A third of GOP voters warn they may sit out midterms if party ‘abandons’ pro-life fight, poll finds
A third of Republicans would be less likely to vote in the midterms if they believe that the GOP has abandoned the abortion issue, according to a poll released on Thursday. The findings emphasize a perceived rift between pro-life advocates and the Trump administration, given the position of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. John Rogers, a senior partner at Cygnal, a public opinion data firm that conducted the poll, said that their work proves abortion is still a “north star” topic for much of the Republican base. “It’s a bedrock issue for Republican primary voters for decades,” Rogers said. “This is at the core of their worldview.” In a memo accompanying the release of their findings, Rogers said voters specifically expressed disappointment with Kennedy over an HHS policy that enables continued access to abortion drugs through the mail. MARK HALPERIN: TRUMP STRATEGY SUPER SESSION PLOTS MIDTERM SURVIVAL AS HISTORY STALKS GOP “Voters are overwhelmingly committed to pro-life principles, but frustrated with federal health agencies’ abortion policies under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The national data show a significant disconnect between base Republican voter expectations and current federal actions, creating real enthusiasm risks for the November midterm general election,” the memo states. According to Cygnal’s findings, 32% of GOP voters said they will have decreased enthusiasm for voting in the midterm election “if Republican leaders weaken or abandon pro-life policies.” That number overlaps with the 36% of the “most engaged” portion of the voter base. AFTER 80-MINUTE TRUMP ADDRESS, GOP LAWMAKERS SAY MOMENTUM IS BACK AS HEALTHCARE FIGHT LOOMS Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a pro-life advocacy group, said Kennedy is risking turning that prediction into a reality by continuing mail-access to abortion drugs, a policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “In failing to repeal Biden’s COVID mail order rule, [he] runs counter to the MAHA base,” Dannenfelser said on Thursday. “51 senators, 145 representatives and 22 attorneys general have called for the end of mail-order abortion drugs and the immediate restoration of in-person dispensing,” Dannenfelser said. On that issue specifically, Cygnal’s polling indicated that 80% of respondents overall believed that the FDA should require in-person visits to secure an abortion. “They see a dissonance there,” Rogers said of Kennedy’s decision to continue the mail-order policy. ‘FICTION’: HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CHAIR DISMISSES DEMOCRATS’ EXPANDING GOP TARGET MAP “I think they see the broader MAHA movement as an extension of their pro-life commitments.” Dannenfelser warned that if voters don’t feel like the administration has moved in the right direction, Republicans could stand to lose their current grip on a governing trifecta. “There is no amount of money that can overcome a reluctant voter base that sees failed action. What we might see is a loss in the House. Everyone assumes the Senate is fine. I would not assume that,” Dannenfelser said. “I have no doubt that if we lose, the pro-life movement will be blamed No. 1,” she added.
DHS says 8% of Nicaragua’s entire population illegally entered US under Biden
The Department of Homeland Security revealed large percentages of foreign countries whose total national populations illegally entered the U.S., noting the majority of crossings occurred between February 2021 to January 2025. The countries in which most nationals live in the U.S. are Nicaragua, Cuba, Haiti and Honduras, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). “During the Biden era – 8% of the ENTIRE population of Nicaragua illegally entered the US,” DHS posted to X. “This is in ADDITION TO 7% of Cuba, 6% of Haiti, and 5% of Honduras.” The total number of illegal migrants from the various countries is in the multimillions, and DHS blasted the Biden administration for allegedly turning “America into a dumping ground for criminals from the third world.” NOEM SLAMS DEMS BLOCKING DHS FUNDING BILL CITING TSA, FEMA, COAST GUARD: ‘I HOPE THEY COME TO THEIR SENSES’ The department’s finger-pointing at Biden has been a central theme of Secretary Kristi Noem’s and DHS’s position, and the Trump administration continues deportation efforts amid criticism from Democrats in Washington and across the country. During an interview along the southern border in Eagle Pass, Texas, earlier this month, Noem touted efforts that led to what the White House says is the “the most secure border in the history of this nation.” “In just a year’s time, we’ve gone from this type of a situation under the previous administration to safety,” Noem told Fox News Digital during an exclusive interview. “Thousands of people died [at the border] because Joe Biden and the Democrats decided to cut the fence and allow an invasion to happen that partnered with the cartels to bring in unprecedented drugs and trafficking and sex trafficking, children being abused.” BORDER CROSSINGS HIT 55-YEAR LOW — AFTER DEMOCRATS SAID REFORM WAS THE ONLY FIX “This was immediately stopped when President Trump came in,” Noem added. Noem and her department have faced intense scrutiny from Democrats and some Republicans over immigration enforcement tactics following the deadly shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota. Trump campaigned on the promise of deporting the millions of illegal migrants who entered under Biden, and Noem asserted that Democrats critical of enforcement measures now were ignoring the real humanitarian concerns posed by the border crisis under the last administration. “Those Democrats, every day, who talk about detention centers, who talk about our enforcement operations in the United States, where were they when this crisis was going on?” Noem questioned. “A hundred times more people were dying here at this border because of what they were doing, and they never said a word.” ICE REVEALS ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ ARRESTS IN JUST ONE DAY AFTER ROUNDING UP ‘THUGS’ CONVICTED OF VILE CRIMES In Washington, a partial government shutdown over DHS funding continues, with Democrats demanding new policies for ICE operations and Noem and her department remain determined to deport illegal migrants. Roughly 90% of DHS employees are deemed essential, and are required to work without pay. ICE is already almost entirely funded through previous provisions in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” and other legislation. Border czar Tom Homan said during an interview with CNN that the shutdown will have “no impact” on immigration enforcement operations currently taking place in the U.S. “[Democrats] have chosen to act against the American people for political reasons, and now we have FEMA workers, the men and women of the United States Coast Guard, [the] men and women of TSA who keep our airports moving who will be working without paychecks for no good reason other than the Democrats wanting to pick a fight with Donald Trump,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing on Wednesday.
