Trump’s choice for FCC chairman says agency ‘will end its promotion of DEI’ next year
President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for chairman of the Federal Communications Commission said early Monday morning that the agency’s focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) will end next year. Brendan Carr, who currently serves as the senior Republican member of the FCC, posted a snippet of the agency’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2025 on X, which stated that its second-highest strategic goal is promoting DEI. “The FCC’s most recent budget request said that promoting DEI was the agency’s second highest [sic] strategic goal. Starting next year, the FCC will end its promotion of DEI,” Carr wrote. The only strategic goal listed before promoting DEI was pursuing a 100% broadband policy. TRUMP TAPS FCC MEMBER BRENDAN CARR TO LEAD AGENCY: ‘WARRIOR FOR FREE SPEECH’ The agency said in part that it wanted to “gain a deeper understanding of how [its] rules, policies, and programs may promote or inhibit advances in diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.” The goal would be reached by pursuing “focused action and investments” to eliminate any barriers that “perpetuate disadvantaged or underserved individuals and communities,” the FCC’s FY2025 budget said. “In addition, the FCC recognizes that it is more effective when its workforce reflects the experience, judgment, and input of individuals from many different backgrounds,” the section concluded. “Advancing equity is core to the agency’s management and policymaking processes and will benefit all Americans.” BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN PUSHED MORE THAN 500 ‘DEI ACTIONS’ ACROSS GOVERNMENT, REPORT FINDS The four goals listed after promoting DEI were, empower consumers, enhance public safety and national security, advance America’s global competitiveness and foster operational excellence. Carr followed up his initial post with a GIF captioned: “When it comes to the FCC’s promotion of DEI, I have just one thing to say: Afuera (get out)!” Trump announced Carr as his choice for FCC chairman on Sunday, describing him as a “warrior for free speech” and someone who will “ensure that the FCC delivers for rural America.” Carr, who was initially appointed to the commission in 2017 under Trump’s first term and continued working for the agency under President Biden, has been confirmed unanimously by the Senate three times.
Pentagon bracing for sweeping changes after Trump nominates Pete Hegseth for secretary
The Pentagon is bracing for sweeping policy changes under the incoming Trump administration, and some high-level officers could find their careers on the chopping block. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host and veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, to lead the Defense Department – an iconoclast whose pick roiled the defense industrial base. With Hegseth, the Trump administration is expected to undo diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) accommodations and training within the military. “If you want to have a sex change or a social justice seminar, then you can do it somewhere else, but you’re not going to do it in the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, Space Force or the United States Marines. Sorry,” Trump said at an Aug. 21 rally in Asheboro, North Carolina. “The military brass that led these absurd and insulting initiatives will likewise be removed, and they will no longer be in command. They’re going to be gone, gone so fast.” TRUMP NOMINATES PETE HEGSETH TO SERVE AS DEFENSE SECRETARY Longtime generals and high-level officers at the Pentagon could find their jobs under threat – even those who don’t typically qualify as political appointees. “Well, first of all, you got to fire, you know, you got to fire the chairman of the Joint Chiefs,” Hegseth said on the “Shawn Ryan Show” podcast last week. “Any general that was involved – general, admiral, whatever – that was involved in any of the DEI woke s**t, it’s got to go,” he added. Hegseth also wrote in his recent book, “The War on Warriors”: “Our generals are not ready for this moment in history. Not even close. The next President of the United States needs to radically overhaul Pentagon senior leadership to make us ready to defend our nation and defeat our enemies. Lots of people need to be fired.” “At the Pentagon, you can fire generals. Unlike, say, the CIA or the Department of Justice, where it’s hard to fire senior officials, because they’re protected,” said former Rep. Chris Stewart, who has been consulting the transition team on Department of Defense matters. The transition team is considering a draft executive order that establishes a “warrior board” of retired senior military personnel who would have the power to review three- and four-star officers and recommend removal of any who are unfit for leadership, the Wall Street Journal first reported. TRUMP’S PICKS SO FAR: HERE’S WHO WILL BE ADVISING THE NEW PRESIDENT Trump may quickly score favor with social conservatives and defense hawks by rolling back an executive order President Joe Biden signed that lifted a ban on transgender people from serving in the military. Transgender people were allowed to begin openly serving in the military in 2016 under an executive order of the Obama administration. But in 2017, Trump announced he would reimpose that ban. “Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail,” Trump said in a social media post at the time. Trump’s ban ordered the discharge of anyone diagnosed with gender dysphoria, and prompted a flurry of lawsuits. The Trump Pentagon is also expected to roll back a Biden-era policy allowing troops to obtain leave and reimbursement if they need to leave