Hawley urges DOJ probe of Chinese trucking company
FIRST ON FOX – Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., asked the Justice Department on Thursday to investigate a Chinese-owned self-driving trucking company, one of the largest in the U.S., citing allegations that it had shared proprietary data and other sensitive technology with state-linked entities in Beijing. The letter, sent to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and previewed exclusively to Fox News Digital, asks the Justice Department to open a formal investigation into the autonomous truck company TuSimple Holdings, a Chinese-owned company and one of the largest self-driving truck companies in the U.S. In it, Hawley cites recent reporting from the Wall Street Journal that alleges that TuSimple “systematically shared proprietary data, source code, and autonomous driving technologies” with Chinese state-linked entities— what he described as “blatant disregard” of the 2022 national security agreement with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS. “These reports also revealed communications from TuSimple personnel inside China requesting the shipment of sensitive Nvidia AI chips and detailed records showing ‘deep and longstanding ties’ with Chinese military-affiliated manufacturers,” Hawley said. TRUMP NOMINATES FORMER DEFENSE ATTORNEY EMIL BOVE FOR FEDERAL APPEALS COURT VACANCY He noted that to date, TuSimple “has not faced serious consequences” for sharing American intellectual property with China, despite having continued to share data with China after signing a national security agreement with the U.S. government in 2022, which was enforced by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. “If the reports about TuSimple are accurate, they represent not just a violation of export law, but a breach of national trust and a direct threat to American technological leadership,” Hawley said. TRUMP ADMIN WORKING TO FLY BACK GUATEMALAN MIGRANT ERRONEOUSLY DEPORTED FROM US “The American people deserve to know how and why a supposedly U.S.-based company was allowed to serve as a conduit for the transfer of sensitive innovations to the Chinese Communist Party,” he added. The letter asks Bondi and the Justice Department to take certain steps to investigate the company’s actions, as alleged by the recent reports – including investigating whether TuSimple provided protected information to any Chinese-based entities, and what activities were covered by the company’s national security agreement with CFIUS, struck more than two years ago. Hawley also asked Bondi what actions, if any, DOJ has taken to date to ensure that Bot Auto—a new Texas-based self-driving vehicle company staffed by many former TuSimple employees, “is not engaging in similar behavior.” According to the Wall Street Journal report, TuSimple’s actions helped shape new Commerce Department regulations, which blocked the sale of internet-linked cars and different components with links to China. According to the report, a CFIUS investigation determined TuSimple’s tech sharing did not violate the official national security agreement— but the company was fined for other infractions, and ultimately paid out a $6 million settlement. The letter comes as Hawley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, has emerged as one of the Senate’s more vocal critics of the Chinese Communist Party, especially as it relates to the conduct of certain U.S. companies, and the sharing of certain intellectual property.
Trump administration sets new goal of 3,000 illegal immigrant arrests daily
The Trump administration has a new goal of 3,000 arrests of illegal immigrants daily, which was publicly confirmed by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are looking to set a goal of a minimum of 3,000 arrests for ICE every day,” Miller told “Hannity” on Wednesday night, saying the number is going to keep getting bumped higher over time. His response comes after an Axios report that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Miller were said to be backing the 3,000 daily figure in a meeting last week at ICE headquarters. ICE TOUTS RECORD-BREAKING IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT DURING TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS On “America’s Newsroom” on Thursday morning, border czar Tom Homan reaffirmed his statement, saying that officials are “asking for an increase” in arrests. “We’ve gotta increase these arrests and removals,” Homan said. “The numbers are good, but I’m not satisfied. I haven’t been satisfied all year long,” noting that there’s a major “public safety” risk with hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants still in the country from the Biden administration and earlier. For those that do not already have rap sheets, DHS is encouraging them to self-deport with a covered commercial flight and an $1,000 stipend for exiting. TRUMP NABS 30K ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, 1,100 GANG MEMBERS IN 100 DAYS: ‘CRIME WILL GO DOWN,’ EX-FBI AGENT SAYS During Trump’s first 100 days, ICE arrested 66,463 illegal immigrants, and more than 65,000 illegal immigrants were deported. Of that figure, more than 17,000 had criminal convictions or charges for crimes such as driving under the influence, assault, or “weapon offenses,” according to ICE. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE The agency deported 17,200 people in April, which is roughly 4,000 higher than the year prior, when former President Joe Biden was in office, according to NBC News. “Under Secretary Noem, we are delivering on President Trump and the American people’s mandate to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens and make America safe,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTS SKYROCKET UNDER TRUMP ICE COMPARED TO BIDEN LEVELS LAST YEAR: ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ The goal increases as the administration pushes Congress to pass the reconciliation bill, which has just been passed by the House. The bill is expected to ramp up funding to get 10,000 more ICE agents and tens of thousands more beds for detention facilities. “This bill will add infrastructure and technology to make our gains on the borders permanent. It puts more boots on the ground to target cartel activity, alien smuggling, child trafficking and drug smuggling. It will provide the needed funds and manpower to increase the great work of ICE on our deportation operations nationwide,” Homan said of the bill after its House passage, according to the White House.