NORAD scrambles jets to intercept Russian bombers near Alaska
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) launched multiple U.S. fighter jets after tracking Russian military aircraft operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Thursday. NORAD says it launched two F-16s, two F-35s, one E-3 and four KC-135s to “intercept, positively identify, and escort the aircraft until they departed the Alaskan ADIZ.” “The Russian military aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace,” NORAD said in a press release. “This Russian activity in the Alaskan ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat.” Two Russian Tu-95s, two Su-35s, and one A-50 were identified in the ADIZ, though they did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace, according to NORAD. USS FORD ORDERED TO THE MIDDLE EAST, THE SECOND AIRCRAFT CARRIER BEING SENT TO THE REGION The ADIZ airspace is a designated region that requires strict identification procedures between U.S. and Russian aircraft operating in the area. It’s considered a buffer zone that acts as a boundary between the two countries. “NORAD employs a layered defense network of satellites, ground-based and airborne radars and fighter aircraft to detect and track aircraft and inform appropriate actions. NORAD remains ready to employ a number of response options in defense of North America,” NORAD said in their statement on Thursday. While this ADIZ isn’t sovereign U.S. airspace, the region is a strategic zone given its proximity to Russia. NORAD noted in their statement that the Russian activity that occurred on Thursday was not seen “as a threat.” The military response comes as Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned Iran and “all parties in the [Middle Eastern] region to exercise restraint and caution” as the U.S. continues to expand military presence overseas. WHAT AMERICA’S MOST POWERFUL WARSHIP BRINGS TO THE MIDDLE EAST AS IRAN TENSIONS SURGE “Russia continues to develop relations with Iran, and in doing so, we call on our Iranian friends and all parties in the region to exercise restraint and caution, and we urge them to prioritize political and diplomatic means in resolving any problems,” Peskov said Thursday, according to Reuters. USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, and its strike group were deployed from the Caribbean Sea toward the Middle East in early to mid-February. The massive carrier was reportedly seen transiting through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea this month. USS Gerald R. Ford joins USS Abraham Lincoln and three guided-missile destroyers that also arrived in the Middle East in February. BUILT FOR WEEKS OF WAR: INSIDE THE FIREPOWER THE US HAS POSITIONED IN THE MIDDLE EAST Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director of the Washington office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said that satellite images show that the Iranian regime is attempting to restore “2 trillion” uranium enrichment capabilities at the Isfahan complex, despite talks between the Trump administration and the Middle Eastern country. The U.S. Air Force and Navy strikes that occurred on June 22 targeted the Isfahan complex, as well as Fordow and Natanz. Fox News Digital reached out to NORAD but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Bill, Hillary Clinton to be deposed in New York for House Oversight Epstein probe
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be deposed by the House Oversight Committee in their hometown instead of in Washington, D.C. next week, Fox News Digital has learned. The Clintons are testifying under oath for the committee’s probe into Jeffrey Epstein. Hillary Clinton’s deposition is scheduled for Feb. 26 while Bill Clinton will sit down with congressional staff and lawmakers on Feb. 27. “The Clintons’ depositions will be held in Chappaqua, New York on February 26 and 27 as an accommodation for their schedules. The depositions are in accordance with House and Committee rules,” a spokeswoman for the House Oversight Committee told Fox News Digital. The former first couple purchased their home in Chappaqua, just north of New York City, in 1999, and it has been their main residence since leaving the White House. HOUSE PANEL MOVES TO CONSIDER CRIMINAL REFERRALS FOR THE CLINTONS Their depositions will come after months of back-and-forth with committee Republicans about various terms for the closed-door meetings. “The Clintons’ testimony is critical to understanding Epstein and [Ghislaine Maxwell’s] sex trafficking network and the ways they sought to curry favor and influence to shield themselves from scrutiny,” House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., told Fox News Digital on Thursday evening. “Their testimony may also inform how Congress can strengthen laws to better combat human trafficking. Our goal for this investigation is straightforward: we seek to deliver transparency and accountability for the American people and for survivors.” House Republicans nearly moved forward with a vote on holding them both in contempt of Congress last month after the Clintons’ lawyers ripped Comer’s subpoenas as legally invalid and a breach of separation of powers. DEMOCRATS SAY CLINTONS’ AGREEMENT TO TESTIFY UNDERCUTS SUBPOENA PUSH, WON’T BRING NEW EPSTEIN ANSWERS While some Democrats agreed with the move, the majority of them accused Comer of persecuting the Clintons on political grounds. If the votes were successful, they would both have been referred to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for prosecution. A guilty verdict for contempt of Congress carries up to one year in jail and a maximum fine of $100,000. But days before the expected vote, the Clintons’ counsel told Comer they would agree to testify. In the days since, however, both Clintons have waged a public pressure campaign demanding they get public hearings instead of a closed-door transcribed and taped interview. “I have called for the full release of the Epstein files. I have provided a sworn statement of what I know. And just this week, I’ve agreed to appear in person before the committee. But it’s still not enough for Republicans on the House Oversight Committee,” Bill Clinton posted on X this month. “Now, Chairman Comer says he wants cameras, but only behind closed doors. Who benefits from this arrangement? It’s not Epstein’s victims, who deserve justice. Not the public, who deserve the truth. It serves only partisan interests. This is not fact-finding, it’s pure politics.” Comer has said that public hearings are not out of the question, but not before depositions behind closed doors. Bill Clinton was known to be friendly with Epstein long before the federal case against him first emerged and has appeared in documents on the late pedophile released by the DOJ. But neither he nor Hillary Clinton are implicated in any wrongdoing. The Clintons are two of over a dozen people and entities who have been subpoenaed for information in the committee’s bipartisan Epstein probe. It’s not unprecedented for the committee to travel for depositions, either. Committee staff and some lawmakers were in Ohio on Wednesday to depose former Victoria’s Secret CEO Leslie Wexner, a former client of Epstein’s financial advisory firm who was named in documents released by the DOJ about the late pedophile thousands of times.
What America’s most powerful warship brings to the Middle East as Iran tensions surge
The Pentagon is deploying USS Gerald R. Ford to the Middle East, creating a rare two-carrier presence in the region as tensions with Iran rise and questions swirl about possible U.S. military action. The Ford will reinforce USS Abraham Lincoln already operating in the theater, significantly expanding American airpower at a moment of heightened regional uncertainty. While officials have not announced imminent action, the dual-carrier presence increases the Pentagon’s flexibility — from deterrence patrols to sustained strike operations — should diplomacy falter. The Gerald R. Ford is the largest and most advanced aircraft carrier ever built. Commissioned in 2017, the nuclear-powered warship stretches more than 1,100 feet and displaces more than 100,000 tons of water. It serves as a floating air base that can operate in international waters without relying on host-nation approval — a key advantage in politically sensitive theaters. Powered by two nuclear reactors, the ship has virtually unlimited range and endurance and is designed to serve for decades as the backbone of U.S. naval power projection. WORLD’S LARGEST AIRCRAFT CARRIER HEADS TO MIDDLE EAST AS IRAN NUCLEAR TENSIONS SPIKE DRAMATICALLY A typical air wing aboard the Ford includes roughly 75 aircraft, though the exact mix depends on mission requirements. Those aircraft can include F/A-18 Super Hornets, stealth F-35C Joint Strike Fighters, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jets, E-2D Hawkeye early warning aircraft and MH-60 helicopters. In a potential conflict with Iran, several of those platforms would be central. The F-35C is designed to penetrate contested airspace and carry out precision strikes against heavily defended targets. The Growler specializes in jamming enemy radar and communications — a critical capability against Iran’s layered air defense systems. The E-2D extends surveillance hundreds of miles, helping coordinate air and missile defense. Together, they give commanders options ranging from deterrence patrols to sustained strike operations. What separates the Ford from earlier carriers is its ability to generate more sorties over time. Instead of traditional steam catapults, it uses an electromagnetic aircraft launch system, or EMALS, allowing aircraft to launch more smoothly and at a faster pace. The system is designed to reduce stress on jets and increase operational tempo. The ship also features advanced arresting gear and a redesigned flight deck that allows more aircraft to be staged and cycled efficiently. In a high-intensity scenario — particularly one involving missile launches or rapid escalation — the ability to launch and recover aircraft quickly can be decisive. While both the Ford and the Abraham Lincoln are 100,000-ton, nuclear-powered supercarriers capable of carrying roughly 60 aircraft to 75 aircraft, they represent different generations of naval design. The Lincoln is a Nimitz-class carrier commissioned in 1989 and part of a fleet that has supported decades of operations in the Middle East. The Ford is the Navy’s next-generation carrier and the lead ship of its class. The key differences are efficiency and output. The Ford was built to generate a higher sustained sortie rate using its electromagnetic launch system, along with a redesigned flight deck and upgraded power systems. In practical terms, both ships bring substantial strike capability — but the Ford is designed to launch and recover aircraft faster over extended operations, giving commanders greater flexibility if tensions escalate. IRAN SIGNALS NUCLEAR PROGRESS IN GENEVA AS TRUMP CALLS FOR FULL DISMANTLEMENT The Ford does not sail alone. It operates as the centerpiece of a carrier strike group that typically includes guided-missile destroyers, cruisers and attack submarines. Those escort ships provide layered air and missile defense, anti-submarine protection and additional strike capability. The carrier itself carries defensive systems including Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles, Rolling