Gavin Newsom removes ad after being knocked for using Ukraine footage while bragging about California
California’s progressive Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom posted an ad bragging about California’s economy and knocking President Donald Trump’s tariffs, but then quickly deleted it after an X user pointed out that the video used footage from Ukraine and Estonia rather than California. The footage has since been replaced with video shot in America. The governor, a vocal Trump critic who has been rumored to have presidential aspirations, released the ad this week. In the 30-second clip, Newsom claimed that Trump’s tariffs “punish families and risk ending America’s run as the world’s greatest economy.” He also touted California’s economic prowess, bragging that the state is now the fourth-largest economy in the world. NEWSOM DEBUTS RAPID-RESPONSE WEBSITE AS CRITICS ACCUSE HIM OF PRIORITIZING PRESIDENTIAL AMBITIONS While Newsom brags about California innovation and manufacturing, the ad plays footage of what looks like a high-tech office and a large warehouse. One X user was quick to point out, however, that the footage used in the ad was actually shot in Ukraine and Estonia, not California. Another X user, Brandon Phillips, a Georgia GOP operative, quipped, “Minor detail!” in response to parts of the California ad actually being shot in Eastern Europe. A simple internet search shows that the warehouse imagery was created in Ukraine by a Ukrainian photographer and videographer named “Artie Medvedev.” TRUMP DARES NEWSOM TO RUN IN 2028, SLAMS RECORD ON LA WILDFIRES Meanwhile, the office footage used in the ad was made by a company called “Gorodenkoff Productions,” which is based in Tallinn, Estonia. Newsom’s office did not respond to Fos News Digital’s request for comment. However, his team ended up removing the video with Ukrainian and Estonian footage, replacing it with one that lacked the foreign footage noticed by X users. Newsom has been heavily criticized for allegedly prioritizing his political ambitions above his role as governor. A new survey conducted by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies and co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times found that 54% of California registered voters believe Newsom is more focused on his personal presidential ambitions than solving the ongoing problems at home in the Golden State. Trump has said he would “love” Newsom to launch a White House bid for the Democrats, but said the governor’s response to wildfires and other issues would “pretty much put him out of the race.”
Dem Congress members storm New Jersey ICE prison to conduct ‘oversight visit’: ‘People deserve dignity’
The mayor of Newark, New Jersey, was arrested Friday at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility where three members of Congress also stormed the facility’s gate, demanding they be allowed to conduct an “oversight visit.” Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested at the scene for trespassing, authorities said. “The Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey this afternoon,” Alina Habba, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey, wrote on X. “He has willingly chosen to disregard the law. That will not stand in this state. He has been taken into custody. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.” Reps. Rob Menendez Jr., Bonnie Watson Coleman and LaMonica McIver, all New Jersey Democrats, entered ICE’s Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark and were held up inside the first checkpoint, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News. ‘BOGUS CLAIMS’: BLUE CITY MAYOR UNDER FIRE FOR TRYING TO HALT REOPENING OF ICE FACILITY “These members of Congress storming into a detention facility goes beyond bizarre political stunt and puts the safety of our law enforcement agents and the detainees at risk,” a DHS statement to Fox News said. “Members of Congress are not above the law and cannot illegally break into detention facilities. Had these members requested a tour, we would have facilitated a tour of the facility. This is an evolving situation.” The lawmakers were outside the facility with a group of protesters when the gates opened to allow an ICE bus in. The lawmakers then rushed through the gates and past security, DHS said. In a press conference later, Coleman said ICE was “out of control.” McIver said the three lawmakers waited more than two hours to gain access to the facility to conduct an oversight visit. She said all three of them were also assaulted by ICE personnel. “There are people who are supposed to be officers, who are supposed to protect us and they have done none of that,” Mclver told reporters. “If they can treat three members of Congress like that, just imagine how they can treat people on the street each and everyday, both undocumented and people who are citizens here in this country.” Menendez, the son of disgraced former Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said ICE officers at the facility performed an “act of intimidation” on Friday. “We know what ICE has been doing in our communities. We know that the president lied and that this administration lies everyday when they’re saying they’re going after criminals. It’s not true,” Menendez said through tears. “They feel no weight of the law. They feel no restraint in what they should