Anxious Republicans demand action from House leaders as GOP retreat ends without budget plan
DORAL, Fla. — The House GOP’s three-day annual retreat has ended without public progress on Republicans’ budget reconciliation plans, and some lawmakers are getting nervous about falling behind schedule. “After two days at our House Republican winter retreat, we still do not have a plan on budget reconciliation and our Speaker and his team have not offered one,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., wrote on X Wednesday morning. “Basically, just get started doing something. We have only been presented with the same policy and budget cut proposals that we have been presented with for a month now at all our meetings and at a full Saturday conference meeting earlier this month.” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters on Tuesday that an initial “blueprint” would be “prepared by tomorrow, by the time we leave.” TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS The budget reconciliation process allows the majority party in the House and Senate, in this case Republicans, to pass a broad-ranging conservative policy overhaul, provided the contents are relevant to the budget and other fiscal matters. It does so by lowering the threshold for passage in the Senate from 60 votes to 51. It starts with a budget resolution that includes instructions for specific committees to work toward changes to fiscal policy law under their respective jurisdictions, including topline numbers. When asked by reporters about whether he expects those broad toplines to emerge on Wednesday morning, Johnson said, “We’ll be getting to that final number. What we’ve emphasized, with our group, is that we want to have some flexibility in the how the instructions are given to the committees.” “Stay tuned for the number. It will be substantial, because it has to be. I mean, we have a $36 trillion federal debt, and we’re committing that in this process. Anything we do is going to be deficit neutral at least or deficit-reducing,” he said. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT DOGE AND ITS QUEST TO SLASH GOVERNMENT WASTE, SPENDING Johnson said later in the press conference, “The objective is to, by the time we leave here today, to have a blueprint that will inform the budget committee for when they work on that budget resolution.” The details and parameters of that blueprint are not immediately clear. By Wednesday afternoon, however, a majority of lawmakers who were staying at President Donald Trump’s golf resort in Doral, Florida left without a sense of their next steps. “I think the general feeling is leadership needs to make a play call and start executing on it,” one House GOP lawmaker told Fox News Digital. Asked if they were optimistic about leaders making that call soon, the lawmaker said, “They better if they want to get this done.” Another House Republican said the meetings were “productive” but with a caveat — “as long as leadership takes our input, ideas and concerns seriously.” Other GOP lawmakers signaled they were exasperated by weeks of “listening sessions” among Republicans that have not led to specific directives from House leaders. But Johnson was confident that the House Budget Committee would have its “blueprint” to work from when Congress is back “when we return to the hill” – which is next week. “That’s going to happen, and we’ll get it through the whole chamber, and we’ll be voting on that by late February,” he said.
Dozens of former FBI agents rally around Kash Patel’s confirmation: ‘Lives have been shattered’
FIRST ON FOX: A nationwide group of former Federal Bureau of Investigation agents has sent a letter to Senate leadership in support of Trump FBI Director nominee Kash Patel making the case that the bureau is “broken” and in desperate need of a new direction. “As a group of retired FBI Special Agents and former Intelligence Analysts from across the country dedicated to restoring public trust in the FBI and returning the FBI to its original mission, we support President Trump’s nomination of Kash Patel as the FBI’s next Director,” the letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, signed by over 50 former and retired FBI agents from Reform The Bureau said. The letter was sent to Republican Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Dick Durbin, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “Many Americans have lost faith in the FBI, and for good reason,” the letter explains. “The FBI is broken. And with this loss of trust has come a rise in threats at home and abroad. Drug cartels and Mexican gangs have taken control of the border and have infiltrated cities across the country bringing violent crime and drugs with them. At the same time, China has grown more brazen, engaging in espionage that robs U.S. businesses of their intellectual property