Airframe Missiles and the Phalanx Close-In Weapon System — designed to intercept incoming threats at close range. That defensive posture is especially relevant in the Middle East. Iran has invested heavily in anti-ship ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, armed drones, naval mines and fast-attack craft operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Gulf region presents a dense and complex threat environment, even for advanced U.S. warships. With both the Ford and the Lincoln in theater, commanders gain more than just added firepower. Two carriers allow the U.S. to sustain a higher tempo of operations, distribute aircraft across multiple areas or maintain a continuous presence if one ship needs to reposition or resupply. Dual-carrier deployments are relatively uncommon and typically coincide with periods of heightened regional tension. The timing — as negotiations with Tehran continue — underscores the strategic message. Carriers are often deployed not only to fight wars, but to prevent them. By positioning both ships in the region, Washington is signaling that if diplomacy falters, military options will already be in place.
Buttigieg, Newsom, AOC top three in new 2028 poll in key presidential primary state
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tops the list of potential 2028 Democratic presidential contenders in a new poll conducted in New Hampshire, which has traditionally held the first primary in the race for the White House for over a century. Twenty percent of Democratic primary voters in New Hampshire said they would vote for Buttigieg if the 2028 presidential nomination contest was held today. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York were tied for second at 15%, with former Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ 2024 nominee, and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona each at 10%. Everyone else was in single digits. EARLY MOVES ALREADY WELL UNDERWAY IN 2028 WHITE HOUSE RACE The University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll was released Thursday, a couple of hours before Buttigieg arrived in New Hampshire to campaign with Democrats running in this year’s midterm elections. Asked about the survey by Fox News Digital, Buttigieg noted,” I’m not on any ballot right now.” “Obviously, it feels good to be well received,” added Buttigieg, who made plenty of friends in the Granite State as he came in a close second in the 2020 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary, slightly behind Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Buttigieg’s stop in New Hampshire was his third in an early voting state in the Democratic nominating calendar since stepping down as transportation secretary at the end of former President Biden’s administration. It follows trips last year to South Carolina and Iowa. While he mostly avoids 2028 talk, Buttigieg has said he would consider what he brings “to the table” in regard to another White House run. As he kicked off a three-day swing in key New England swing state, Buttigieg teamed up with Rep. Chris Pappas, the clear frontrunner for the Democratic Senate nomination in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a fellow Democrat. Shaheen’s seat is a top GOP target in the midterms. Later Thursday, Buttigieg joined the state’s other Democratic House member, Rep. Maggie Goodlander. And he was scheduled to hold more events on Friday and Saturday, including a grassroots mobilization event that was expected to draw some top New Hampshire supporters from his 2020 presidential campaign. Buttigieg is heading next week to battleground Nevada, and a source told Fox News Digital Buttigieg has plans to campaign for candidates in Ohio, Georgia and Pennsylvania in the weeks ahead. “I’m a big believer in going everywhere across the media landscape and geographically. Some are well-known places on the political map. Some are a little bit off the beaten path. All of them deserve attention,” Buttigieg told Fox News Digital. NEWSOM’S UPCOMING STOP IN KEY PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY STATE SPARKS MORE 2028 BUZZ He added that he’ll “continue to go wherever I think I can be useful in elevating attention to issues and working with candidates I believe in, and Chris Pappas is a great example of a candidate I am proud to be supporting and speaking up for.” Newsom will be next up in New Hampshire. The California governor’s tour for his new book, “Young Man in a Hurry,” will bring him to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, March 5. It will be his first stop in the state in two years. Newsom grabbed headlines this past weekend as one of a handful of potential Democratic presidential contenders to speak at the high-profile Munich Security Conference in Germany. TRUMP HAMMERS AOC MUNICH STUMBLES AS ‘NOT A GOOD LOOK FOR THE UNITED STATES’ Ocasio-Cortez was among the other Democrats in Munich. But the progressive champion, who has long been laser focused on affordability and other domestic issues, has faced intense criticism for nearly a week over a gaffe in Munich, when she asked during a panel discussion whether the U.S. should send troops to defend Taiwan from a possible invasion by China. The four-term lawmaker appeared to stall for nearly 20 seconds before offering that the U.S. should try to avoid clashing with China over Taiwan. Social media posts on the right slammed her for offering up a world salad. But it wasn’t just Republicans who critiqued Ocasio-Cortez. A veteran Democratic strategist who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely told Fox News Digital, “It is abundantly clear that AOC is not ready for prime time given her remarks in Europe.”
