EXCLUSIVE: OIG report shows major turnaround in Social Security Administration’s phone service under Trump
EXCLUSIVE: The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) internal watchdog has confirmed that the agency’s publicly reported phone service data was accurate and that performance improved during fiscal year 2025, according to a new audit completed after Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., questioned whether the figures could be trusted. The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) reviewed the SSA’s national 800-number telephone metrics and found that the data the agency released to the public was correct, and that overall service improved during fiscal year 2025, according to a draft audit report provided to agency leadership ahead of public release. The report did not issue any recommendations to the agency. The review was initiated after Warren expressed concerns in June about long wait times and the reliability of SSA’s phone performance data. She formally requested an audit on July 24, prompting SSA Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano, who serves under President Donald Trump, to agree to an independent review by the watchdog. The audit found that SSA served 68 million callers during fiscal year 2025, either through live agents or automated systems, a 65% increase from the prior year. Average wait times fluctuated early in the year but improved steadily, according to the audit, ending the fiscal year at roughly seven minutes in September after peaking at about 30 minutes in January. TRUMP SAYS ELIZABETH WARREN HAS ‘GOT TO TAKE A DRUG TEST’ The metric cited by the agency, known as Average Speed of Answer, measures only the time callers actively wait on hold before speaking to an employee and does not include time spent waiting for callbacks. “Last year, people waited 40 minutes on the phone, and now they’re in single digits. We’re doing twice as many calls,” Bisignano said. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Bisignano said the audit confirmed what agency leadership had been reporting publicly about improvements in service levels. “Senator Warren was completely wrong in everything that she was saying, and it’s now been proven out,” Bisignano said, citing the watchdog’s finding that SSA’s publicly reported telephone metrics were calculated accurately. Bisignano said he welcomed the audit and was confident the data would withstand independent scrutiny. EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP TOUTS ‘ZERO TAX’ BENEFITS FOR MAJORITY OF SENIORS ON SOCIAL SECURITY’S 90TH ANNIVERSARY The inspector general’s report concluded that SSA’s telephone performance improved during fiscal year 2025 largely because of operational changes, including the rollout of a new cloud-based telecommunications platform, expanded automation and staffing realignments. The platform, implemented in August 2024, allowed SSA to increase call capacity, expand self-service options and monitor performance in real time, according to the report. The watchdog also confirmed that SSA’s internal data-verification process ensured accuracy by comparing raw data with reported metrics and working with vendors to resolve any discrepancies. The audit found no evidence that the agency misrepresented its national 800-number performance. Bisignano said improvements were driven by a combination of technology, process changes and workforce adjustments. The report explains that SSA experienced especially high call volumes between January and March 2025 due to Medicare and tax-related questions, as well as the implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023, which affected more than 3.2 million beneficiaries. Despite the surge, the agency reduced average wait times over the course of the year. SOCIAL SECURITY IS 90 YEARS OLD. WE ARE MAKING IT SMARTER, BETTER, FASTER UNDER TRUMP The audit also found that about 25 million calls during fiscal year 2025 ended without callers receiving service, either because callers disconnected, did not answer callback attempts or encountered busy signals. Those calls were not included in the agency’s wait-time metrics. Automation played a growing role in absorbing the surge. According to the audit, automated systems handled an average of nearly 2.9 million calls per month in fiscal year 2025, up from about 300,000 per month the year before. Automated services allowed callers to complete common tasks without speaking to a live agent, reducing pressure on phone lines. The inspector general also reviewed how SSA calculates its Average Speed of Answer metric, which measures the time callers actively wait on hold before speaking to an employee. The audit clarified that callers who accept a callback are counted as having zero active wait time, a methodology that reduces the average but does not include the time callers wait to receive callbacks. Bisignano said transparency about how the numbers are calculated is essential. “We figured out how to leverage technology, process engineering, and human capital,” he said. Staffing changes also contributed to the turnaround. Early in fiscal year 2025, the number of employees available to answer national 800-number calls declined by about 13%. By July, SSA began assigning roughly 1,000 field office employees each day to help handle national call volume. The audit found that this coincided with sharp improvements in wait times, with Average Speed of Answer dropping from about 13 minutes in June to roughly 7.5 minutes in July. The audit did not evaluate service levels or wait times at local Social Security field offices. Beyond wait times, the audit found that service quality remained high. About 87% of callers who responded to post-call surveys said their issue was resolved on the first contact. The survey results reflect feedback from callers who reached an SSA employee and do not include callers who only used automated services. Bisignano said the improvements matter most for seniors and beneficiaries who rely on Social Security services. “We’re investing in Social Security and servicing the American public at a level they’ve never been serviced before,” he said. “We’ll meet you where you want to be met: on the phone, in the field offices or on the web.” He added that people who haven’t called the agency recently may be surprised by how much has changed. “What would surprise them the most is how quickly they can get their phone call answered,” he said. Looking ahead, Bisignano said the agency plans to continue expanding digital services and reducing backlogs, including in disability claims, while maintaining accountability through ongoing oversight.
