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.
Senate hopeful with deep Dem ties has paid family over $350K from his campaign coffers
FIRST ON FOX: Dan Osborn, a Nebraska “independent” Senate hopeful with deep ties to Democrats, has faced criticism for funneling a significant amount of campaign funds to his family members, including almost $250,000 to his wife and her political consulting firm. Across both his failed bid in 2024 and his current bid in the 2026 cycle, Osborn, his wife, daughter and sister-in-law have raked in north of $370,000, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings reviewed by Fox News Digital. The money originates from Osborn’s campaign and his affiliated political action committee, the Working Class Heroes Fund. In July, Osborn, who is trying to oust incumbent Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., faced heat over his FEC filings that showed his campaign made six payments to his wife, Megan, amounting to roughly $19,000 between April and June. “If you’re James Carville, and you’re running, and you hire your wife Mary Matalin, that’s one thing,” Perre Neilan, a longtime Nebraska political strategist and former executive director of the Nebraska Republican Party, said after the payments came to light. “But this one, I think – this one stinks.” SANDERS-ENDORSED SENATE CANDIDATE KNOCKED FOR ALLEGED FLIP-FLOP TO ‘HAVE IT BOTH WAYS’ ON KEY ISSUE Several months later, it was revealed that Osborn also funneled over $100,000 to a shadowy political consulting firm co-owned by his wife last year. The FEC made it easier for candidates to pay themselves in 2023, a move meant to give less wealthy folks an easier shot at running. Osborn, who has been endorsed by leaders of the Nebraska Democratic Party and has received campaign cash from multiple Democratic campaigns, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has not been the only candidate to take advantage of this. However, while the payments are not illegal, critics have taken issue with the lack of political experience from Osborn’s wife, a former restaurant manager. Across both Osborn’s 2024 and 2026 campaigns, his wife, who previously managed an Omaha sports pub, according to the Lincoln Journal Star, has raked in at least $246,000 directly from the campaign and from the Working Class Heroes Fund, FEC filings reviewed by Fox News Digital show. The money is going both to Megan directly and her Wyoming-based political consulting firm, which has faced transparency concerns. Her affiliation was only uncovered after Osborn filed an amended financial disclosure after the press started asking questions. When reached for comment, an Osborn campaign spokesperson referred Fox News Digital to comments Osborn made last year to the Lincoln Journal Star. Megan “has been instrumental in recruiting, preparing and supporting multiple working-class candidates across Nebraska and the country who share Dan’s vision to fix our broken politics,” an Osborn campaign spokesperson told the Lincoln Journal Star in November. “I work 40, 50 and even 90 hours per week on the campaign trail,” Osborn added last year when he was facing heat over the matter. “Megan does too. Most Senators have millions, even billions. But we’ve learned that it’s almost impossible to run for Senate as a regular person who needs to pay the bills and put food on the table. That’s why the Senate has become a country club full of millionaires, and it’s why less than 2 percent of our politicians come from the working class.” TRUMP CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION INTO ILHAN OMAR’S WEALTH, SAYS IT SHOULD START ‘NOW’ Osborn, a former steamfitter and industrial mechanic, has raked in a salary from his campaign of around $120,000, financial filings reviewed by Fox News Digital also show. Meanwhile, Georgia, Osborn’s daughter, and Jodi, his sister-in-law, have raked in thousands from Osborn’s campaign and political action committee. Georgia, a part-time dancer who Osborn says still needs help paying her bills, was given $4,200 after Osborn’s first campaign and before launching his 2026 bid for “assistant services” from the then-dormant campaign. Osborn’s sister-in-law, Jodi, received $1,400 for “treasurer services” at the end of 2025, according to campaign disclosures which also show that she is listed as the Working Class Heroes Fund’s Treasurer. In addition to questions about how Osborn is paying his loved ones, critics of the candidate have also balked at his decision to run as an Independent. Osborn has indicated he has no plans to caucus with either major party if elected and says on his website that, as an Independent, he is “uniquely positioned” to get things done in Congress. However, Osborn’s decision to cash in on national Democratic Party support, including utilizing the party’s main fundraising platform, ActBlue, have led to questions about how independent he really will be. In December, Osborn was slammed for hiring an anti-cop staffer seen at an anti-police event featuring severed pig heads, and the agency creating Osborn’s ads, Fight Agency, was also behind ads for the Zohran Mamdani, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, and other Democrats. One of the firm’s leaders said they were struck by Osborn’s “over performance” in 2024, leading him to surmise “that Democrats need to run a lot of different kinds of campaigns.” The consulting firm co-owned by Osborn’s wife, Independent Campaigns, has also worked with Democrat candidates. FEC filings show Nathan Sage, a Democrat running for Senate in Iowa, has paid thousands to Osborn’s wife’s consulting firm.
