Fetterman breaks ranks, praises Trump’s Middle East policies: ‘Did the right thing’
Sen. John Fetterman, the battleground state Democrat known for bucking his party, praised President Donald Trump’s policies in the Middle East on Monday. During The Senate Project series discussion, organized by the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate and the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation and co-hosted by FOX Nation, Fetterman and his fellow Pennsylvanian Sen. Dave McCormick, a Republican, discussed key issues impacting Americans. Conflict in the Middle East was chief among those topics, as the bipartisan senators have found unlikely common ground in their support for Israel. Fetterman admitted he is the sole Democrat willing to admit Trump’s success in the Middle East. “I wasn’t really allowed to disagree, politically, with the original agreement on Iran,” Fetterman said. KNIVES OUT FOR FETTERMAN: MAVERICK SENATOR JOINS LONG LINE OF DEMS PUNISHED FOR BREAKING FROM LEFT Trump ended U.S. participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran and re-imposed sanctions against them in 2018. As a Democrat, Fetterman said it was politically unpopular to support Trump backing out of the Iran deal. FETTERMAN CALLS FOR BOMBING IRANIAN NUCLEAR FACILITIES: ‘WASTE THAT S—‘ Fetterman, now abandoning the Democratic playbook, admitted on Monday, “I really do think, now, Trump did the right thing to break that agreement.” Fetterman told The Washington Free Beacon in April that the Trump administration should destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities with a military strike. The event’s moderator, Fox News’ Shannon Bream, anchor of “Fox News Sunday,” asked Fetterman about his comments during the Boston, Massachusetts, event on Monday. “Iran attacked Israel, and it’s very clear they lack the capabilities to really project that kind of––and then Israel struck back and destroyed the batteries that protect their nuclear facilities, and they also hit the nuclear lab as well, too. So now, Israel understands that we have a window here to attack that.” The Pennsylvania Democrat said his party isn’t willing to engage in these nuanced conversations about the United States’ approach to conflict in the Middle East. “I think it’s once in a generation to destroy that facility,” Fetterman said, doubling down on his comments. Fetterman also praised Trump for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem during his first administration. “That’s absolutely put me really the only one left in the Democratic caucus talking on these kinds of things,” Fetterman said, referring to his support for moving the embassy. “When Trump changed the embassy to Jerusalem, people thought… the region was going to burn. I mean, none of that happened… Some good things have happened there,” Fetterman said. Fetterman was the only Democratic senator willing to meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago ahead of his inauguration and has been steadfast in his support for Israel, one of several instances of Fetterman bucking his own party.
‘Chaos,’ ‘unacceptable’: Fetterman rips Democratic handling of border in bipartisan discussion
Both Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman and GOP Sen. Dave McCormick spoke in a bipartisan forum about the importance of border security, with Fetterman going so far as to call out his own party on the issue. “I’ve kind of, I’ve lost some support in my party. I thought the border was really important, and our party did not handle the border appropriately,” Fetterman told “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream during a FOX Nation presentation of The Senate Project series on Monday. “Look at the numbers, 267,000, 300,000 people showing up at our border. And, you know, we can all agree that’s roughly the size of Pittsburgh. Now, that’s unacceptable. And that’s a national security issue. And that’s chaos. So a secure border, being very pro-immigration, that’s who I am as a Democrat.” Fetterman, who drew the ire of many Democrats when he supported the Laken Riley Act, explained how he has been at “odds with his base” but his values have “never changed” on the immigration issue, which polling shows was a key factor in President Donald Trump’s election victory in November. MUSK’S DEPARTURE MARKS NEW CHAPTER FOR GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY IN BORDER SECURITY “We are going to disagree and vote on different things,” Fetterman said. “But for me, it’s about trying to find the things we can win together and deliver those kinds of wins for Pennsylvania and ultimately for America.” Fetterman bucked his own party at multiple points in the discussion with McCormick, including as it relates to his party’s handling of antisemitism on college campuses and in the streets. MOHAMED SABRY SOLIMAN: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED IN COLORADO TERROR ATTACK “What happened yesterday in Boulder? It’s astonishing,” Fetterman said, reacting to what the FBI is calling a terrorist attack against a pro-Israel group in Boulder, Colorado, over the weekend. “You know, the kinds of, the rank antisemitism, it’s out of control. And for me and as my friend just pointed out, this is just rampant across all the universities for all of these places, too. I mean, we really need to call it what it is. And now and for me, politically, being very, very firmly on the side of Israel, that kind of put parts of my party at odds for that.” The Senate Project series brings together sitting senators from opposing parties for civil dialogue about current political issues, with the goal of identifying solutions and bridging partisan divides. The series reflects the shared mission of the Kennedy Institute and Hatch Foundation to advance bipartisanship. “Vigorous and open dialogue is an essential part of our democracy and having these two senators from opposite sides of the aisle discuss important issues of the day is a valuable contribution to the public discourse,” Kennedy Institute Chairman Bruce A. Percelay said in a statement. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Supreme Court declines to examine appeals over Maryland, Rhode Island gun control laws
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear two cases challenging separate state bans on so-called assault weapons and high-capacity magazines on Monday. The court declined to hear cases arising out of Maryland and Rhode Island relating to state regulations on AR-15-style rifles and high-capacity magazines, respectively. The cases had been submitted to the Supreme Court after lower courts upheld the bans in the face of challenges. Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch disagreed with the majority’s decision and said they would have liked to have reviewed the cases. With respect to the Maryland ban, the Supreme Court’s decision upholds the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling, which states that authority to ban AR-15-style rifles is consistent with the 2nd Amendment. TRUMP DENOUNCES COURT’S ‘POLITICAL’ TARIFF DECISION, CALLS ON SUPREME COURT TO ACT QUICKLY The 4th Circuit argued in its ruling that granting AR-15s constitutional protection based on their common use would mean that any dangerous weapon “could gain constitutional protection merely because it becomes popular before the government can sufficiently regulate it.” TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW EL SALVADOR DEPORTATION FLIGHT CASE Lawyers arguing against the ban claimed the Supreme Court had a duty to “ensure that the Second Amendment itself is not truncated into a limited right to own certain state-approved means of personal self-defense.” While the court declined to take up the issue in this case, Justice Brett Kavanaugh stated that, “In my view, this Court should and presumably will address the AR-15 issue soon.” Thomas, one of the three justices who sought to review the Maryland case now, was more blunt in his dissent. “I would not wait to decide whether the government can ban the most popular rifle in America,” Thomas wrote. “That question is of critical importance to tens of millions of law-abiding AR-15 owners throughout the country.” The gun cases come as the Supreme Court has been inundated with challenges to President Donald Trump’s agenda, from his economic and regulatory policies to his anti-illegal immigration efforts. The Supreme Court is expected to hand down rulings relating to several of these topics in the coming weeks.
Boulder terror attack puts Biden-era immigration policies in the hot seat: ‘Must be fully reversed’
The Boulder, Colorado, terror attack suspect’s immigration history underscores national security concerns about immigration policies throughout the Biden administration. Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor, fired off on X about the terrorist attack. “A terror attack was committed in Boulder, Colorado by an illegal alien. He was granted a tourist visa by the Biden Administration and then he illegally overstayed that visa. In response, the Biden Administration gave him a work permit. Suicidal migration must be fully reversed,” Miller posted. BOULDER, COLORADO SUSPECTED TERROR ATTACK SUSPECT MOHAMED SABRY SOLIMAN FACES MURDER, ASSAULT, OTHER CHARGES Multiple Department of Homeland Security sources confirmed to Fox News on Sunday night that the suspect, 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, originated from Egypt and came to the United States through Los Angeles International Airport in August 2022 on a tourism visa that was good through Feb. 2023 but overstayed it. He filed an asylum claim with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in September 2022, and he was given a work permit that lasted from March 2023 to March 2025 – meaning he was given the permit after his visa was overstayed in 2023 and then stayed past that work authorization this year. The antisemitic terrorist attack resulted in eight injuries after the suspect allegedly set people on fire as they peacefully rallied on behalf of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. Soliman was heard yelling “Free Palestine” and other criticisms of Israel during the attack. US POLITICIANS, JEWISH GROUPS CONDEMN ‘HORRIFYING’ BOULDER TERROR ATTACK: ‘VILE, ANTISEMITIC ACT OF TERROR’ Leo Terrell, Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, said on X that one of the victims is a Holocaust survivor. “She endured the worst evil in human history. She came to America seeking safety. And now, decades later, she’s victimized again by a terrorist screaming ‘Free Palestine,’” Terrell wrote. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE In the halls of Congress, the attack raised newfound urgency on the reconciliation bill, which is meant to codify many aspects of the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., posted on X, “Voters gave Donald Trump a mandate for mass deportation of illegals like this one but Democrats & courts are blocking every step of the way. ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ has $14B for mass deportation efforts & $50B to build the wall + secure our border. Can’t pass soon enough!” MOHAMED SABRY SOLIMAN: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED IN COLORADO TERROR ATTACK Critics of Biden-era immigration policies have long sounded the alarm on the crime risks stemming from a high flow of migrants and a strain on immigration enforcement at the southern border and beyond. However, there have also been terror concerns highlighted in the recent past by non-political officials. Although the Boulder suspect did not come through the southern border, Arizona port officials warned in Sept. 2023 that a lack of proper immigration enforcement at ports could lead to a heightened terror risk, The Center Square reported at the time. Fox News Digital reported in Oct. 2024 that the 1.7 million migrants could potentially be a national security risk, according to a House Judiciary Committee report. Fox News’ Landon Mion and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
Jewish House lawmaker urges deportation of Boulder terror suspect’s family
EXCLUSIVE: One of four Jewish Republicans serving in the House of Representatives is calling for the federal government to deport the alleged illegal immigrant accused of setting Jewish people on fire in Colorado on Sunday. Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., called for both the alleged perpetrator and his family to be kicked out of the United States in an interview with Fox News Digital Monday. “I’m very angry, if you can’t tell. Many of us have been talking about this stuff for years,” Fine said sternly. “Maybe next time somebody says, ‘Globalize the Intifada, resistance by any means necessary,’ maybe people will take it seriously.” A man identified as Mohamed Sabry Soliman allegedly threw Molotov cocktails and used a “makeshift flamethrower” to set peaceful Jewish activists on fire Sunday, according to officials. He allegedly yelled, “Free Palestine,” while committing the attack. SUSPECT IN BOULDER TERROR ATTACK DETERMINED TO BE EGYPTIAN MAN IN US ILLEGALLY: FBI “The entire Palestinian cause is a lie… The entire justification of the cause is to eradicate Israel and to exterminate Jews,” Fine said. “Find me a single person who yells, ‘Fee Palestine,’ who says they’re OK with Israel existing. You won’t find them. Find someone who says, ‘Globalize the intifada,’ who thinks Israel should exist. This is a philosophy built on evil. And this is what happens when we don’t do anything about it.” Fine told Fox News Digital that House Republicans’ massive tax and spending reconciliation bill – President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” – would give the White House resources to help mitigate such risks. “President Trump needs the resources to round up and deport every single illegal immigrant, everyone – number one, starting with the family of Mohamed, who’s sitting at home illegally in Colorado right now.” The immigration status of Soliman’s relatives – and whether he has family in the U.S. – is not immediately clear. But the Department of Homeland Security said Monday morning that the suspect was in the U.S. illegally. Spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin wrote on X, “He entered the country in August 2022 on a B2 visa that expired on February 2023. He filed for asylum in September 2022.” It comes after Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sources told Fox News that Soliman is an Egyptian immigrant who overstayed a visa but then was given a work permit during the Biden administration. Eight people aged 52 to 88 were injured in the attack, including a Holocaust survivor. No fatalities have been reported so far. The activists were marching in support of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Soliman has been hit with multiple charges, including murder in the first degree. “Jews were burned alive in the United States in 2025. We got burned 80 years ago, and we said, ‘Never again.’ And I’ll be damned if I let this continue,” Fine said. US POLITICIANS, JEWISH GROUPS CONDEMN ‘HORRIFYING’ BOULDER TERROR ATTACK He also called on Congress to pass his recent legislation that would make religion a protected class on college campuses, and for the U.S. to “cut off” Qatar’s financial influence in the U.S. Asked how he would accomplish that, Fine pointed out he had previously been given the nickname, “Hebrew Hammer.” “I didn’t come up with it, but they gave it to me for a reason,” Fine said. Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
Maxine Waters campaign to pay $68K for violating campaign finance laws