Year in review: The most radical college professors and administrators of 2025
Over the past year, Fox News Digital has extensively reported on controversies surrounding “radical” teachers and administrators at universities across the country pushing far-left agenda items and sparking outrage from parents’ rights groups about liberal indoctrination on college campuses. As the Trump administration’s ICE raids cracking down on illegal immigration made headlines in Chicago, Fox News Digital was first to report on University of Chicago associate professor Eman Abdelhadi, who was arrested for aggravated assault at an anti-ICE rally and unloaded on former Vice President Dick Cheney upon the news of his death. Universities across the country have faced scrutiny for continuing to push Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion curriculum despite the Trump administration’s crackdown on the practice. In Florida, Fox News Digital first reported that Dr. Haywood Brown, associate vice president of academic affairs at the University of South Florida, touted in an unearthed recording how he has been avoiding DEI laws while attacking state and federal officials, including top White House official Stephen Miller. Brown resigned shortly after Fox News Digital’s reporting after pressure from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who said in a statement, “Our office has immediately ensured his relationship with our university system has ended.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE CAMPUS RADICALS COAST TO COAST “I love breaking rules,” UNC Asheville dean of students Megan Pugh said in an undercover video produced by Accuracy in Media and first reported by Fox News Digital in June as the administrator described how DEI is still alive and well at the school but, “you gotta keep it quiet.” A spokesperson later told Fox News Digital that Pugh is no longer employed by the university. Stacey Patton, a professor of journalism at Howard University, called on White political allies to emulate vigilante mass murderer John Brown in a controversial blog post, Fox News Digital reported in October. The assassination of Charlie Kirk sparked numerous examples of professors on college campuses justifying, downplaying or making controversial statements about his death, which Fox News Digital reported on extensively. UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA SITE WARNS OF A ‘WHITENESS PANDEMIC,’ URGES WHITE PARENTS TO ‘RE-EDUCATE’ Less than 24 hours after Kirk was killed, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, an associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of New Hampshire, took to social media to criticize the slain conservative leader. Fox News Digital was first to report on George Washington University administrator Anthony Pohorilak, who is no longer employed by the school after posting on social media his theory as to why Kirk’s murder was “fair.” Fox News Digital reported on other professors disparaging Charlie Kirk at the University of Pennsylvania, Fort Hays State University, Louisiana State University and several other universities. Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, found itself facing criticism from professors on college campuses, including from Rutgers University professor Tia Kolbaba, who signed an online petition that sought to disband the school’s Turning Point USA chapter from campus. At the University of Oklahoma, Fox News Digital reported on a professor who uses she/they pronouns facing disciplinary action after flunking student Samantha Fulnecky on an essay wherein Fulnecky invoked her Christian beliefs and the Bible. UNCOVERED DOCS SHOW TOP TEACHERS UNION GUIDING GENDER TRANSITIONS, BASHING CONSERVATIVES: ‘INSANE ASYLUM’ Fox News Digital extensively reported on a professor at Rutgers University, known as “Dr. Antifa,” who made headlines for fleeing the United States earlier this year and is set to teach a history seminar on communism next spring. The professor, Mark Bray, is best known for his book, “Antifa: The Antifascist Handbook,” published in 2017, and once portrayed doxing as a legitimate tactic for use against political opponents in his seminal work. In September, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill placed a professor who is a member of a far-left gun club on administrative leave, Fox News Digital exclusively reported. The professor, Dwayne Dixon, was later reinstated after the school “found no basis to conclude that he poses a threat to University students, staff and faculty, or has engaged in conduct that violates University policy.” In Chicago, at a “No Kings” protest where residents rallied against President Trump, a staff member from Wilbur Wright College was captured on video calling for federal immigration agents to be shot. A school spokesperson later said the institution “does not tolerate violence” and that the staffer is no longer employed. Just this week, Fox News Digital reported on University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor Gabriel Rodriguez and leaked PowerPoint lessons from a first-year education course showing extreme left-wing bias on the topic of illegal immigration, as well as race and gender. Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca and Preson Mizell contributed to this report.