Less than half of DOGE-terminated contracts can be publicly tracked, only about a quarter of grants: watchdog
With Elon Musk’s departure from the agency, there’s debate roiling over how effective the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE), has been in its mission. In a report released just two days prior to Musk stepping down, financial watchdog Open The Books published a report finding it is likely impossible for the average American taxpayer to track the savings associated with the contracts and grants that were terminated by the DOGE team. According to Open The Books’ analysis, which mined all the data published on DOGE’s official website, the average American taxpayer would likely only be able to confirm 42% of contracts and 27% of grants through an independent review of public federal spending databases. “This doesn’t mean these targets aren’t real, it simply means it’s very hard for taxpayers who want to see additional savings to find proof and evidence of savings,” Open The Books points out in its analysis, shared in a report the group released Tuesday. ‘BUREAUCRATIC AND WASTEFUL’: DOGE SNIFFS OUT EYE-POPPING SPENDING ON BIDEN DEI EFFORTS IN KEY AGENCY “Because taxpayers don’t have access to real-time transparency and a real-time look at the Treasury Payment System, it’s still too difficult for even a highly motivated Joe Taxpayer to confirm the savings claims DOGE is making,” the analysis, released ahead of Elon Musk stepping down from running the agency, continued. “It’s also far too easy for critics to sew [sic] doubt and confusion.” DOGE says on its website that the group’s work up to this point has provided the American taxpayer with $175 billion in “estimated” savings from the elimination of contracts, grants and leases, as well as through renegotiations, fraud and improper payment deletion and other mechanisms. However, DOGE’s estimated savings have been contested by watchdog groups and budget experts. Such critics have posited that the inclusion of already canceled contracts, double-counting or misrepresentation of contract values, and the unaccounted cost burden that could be imposed on the government when it has to re-hire folks down the line, or revamp its productivity, due to DOGE cuts, have led to inflated savings estimates. Nate Malkus, a senior fellow at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute, has accused DOGE of “overestimating contracts by a factor of two,” according to CBS News. ELON MUSK ‘DISAPPOINTED’ BY TRUMP’S SPENDING BILL, SAYS IT UNDERMINES WHAT DOGE IS DOING But White House spokesperson Harrison Fields told Fox News Digital that DOGE has produced “historic savings” for the American people. “DOGE is working at record speed to cut waste, fraud, and abuse, producing historic savings for the American people,” Fields said. “The DOGE Wall of Receipts provides the latest and most accurate information following a thorough assessment, which takes time. Updates to the DOGE savings page will continue to be made promptly, and departments and agencies will keep highlighting the massive savings DOGE is achieving.” “DOGE and Elon Musk have done the country an incredible service by identifying savings targets,” added Open The Books CEO John Hart. “Having worked on the last major deficit commission with the late Senator Tom Coburn, we would have been elated to have had Musk in our corner. Now it’s up to Congress to not only turn DOGE’s recommendations into durable savings but to go beyond DOGE’s scope and truly tackle our long-term debt and deficit crisis.” Open The Books highlighted two “common sense” standards to help establish an “intellectually honest” approach to understanding the true impact of government cuts, such as those being recommended by DOGE. The first is the “durable standard,” which asks whether a proposed cut can be easily reversed. OBAMA-NOMINATED JUDGE ALLOWS LAWSUIT TARGETING MUSK’S ROLE WITH DOGE TO PROCEED, DROPS CLAIMS AGAINST TRUMP “Describing something as ‘durable’ does not mean it is permanent or irreversible; it simply means it is hard to reverse,” the Open The Books’ analysis stated. “The most durable budget cut in our constitutional system would be passed by Congress, signed into law by the president and be clearly constitutional, or unassailable in a court challenge. Budget cuts become less durable when they lack any of these three elements.” The second is called a “duty standard,” which illuminates the power behind certain cuts based on who is trying to impose them. “In our constitutional system, the founders gave the job of budget savings to three branches but primarily to Congress,” Open The Books points out. “DOGE’s job is to identify, not enact, savings targets. It’s up to Congress to do the heavy lifting. And We the People have a responsibility to be informed and hold our elected officials accountable.” WHITE HOUSE SENDING $9.4B DOGE CUTS PACKAGE TO CONGRESS NEXT WEEK Open The Books ultimately