Duffy clashes with Democrats over DEI funding cuts, denies air traffic controllers let go
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sparred with Democrats at a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, slamming Biden-era climate and social justice projects while also pushing back against claims 400 air traffic controllers have been let go. Duffy said such initiatives sucked money from other projects, and he pointed to the 2023 Harvard Supreme Court decision that effectively ended affirmative action in college admissions as justification for scrapping them. He said such Biden-era policies inflated project costs without contributing to safety or infrastructure quality. “Our department, over the course of the last hundred days, has saved taxpayers roughly $9.5 billion,” Duffy said in his opening statement. “Those savings include monies pulled from projects tied to social justice to climate requirements, also boondoggle projects, as well as bringing efficiencies to the department.” TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY SAYS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM UPDATES WILL TAKE TIME, BUT NOT ‘JEOPARDIZE SAFETY’ Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., took issue with the move and drew on personal experience to justify it. “My late wife… had to walk two and a half miles to school every morning right past the White school, where the White kids had buses. That was social injustice,” Clyburn said. “Now all of a sudden we see this as wasteful government spending? I don’t think so. I think this is a wise investment in a country that has challenges that we need all people involved in.” Duffy, while praising Clyburn’s history and work as an elected official, clarified that he wasn’t attacking the broader concept of social justice, but rather specific policy conditions under the Biden administration. “What I see with the climate and the social justice requirements in the projects that you so dearly want built, that it’s adding costs on,” Duffy said. “It’s costing more money. If we take out 5 to 10% climate or social justice, that’s money we don’t have for additional projects. And that’s my concern.” CONGRESS MOVES TO ADDRESS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER CRISIS AS NEWARK MELTDOWN SPARKS ALARM Duffy also clashed with Rep. Norma Torres, D-Calif., who claimed that 400 air traffic controllers have been let go, accusing the Trump administration of eroding national air travel safety and delaying infrastructure projects. “The administration undermined [safety efforts] by offering deferred resignation to controllers, and at least 400 of them… were fired, resulting in delays to much-needed upgrades,” Torres said. Duffy sharply pushed back, calling her statement a “falsehood” and flatly denying the claim. “We have not fired – haven’t let go – anyone,” Duffy said. “Air traffic controllers? You said we let 400 go. No one in air traffic control has been allowed to take a deferred resignation offer. Not one. Not 400. Zero.” The hearing focused on reviewing the Transportation Department’s FY 2026 discretionary budget request of $26.7 billion, a 5.8% increase from FY 2025. He promised to reduce bureaucracy, eliminate inefficiencies and reallocate savings to infrastructure. “Our budget carefully focuses taxpayer resources on items critical to our most fundamental mission of safety and investing in transportation infrastructure,” Duffy said. In terms of the recent outages at Newark Airport, he blamed them on missteps by the previous administration, citing an ill-planned transfer of airspace control from New York to Philadelphia. “They didn’t test and make sure the lines were hardened… and they didn’t move the STARS system, which helps interpret radar,” Duffy said. “We’re working at lightning speed and pace to get this resolved,” he said. To ease pressure on the system, the FAA is also working with airlines to reduce flight volumes, he said.
