Top 5 most outrageous ways the government has wasted your taxes, as uncovered by Elon Musk’s DOGE
As President Donald Trump celebrated his 100th day in office this week, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) said it has cut at least $160 billion in waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. When Trump signed an executive order establishing the agency on his Inauguration Day, DOGE set an ambitious goal of cutting $2 trillion from the federal budget. According to the Office of Government Ethics, “special government employees” like Musk can work for the federal government no more than 130 days a year, which in Musk’s case will fall on May 30. He has already started pairing back his hours leading the controversial agency. Fox News Channel’s “Jesse Watters Primetime” had the opportunity to see behind the curtain of Musk’s infamous DOGE, which Democrats have railed against and Republicans have celebrated since Trump returned to the White House this year. The “DOGE boys” reminded Watters on Thursday of some of the most shocking savings secured by the department this year. DOGE’S GREATEST HITS: LOOK BACK AT THE DEPARTMENT’S MOST HIGH-PROFILE CUTS DURING TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS Earlier this year, DOGE discovered the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) had transferred $132,000 to Mohammad Qasem Halimi, a former Taliban member who was Afghanistan’s former Chief of Protocol. DOGE announced on March 31 that the contract was canceled. Halimi was detained by the U.S. and held at Bagram Air Base for a year beginning Jan. 2, 2002. He held several positions in Afghanistan’s government following his release and was appointed as the Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs in Afghanistan in 2020. “A small agency called the United States Institute of Peace is definitely the agency we’ve had the most fight at. We actually went into the agency and found they had loaded guns inside their headquarters — Institute for Peace,” a DOGE staffer told Watters. “So by far, the least peaceful agency that we’ve worked with, ironically. Additionally, we found that they were spending money on things like private jets, and they even had a $130,000 contract with a former member of the Taliban. This is real. We don’t encounter that in most agencies.” USIP did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiry. ELON MUSK LOOKS BACK ON 100 DAYS OF DOGE, PREVIEWS FUTURE OF THE ‘LONG-TERM ENTERPRISE’ Fox News Digital reported earlier this year that the nation’s schools spent $200 billion in COVID-relief funds on expenses “with little oversight or impact on students,” such as Las Vegas hotel rooms and buying an ice cream truck, according to DOGE’s audits. Granite School District in Utah spent their COVID-relief funds on $86,000 in hotel rooms for an educational conference at Caesars Palace, a ritzy Las Vegas casino, while Santa Ana Unified in California spent $393,000 to rent out a Major League Baseball stadium, according to a report by Parents Defending Education and shared by DOGE. Granite School District has since denied “any impropriety for having our educators participate” in the Las Vegas conference. The cost-cutting department also revealed that schools spent $60,000 of COVID-relief funds on swimming pool passes, while a California district used its funds to purchase an ice cream truck. “They were basically partying on the taxpayers’ dollars,” Musk told Watters on Thursday. CAESARS PALACE, MLB STADIUM, AN ICE CREAM TRUCK: DOGE REVEALS HOW SCHOOLS SPENT BILLIONS IN COVID-RELIEF FUNDS Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who is chairwoman of the Senate DOGE Caucus and who has collaborated closely with Musk to identify waste to cut, revealed that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) “authorized a whopping $20 million to create a ‘Sesame Street’ in Iraq.” Ernst said that under the Biden administration, USAID awarded the $20 million to a nonprofit called Sesame Workshop to produce a show called “Ahlan Simsim Iraq” in an effort to “promote inclusion, mutual respect and understanding across ethnic, religious and sectarian groups.” DOGE received a hand from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), which released a report in March revealing that federal agencies wasted $162 billion in “improper payments,” which was actually a decrease of $74 billion from the previous fiscal year. GAO’s analysis revealed that of the 16 government agencies reporting improper payments, 75% of the waste found was concentrated in five programs: $54 billion from three Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Medicare programs; $31 billion in HHS Medicaid; $16 billion from the Department of the Treasury’s earned income tax credit; $11 billion from the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; and $9 billion from the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Restaurant Revitalization Fund. On the campaign trail and since taking office, Trump has made it clear he aims to slash diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) spending in the federal government, while making the case that a system of meritocracy should be the focus. DOGE has announced over the last few months that it has cut hundreds of millions in DEI contracts. Earlier this month, DOGE announced it had worked with the U.S. National Science Foundation to cancel 402 “wasteful” DEI grants, which will save $233 million, including $1 million for “Antiracist Teacher Leadership for Statewide Transformation.” The Department of Defense could save up to $80 million in wasteful spending by cutting loose a handful of DEI programs, the agency announced last month. The Defense Department has been working with DOGE to slash wasteful spending, DOD spokesman Sean Parnell said in a video posted to social media. Parnell listed some of the initial findings flagged by DOGE, much of it consisting of millions of dollars given to support various DEI programs, including $1.9 million for holistic DEI transformation and training in the Air Force and $6 million to the University of Montana to “strengthen American democracy by bridging divides.” The Trump administration announced earlier this month it is slashing millions of dollars in DEI grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as part of its overall DOGE push. And in February, the Department of Education said it is canceling more than $100 million in