the state where they are stationed to seek an abortion. The policy is rarely ever taken advantage of – the Department of Defense found that only 12 people used it over the course of six months from August to December 2023. Conservatives have pushed to block the policy since Biden adopted it after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The Pentagon requested funding to the tune of $114 million for DEI initiatives in 2024. That money was to be used for “programs and initiatives aimed at furthering DEIA, and incorporating DEIA values, objectives, and considerations in how we do business and execute our missions.” Expect a major undoing of diversity initiatives. “DEI amplifies differences, creates grievances, and excludes anyone who won’t bow down to the cultural Marxist revolution ripping through the Pentagon. Forget DEI — the acronym should be DIE or IED. It will kill our military worse than any IED ever could,” Hegseth wrote in Chapter 8. “The Left isn’t just interested in purging Trump supporters. Their ideology is based on marginalizing whatever’s normal, because they think ‘normal’ is always oppressive. By their logic, the military runs on the most normal and most oppressive thing of all: strong men. Just being a guy who hits the gym means you’re oppressing everyone around you,” he wrote. “A big reason for fewer training accidents is – less training. More time than ever is being spent on social justice PowerPoint moralizing – and meeting those metrics in today’s military is the most important standard to meet,” he wrote. “Every unit knows that social justice, trans, gender, woke training is the top priority. Not doing this training, or not doing it properly, will get a commander or junior leader fired. Not doing real field training becomes secondary.”
What is reconciliation, the tool Republicans want to use to ‘push the outer limits’ on federal policy?
Republicans are already making big plans for the 119th Congress, many of which center on using a legislative maneuver called reconciliation. GOP leaders have suggested they are planning a mammoth-sized bill to implement President-elect Trump’s tax policies, lower the federal deficit and enact conservative policies early next year. Reconciliation is a way to fast-track legislation on issues like taxes, the debt limit and federal spending by bypassing the Senate’s 60-vote threshold for passage, instead lowering it to a simple 51-vote majority. Republicans also accuse Democrats of pushing the boundaries of what’s acceptable in a reconciliation bill, and have signaled they may take a similar path in pushing for stricter border security measures while loosening restrictions on American energy production. MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN AFTER TRUMP ENDORSEMENT “Though there are Senate rules limiting what we can fit in budget reconciliation, I want us to be bold and creative so we can include as many reforms in this package as possible,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., wrote to House Republicans earlier this month. “Democrats expanded what is traditionally allowed in reconciliation, and we intend to do the same. Now is the time to go big to advance conservative policies that will make our country prosperous and secure again.” Generally, reconciliation is only used once per year, and lawmakers usually reserve it for instances where they hold both houses of Congress. MATT GAETZ FACES GOP SENATE OPPOSITION AFTER TRUMP SELECTION FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL In recent history, most reconciliation bills have been started in the House of Representatives, where the Constitution dictates tax policy must originate. House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, whose committee will be at the forefront of crafting the reconciliation bill, told Fox News Digital he is already working with House GOP leaders and his Senate counterparts on the legislation. “We’re going to push the outer limits to include as much pro-growth strategy as we can. One of those would be regulatory reform,” Arrington said. “Another one will be border security and immigration reform.” The third goal Arrington raised was “to unravel the chokehold on domestic energy production.” “We have H.R. 2, and then we have H.R. 1, the two big legislative priorities for our conference – secure the border and unleash American energy,” he said. “I think the things in there that can be included in reconciliation and pass the Byrd rule. We’re going to be aggressively advancing those policies.” The “Byrd rule” refers to the Senate parliamentarian weighing a reconciliation bill for what measures are relevant to budgetary and tax policy, and what must be removed. Democrats wanted to use reconciliation in 2021 to pass progressive immigration policies that would have included granting citizenship to millions of people, including those brought to the U.S. illegally as children. REPUBLICANS PROJECTED TO KEEP CONTROL OF HOUSE AS TRUMP PREPARES TO IMPLEMENT AGENDA They also attempted to include a federal $15 minimum wage in a reconciliation bill – a charge led by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. But the parliamentarian ruled against both of those proposals. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP It remains to be seen what Republicans will be able to include in their bill next year. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, a lot of restoration to do on the fiscal side,” Arrington said. “It’s part pro-growth strategies, and the other is part bending the curve on spending, and especially focused on mandatory spending. And I think there are a lot of straightforward ways to do it, common sense things that the American people from both sides of the political aisle will say are long overdue.”
