Musk says DOGE set to top $150B in fraud savings in FY 2026
DOGE Chief Elon Musk says the organization is set to save the U.S. government more than $150 billion in cuts to waste and fraud in FY 2026. Musk made the comment during a public Cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump on Thursday. “We anticipate savings in FY 26 from reduction of waste and fraud by $150 billion. And, I mean, and some of it is just absurd. Like people getting unemployment insurance who haven’t been born yet,” Musk said. “People ask me how are you going to find waste and fraud in a government? I’m like, well, actually, just go in any direction. That’s how you find it. It’s very common. It’s, as a military would say, a target-rich environment,” he continued. TRUMP SAYS HE’LL ‘TAKE A LOOK’ AT EXEMPTING SOME LARGER US COMPANIES HIT ESPECIALLY HARD BY TARIFFS “So, I think we’re doing a lot of good, and in excellent collaboration with the Cabinet, to achieve these savings. And it will actually result in better services for the American people. And then we’re going to be spending their tax dollars in a way that is sensible and fair and good,” he added. DOGE SLASHES NEARLY $1M FOR ALPACA FARMING IN PERU, OTHER QUESTIONABLE GRANTS IN LATEST WASTEFUL SPENDING CUT Thursday’s Cabinet meeting comes less than a day after DOGE announced the cancelation of 108 “wasteful contracts” on Wednesday. DOGE said the contacts had a ceiling value of $250 million and a savings of $70 million. The problem contracts included a $14,000 commitment by the Department of Health and Human Services for an “executive transformational leadership training program.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Another was a $5.2 million contract with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the human resources agency for the federal government, to “provide strategic advisory and assistance to improve and transform current processes and organizational systems.”
FDA phasing out some animal testing in ‘win-win’ for ethics and public health: commissioner
FIRST ON FOX — The Food and Drug Administration is phasing out an animal testing requirement for antibody therapies in favor of testing drugs on “lab-grown human ‘organoids,’” the FDA announced on Thursday. “For too long, drug manufacturers have performed additional animal testing of drugs that have data in broad human use internationally. This initiative marks a paradigm shift in drug evaluation and holds promise to accelerate cures and meaningful treatments for Americans while reducing animal use,” FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary, said in comment provided to Fox News Digital. “By leveraging AI-based computational modeling, human organ model-based lab testing, and real-world human data, we can get safer treatments to patients faster and more reliably, while also reducing R&D costs and drug prices. It is a win-win for public health and ethics.” The phase-out focuses on ending animal testing in regard to researching monoclonal antibody therapies, which are proteins made in a lab that are meant to stimulate your immune system to fight diseases such as cancer. Instead, according to the FDA’s press release obtained by Fox Digital, the FDA will test on “organoids,” which are artificially grown masses of cells. “The FDA will promote the use of lab-grown human ‘organoids’ and organ-on-a-chip systems that mimic human organs – such as liver, heart, and immune organs – to test drug safety. These experiments can reveal toxic effects that could easily go undetected in animals, providing a more direct window into human responses,” the press release says.