Red state auditor’s report flags Democratic governor’s ‘concerning’ spending on ‘luxury’ expenditures
Kentucky’s Republican auditor Allison Ball spoke to Fox News Digital this week about a report she put out flagging concerns about lavish spending in the state’s executive branch headed up by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who is widely believed to have presidential ambitions down the road. Ball issued a report earlier this month outlining spending by the executive branch in fiscal year 2025 entered into the state’s system and flagging issues she believes demonstrate extravagant spending of tax dollars that “needs to stop.” The “concerning expenditures” listed include $183,576 in out-of-state travel costs, including $7,632 for a limousine in Germany; a $17,013 dinner at a Kentucky distillery; and $360,000 for 75 people to attend a two-day conference within the Commonwealth. DEM GOVERNOR IN DEEP-RED STATE CALLS FOR ICE PULLOUT, TRIGGERING CLASH OVER ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY “We saw some really excessive, really worrying and questionable expenditures,” Ball told Fox News Digital. “For example, one of the things we saw is that the governor and the tourism cabinet spent about $338,000 on a nonprofit called First Saturday in May. So, for people who are not from Kentucky, the first Saturday in May is when the [Kentucky] Derby happens. So, that money actually went to events for VIPs to come in and celebrate and observe the Derby.” Ball says the spending data was all entered by the executive branch into the Commonwealth’s eMARS system, and while she understands elected officials need to spend more on security than typical citizens, she categorized much of the spending she flagged as “luxury items.” “I absolutely think the governor needs security. We want people to be safe. We don’t want anything to happen to our elected officials,” Ball explained. “But this is the time when you look at, OK, are you spending an excessive amount? And I think $7,000 for limo services in Germany, $5,000 to navigate the airport in Switzerland, hotels like in Beverly Hills, Aspen. “We even found an expenditure in the hundreds of dollars for something called the Caribou Club, which is a private club in Aspen. So, these expenses are essentially luxury items when you’re looking at where they’re at and the amount of money that’s being paid.” KENTUCKY GOVERNOR TAKES HEAT FOR CITING BIBLE TO DEFEND TRANSGENDER TREATMENTS FOR CHILDREN Fox News Digital reached out to Beshear’s office for comment but did not receive a response. “They never asked us any questions, and you have to do that if it’s an audit report,” Beshear recently told local media. “All they did was take lines, and they didn’t ask questions because if they had gotten the answers, they couldn’t have done the political attack that it was.” Ball said it’s “no surprise” when elected officials push back on reports like hers, “but my job is about transparency.” Ball’s report noted $39 million in spending by the executive branch’s advertising arms in various departments, over $7 million in out-of-state travel, over $23 million on in-state travel and over $16 million in trainings, conferences, food and trade shows. “It’s a budget year, and this is when the General Assembly is actually crafting what money they’re going to appropriate through all levers of state government. And that’s why they asked us, this is early in the process, and they wanted to know, ‘OK, what is the executive branch spending its money on?” Ball explained. “And they specifically asked us about travel. They asked about conferences. They ask us about food and beverage because those are the things usually that can get out of control quick if you’re not paying close attention. So, we’re here just to provide information.” Beshear told CNN last summer he was weighing a 2028 presidential bid, and many predict he would be a formidable candidate given his popularity governing as a Democrat in deep red Kentucky. In another CNN interview Thursday, The Hill reported that Beshear said he is still weighing a run but that he won’t make a final decision until his term as governor ends in late 2017. “We have got to do more than just beat [President] Trump,” Beshear said. “We have got to end this division. We have got to restore the American dream. We have got to bring hope back to the American people about a brighter future.”
