DOGE cuts $51M from US African Development Foundation, including $229K to market shea butter
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced $51 million in cuts from the U.S. African Development Foundation, which included hundreds of thousands of dollars for marketing shea butter and pineapple juice, as well as mango drying facilities. DOGE made the announcement on X, highlighting several initiatives the money was put toward. For instance, $229,296 was used to market 100% organic shea butter in Burkina Faso; $246,217 was spent on mango drying facilities in the Ivory Coast; and $239,738 was spent on marketing pineapple juice in Benin. The department also said $99,566 was spent to increase yogurt production in Uganda; $84,059 was spent on a business incubator for spa and wellness entrepreneurs in Nigeria; $50,000 was spent to train farmers how to grow dragon fruit in Senegal; and $48,406 was spent on a WhatsApp marketing chatbot in Kenya. DOGE HELPS COAST GUARD SAVE NEARLY $33M BY ELIMINATING ‘INEFFECTIVE IT PROGRAM’ DOGE, led by Elon Musk, is a temporary organization within the White House created via executive order earlier this year. President Donald Trump tasked the organization with optimizing the federal government, streamlining operations and slashing spending and gave the agency 18 months to do it. DOGE SLASHES BILLIONS MORE IN EXPENSES FOR PROGRAMS LIKE PERUVIAN CLIMATE CHANGE AND GENDER EQUITY IN MEXICO Late last month, DOGE shared that it had terminated 113 contracts valued at $4.7 billion, including a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) consulting contract valued at $145,000 for Peru climate change activities. DOGE SLASHES NEARLY $1M FOR ALPACA FARMING IN PERU, OTHER QUESTIONABLE GRANTS IN LATEST WASTEFUL SPENDING CUT The funding that was canceled also included $10 million for “gender equity in the Mexican workplace,” $12.2 million for “worker empowerment in South America” and $6.25 million for “improving respect for workers’ rights in agricultural supply chains” in the countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. The department has canceled numerous diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at federal agencies, consulting contracts, leases for underused federal buildings and duplicate agencies and programs. As of Monday, DOGE claims on its site that it has saved Americans $140 billion, or about $870 per taxpayer.
Trump-backed bills on activist judges, non-citizen voting heading for House-wide votes
Two key bills backed by President Donald Trump are set to get a vote this week after advancing through the House Rules Committee on Monday evening. The No Rogue Rulings Act (NORRA Act) by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., would limit district court judges’ ability to issue orders blocking Trump policies nationwide. The Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, is aimed at requiring proof of citizenship in the voting registration process. The former legislation is a response to Trump’s ongoing standoff with judges paralyzing his agenda, while the latter is a bill that the president and his allies have long pushed for. Issa’s bill is slated to get a vote on Tuesday afternoon, while Roy’s is expected on the House floor Thursday morning. HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS CHAIR URGES JOHNSON TO CHANGE COURSE ON SENATE VERSION OF TRUMP BUDGET BILL That’s provided they pass a procedural hurdle known as a “rule vote.” A simple majority of House lawmakers is needed to pass a “rule” to allow for debate and eventual House-wide votes on legislation. The House Rules Committee, the final gatekeeper before most legislation reaches the entire chamber, advanced a “rule” combining Issa and Roy’s bills with two financial regulatory measures that are also due for a vote this week if the rule passes. Both pieces of legislation were slated to get House votes last week, but a showdown over an unrelated measure on proxy voting for new parents in Congress wound up paralyzing the chamber floor on Tuesday afternoon, less than 24 hours after the House’s first votes of the week. “The Committee on Rules made efforts to protect this body from a take-it-or-leave-it, all-or-nothing proposal to impose proxy voting, which, while limited, would take us down the slippery slope and return us to the rampant abuse of unlimited proxy voting for members on both sides of the aisle that we witnessed when the Democrats imposed the practice during the COVID era, yet the body felt otherwise,” House Rules Committee Chair Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., said at the outset of Monday’s meeting. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., the top Democrat on the committee, said during his opening statement, “A supposedly pro-family party worked to block a simple, commonsense policy that supports working moms in Congress. It was a move that was unprecedented, and thankfully, a majority of members in our chamber pushed back.” SENATE GOP PUSHES TRUMP BUDGET FRAMEWORK THROUGH AFTER MARATHON VOTE SERIES “When he lost the vote, Speaker Johnson sent everyone home, blaming the few Republicans who had the guts to take a stand for family values,” McGovern said. With the matter resolved, both the rule vote and both measures themselves are expected to pass with little drama. It’s likely a different matter in the Senate, however, where both bills would need help from at least some Democrats to meet the body’s 60-vote threshold for advancement.