be doing and that was shown in broad daylight today when they not just arrested the mayor of Newark, but when they put their hands on two members of Congress.” Activists have demanded entry into the facility in recent days, saying the GEO Group, the building’s new owner, is unlawfully preventing it from being inspected. “We’re at Delaney Hall, an ICE prison in Newark that opened without permission from the city & in violation of local ordinances,” Coleman wrote on X before Friday’s events unfolded. “We’ve heard stories of what it’s like in other ICE prisons. We’re exercising our oversight authority to see for ourselves.” IDENTITY OF SECOND DEPORTED MAN WHO JUDGE WANTS RETURNED TO US REVEALED AS TRUMP ADMIN FIGHTS ORDER McIver said the “lack of transparency around what’s happening with ICE in this facility is unacceptable. People deserve dignity and we need answers.” The prison currently holds alleged killers, MS-13 gang members, child rapists, among other criminal offenders. In a press conference on Monday, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said GEO Group is “following the pattern of the president of the United States who believes that he can just do what he wants to do and obscure the laws, national and constitutional laws, and they think they can do the same thing in the state of New Jersey and in Newark.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP A lawsuit filed on behalf of the City of Newark on April 1 alleges that GEO Group failed to permit entry to safety inspectors and violated city construction code, including by conducting electrical and plumbing renovations without proper oversight. The Department of Homeland Security said the allegations by Newark politicians that Delaney does not have the proper permitting is false. “We have valid permits and inspection from plumbing, electricity to fire codes has been cleared,” the agency said. Fox News Digital’s Max Bacall contributed to this report.
Newark mayor arrested as Dem Congress members storm New Jersey ICE prison to conduct ‘oversight visit’
The mayor of Newark, New Jersey, was arrested Friday at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility where three members of Congress also stormed the facility’s gate, demanding they be allowed to conduct an “oversight visit.” Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, a top Democratic gubernatorial candidate, was arrested at the scene for trespassing, authorities said. “The Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey this afternoon,” Alina Habba, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey, wrote on X. “He has willingly chosen to disregard the law. That will not stand in this state. He has been taken into custody. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.” A crowd, including several lawmakers, gathered outside the HSI Newark Field Office where Baraka was being held Friday evening. The group chanted, yelled and banged on the gate, calling for Baraka’s release. ‘BOGUS CLAIMS’: BLUE CITY MAYOR UNDER FIRE FOR TRYING TO HALT REOPENING OF ICE FACILITY Several politicians have also joined the growing calls for Baraka to be released. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., described Baraka’s arrest as “disturbing, unnecessary and indicative of tactics that are undermining the safety and security of our communities, not adding to it.” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said he was “outraged by the unjust arrest.” He noted that he had signed a law four years ago that banned private immigration detention centers in the state. Last week, the state defended the law before a federal appeals court. Democrat Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called Baraka a friend who encouraged him to fight for change in his community. “His arrest today is an example of how the federal government’s overreach continues to undermine due process afforded by our Constitution,” Johnson said in a statement. Meanwhile, Bob Hugin, chairman of the New Jersey Republican Party, called Baraka’s actions a “stunt,” noting that he had ignored repeated warnings from authorities. “He’s not a mayor – he’s running for governor, and this stunt shows exactly what kind of leader he’d be: one who puts political theater ahead of public safety and the rule of law,” Hugin said. The White House also criticized Democrats over their defense of deported illegal immigrant criminals. “As always, Democrats are prioritizing the welfare of illegal aliens over American citizens – except now they’re crossing the line between meaningless political street theatre and outright breaking the law,” White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News Digital. Earlier in the day, Reps. Rob Menendez Jr., Bonnie Watson Coleman and LaMonica McIver, all New Jersey Democrats, entered ICE’s Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark and were held up inside the first checkpoint, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News. “These members of Congress storming into a detention facility goes beyond bizarre political stunt and puts the safety of our law enforcement agents and the detainees at risk,” a DHS statement to Fox News said. “Members of Congress are not above the law and cannot illegally break into detention facilities. Had these members requested a tour, we would have facilitated a tour of the facility.” The three