ICE makes major arrest after Soros-backed prosecutor made controversial plea deal
Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Virginia State Police arrested an illegal immigrant after he was released as a result of a plea deal made by the Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office. Guatemalan national Wilmer Osmany Ramos-Giron, 34, faced numerous felony charges in January, including abduction by force, assault on a family member and felony strangulation causing injury to a Virginia woman, according to ICE, which has Ramos-Giron in custody. Ramos-Giron spent only two months in an adult detention center in Fairfax County. The county attorney’s office, led by Democrat Steve Descano, arranged a plea deal dropping Ramos-Giron’s charges to misdemeanors. Ramos-Giron would have faced up to 16 years behind bars on the felony charges if convicted, according to ABC 7. DEM PROSECUTOR LETS OFF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED WITH STRANGULATION, KIDNAPPING The outlet reported that even though the county attorney’s office said the plea deal was what the victim wanted, the victim said that’s not true. Ramos-Giron was deported two other times but found his way back into the U.S. despite being convicted in a federal gun case. But it’s not clear when he returned to the country, according to ICE. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office praised the April 24 arrest. “It’s disappointing that the Fairfax Commonwealth Attorney’s Office has been more concerned about shielding dangerous illegal immigrants than ensuring the safety of Virginians,” Peter Finocchio, Youngkin’s press secretary, told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Fortunately, Wilmer Osmany Ramos-Giron will no longer pose a threat to Virginia families, thanks to brave federal and state law enforcement heroes.” Descano’s campaign received over $627,000 between 2019 and 2023 from the Justice and Public Safety PAC, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Fox News Digital previously reported that a large majority of the super PAC’s funding came from liberal billionaire George Soros. ICE NABS MORE THAN 425 MIGRANT CRIMINALS IN VIRGINIA, GOV. YOUNGKIN SAYS Fairfax County District Attorney Steve Descano, a Democrat, has had a clear policy against wanting to enforce federal immigration laws and has a history of not complying with many ICE detainers, ABC 7 reported. “Wilmer Ramos-Giron represents a significant threat to our Virginia residents,” said Russell Hott, who directs the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Washington, D.C., field office. “He has displayed a blatant disregard for our immigration laws and, more importantly, for the safety and well-being of our community. He is a violent and recidivist threat to public safety that ICE Washington, D.C., cannot tolerate. Regardless of the obstacles placed in our way, we remain committed to prioritizing public safety. The men and women of ICE Washington, D.C., will continue to arrest and remove criminal alien threats from our Washington, D.C., and Virginia neighborhoods and ensure their victims receive the justice they so rightly deserve.” ICE TOUTS RECORD-BREAKING IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT DURING TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS Descano’s office did not respond to a request for comment. As ICE continues its crackdown on illegal immigrants it considers public safety risks, state and local laws nationwide continue to face scrutiny. Last month, the state of California said it would transfer an illegal immigrant into ICE custody after the state prison system was preparing to release a man convicted of killing two teenagers in a DUI manslaughter who was 3½ years into a 10-year sentence in July.
John Fetterman faces new spotlight on health, family drama, sparking online uproar
A new exposé about Sen. John Fetterman’s, D-Pa., time on Capitol Hill set social media ablaze on Friday. The report raised questions about alleged tensions with his wife, Gisele, over his health regimen, his stance on Israel and her reported run-ins with his staff. In “All By Himself: John Fetterman insists he is in good health, but staffers past and present say they no longer recognize the man they once knew,” New York Magazine’s Intelligencer lays out recollections from current and former staff members who worked for the Pennsylvania Democrat. In May 2022, Fetterman suffered a serious stroke mid-Senate campaign against Dr. Mehmet Oz. The article relates several reported instances, including a February 2023 situation at a Democratic caucus retreat at the Library of Congress. A staffer told the outlet that he received a message questioning how Fetterman was doing, as he was found sitting at a table alone, silently drinking a soda. FETTERMAN SPOKESWOMAN REAMED FOR REPORTEDLY CONTRADICTING BOSS ON ISRAEL: ‘UNPARALLELED HUBRIS’ The report went on to claim the lawmaker was “nearly struck by a car” and found “wandering” Capitol Hill. Physicians at George Washington University Hospital later determined he was severely dehydrated, and had not had a second stroke as feared. An ensuing discussion with then-Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, found Fetterman to be nearly “catatonic” when Brown tried to talk with him. Soon after, on Feb. 15, he was admitted to Walter Reed Medical Center. After being discharged, Fetterman “threw himself into” his Senate work and became more vociferous than ever on issues like the Israel-Gaza conflict and other topics that have rankled his Democratic colleagues. He also took a leading role in calling for the ouster of now-former Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., amid corruption allegations. “Former and current staffers paint a picture of an erratic senator who has become almost impossible to work for and whose mental-health situation is more serious and complicated than previously reported,” the article read. After staffers wrote a letter about Fetterman’s “gutting betrayal” supporting Israel, the report went on to allege Gisele confronted him about Jerusalem “bombing refugee camps — how can you support this?” Gisele reportedly also went to staffers with her concerns, while a Senate physician in December 2023 reported him “acting bizarrely” near the Senate subway, while he had not had bloodwork in months. FETTERMAN TAKES SWIPE AT AOC: WE KEPT OUR GOVERNMENT OPEN, DEAL WITH IT The hulking lawmaker also reportedly nearly knocked over folks walking in the Capitol. Both types of incidents reportedly rankled his wife, who was vociferous on the matter, according to the magazine piece. Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman for comment. Social media became abuzz after the article dropped, with Bloomberg columnist Matthew Yglesias calling it “a very sad story here on a human level, but of course, it’s also politics and can’t be addressed purely on that level.” Left-wing former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan wrote that the story and color from former staffers therein “makes clear that Fetterman should not be serving in the Senate. Every Senate Democrat should read this and be asked about it.” A California progressive group reacted by writing that the story is an indictment of populist lawmakers. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Whether they’re left or right, whether they agree with your preferred policies or not, populism will not get you the best leaders,” Bay Area New Liberals wrote. Another user said the story showed Gisele as “evil.” “These are not red flags, this is a siren going off. John Fetterman is not taking his meds… He needs inpatient care,” commented another. “Funny how they didn’t run these hit pieces or question Fetterman’s mental health during the campaign when he was barely able to speak or when he so spectacularly fumbled the debate against Dr. Oz. But now that he turned out not to be a deranged Trump hater, a psychotic terrorist lover, or an obedient progressive, suddenly they’re starting to question his mental acuity,” a different user wrote. “Knocking him out early before he can do anything in 2028?” wrote another, who conjectured that both Fetterman and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro could end up battling each other in the next Democratic presidential primary.
Pakistan warns of a ‘nuclear flashpoint,’ urges Trump to step in amid rising tensions with India over Kashmir
EXCLUSIVE: Pakistan’s ambassador to the U.S. is warning of potentially catastrophic consequences if India follows through with what Islamabad claims could be an imminent military strike in response to a recent attack in the disputed Kashmir region. War between the two nuclear-armed states could get ugly quickly, and Pakistan’s Ambassador to the U.S. Rizwan Saeed Sheikh is calling on President Donald Trump to leverage his self-professed dealmaker credentials to hammer out an agreement with India. “This is one nuclear flashpoint,” the ambassador said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital. “It could be an important part of President Trump’s legacy to attend to this situation — not with a Band-Aid solution, but by addressing the core issue: the Kashmir dispute.” Saeed described India’s response to the attack in Pahalgam — which left several Indian security forces dead — as dangerously premature and inflammatory. “Within minutes of the attack, India began leveling accusations against Pakistan,” he said, noting that a post-investigation report was filed just 10 minutes after the incident occurred, despite the remote and rugged terrain near the scene. INDIA’S MODI GIVES ARMY FREEDOM TO ACT AS TENSIONS RISE WITH PAKISTAN AFTER DEADLY TERROR ATTACK Pakistan claimed this week to have “credible intelligence” that an Indian counter-attack on its territory is imminent. The Indian Embassy in the U.S. did not respond to requests for comment on this story before publication time. The dust-up began with a tourist massacre on April 22 in Belgaum, Kashmir. All but one of the victims were Indian citizens, and India swiftly pointed the finger at Pakistan, which rejected the charge. The attack occurred in a remote valley only accessible on foot or by horse, and survivors claimed after the attack that the gunmen had accused some of the victims of supporting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The ambassador warned that the region, home to over 1.5 billion people, is once again being held “hostage to the war of hysteria” by India’s government and media, who immediately “began beating war drums.” The pair of rivals have exchanged gunfire across their heavily militarized borders since the attack. He cited Pakistan’s request for evidence linking it to the attack and Islamabad’s offer to participate in a neutral, transparent inquiry — both of which he said have gone unanswered. “Any misadventure or miscalculation can lead to a nuclear interface,” the ambassador said. “That is certainly not desirable in such a densely populated region.” PAKISTAN FEARS INDIA INCURISON ‘IMMINENT’ AMID HEIGHTENED TENSIONS FOLLOWING TERROR ATTACK While Pakistan denies any involvement in the attack, the ambassador said those suspected are reportedly Indian nationals whose homes have already been raided. He questioned why India is looking outside its borders rather than addressing what he characterized as “administrative inadequacies” in Jammu and Kashmir, a territory he repeatedly referred to as “illegally occupied.” He also criticized India’s broader policies in Kashmir, including the alleged settlement of non-residents into the region, and what he called threats to unilaterally block water flows from Pakistan’s rivers — a move he said violates the long-standing Indus Waters Treaty. “That is as grossly illegal as it can get,” said Saeed. “This is one treaty that has withstood wars between India and Pakistan.” Pakistan has said they would consider the cutting off of water supplies an act of war — and made pleas to The Hague, accusing New Delhi of water terrorism. The ambassador called on nations around the globe to help with a lasting settlement. “Previously, when the situation has been at this level or the