Progressive California Rep. Maxine Waters’ campaign has agreed to pay a $68,000 fine after an investigation found it violated multiple election rules. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) said the longtime House lawmaker’s 2020 campaign committee, Citizens for Waters, ran afoul of several campaign finance laws in a tranche of documents released Friday. The FEC accused Citizens for Waters of “failing to accurately report receipts and disbursements in calendar year 2020,” “knowingly accepting excessive contributions” and “making prohibited cash disbursements,” according to one document that appears to be a legally binding agreement that allows both parties to avoid going to court. DEMS FUME OVER ‘DUE PROCESS’ FOR ABREGO GARCIA DESPITE LONG HISTORY OF PARTY BUCKING THE LEGAL PRINCIPLE Waters’ committee agreed to pay the civil fine as well as “send its treasurer to a Commission-sponsored training program for political committees within one year of the effective date of this Agreement.” “Respondent shall submit evidence of the required registration and attendance at such event to the Commission,” the document said. Citizens for Waters had accepted excessive campaign contributions from seven people totaling $19,000 in 2019 and 2020, the investigation found, despite the maximum legal individual contribution being capped at $2,800. The committee offloaded those excessive donations, albeit in an “untimely” fashion, the document said. Waters’ campaign committee also “made four prohibited cash disbursements that were each in excess of $100, totaling $7,000,” the FEC said. The campaign committee “contends that it retained legal counsel to provide advice and guidance to the treasurer and implemented procedures to ensure the disbursements comply with the requirements of the Act.” Leilani Beaver, who was listed as Citizens for Waters’ attorney, sent the FEC a letter last year that maintained the campaign finance violations were “errors” that “were not willful or purposeful.” Waters, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, has served in Congress since 1991. The new movements in the probe were first reported by OpenSecrets. MAXINE WATERS FLOATS DEPORTING MELANIA TRUMP IN ANTI-DOGE DIATRIBE It is not the first time, however, that Waters has generated public scrutiny. In 2023, a Fox News Digital investigation found that Waters’ campaign paid her daughter $192,300 to pay for a “slate mailer” operation between Jan. 2021 and Dec. 2022. It was reportedly just one sum out of thousands that Waters had paid her daughter for campaign work. A complaint that Waters’ campaign had accepted illegal campaign contributions in 2018 was overwhelmingly dismissed by the FEC in a 5-1 vote. Fox News Digital reached out to Beavers, Waters’ congressional office and Citizens for Waters for comment.
Fetterman, McCormick react to ‘astonishing’ Boulder attack on pro-Israel group: ‘Rank antisemitism’
Battleground Pennsylvania senators – Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dave McCormick – both spoke out against antisemitism during a bipartisan forum in response to a recent attack on a pro-Israel gathering in Colorado. “This is something that I’m terribly worried about, the growth of antisemitism here in our country is something I know Sen. Fetterman and I share,” McCormick said in the sixth installment of The Senate Project series, organized by the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate and the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation and aired by FOX Nation. “We see this deeply seated in our society,” said McCormick, who recently returned from a trip to Israel. “And it’s something that we have to stand up against with complete moral clarity. It’s something that we have to push back, and it’s something we have to, require, a mandate that our institutions extricate themselves of antisemitism.” Fetterman also condemned the Colorado attack, along with the other high-profile attacks against Jewish people in recent weeks, and pointed out that he is at odds with many in his party on the issue. LEAKS TO MEDIA ABOUT FETTERMAN ARE A COORDINATED SMEAR CAMPAIGN, HILL COLLEAGUES SAY “What happened yesterday in Boulder? It’s astonishing,” Fetterman said. ” You know, the kinds of, the rank antisemitism, it’s out of control, and for me and as my friend just pointed out, this is just rampant across all the universities for all of these places, too. I mean, we really need to call it what it is. And now and for me, politically, being very, very firmly on the side of Israel, that kind of put parts of my party at odds for that.” Suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman is now facing murder, assault and other charges following what the FBI called a “targeted terror attack” in Boulder, Colorado, over the weekend after he allegedly attacked a pro-Israel group. Fox News Digital reported that Soliman is in the country illegally from Egypt. OPENAI’S SAM ALTMAN THANKS JOHN FETTERMAN FOR NORMALIZING HOODIES “Now we really lost,” Fetterman continued, “we’ve lost the argument and – parts of my party, and for me – that moral clarity, it’s really firmly on Israel. And of course, we can all agree the tragedy in Gaza. Nobody wants that. But who does want that? And that’s Hamas. And if you have been troubled, as I am, the death and the misery, you know, I think we should blame Iran and Hamas, and other people blame Israel. I refuse to allow try to turn Israel into a pariah state.” McCormick went on to say that “there needs to be constant pressure on Hamas, to destroy the military capability of Hamas.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Senate Project series brings together sitting senators from opposing parties for civil dialogue about current political issues, with the goal of identifying solutions and bridging partisan divides. The series reflects the shared mission of the Kennedy Institute and Hatch Foundation to advance bipartisanship. “Vigorous and open dialogue is an essential part of our democracy and having these two senators from opposite sides of the aisle discuss important issues of the day is a valuable contribution to the public discourse,” Kennedy Institute Chairman Bruce A. Percelay said in a statement. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Ukraine, Russia meet for peace talks in Istanbul after explosive weekend