lawmakers were outside the facility with a group of protesters when the gates opened to allow an ICE bus in. The lawmakers then rushed through the gates and past security, DHS said. In a press conference later, Coleman said that ICE was “out of control.” McIver said the three lawmakers had waited more than two hours to gain access to the facility to conduct an oversight visit. She said all three of them were also assaulted by ICE personnel. “There are people who are supposed to be officers, who are supposed to protect us, and they have done none of that,” Mclver told reporters. “If they can treat three members of Congress like that, just imagine how they can treat people on the street each and everyday, both undocumented and people who are citizens here in this country.” Menendez, the son of disgraced former Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said ICE officers at the facility performed an “act of intimidation” on Friday. “We know what ICE has been doing in our communities. We know that the president lied and that this administration lies every day when they’re saying they’re going after criminals. It’s not true,” Menendez said through tears. “They feel no weight of the law. They feel no restraint in what they should be doing, and that was shown in broad daylight today when they not just arrested the mayor of Newark, but when they put their hands on two members of Congress.” Activists have demanded entry into the facility in recent days, saying the GEO Group, the building’s new owner, is unlawfully preventing it from being inspected. “We’re at Delaney Hall, an ICE prison in Newark that opened without permission from the city & in violation of local ordinances,” Coleman wrote on X before Friday’s events unfolded. “We’ve heard stories of what it’s like in other ICE prisons. We’re exercising our oversight authority to see for ourselves.” IDENTITY OF SECOND DEPORTED MAN WHO JUDGE WANTS RETURNED TO US REVEALED AS TRUMP ADMIN FIGHTS ORDER McIver said the “lack of transparency around what’s happening with ICE in this facility is unacceptable. People deserve dignity and we need answers.” The prison currently holds alleged killers, MS-13 gang members and child rapists, among other criminal offenders. In a press conference on Monday, Baraka said GEO Group is “following the pattern of the president of the United States, who believes that he can just do what he wants to do and obscure the laws, national and constitutional laws, and they think they can do the same thing in the state of New Jersey and in Newark.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP A lawsuit filed on behalf of the City of Newark on April 1 alleges that GEO Group failed to permit entry to safety inspectors and violated city construction code, including
Trump is committed to 10% baseline tariff, White House says, despite UK trade deal announcement
President Donald Trump is “determined to continue with a “10% baseline tariff” against all countries despite his announcement this week of a trade deal with the United Kingdom, the White House said Friday. “The president is committed to the 10% baseline tariff, not just for the United Kingdom, but for his trade negotiations with all other countries as well,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. “Permanently? Even after the deals are done. Like, that is going to remain?” Leavitt was asked by Fox News Senior White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich. “The president is determined to continue with that 10% baseline tariff,” Leavitt responded. TRUMP UNVEILS NEW UK TRADE DEAL, CALLS IT ‘INCREDIBLE DAY FOR AMERICA’ Trump announced a new trade deal Thursday with the U.K., calling it “an incredible day for America.” Trump told reporters at the White House that “today’s agreement with the U.K. is the first in a series of agreements on trade that my administration has been negotiating over the past four weeks.” “With this deal, the U.K. joins the United States in affirming that reciprocity and fairness is an essential and vital principle of international trade. “They’ll also be fast-tracking American goods through their customs process so our exports go to a very, very quick form of approval,” the president added, noting that “The final details are being written up in the coming weeks.” TRUMP CONFIRMS TRADE DEAL WITH UK: ‘FULL AND COMPREHENSIVE’ As of April 5, the U.S. has imposed a 10% reciprocal tariff on imports from the U.K. The Trump administration’s 25% global tariff on cars took effect on April 3, impacting all imported vehicles, even from traditional U.S. allies, including the U.K. A 25% tariff on U.S. imports of steel, aluminum and derivative products took effect on March 12. Prior to April 2025, most U.K. goods exported to the U.S. were subject to standard, relatively low tariffs, mostly ranging from 0 to 2.5%, with higher rates only for specific products like steel, aluminum, and some vehicles. The U.K., meanwhile, imposed tariffs on U.S. imports based on the World Trade Organization’s “Most Favored Nation” or MFN rules. The U.K.’s average MFN applied tariff rate was 3.8% in 2023, according to the most recent data available. The UK has some high tariffs that affect U.S. exports, such as rates of up to 25% for some fish and seafood products, 10% for trucks, 10% for passenger vehicles, and up to 6.5% for certain mineral or chemical fertilizers. Fox News’ Danielle Wallace and Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