Newsom proposes freeze on allowing adult illegal immigrants to join California’s Medicaid program
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, is proposing freezing undocumented adult enrollment in full-scope Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, a fact sheet the governor’s office provided to Fox News Digital indicates. The document notes that the proposed freeze would take effect “no sooner than January 1, 2026,” and would apply “to new adult applicants over age 19.” People would not “be kicked off their health care,” according to the document. It also notes that the Golden State governor is proposing a $100 per month premium for Medi-Cal enrollees 19 and up with “unsatisfactory immigration status,” which “refers to people whose immigration status makes them ineligible for federally funded Medicaid, including people with lawful status and the undocumented” — this would take effect Jan. 1, 2027, under the proposal. NEWSOM UNVEILS AGGRESSIVE PLAN TO CLEAR HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS ACROSS CALIFORNIA: ‘NO MORE EXCUSES’ The proposed budgetary moves, which would need to clear state legislature, are being partially blamed on President Donald Trump. “Trump’s pendulum swings on tariffs have slowed the economy and weakened state revenues by a staggering $16 billion,” the document declares. NEWSOM DEBUTS RAPID-RESPONSE WEBSITE AS CRITICS ACCUSE HIM OF PRIORITIZING PRESIDENTIAL AMBITIONS Newsom “refuses to turn his back on hardworking Californians, especially when it comes to their basic health care needs,” the release states. “But because of the $16 billion Trump Slump and higher-than-expected health care utilization, the state must take difficult but necessary steps to ensure fiscal stability and preserve the long-term viability of Medi-Cal for all Californians.” GAVIN NEWSOM REMOVES AD AFTER BEING KNOCKED FOR USING UKRAINE FOOTAGE WHILE BRAGGING ABOUT CALIFORNIA Newsom, who has served as governor since early 2019, survived a gubernatorial recall election in 2021.
Top House Dems say they’ll join GOP to quash Trump impeachment effort
Top House Democrats said Wednesday they will join Republicans in blocking a House-wide vote on impeaching President Donald Trump. “I have said before from this podium, this is not the right approach we should be taking,” House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., said at his weekly press conference. “I’ll join members of the leadership team in voting to table that motion.” Aguilar called the push by one lawmaker within his caucus a “distraction” from Democrats’ messaging that Republicans are trying to gut Medicaid via Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” – a narrative the GOP has pushed back on. ANTI-ABORTION PROVIDER MEASURE IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ COULD SPARK HOUSE GOP REBELLION Democrats are scrambling after Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., stood on the House floor Tuesday and invoked a maneuver that effectively forces House leaders to take up a piece of legislation within two House working days. House Republican leadership has opted for a vote on Wednesday evening to table the measure, a procedural motion that, if successful, would block a House-wide vote on impeachment. Thanedar acknowledged his colleagues’ concerns about his move during his own press conference Wednesday morning, though he insisted it would not deter him. “Even some Democrats call me a lunatic, just like the president has called me lunatic,” the Michigan Democrat said. “But they have never said, nobody has said to me, ‘Mr. Thanedar, the seven articles of impeachment that you presented to the U.S. Congress, they’re a piece of s—. They’re not good. You missed it, missed the point. They are not legally right.’ They didn’t do that. No one says that.” However, Aguilar said hours later that it was not the right time to push an impeachment effort. “This is such an impactful moment, and our colleagues are locking themselves in a room for 24 hours to protect and defend healthcare. We shouldn’t be talking about this proposal that is not right, not timely,” Aguilar said, referring to the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s meeting on budget reconciliation, which has been ongoing since 2 p.m. Tuesday. “This president is no stranger to impeachments, he’s been impeached twice. Impeachment is a tool that can be used, but it takes weeks, months to do. Right now the issue of the day is, will hill Republicans stand up and support healthcare in this country?” MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE When reached for comment on Thanedar’s push on Tuesday, White House spokesperson Liz Huston told Fox News Digital, “Every action taken by President Trump and his administration is fully lawful and firmly rooted in the will of the American people. President Trump is doing exactly what he promised: securing our border, bringing in trillions of dollars in investment to America, and restoring common-sense leadership.” “Meanwhile, Democrats are once again showing where their true priorities lie — siding with illegal immigrants over the safety, security, and well-being of hardworking American citizens. This desperate impeachment stunt is nothing more than a reckless political act that the American people see right through,” the White House said. No Republican is expected to vote to proceed with impeachment.