tensions have escalated, the international community has attended to the situation, but taken their eyes, their attention away, even before the situation could fully diffuse,” said Saeed. “This time, perhaps it would be… timely in terms of the situation elsewhere on the globe, with similar instances, which one can note and see and are being attended to to perhaps not afford a Band-Aid solution, but to address the broader problem.” PAKISTAN FEARS INDIA INCURSION ‘IMMINENT’ AMID HEIGHTENED TENSIONS FOLLOWING TERROR ATTACK India and Pakistan each control parts of the Kashmir region, but both claim it in full. They have fought three wars over the territory. In 2019, a cross-border attack carried out by militants killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary personnel in Kashmir. India responded by bombing targets inside Pakistan. Modi’s government revoked Muslim-majority Kashmir’s autonomy in 2019, bringing it back under Indian control and prompting protests. Kashmir has been a disputed region since both India and Pakistan gained their autonomy from Britain in 1947. The region is now one of the most militarized in the world. Violence by regional militant groups has left tens of thousands dead. But Modi’s aggressive stance in Kashmir has precipitated relative peace over the past five years, boosting his popularity domestically. He may feel political pressure to respond with force to the most recent dust-up. Pakistan has been ravaged by terrorism for decades, and Saeed said the nation has lost anywhere between 70,000 and 90,000 lives over the past 20 years to terror attacks. “We cannot afford any instability in the neighborhood,” said Saeed. “We want a peaceful neighborhood. But as we have been repeatedly mentioning at all levels, leadership level and all the other levels, that we want peace, but that should not in any way be misconstrued as a sign of weakness. We want peace with dignity.”
Meet the AI, crypto executive cozying up to Trump while also backing resistance movement: ‘Won’t be fooled’
FIRST ON FOX: One of the major players in the crypto and artificial intelligence (AI) industries attempting to cozy up to the Trump administration is a longtime Democratic operative and donor who has backed anti-Trump efforts and candidates while working for companies stacked with Democratic activists. Chris Lehane, a veteran political strategist dating back to the Clinton administration, has donated over $150,000 to Democrats, FEC records show, and many of those Democrats have been outspoken Trump critics for several years. Lehane has been a major backer of Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, who voted to convict Trump during his impeachment trial in 2021 and against several of Trump’s Cabinet nominees. He also hosted a San Francisco fundraiser for the Virginia senator, along with Open AI’s Sam Altman, in March. Warner has been a key figure in the resistance to the Trump administration, including being a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s “sloppy” Signal chat controversy and pushing back on the administration’s DOGE push against waste, fraud and abuse in government. Lehane also donated thousands of dollars to the Biden and Harris campaigns. TRUMP CRYPTO CHIEF SAYS WE ARE IN THE ‘GOLDEN AGE’ FOR DIGITAL ASSETS, ‘CLEARING THE DECK’ OF BIDEN BARRIERS In 2024, Lehane joined the board of Coinbase, which operates one of the largest crypto exchanges in the world, and has taken an active role influencing crypto and AI policy in recent months. Coinbase’s Board of Directors has donated more than $22 million to Democratic candidates and committees while donating less than $5 million to Republicans, FEC records show. Those donations include almost $50,000 to Kamala Harris’ campaign since 2009, including to her presidential campaign, from board member and top Democratic donor Ron Conway. Conway has donated over $300,000 to the DNC, over $1.5 million to the DCCC and millions to the House Majority PAC and Senate Majority PAC, FEC records show. Since 1999, board member Fred Wilson has given over $2 million to political campaigns and committees, and only $17,600 of that went to Republicans, FEC records show. MR. WONDERFUL TALKS ‘EXCITEMENT’ AROUND CRYPTOCURRENCY UNDER TRUMP: AMERICA IS IN A ‘NEW PHASE’ Additionally, Coinbase’s Global Advisory Council is laden with Trump critics, including John Anzelone, a pollster for Biden, Obama and Hillary Clinton; former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper; former Democratic mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa; former GOP Sen. Pat Toomey, who said in September he would not vote for Trump; and former Democratic Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy, who served on the January 6th Select Committee. Julia Krieger, Coinbase’s head of U.S. public affairs, previously worked for American Bridge, a Democratic opposition research firm, and Media Matters, known for organizing pressure campaigns against conservative voices it opposes. She also held multiple roles in the Biden administration and the 2020 Biden campaign. Coinbase does have two Trump allies on its advisory board — David Urban and recently appointed Chris LaCivita, who served as the Republican National Committee’s chief operating officer and held multiple titles on the successful 2024 Trump campaign. Additionally, several members of Coinbase’s executive team have donated to Republicans, including Brian Armstrong and Paul Grewal. Armstrong, the company’s CEO, was present at the Trump White House crypto summit earlier this year. Open Secrets data from the 2024 election cycle shows a roughly 50-50 split between Coinbase’s donations to congressional Democrats and Republicans. “Our focus has always been mission first, to support candidates that support crypto and blockchain innovation, and we’re proud to do so,” Coinbase Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad, a former top NSC official under President George W. Bush, told Fox News Digital. Lehane also serves as the vice president of global affairs at OpenAI, a company that Fox News Digital reported on recently. It partnered with a new AI initiative led by a group co-founded with outgoing Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry that has pushed left-wing causes and has several board members aligned with Democrats. The longtime Democratic operative is also an operating partner at Haun Ventures, which is staffed by employees who appear to donate almost exclusively to Democrats. Since 2022, individuals listed as being employed by Haun Ventures have made 43 separate political contributions totaling over $110,000. All 43 of those were to Democratic candidates or organizations. Lehane is credited with coining the phrase “vast right-wing conspiracy” to describe the Monica Lewinsky scandal while he was working for the Clinton administration and has been labeled in the media as a “master of the political dark arts.