and undermines our national security.” FORMER TRUMP OFFICIALS REJECT WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIM THAT FBI DIRECTOR NOMINEE KASH PATEL BROKE HOSTAGE PROTOCOL “Terrorist groups are on the rise again in the Middle East, with unknown numbers having flooded into our country over the past four years through a wide-open border. Just as these many, varied threats have increased, the FBI has been used as a tool in the weaponization of the Department of Justice to go after its political enemies. Lives have been shattered and the targets of these weaponized investigations have been forced to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars of their own personal funds to defend themselves and their reputations. This needs to stop.” The former agents wrote that the bureau is in “desperate need of a highly capable, non-partisan, and legally compliant FBI it can trust” right now “more than ever” and made the case that Patel is the person to make that a reality. The letter explained that as both a public defender and prosecutor, Patel has “operated on both sides of the justice system,” which gives him a “unique perspective” to understand the need to both enforce the law and respect the rights of the accused. ‘JUST LIKE TRUMP’: ISIS MURDER VICTIM KAYLA MUELLER’S PARENTS ENDORSE PATEL FOR FBI FOLLOWING MILITARY OP ROLE “As a former congressional aide, he understands the importance of congressional oversight and the need for the FBI to be responsive and transparent to members of Congress as they perform this important function,” the letter states. “And as a former Executive Branch national security official who has served at the National Security Council, at the Directorate of Intelligence, and at the Pentagon, he understands the scope of national security threats our country faces. Mr. Patel also understands how organizations such as the FBI function and collaborate with other agencies to keep America safe, and the need for highly capable but legally compliant agencies to take on these threats and protect the American people.” “Never has the FBI faced such an urgent and compelling need for comprehensive reform as it does today. Mr. Patel has proven he possesses the breadth of experience required to address these challenges. His leadership, expertise, and vision make him uniquely qualified to guide the FBI through this pivotal moment. For these reasons, we stand in full support of Kash Patel’s nomination.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, Patel spokesperson Erica Knight said, “The endorsement from these former FBI agents and intelligence analysts underscores what so many Americans already know—Kash Patel is the principled leader we need to restore trust in the FBI and refocus it on its core mission of protecting the American people.” Patel is set to join the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday as the final leg of his nomination process kicks off in earnest. Patel has been on Capitol Hill meeting with Senate lawmakers to rally support for his nomination, earning praise from conservative lawmakers such as Tennessee Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, as well as endorsements from key law enforcement groups, such as the National Sheriffs’ Association. Patel is expected to face an uphill battle overall to secure the nomination, as Democrats balk that he lacks the qualifications to lead the law enforcement agency and would politicize the agency. Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report
Disgraced ex-Sen. Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years in bribery case
A judge sentenced disgraced former Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez to 11 years in prison on Wednesday, concluding his trial for a “long-running bribery and foreign influence scheme of rare gravity.” The sentence is the harshest ever handed down to a U.S. senator. Breaking down in tears, Menendez pleaded with U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein for mercy in a New York City courtroom. “I have lost everything,” he said. “Other than family, I have lost everything I care about. Every day I am awake is punishment. I am far from a perfect man… in half-century of public service, I have done far more good than bad.” Before handing down his punishment, Stein said: “I take no pleasure in this sentence.” DEMOCRATIC SEN. BOB MENENDEZ GUILTY ON ALL CHARGES IN FEDERAL CORRUPTION TRIAL “You are quite right about your work. You worked your way up to a senator, to the chair of foreign relations committee,” Stein told Menendez. “You were successful, powerful, stood at apex of political system. All letters are proof. Somewhere along the way, you lost your way.” Prosecutors had requested a 15-year sentence for Menendez, 71, after he was convicted on July 24 on 16 counts of bribery, extortion, conspiracy and obstruction