Trump would need congressional approval to dissolve Education Department, experts say
President-elect Trump wants to abolish the Department of Education (DOE), but experts suggest the incoming commander in chief would need congressional approval before doing so. “One thing I’ll be doing very early in the administration is closing up the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., and sending all education and education work it needs back to the states,” Trump said on the campaign trail. As Trump solidifies his agenda for a second term, attorneys explained the legal process he would have to go through before proceeding with plans to dissolve the federal department. Andrew Stoltmann, an attorney and law professor, told Fox News Digital Trump would need approval from a supermajority in Congress to do away with the DOE. BETSY DEVOS JOINS TRUMP’S CALL TO ‘DISBAND’ THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND ‘RE-EMPOWER’ FAMILIES “President Trump does not have the ability to eliminate a federal department. Eliminating it would require congressional action, including a supermajority of 60 votes in the Senate,” Stoltmann said. “So, even if Trump can follow through with what he says, he has to pull in some Democrats in the Senate, and that will likely be impossible.” TRUMP PLANS TO SHIFT SCHOOL FUNDING CONTROL TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES, HAS YET TO PICK DOE SECRETARY Stoltmann suggested the most realistic scenario is if Trump appoints someone aligned with his agenda to head the department. “He would need 60 votes in the Senate, and the realistic chances of that are virtually zero,” he told Fox. “Trump‘s best bet is to appoint somebody who will effectively be a figurehead at the Department of Education. This doesn’t eliminate the department, but it effectively neuters it during his term.” Jamie E. Wright, a political pundit and founder of the Wright Law Firm, told Fox that to dissolve the department, Congress would need to pass new legislation that addresses the laws establishing and sanctioning the department. “To pass such a bill successfully into law would require backing from members of Congress for the president’s agenda to advance smoothly through the legislative process — an endeavor that may present obstacles should opposition arise from legislators who consider the Department of Education crucial in ensuring consistent national educational guidelines and federal funding allocation for education initiatives,” Wright told Fox. “Removing an agency could pose a challenge due to the need for widespread political backing, unity in Congress and broad public approval.” Republicans have called to dismantle the agency for decades since former President Carter established the department in 1979. Former President Reagan championed abolishing the education department and that decisions regarding schools be determined at the local level. Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., introduced legislation in 2023 to “abolish the Department of Education and to provide funding directly to states for elementary and secondary education,” but the bill did not pass. If the department remains intact, there are several candidates rumored to be potential candidates to head the education unit under Trump, including his former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
Gaetz-gate: Navigating the President-elect’s most baffling Cabinet pick
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., may be done with Congress. But Congress is not done with him. And as President-elect Trump’s pick to serve as Attorney General, Gaetz is apparently not done with Congress, either. Gaetz negotiated with Mr. Trump to become Attorney General on a flight to Florida – just hours after the incoming President spoke to House Republicans in Washington last week. Mr. Trump then made Gaetz his pick and the Florida Republican resigned. What wasn’t known at the time was that the House Ethics Committee was on the precipice of releasing a report investigating allegations of “sexual misconduct” and “illicit drug use” by Gaetz. Gaetz stopped cooperating with the House investigation over the summer. The FBI probed Gaetz for years – but dropped its inquiry in February. The Ethics Committee dashed a planned meeting where it likely would have published information about its inquest regarding Gaetz on Friday. But since Gaetz is no longer a Member of Congress, the committee supposedly is powerless to act. THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO POTENTIALLY RELEASING THE ETHICS COMMITTEE REPORT ON GAETZ House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., said the following on Wednesday when asked about the Gaetz probe – but before the Florida Republican resigned. “Once the investigation is complete, then a report will be issued – assuming that at that time, that Mr. Gaetz is still