Trump-backed Donalds vows to maintain DeSantis ‘trajectory,’ take Florida to ‘whole new level’
MAGA champion Rep. Bryon Donalds, a top ally of President Donald Trump in the House, is on a roll as he runs to succeed term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis as Florida’s next governor. With over ten months to go until next year’s election, the three-term Republican representative from a red-leaning district in southwest Florida is sitting on a massive fundraising war chest and is far ahead of his GOP primary rivals in the latest public opinion polling. But Donalds takes “nothing for granted.” “I’ve been all over the state, crisscrossing and nonstop. We have a very strong campaign. The people of Florida have been very receptive to my message and the ideas we’re bringing to this campaign,” Donalds highlighted in an interview last week with Fox News Digital at his congressional office in the nation’s capital. SETTING THE STAGE: WHAT THE 2025 ELECTIONS SIGNAL FOR NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERM SHOWDOWNS Donalds was endorsed by Trump in February, before he even formally launched his campaign for governor. While giving Donalds a big boost, the president’s backing hasn’t prevented other Republicans from entering the GOP primary race. Former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner launched his bid in September, and late last month investor James Fishback, who had generated some buzz in MAGA world earlier this year before clashing with top Trump advisers, also jumped into the race. And Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, a former Green Beret and army veteran, has been mulling a run. But Donalds remains the overwhelming frontrunner. “People want to run. They want to run. That’s fine, but we’re focused on our race, and that’s contacting voters. I’ve been in 41 counties doing political events. I’ve been in 50 counties, when you consider fundraising and political events,” Donalds highlighted. Donalds said he is “very honored to have President Trump’s endorsement. Now I have to go county by county, city by city to get the endorsement and the support from the people of our state.” DeSantis remains mum on the race to succeed him, not backing Donalds or any of the other contenders, which earlier this year also for a time included his wife, first lady Casey DeSantis. Donalds was once a close ally of the governor, but their relationship soured when Donalds endorsed Trump for president over DeSantis in the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race. “It’s been better,” Donalds said when asked by Fox News Digital about his relationship with the governor. “But at the end of the day, it’s about the trajectory of our state. Would love to earn Gov. DeSantis support in this campaign, but at the end of the day, we are going to take all of the hard work that he’s done for our state, and it’s been tremendous, we’re going to take that work and we’re going to build upon it, and that’s what matters.” DESANTIS WARNS GOP FACES ‘ISSUE’ KEEPING TRUMP VOTERS ENGAGED IN FUTURE ELECTIONS Democrats are likely to have a competitive primary between Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and former Rep. David Jolly, a Republican-turned-Democrat. But in battleground-turned-red-state Florida, most of the attention is focused on the Republicans. Dan Eberhart, a Florida-based oil drilling chief executive officer and a prominent Republican donor who’s raised big bucks for Trump and DeSantis this decade and who is also in Donalds’ political orbit, told Fox News Digital, “Donald’s MAGA credentials and fundraising prowess put him in the driver’s seat” in the GOP primary. Eberhart noted “Donalds having a primary will make him a better general election candidate,” and emphasized that the congressman “is doing all of the right things to win both the primary and the general election.” Trump and Republicans spotlighted rising prices as they swept to major victories in 2024, retaking the White House and Senate and holding their majority in the House. But with inflation remaining persistent, Democrats have been laser focused this year on the issue of affordability, which fueled their decisive victories in last month’s 2025 elections and their overperformances this year in a slew of special elections. And those contests saw a drop-off in turnout by MAGA voters, with Trump not on the ballot. TOP 5 GAME-CHANGERS FROM THE 2025 CAMPAIGN TRAIL “Are the Democrats motivated? Fine,” Donalds said when asked about the Democrats’ energy. “We are going to make sure that we get Republican voters out to the polls, because at the end of the day, the people of Florida love the trajectory set by Governor DeSantis. We’re going to maintain that trajectory, and we’re going to build it and take Florida to a whole new level.” And pointing specifically to affordability, Donalds predicted, “over the next year, you’re going to see a lot of these economic changes, decisions made by the President of the United States, have real impacts in the lives of the American people. Positive impacts.” But the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) argued, “Whether in DC or Tallahassee, Byron Donalds has spent his political career helping to make Florida the least affordable state in the country.” “From supporting cost-raising tariffs to voting to spike the cost of everything from health care to housing, Byron Donalds is one of the architects of the affordability crisis devastating Florida families,” DGA spokesperson Kevin Donohoe charged in a statement to Fox News Digital. And pointing to this month’s Miami mayoral election, where the Democrats won for the first time in a quarter-century, Donohoe said “the Miami mayoral race showed that Florida voters are looking for change — but Byron Donalds would just offer more of the same.” Asked about the results in Miami, Donalds said, “I do acknowledge what happened in the city of Miami, but that’s not going to happen in the state of Florida.” “Florida is going to continue to be a red state, because the people of Florida know what conservative policies are they want that to continue. It’s been the best state going in the entire country, and we’re not going to stop here,” he added.