of justice. He is the first U.S. Senator in American history to be convicted of working as a foreign agent. His co-defendants, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were also sentenced to 8 years and 7 years respectively. “As proven at trial, the defendants engaged, for years, in a corruption and foreign influence scheme of stunning brazenness, breadth, and duration, resulting in exceptionally grave abuses of power at the highest levels of the Legislative Branch of the United States Government,” prosecutors wrote. Menendez’ conviction came after a nine-week-long trial. The former Democratic lawmaker was accused of accepting gifts totaling more than $100,000 in gold bars as well as cash. The disgraced Democrat was accused and convicted of participating in a yearslong bribery scheme involving the governments of Egypt and Qatar. Menendez’s wife, Nadine, who is set to go on trial on March 18, also allegedly participated in the scheme. She is accused of receiving paychecks for a job that did not exist. BOB MENENDEZ TO RESIGN FROM SENATE AMID DEMOCRATIC PRESSURE AFTER GUILTY VERDICT “Menendez, who swore an oath to represent the United States and the state of New Jersey, instead put his high office up for sale in exchange for this hoard of bribes,” prosecutors wrote ahead of the sentencing. Menendez, who was charged in 2023, made history in July 2024 when he became the first US senator to be convicted of acting as a foreign agent. His conviction came after a nine-week-long trial. The former Democratic lawmaker was accused of accepting gifts totaling more than $100,000 in gold bars as well as cash. Jamie Joseph, Rachel Wolf, and Maria Paronich contributed to this report
Trump’s ultimatum to federal workers: Return to office ‘or be terminated’
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that federal employees must return to in-person work by early February or “be terminated,” the latest in a string of actions announced by the new administration as it looks to crack down on remote work. Trump addressed the changes Wednesday at the White House shortly before signing into law the immigration-focused Laken Riley bill. Asked about the new requirements for federal workers, Trump said, “We’re requiring them to show up to work or be terminated.” WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT DOGE AND ITS QUEST TO SLASH GOVERNMENT WASTE, SPENDING His remarks come just hours after the Office of Personnel Management, or OPM, began emailing roughly 2 million federal employees on Tuesday, offering them the equivalent of a buyout if they do not return to in-person work within a specified time frame. Employees have until Feb. 6 to decide whether to take the buyouts, OPM said, noting that most employees will be required to show up in person five days a week. Those who choose not to continue their roles in person would be provided with what the email said would be a “dignified, fair departure from the federal government utilizing a deferred resignation program.” Employees who resign were also told they will retain all pay and benefits regardless of workload and will be exempt from in-person work requirements until Sep. 30, 2025. “We think a very substantial number of people will not show up to work, and, therefore, our government will get smaller and more efficient,” Trump told reporters of the plan Wednesday. “And that’s what we’ve been looking to do for many, many decades.” ‘GET BACK TO WORK’: HOUSE OVERSIGHT TO TAKE ON GOVERNMENT TELEWORK IN 1ST HEARING OF NEW CONGRESS He also suggested federal employees may be asked to “prove” they did not have another job during the period of remote work, a difficult issue to correct for given that an estimated 8.6 million U.S. residents work multiple jobs, or roughly 5.2% of the U.S. workforce, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “We may ask these people to prove that they didn’t have another job during their so-called employment with the United States of America, because if they did, that would be unlawful,” Trump said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “A lot of people are getting paychecks, but they’re actually working other jobs, so they’ll have to prove that to us that they weren’t,” Trump said. Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this article.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: RFK Jr slams Dem senator’s ‘dishonest’ narrative