a Member of Congress. If Mr. Gaetz were to resign because he is taking a position with the administration as the Attorney General then the Ethics Committee loses jurisdiction at that point. Once we lose jurisdiction, there would not be a report that would be issued. That’s not unique to this case,” said Guest. Other Ethics Committee members tried to sidestep discussion of Gaetz. “I’m not making any comments on that. I’m on the Ethics Committee so I’m staying clear of that,” said Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla. “Can you still release the report?” asked Rachel Scott of ABC. “Nope. Sure can’t,” replied Rutherford, turning toward Scott. A NARROW MARGIN: TRUMP TAPS HOUSE REPUBLICANS FOR HIS SECOND ADMINISTRATION That is generally how the House Ethics Committee rolls when it comes to outstanding investigations involving former Members. But it is not a hard and fast rule. Fox has found that the Ethics Committee released the information on its probe into potential influence peddling by the late Rep. John Murtha, D-Penn., after his death in 2010. The Ethics Committee also released a 699-page report on former Rep. Bill Boner, D-Tenn., after he left office in 1987. The committee found that Boner used campaign funds to travel to Hong Kong and may have used his office to influence a defense contractor. The Ethics Committee investigated former Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., after he was caught sending inappropriate messages to House pages in 2006. Foley abruptly resigned from the House. But the ethics panel hauled in a host of bipartisan Congressional leaders for closed door depositions to determine what they may have known about Foley’s activities. That said, there is a way on the floor to dislodge an Ethics Committee report. WHAT HAPPENS TO THE GAETZ HOUSE ETHICS REPORT? There is a mechanism called “question of privileges of the House.” A lawmaker could take the floor under this procedure, making the argument that keeping the Gaetz ethics report under wraps impugns the dignity and integrity of the House. The House would be required to vote on such a motion. If successful on the floor, the ethics panel could be compelled to release the report. Yours truly asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., if Democrats might try to dislodge the Gaetz report from the Ethics Committee. Pergram: “Could you envision a scenario where Democrats try to somehow dislodge this ethics report through a parliamentary maneuver?” Jeffries: “The Ethics Committee is an incredibly bipartisan committee. It’s the only committee in the Congress that is evenly divided. And it has a long history of having principled individuals on it. And I defer at this moment to whatever course they decide to take. And I hope they take a course that is bipartisan.” The Senate Judiciary Committee will study the credentials of Gaetz, run background checks and ultimately hold a confirmation hearing before voting the nomination to the floor for a vote. It could also block the nomination as well. Senate Majority Whip and Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., formally asked the House Ethics Committee to send over the report as it reviews the fitness of Gaetz for the job. MATT GAETZ’S NOMINATION ROCKS CAPITOL HILL “The sequence and timing of Mr. Gaetz’s resignation from the House raises serious questions about the contents of the House Ethics Committee report,” said Durbin. “This information could be relevant to the question of Mr. Gaetz’s confirmation as the next Attorney General of the United States and our Constitutional responsibility to advise and consent.” Democrats weren’t the only ones trying to pry loose the report. “I think there should not be any limitation on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation, including, whatever the House Ethics Committee generated,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., serves on the Ethics Committee. He hinted that the panel should consider dispatching the report to the Senate. “I think the Senate certainly had a right to request it. I can’t talk about our internal deliberations. But the information that they’ve requested, I think it’s totally reasonable,” said Ivey. “In fact, I think it’s essential for them to get that kind of information before they make a decision.” On Friday, Johnson noted that he “doesn’t control the Ethics Committee.” THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE MEANING OF A REPUBLICAN SENATE – AND WHAT’S AHEAD FOR THE HOUSE But Johnson went further than he had before about his views on releasing the report. “We should stick to the tradition of not releasing a report on a former Member of the House because it would open a dangerous Pandora’s box,” said Johnson. Johnson reaffirmed that during an appearance on Fox News Sunday
Oprah town hall cost Harris campaign far more than initially claimed: report