concluded that due to various limitations associated with publicly available data on government spending and revenue, in particular a lack of real-time access to the government’s Treasury Payment System, it is still too difficult for even the most motivated average American citizen to either confirm, or deny, the savings claimed by DOGE. Elon Musk officially stepped down from his role as DOGE chief Thursday evening, as his position of “special government employee” in the Trump administration was limited by law to a few months. Amid the transition, Musk criticized Republicans’ spending bill that was passed ahead of Memorial Day in the House, indicating he was “disappointed” it would increase the federal deficit. “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decrease it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk told CBS News in an interview that will air in full on June 1.
Labor Dept. to suspend Job Corps centers it says put students in danger, cost taxpayers $1.7B
EXCLUSIVE: The Department of Labor is suspending operations of Job Corps centers across the nation after revelations that the program, which costs taxpayers more than $1.7 billion per year, is no longer achieving its intended outcomes and is putting students in danger. Job Corps originally was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education and community. But Trump administration officials told Fox News Digital that an “in-depth fiscal analysis and a startling number of serious incident reports reveal the program is not helping students achieve intended outcomes or keeping them safe.” NEW REPORT EXPOSES HOW GOVERNMENT PROGRAM WITH EYE-POPPING BUDGET IS FAILING VULNERABLE STUDENTS The decision to suspend the program comes after the Job Corps transparency report was compiled and released in April, finding that the average graduation rate for the program was just 32%. The average total cost per graduate ranges from $155,600 to $187,653, the report states. The average cost of a four-year college in the United States is $153,080, according to the Department of Labor. Additionally, once those students move through the program, the study found that they are largely being hired in minimum wage positions, with participants earning $16,695 annually on average after they leave the program. Currently, there are approximately fewer than 25,000 students enrolled in the Job Corps program, and that participants’ safety is “often at risk.” Officials said there were 14,913 serious incident reports filed in 2023. In 2023, 373 instances of inappropriate sexual behavior and sexual assaults were reported; 1,764 acts of violence were reported; 1,167 breaches of safety or security were reported; 2,702 instances of drug use were reported; and 1,808 hospital visits for students were reported. Trump administration officials told Fox News Digital that the Department of Labor is beginning a phased pause in operations at contractor operated Job Corp centers nationwide, initiating an orderly transition for students, staff and local communities. Currently, there are 123 Job Corps centers across the United States. 99 of the centers are run by contractors administered by the Department of Labor. An official said that those contracts will be terminated to pause operations. The remaining 24 centers are run by USDA and will not be impacted by the suspension. The pause of operations at all contractor-operated Job Corps centers will occur by June 30. During the transition, the Department of Labor will collaborate with state and local workforce partners to assist current students in advancing their training and connecting them with education and employment opportunities. Once the phased suspension occurs, students will be connected to other resources and will be registered within the American Job Center closest to their home and the Labor Exchange system in their home states. DOGE SLASHES ‘WASTEFUL’ ‘PROBLEM-SOLVING’ CONTRACT WORTH $50K IN LATEST ROUND OF ELIMINATIONS “Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training, and community,” Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer told Fox News Digital. “However, a startling number of serious incident reports and our in-depth fiscal analysis reveal the program is no longer achieving the intended outcomes that students deserve.” Chavez-DeRemer added: “We remain committed to ensuring all participants are supported through this transition and connected with the resources they need to succeed as we evaluate the program’s possibilities.” The Jobs Corps cost taxpayers $1.7 billion during fiscal year 2025. The program began in 1964 as part of former President Lyndon B. Johnson’s war on poverty under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. The program was intended to give young people from low-income backgrounds a chance to gain academic, vocational, and social skills in a residential setting. For program year 2024, Job Corps was operating at a $140 