Dem lawmaker seethes RFK Jr’s ‘legitimacy’ as HHS secretary has ‘expired’ in heated exchange
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman got into a heated exchange with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday, which culminated in the New Jersey Democrat declaring Kennedy’s “legitimacy” as a health official has “expired.” “The impact of reorganization is something that I shall continually ask you to show me,” Watson Coleman said as she grilled Kennedy about overhauls at the agency that have affected programs related to minority and low-income health. “So please let me warn you now. And I don’t want rhetoric, I want numbers.” “I welcome those inquiries,” Kennedy responded. “The other thing that really troubles me, sir, is LIHEAP [Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program],” she continued. “It is a program specifically to address the needs of low-income and minority families as it relates to heating and even air conditioning. Why, why, why, why and what is your rationale for eliminating that program specifically? Why, why, why?” WASHINGTON POST PRAISES TRUMP HHS REPORT ON TRANS SURGERY FOR CHILDREN, SAYS IT MAKES STRONG CASE FOR CAUTION Kennedy attempted to respond, saying: “I’m very committed to LIHEAP. My brother ran a ….” “I don’t care about your past,” Watson Coleman said. “I care about your functioning in this department and this administration, right now, in response to this question.” “My time has expired,” Kennedy responded. TOP TRUMP ADMIN HEALTH OFFICIALS SHARE VISION FOR HHS TO ‘MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN’ “Well, then so has your legitimacy,” Watson Coleman shot back. “I yield back.” Watson Coleman was grilling Kennedy in the House Appropriations subcommittee Wednesday morning regarding staff cuts to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which assists low-income families to power their homes. Kennedy responded to her question after their five-minute exchange expired, explaining that the Trump administration’s energy policies will lower costs across the board, including for low-income families. “I’m very conscious of the importance of LIHEAP to poor people all across this country,” Kennedy said. “My brother ran a low-cost, nonprofit fuel company for most of his life that provides low-cost fuel in New England. I’ve had many, many people come up to me and said, ‘My life was saved because that.’ I talked about Buu Van Nygren, who’s the president of the Navajo Nation, when I visited about three months ago, and he said cuts to LIHEAP will end up killing people. So I understand the importance of this.” The Office of Management and Budget’s rationale “was that President Trump’s energy policy is going to reduce dramatically the costs of energy in this country,” he said. “And if that happens, then LIHEAP is just another subsidy to the oil industry. If it doesn’t happen, then Congress is welcome, and they should, appropriate the money for LIHEAP and I will spend it.” MAHA MOMS CALL FOR ‘RIGOROUS TRANSPARENCY’ INTO HEALTH CONCERNS Earlier in the pair’s five-minute exchange, the New Jersey lawmaker accused the Trump administration of carrying out “racist attacks.” “Few things enrage me more than the racist attacks I see this administration carrying out by embarking on an ignorant crusade to rid the government of any programs that are working to improve the lives of Black Americans,” she said, as she railed against the administration overhauling federal policies focused on diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory initiatives. “The administration has moved to ban the words Black, race, bias, minority, oppression, prejudice, discrimination, disparity and racism.” “Any grant application on federal programs that include these words had them immediately stripped,” she claimed, adding that such policies worsens the health care system for Black Americans. “It is painfully clear to me that this, in doing this, this administration that you work with and work for is attempting to legitimize racial discrimination. And that, sir, is a moral disgrace.” HHS DOWNSIZING BEGINS AMID RFK JR. ‘MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN’ PUSH: ‘WIN-WIN FOR TAXPAYERS’ Kennedy shot back that President Donald Trump shares the same vision for the nation as Martin Luther King Jr. “Congressman, President Trump’s vision of this country is the same as Martin Luther King’s, that we should have a colorblind administration,” he said. “President Trump is deeply concerned about the maternal health crisis and the fact that Black mothers, are more likely to die in childbirth 2.6 times, 260% likely to die.” Watson Coleman responded, “I don’t need this rhetoric about Donald Trump and the lie that he cares about me and Black people.” Kennedy will head to the Senate side of Congress later Wednesday afternoon, when he will testify before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee regarding HHS’ budget and recent staff cuts.
