Trump’s transition than oppose it, more independents are taking a wait-and-see position than more partisan voters,” Marist Institute for Public Opinion Director Lee Miringoff said. Miringoff added that “a note of caution for President-elect Trump is that fewer voters approve of the transition than gave a thumbs up to either Biden or Obama at this point.” GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP’S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR? The release of the polls came as Trump’s cabinet picks continued to meet with senators on Capitol Hill ahead of confirmation hearings starting next month. Trump named his nominees for his cabinet and his choices for other top administration officials at a faster pace than he did eight years ago after his first White House victory. However, his transition has already faced some setbacks, including his first attorney general nominee, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, ending his bid for confirmation amid controversy over allegations he paid for sex with underage girls. Trump last weekend made his first international trip since winning last month’s election, and he was courted by world leaders during a stop in Paris. Trump will be inaugurated Jan. 20. Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.
DC councilman a step closer to facing expulsion after law firm finds he violated code of conduct
Washington, D.C., councilman Trayon White edged closer to expulsion this week after an investigative report found he violated multiple city code of conduct provisions. Despite being arrested by the FBI on a federal bribery charge in August, White, a Democrat representing Ward 8, recently secured a third term on Election Day in a landslide victory. While the federal criminal case remains pending, the report, commissioned by an ad hoc committee and conducted by the law firm Latham & Watkins LLP, was submitted to the council on Monday following an independent probe into whether White violated applicable D.C. law, the D.C. Code of Conduct, or Council Rules. The council is meeting next Monday to deliberate the findings and consider whether to recommend sanctions against White. The councilman has pleaded not guilty to allegations he accepted $156,000 in cash payments in exchange for using his position to pressure government employees at the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) and Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) to extend several D.C. contracts. The federal complaint says the contracts were valued at $5.2 million and were for two companies to provide “Violence Intervention” services in D.C. DC COUNCILMEMBER FACING FEDERAL BRIBERY CHARGES WINS LANDSLIDE RE-ELECTION, BUT COLLEAGUES MAY OUST HIM D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson established the ad hoc committee in August. White has declined multiple offers to meet with the committee since. Councilman Kenyan McDuffie, who chairs the ad hoc committee, said the investigation found “substantial evidence” that White’s alleged conduct connected to the bribery claims violated several provisions of the D.C. Council’s Code of Official Conduct, FOX 5 DC reported. McDuffie said that the report does not support allegations White violated residency requirements outlined in the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973. DC COUNCILMAN STUFFED POCKETS WITH ENVELOPES OF CASH IN ALLEGED BRIBERY SCHEME, FEDS ALLEGE White has not publicly commented on the report’s findings. The investigation spanned 11 weeks and involved 22 interviews with officials from multiple D.C. agencies, including DYRS, ONSE and the Office of Risk Management; current and former members of White’s staff; leaders in the violence intervention community and other individuals believed to have information related to the allegations against White. The law firm also reviewed relevant documents and records obtained from D.C. agencies and thousands of emails from the official accounts of White and his staff. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The report says White declined both requests to be interviewed by the law firm.
Trump border czar meeting with NYC Mayor Adams despite sanctuary city status
Incoming border czar Tom Homan will meet with New York City Mayor Eric Adams in the Big Apple on Thursday where they will discuss the city’s ongoing migrant crisis and ways of deporting criminal illegal migrants who have been terrorizing the city’s streets. The pair is scheduled to meet at City Hall at 1 p.m. and then hold a press conference at 3 p.m., according to the mayor’s office. The main focus of the meeting is to weed out migrant criminals in the sanctuary city and deport them, as opposed to those who are undocumented, a source familiar with the matter tells the New York Post. VIOLENT VENEZUELAN GANG TREN DE ARAGUA SPREADS TO ONE OF AMERICA’S MOST REMOTE STATES Homan, a hardliner on immigration, has vowed to enforce Trump’s promised crackdown on illegal immigration and carry out his mass deportation agenda. Homan has said he wants to primarily deport those migrants who pose a threat to national security and public safety. Adams has at times been critical of the federal government, including the Biden Administration, for its lack of financial support over the last four years as New York City has struggled to cater for the unprecedented influx of migrants — costing taxpayers billions of dollars. The blue city has seen more than 225,000 migrants arrive since 2022, a surge that coincided with a spike in migrant crime