A new report revealed Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign paid more than double what was previously reported for the Oprah Winfrey town hall event. FEC filings, first reported by the Washington Examiner, show the Harris campaign made two $500,000 payments to Winfrey’s Harpo Productions on Oct. 15, a month after Winfrey’s town hall with Harris and weeks before the pair appeared at a Harris Philadelphia rally. Now, two sources have told The New York Times the full price of the event with Winfrey was closer to $2.5 million. Harris’ campaign spent $1.5 billion, or $100 million per week during her 15-week presidential run, according to the Times. Democrat donors say they are still being bombarded with requests, and the Democratic Party is reportedly $20 million in debt from the failed campaign. Some of the reported spending included nearly $9,000 in ice cream from high-end shops like Sweet Lucy’s Ice Cream and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. CHICAGO TRIBUNE CRITICIZES HARRIS CAMPAIGN FOR PAYING MASSIVE SUMS TO OPRAH WINFREY, OTHER CELEBS Harris’ campaign reportedly used almost $15,000 on food delivery services such as Uber Eats and DoorDash from July through the end of the race in early November, the Times reported. HARRIS PAID OPRAH $1 MILLION IN FAILED BID TO HELP CAMPAIGN: REPORT During a two-week period in October, Harris’ campaign reportedly spent $2.6 million on travel aboard private jets. The campaign also spent $900,000 to reserve ad space on Las Vegas’ Sphere in the final week of the election, although she still lost Nevada by three points. The bulk of the extravagant spending reportedly went to celebrity appearances and performances and influencer partnerships meant to boost campaign events. TIKTOK CREATOR ROASTS OPRAH, HARRIS FOR FEATURING HER IN TOWN HALL INTERVIEW: ‘I DO NOT SUPPORT HARRIS’ Winfrey, a billionaire, insisted she was “paid nothing” when confronted by TMZ. A Harpo Productions spokesperson acknowledged to Variety that the company took money from the campaign but claimed it was for “production costs.” “Oprah Winfrey was at no point during the campaign paid a personal fee, nor did she receive a fee from Harpo,” the spokesperson said. Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment, but did not immediately receive a response. Fox News Digital’s Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report.
Ben Carson dispels rumors about joining White House in specific role, says he will meet with Trump soon
Ben Carson broke his silence around rumors of him joining the second Trump administration as the U.S. surgeon general on Sunday, but noted that he plans to speak with President-elect Donald Trump soon. Carson, who served as the secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from 2017 to 2021 during the first Trump administration, dispelled the false reports in an X post on Sunday. “I am excited to speak with President Trump about how I will continue to advance the America First agenda, and I am meeting with him in the near future,” the retired neurosurgeon wrote. “However, contrary to reports, I will not be serving as the Surgeon General.” TRUMP APPOINTS TULSI GABBARD AS DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: ‘FEARLESS SPIRIT’ Carson has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration and a staunch supporter of Trump. After the Republican leader won the Nov. 5 election in a landslide victory, Carson shared his congratulations. “Congratulations to my good friend and the next President of the United States, @realdonaldtrump!!” Carson’s post reads. “As I said earlier today, God is not done with our country. Let’s get to work.” The U.S. surgeon general is not a Cabinet-level position but is still a high-ranking role that serves as the head of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. The position is within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HERE ARE THE MOST TALKED-ABOUT CANDIDATES FOR TOP POSTS IN TRUMP’S ADMINISTRATION “The U.S. Surgeon General is the Nation’s Doctor, providing Americans with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce the risk of illness and injury,” the HHS’s website explains. “The Surgeon General oversees the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, an elite group of over 6,000 uniformed officers who are public health professionals.” Carson’s comments come as several positions in Trump’s incoming Cabinet are still up for grabs, including secretary of transportation, secretary of commerce and secretary of the treasury. Trump also has yet to announce his picks for HUD secretary, secretary of agriculture and secretary of education. Trump most recently announced on Saturday that Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright will join his Cabinet as secretary of energy. He called Wright “a leading technologist and entrepreneur in energy.”