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -White House still committed to freezing ‘woke’ funds despite rescinding OMB memo -Conservatives hammer Dem senator’s ‘droning monologue’ during RFK Jr hearing –Justice Department moves to drop prosecution of Mar-a-Lago staff in Trump classified docs case HHS Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden were involved in a tense exchange on Capitol Hill where Kennedy accused the senator of intentionally misrepresenting his past comments. Wyden, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, which held a confirmation hearing for Kennedy on Wednesday, pressed the nominee on comments made on podcasts in recent years. “During a podcast interview in July of 2023, you said, ‘no vaccine is safe and effective.’ In your testimony today, in order to prove you’re not anti-vax, you note that all your kids are vaccinated, but in a podcast in 2020, you said, and I quote, ‘you would do anything pay anything to go back in time and not vaccinate your kids,’” Wyden said to Kennedy…Read more FIGHTING BACK: Trump’s new legal team begins appeals process for Manhattan conviction…Read more ‘EXTRAORDINARY CELEBRATION’: Trump to create task force to plan ‘extraordinary celebration’ for 250th anniversary of America’s independence…Read more ‘MY BOSS LOVES’ THEM: RFK Jr. vows he won’t take cheeseburgers away, just highlight health issues…Read more ‘CORRECTED IT MANY TIMES’: RFK Jr rips Dem senator for pushing ‘dishonest’ narrative on past vaccine comments: ‘Corrected it many times’…Read more BONDI AT BAT: Trump AG pick Pam Bondi clears Judiciary Committee, will get confirmation vote in Senate…Read more DEEPSEEK DANGER: GOP Sen Josh Hawley seeks to cut off all US-China collaboration on AI development…Read more ‘RAW DEAL’: Thomas Massie and Mike Lee advocate for US to dump NATO…Read more HAMAS, SMELL YOU LATER: President Donald Trump to deport Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, defund CRT with new executive orders…Read more ‘TREATED UNFAIRLY’: Howard Lutnick, Trump Commerce secretary pick, says it’s ‘nonsense’ that tariffs cause inflation…Read more SCORCHED EARTH: RFK Jr.’s former running mate threatens political war against confirmation opponents…Read more ‘COMMUNITY IS SAFER’: Noem says ‘worst of the worst’ arrested in NYC raid targeting criminal illegal immigrants…Read more SMELT TEST: Trump order overrides California’s fish-protecting rules to maximize water supply…Read more CAUGHT ON CAM: Los Angeles wildfires: Lawsuit alleges video shows what started Eaton Fire…Read more Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Trump to sign executive order to prepare Guantanamo Bay for 30K ‘criminal illegal aliens’
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he would sign an executive order for the Pentagon to prepare Guantanamo Bay to detain 30,000 “criminal illegal aliens.” “Today I’m also signing an executive order to instruct the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to begin preparing the 30,000 person migrant facility at Guantanamo Bay,” Trump said. “Most people don’t even know about it.” TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TOUTS 969 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTS IN ONE DAY: ‘HERE ARE SOME OF THE WORST’ He said they need 30,000 beds to house the detainees, adding that putting them there will ensure they do not come back. “It’s a tough place to get out of,” Trump added.
No 2 Republican Steve Scalise lays out government funding strategies, with fiscal deadlines looming
DORAL, Fla. — House Republicans have their work cut out for them in the coming weeks, with three fiscal deadlines looming and President Donald Trump pushing for a very active first 100 days of his administration. Congressional GOP leaders are working on a massive conservative policy overhaul via the reconciliation process. By lowering the threshold for passage in the Senate from 60 votes to a simple 51-seat majority, it allows the party in power to advance their policy goals into law, provided those policies deal with budgetary and other fiscal matters. “We want to deliver on all the things that President Trump talked about during the campaign… including no tax on tips, which was one of those early items that the president talked about, but also ensuring no tax increases happen. We can fully fund our border security needs, making sure we build the wall out, that we give more technology and tools to our Border Patrol agents,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told Fox News Digital. “We can produce more energy in America… try to get rid of some of these crazy rules and regulations that add so much cost for no good reason to families.” TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS Scalise said it would be “much more robust” than Republicans’ last reconciliation bill passed in 2017 – the last time the GOP controlled Congress and the White House. His optimism comes as congressional Republicans still appear divided over how best to enact their plans. Senate Republicans and some GOP hardliners in the House have argued that trying to pass a bill with border and energy policies first would give Trump a quick win, while allowing more time for more complex issues like taxes. But House leaders are concerned that, given Republicans last passed two