in the city with the bloodthirsty Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua getting a foothold in the city. Migrant arrivals have dropped sharply in recent weeks, with Adams attributing the dip to executive orders by the Biden administration that have limited the ability to claim asylum in the U.S. and have been tied to a sharp drop in apprehensions at the border itself. He also linked it to strategies taken by the city itself to help relocate migrants, including case management and offering tickets to 47,000 migrants so they can reach their “preferred destinations.” Trump has threatened to withhold federal funding to sanctuary cities who do not cooperate with Trump’s deportation agenda. ‘WE’VE TURNED THE CORNER’: BLUE CITY ANNOUNCES SHUTTERING OF MIGRANT SHELTERS AS NUMBERS DROP The city’s sanctuary city status stems from a 1979 class action suit brought against then-Gov. Hugh L. Carey and Mayor Ed Koch that resulted in the “Callahan Decree” – which instituted a right-to-shelter for homeless men. It has since been used as a tool to attempt to shelter homeless migrants who have descended on the city. Adams has previously criticized it being applied to migrants. Adams has been taking a more hawkish approach to illegal immigration in recent weeks, announcing that 25 shelters are in the city and state are being closed in the next few months. He has also suggested that immigrants charged with crimes do not necessarily deserve due process. “We’re going to continue looking for more sites to consolidate and close, and more opportunities to save taxpayer money, as we continue to successfully manage this response,” Adams said on Tuesday. Adams has taken a more muscular approach to illegal immigration than some of his Democratic counterparts in other blue cities across the country, some of whom have promised resistance to the plan by the incoming Trump administration. He has indicated his willingness to work with Homan on the deportation of illegal immigrants with criminal convictions while stressing the importance of work authorization, case management and protection from deportation for those who have not committed violent crimes while here. “I would like to speak with our border czar and find out what his plans are. Where our common grounds are, we can work together. And I strongly believe, my history is sitting down with those across the aisle with different ways of thinking and sit down and share my ideas,” Adams said last week. “I believe I have some ideas that could deal with this issue, and we can reach what the American people have been saying to us: secure our borders, address the people who are committing violent acts in our country and make sure that … our citizens are going to be safe.” Adams apparent shift to the right even left some speculating that Adams may rejoin the Republican Party, a prospect he didn’t rule out last week. Meanwhile, voters in the state of New York support the deportation of illegal immigrants, according to a new poll. The Siena College New York State Poll found that 54% of respondents say the state should support any Trump administration efforts to deport migrants living illegally in the state, compared to 35% of respondents who oppose the plans. Strong support for President-elect Donald Trump’s deportation plan was found throughout the state, including New York City. Fox News’ Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
Sen. Bernie Sanders says upcoming term will ‘probably’ be his last
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. — who just won re-election to another six-year Senate term last month — has said that his upcoming term will likely be his last. “I’m 83 now. I’ll be 89 when I get out of here. You can do the figuring. I don’t know, but I would assume, probably, yes,” Sanders said when asked if his fourth term will be his final term, according to Politico. Fox News Digital reached out to Sanders’ office to request comment from the senator. BERNIE SANDERS EXCORIATES DEMOCRATIC PARTY, CALLS CAMPAIGN ‘DISASTROUS’ AFTER TRUMP VICTORY The left-wing lawmaker, who took office in 2007, will begin another Senate term next month. He had previously served in the House chamber for 16 years from early 1991 through early 2007. Sanders lost a Democratic presidential primary bid to Hillary Clinton in 2016, then tried again during the next presidential election cycle, but ultimately dropped out. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who is currently 91-years-old, won re-election in 2022 at the age of 89, and will be 95 by the end of his current term. BERNIE SANDERS ADMITS ‘ELON MUSK IS RIGHT’ TO SLASH PENTAGON WITH DOGE: ‘LOST TRACK OF BILLIONS’ Sanders unloaded on the Democratic Party after President-elect Donald Trump’s decisive victory in the presidential contest last month. “It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them. First, it was the white working class, and now it is Latino and Black workers as well,” Sanders declared. “Will the big money interests and well-paid consultants who control the Democratic Party learn any real lessons from this disastrous campaign?” he asked. SENATE REJECTS BERNIE SANDERS’ EFFORT TO BLOCK WEAPONS SALES TO ISRAEL CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Will they understand the pain and political alienation that tens of millions of Americans are experiencing? Do they have any ideas as to how we can take on the increasingly powerful oligarchy which has so much economic and political power? Probably not,” he said in the statement.