Vance sears US leaders turning police into ‘enemies’
American leaders bear responsibility for vilifying police officers, following the death of a sheriff’s deputy who was “mowed down by a bloodthirsty criminal” in Cincinnati, according to Vice President JD Vance. Vance said that supporting law enforcement requires both policy and moral leadership, while he remembered Hamilton County, Ohio, Special Deputy Larry Henderson during a law enforcement breakfast Wednesday at the vice president’s residence. “Larry Henderson lost his life because he was doing his job and keeping people safe,” Vance said Wednesday. “And when I think about why that senseless crime happened, obviously you’ve got to place blame on the guy who committed the crime. “But I also think a lot of the blame falls on American leadership, who for too long, have made our police officers out to be enemies, instead of the great public servants that all of us know that they are,” he said. ‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’: GOP SENATOR UNLEASHES BILL WITH SEVERE CONSEQUENCES FOR HARMING POLICE A car hit Henderson while he directed traffic near the University of Cincinnati during a graduation ceremony on May 2. Rodney Hinton faces charges of aggravated murder, and authorities claim he deliberately drove into Henderson after police officers shot and killed Hinton’s 18-year-old son May 1. Hinton’s son was allegedly armed and in the middle of fleeing the scene of a stolen vehicle investigation when he was shot. Hinton pleaded not guilty to the charges Tuesday, and a judge set the trial date for February 2026. Hinton “intentionally murdered a retired deputy who was working special duty at a graduation just because he was a police officer,” according to the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police President Jay McDonald. Meanwhile, Vance reassured law enforcement officials at the breakfast that President Donald Trump backs them. “So know from the president on down, this administration stands behind you guys,” Vance said. “We love you guys. We know that you’re out there doing a good job for us. And I think that moral leadership matters just as much as the public policy. But from this administration, you’re, of course, getting it both.” COP KILLER DIES AFTER ‘BOTCHED’ FIRING SQUAD EXECUTION; WITNESS IN THE ROOM REVEALS HOW IT HAPPENED Vance pointed to a recent executive order Trump signed in April that aims to bolster resources for law enforcement officers, and includes provisions that would provide legal resources for officers who “unjustly” encounter fees tied to their official duties, and said the Trump administration wants to implement reforms that make it easier for police officers to do their jobs. “We want to make it harder for people to sue police officers when they’re acting appropriately in the line of duty,” Vance said. “We want to make sure so that when you guys are out there keeping us safe and you’re of course worried about all the bad guys, you’re also not worried about bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., preventing you from doing the job that the American people need you to do.” POLICE GROUP SLAMS GOFUNDME FOR OHIO FATHER ACCUSED OF KILLING DEPUTY LARRY HENDERSON Henderson’s death has prompted lawmakers to initiate reform. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, introduced the Larry Henderson Act into the Senate Monday, which would require those found guilty of assaulting a federal law enforcement officer to serve at least a 20-year sentence. That is up from the one to eight years in prison currently in place. “Enough is enough,” Moreno said in a Monday statement. “Anyone who assaults one of our men or women in blue needs to face severe consequences, period.” During National Police Week, Vance is also scheduled to speak at the 44th annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service Thursday at the U.S. Capitol. Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
Republicans urge Trump to follow through on his plan to dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities
FIRST ON FOX: Congressional Republicans are urging President Donald Trump to remain committed to a hardline Iran strategy, calling for the complete dismantlement of the regime’s nuclear enrichment capabilities in a letter that drew wide support. The U.S. “cannot afford” an agreement like the 2015 nuclear deal under then-President Barack Obama that “buys time” for Iran to quietly continue its nuclear program, the letter, signed by over 200 members of Congress, stated. Iran must give up its uranium enrichment capacity entirely – even for energy purposes, the lawmakers wrote. Their letter was spearheaded by Sens. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and House Republican Study Committee Chair Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas. It is signed by every GOP senator except libertarian-minded Rand Paul, R-Ky., and 177 Republican House members. “The scope and breadth of Iran’s nuclear buildout have made it impossible to verify any new deal that allows Iran to continue enriching uranium,” the letter read. “The regime must give up any capacity for enrichment.” 