reconciliation bills in one year in the 1990s with much larger majorities, the two-track strategy could allow Trump’s 2017 provisions to expire and raise taxes on millions of families. “You have to start somewhere. We’re starting with one package,” Scalise said. “No disagreement on the details of what we’re going to include.” Meanwhile, lawmakers are also contending with the debt ceiling being reinstated this month after it was temporarily suspended in a bipartisan deal during the Biden administration. At least one projection suggests Congress will have until mid-June or earlier to deal with it or risk financial turmoil that comes with a downgrade in the U.S.’s national credit rating. And coming on March 14 is the deadline to avert a partial government shutdown, which Congress has extended twice since the end of the previous fiscal year on Oct. 1. The No. 2 House Republican floated the possibility of combining those latter two deadlines. “The Appropriations Committee, which is not directly involved in budget reconciliation, is simultaneously having a negotiation with the Senate on government funding, you know, working with the White House to make sure it meets President Trump’s priorities,” Scalise said. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT DOGE AND ITS QUEST TO SLASH GOVERNMENT WASTE, SPENDING “I would imagine the debt ceiling could very well be a part of that conversation in that negotiation.” Scalise spoke with Fox News Digital at the House GOP’s annual retreat, held this year at Trump’s golf club in Doral, Florida. Lawmakers huddled behind closed doors for three days to hash out a roadmap for grappling with their multiple deadlines and enacting Trump’s agenda. They also heard from the president himself, as well as Vice President JD Vance. Trump has on multiple occasions called on Republicans to act on the debt limit to avoid a U.S. credit default. Vance told Republicans on Tuesday that Trump wanted them to do so without giving leverage to Democrats – a weighty task given some GOP hardliners’ opposition to raising or suspending the limit over the U.S.’s $36 trillion national debt. House GOP leaders can currently only afford one defection to still pass a bill along party lines. They’ve been forced to seek Democratic support on government funding multiple times, including most recently in December. With no topline agreement reached and roughly 19 days in session before the March 14 deadline to avert a partial government shutdown, it’s becoming increasingly likely that congressional leaders will have to combine all 12 annual appropriations bills into one massive “omnibus,” a move also generally opposed by GOP hardliners. “I think we’re getting closer,” Scalise said of a topline number for fiscal year 2025 spending. “The House and Senate were apart by a pretty sizable amount of money. They’re trying to negotiate that down to get a resolution.”
Trump signs Laken Riley Act into law as first legislative victory in new administration
President Donald Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law Wednesday, marking the first piece of legislation to become law in his second administration. “This horrific atrocity should never have been allowed to happen,” Trump told reporters Wednesday ahead of signing the legislation. “And as president, I’m fighting every single day to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again.” The measure, which advanced through the House and Senate in January, directs Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain illegal immigrants arrested or charged with theft-related crimes, or those accused of assaulting a police officer. The law also allows states to sue the Department of Homeland Security for harm caused to their citizens because of illegal immigration. CONGRESS SENDS LAKEN RILEY ACT TO TRUMP’S DESK AS FIRST BILL OF GOP’S WASHINGTON TAKEOVER The law’s name honors a nursing student who was killed during a jog on the University of Georgia’s campus by an illegal immigrant. Jose Ibarra, who previously had been arrested but never detained by ICE, received a prison life sentence for killing 22-year-old Laken Riley. Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, expressed her gratitude at the signing for everyone who pushed to advance the legislation. “We also want to thank President Trump for the promises he made us,” Phillips said. “He said he would secure our borders and that he would never forget about Laken. And he hasn’t. He’s a man of his word.” Riley’s father, John, and sister, Lauren, also were present at the signing. The measure received support from all House Republicans and 48 Democrats, and all Senate Republicans and 12 Senate Democrats. Trump touted the bipartisan effort Wednesday. “With today’s action, her name will also live forever in the laws of our country,” Trump said. “And this is a very important law. This is