American victims of terrorism could soon sue international orgs if Cruz’s bill passes
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is introducing legislation that would allow American victims of terror groups to hold the organizations that fund those groups accountable in a court of law. The Texas Republican is reintroducing the Limiting Immunity for Assisting Backers of Lethal Extremism (LIABLE) Act, which is similar to a bill he introduced during the last Congress. That version had the backing of then-Sen. Marco Rubio. As of now, Americans are able to sue foreign governments in specific cases outlined in the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA), but they are unable to sue international organizations, which enjoy immunity under the International Organization Immunities Act (IOIA). However, the LIABLE Act would create an exception in the IOIA, allowing Americans to sue organizations that knowingly provide support or resources to terrorist groups. TRUMP CUTS US OFF FROM UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL, BANS UNRWA FUNDING “UNRWA has knowingly provided salaries and materials to Hamas for decades. That support enabled Hamas to arm itself, create its vast underground terrorist infrastructure, and launch its October 7th atrocities on Israel,” Cruz said in a statement on the original piece of legislation introduced in 2024. “That attack included the murder and kidnapping of dozens of Americans. The victims and their families deserve the ability to hold UNRWA accountable in court for its support of Hamas and for what happened on October 7th.” The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a major target of this legislation. UNRWA has faced accusations of aiding Hamas before, during and after the terror group carried out its Oct. 7 massacre. In August 2024, the agency fired nine workers who were allegedly involved in the attacks, which left 1,200 dead and 251 taken hostage. “The legislation is premised on a false narrative that was debunked more than a year ago by the U.S. National Intelligence Council, which confirmed that UNRWA is not aligned in any way with Hamas,” William Deere, Director of UNRWA’s Representative Office in Washington, told Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital did not provide Deere with a copy of the updated legislation and used the 2024 bill as a reference in its request for comment. “The report also noted that Israeli dislike of UNRWA serves to mischaracterize its assessments of the agency resulting in distortions. Rhetoric equating UNRWA with Hamas is factually incorrect, disrespectful, and dangerous to the UNRWA workforce providing health, education and social services in the multiple conflict zones across the Agency’s five operating areas,” Deere said. CRITICS SAY UN’S GLOBAL COMMS OFFICE PROMOTES ANTI-ISRAEL BIAS The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), identified Hamas Nukhba commander Mohammad Abu Itiwi, who was involved in the Oct. 7 massacre, as a former UNRWA employee. U.N. watchdog organization U.N. Watch published a report in November 2023 that detailed instances of UNRWA teachers celebrating the Oct. 7 attacks on their personal social media accounts. One such example was Rawya Halas, Director of the UNRWA Khan Younis Training Center, who called one of the alleged Oct. 7 perpetrators a “hero” and the “prince of Khan Younis.” Halas was featured in an UNRWA campaign just weeks after the deadly attacks in Israel. However, alleged ties between UNRWA and Palestinian terror groups, like Hamas, were uncovered long before Oct. 7, 2023. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In 2008, Reuters reported that UNRWA science teacher Awad al-Qiq allegedly built rockets for Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). The outlet reported at the time that al-Qiq’s family denied he was involved in terrorism, but militant leaders hailed him as a martyr and the head of PIJ’s “engineering unit.” The U.S. paused its funding to UNRWA in 2024 under then-President Joe Biden, prior to the completion of the agency’s investigation into its staff’s possible involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks. In 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that pulled U.S. funding from several U.N. organizations, including UNRWA.
Trump ends Biden-era water regulations to ‘make America’s showers great again’
President Donald Trump is making “America’s showers great again.” On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order ending a Biden-era conservation measure that placed “excessive regulations” on water pressure. The restrictions were previously imposed by former President Barack Obama. While Trump attempted to loosen the water-saving measures during his first term, his efforts to restore “shower freedom” were eventually reversed by former President Joe Biden. “I like to take a nice shower, take care of my beautiful hair,” Trump said as he signed an executive order at the White House. “I have to stand in the shower for 15 minutes until it gets wet. Comes out drip, drip, drip. It’s ridiculous.” LARRY KUDLOW: TRUMP IS MAKING SHOWERS GREAT AGAIN “What you do is you end up washing your hands five times longer, so it’s the same water,” he added. “And we’re going to open it up so that people can live.” During the Obama-Biden administration, the former presidents “aggressively” limited the amount of water that could be discharged from appliances such as showerheads, washing machines and toilets, the White House said. “These changes served a radical green agenda that made life worse for everyday Americans,” the White House said in a statement. TRUMP REVERSES BIDEN CRACKDOWN ON LIGHTBULBS AND DISHWASHERS, RETURNING TO ‘COMMON SENSE STANDARDS’ With the new executive order, Trump will be resetting the definition of “showerhead” from a 1992 energy law, which sets a simple 2.5-gallons-per-minute standard for showers. “The Order frees Americans from excessive regulations that turned a basic household item into a bureaucratic nightmare,” the White House said. “No longer will showerheads be weak and worthless.” PRESIDENT TRUMP’S PRO-ENERGY AGENDA WILL UNLEASH AMERICAN JOBS AND ENERGY SECURITY The White House added “these appliances worked perfectly fine before Biden’s meddling piled on convoluted regulations that made those appliances worse.” The U.S. Department of Energy previously said conservation standards would significantly cut energy waste and harmful carbon pollution while also saving Americans billions of dollars per year on energy and water bills. “Almost every U.S. household has a water heater, and for too long outdated energy efficiency standards have led to higher utility bills for families,” said former U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm in a 2024 statement.