Russian and Ukrainian delegations have begun talks in Istanbul, Turkey, on Monday, less than 24 hours after a massive Ukrainian drone attack struck Russian airfields. The two delegations entered Ciragan Palace in Istanbul alongside a group of senior Turkish officials. It is the second round of peace talks to take place in the three years since Russia invaded Ukraine. Images from the event show many of the Ukrainian delegation wearing military uniforms, while the Russian group exclusively wore suits. Details of the meeting are not expected to be made public until after its conclusion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be meeting face-to-face, however. GEN. KELLOGG REVEALS WHAT CONCERNS HIM ABOUT RUSSIA Ukrainian forces destroyed 40 aircraft in the drone attack this weekend, which an official says took more than a year to orchestrate. Russia’s defense ministry confirmed the attack on Sunday, saying it struck five airfields. The operation saw drones transported in containers carried by trucks deep into Russian territory, he said. The drones reportedly hit 41 planes stationed at several airfields on Sunday afternoon, including A-50, Tu-95 and Tu-22M aircraft, the official said. PUTIN MASSES 50,000 TROOPS ON UKRAINE’S NORTH FRONT AS TRUMP AGAIN AGREES TO MEET RUSSIAN, UKRAINIAN LEADERS Moscow has previously used Tupolev Tu-95 and Tu-22 long-range bombers to launch missiles at Ukraine, while A-50s are used to coordinate targets and detect air defenses and guided missiles. A series of explosions also struck bridges in Russia near Ukraine’s border on Saturday, though Ukraine has not taken responsibility for the attacks. A highway bridge over a railway in the Bryansk region was blown up at 10:50 p.m. on Saturday night just as a passenger train carrying 388 passengers to Moscow was passing underneath, Russian investigators said. Just four hours later, a railway bridge over a highway was blown up in the neighboring Kursk region, showering the road with parts of a freight train, the investigators said.
As Musk exits DOGE, a look back at previous efforts to cut waste, fraud and abuse – and how they fared
As Elon Musk steps away from his official role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), he joins a history of presidential administrations that have attempted to streamline government—with mixed results. While former Presidents Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson and Grover Cleveland all tried to downsize the judiciary, treasury and civil service, respectively, it wasn’t until the 20th century that the federal government grew into the bureaucratic behemoth it is that has drawn true DOGE-type attention. Though often seen as the bigger spenders, some Democrats joined Republicans in the 1990s to shrink the size of government and make it more accountable to taxpayers. “We know big government does not have all the answers,” former President Bill Clinton said during his 1996 State of the Union. PROJECT 2025 REMAINS NONPARTISAN, TRUE TO 1980S GOOD-GOV’T INCEPTION DESPITE WIDE OUTCRY, KEY FIGURES SAY “We know there’s not a program for every problem. We have worked to give the American people a smaller, less bureaucratic government in Washington — and we have to give the American people one that lives within its means.” “The era of big government is over,” he said, in a phrase that had largely been considered the closest emulation of DOGE thought until Musk arrived on the scene. Clinton also sought welfare reform and emphasized personal responsibility over dependency on the state. The Arkansan also called for slashing the bureaucracy by 200,000 jobs and worked with then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., to balance the federal budget. President Donald Trump‘s efforts to do the same have received a very different response from the left. Clinton, working with congressional Republicans – while also frequently sparring with them — was able to reduce the federal workforce somewhat and establish a budget surplus but also failed to realize entitlement reform, something that more recent fiscal hawks have also struggled with. RFK JR DOUBLES DOWN ON ALLEGATIONS THE CIA WAS INVOLVED IN JFK ASSASSINATION Clinton won his 1992 upset as a centrist, after incumbent Republican George H.W. Bush was lambasted for reneging on his “Read my lips – no new taxes” pledge, with a statistical boost from industrialist independent H. Ross Perot, who won the votes of many erstwhile Bush supporters. Clinton and then-Vice President Al Gore established a National Performance Review (NPR) that drew some parallels to today’s DOGE, and cut the bureaucracy to 1960s levels. He went on to win reelection over otherwise