DOJ sues DC over restrictive gun laws
Attorney General Pam Bondi is leading the Justice Department in suing Washington, D.C.’s police over its allegedly unconstitutional ban on semi-automatic weapons. Bondi announced the lawsuit on Monday, saying the Metropolitan Police Department currently wrongfully bans the AR-15 and “many other firearms protected under the Second Amendment.” “The District’s gun laws require anyone seeking to own a gun to register it with D.C. Metro Police,” the DOJ said in a statement. “However, the D.C. Code provides a broad registration ban on numerous firearms — an unconstitutional incursion into the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens seeking to own protected firearms for lawful purposes. MPD’s current pattern and practice of refusing to register protected firearms is forcing residents to sue to protect their rights and to risk facing wrongful arrest for lawfully possessing protected firearms. “Today’s action from the Department of Justice’s new Second Amendment Section underscores our ironclad commitment to protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans,” Bondi said in another statement. SUPREME COURT CASE COULD RESTORE GUN RIGHTS FOR MILLIONS IN BLUE STATES: AG BONDI “Washington, D.C.’s ban on some of America’s most popular firearms is an unconstitutional infringement on the Second Amendment — living in our nation’s capital should not preclude law-abiding citizens from exercising their fundamental constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” she added. The new lawsuit comes weeks after Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, announced DOJ would be taking “a lot more action” related to gun rights via a new department. “Some of the things we’re seeing, and that is going to be the focus of our work around the country, includes multi-thousand-dollar costs for citizens to apply for concealed carry permits,” she said. “Other jurisdictions are having unreasonably long delays. Other jurisdictions are outlawing guns that should be protected by the Second Amendment under the recent Supreme Court precedent.” She also emphasized that gun rights “equalizes the ability of those of us, women, people with disabilities, and others who might otherwise be more vulnerable, to be able to protect ourselves.” Fox News’ Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.
Clinton camp demands DOJ drop remaining Epstein files, accuses Trump admin of ‘protection’
Former President Bill Clinton‘s spokesman is calling on the Department of Justice to release any remaining documents related to the former president and Jeffrey Epstein following the DOJ’s document release Friday. “We call on President Trump to direct Attorney General Bondi to immediately release any remaining materials referring to, mentioning, or containing a photograph of Bill Clinton,” a statement from Clinton spokesman Angel Ureña on Monday reads. “This includes, without limitation, any records that may exist and are subject to disclosure under the Act (Public Law 119–38 enacted Nov. 19, 2025), including grand jury transcripts, interview notes, photographs, and findings by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (as referenced under oath to Congress by President Trump’s first-term Attorney General),” it continued. Clinton’s office said that the DOJ’s partial release of Epstein-related documents Friday allegedly shows “someone or something is being protected.” President Donald Trump signed a bipartisan law in November that required the Department of Justice to release all “unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials” within 30 days of Trump’s signature. SCHUMER ACCUSES DOJ OF BREAKING THE LAW OVER REDACTED EPSTEIN FILES “The Epstein Files Transparency Act imposes a clear legal duty on the U.S. Department of Justice to produce the full and complete record the public demands and deserves,” Ureña continued. “However, what the Department of Justice has released so far, and the manner in which it did so, makes one thing clear: someone or something is being protected. We do not know whom, what or why. But we do know this: We need no such protection.” Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ Monday afternoon regarding the new statement from Ureña. The Friday Epstein drop included a handful of photos of Clinton, including him swimming shirtless, posing with music icons such as Michael Jackson, and other redacted photos showing the former president with unidentifiable individuals. When asked about the photos when they initially dropped, Ureña directed Fox Digital to a statement he posted to X. “The White House hasn’t been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton,” he wrote Friday. “This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they’ll try and hide forever. So they can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn’t about Bill Clinton. Never has, never will be. Even Susie Wiles said Donald Trump was wrong about Bill Clinton.” Ureña said there are “two types of people” involved in the Epstein scandal: those who did not know of Epstein’s crimes and cut him out of their lives upon his conviction and a second group of people who “continued relationships with him after” his crimes came to light. “We’re in the first. No amount of stalling by people in the second group will change that,” the Clinton spokesman continued. “Everyone, especially MAGA, expects answers, not scapegoats.” Files that included victims’ names, child sex abuse materials, classified