Trump praises Dem Gov. Gretchen Whitmer after slamming her last year: ‘Very good person’
President Donald Trump said Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) has “done an excellent job” and called her a “very good person” during remarks on Wednesday. “We’re honored to have, uh, Gretchen Whitmer,” he said before going on to praise the Democratic governor. The president apparently made the comments while Whitmer was in the Oval Office. TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL’ TAX AGENDA SCORES MAJOR VICTORY IN HOUSE DESPITE GOP REBELLION THREATS The president’s glowing remarks stood in stark contrast to his assertion last year that she is a “terrible governor.” “President Trump will always put party aside to put America first! As the President has said, he is a president for all Americans, and is willing to come to the table with any state officials that want to make America greater,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday. “Governor Whitmer recognizes that the President is flooding Michigan with more jobs, new investments, and economic prosperity—great achievements every governor should want for their state.” HARRIS LAUNCHED ‘DARK-ARTS OPERATION’ AGAINST OPPONENTS FOR VP SPOT IN 2020, NEW BOOK CLAIMS Whitmer backed then-Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 White House contest. But the governor met with Trump on Wednesday. “At the White House today, Governor Whitmer had a meeting with Speaker Hall and President Trump to discuss the northern Michigan ice storm, investing in Michigan’s defense assets, like Selfridge Air National Guard Base, tariffs and the importance of creating good-paying American jobs and bringing back critical supply chains, and keeping our Great Lakes clean and safe,” a Whitmer spokesperson noted in a statement, referring to Wednesday. “Governor Whitmer thanks President Trump for his acknowledgements on protecting the Great Lakes from invasive carp, his work on Selfridge, and his openness to our request for help in northern Michigan. GRETCHEN WHITMER SOUNDS OFF ON PUSH TO CONDEMN US SUPREME COURT’S GAY MARRIAGE RULING: ‘HELL NO’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “This morning, the governor delivered a speech in Washington, D.C. about the devastating effects tariffs were having on Michiganders — from companies increasing prices and laying off workers to retirement accounts being wiped out. This afternoon the 90-day pause was announced, and that is a step in the right direction and will provide relief to so many businesses across the state, but we remain concerned about tariffs that will hurt American auto companies,” the statement noted, again referring to Wednesday.
WH slams Dems’ ‘partisan games’ after Trump-foe Schiff calls for insider trading investigation over tariffs
The White House slammed Democrats for playing “partisan games” and calling for an investigation into alleged insider trading after President Donald Trump paused customized reciprocal tariffs for 90 days on Wednesday. “It is the responsibility of the President of the United States to reassure the markets and Americans about their economic security in the face of nonstop media fearmongering. Democrats railed against China’s cheating for decades, and now they’re playing partisan games instead of celebrating President Trump’s decisive action yesterday to finally corner China,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in comment to Fox Digital when asked about Democrats claiming Trump manipulated the market. Sens. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., wrote a letter on Thursday to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, as well as Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, calling for an investigation into potential insider trading. “This sequence of events raises grave legal and ethics concerns. The President, his family, and his advisors are uniquely positioned to be privy to and take advantage of non-public information to inform their investment decisions,” the senators wrote. TRUMP SAYS HE’LL ‘TAKE A LOOK’ AT EXEMPTING SOME LARGER US COMPANIES HIT ESPECIALLY HARD BY TARIFFS Trump, ahead of pausing the reciprocal tariffs, posted to Truth Social, “BE COOL! Everything is going to work out well. The USA will be bigger and better than ever before!” and “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!! DJT.” The president had previously said he would not pause tariffs but was open to negotiating with other nations. Trump paused only the higher, customized tariffs he placed on nations that historically installed trade barriers on U.S. goods, with nations across the world instead facing a lower 10% tariff on goods, as the Trump administration and world leaders hash out negotiations for the reciprocal tariffs. DONALD TRUMP’S ALLIES, SUPPORTERS AND DONORS, LED BY ELON MUSK, PUSH TO END TARIFF WAR China, however, was not part of the tariff pause and was instead hit with a higher 125% tariff after retaliating with its own additional tariffs against the U.S. “I’m going to do my best to find out,” Schiff, who has long been a Trump foe, told Time of investigating the president for alleged insider trading. “Family meme coins and all the rest of it are not beyond insider trading or enriching themselves. I hope to find out soon.” CHARLIE GASPARINO BREAKS DOWN TRUMP’S TARIFF PAUSE: ‘THIS IS WHAT FORCED THE HAND’ Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the customized tariffs were paused due to Trump wanting to be “personally involved” in negotiations as dozens of nations contacted the White House to strike deals. “We’ve had more than 75 countries contact us. And I imagine after today, there will be more. So it is just a processing problem. Each one of these solutions is going to be bespoke. It is going to take some time. And President Trump wants to be personally involved. So, that’s why we’re getting the 90-day pause,” Bessent said during a gaggle with the media outside the White House on Wednesday afternoon. Trump added on Wednesday that he was watching the volatile bond market, calling it “tricky” and making people a “little queasy,” but denied it persuaded him to change course on customized tariffs. “I thought that people were jumping a little bit out of line. They were getting yippy. You know, they we’re getting a little bit yippy, a little bit afraid, unlike these champions, because we have a big job to do. No other president would have done what I did. … I know the presidents, they wouldn’t have done it, and it had to be done,” Trump added in his remarks.