DOGE helps State Department eliminate Biden admin’s DEI performance evaluation requirement
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the State Department called out practices under the Biden administration that required diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts to account for 20% of performance evaluations for foreign service officers. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the reforms of the Biden administration’s DEI policies “important and historic.” “Now our incredible Foreign Service Officers will be evaluated on true merit, not on arbitrary immutable characteristics,” he wrote on X. Rubio shared a post from DOGE, which noted that under the policy, diplomats were assessed on whether they avoided “gendered adjectives” or “faint praise.” US NAVAL ACADEMY ENDS AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN ADMISSIONS: ‘IMPLEMENTING ALL DIRECTIVES’ The department shared PowerPoint slides providing examples of phrases to avoid. One of the slides gave descriptive phrases that can unintentionally influence a reader. It then gave examples of gendered adjectives like, “Dr. Sarah Gray is a caring compassionate physician” vs. “Dr. Joel Gray has been very successful with his patients.” Faint praise was also discouraged. One example the slide provided was, “S/he worked hard on projects that s/he was assigned” or “S/he has never had temper tantrums.” JASMINE CROCKETT SETS OFF SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER TOUTING BEING BLACK AS QUALIFICATION FOR PUBLIC DEFENDER JOB The slides discouraged using first names for women or minorities and titles for men, as well. Additionally, as DOGE pointed out in its post, the slides asked local organizations to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) programs, training and lectures as well as annual DEIA awards ceremonies. The foreign service officers were also encouraged to set race and gender quotas on embassy speaking panels and other diplomatic events. TRUMP’S DOGE TARGETS BLUE STATES WITH MASSIVE CUTS IN ‘DIVISIVE’ DEI CONTRACTS “Working with DOGE, [Secretary Rubio] has ended this discrimination and restored merit to the foreign service,” DOGE wrote. The elimination of the DEIA requirement on performance evaluations for foreign service officers comes a week after the Trump administration slashed $15 million from the Institute of Museum and Library Services in the form of DEI grants to align with DOGE and President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at eliminating DEI from the federal government. The grants include $6.7 million to the California State Library to enhance equitable library programs and $4 million to the Washington State Library for diverse staff development and incarcerated support. TRUMP LABOR DEPARTMENT SECURES EYE-POPPING SUM TO RETURN TO TAXPAYERS AMID DOGE PUSH A $1.5M DEI grant to the Connecticut State Library system to “integrate social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion” into their daily operations is also being cut along with $700,000 for a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit to study “post-pandemic DEI practices” in American children’s museums that would formulate “enhanced equity-focused strategies.” Trump’s DOGE efforts have saved the American taxpayer $140 billion, according to its website, which represents about $870 saved per taxpayer. The Trump administration says it has slashed hundreds of millions of dollars in DEI contracts, including at least $100 million at the Department of Education. Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
Trump plans to have annual physical exam later this week: ‘Never felt better’
President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he plans to undergo a physical examination on Friday, marking his first annual physical in his second administration. Trump announced the plans in a Truth Social post, noting that the exam would take place at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Trump was treated for COVID-19 at the same hospital in 2020. “I am pleased to report that my long scheduled Annual Physical Examination will be done at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Friday of this week,” the Republican wrote. “I have never felt better, but nevertheless, these things must be done!” Trump’s stamina and physical health have been a center of attention since his July 13 assassination attempt, which he miraculously survived. At the time, Dr. Marc Siegel noted that Trump showed an “adroitness.” TRUMP ANNOUNCES PLAN TO CHOP DOWN MAGNOLIA TREE PURPORTEDLY PLANTED BY ANDREW JACKSON: ‘MUST COME TO AN END’ “I’ve been talking to emergency room doctors, vascular surgeons and trauma surgeons all over the country this morning, and nobody can remember a case like this,” he said. Months later, in November, Florida neurosurgeon Dr. Brett Osborn told Fox News Digital that Trump remained in good health. “The fact that he attended 120 events in seven months, often multiple rallies in a single day in different states, is proof-positive that Trump has a tremendous amount of stamina, mentally and physically,” Osborn noted. TRUMP ADMIN REVIEWING BILLIONS IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS, GRANTS FOR HARVARD AMID ANTISEMITISM ALLEGATIONS But Democrats have disputed Trump’s health in the past, and members of the medical community have demanded Trump release his medical records. In an open letter from Oct. 13, over 230 doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals asked for a record release. “On August 20, Donald Trump said he would ‘very gladly’ release his medical records. In the 55 days since, he has yet to do so,” reads the letter, signed largely by supporters of former Vice President Kamala Harris. “With no recent disclosure of health information from Donald Trump, we are left to extrapolate from public appearances.” “And on that front, Trump is falling concerningly short of any standard of fitness for office and displaying alarming characteristics of declining acuity,” the petition claimed. Fox News Digital’s Melissa Rudy and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