materials or other materials that could threaten an active investigation were allowed to be withheld or redacted by the DOJ, per the transparency law. DOJ RESTORES TRUMP PHOTO TO EPSTEIN FILES AFTER DETERMINING NO VICTIMS DEPICTED The Trump DOJ released thousands of files related to the Epstein investigations throughout the years, with the department expected to release additional documents in the coming days. Democrats have slammed the DOJ and Trump over the slow release of the documents following the president signing the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law. “The law Congress passed is crystal clear: release the Epstein files in full so Americans can see the truth,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schummer said in a press release Monday, teeing up litigation against the administration over the release. “Instead, the Trump Department of Justice dumped redactions and withheld the evidence — that breaks the law. Today, I am introducing a resolution to force the Senate to take legal action and compel this administration to comply.” Epstein was a well-connected financier with a lengthy Rolodex of billionaires and celebrities who floated in and out of his orbit across the years. He was convicted of sex trafficking minors in 2008 and served just more than one year of incarceration, which also included a controversial work-release arrangement under a plea agreement. He was arrested again in 2019 on charges of sex trafficking before he was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell by suicide. WOMAN WHO FILED A COMPLAINT AGAINST EPSTEIN TO CLINTON FBI VINDICATED AFTER DOJ RELEASE OF FILES MAGA supporters have claimed that Epstein kept an alleged “client list” of high-profile names that he used to blackmail individuals in a web of sex trafficking and crimes. The Department of Justice announced over the summer, however, that there was “no incriminating ‘client list’” of prominent individuals involved in an alleged sex trafficking scheme, nor that Epstein blackmailed anyone on such list. The DOJ previously reported that the evidence shows Epstein did in fact commit suicide, which contradicted speculation on social media that Epstein was murdered in his jail cell in 2019, which set off criticisms among Trump supporters to release further documents on the case, with Democrats joining those calls while invoking questions about Trump’s relationship with Epstein. Trump has slammed the calls as part of a “Democrat hoax” while defending that he “threw him out” of Mar-a-Lago after he “stole” employees from the private club in his falling out with Epstein in the 2000s. Fox News Digital reached out the Department of Justice Monday afternoon regarding Urena’s latest statement, but did not immediately receive a reply.
Turning Point poll reveals conservatives ‘all in’ for JD Vance 2028 presidential run
A straw poll taken at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest this weekend revealed that conservatives are, as a spokesman described, “all in” for Vice President JD Vance running for president in 2028. Asked who they would like to see as the Republican presidential nominee in 2028, the vast majority of respondents, 84.2%, answered Vice President JD Vance. Far behind Vance was Rubio at 4.8% and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 2.9%. Andrew Kolvet, a spokesman for TPUSA, told Fox News Digital that the poll portrays a clear picture of the state of the conservative movement. From the responses, Kolvet said it is clear that “the movement is all-in for JD Vance in 2028, winning the most support in the history of our poll.” VANCE SAYS ‘AMERICA FIRST’ MOVEMENT REJECTS ‘PURITY TESTS,’ WELCOMES CRITICAL THINKERS Kolvet explained,”There are bright dividing lines in the conservative movement right now, so we wanted to get clarity on where the base is on these hot-button issues in Turning Point Action’s official AmericaFest 2025 straw poll.” “We wanted to get a real read on where the base is at after Charlie’s assassination, and a few things really jump off the page,” he said. The most popular Trump administration accomplishment amongst conference attendees was securing the border, with nearly 60% of respondents answering this, while 22.2% of respondents answered deportations. Conference attendees also shared that winning the midterms and radical Islam are among their top concerns. A wide margin believed that the conservative movement’s top priority in 2026 should be winning the midterms. Per the poll, 63.9% of AmFest attendees believed the conservative movement should be prioritizing winning the midterms, which would preserve Republicans’ majorities in the House and Senate. POLICY GROUP PRAISES TRUMP’S 100 GLOBAL WINS SINCE TAKING OFFICE, FROM CARTEL CRACKDOWNS TO PEACE DEALS The next highest priority, according to attendees, was voter integrity/voter ID at 9.3%. Other priorities were the affordability crisis at 8.1%, mass deportations at 5.3% and accountability for the deep state/lawfare at 4.2%. Asked what the biggest threat is facing America, 31,008 responded “radical Islam.” In close second was socialism and Marxism at 30,387. Third was mass migration, with 28,223 saying that is the greatest threat to America, and fourth was the economy and affordability at 27,315. Related to mass migration, 89.5% of poll respondents said they would support a moratorium on new immigration into the United States. Attendees were also questioned on their feelings about Israel. Over half, 53.4 percent, said they