Trump says Iran has 15 days to reach a deal or face ‘unfortunate’ outcome
Iran has a short window to agree to a deal with the U.S., President Donald Trump said Thursday, before warning that the situation could soon shift if negotiations fail. The talks focus largely on curbing Tehran’s advancing nuclear program, which U.S. officials say has moved closer to weapons-grade enrichment. The U.S. and Israel also want Iran to give up its long-range ballistic missiles, stop supporting groups around the Middle East and stop using force against protesters inside Iran. “We’re going to make a deal, or we’re going to get a deal one way or the other,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, signaling determination to secure an agreement. VANCE WARNS IRAN THAT ‘ANOTHER OPTION ON THE TABLE’ IF NUCLEAR DEAL NOT REACHED While declining to specify whether the ultimate goal is the complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program, Trump made clear there would be consequences if diplomacy falls short. “We’re either going to get a deal, or it’s going to be unfortunate for them,” he said. Trump suggested the window for a breakthrough is narrowing, indicating Iran has no more than “10, 15 days, pretty much maximum” to reach an agreement. Trump spoke as negotiation efforts with Tehran remain ongoing. MORNING GLORY: WHAT WILL PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP DECIDE TO DO WITH IRAN? Although Trump has repeatedly expressed hope for a deal, indirect talks in Geneva have yielded mixed feedback. Trump said “good talks are being had,” and a senior U.S. official said Iran would make a written proposal on how to address U.S. concerns, Reuters reported. “I believe we made good progress,” said Abbas Araghchi, the head of the Iranian delegation in Geneva. “The path toward an agreement has started, but we will not reach it quickly.” Vice President JD Vance, however, said in an interview with Fox News that “red lines” were set. IRAN SIGNALS NUCLEAR PROGRESS IN GENEVA AS TRUMP CALLS FOR FULL DISMANTLEMENT “In some ways, it went well. They agreed to meet afterward,” Vance said. “But in other ways, it was very clear that the president has set some red lines that the Iranians are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through. So, we’re going to keep on working it.” According to The Associated Press, Iran has resisted broader U.S. and Israeli demands to curb its missile program and cut ties with armed regional groups. Trump’s comments also coincided with Iran’s annual military drills with Russia on Thursday as a second U.S. aircraft carrier moved closer to the Middle East. Similarly, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of military action despite ongoing talks.
UK blocks Trump from using RAF air bases for potential Iran attack: report
The United Kingdom is blocking the Trump administration from using its military air bases for a possible attack on Iran over concerns that a strike could violate international law. A report by The Times said the U.S. was drawing up a report to use Royal Air Force base Fairford in England, which is home to America’s fleet of heavy bombers in Europe. President Donald Trump reportedly spoke with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday about the plans. U.K. officials were reportedly worried that giving the United States permission to use the RAF bases for a military attack could breach international law, according to The Times. MORNING GLORY: WHAT WILL PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP DECIDE TO DO WITH IRAN? “Should Iran decide not to make a Deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia, and the Airfield located in Fairford, in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday. “An attack that would potentially be made on the United Kingdom, as well as other friendly countries. We will always be ready, willing, and able to fight for the U.K., but they have to remain strong in the face of Wokeism, and other problems put before them.” Trump has pressed for Tehran to make a deal with the U.S. over its nuclear program. “President Trump’s first instinct is always diplomacy, and he has been clear that the Iranian regime should make a deal,” a White House official told Fox News Digital. “Of course, the President ultimately has all options at his disposal, and he demonstrated with Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Absolute Resolve that he means what he says.” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the use of British military bases against Iran is a “necessity for an attack — it would be beyond surprising.” “The bottom line is the largest state sponsor of terrorism on the planet is the weakest it’s been because the people of Iran have risen up by the millions to end their oppression and the United States and Israel have delivered crushing blows to the regime’s military infrastructure,” Graham wrote on X. “To my friends in Britain, sitting this one out puts you on the wrong side of history and is yet another example of how much our alliances throughout Europe have degraded.” KHANNA AND MASSIE THREATEN TO FORCE A VOTE ON IRAN AS PROSPECT OF US ATTACK LOOMS On Thursday, Trump told reporters Iran has a maximum of 15 days to make a deal or “it’s going to be unfortunate for them.” Washington and Britain have been in a rift over the use of Britain’s air bases. Under the terms of long-standing agreements with Washington, the bases can only be used for military operations against third countries that have been agreed in advance with the government, according to The Times. On Wednesday, Trump withdrew his support for Starmer’s deal to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. However, a deal would allow the U.K. to keep control of Diego Garcia and its strategically important air base. “Our relationship with the United Kingdom is a strong and powerful one, and it has been for many years, but Prime Minister Starmer is losing control of this important island by claims of entities never known of before. In our opinion, they are fictitious in nature,” Trump wrote Wednesday. “Prime Minister Starmer should not lose control, for any reason, of Diego Garcia, by entering a tenuous, at best, 100-year lease,” he added. “This land should not be taken away from the UK and, if it is allowed to be, it will be a blight on our great ally.” The U.S. uses Diego Garcia for bombers operating in the Middle East and Asia.