‘Stop the clock’: GOP, Dems come together to end Daylight Saving over health, economic risks
In 1957, rockabilly singer Bob Ehret repeated, “We’ve got to stop the clock, baby; to spend more time with you” – and in a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle strongly considered the benefits of doing so, in a way. Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Daylight Saving was grounded in good-faith efforts to reduce energy consumption, but that instead it has led to increased auto accidents in the dark, workplace issues, and objections from the agriculture sector that relies on early-morning sunlight. “We find ourselves adjusting our clocks… springing forward and falling back in the fall. For many Americans, this biannual ritual is a minor inconvenience… But when we take a closer look at the implications of changing the clocks, its impact on our economy, our health and our everyday lives, we can see that this practice is more than an annoyance,” Cruz said. “The idea was simple. Fewer hours of darkness meant less electricity consumption for lighting and heating.” TRUMP’S DAYLIGHT SAVINGS PLAN However, unlike the early 1900s, when the U.S. economy was heavily reliant on energy consumption tied to daylight hours, today’s effects from sunrise and sunset timings are “de minimis,” he said. Cruz, along with Massachusetts neurology physician Dr. Karin Johnson, spoke about the health concerns associated with changing the time twice a year and with the permanence of Daylight Saving Time, versus Standard Time. “Research has shown that the abrupt shift in time, especially the spring transition when we lose an hour of sleep,” Cruz said, as Johnson spoke about the effects on people’s circadian rhythm, vascular system and sleep deprivation. The panel also hosted an official from the National Golf Course Owners Association, as he and other lawmakers spoke of the increased revenue from evening tee times and other tourist activities only possible during daylight hours. On the Democratic side, Sen. Lisa Blunt-Rochester of Delaware agreed that it was time to consider a “permanent time for our country.” She noted a bill from then-Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to abolish DST stalled in the House. “This body [then] took a harder look at how time changes work state-by-state,” she said. “What works in my home state of Delaware may not work in Washington state, but I know I speak for many Americans when I say it’s time. It’s time to figure this out.” ‘I CAN’T SLEEP BECAUSE OF RACING THOUGHTS AT NIGHT — HOW CAN I STOP THEM?’: ASK A DOCTOR Witnesses to the hearing noted that it is indeed southern states like Florida and Texas where the negative effects of a permanent Daylight Saving Time would be most felt. Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., spoke about his work shifting Daylight Saving Time twice to help assuage some of the issues that were brought up each time, including better guaranteeing trick-or-treating happens at worst at dusk. Markey quipped that his decades-long work on this issue earned him the nickname “the Sun King.” “We need to stop the clock,” Blunt-Rochester said. “We know that changing the clock disrupts sleep, which can lead to negative health outcomes. Several studies have noted issues with mood disturbances increase hospital admissions, and even heart attacks and strokes.” Lock The Clock movement founder Scott Yates testified about the flawed history of DST, noting a time during the 1970s energy crisis that the Nixon administration briefly made DST permanent. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Nixon signed the law in December 1973 while embroiled in Watergate – but it took effect the first week the following year – Jan. 6, 1974. “So you can imagine, the worst Monday of the year already is the one after the holiday break where you have to go back to school and everything – to have an extra hour of sleep robbed away right before that. You can understand why it was so unpopular and why it was repealed,” Yates said, noting that months later, Nixon resigned. The burglary by the “Plumbers” at the Watergate Hotel also notably occurred during nighttime hours. “So maybe – if we had more daylight, the Watergate break-in doesn’t happen,” Cruz quipped in response. “And history would be different.”