Biden commutes 1,500 jail sentences, grants pardons for 39 others: ‘Largest single-day grant of clemency’
President Biden has commuted jail sentences for nearly 1,500 people and granted 39 pardons, marking the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history, the White House announced Thursday morning. Sentences were commuted for inmates placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and who “have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities,” according to the announcement. The 39 individuals pardoned were convicted of non-violent crimes. WHO ELSE MIGHT BIDEN PARDON AFTER HE SPARED HUNTER FROM SENTENCING? “The President has issued more sentence commutations at this point in his presidency than any of his recent predecessors at the same point in their first terms,” the White House said. The move comes as the president faces bipartisan scrutiny for pardoning his son, Hunter, of felony gun and tax charges. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
Trump allies turn up the heat on GOP Senate holdouts in nomination battles
As President-elect Trump and his transition team steer his cabinet nominees through the landmines of the Senate confirmation process, top MAGA allies are joining the fight by putting pressure on GOP lawmakers who aren’t fully on board. “There will be no resource that we won’t use to go after those U.S. senators that vote against Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks or his other nominees,” longtime Trump outside adviser Corey Lewandowski told Fox News this week. Fueled by grassroots support for Trump and his nominees, the president-elect’s political team and allies are cranking up the volume. Exhibit A: Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa. NEW POLLS REVEAL WHAT AMERICANS THINK OF THE TRUMP TRANSITION Ernst, the first female combat veteran elected to the Senate, is considered a pivotal vote in the confirmation battle over Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee for defense secretary. Hegseth, an Army National Guard officer who deployed to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and who until last month was a longtime Fox News host, has been the focus of a slew of media reports spotlighting a series of drinking and sexual misconduct allegations, as well as a report alleging he mismanaged a veterans nonprofit organization that he once led. FIRST ON FOX: HOUSE GOP MILITARY VETS ON NEW MISSION — BACKING HEGSETH Hegseth has denied allegations that he mistreated women, but did reach a financial settlement with an accuser from a 2017 incident to avoid a lawsuit. He has vowed that he won’t drink “a drop of alcohol” if confirmed as defense secretary. Ernst, a member of the Armed Services Committee, which will hold Hegseth’s confirmation hearings, took plenty of incoming fire after last week publicly expressing hesitance over Hegseth’s nomination. While Trump publicly praised Hegseth late last week, as the nomination appeared to be teetering, top allies of the president-elect took aim at Ernst, who is up for re-election in 2026 in red-state Iowa. GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP’S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR? Donald Trump Jr., the president-elect’s oldest son and MAGA powerhouse, took to social media to target Ernst and other potentially wavering Republican senators. “If you’re a GOP Senator who voted for Lloyd Austin [President Biden’s defense secretary], but criticize @PeteHegseth, then maybe you’re in the wrong political party!” he posted. Top MAGA ally Charlie Kirk quickly took aim at Ernst with talk of supporting a primary challenger to her. “This is the red line. This is not a joke.… The funding is already being put together. Donors are calling like crazy. Primaries are going to be launched,” said Kirk, an influential conservative activist and radio and TV host who co-founded and steers Turning Point USA. Kirk, on his radio program, warned that “if you support the president’s agenda, you’re good. You’re marked safe from a primary. You go up against Pete Hegseth, the president, repeatedly, then don’t be surprised, Joni Ernst, if all of a sudden you have a primary challenge in Iowa.” Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, a top Trump supporter in last January’s first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses, wrote a column on Breitbart urging Hegseth’s confirmation. While she didn’t mention Ernst by name, Bird took aim at “D.C. politicians” who “think they can ignore the voices of their constituents and entertain smears from the same outlets that have pushed out lies for years.” HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FROM FOX NEWS ON THE TRUMP TRANSITION And longtime Iowa-based conservative commentator and media personality Steve Deace took to social media and used his radio program to highlight that he would consider launching a primary challenge against Ernst. Ernst, who stayed neutral in the Iowa caucuses before endorsing Trump later in the GOP presidential primary calendar, may have gotten the message. After meeting earlier this week for a second time with Hegseth, Ernst said in a statement that her meeting was “encouraging” and that she would “support Pete through this process.” But Ernst’s office told Fox News that “the senator has consistently followed the process, which she has said since the beginning, and doing her job as a United States senator.” It’s not just Ernst who has faced the fire from Trump allies and MAGA world. Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, one of four remaining GOP senators who voted in the 2021 Trump impeachment trial to convict him, is also up for re-election in 2026 in a reliably red state. Cassidy is now facing a formal primary challenge from Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming, a senior adviser in the first Trump administration. Sen. Mike Rounds, another Republican up for re-election in two years in GOP-dominated South Dakota, has also been blasted by Kirk, as well as by top Trump ally and billionaire Elon Musk. And staunch Trump supporter Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama had a warning for Republican Senate colleagues who may oppose the president-elect’s nominees. “Republicans: If you’re not on the team, get out of the way,” he told FOX Business. Whether these early threats from Trump allies turn into actual primary challenges in the next midterm elections remains to be seen. And ousting a senator is no easy feat. It’s been a dozen years since an incumbent senator was defeated during a primary challenge. But Trump’s team and allies are playing hardball in the wake of former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., the president-elect’s first attorney general nominee, ending his confirmation bid amid controversy. There has been a full-court press by Trump’s political orbit to bolster Hegseth — in order to protect him and some of the president-elect’s other controversial Cabinet picks. “If Trump world allowed a couple of establishment senators to veto a second nominee, it would have led to a feeding frenzy on Trump’s other nominees, and so the thinking in Trump world was we have to defend Pete not just for the sake of defending Pete, but also for the sake of defending our other nominees,” a longtime Trump world adviser, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, told Fox News. Fox News’ Emma Colton, Cameron Cawthorne,