see Israel as “one ally out of many,” while a third said they see Israel as America’s “top ally” and 13.3 percent said they believe Israel is “not an ally.” The poll also revealed what members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet are most popular and unpopular amongst the conference’s heavily conservative audience. According to the poll, which was taken by Big Data Poll, the Trump Cabinet member with the strongest job performance approval rating amongst AmFest attendees is Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, as 83.3% of conference attendees voiced they strongly approve of him. A total of 94.7% of AmFest attendees said they either strongly or somewhat approve of Hegseth. As War secretary, Hegseth has been one of the most vocal Trump Cabinet members, with such actions as changing the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War, expunging DEI from the military and targeting cartel drug boats in the Caribbean. TRUMP CABINET WIVES REVEAL RARE GLIMPSE INTO PRESIDENT’S ‘ONE BIG TEAM’ APPROACH Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. received similarly high approval ratings from the AmFest attendees at 76.6% and 80.8%, respectively. Kennedy received the highest overall approval rating from AmFest attendees, with 96.8% saying they either strongly or somewhat approve of him. The Cabinet member with the highest disapproval rating was U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, whom 13.4% of attendees said they strongly disapprove of and 15.6% said they somewhat disapprove. Despite this, most poll participants, 64.8%, still said they either strongly or somewhat approve of Bondi’s job performance in the Trump administration. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, another highly vocal and prominent Trump Cabinet member who has spearheaded the administration’s deportations and border security efforts, received broad approval with 90.1% of participants saying they either strongly or somewhat approve of her job performance. FOX NEWS POLL: MAJOR INCREASE IN POSITIVE VIEWS ON BORDER SECURITY Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy both received approval ratings in the 80s. Poll participants had less to say about Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collin, with between 28 and 39% of respondents saying they were unsure about their job performance. According to the poll, 88.3% of respondents self-identified as Republican and 94.7% identified as conservative. Commenting on the poll, Kolvet said that conservatives “see Israel as an important ally of the United States despite so much chatter to the contrary” and “they love the job that Secretaries Hegseth, Rubio, and RFK Jr. are doing, but they harbor skepticism about the DOJ.” “Above all,” Kolvet said that conservatives “are laser focused on winning the midterms and fixing mass migration, which they clearly see as connected to the rise of radical Islam, socialism, and crime.” He added that “it’s clear that immigration remains the key to energizing the base ahead of the midterms.”
Anti-Trump ex-husband of president’s 2016 campaign manager launches congressional bid as Democrat
A former conservative lawyer-turned-vocal critic of President Donald Trump is jumping into the crowded Democratic primary to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y. George Conway, who was previously married to Trump’s 2016 campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, filed to run in New York’s 12th Congressional District on Monday. The Manhattan-based district is considered a safe blue seat. Nadler, who served in Congress since 1992, announced in September of this year that he was stepping down amid pressure on older Democrats to make way for a new generation. WHITE HOUSE HITS BACK AFTER JFK’S GRANDSON CALLS RFK JR A ‘RABID DOG’ Conway was once known in Washington, D.C., as one of the lawyers who worked on Paula Jones’ case when she sued then-President Bill Clinton for sexual harassment. He also championed conservative causes as a member of the Federalist Society, a right-wing law society. But in recent years, Conway has made a name for himself as a vehement Trump critic, even while his wife worked as a senior advisor in his White House. George and Kellyanne Conway announced their divorce in March 2023. Conway was also a founding member of the Lincoln Project, a Republican group that has taken out advertisements and championed causes in direct opposition to Trump. DESTINY OR DYNASTY: INSIDE THE NEW CLASS OF POLITICAL NEPO BABIES VYING FOR POWER A document on the Federal Election Commission (FEC) website shows that Conway registered a principal campaign committee on Monday based in New York City. What appears to be a campaign website listed on the form, GeorgeConwayForCongress.com, is not yet active as of early Monday afternoon. The registration also notes he is running in the Democratic primary, which is shaping up to be a crowded race. At least 12 people have shown interest in the seat so far. Among the most prominent candidates is Jack Schlossberg, the 32-year-old grandson of John F. Kennedy. Cameron Kasky, an organizer for the anti-gun group March For Our Lives, is also one of the candidates alongside New York State Assembly members Micah Lasher and Alex Bores. ABC News legal analyst Jami Floyd and New York City council member Erik Bottcher have also filed to run. Fox News Digital reached out to the emails associated with Conway’s FEC filing for further comment but did not immediately hear back.