Trump directs release of government alien and UFO files to multiple federal agencies nationwide
President Donald Trump said he will direct the release of government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life and unidentified aerial phenomena, saying there is “tremendous interest” in the issue following remarks by former President Barack Obama. Trump said he would instruct War Secretary Pete Hegseth and other relevant departments and agencies to begin identifying and declassifying records tied to unidentified aerial phenomena, UFOs and potential extraterrestrial life, framing the move as a response to heightened public curiosity. “Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “GOD BLESS AMERICA!” Trump said aboard Air Force One that Obama revealed classified information by suggesting aliens are real, calling the remarks a “big mistake” and accusing Obama of disclosing secrets about possible non-human visitors to Earth. JD VANCE SAYS UFOS, ALIENS COULD BE ‘SPIRITUAL FORCES’ AS VP VOWS TO ‘GET TO THE BOTTOM’ OF MYSTERY IN SKIES Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked Trump about Obama’s claim during a gaggle aboard Air Force One, pressing the current sitting president on whether he has seen evidence of non-human visitors on Earth. “He gave classified information. He’s not supposed to be doing that,” Trump said. “I don’t know if they’re real or not. I can tell you, he gave classified information. He’s not supposed to be doing that – he made a big mistake. He took it out of classified information.” Former President Barack Obama appeared on Brian Tyler Cohen’s podcast Saturday, where he was asked point-blank whether aliens are real. “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them,” Obama said. The 44th president also dismissed the idea that extraterrestrials are being held at Nevada’s Area 51, saying there is no secret underground facility “unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States.” After his comments sparked buzz online, Obama sought to clarify his remarks on Instagram. TULSI GABBARD TELLS PODCASTER ALIENS MAY BE REAL: ‘WE’RE CONTINUING TO LOOK FOR THE TRUTH’ “I was trying to stick with the spirit of the speed round, but since it’s gotten attention, let me clarify,” he wrote. “Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there. But the distances between solar systems are so great that the chances we’ve been visited by aliens are low, and I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!” Cohen also asked what Obama’s first question was after taking office, prompting another alien reference. “Uh, where are the aliens?” Obama joked. PILOT REPORTS UFO HOVERING BESIDE JET, LEAVING AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL STUNNED: ‘GOOD LUCK WITH THE ALIENS’ Saturday’s appearance was not the first time Obama addressed the topic. During a 2021 interview on “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” he said that after entering office, he looked into whether aliens were being studied in a secret lab and was told they were not. Still, Obama noted that officials are investigating aircraft exhibiting unusual flight patterns. “There is footage and records of objects in the skies that we don’t know exactly what they are,” he said. “We can’t explain how they moved, their trajectory. They did not have an easily explainable pattern. I think people still take seriously trying to investigate and figure out what that is.” UFO DOCUMENTARY PULLS BACK CURTAIN ON ‘PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATION’ AFTER DECADES OF GOVERNMENT COVER-UP: EXPERT Doocy later asked President Joe Biden about Obama’s remarks, referencing unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAPs. “What do you think that it is?” Doocy asked. “I would ask (Obama) again,” Biden responded. Interest in UAPs has intensified in recent years, drawing attention from federal lawmakers and defense officials. Congress passed the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act in 2023, and the Department of Defense established the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office to further examine such incidents. Fox News Digital’s Mike Sinkewicz contributed to this report.