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Shocking, another Trump hater is trying to cozy up to Trump for business purposes,” a person close to the Trump administration told Fox News Digital. “Trump won’t be fooled.” Lately, Lehane has been vocal about efforts to cozy up to the incoming administration, which has made advancing crypto and AI technology a priority, and even visited the White House in March. He “has had many meetings with Trump administration officials about AI policy, and expects a full strategy to be released by the summer,” Axios reported. “There’s a real focus from the administration on developing an AI strategy to ensure U.S. economic competitiveness and national security are prioritized,” Lehane told the outlet. “Our work stream is intersecting with where the administration is going.” Lehane penned an op-ed for Fox News in March, “Securing the AI future: How President Trump’s action plan can position America for success.”
Hegseth, Signal questions dog Waltz as potentially perilous UN ambassador confirmation hearings loom
The same day that National Security Advisor Mike Waltz exited his job at the White House, President Donald Trump announced a new job offer for the former Florida congressman: United Nations ambassador. But there are some hurdles Waltz must clear first before the New York job is his — including undergoing a Senate confirmation process amid scrutiny after the Atlantic magazine exposed a Signal group chat that his team had set up to discuss strikes against the Houthis in March. And receiving full support from the slim Republican majority in the Senate isn’t guaranteed, and not all Republicans got on board backing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Vice President JD Vance ultimately cast the tie-breaking vote securing Hegseth’s nomination. Democrats appear hungry to use Waltz’s nomination as a forum to air grievances against other foreign policy leaders in the Trump administration — particularly Hegseth. NEXT US NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR? HERE’S WHOM TRUMP MIGHT PICK TO REPLACE WALTZ Still, Waltz’s nomination to represent the U.S. at the U.N. will likely attract support from establishment Republicans in the Senate who weren’t on board with Hegseth in the Pentagon, given that the ideological divide between these Republicans and Waltz is much smaller than it was in Hegseth’s case, according to one Florida GOP source. “He’s been able to thread the needle really, really well between traditional conservative foreign policy voices and the more populist America First policy voices,” the Florida GOP source said of Waltz. Waltz, who previously represented Florida’s 6th congressional district, is a retired Army National Guard colonel and former Green Beret who served four deployments to Afghanistan and earned four Bronze Stars — the fourth-highest military combat award, issued for heroic service against an armed enemy. While Waltz and Hegseth both were embroiled in the Signal chat discussing strike plans against the Houthis, Hegseth has attracted more of the heat, at least publicly, stemming from the incident. Democrats have called for Hegseth’s resignation as a result of the chat, but staffers at the White House — including Waltz — have openly backed Hegseth and shut down reports that the administration is seeking his replacement. But Waltz could get his turn attracting the ire of lawmakers as Democrats find an opportunity to openly grill him in front of the Senate, amid displeasure with Trump’s foreign policy and national security agenda. “The second hundred days of national security under President Trump will apparently be just as chaotic as the first hundred,” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said in a statement to Fox News Digital about Waltz’s departure from the White House. “President Trump’s consistent hirings, firings and upheaval sap morale from our warfighters and intelligence officers, degrade our military readiness, and leave us less prepared to respond to threats from our adversaries,” Coons said. “American citizens at home and around the world are less safe because of President Trump’s non-existent national security strategy.” Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., also took aim at Waltz — although she labeled Hegseth the worst offender affiliated with “Signalgate.” MIKE WALTZ, OTHER NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL STAFFERS OUT IN LATEST TRUMP PURGE FOLLOWING SIGNAL CHAT LEAK “Took them long enough. Mike Waltz knowingly made an unclassified chain to discuss classified matters,” Duckworth said in a Thursday X post ahead of Waltz’s U.N. ambassador nomination. “But of all the idiots in that chat, Hegseth is the biggest security risk of all—he leaked the info that put our troops in greater danger. Fire and investigate them all.” In addition to the Signal chat, Waltz’s exit from the White House was tied to several other issues. For example, Axios reports that Waltz treated White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles like “staff,” and his disrespect rubbed her the wrong way. “He treated her like staff and didn’t realize he’s the staff, she’s the embodiment of the president,” a White House official told Axios. “Susie is a deeply loyal person and the disrespect was made all the worse because it was disloyal.” Waltz reportedly discussed different roles he could take on following his stint at the White House with Wiles, according to CBS News. Waltz was