Trump to build national center for homeless veterans with funds previously spent on housing for illegal aliens
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order to establish a national center for homeless veterans with redirected funds previously spent on services for illegal aliens, Fox News Digital has learned. The president’s order directs the secretary of veterans affairs to establish the National Center for Warrior Independence on the Veterans Affairs campus in West Los Angeles. TRUMP TO HOST MILITARY PARADE TO CELEBRATE ARMY’S 250TH BIRTHDAY, HONOR ACTIVE-DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS, VETERANS Los Angeles has approximately 3,000 homeless veterans — more than any other city in the country, and accounting for about 10% of all homeless veterans in America, according to the White House. “The new National Center for Warrior Independence will help them and other veterans like them rebuild their lives,” the White House said. The center will allow veterans from around the nation to seek and receive care, benefits and services “to which they are entitled,” the White House said. The order redirects funds previously spent on housing or other services for illegal aliens to constructing, establishing and maintaining the new center. “The Center will promote self-sufficiency through housing, substance abuse treatment, and support for productive work for the veterans housed there,” the White House explained. It said the goal is to house up to 6,000 homeless veterans at the center by 2028. TRUMP TO CREATE TASK FORCE TO PLAN ‘EXTRAORDINARY CELEBRATION’ FOR 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF AMERICA’S INDEPENDENCE The order also directs the secretary of housing and urban development to use vouchers to support homeless veterans and instructs the secretary of veterans affairs to “restore accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).” The order also instructs the VA to take action against individuals who have committed misconduct and to investigate and rectify the Biden administration’s decision to “rehire and reinstate back pay for employees previously fired for misconduct.” The order also ensures that veterans will have access to increased options for care, benefits and services — including reduced wait times for Veterans Health Administration appointments through options such as expanded hours, weekend appointments and virtual healthcare. The order also directs a feasibility study at the Manchester VA Medical Center to expand services to support a full-service medical center in New Hampshire. “President Trump strongly believes that every veteran deserves our gratitude, and that the federal government should treat veterans like the heroes they are,” the White House said. The order comes a week after the White House announced that Trump will host a military parade on June 14 to honor military veterans and active-duty service members and commemorate the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday.
Trump’s tax hike proposal is ‘déjà vu’ of George H. W. Bush’s ‘read my lips’ moment, experts say
Americans lambasted President George H. W. Bush for infamously vowing on stage at the 1988 Republican National Convention not to raise taxes on Americans, then supporting a tax hike as president two years later. History could repeat itself as President Donald Trump this week signaled his support for congressional Republicans raising taxes to accomplish the ambitious goals of his “big, beautiful bill,” according to experts. “My opponent won’t rule out raising taxes, but I will. And the Congress will push me to raise taxes, and I’ll say no. And they’ll push and I’ll say no. And they’ll push again, and I’ll say to them: ‘Read my lips: no new taxes,’” then-Vice President Bush vowed at the 1988 convention, before raising taxes two years later with the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990. While acknowledging the political backlash his fellow Republican faced, Trump signaled in a Truth Social post on Friday his own willingness to raise taxes on Americans, following reports confirmed by Fox News Digital that the president is considering raising the tax rate on individuals making $2.5 million or more by 2.6%, from 37% to 39.6%. TRUMP CONSIDERS TAX HIKE ON AMERICANS MAKING $2.5 MILLION OR MORE PER YEAR “The problem with even a ‘TINY’ tax increase for the RICH, which I and all others would graciously accept in order to help the lower and middle income workers, is that the Radical Left Democrat Lunatics would go around screaming, ‘Read my lips,’ the fabled Quote by George Bush the Elder that is said to have cost him the Election. NO, Ross Perot cost him the Election! In any event, Republicans should probably not do it, but I’m OK if they do!!!” Trump said. WHITE HOUSE QUIETLY FLOATS MILLIONAIRE TAX HIKE PROPOSAL IN CONGRESS AS GOP LEADERS SIGNAL OPPOSITION Ross Perot, the late billionaire Texas businessman and philanthropist, ran an independent campaign as a third-party candidate in the 1992 presidential election, winning an historic 19% of the popular vote. As Trump suggested, the political fallout of raising taxes contributed to Bush losing re-election to President Bill Clinton in 1992. Democrats slammed Bush in campaign ads for walking back his word as conservative Republicans criticized the president for being out of step with the party’s traditional tax policies. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich led Republican criticism of Bush’s tax hike proposal, and Gingrich has urged Trump to stand down on raising taxes since rumors the administration was floating a small tax hike first swirled. TRUMP’S FIRST VICE PRESIDENT URGES HIS OLD BOSS AGAINST RAISING TAXES ON WEALTHY AMERICANS Gingrich recently told Larry Kudlow on FOX Business that Trump is a Ronald Reagan Republican, not a Bush Republican, and raising taxes would be an “act of destruction.” “It would absolutely shatter his coalition,” Gingrich said. “It would mean the entire conservative movement would rise in rebellion, and it would mean every small business in the country would start recalculating who they are going to lay off, if they are even going to stay in business. It would make no sense at all.” Negotiations are ongoing among House Republicans to finalize Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” which is expected to include an extension of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and fulfill campaign promises, including no tax on tips, overtime or Social Security. Republican politicians and pundits have joined Gingrich’s critique of Trump’s potential tax hike, arguing Trump is repeating the same mistakes as Bush. “[House] Speaker [Mike] Johnson and Republican members of Congress must have experienced collective déjà vu when President Trump urged Congress to raise taxes,” New England College President Wayne Lesperance, a veteran political scientist and political historian, told Fox News Digital. “Harkening back to the infamous ‘Read my lips’ pledge made by George H. W. Bush at the 1988 GOP Convention, today’s Republicans must be nervous at the president’s change on what is a sacrosanct issue for the party — tax cuts. Interestingly, George H. W. Bush’s decision to break his pledge was surrounded by notably different circumstances,” Lesperance added. But Lesperance reminded Republicans, who currently control the House and Senate, that Democrats could gain an edge in the 2026 midterms if tax hikes prove to be as unpopular among Republicans as they were in 1992. “Facing a Democratically controlled Congress, Bush reneged on his pledge as a compromise to reduce the deficit and pass the 1990 budget agreement. Bush’s decision to compromise on taxes is widely credited with costing him his bid for re-election. As Speaker Johnson and Republican members of Congress look ahead to midterm elections, there must be collective worry that President Trump’s shifting position on taxes will cost them at the polls,” Lesperance said. Longtime Republican consultant David Carney, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns, said the move by Bush “was probably the single most detrimental thing to his re-election.” Carney, who served in the elder Bush’s White House and worked on his presidential campaigns, told Fox News “the deal he cut was excellent. He cut spending, balanced out the taxes.” But Carney emphasized “all that’s inside baseball and the reality is it was a great opportunity for people from the right and the left to make hay out of it, and it was absolutely hurtful.” However, fiscal conservatives remain optimistic that Trump won’t raise taxes, despite the president softening to the idea on social media on Friday morning. “President Trump campaigned on not raising taxes, and we are confident that’s exactly what he’ll do,” Club for Growth President David McIntosh told Fox News Digital. When reached for comment about the Bush comparison, the White House pointed to press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s comments during the White House briefing on Friday. “The president wants tax cuts, the largest tax cuts in history,” Leavitt said. “He wants to extend his historic tax cuts from 2017, and he wants to see all the other tax priorities,” including no tax on tips, overtime or Social Security. “The president has said he himself personally would not mind paying a little bit more
Hegseth orders deadline for trans service members to leave military: ‘Out at the DOD’
Transgender troops have between 30 and 60 days to self-separate from the military after a court order allowed the ban on their service to move forward, according to a Thursday memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. “After a SCOTUS victory for @POTUS, TRANS is out at the DOD,” Hegseth wrote on X, along with a video announcing the new deadline. Approximately 1,000 service members have self–identified as having gender dysphoria and will begin the voluntary separation process, according to the Pentagon. Active duty service members have until June 6, one month after the court’s ruling, to leave the military. Reservists have until July 7. SUPREME COURT STAYS LOWER COURT RULING, ALLOWING TRUMP TRANSGENDER BAN TO PROCEED “The Secretary is encouraged by the Supreme Court’s order staying the lower court’s injunction, allowing the Department of Defense to carry out its policies associated with ‘Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,’” Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement celebrating the ruling and announcing the new timeline. “In accordance with policy now reinstated, service members who have a current diagnosis or history of or exhibit symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria may elect to separate voluntarily,” Hegseth said, adding that if they chose not to do so by the deadline, they would be removed “involuntarily, if necessary.” HEGSETH SAYS HE’S SIGNING MEMO ON COMBAT ARMS STANDARDS FOR MEN AND WOMEN The high court ruling was a victory for the White House, even as the justices did not address the underlying merits of the case or President Donald Trump‘s Jan. 27 executive order banning transgender service members from the U.S. military. A lower court had issued an injunction on the policy. The Trump administration argued that delaying the policy could pose a threat to U.S. military readiness. Trump officials have argued that the transgender military policy “furthers the government’s important interests in military readiness, unit cohesion, good order and discipline, and avoiding disproportionate costs.” An executive order signed by Trump in January ordered Hegseth to update medical standards to ensure they “prioritize readiness and lethality” and take action to “end the use of invented and identification-based pronouns” within the DOD. It says that expressing a “gender identity” different from an individual’s sex at birth does not meet military standards. A categorical ban on transgender service members was lifted in 2014 under then-President Barack Obama. Between Jan. 1, 2016, and May 14, 2021, the DOD reportedly spent approximately $15 million on providing transgender treatments (surgical and nonsurgical) to 1,892 active-duty service members, according to the Congressional Research Service. The transgender ban is part of a broader push by the new Pentagon leadership to root out any policies related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Last month, Hegseth announced that “99.9%” of DEI-related policies had been eliminated at the Defense Department, as he raised standards for fitness tests and moved to ensure the combat fitness test held men and women to the same standards. Fox News’ Breanne Deppisch and Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.
Trump, lawmakers at odds over whether FEMA should be elevated to Cabinet-level agency or completely overhauled
While President Donald Trump wants to gut the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are seeking to elevate FEMA to a Cabinet-level agency. FEMA is currently housed under the Department of Homeland Security, but the House effort would solidify FEMA as its own separate agency, according to a discussion draft of the legislation released Thursday. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., and committee ranking member Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., are spearheading the legislation. Other proposals included in the draft legislation are instructing the Office of Management and Budget to create a centralized website tracking disaster assistance recovery across the federal government, and allowing FEMA to foot the bill for repairs to homes suffering damage in disasters. Currently, FEMA only covers expenses that make a home livable following disasters. ‘FEMA IS NOT GOOD’: TRUMP ANNOUNCES AGENCY OVERHAUL DURING VISIT TO NORTH CAROLINA “By releasing this discussion draft legislation, we hope to engage our colleagues and stakeholders on comprehensive FEMA reform,” Graves said in a Thursday statement. “This draft bill includes substantive changes that will transform FEMA and our emergency programs to be much more state and locally driven – not micro-managed into ineffectiveness by the federal government.” While Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have voiced support for eradicating FEMA, the former acting administrator of FEMA, Cameron Hamilton, warned against gutting the agency on Wednesday. “I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” Hamilton told lawmakers on the House Appropriations committee on Wednesday. “Having said that, I’m not in a position to make a decision,” Hamilton said. “That is a conversation that should be had between the president of the United States and this governing body.” However, Hamilton, who previously served as a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy with SEAL Team 8 and started leading FEMA in January, was ousted from his post Thursday. ACTING FEMA ADMINISTRATOR OUT AFTER PUSHING BACK AGAINST TRUMP’S AGENCY PLANS FEMA confirmed to Fox News Digital Thursday that Hamilton was no longer with the agency. Days after his inauguration in January, Trump visited North Carolina to oversee the state’s efforts to recover from Hurricane Helene, more than 120 days after the storm struck the state. On the trip, Trump floated plans to gut FEMA, which oversaw the disaster relief efforts. “I’ll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA,” Trump told reporters in North Carolina. “I think, frankly, FEMA is not good.” The executive order established a review council to evaluate potential reforms to FEMA, including whether the agency’s bureaucracy restricts its ability to appropriately respond to disasters. Likewise, Trump’s budget proposal includes plans to slash nearly $650 million in FEMA grants. On Tuesday, Noem told lawmakers that Trump stands by his statements that FEMA’s current setup should be quashed. “He believes that FEMA and its response in many, many circumstances has failed the American people, and that FEMA as it exists today should be eliminated,” Noem said.