JD Vance turns Turning Point speech into midterm battle cry — and a preview of 2028
Vice President JD Vance is amplifying his message for next year’s midterm elections, when Republicans will be defending their congressional majorities. Vance, speaking at a major conservative summit this weekend, pointed to the Democrats and predicted that Republicans “are gonna kick their ass next November.” The comment from the vice president on Sunday sparked immediate chants of “USA” from the crowd at the annual AmericaFest conference by Turning Point USA, the influential and politically powerful conservative group. 2028 POWER MOVE: TURNING POINT’S ERIKA KIRK THROWS SUPPORT BEHIND JD VANCE AS MAGA HEIR APPARENT The annual gathering was Turning Point’s first since co-founder and conservative champion Charlie Kirk was assassinated in September. Vance and Charlie Kirk were close friends, and the vice president, who credits Kirk with his political rise, appeared to blame “far left” Democrats and their agenda for his death. VANCE SAYS AMERICA FIRST MOVEMENT REJECTS ‘PURITY TESTS’ “If you miss Charlie Kirk, do you promise to fight what he died for? Do you promise to take the country back from the people who took his life?” Vance asked the crowd. While President Donald Trump remains the top draw, Vance is expected to play a large role on the campaign trail next year on behalf of fellow Republicans and his address at Turning Point, as well as his speech in battleground Pennsylvania a week ago on the issue of affordability, are likely to be an appetizer for things to come in 2026. “The VP will be playing a big role on the trail next year,” a source close to the vice president told Fox News Digital. But pointing to the president’s and vice president’s anything but stellar poll numbers, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) argued, “Here’s the reality J.D. Vance and Trump are unwilling to face: Americans give them record-low approval ratings for failed leadership that has led to massive layoffs, skyrocketing prices, and economic uncertainty.” CHARLIE KIRK ALLY WARNS GOP NOT TO TAKE GEN Z FOR GRANTED, CALLING FOR ‘SENSE OF URGENCY’ “Every stop on the White House’s midterm campaign tour reminds Americans of how Republicans have made life harder. One year into the Trump-Vance administration, their 2024 coalition is unraveling because they have betrayed their own voters to give tax breaks to billionaires,” DNC rapid response director Kendall Witmer emphasized in a statement to Fox News Digital. While Vance has yet to say anything publicly on whether he’ll launch a 2028 campaign to succeed the term-limited Trump, he is considered by many on the right to be the president’s heir apparent to eventually take over the MAGA mantle. And the conference, which drew tens of thousands of MAGA supporters, kicked off on Thursday with Charlie Kirk’s widow backing Vance in 2028. Ericka Kirk, who took over the reins of Turning Point after her husband’s murder, said, “We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible,” in 2028. “Forty-eight” refers to the number of the next president. The backing of the vice president by Kirk and Turning Point, which is particularly influential among younger conservatives and whose political arm has built up a powerful grassroot outreach operation, could give Vance a major boost should he decide to run for president in the 2028 election.