million deficit, requiring centers to be paused to save approximately $119 million to reach the end of this program year. It is projected by DOL officials that in program year 2025, the deficit would grow to $213 million. “The program has been in a financial crisis for years, creating constant uncertainty for participants and administrators,” a DOL official told Fox News Digital. The official stressed, though, that the Department of Labor is “not eliminating Job Corps,” and stressed that only Congress has that authority. In December 2024, the Biden administration’s Department of Labor instituted a similar pause in operations at two of the Job Corps centers, amid concerns of issues and rising program costs. Officials said that, at this point, the Job Corps program is financially underwater, and the funds appropriated by Congress for the year will not cover the costs of operations for the remaining program year. Officials said the pause will allow the department to reassess program alignment with the Trump administration’s “workforce priorities, proposed budget framework, and overall vision for building a modern and effective workforce development program for America’s youth.”
Leadership shake-up coming at ICE, Homeland Security Investigations, sources say
There will soon be a leadership shake-up within Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Department of Homeland Security, Fox News has learned. The changes include the retirement of Kenneth Genalo, who currently serves as acting executive associate director of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), sources at the White House and ICE told Fox News. The sources also say that Robert Hammer, executive associate director of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is being reassigned. Current deputy special agent in charge Derek Gordon is expected to take over as acting HSI director. The role changes are only part of a “massive realignment” within ICE, the sources told Fox News. ICE and HSI have not responded to requests for comment. TEXAS BILL REQUIRING SHERIFFS TO COLLABORATE WITH ICE GIVEN INITIAL APPROVAL BY STATE HOUSE Word of the changes comes just days after White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller reportedly lashed out at top immigration officials at a May 21 meeting in ICE headquarters, Axios reported Wednesday. HOUSE GOP TARGETS ANOTHER DEM OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF BLOCKING ICE AMID DELANEY HALL FALLOUT Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reportedly demanded that ICE start arresting 3,000 people per day as part of the illegal immigration and deportation crackdown. This week, ICE officers also launched a nationwide initiative to begin arresting illegal immigrants at their immigration and asylum hearings. The effort targets illegal immigrants who have been in the U.S. fewer than two years. The DHS strategy is to drop their immigration case, arrest the migrant, then place them into expedited deportation proceedings. The initiative requires the DHS to drop the cases because migrants cannot be put forward for expedited removal if they have a pending case.
Sen Ron Johnson suggests he may not run for re-election in 2028
GOP Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin indicated that he does not want to run for a fourth Senate term, but he isn’t ruling it out. Johnson, who is serving his third six-year Senate term, said during remarks at a Wednesday event hosted by the Milwaukee Press Club and WisPolitics.com that he learned from his run for a second term that “you can’t say … never.” In a 2022 Wall Street Journal piece, Johnson explained his about-face on seeking another term. US OFFICIALS DELAYED WARNING PUBLIC ABOUT HEART INFLAMMATION RISK FROM COVID SHOT: REPORT “During the 2016 campaign, I said it would be my last campaign and final term. That was my strong preference and my wife’s. We both looked forward to a normal private life,” he said. “I believe America is in peril. Much as I’d like to ease into a quiet retirement, I don’t feel I should.” The senator, who has been vocal in objecting to the Trump-backed One Big Beautiful Bill Act that most in the House GOP voted to pass last week, said during his remarks on Wednesday that he would like to place America on a “sustainable course” and return home. ELON MUSK CRITICISM OF TRUMP TAX BILL FRUSTRATES SOME REPUBLICANS: ‘NO PLACE IN CONGRESS’ “I don’t covet the position,” he said. But while he’s not slamming the door on the possibility of running for Senate again, he flatly ruled out the prospect of a presidential bid. SUCCEEDING TRUMP: 6 REPUBLICAN POTENTIAL PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS TO KEEP YOUR EYES ON IN 2028 CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “No, God, what an awful job,” he said when asked whether he’d ever run for the presidency. He said he wouldn’t want to make the decisions that a commander in chief must make.