something that has brought Democrats and Republicans together. That’s not easy to do. Laken did it. Laken did it. America will never, ever forget Laken Hope Riley.” Meanwhile, critics of the measure claim that the law will pave the way for mass detention, including for those who’ve committed minor offenses like shoplifting. Sarah Mehta, senior border policy counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement after the Senate voted to advance the measure ahead of a final vote, “This is an extreme and reactive bill that will authorize the largest expansion of mandatory detention we have seen in decades.” LAKEN RILEY ACT PASSES HOUSE WITH 48 DEMS, ALL REPUBLICANS “While we are disappointed this bill will pass the Senate, it is notable that so many senators opposed it and recognized the need for actual immigration reform — not the chaos and cruelty this legislation will unleash,” Mehta said. Trump promised to crack down on illegal immigration during his campaign, and declared a national emergency at the southern border following his inauguration. He also immediately ordered the expulsion of migrants without the possibility of asylum. On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt cautioned foreign nationals considering entering the U.S. that they will be detained and kicked out of the country. TIDAL WAVE OF BORDER SECURITY BILLS HIT HOUSE AS REPUBLICANS MOVE FAST ON DC TAKEOVER “So to foreign nationals who are thinking about trying to illegally enter the United States, think again,” Leavitt told reporters Tuesday at the White House press briefing. “Under this president, you will be detained and you will be deported. Every day, Americans are safer because of the violent criminals that President Trump’s administration is removing from our communities.” Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
RFK Jr tells lawmakers that ‘every abortion is a tragedy’ at confirmation hearing
Every abortion is a “tragedy,” President Donald Trump’s Health and Human Services nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., told lawmakers Wednesday. While Kennedy previously voiced support for abortion even in the late stages of pregnancy, Kennedy told the Senate Finance Committee Wednesday he would carry out Trump’s policy priorities concerning abortion. “I agree with President Trump that every abortion is a tragedy,” Kennedy said at his confirmation hearing. “I agree with him that we cannot be a moral nation if we have 1.2 million abortions a year. I agree with him that the states should control abortion. President Trump has told me that he wants to end late-term abortions, and he wants to protect conscience exemptions.” “I serve at the pleasure of the president,” Kennedy said. “I’m going to implement his policies.” MULTIPLE OUTBURTS ERUPT AT RFK JR HEARING: ‘YOU ARE’ According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 625,978 abortions were reported from 48 areas in 2021. Trump has said on multiple occasions that he supports abortion in certain instances, and said that “powerful exceptions” for abortion would remain in place under his administration. Meanwhile, Kennedy has altered his position on abortion several times in the past year. Kennedy, a former Democrat who ran as an independent presidential candidate in the 2024 election, has historically stated that he doesn’t believe the government should step in with a woman’s choice to end a pregnancy, despite his “personally pro-life” stance. RFK JR RIPS DEM SENATOR FOR PUSHING ‘DISHONEST’ NARRATIVE ON PAST VACCINE COMMENTS: ‘CORRECTED IT MANY TIMES’ In May, Kennedy said he supported abortions in the third trimester, although he later followed up and said he does back some restrictions. Kennedy’s views appeared at odds with one another, and Democratic lawmakers said they were “confused” by his answers on abortion. “Mr. Kennedy, I’m confused. You have clearly stated in the past that bodily autonomy is one of your core values. The question is, do you stand for that value or not?” Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., said during the confirmation hearing. “When was it that you decided to sell out the values you have had your whole life in order to be given power by President Trump?” RFK JR. LIKELY TO BE CONFIRMED AS HEALTH SECRETARY, DR. SIEGEL SAYS Other lawmakers voiced concerns about Kennedy’s nomination, including Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. “Frankly, you frighten people,” Whitehouse said, after claiming that there was a measles outbreak in Rhode Island for the first time since 2013 amid a broader discussion about Kennedy’s stance on vaccines. Kennedy pushed back on “news reports” that he is anti-vaccine and anti-industry in his opening statements Wednesday, noting that all his children are vaccinated. He also has previously said that he isn’t interested in taking “away anybody’s vaccines.” Fox News Digital’s Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