Cornyn warns Paxton would be ‘kiss of death’ for GOP as bloody primary race ramps up
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, had a stark warning for Texans as he fights to keep his job in the Senate, saying a vote for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could mean a Democrat wins the Lone Star State seat for the first time in three decades. “Ken Paxton will be the kiss of death for Republicans on the ticket in November of 2026,” Cornyn said. Cornyn made his comments as he crisscrossed the state in a mad dash to shore up support as early voting began in Texas earlier this week. He’s deadlocked in a battle for political survival in a grueling three-way primary with Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas. TRUMP WITHHOLDS ENDORSEMENT IN FIERY GOP SENATE PRIMARY AS EARLY VOTING BEGINS IN TEXAS Nick Maddux, an advisor for Paxton, fired back in a statement to Fox News Digital that the current Texas attorney general won his election by double digits in 2022, “and the same thing is going to happen in 2026, because Republican voters are fired up to go to the polls and support him.” Maddux charged that Cornyn “is the worst possible choice” for turning out “low-propensity, Trump-supporting America First voters.” “There’s a reason that he’s stuck in the mid-20s even after $70-plus million’s been lit on fire to help him instead of going to races in NC, MI, ME and GA,” Maddux contended. “Texas voters don’t like him, don’t trust him, and won’t show up to vote for him in November.” CORNYN TORCHES DEMOCRATIC FIELD AS HE SEEKS RE-ELECTION IN TEXAS With the March 3 primary election less than two weeks away, Cornyn wanted to remind voters that their decision could have direct consequences on the GOP’s grip in Texas. The last time a Democratic candidate won a statewide election in Texas, Cornyn noted, was in 1994. And on the opposite side of the playing field, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, and Texas state Rep. James Talarico are salivating at the chance to snatch the seat. “I think the attorney general, if he’s the nominee, could very well lose the seat,” Cornyn said. “But if he doesn’t lose the seat, he’s not going to win except by the hair of his chin. And, unfortunately, that will not help the down-ballot races.” EARLY VOTING UNDERWAY IN TEXAS PRIMARY Congressional Republicans hold a trifecta in Washington, D.C., which has been instrumental in advancing President Donald Trump’s agenda, particularly his marquee tax bill, the “big, beautiful bill.” But midterm elections often serve as a referendum against the sitting president, and though Republicans in the state redistricted last year to give GOP candidates a better chance come November, Cornyn believes a Paxton win in their three-way primary battle would have a negative trickle-down effect. Trump, however, has not yet endorsed a candidate in the contest, telling reporters earlier this week that he “liked all three of them.” “I know President Trump feels very strongly not only about Texas but also about the congressional races,” Cornyn said. “We’ve got five new congressional seats in Texas, and I know the president wants to carry the majority for the House into the midterms and beyond, because, as he said himself, if Democrats win the majority in the House of Representatives, they will impeach him for the third time.”
Virginia Republicans charge ‘power grab’ as Democrat who backed redistricting runs for Congress
Virginia Republicans are taking aim at a Democratic state lawmaker who played a key role in pushing through congressional redistricting in the state and is now running for newly drawn U.S. House seat. After Virginia Delegate Dan Helmer launched a congressional campaign, some Republican leaders took aim at him for what they call a “power grab.” “I think it does look bad,” House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore told Fox News Digital, as he pointed to Helmer’s plan to run for Congress. “The whole process looks terrible, because all it is a power grab. We feel the optics are bad.” And the Virginia GOP, in a social media post, argued, “Democrats are so corrupt that they’re anointing nominees from the very people who drew the maps.” THE REDISTRICTING BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE RUNS THROUGH THIS STATE A 44-year-old U.S. Army veteran who served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Helmer on Wednesday launched a campaign for the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s newly drawn 7th Congressional District — one of four new left-leaning seats that would favor the Democrats if voters pass an April referendum to approve a constitutional amendment greenlighting mid-decade redistricting. VIRGINIA DEMOCRAT GIVES PROFANITY-LACED RESPONSE TO CRUZ’S CRITICISM OF THE STATE’S REDISTRICTING PUSH Helmer, who has served in Virginia’s House of Delegates since 2020 and is the House Democratic Caucus campaign chair, was one of the architects behind the push last autumn in the state legislature to draw the new map. Virginia is the latest battleground in the ongoing crucial battle between President Donald Trump and Republicans versus Democrats to alter congressional maps ahead of November’s elections. Republicans are defending their razor-thin House majority in the midterms, and Democrats need a net gain of just three seats to win back control of the chamber. That means the redistricting efforts in Virginia and other states may very well decide which party controls the House next year. Virginia Republicans had challenged the validity of the upcoming referendum, arguing that Democrats had erred procedurally when the legislature approved amendments to the state Constitution. And last month, a lower court ruled in the GOP’s favor. But a ruling late last week by the state Supreme Court OK’d the holding of the ballot measure, which asks voters to give the legislature, rather than Virginia’s current non-partisan commission, redistricting power through the 2030 election. Early voting on the referendum is scheduled to start on March 6. But last week’s ruling on the referendum doesn’t mean the legal challenges are over. Democrats are still defending their ability to redraw the maps, and the state Supreme Court may schedule arguments in that case. And separately, this week, the Republican National Committee led a new lawsuit to try and block the April referendum. Helmer, in a campaign launch video, touted his “successful efforts to take on and win against Donald Trump.” And he dismisses criticism from Republicans that his congressional bid is bad optics, noting that after redistricting passed through the legislature, he then recused himself from the process of redrawing the maps. But the Virginia GOP, pointing to Helmer’s two previous unsuccessful bids for Congress, argued the state lawmaker “is a career loser who had to rig the game to have any hope of winning a congressional seat after he lost TWO primaries in 2018 and 2024.” And Virginia Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle told Fox News Digital that the optics of “trying to gerrymander Virginia” are “not good.”