Trump’s NIH director isn’t the only official wearing multiple hats during the president’s second term
The Trump administration has repeatedly assigned additional job roles to Cabinet members and other officials, and one of his top health officials is the latest to begin pulling double duty for the president. On Wednesday, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya became the latest Trump official assigned an additional role. The NIH chief and staunch COVID contrarian will temporarily run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) until a new permanent director is appointed by President Donald Trump and subsequently confirmed by the Senate, while continuing to lead the NIH. Bhattacharya’s move to the CDC followed the departure of Jim O’Neill, who was also deputy secretary of the Health and Human Services Department amid a broader restructuring of the Trump administration’s public health agencies. O’Neill is now reportedly expected to lead the National Science Foundation. Fox News Digital looked back on the various Trump Cabinet members and officials wearing multiple hats as the president adjusts during the second year of his second term. TRUMP TOUTS ‘MOST SUCCESSFUL’ FIRST 100 DAYS IN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY DURING MICHIGAN RALLY A physician, former Stanford professor of medicine and senior fellow at the university’s Institute for Economic Policy Research, Bhattacharya was a leading voice during the COVID-19 pandemic against lockdown measures and vaccine mandates. He was one of the co-authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, a document published in October 2020 by a group of scientists advocating against widespread COVID lockdowns and promoting the efficacy of natural immunity for low-risk individuals as opposed to vaccination. During Bhattacharya’s tenure, he has been forced to defend certain funding cuts tied to academic research and staffing. One of the core components Bhattacharya indicated that he wanted to pursue after his confirmation was to usher in a new age of “gold standard science.” “I think fundamentally what matters is do scientists have an idea that advances the scientific field they’re in?” Bhattacharya said during his March confirmation testimony. “Do they have an idea that ends up addressing the health needs of Americans?” Rubio and the Trump administration came under fire from Democrats for the secretary of state holding as many as four high-profile roles during the second Trump administration. As of today, he remains in two of those roles. He was first confirmed as secretary of state hours after Trump was inaugurated, a role Rubio remains in today. About a month later, amid a massive reorganization at the U.S. Administration for International Development (USAID), Rubio was named director and held that role until handing it off a few months later. Around the same time, Rubio was tapped to be the acting archivist of the United States (NARA), a role he stopped serving in earlier this month. Rubio does still serve as the interim national security advisor, a role he has held since May after the departure of Michael Waltz. “There’s no way he can do that and do it well, especially since there’s such incompetence over at DOD with Pete Hegseth being secretary of defense and just the hollowing out of the top leadership,” Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth said of Rubio’s multiple jobs. “There’s no way he can carry all that entire load on his own.” CRITICS WARNED TRUMP’S DEPORTATIONS WOULD SPARK BLOODSHED – PROGRESSIVE GROUP REPORTS POLICE KILLINGS FELL “I don’t know how anybody could do these two big jobs,” Democratic Virginia Sen. Mark Warner added. When asked about the trend of Trump officials wearing multiple work hats in May, the White House reflected in a comment to Fox News Digital on former President Joe Biden’s “disaster of a Cabinet.” “Democrats cheered on Joe Biden’s disaster of a Cabinet as it launched the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, opened the southern border to migrant criminals, weaponized the justice system against political opponents and more,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital in May. “President Trump has filled his administration with many qualified, talented individuals he trusts to manage many responsibilities.” The Trump administration has repeatedly brushed off concerns over Rubio holding multiple roles, most notably juggling both his State Department leadership and serving as acting national security advisor. Similarly, former President Richard Nixon in 1973 named National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger to simultaneously serve as Secretary of State. TRUMP NOMINATES WALTZ FOR HIGH-LEVEL POST AFTER OUSTING HIM AS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR “You need a team player who is very honest with the president and the senior team, not someone trying to build an empire or wield a knife or drive their own agenda,” an administration official told Politico. “He is singularly focused on delivering the president’s agenda.” Despite Democratic rhetoric that Rubio was taking on too many roles, the former Florida senator helped oversee successful U.S. strikes on Iran in June, which destroyed a trio of nuclear sites and decimated the country’s efforts to advance its nuclear program. FBI Director Kash Patel, who railed against the “deep state” and vowed to strip corruption from the federal law enforcement agency ahead of his confirmation, was briefly charged with overseeing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in February after the Biden-era director resigned in January 2025. Patel was later replaced by Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll as acting ATF director in a job change that was reported publicly in April. ARMY SECRETARY DAN DRISCOLL TO LEAD ATF, REPLACING FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL “Director Kash Patel was briefly designated ATF director while awaiting Senate confirmations, a standard, short-term move. Dozens of similar redesignations have occurred across the federal government,” the White House told Reuters in April. “Director Patel is now excelling in his role at the FBI and delivering outstanding results.” Duffy, a former Republican congressman from Wisconsin, was tapped to oversee the Department of Transportation and was confirmed by the Senate Jan. 28. Duffy has been forced to juggle a handful of crises related to tragic plane crashes, including the 2025 Potomac River midair collision and air traffic control issues that plagued New Jersey’s Liberty International Airport last