New York Republican congresswoman makes 7-figure campaign haul, aims to flip districts to red in 2026
EXCLUSIVE – After President Donald Trump made surprising gains in solid-blue New York in 2024, one Republican congresswoman capitalized on the momentum with an aggressive fundraising campaign in the Empire State. Her goal is to flip some districts to red in the upcoming midterms and help her party’s goal of expanding the House majority in 2026. Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., has already hauled in more than $1 million in donations in the first quarter, with more than $223,000 of that being transferred to the National Republican Congressional Committee’s war chest. She attributes those seven-figures to 5,500 donations from more than 2,400 donors. Tenney told Fox News Digital that she believes the 2026 election will be a “referendum” on Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, who created what she described as a “catastrophic powder keg” in the state prison system. New York Attorney General Letitia James, she added, “Is extremely unpopular and has engaged in malicious prosecution and lawfare. “We’ll have the weakest governor that we’ve had in a long time on the Democratic side facing a Republican,” Tenney said. BILL MAHER SUGGESTS ANDREW CUOMO’S NURSING HOME SCANDAL MAY COST HIS NYC MAYORAL CAMPAIGN Tenney, the founder of the House Election Integrity Caucus, attributed her gains in 2022 and 2024 to “aggressive advocacy” and grassroots efforts geared toward Republicans and Democrat-leaning moderates. In addition to sending more Republicans from New York to the House of Representatives, Tenney hopes to challenge the governor’s seat and several statewide offices. She also believes that Republicans have a chance at the New York City mayoral race. Hochul’s predecessor, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is seen as the top contender for the mayor’s race. He has already reported big campaign dollars and favorable public polling. Meanwhile, current mayor Eric Adams has decided to run in the June primary as an independent. Fellow Democrats have turned on Adams for cooperating with the Trump administration on curtailing illegal immigration. Tenney was elected to the state legislature in 2010 when Cuomo began his first term as governor. Within a year, Tenney said, Cuomo “reversed all the policies that he said he was going to run on,” and instead implemented policies that she called “catastrophic.” SECOND COVID NURSING HOME DEATH’S CASE AGAINST CUOMO TOSSED “Trump did well in New York in 2024. He got his best numbers, his best turnout that he’s had in the two prior races. But I think that the referendum is on Kathy Hochul and the down-ballot Democrats who are still very unhinged, still talking about things that are 80-20 wins for Republicans,” Tenney said. She said Democrats remain focused on issues proven to flop with voters, such as forcing biological males into women’s sports and unchecked illegal immigration. Tenney said it’s important for Republicans to continue to deliver wins on their side, vowing to use her position on the House Ways and Means Committee to extend Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and “start our road to prosperity and begin the Golden Age.” Tenney also sits on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, which oversees the energy sector – another focal point for Republicans, especially in Tenney’s district. Tenney said “people are worried about rising energy costs and the policies in New York State put forth by Hochul and the Democrats,” which are driving up energy costs for seniors. “That is a looming, really catastrophic issue that is facing New York,” Tenney said. “And the Democrats have compromised our state on that issue, and it’s going to prevent us from having prosperity, energy, and energy security as well.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Tenney believes that the new, post-2024 environment has given Republicans an opportunity in her home state. ” I don’t want to turn the lights out on New York State. It’s my home state. It is the state I love. I love my district and my communities. We want to make New York Great Again,” she said. “The only way to do that is to start replacing some of these Democrats with Republicans who are common sense and who care about preserving and protecting New Yorkers and are concerned about the future of New York.”