popular GOP stalwart Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., in 1996. In 1980, actor-turned-California Gov. Ronald Reagan took the White House with promises similar to another celebrity-turned-politician who would do the same 36 years later. The Gipper did not succeed in abolishing the Department of Education – created only a few years prior by former President Jimmy Carter – something Trump has also sought. But, he reinvigorated a new generation of conservatives who still praise him for slashing income taxes, seeking to “starve the beast” via forced discretionary-spending cuts, and took on public-sector unions when he essentially won a dare against Air Traffic Controllers who went on strike by firing them all and prohibiting their rehiring. Reagan’s closest iteration of DOGE was the 1982 Grace Commission, studying cost-cutting and efficiency – and led by Maryland chemical executive J. Peter Grace along with dozens of “commissioners” plucked from the private sector. In the executive order creating the Grace Commission, it was tasked with examining “the entire federal government for areas of inefficiency, mismanagement and waste, and to recommend savings without raising taxes or cutting essential services.” Within its three-year lifespan, the commission reported $424 billion in savings, including waste, fraud, abuse, overpayments to government vendors and billions in unpaid taxes. Reagan, however, faced the same resistance from the proverbial “Swamp” in trying to implement the commission’s findings. “We’re not trying to hurt anyone. But the American taxpayer is being ripped off,” Grace said at the time. While ushered in as a conservative pragmatist, Reagan’s later years saw budget deficits grow, and the national debt more than double. The Dow also lost nearly one-quarter of its value on “Black Monday,” Oct. 19, 1987. The other contemporary president known for trying to “DOGE” government was Texas Democrat Lyndon Johnson. LBJ was known for rapidly expanding government through his “Great Society” social programs but also took aim at streamlining the Pentagon and Defense apparatus. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Efforts at the Pentagon largely failed, as the ongoing Vietnam War also accentuated costly balance sheets. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, a Kennedy holdover and former Ford Motor Company chief, was employed to make changes at the Pentagon. He instituted what was called the Planning Programming Budgeting System, which sought to bring a more streamlined approach to managing the Pentagon’s budget. However, the vast size of the defense bureaucracy—along with resistance from some military leaders—undermined the effectiveness of Johnson’s and McNamara’s reform efforts.
‘Red tape’: Trump admin unleashes DOGE-aligned process to fire federal workers for misconduct
FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration has rolled out a new rule with the aim of making it easier to terminate federal employees for serious misconduct by cutting through the red tape that currently impedes that process. “The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is proposing amendments to the Federal Government personnel vetting adjudicative processes for determining suitability and taking suitability actions,” the rule, which went live for public comment on Monday morning, states. “The purpose of the proposed rule is to improve the efficiency, rigor and timeliness by which OPM and agencies vet individuals for risk to the integrity and efficiency of the service, and to make clear that individuals who engage in serious misconduct while employed in Federal service are subject to the same suitability procedures and actions as applicants for employment.” OPM says its new rule is part of President Trump’s “Implementing the Department of Government Efficiency Workforce Optimization Initiative” as well as the Presidential Memorandum, “Strengthening the Suitability and Fitness of the Federal Workforce.” UNFINISHED BUSINESS: THE BUDGET CUTS MUSK COULDN’T COMPLETE AND WHAT’S NEXT FOR DOGE OPM explains that the new rule will allow the federal government to take action against employees who engage in misconduct after being hired, giving agencies “broader authority” to “flag conduct” including tax evasion, leaking of sensitive information, and other behavior “inconsistent with the public trust.” “For too long, agencies have faced red tape when trying to remove employees who break the public’s trust,” OPM’s Acting Director, Chuck Ezell, told Fox News Digital. FLASHBACK: TOP FIVE WILDEST MOMENTS FROM ELON MUSK’S DOGE TENURE AS IT COMES TO AN END “This proposed rule ensures misconduct is met with consequence and reinforces that public service is a privilege, not a right.” Under the new rule, federal agencies will be able to refer specific cases to OPM requesting “suitability action” for employees who are believed to have committed post-appointment conduct that deserves disciplinary action. Fox News Digital reported in 2023 that under current law, the vast majority of the federal workforce is not at-will and may only be terminated for misconduct, poor performance, medical inability and reduction in force. Federal employees are also entitled to sweeping due process rights when fired which can create a cumbersome process for agencies to remove a worker.