Cambodian PM says Thai forces occupying disputed land despite Trump-brokered ceasefire
FIRST ON FOX: Last year, when President Donald Trump helped broker a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, he took a victory lap. “Who else could say, ‘I’m going to make a phone call and stop a war between two very powerful countries, Thailand and Cambodia?’” he said. Now, that agreement appears under strain. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet told Fox News Digital that Thai forces have pushed into long-held Cambodian territory beyond the line of dispute. Thai soldiers have sealed off villages with barbed wire and shipping containers, leaving 80,000 Cambodians unable to return home, according to Cambodian officials. “The occupation is beyond even Thailand’s unilateral claim,” Manet said. “Many of the villagers cannot go back to their hometowns.” US ALERTS TOURISTS OF ‘UNPREDICTABLE SECURITY SITUATION’ IN POPULAR HOLIDAY DESTINATION Cambodia and Thailand have sparred for decades over sections of their 500-mile land border, much of which was drawn during the French colonial era and later interpreted differently by Bangkok and Phnom Penh. The dispute has periodically flared into armed clashes, particularly around areas near historic Khmer temple sites and rural villages where demarcation remains incomplete. Tensions escalated again last year, with fighting breaking out along contested stretches of the frontier and displacing thousands of civilians on both sides. The clashes prompted diplomatic intervention and culminated in a ceasefire agreement brokered with U.S. involvement during an ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur. Images and local reporting from the most recent fighting show damage to buildings near the frontier, including at or near the UNESCO-listed Preah Vihear temple complex, raising concerns about the safety of cultural heritage sites in contested zones. Cambodian officials have blamed Thai forces for the damage, while Thai officials have denied deliberately targeting religious or cultural landmarks, saying military operations were limited to contested security areas. The Thai embassy could not be reached for comment on this interview. TRUMP’S PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH IN 2025: WHERE WARS STOPPED AND RIVALS CAME TO THE TABLE Still, Manet declined to threaten military retaliation. “Our position is to always stick to peaceful resolutions,” he said. “We don’t believe that using war to stop a war is sustainable or practical.” Thailand, with a population of more than 70 million — roughly four times Cambodia’s 17 million — maintains a significantly larger and better-equipped military, raising the stakes of any renewed conflict. With fighting again threatening fragile stability along the frontier, Manet traveled to Washington this week for the inaugural meeting of Trump’s Board of Peace. “The Board of Peace can play an active role in promoting peace, stability and normalcy between Cambodia and Thailand,” Manet said. TRUMP CONVENES FIRST BOARD OF PEACE MEETING AS GAZA REBUILD HINGES ON HAMAS DISARMAMENT Hun Manet took office in 2023, succeeding his father, Hun Sen, who ruled Cambodia for nearly four decades. The leadership transition marked the first formal handover of power in decades, though the ruling Cambodian People’s Party has maintained firm control over the country’s political system amid longstanding criticism from rights groups about limits on opposition activity. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Manet has sought to maintain close ties with China while cautiously reopening channels with Washington, including restoring joint military exercises that had been suspended in 2017. As Cambodia navigates tensions with Thailand, it is also balancing relations between Washington and Beijing. Manet said navigating ties with competing world powers “doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game” and that Cambodia, as a smaller nation, cannot afford to “choose one country against the other.” That balance has centered in part on Ream Naval Base, a strategic site on Cambodia’s southern coast rebuilt with Chinese financing. The USS Cincinnati docked at Ream in late January, marking the first U.S. warship visit since the base was renovated with Chinese funding and technical support. The visit was marked by a striking visual, the USS Cincinnati docked roughly 150 meters from a Chinese naval vessel already moored at the base. For years, U.S. officials have raised concerns that Cambodia had granted China exclusive access. But Manet insisted the base remains under Cambodian control. “Our constitution says that no foreign military base [can] be situated on Cambodian soil,” Manet said. The U.S. visit, he said, “clearly shows that Cambodia is not exclusively used as a naval base for cooperation with China.” Manet also confirmed that annual U.S.-Cambodia military exercises known as Angkor Sentinel, suspended in 2017, will resume this year, signaling warming defense ties. “We hope to have expanding cooperation with the U.S.,” Manet said. In recent years, Cambodia has emerged as a hub for large-scale online scam operations, including so-called “pig butchering” schemes that have defrauded victims worldwide — including Americans — out of billions of dollars. U.S. authorities have sanctioned Cambodian-linked entities tied to crypto fraud and pressed Phnom Penh to intensify enforcement efforts amid concerns about trafficking and forced labor linked to some compounds. Manet said his government has stepped up cooperation with U.S. authorities and recently worked with the FBI to dismantle a major operation. “We have recently worked with the FBI cracking on a major case involving one of the Oknyaks,” he said, referring to an influential Cambodian figure. “We arrested him, and we closed down one of the big compounds.”