Trump taps FCC member Brendan Carr to lead agency: ‘Warrior for Free Speech’
President-elect Trump announced on Sunday that he has picked Brendan Carr to serve as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) starting in January. Carr, who is currently the senior Republican member of the FCC, was first nominated to the commission by Trump in 2017. In a statement released on Sunday night, Trump commended Carr and noted that he had “been confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate three times.” “His current term runs through 2029 and, because of his great work, I will now be designating him as permanent Chairman,” Trump wrote. The Republican leader went on to call Carr “a warrior for Free Speech” who has “fought against the regulatory Lawfare that has stifled Americans’ Freedoms, and held back our Economy.” TRUMP APPOINTS TULSI GABBARD AS DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: ‘FEARLESS SPIRIT’ “He will end the regulatory onslaught that has been crippling America’s Job Creators and Innovators, and ensure that the FCC delivers for rural America,” Trump added. “Congratulations to Chairman Brendan Carr on a job well done,” the president-elect’s statement concluded. “Lead us into a great future, Brendan!” Carr recently made national headlines after he ripped the “Saturday Night Live” cast for platforming Kamala Harris as a guest without inviting Trump, which violates FCC rules. HERE ARE THE MOST TALKED-ABOUT CANDIDATES FOR TOP POSTS IN TRUMP’S ADMINISTRATION “NBC has structured this in a way that’s plainly designed to evade the FCC’s rules,” the official said shortly after the episode aired. “We’re talking 50 hours before Election Day starts, without any notice to other candidates, as far as I can tell.” Carr later told Fox News Digital that the Harris appearance “[made] clear that [“SNL”] wanted to weigh-in in favor of one candidate before the election.” “That’s exactly why, for decades, we’ve had an equal time rule on the book, is to prevent that,” the Republican explained. “Because remember, broadcasters are placed in a special position of trust. They’re not just like any other person with a soapbox on the corner. They have a license from the federal government that obligates them to operate in the public interest.” Earlier in November, the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) urged Trump to appoint Carr as the next FCC chairman, calling him a “great partner to the men and women in law enforcement.” “Commissioner Carr has more than 20 years of private and public sector expertise in communications and technology policy as well as a deep institutional knowledge of the FCC,” Patrick Yoes, national president of the FOP, wrote in a letter. “He would make an outstanding FCC Chairman who will ensure the United States continues to lead the world in telecommunications advancements and innovations.” Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Eric Revell contributed to this report.