FLASHBACK: Mitt Romney mocked in 2012 for self-deportation concept that has now become a reality
President Donald Trump’s push to increase the number of illegal immigrants who self-deport was originally the brainchild of former Sen. Mitt Romney, who pitched the idea of encouraging voluntary departures during his 2012 bid for president. “The answer is self-deportation, which is people decide they can do better by going home because they can’t find work here because they don’t have legal documentation to allow them to work here,” Romney said during a Republican primary debate in 2012, when asked how the U.S. could deport the millions of illegal immigrants in the country. Romney was largely mocked for the idea during that campaign, including by Trump, who told Newsax in November 2012 that Romney’s “maniacal” and “crazy” proposal had turned off Latino voters. THOUSANDS LEAVE COUNTRY VOLUNTARILY AMID TRUMP SELF-DEPORT PUSH, DHS SAYS Fast-forward to 2025, and self-deportation has become a central theme of Trump’s effort to speed the overall number of removals, with Trump sending an Oval Office video message last month to illegal immigrants encouraging them to use the CBP Home app to voluntarily leave the country. “Leave now and self-deport voluntarily. If they do, they could potentially have the opportunity to return legally at some point in the future,” Trump said in the video, adding that those who do not self-deport “will be found, they will be deported, and they will never be admitted again to the United States.” “Using the CBP home app to leave the United States voluntarily is the safest option for illegal aliens,” Trump added. That message has seemingly hit home over the last month, according to Department of Homeland Security Data (DHS) shared with Fox News Digital, which shows that more than 5,000 people have used the app to arrange their voluntary departure to the United States. IMMIGRATION THINK TANK COOKS UP SCHEME TO USE ‘SNITCHES’ TO FORCE MIGRANTS TO SELF-DEPORT The push to increase that number has accelerated in recent days, with the administration unveiling a new plan to fine illegal immigrants who have received a final order of removal $998 for every day they fail to comply with the order and remain in the country. That fine is in addition to fines of $1,000-$5,000 for those who claimed they would self-deport but subsequently failed to do so. DHS has also released a flyer spelling out the benefits of self-deportation, which boasts that illegal immigrants will be able to keep the money they earned while in the United States and retain the ability to legally migrate to the country in the future. TRUMP ADMIN UNVEILS PLAN COSTING MIGRANTS MASSIVE FINE FOR EVERY DAY THEY DON’T SELF-DEPORT “Illegal aliens should use the CBP Home app to self-deport and leave the country now. If they don’t, they will face the consequences,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News on Tuesday. “This includes a fine of $998 per day for every day that the illegal alien overstayed their final deportation order.”
John Cornyn scores Tim Scott endorsement, but John Rich calls Cornyn ‘the Lindsey Graham of Texas’
National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., is supporting Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, for re-election as the Lone Star State incumbent faces a challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton – but country music star John Rich has sided with Paxton, who announced a U.S. Senate bid this week. “John Cornyn is a leader who delivers on President Trump’s agenda and for the people of Texas in the U.S. Senate. He’s a proven fighter, man of faith, and essential part of the Republican Senate Majority,” Scott asserted in a post on X. John Rich compared Cornyn to Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and expressed support for Paxton. TEXAS AG KEN PAXTON ANNOUNCES RUN FOR US SENATE “Cornyn is the Lindsey Graham of Texas… and that’s about the WORST thing you could say about someone in my book,” Rich declared in a post on X, adding, “@KenPaxtonTX Go get ’em!” A Cornyn campaign spokesperson contacted by Fox News Digital on Thursday had not provided a comment from the lawmaker by the time of publication, and a Graham campaign spokesperson declined to comment. President Donald Trump drew conservative backlash after endorsing Graham for re-election last month. CORNYN’S RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN SPARKS QUESTIONS ON BOTH PARTY FLANKS AS DEMS CHASE ‘THE GHOST OF A BLUE TEXAS’ Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., supported Cornyn last month as the lawmaker launched his re-election bid. “I’ve been honored to work alongside @JohnCornyn – one of the most effective and respected conservative leaders in the country. He was tireless and instrumental in building our majority. We need to keep him in the Senate & in the fight to deliver on President Trump’s agenda,” Thune declared in a post on X. FACING POSSIBLE PRIMARY CHALLENGE FROM TRUMP ALLY, LONG-SERVING SENATOR GETS BACKING OF LEADER THUNE CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican, expressed support for Paxton this week, tweeting, “Ken Paxton for Senate!”