Massie faces backlash over Epstein demand, critics suggest he should ‘seriously reconsider’ Congress
President Donald Trump’s top House GOP critic admitted in a recent interview that he once offered Republican leaders his vote in exchange for a public expression of gratitude for his role in forcing the disclosure of the federal government’s Jeffrey Epstein files. It’s a move that has drawn backlash from at least one of his fellow House Republicans and others in the right-wing sphere. “Anyone who uses the victims of Epstein’s horrific sexual abuse to advance a political agenda or chase public recognition should seriously reconsider their line of work,” said Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis. In an interview with Politico earlier this week, Massie said he had made the offer when the speaker had approached him for his support on a key vote. LAWMAKERS ESCALATE EPSTEIN PROBE WITH POSSIBLE BILL GATES SUBPOENA “One day, they needed my vote, and I offered to give them my vote if [Johnson] would issue a press release thanking me for my good work on the Epstein Files Transparency Act. That’s all I required to get my vote. And I think he probably went and gave somebody else a bill to pass instead of doing the public statement,” Massie said. He told Fox News Digital that it was a test of whether Johnson would take responsibility for opposing his effort to force the vote — but said Johnson refused. “I wanted to see if the speaker would admit that it was a mistake to oppose the [bill], but even with all the new revelations about depraved and illegal activity of rich and powerful men, the speaker refused to acknowledge the success of the Epstein Files Transparency Act,” Massie said in a statement to Fox News Digital. But the move also caught blowback from others in the Republican social media sphere, which has erupted into a civil war of sorts between Massie and Trump’s supporters. “Coming soon to a campaign ad: Thomas Massie requires that he be praised publicly in order to secure his vote in Congress,” right-wing influencer Ryan Saavedra wrote on X. Sean Davis, who founded conservative outlet “The Federalist,” wrote on social media, “Good grief. It really is all ego-driven.” Some defended him, however, like an X account tied to someone only identified as “Jeremy”: “You really can’t blame the guy who’s constantly getting crapped on my conservatives for wanting the speaker of the house to say something positive about the Epstein files coming out and giving him the credit. It is childish on the surface, but this is also how their games work.” Massie last year led a handful of Republicans to join with Democrats to force consideration of the Epstein Files Transparency Act over the objections of House leadership and Trump, who argued the legislation did not come with sufficient protections for the identities of Epstein’s sex-trafficking victims. The bill was aimed at forcing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release nearly all information on Epstein’s case, and Massie maintained its language did provide for sufficient coverage for the late pedophile’s victims. But Johnson and Trump both affirmed they supported efforts for government transparency but maintained they could not support Massie’s bill. THESE HOUSE MAVERICKS DEFIED THEIR OWN PARTIES MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE IN 2025 Notably, however, all House members except for Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., wound up voting for the bill. In the view of Matthew Green, professor of politics at The Catholic University of America, Massie’s ask — and its denial — underscores how reliant Johnson is on the president for support. Republicans currently hold just a one-vote majority in the chamber amid the recent resignation of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and the sudden death of Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif, both of which happened in January. Republicans will likely win back a seat in March when Georgia holds a special election to fill Greene’s vacancy. But until then, Johnson has battled against a vanishingly small margin of error to pass GOP-led priorities, a margin Massie has made consistently smaller. In this case, Green believes Massie was asking for something that would threaten one of the key things holding the party together: Trump’s support. “What he was actually asking for, to my mind, was illustrating how closely Republican leadership is or has to be aligned with President Trump,” Green said. “You know, to just say ‘I support a bill’ or ‘I think this bill is a good idea,’ you’d think would be a relatively harmless ask, but with the Epstein files, you had the president, until the very end, saying, ‘Do not vote to release these,’ and the speaker agreeing.” GOP MUTINY FORCES HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON TO DELAY VOTE ON KEY PIECE OF TRUMP’S AGENDA In the lead-up to a vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Trump slammed the effort, calling on Massie to abandon his push and condemning the “Democrat Epstein Hoax” in a post to Truth Social. It’s the president’s opposition to Massie’s Epstein transparency push that makes Green think the Kentucky lawmaker knew his request would go unfulfilled. “He knew the answer would be no,” Green said. “If Johnson said yes, it would be not only going against what he had said about the bill himself, but also potentially upsetting President Trump.” Despite the improbable nature of the request, Green thinks it’s noteworthy Massie was willing to negotiate at all. “What is interesting, though, is that he suggests that he actually was willing to vote yes in exchange for something,” Green said. Massie’s office did not address Van Orden’s statement about his vote offer.