4TH ROUND OF US-IRAN TALKS ENDS AS TRUMP SET TO EMBARK ON HISTORIC MIDDLE EAST TOUR The lawmakers praised Trump’s withdrawal from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) during his first term and his administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign. “We cannot afford another agreement that enables Iran to play for time, as the JCPOA did,” the letter stated. “The Iranian regime should know that the administration has Congressional backing to ensure their ability to enrich uranium is permanently eliminated.” “You and your administration have therefore correctly drawn a red line against a deal that allows Iran to retain any enrichment capacity,” the letter said. “As always, we stand ready to provide you and your administration whatever resources you need to advance American national security interests.” When asked last week if Iran could have a civil enrichment program if it did not produce weapons-grade material that could be used in a bomb, Trump said, “We haven’t made that decision yet.” However, more recently, Special Envoy to the MIddle East Steve Witkoff seemed to draw a red line against the prospect – a departure from previous comments. GOP SENATORS: CONGRESS SHOULD VOTE ON TRUMP’S POTENTIAL IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL “An enrichment program can never exist in the state of Iran ever again,” Witkoff said in an interview with Breitbart. Last month, Witkoff suggested Iran may be allowed to enrich uranium to low levels. “They do not need to enrich past 3.67 percent,” Witkoff said. “In some circumstances, they’re at 60 percent. In other circumstances, 20 percent. That cannot be. And you do not need to run – as they claim – a civil nuclear programme where you’re enriching past 3.67 percent,” he said on Fox News. Such a demand could complicate talks with Tehran, which has repeatedly asserted its right to a civil nuclear program. Iranian and U.S. officials ended talks in Oman over the weekend on a positive note, despite seemingly remaining at odds over the issue. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said Tuesday that talks had not delved into the matter yet, but Iran would be open to a temporary restriction on enrichment levels. “For a limited period of time, we can accept a series of restrictions on the level and volume of enrichment,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi, according to Tassim news agency.”We have not yet gone into details about the level and volume of enrichment.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said Saturday that enriching uranium was “non-negotiable” in any sort of deal. “If the goal of the negotiations is to deprive Iran of its nuclear rights, I state clearly that Iran will not back down from any of its rights,” Aragchi said, according to state media. “Iran continues negotiations in good faith, and if the goal of these talks is to ensure the non-acquisition of nuclear weapons, an agreement is possible. However, if the aim is to limit Iran’s nuclear rights, Iran will never retreat from its rights.” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday added that calls to dismantle Tehran’s nuclear facilities were “unacceptable,” and, “Iran will not give up its peaceful nuclear rights under any circumstances and will not back down from its rights in the face of pressure.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
Trump DOJ moves funds used for transgender projects, DEI to support law enforcement
The Justice Department (DOJ) is moving funds formerly granted to groups supporting transgender ideology and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to law enforcement, Fox News Digital has confirmed. A Justice Department official told Fox News Digital that the DOJ, under Attorney General Pam Bondi’s watch, will “not waste” funds on DEI. ABBEY GATE TERRORIST, HUMAN SMUGGLING RING LEADERS, CARTEL BOSSES AMONG BONDI DOJ’S FIRST-MONTH SUCCESSES “The Department of Justice under Pam Bondi will not waste discretionary funds on DEI passion projects that do not make Americans safer,” the official told Fox News Digital. “We will use our money to get criminals off the streets, seize drugs, and in some cases, fund programs that deliver a tangible impact for victims of crime.” BONDI’S DOJ DAY 1 DIRECTIVES: FIGHT WEAPONIZATION OF JUSTICE, ELIMINATE CARTELS, LIFT DEATH PENALTY BAN Bondi, on her first day at the DOJ, directed officials to ensure all DEI programs at the department were terminated. She also demanded the removal of all references to DEI in training programs — specifically ending the emphasis on race and sex-based criteria, and refocusing hiring and promotion guidelines “solely on merit.” After her first month as attorney general, Bondi told Fox News Digital that the DOJ was “arresting violent terrorists, dismantling cartel networks, and rooting DEI out of American institutions.” “We will continue working day in and day out to deliver on President Trump’s Make America Safe Agenda,” Bondi said. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Milwaukee judge indicted for helping immigrant evade ICE faces up to 6 years in prison
A Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge arrested in April for allegedly helping a man evade immigration officers in her court could face up to six years in prison if convicted, according to an indictment handed down Tuesday by a federal grand jury. Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by FBI officials last month for allegedly “knowingly” helping an undocumented immigrant in her court evade ICE authorities and telling the officers in her court that they needed a warrant. On Tuesday, she was indicted by a grand jury on federal charges of concealing a person from arrest and on obstruction of justice charges, under 18 U.S.C. Section 1505 and 18 U.S.C. Section 1071, respectively. The indictment accuses Dugan of “falsely” telling federal officials in April that they needed a warrant to come into her court during a scheduled appearance by Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented Mexican national who was in court on three misdemeanor battery charges. Dugan told the officers to proceed to the chief judge’s office to obtain a warrant, according to the criminal complaint, and she then escorted Flores-Ruiz through a side door to evade federal agents. MILWAUKEE COUNTY JUDGE HANNAH DUGAN INDICTED AFTER ALLEGEDLY HELPING ILLEGAL ALIEN EVADE ICE If found guilty of both charges, Dugan could face up to six years in prison and up to $350,000 in fines. She will appear in court on Thursday and is expected to enter a plea of not guilty, as indicated by a statement from her legal team on Tuesday. “Judge Hannah C. Dugan has committed herself to the rule of law and the principles of due process for her entire career as a lawyer and a judge,” her lawyers said, adding that their client further “asserts her innocence and looks forward to being vindicated in court.” Dugan’s arrest and criminal charges have become a political lightning rod at a time when the Trump administration has moved to take sweeping actions to crack down on its immigration enforcement priorities. Her actions, while controversial, have also attracted an all-star legal defense team to argue in court on her behalf. Last month, her defense team tapped former Bush-era solicitor general Paul Clemente to represent her. WISCONSIN JUDGE ACCUSED OF OBSTRUCTING ICE COULD FACE YEARS IN PRISON, DOJ HAS ‘UPPER HAND’: FORMER PROSECUTOR Clemente, who was also on Trump’s short list of Supreme Court nominees during his first term, is a well-respected litigator who has argued more than 100 cases before the Supreme Court. He is also not the only Bush-era powerhouse representing her in court. Steve Biskupic, a former U.S. attorney and a George W. Bush appointee, was tapped last month to head up the team, as first reported by Law.com. Others include Craig Mastantuono of Mastantuono Coffee & Thomas and Jason Luczak and Nicole Masnica of Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown. Still, Dugan’s actions have also sparked fierce backlash from Trump administration officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who have vowed to hold her accountable for her actions. “She will be held accountable for that,” Noem told Fox News in an interview Tuesday night. “That was a great decision, coming forward, to recognize that nobody can facilitate breaking the law. “We shouldn’t be able to allow that in this country, and we need to make sure that even judges are held accountable for their actions,” she added. Fox News’s Michael Dorgan and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
Dems condemn Trump’s jet deal, call $400M gift ‘unconstitutional’
President Donald Trump‘s decision to accept a $400 million jet from the Qatari royal family has cast a shadow over his trip to the Middle East this week as Democrats have ridiculed the gift as “unconstitutional.” “Trump is literally trying to fly around on a plane from a foreign government while serving as president. That’s a violation of the Constitution. The Emoluments Clause wasn’t a suggestion. It’s the LAW,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said Monday morning. The Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution states that no elected official should accept a gift from a foreign country without consent from Congress. Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., penned a letter to the Government Accountability Office on Sunday, formally calling for an ethics investigation into the gift as a violation of the clause. “I don’t know who needs to hear this, but NO, Donald Trump cannot accept a $400 million flying palace from the royal family of Qatar. Not only is this farcically corrupt, it is blatantly unconstitutional. Congress must not allow this over-the-top kleptocracy to proceed,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said on Sunday as the news broke. TRUMP CLARIFIES OWNERSHIP OF AIRCRAFT IN DEFENSE OF QATAR’S GIFT When asked by Fox News Digital if Trump should accept the $400 million Qatari jet, Democratic senators were unanimous in their condemnation, calling the deal “smelly” and “risky” to national security. TRUMP SIGNS AGREEMENTS WITH QATAR ON DEFENSE AND BOEING PURCHASES “We shouldn’t do it,” Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said, adding that, “We can build our own planes for security.” Even if the Boeing plane was built in the United States, accepting the Qatari jet is “risky,” according to Welch. “It’s smelly enough that he should come to Congress. It looks and feels an awful lot like an emolument, and he and his library will end up getting a personal benefit out of it,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., told Fox News Digital when asked if Trump’s deal needed congressional approval. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., piled on the Trump criticism in a series of social media posts and even delivered a speech on the Senate floor, arguing Trump is “willing to sell out our nation’s security in exchange for billions in bribes, including a free luxury plane.” “American foreign policy should never be for sale. With news that Qatar is gifting a $400 million plane to Trump, the White House’s corruption is becoming a bigger and bigger threat to our national security,” Murphy said in a social media post. However, the Trump administration has continued to defend Qatar’s gift to the United States, as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed it was not “Trump’s plane,” but it was donated to the U.S. Air Force. On Wednesday morning, Trump signed a series of agreements with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, Qatar, which included a Qatari purchasing agreement on 160 American Boeing planes, defense agreements and a declaration of cooperation between the countries. Trump defended his decision to accept the Qatari jet on Tuesday, saying it would be “stupid” not to and emphasizing that he accepted it on behalf of the U.S. government, not himself. “The Boeing 747 is being given to the United States Air Force/Department of Defense, NOT TO ME! It is a gift from a Nation, Qatar, that we have successfully defended for many years. It will be used by our Government as a temporary Air Force One, until such time as our new Boeings, which are very late on delivery, arrive. Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE from a country that wants to reward us for a job well done,” Trump said on Truth Social on Tuesday following his remarks to reporters. “This big savings will be spent, instead, to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our Country. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump added.
Homeland Security reveals staggering increase in Secret Service agent applications
EXCLUSIVE — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a roughly 214% increase in applications to join the U.S. Secret Service compared to the first few months of last year. The number of submitted applications from Jan. 20 to May 1 of last year was approximately 7,000 compared to 22,000 applicants in 2025 under the Trump administration. “For four long years, the previous administration demoralized and denied resources to our brave men and women in law enforcement, including in the Secret Service,” a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Our country suffered the consequences of that disastrous approach. President Trump himself nearly lost his life because of it. Now, after reforming the Secret Service and providing it with the resources it needs to do its job, we are seeing an historic surge in applications. Americans naturally want to protect and serve. We simply have to let them.” WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME A SECRET SERVICE AGENT? DIRECTOR SEAN CURRAN OFFERS A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK The Secret Service has a total of 8,210 employees and law enforcement officers, including 3,904 special agents, 1,560 in the uniformed division, 265 technical law enforcement personnel, and 2,481 administrative, professional, and technical staff. “I think the reality is that the Secret Service is returning to the core mission and the standards that made it great and that inspires a lot of really good people to want to be part of it,” former Secret Service agent Tim Miller told Fox News Digital. “I think now under the new director, they are trying to get back to having highly qualified people that are very mission focused.” “I know when I got hired, I had been a U.S. Marine Corps officer and a police officer, it was a high standard to get hired. I think many now want to be one of the best of the best and the Secret Service is trying to get back to that gold standard.” SCULPTURE DEPICTING ICONIC TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT PHOTO DISPLAYED IN OVAL OFFICE The Secret Service was responsible for protecting former President Donald Trump through two assassination attempts during his 2024 campaign. The first was at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, and the second at Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15. The agency, founded in June 1865, was originally tasked with exposing counterfeit U.S. currency under the Treasury Department, but began overseeing presidential protection shortly after the assassination of William McKinley in 1901. FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR BONGINO: ILLEGAL ALIEN CRIMINALS AND CHILD PREDATORS ARE NEXT IN ONGOING CRACKDOWN CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The Secret Service has always been a top-tier protection organization until the last 10 or so years and I think returning to its mission and restoring the standards required to be an agent are making a huge difference and causing good men and women to want to join,” Miller added.