China’s Xi vows to work with Trump during meeting with Biden
Chinese President Xi Jinping told President Biden on Saturday that he will work with the incoming administration of President-elect Trump, as the two current leaders spoke on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Lima, Peru. The meeting between Biden and Xi marked the first time in seven months the two had spoken, Reuters reported, and may be the last time the two meet on conflicts from cybercrime to trade, Taiwan, the South China Sea and Russia before Trump returns to the Oval Office in January 2025. Xi told Biden, “China’s goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship remains unchanged,” acknowledging the “ups and downs” between the two countries. “China is ready to work with the new U.S. administration to maintain communication, expand cooperation and manage differences,” Xi said. BIDEN, XI MEETING WILL BE FORUM FOR ‘INTENSE DIPLOMACY’ AMID TENSIONS BETWEEN US, CHINA: OFFICIALS Biden told Xi that maintaining leader-to-leader talks will be vital after Biden leaves office, according to national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who was seen sitting next to Biden during the meeting. He also acknowledged to the Chinese leader that while the two of them may not have always agreed, their discussions have been “frank” and “candid.” XI JINPING WARNS TRUMP US WOULD ‘LOSE FROM CONFRONTATION’ WITH CHINA AS RENEWED TRADE WAR LOOMS China and other members of the G-20 will likely brace for a reboot of Trump’s “America First” policy, placing a heavy emphasis on higher tariffs. Trump famously launched a trade war with China in his first term in 2018, raising tariffs up to 25% on steel, aluminum and other Chinese-made products. China responded with reciprocal tariffs against the U.S. Trump promised to raise tariffs up to 60% on Chinese imports while running for president, although it’s unclear if he would actually go that high. Biden has aimed to lessen tensions with China, but during his meeting with Xi on Saturday, there appeared to be few signs of breakthroughs on the major issues. GERMANY BRACES UNDER COLLAPSING GOVERNMENT AND LOOMING TRUMP TRADE WAR Still, the two agreed that humans, not artificial intelligence, should make the ultimate decisions when it comes to the use of nuclear weapons, the White House noted, marking the first time the two countries have raised the issue. Biden and Xi also talked about China’s ally, North Korea, which is deepening ties with Russia and even deployed troops in Moscow’s war with Ukraine. The move has raised concerns not just with Washington, but also with European capitals and Beijing. “President Biden pointed out that the (People’s Republic of China’s) publicly stated position with respect to the war in Ukraine is there should be no escalation, no broadening the conflict, and the introduction of (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) troops runs foursquare against that,” Sullivan said. “He also pointed out that the PRC does have influence and capacity, and should use it to try to prevent a further escalation or further expansion of the conflict with the introduction of even more DPRK forces.” Reuters contributed to this report.
Lee threatens to not seat Casey in Senate if he continues refusal to concede
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah., took aim at Sen. Bob Casey over the Pennsylvania Democrat’s refusal to concede the election, arguing that the Senate could refuse to seat him if he continues to rely on “illegal votes.” “If Bob Casey doesn’t concede, Pennsylvania keeps counting illegal votes, & Casey relies on those votes to claim victory, the Senate could refuse to seat him,” Lee said in a post on X Saturday while citing Article I, Sec. 5, Cl. 1, which states that each “House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns, and Qualifications of its own Members.” The comment comes as Pennsylvania’s Senate race will be decided by a recount after Republican Sen.-elect Dave McCormick won the election by roughly 26,000 votes, or within the one percentage point margin that triggers an automatic recount under Pennsylvania law. PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRATS OPENLY ADMIT TO COUNTING ILLEGAL BALLOTS IN MCCORMICK-CASEY RACE Casey has refused to concede the election despite the contest being called by multiple outlets, instead insisting that a winner be declared after all votes are counted. But questions remain about the votes Casey is trying to count after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that ballots that lack required signatures and dates are not allowed to be included in official results, a ruling that is being ignored by Democratic officials in Philadelphia and surrounding Bucks and Montgomery counties. “I think we all know that precedent by a court doesn’t matter anymore in this country,” Bucks County Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia, a Democrat, said last week. “People violate laws anytime they want. So, for me, if I violate this law, it’s because I want a court to pay attention. There’s nothing more important than counting votes.” MCCORMICK-CASEY RECOUNT COST TO TOP $1M; GOP SLAMS BLUE COUNTIES DEFYING HIGH COURT Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley has condemned Democrats in Pennsylvania, accusing the party of attempting to “steal” the election from McCormick. “Let’s be clear about what’s happening here: Democrats in Pennsylvania are brazenly trying to break the law by attempting to count illegal ballots. They are doing this because they want to steal a senate seat,” he said on X. Lee, meanwhile, has urged Casey to abandon the fight over the ballots voluntarily and allow McCormick to take his seat in the Senate. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Bob Casey, you’re better than this,” Lee said in another post on X. “It’s time to concede.” The Casey campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.