TikTok suppressed content critical of Trump and 2020 election controversy, exclusive report alleges
EXCLUSIVE: As the Trump administration works to keep TikTok legally available in the United States, the wildly popular app has suppressed content critical of President Donald Trump, according to a new report shared exclusively with Fox News. TikTok maintains the report has reached a false conclusion, and that the researchers used terms subjected to additional safety measures because they’ve been associated with election misinformation or profanity. The report, from the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) at Rutgers University, contained findings that “highlight TikTok’s ability to act as a powerful influence tool, adaptable to partisan politics, but with no inherent incentive for transparency or accountability.” CHINESE AI STARTUP DEEPSEEK FACING HACK, BLOCKS QUESTIONS ABOUT COMMUNIST PARTY TIES “What you’re seeing is not sweeping policies around content moderation that can be battle tested by the public or by researchers,” said Adam Sohn, an NCRI board member. “TikTok seems to be just sort of picking and choosing their policies based on political expediency, and that’s a big concern.” NCRI said it analyzed TikTok, X, and Instagram “to evaluate their handling of specific hashtags associated with the 2020 election controversy” and that researchers received a response that “explicitly indicated content suppression based on TikTok’s enforcement of its community standards.” The group said terms such as “#RiggedElection,” “#VoterFraud,” “#StopTheSteal,” and “#StolenElection” returned no results on TikTok in the U.S. Researchers said that when they searched using software that swapped their domestic location for one overseas, those terms produced video results. Screen grabs provided by NCRI show a Jan. 24 TikTok search for “#F***JoeBiden” that returned 37,000 results. A search the same day for “#F***Trump” returned none. Three days later, Fox News replicated the search and there were videos listed under both. REPUBLICAN STATE AGS AWAIT TRUMP-BROKERED TIKTOK DEAL, REMAIN SKEPTICAL ON APP SAFETY “The concern is that the Chinese Communist Party and Bytedance and TikTok itself can consistently tweak its algorithm to cover up its tracks,” Sohn said. “Our policies and algorithms haven’t changed in the last week,” said a TikTok spokesperson. The company maintains hashtags regarding the 2020 election controversies have promoted election misinformation, which is why they’ve been unavailable. TikTok contends that because the anti-Trump and anti-Biden search terms contain profanity, the app can limit those results. The company also says it’s experiencing technical issues as it’s trying to return its service to normal. Last year, Congress passed a bipartisan law that would ban TikTok if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, failed to sell the app by Jan. 19. Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law. ByteDance still owns TikTok, but Trump signed an executive order delaying the ban’s enforcement for 75 days while his administration tries to negotiate an agreement for the app to comply with the law and keep it operating in the U.S. NCRI has issued several reports on TikTok, concluding its search algorithm produced results to construct a favorable view of China’s government. TikTok has denied that allegation, calling NCRI’s work “flawed” and “clearly engineered to reach a false, predetermined conclusion.” In its arguments against TikTok, the Justice Department under the Biden administration cited NCRI’s reports. Cybersecurity experts told Fox that algorithms for apps like TikTok are held closely by their parent companies and can be difficult to evaluate. “Doing sort of this community management of these vast social media platforms, especially TikTok, which is so popular, is a Herculean task,” said Theresa Payton, a cybersecurity expert and the White House Chief Information Officer in the George W. Bush administration. “It could be that as they were making tweaks to handle capacity, to be able to more closely evaluate things that could be perceived as election interference, things that are considered hate speech.” Others note social media companies have sizable teams working with automated software to moderate content on their platforms. “Someone interprets something as in terms of a violation [that] may not match with someone else – it all sort of has to add up to a pattern,” said Pete Pachal, the Founder of The Media Copilot, a newsletter on AI changing media and journalism. “In the report, they do a very good job of showing that this pattern of supposed repression … content not appearing in searches does tend to happen more in one direction, and that should arouse a certain amount of suspicion.”