Trump says US contributing $10B to Board of Peace, Iran must reach nuclear deal or ‘bad things happen’
The U.S. is putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to the Board of Peace. President Donald Trump announced during the inaugural meeting of the board, that the U.S. was committing to contribute $10 billion to the board. “The Board of Peace is showing how a better future can be built, starting right here in this room,” Trump said on Thursday. “I want to let you know that the United States is going to make a contribution of $10 billion to the Board of Peace… and we’ve had great support for that number.” The president said that the contribution “sounds like a lot, but it’s a very small number” when compared to the cost of war. Trump estimated that the $10 billion commitment was equivalent to the cost of two weeks of fighting. “Together, we can achieve the dream of bringing lasting harmony to a region tortured by centuries of war, suffering and carnage,” Trump added, saying that he hoped it could serve as inspiration for other nations entangled in conflicts that seem unending. IRAN’S PRESIDENT STRIKES SOFTER TONE ON NUCLEAR TALKS AFTER TRUMP’S WARNING THAT ‘BAD THINGS WOULD HAPPEN’ The Board of Peace was set up as part of the Trump administration’s plans to end the Israel-Hamas war and to rebuild Gaza. Several countries have committed to joining the board, including Argentina, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Egypt, El Salvador, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Morocco, Mongolia, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. While touting the significance of the board, Trump also encouraged more nations to join not just the initiative, but in a greater effort towards peace, singling out Iran in particular. “And now is the time for Iran to join us on a path that will complete what we’re doing. And if they join us, that’ll be great. If they don’t join us, that’ll be great too, but it will be a very different path,” Trump said. “They cannot continue to threaten the stability of the entire region, and they must make a deal.” TRUMP MEETS NETANYAHU, SAYS HE WANTS IRAN DEAL BUT REMINDS TEHRAN OF ‘MIDNIGHT HAMMER’ OPERATION The president warned that “bad things” would happen if Iran did not make a deal. “Iran is a hot spot right now. And they’re meeting and they have a good relationship with the representatives of Iran,” Trump said. “And, you know, good talks are being had. It’s proven to be over the years, not easy to make a meaningful deal with them. And we have to make a meaningful deal. Otherwise, bad things happen. But we have to make a meaningful deal.” Representatives of the U.S. and Iran recently participated in indirect nuclear talks in Oman, with both sides meeting with Omani foreign minister Badr al-Busaidi. Following the indirect talks, which he said were “very good,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that Iran wanted to make “a deal very badly.” “They know the consequences if they don’t make a deal. The consequences are very steep,” Trump told reporters earlier this month. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi also expressed optimism after the indirect talks, which he said were “a good start.” “After a long period without dialogue, our viewpoints were conveyed, and our concerns were expressed. Our interests, the rights of the Iranian people, and all matters that needed to be stated were presented in a very positive atmosphere, and the other side’s views were also heard,” Araghchi said at the time. “It was a good start, but its continuation depends on consultations in our respective capitals and deciding on how to proceed,” he added. A top Iranian official was spotted in Oman just days after the indirect talks, though it was not immediately clear if he was there to discuss next steps in the negotiations. The Associated Press contributed to this report.