Trump immigration agency flags 182 national security risks, issues record 196K notices to appear in 2025
FIRST ON FOX: The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) revealed new figures detailing the results of the Trump administration’s first year of cracking down on illegal immigration and removing criminal migrants from the country. The agency, which handles lawful immigration under the umbrella of Secretary Kristi Noem’s Department of Homeland Security, told Fox News Digital that since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, USCIS has referred more than 14,000 immigration cases to ICE for national security and fraud concerns, with 182 being confirmed or suspected to be national security risks. USCIS also told Fox that the agency’s Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate (FDNS) completed 19,300 fraud cases and identified fraud in roughly 65% of reviewed cases. Additionally, FDNS completed more than 6,500 site visits and conducted 19,500 social media checks for potential immigrants’ online posts. “USCIS has taken an ‘America First’ approach, restoring order, security, integrity, and accountability to America’s immigration system, ensuring that it serves the nation’s interests and protects and prioritizes Americans over foreign nationals,” USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow told Fox News Digital in a statement. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RESURRECTS ‘NEIGHBORHOOD CHECKS’ FOR CITIZENSHIP APPLICANTS LAST USED IN FIRST BUSH-ERA Edlow’s agency issued a record-breaking 196,000 Notices to Appear (NTAs) to put migrants into removal proceedings. More than 2,400 arrests were made at USCIS field offices under the Trump administration’s watch. USCIS also noted steps taken to mitigate immigration concerns amid security threats. After an Afghan national was accused of killing a National Guard member, Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, and severely injured Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe during an attack in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 26, the agency froze asylum processing for all countries and launched a re-examination of every green card for high-risk nations. DHS TAKES VICTORY LAP AFTER ARRESTING OVER 10K ILLEGAL ALIENS IN DEEP BLUE CITY DESPITE VIOLENT RIOTS In September, the top immigrant vetting wing of DHS strengthened the citizenship test, raising the total number of questions from 100 to 128, and increasing the number of questions on each individual test from 10 to 20. The qualifying passing score was changed from six correct answers to 12 correct answers. USCIS also matched the Department of Homeland Security hiring campaign to recruit more Americans to become immigration officers. In early November, Fox News Digital reported that more than 200,000 individuals had applied to be ICE officers, and USCIS told Fox more than 50,000 individuals have applied to become “homeland defenders,” previously titled immigration services officers. Homeland defenders are responsible for determining whether legal migrants are eligible for green cards, extended visas or citizenship. The agency’s actions are reflective of a campaign promise made by Trump to rein in what he called former President Joe Biden’s “flawed immigration policies” during his address to the nation last week. “In less than a year, President Trump has delivered some of the most historic and consequential achievements in presidential history—and this Administration is just getting started,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement over the weekend. “In record-time we have secured the border, taken the fight to cartels, and arrested thousands upon thousands of criminal illegal aliens,” Noem added. “Though 2025 was historic, we won’t rest until the job is done.”
Vance unleashes profanity-laced two-word message for critics of his wife Usha
Vice President JD Vance is not mincing his words, telling the news outlet UnHerd during an interview that those who attack his wife Usha “can eat s—.” He declared that “anyone who attacks my wife, whether their name is Jen Psaki or Nick Fuentes, can eat s—. That’s my official policy as vice president of the United States,” according to an interview transcript. Fuentes is a controversial podcaster widely described as a White nationalist with antisemitic views, while Psaki, a President Joe Biden-era White House press secretary, hosts a show on MS NOW. VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE DECLARES MARRIAGE TO WIFE USHA ‘IS AS STRONG AS IT’S EVER BEEN’ Fox News Digital reached out to Fuentes on X and emailed MS Now to request a comment from Psaki. In a November 2024 post on X, Fuentes wrote, “Poo-sha Vance.” He has also used an ethnic slur to refer to her. And earlier this year he wrote, “When conservatives attack Zohran Mamdani for being a foreigner, I just want them to keep the same energy with Vivek Ramaswamy and Usha Vance. Let’s be consistent.” VANCE SAYS ‘AMERICA FIRST’ MOVEMENT REJECTS ‘PURITY TESTS,’ WELCOMES CRITICAL THINKERS New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who was born in Uganda, is a naturalized U.S. citizen, while Usha Vance and Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy were both born in the U.S. VANCE CALLS PSAKI COMMENTS ABOUT WIFE USHA ‘DISGRACEFUL’ UnHerd had asked Vance if he disavows Fuentes. “My attitude towards anybody, again, who is calling for judging people based on their ethnic heritage, whether they’re Jewish or white or anything else, it’s disgusting,” Vance replied. “We shouldn’t be doing it.” “[That said,] I think that Nick Fuentes, his influence within Donald Trump’s administration, and within a whole host of institutions on the Right, is vastly overstated — and frankly, it’s overstated by people who want to avoid having a foreign-policy conversation about America’s relationship with Israel,” Vance continued. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Psaki made controversial comments about the second lady during an appearance on a podcast, saying she wonders what’s happening in Usha Vance’s mind, adding, “Are you OK? Please … blink four times … come over here … we’ll save you.”