Blue state Republicans threaten mutiny over state and local taxes in Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’
Sparks are flying over taxes that primarily affect Republicans representing districts in Democrat-controlled states, sending tensions skyrocketing as GOP lawmakers negotiate President Donald Trump‘s “big, beautiful bill.” The fight more specifically is about state and local tax deductions, colloquially known as SALT. Republican lawmakers representing high-cost-of-living areas outside big cities had been pushing leaders to raise the current cap on SALT deductions – $10,000 for both single filers and married couples – in Trump’s bill. However, on Thursday night, leaders of the House’s SALT Caucus emphatically rejected what they said was an offer from GOP leaders to raise that deduction to $30,000. SCOOP: REPUBLICANS DISCUSS DEFUNDING ‘BIG ABORTION’ LIKE PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN TRUMP AGENDA BILL “We’ve negotiated in good faith on SALT from the start— fighting for the taxpayers we represent in New York. Yet with no notice or agreement, the Speaker and the House Ways and Means Committee unilaterally proposed a flat $30,000 SALT cap — an amount they already knew would fall short of earning our support,” the statement said. “It’s not just insulting — it risks derailing President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. New Yorkers already send far more to Washington than we get back — unlike many so-called ‘low-tax’ states that depend heavily on federal largesse. A higher SALT cap isn’t a luxury. It’s a matter of fairness. We reject this offer.” The statement was signed by Reps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y. However, not all of their delegation is on board. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., whose district spans a sliver of south Brooklyn and all of Staten Island, told Fox News Digital first that she could support a $30,000 cap. “Everyone needs to advocate for the needs of their district. Tripling the deduction to $30,000 will provide much-needed relief for the middle-class and cover 98% of the families in my district,” she said. However, a spokesperson for Johnson pointed out that there was no commitment made on any number. Press secretary Athina Lawson wrote on X alongside a report that Johnson “acknowledged” the $30,000 number, “To add vital, missing context: What the Speaker actually said is this is one number among others in ongoing discussions amongst members.” She referenced comments Johnson made to reporters on Thursday when asked about the figure. “I’ve heard that number, and I’ve heard others as well.” “It’s still an ongoing discussion amongst the members,” Johnson said. “I’m not going to handicap it because I’m not sure exactly what that is, but there’s a lot of analysis that’s going into it.” The Republican majorities in the House and Senate are working on advancing Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process, which allows the party in power to move a massive piece of legislation without the opposing party’s input, provided it deals with budgetary and other fiscal matters. It is a massive effort across multiple committees of jurisdiction. The Ways & Means Committee, the House’s tax-writing panel, is expected to unveil its portion of the bill within days. BROWN UNIVERSITY IN GOP CROSSHAIRS AFTER STUDENT’S DOGE-LIKE EMAIL KICKS OFF FRENZY A meeting to advance that legislation is expected Tuesday afternoon, people familiar with the planning told Fox News Digital. Malliotakis is the only member of the committee who is also a member of the SALT Caucus. Republicans in California, New York and New Jersey have been pushing for the reconciliation bill to lift the SALT deduction cap, which was first implemented in Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Some lawmakers have proposed lifting the cap to as high as $100,000, which Republicans in other areas have largely rejected. The blue state Republicans pushing for a larger deduction have argued the issue is critical for their constituents. They are also the most vulnerable lawmakers in the House GOP Conference, and their seats are key to Republicans holding onto their slim majority. Republicans in favor of raising the SALT deduction have also pointed out that while it benefits people in high-cost-of-living areas outside big cities, it is those states that send more tax dollars back to Washington for programs that ultimately benefit the entire country. However, others in conservative circles have pushed back on their efforts. “The Republican margin is so small in the House that a handful of New England Republicans have a lot of sway over this bill and are pushing to raise that deduction,” said Marc Short, an alumnus of Trump’s first administration who played a key role in the 2017 tax negotiations. “I think from a tax perspective, what’s unfair about that is you’re basically taking much of middle America that live in states that are better governed and asking them to subsidize the residents in states that are poorly managed and continue to generate huge deficits.”