Senate Republicans plan hearing on Biden’s alleged cognitive decline cover-up
FIRST ON FOX — Senate Republicans plan to launch their own investigation next month that delves into the alleged “conspiracy” behind former President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline. Senators Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, announced plans to hold a Senate Judiciary hearing June 18 to look into the alleged cover-up of the 82-year-old former president’s mental decline while in office by the media and those closest to him. The lawmakers are still gathering witnesses for the probe, which would be the first full congressional committee hearing on the subject. “It’s time to expose how a cadre of Biden aides and family members were the de facto commander in chief, while President Biden was sidelined,” Schmitt said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “I look forward to getting the American people the answers they deserve.” SCOOP: GOP PUSH FOR NEW HOUSE COMMITTEE TO PROBE BIDEN DECLINE ‘COVER-UP’ GAINS STEAM Both lawmakers contend Biden’s decline was hidden for “years.” Cornyn argued the country depended “on having a president who has the mental capacity to do the job, and it’s clear that President Biden did not, so we must use this hearing to uncover the facts.” KEY BIDEN STAFFERS ASKED TO TESTIFY ON ALLEGED ROLE IN MENTAL DECLINE ‘COVER-UP’ “For this conspiracy between the mainstream media, Joe Biden’s family and his inner circle to have hidden the impairment of the president of the United States for years, and lied consistently to the American people about his capacity to make decisions, which are solely vested by the Constitution, is unacceptable,” Cornyn said in a statement to Fox News Digital. Schmitt and Cornyn join a growing chorus of Republicans demanding answers about what really went on behind the scenes during Biden’s presidency. In the House, lawmakers are pushing to create a select committee that would investigate the Biden administration’s alleged cover-up. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., is leading the charge to create the panel and introduced legislation Thursday to start the committee that would dive into “the potential concealment of information from the American public” regarding Biden’s health. And House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., has called on several high-ranking staffers from the Biden White House to participate in transcribed interviews regarding their alleged roles in covering up the former president’s decline. Comer called on Neera Tanden, the former director of the Domestic Policy Council; former assistant to the President and deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini; former senior adviser to the first lady Anthony Bernal; former deputy director of Oval Office operations Ashley Williams; and Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, to participate. The growing fervor among Republicans to uncover whether Biden’s allies and family hid concerns about his health from the public comes after the release of “Original Sin” by CNN host Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson. Their book claimed the Biden White House was trying to control the narrative about the former president’s health and that his allies worked to cover up his decline.
Federal judge blocks 5 Trump tariff executive orders
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., sided with a Chicago-area toy company on Thursday, blocking five executive orders signed by President Donald Trump that imposed tariffs on Chinese imports. U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras determined the International Economic Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not authorize Trump to impose the tariffs in his executive orders. Contreras granted a motion for a preliminary injunction, filed by the toy company, Learning Resources, Inc., which will be stayed for 14 days in case the administration decides to appeal the decision. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS: COMPANIES THAT WILL INVEST $1B OR MORE IN THE US Trump announced his “Liberation Day” reciprocal tariff plan on April 2, imposing a 10% baseline tariff on all countries. In certain countries, hostile negotiations led to even higher levies, with taxes on Chinese imports reaching 145%. Rick Woldenberg, CEO of Learning Resources, said in April the third-generation family business that had been manufacturing in China for four decades would face an almost 98% increase in its tariff bill. He said the $2.3 million the company paid in 2024 would jump to $100.2 million in 2025. AMAZON DENIES TARIFF PRICING PLAN THAT WHITE HOUSE CALLED ‘HOSTILE AND POLITICAL’ “I wish I had $100 million,” Woldenberg wrote in a statement. “Honest to God, no exaggeration: It feels like the end of days.” China produces 97% of America’s imported baby carriages, 96% of its artificial flowers and umbrellas, 95% of its fireworks, 93% of its children’s coloring books and 90% of its combs, according to a report from the Macquarie investment bank. GROCERY GIANT WARNS ITS SUPPLIERS THAT SUPERMARKET WON’T BE ACCEPTING TARIFF-RELATED PRICE HIKES On Wednesday, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled the administration overstepped its authority over tariffs under IEEPA. “The Constitution assigns Congress the exclusive powers to ‘lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises,’ and to ‘regulate Commerce with foreign Nations,’” the court wrote in its opinion. “The question in the two cases before the court is whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (‘IEEPA’) delegates these powers to the President in the form of authority to impose unlimited tariffs on goods from nearly every country in the world.” Three judges, appointed by former Presidents Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, and Trump, found IEEPA did not “confer such unbounded authority.” DONALD TRUMP SHOULD BE PRAISED FOR SIGNALS HE MIGHT COOL TARIFF FIGHT, WASHINGTON POST EDITORIAL PRAISES The Trump administration appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, but it is unclear what goods will be subject to tariffs in the meantime, Reuters reported. “Foreign countries’ nonreciprocal treatment of the United States has fueled America’s historic and persistent trade deficits,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai told FOX Business after the decision. “These deficits have created a national emergency that has decimated American communities, left our workers behind, and weakened our defense industrial base — facts that the court did not dispute.” “It is not for unelected judges to decide how to properly address a national emergency,” Desai added. “President Trump pledged to put America First, and the Administration is committed to using every lever of executive power to address this crisis and restore American Greatness.” FOX Business’ Greg Wehner and Bill Mears, and Reuters contributed to this report.
Justice Department tells American Bar Association it will no longer comply with ratings for judicial nominees
FIRST ON FOX— The Justice Department on Thursday formally notified the American Bar Association that it will no longer comply with its ratings process for judicial nominees, the result of what it argues is a biased system and one that “invariably and demonstrably” favors nominees put forth by Democratic administrations. The letter, sent by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to ABA President William R. Bay, was previewed exclusively to Fox News. It marks the latest escalation in a protracted legal fight that Republicans have waged against the nation’s largest association of legal workers. “For several decades, the American Bar Association has received special treatment and enjoyed special access to judicial nominees,” Bondi said in the letter. “In some administrations, the ABA received notice of nominees before a nomination was announced to the public. Some administrations would even decide whether to nominate an individual based on a rating assigned by the ABA.” The Justice Department said in the letter that it will no longer grant the ABA the “special treatment” and first access it has received for years. “Accordingly, while the ABA is free to comment on judicial nominations along with other activist organizations, there is no justification for treating the ABA differently from such other activist organizations and the Department of Justice will not do so.” It also ended an Office of Legal Policy that directed judicial nominees to provide waivers allowing the ABA access to non-public information for nominees, including bar records. “Nominees will also not respond to questionnaires prepared by the ABA and will not sit for interviews with the ABA,” Bondi said. The Trump administration’s decision to excise the ABA from the judicial nomination process comes after several Republican senators on the Senate committee tasked with vetting judicial nominees told the ABA in a letter earlier this year that they planned to ignore its rating system. The ABA, established in the late 1800s, has grown into a sprawling organization that touts a membership of over 400,000 legal workers. But it has sparked criticism from Republicans, including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, previously blasted the ABA as a “radical left-wing advocacy group.” He and others on the panel previously took aim at the group for embracing so-called “woke initiatives,” including its heavy use of diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI efforts, in many facets of its work. This is not the first time Republican administrations have broken with the ABA. The George W. Bush administration ended the practice of giving the ABA a first look at nominees, and Trump also did so in his first presidential term. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
White House discloses who will lead DOGE efforts after Musk’s departure
President Donald Trump and members of his cabinet will spearhead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) efforts, now that Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is stepping aside from leading the initiative. “The DOGE leaders are each and every member of the president’s cabinet and the president himself, who is wholeheartedly committed to cutting waste, fraud and abuse from our government,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday at a White House press briefing. Since January, Musk has been heading up DOGE, which was tasked with cutting $2 trillion from the federal government’s budget through efforts to slash spending, government programs and the federal workforce. Musk announced his departure in an X post. “As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” Musk said on X Wednesday. “The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”