reportedly offered jobs, including the ambassador to Saudi Arabia, but ultimately settled on U.N. ambassador. A spokesperson for the National Security Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. With Waltz out as national security advisor, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will temporarily step into that role. While Trump originally nominated Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to represent the U.S. at the U.N., he rescinded her nomination in March, citing that the House could not afford to lose another Republican seat. Stefanik’s nomination lagged in the Senate in comparison to other U.N. ambassador nominees, including Trump’s first U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. The Senate confirmed Haley in January, just after Trump’s first inauguration. While the exact timeline for a potential confirmation vote in the Senate is unclear, the first hurdle that Waltz must clear is a confirmation vote out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Although it is uncertain when the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will schedule the nomination hearing for Waltz and the subsequent vote, the committee said his nomination is a “priority.” “The committee has been working at a historically fast pace and this nomination will be a priority moving forward,” a GOP staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee told Fox News Digital. The 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly is scheduled for September 9, so there are a few months for Waltz’s confirmation to play out, the Florida GOP source said. That means that Waltz could take a few months off, start the confirmation process in June or July and wrap up his confirmation by September at the latest, the source said. “He’s got plenty of time. So, this isn’t a looming fight that’s going to happen next week,” the Florida GOP source said. “This is going to play out probably in June or July, which by then, people are going to
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Another Ivy League School Faces GOP Ire
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… – China open to talks with Trump admin on lowering tariffs, ministry says – Top Senate Armed Services Republican says Trump OMB’s budget ‘shreds to the bone’ military capabilities – Former Trump official slams UN reform efforts as ‘eight and a half years late’ A brewing controversy over a “DOGE-like” email at one of America’s top universities has gotten the attention of Capitol Hill. Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, wrote to Brown University on Friday morning urging the school to reconsider any disciplinary action against Alex Shieh, a sophomore who sent an email mirroring the style of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that asked non-faculty university workers what they did “all day.” “Reports indicate that Mr. Shieh engaged in a journalistic act of contacting university administrative employees to inquire about their roles and responsibilities. This action, it appears, stemmed from his perspective as a student paying a substantial tuition fee and experiencing concerns regarding university facilities, leading him to question the allocation of administrative resources,” Nehls wrote…READ MORE ‘FIERCE’ MAHA FIGHTER: Trump’s surgeon general pick touted as ‘fierce’ MAHA advocate before confirmation hearing ‘CELEBRATING OUR VICTORIES’: Trump declares May 8 as ‘Victory Day’ for World War II: ‘Going to start celebrating our victories again!’ GULF SHIFT: Trump’s interior chief to unleash Gulf drilling with major rule change ‘WHAT THEY DESERVE’: Trump says he’ll revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status ‘FIGHTING THE FAKE NEWS’: DHS pushes back against claims of immigration enforcement at elementary schools MILITARY MESS: Billions spent, warfighters wait: Inside the Pentagon’s broken buying system and the plan to fix it ‘100 DAYS’: Buttigieg ‘got nothing done,’ Duffy declares: ‘Pete appears unburdened by no longer being a cabinet secretary’ TRUMP V COURTS: Trump asks SCOTUS to strip protected status for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants GOP CLAPS BACK: ‘Protect’ the majority: Senate GOP’s campaign arm takes opposite tact to DNC’s Hogg ‘OUT OF CONTROL’: Trump dubs Dems ‘out of control,’ suggests GOP consider kicking them out of Congress for ‘REAL crimes’ CAMPAIGN BUZZ: AOC draws spotlight with Queens town hall as 2028 White House talk swirls ‘GREEN NEW SCAM’: Trump’s tax overhaul hits GOP turbulence over Biden-era green incentives TAKE A NUMBER: REAL ID renews America’s age-old dread of the DMV ‘MANUFACTURING BOOM’: ‘Mississippi’s moment’: Gov Tate Reeves on economic growth from eliminating state income tax ‘SLAP IN THE FACE’: California lawmaker demands ‘accountability’ after illegal immigrant’s planned early release stopped by feds IMMIGRATION BATTLE: Fla. AG to rebuff judge who ordered halt to state immigration enforcement: ‘The court has overstepped’ Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Ex-Pelosi aide accuses Hakeem Jeffries of ‘squandering’ anti-Trump opportunities in stunning rebuke
A former top advisor to ex-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., suggested House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is not meeting the moment in the current Trump era. “Trump is just giving us all this incredible red meat. I mean, I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s like the biggest gift any party has been given by the opposition, and we’re just squandering it, to a degree,” former Pelosi advisor Ashley Etienne told Politico’s Deep Dive podcast. Etienne helped Pelosi oversee Democrats’ messaging during President Donald Trump’s first impeachment. She also previously worked for former Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. She said Jeffries was “doing well” in many areas and said she had “a tremendous amount of respect” for the New York Democrat but signaled that he was missing opportunities on anti-Trump messaging. WATCH: AOC LEAVES DOOR OPEN FOR 2028 PRESIDENTIAL BID AS CAMPAIGN BUZZ SOARS “He gave a speech this morning. I don’t have any talking points in my phone about what he said. And