Veteran advocacy leader defends Trump’s shake-ups at VA, calls for reform to support veterans
EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump‘s Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Doug Collins, has proposed a 15% workforce reduction with a goal of cutting 80,000 jobs at the VA. Retired Lt. Col. Jim Whaley, CEO of Mission Roll Call, a veteran advocacy non-profit, said such VA reform is necessary to improve veterans’ lives across the United States. Whaley told Fox News Digital that veterans want to see less bureaucracy at the VA and more “community care” to cut wait times and increase services at local VA hospitals, but “if it was easy, somebody would have solved it.” “Every American and politician, from both sides of the aisle, can agree that we want to make sure we take care of our veterans,” Whaley said. “We just got out of over 20 years of war, so there are a lot of veterans and their families that need help. We want to make sure that every dollar that the American taxpayer is paying to support the VA is spent wisely, and that veterans are getting the care that they need. And more importantly, that they’re getting the care when they need it, where they need it and how they need it.” ‘CHANGES THAT ACTUALLY HELP OUR VETERANS’: VA SECRETARY DEFENDS PROPOSED 15% WORKFORCE REDUCTION The VA serves only half of U.S. veterans. While Whaley said Collins is trying to reach the other 50% through TV and podcast appearances, he encouraged more transparency about the VA’s services to reach the other half of veterans who still need care. “One hundred days into the second Trump administration, and VA is no longer content with poor results. Under President Trump’s leadership, we have already stripped away many of the costly distractions that were coming between VA beneficiaries and the benefits they have earned. And we’re looking to make even more historic reforms to better serve our veterans,” Collins said. Trump and Collins have faced controversy in the media and among Democrats for cutting VA jobs and for their efforts to overhaul the department. Whaley, whose organization conducts veteran polling, said more than half of veterans are worried about VA cuts. ‘DOWN TO ZERO’: VETERAN SUICIDE CRISIS TARGETED IN VA BILL BY BIPARTISAN HOUSE COALITION “When all you hear is about the cuts versus what the philosophy is behind why you’re making those changes in an organization, there’s going to be fear. Change is hard. It’s important that the VA stays as transparent as possible and reports on what is being done and what improvements are being made,” Whaley said. However, Whatley, a veteran himself, said all veterans want to see an improved VA. “They want to see services improve, they want to see wait times reduced. As time goes on and Veterans Affairs communicate more and more with veterans, they will know a little bit about what’s going on, and they’ll be a little less anxious about it. I think it’s all about making sure that veterans are getting the news, making sure they understand why they’re making these cuts.” Whaley encouraged Collins and the VA to include more veterans in the conversations surrounding the VA’s reform by listening to families and caregivers to learn how to best invest in veteran care. “Veteran affairs are very important to recruitment issues, and that, of course, affects national security. So they’re not all separate, it all wraps together. When a veteran gets out of the service after a few years of serving their country, we have to make sure that the transition to the civilian world and finding a job and plugging into the community goes smoothly, because if we don’t, then we have an issue,” Whaley said. According to the 2023 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, more than 17 veterans committed suicide per day in 2021. “We need to get the number of suicides as close to zero as possible. That’s the number one priority,” Whaley said, adding that community care is also a top priority, so veterans don’t have to drive long distances and wait a long time to get the services they need. “We need to make sure that the Department of Defense and the VA are working together when veterans are transitioning out of the military to make sure they’re plugged into the VA and that the transition goes well. Because the fact of the matter is, the majority of suicides among veterans are from veterans that have recently transitioned to the civilian world.”