I’m going to be doing TV and this interview all day. That’s a failure,” Etienne said. “How do you get to discipline if you’re not telling people what the hell you want them to say? At least emphatically, at least tonally.” Jeffries’ allies pushed back against that characterization, pointing out that intraparty friction was taking attention away from Trump’s low poll numbers and Republicans’ policies. “Donald Trump’s approval ratings are plummeting, and he’s bringing House Republicans down with him. Extreme MAGA Republicans have been forced to delay their plans to advance Trump’s centerpiece legislative priority due to intense backlash against their scheme to enact the largest cuts in history to Medicaid and food assistance. Let’s keep the main thing, the main thing,” Jeffries spokesperson Christiana Stephenson told Fox News Digital. Just Friday morning, Jeffries released a statement hammering House Republicans for having to delay part of their legislative work to advance Trump’s agenda. But Etienne’s comments are a notable rebuke from a former senior Democratic leadership aide to one of the party’s most powerful current officials, which comes after months of Democrats being plagued by infighting over messaging woes. Etienne noted that Democrats had scored several wins on the messaging front, like having “successfully demonized Elon Musk” and Sen. Cory Booker’s recent record-breaking filibuster speech. But she singled out liberals’ protests during Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress as an “embarrassing” setback for the party and Jeffries. “If you look at the headlines post-the speech, even during the speech, it was more about Democrats and Democrats protesting rather than what Trump was actually saying. And in those kind of moments, you don’t want to become the story. You want Trump to be the story,” Etienne said. “And I also thought it was a problem for Mr. Jeffries. I mean, it really says a lot about how people value his leadership. He asked for no protest. And what did they do? They protest 50 different ways.” AOC CLAIMS ‘WE ARE ONE’ IN CAMPAIGN-STYLE VIDEO DESPITE YEARS OF INVOKING RACE, GENDER IN POLITICS Both Pelosi and Jeffries’ offices told Politico that the latter often seeks the former’s input, and Jeffries’ spokesperson pushed back on Politico’s reporting that House Democratic leaders were seeking to move past Pelosi and that Jeffries was not doing enough to help Democratic groups with messaging. One of those groups, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC), pushed back on the assertion they were not hearing enough from Jeffries. PCCC sent out a press release that read, “Today, in a POLITICO article we are not interested in dwelling on, a former Pelosi staffer attacked Hakeem Jeffries. PCCC co-founder Adam Green said, ‘We hear more from Jeffries than we ever heard from Pelosi.’” Meanwhile, a House Democratic aide told Fox News Digital that Jeffries held “multiple calls” previewing his earlier speech on Trump’s first 100 days in office, as well as talking points “emphasizing the Leader’s message that President Trump’s first 100 days have been a disaster for the American people.” Stephenson, Jeffries’ spokesperson, also posted on X of Politico’s report, “Can anyone tell me how grandstanding like this is anything other than a gift to Republicans?” But House Republicans’ elections arm was quick to pounce on the discord as well. “Hakeem Jeffries is the so-called leader of a team that doesn’t fear him, doesn’t follow him, and now, doesn’t even pretend to respect him,” National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokesman Mike Marinella said in a statement. And Democratic strategist Julian Epstein, a former chief counsel of the House Judiciary Committee, criticized Jeffries’ leadership but said that Trump was not Democrats’ main problem. “He’s not a particularly effective speaker, gives no sense of direction or purpose, seems intent on not offending anyone, and has a leadership style that seems extremely passive,” Epstein said. “The Democrats in the House just seem like a big blob that goes wherever gravity takes them, and right now gravity is taking them to the hard protest left. But no matter who the leader is, if the Democrats are selling a product that voters don’t like, it won’t matter.” Pelosi’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
House Freedom Caucus embraces Trump budget proposal ‘paradigm shift’
The House Freedom Caucus described President Donald Trump’s budget proposal as “a paradigm shift,” and members of the conservative group expressed support for the president’s plan. “This is how you break the Swamp. Passing MAGA Republican priorities in reconciliation with Republican votes — ending Democrats’s leverage against the President in appropriations to fund the Left’s wasteful, woke and weaponized bureaucracy. The FY26 budget is a paradigm shift,” the Freedom Caucus declared in a post on X. The president is seeking to decrease non-defense discretionary spending and boost funding for defense. TRUMP ADMIN RELEASES BUDGET BLUEPRINT IN PUSH FOR DEFENSE SPENDING BOOST Trump “is proposing base non-defense discretionary budget authority (of) $163 billion, 22.6 percent below current-year spending, while still protecting funding for homeland security, veterans, seniors, law enforcement, and infrastructure,” Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought indicated in a message to Senate Committee on Appropriations Chair Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. “For Defense spending, the President proposes an increase of 13 percent to $1.01 trillion for FY 2026; for Homeland Security, the Budget commits a historic $175 billion investment to, at long last, fully secure our border. Under the proposal, a portion of these increases — at least $325 billion assumed in the budget resolution recently agreed to by the Congress — would be provided through reconciliation, to ensure that our military and other agencies repelling the invasion of our border have the resources needed to complete the mission,” he explained. TOP SENATE ARMED SERVICES REPUBLICAN SAYS TRUMP OMB’S BUDGET ‘SHREDS TO THE BONE’ MILITARY CAPABILITIES Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, has expressed support for the president’s proposal. “This budget re-aligns federal spending to the priorities of the people: a secure nation, making America healthy again, a Justice Department combatting crime and not weaponized against the people, and common sense,” the congressman declared in a statement. TRUMP SAYS PUBLIC ENTITLEMENTS LIKE SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICAID WON’T BE TOUCHED IN GOP BUDGET BILL “Combined with our joint efforts to rescind other wasteful spending and deliver a reconciliation bill that will extend and expand the Trump tax cuts while reforming Medicaid and other programs to reduce deficits, we are poised to deliver prosperity, freedom, and strength to the American people,” he said. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., another member of the House Freedom Caucus, referred to Trump’s proposal as “a game-changing budget,” in a post on X, asserting it “is exactly what Republicans were elected to deliver: securing the homeland, cutting the federal government, and crippling the deep state.” Freedom Caucus member Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., described the president’s budget as “a bold step toward fiscal responsibility.”
Trump to host military parade to celebrate Army’s 250th birthday, honor active-duty service members, veterans
EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump will host a military parade in June to honor military veterans and active-duty service members and commemorate the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday, Fox News Digital has learned. The parade is expected to take place on June 14 — the 250th birthday of the United States Army and also Trump’s birthday. TRUMP TO CREATE TASK FORCE TO PLAN ‘EXTRAORDINARY CELEBRATION’ FOR 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF AMERICA’S INDEPENDENCE The parade will have reenactors, equipment and more from the Revolutionary War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War/Desert Storm and the Global War on Terror (Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria). It’s also slated to feature active-duty service members and students at U.S. military academies. “The President is planning an historic celebration of the Army’s 250th birthday that will honor generations of selfless Americans who have risked everything for our freedom,” White House Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley told Fox News Digital. “Exactly 250 years ago, the first American Patriots died for the cause of Independence. We owe our freedom to them, and to every solider who has given their life for our nation in the two and half centuries since.” The parade comes after Trump, in January, signed an executive order creating “Task Force 250,” which is focused on coordinating the plans and activities surrounding the celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence. The 250th anniversary of America’s founding is July 4, 2026. “As one of the first events of the year-long celebration of our 250th anniversary, this commemorative parade will be a fitting tribute to the service, sacrifice, and selflessness of the brave men and women who have worn the uniform and devoted their lives to defending the greatest experiment in liberty known to man,” Vance told Fox News Digital. TRUMP WHITE HOUSE RELEASES VIDEO SERIES LEADING UP TO AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY: ‘ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE’ The White House is coordinating closely with the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland Security, the National Parks Service and a number of other agencies to execute “this spectacular event honoring our Veterans, active-duty servicemembers, and military history,” an official told Fox News Digital. “We love our military and take great pride in honoring our warfighters,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News Digital. “In celebration of 250 years of the U.S. Army, we will throw the biggest and most beautiful military parade in our nation’s history.” Meanwhile, the task force is coordinating “the plans and activities of federal agencies for an extraordinary celebration of the 250thh Anniversary of American Independence.” Task Force 250 builds upon the U.S. Bicentennial Celebration half a century ago. The celebration “emphasized national renewal of our founding ideals after a period of national unrest and division,” the White House told Fox News Digital. AHEAD OF TRUMP SPEECH TO CONGRESS, FLASHBACK TO 2017 ADDRESS ASKING ‘WHAT WILL AMERICA LOOK LIKE’ AT 250 In the lead-up to the major 2026 celebration, the White House has celebrated the anniversaries of major events in America’s founding, including the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give me Death” speech in March; the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere’s famous ride in April; and the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The executive order that established the task force also reinstated executive orders from Trump’s first administration, establishing the National Garden of American Heroes, a statuary park memorializing 250 historically significant Americans, and commissioning artists for the first 100 statues. The National Garden of American Heroes honors “American heroism” after dozens of monuments to Americans, including presidents and Founding Fathers, were toppled or destroyed and never restored. The order also reinstated an order to protect American monuments, memorials and statues from destruction or vandalism. The White House said America’s 250th anniversary will “afford an opportunity to unite the American people around their shared history and common future as a nation.” During Trump’s first term, he held a unique “Salute To America” event on the Fourth of July in 2019, which was different from typical Independence Day celebrations put on by past presidents. The event included a prominent display of military hardware with tanks parked near the National Mall and military flyovers by an array of aircraft. It also included an address on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial from the president and the typical fireworks display.