Republican Rep. John James announces run for governor: ‘Make Michigan great again’
Another leader and military veteran has thrown his name into the growing list of candidates in Michigan’s governor’s race to replace term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. On Monday, Republican Rep. John James, a Trump ally, announced he was launching his bid for governor, becoming the latest GOP candidate to jump in the primary. “I’m running for Governor of the great state of Michigan,” James shared in a statement on X. “This decision comes after deep reflection, prayer, and a conversation with my wife and children.” James now joins the state’s Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt as the latest major Republican to jump into the gubernatorial primary, the Hill reported. Meanwhile, the candidates in the race for the Democratic primary include Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, while Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is running as an independent. RISING STAR DEM CRITICAL OF SCHUMER’S LEADERSHIP LAUNCHES 2026 BID IN KEY SENATE BATTLEGROUND “Faith and Family. God and Country. Service Before Self. Michigan First,” James posted in the announcement. James stated that “our state has suffered long enough” and says they are being held back by a “lack of strong, competent leadership.” “For the past seven years, Michigan has been dominated by radical, out-of-touch policies that have hurt our families, our communities, and our economy,” James explained in his reasons for running for governor. James said that the state has lost over 300,000 manufacturing jobs since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which he equated to nearly a third of their industrial base, saying “that’s unacceptable.” “It’s time to get Michigan’s government out of fantastyland and back to common sense,” James wrote. “President Trump and I have been in each other’s corner through thick and thin for eight years-no reason that will end now. He’s doing his part to Make America Great Again, and I’ll do mine to bring prosperity and sanity back to Michigan,” James pledged. REPUBLICAN TUDOR DIXON PRAISES TRUMP AS SHE EYES 2026 RUN FOR GOVERNOR OR SENATE IN KEY BATTLEGROUND James was first elected to Congress in 2022, becoming Michigan’s first Black Republican member of Congress, and represents the state’s 10th Congressional District. James would also become the first Black governor of Michigan if elected. TRUMP WHITE HOUSE RIPS AUTO STATE GOVERNOR WHO ATTACKED PRESIDENT’S TARIFF PLANS: ‘DEADLY STATUS QUO’ He ran unsuccessfully for the Senate twice before, losing to Democrat Debbie Stabenow in 2018 and to Democratic Sen. Gary Peters in 2020. “Make Michigan Great Again,” James wrote in a previous post on X, sharing a video from Rapid Response 47 about Flint, MI. James served eight years of active duty military service as a Ranger-qualified aviation officer, according to his biography on the district’s website. National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Zach Bannon said that James’ announcement is good news for Republicans for continued growth in Congress. “Republicans are well-positioned to hold Michigan’s 10th congressional district as we retain and grow our majority in Congress. Michiganders rejected the out of touch Democrats’ radical agenda in 2024, and they’ll do it again in 2026,” Bannon shared in a statement. Bannon noted that both President Trump and Rep. James won Michigan’s 10th district by over 6% in 2024.
Supreme Court grants Trump request to lift stay halting Venezuelan deportations
The Supreme Court on Monday granted President Donald Trump’s request to vacate a lower court’s ruling barring the administration from using a 1798 wartime immigration law to immediately deport Venezuelan nationals – including alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang – from the U.S., marking a significant victory for the administration as it advances key immigration priorities. Justices on the high court ruled 5-4 to grant the administration’s request to lift the stay, in a temporary victory for Trump and his allies. At issue was the Alien Enemies Act, or the immigration law passed by Congress in 1789 to immediately remove certain migrants from U.S. soil. Prior to Trump’s second White House term, it had been invoked just three times in U.S. history: During the War of 1812, during World War I, and most recently, World War II. Lawyers for the Trump administration had urged the court to vacate the lower court ruling, arguing in a Supreme Court filing that the lower court orders “rebuffed” their immigration agenda, including their ability “to protect the Nation against foreign terrorist organizations and risk debilitating effects for delicate foreign negotiations.” JUDGE BOASBERG POISED TO HOLD TRUMP ADMIN IN CONTEMPT, TAKES DOWN NAMES OF DHS OFFICIALS: ‘PRETTY SKETCHY’ The ruling follows a temporary order from U.S. District Judge James Boasberg last month blocking the administration’s use of the 1798 law for 14 days while he considered the case on its merits – a pause upheld by a federal appeals court in a 2–1 decision. “Nazis got better treatment” than some of the migrants deported under the law, Judge Patricia Millett, an Obama appointee, remarked during the appellate hearing. Both Boasberg and the appellate panel sharply questioned the administration over Trump’s proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan nationals – and over the three planes that removed hundreds of migrants to El Salvador the very next day. At least 261 migrants were deported that day, including more than 100 Venezuelans removed “solely on the basis” of the 1798 statute. The deportation flights reportedly landed around the same time Boasberg issued his temporary halt, raising questions about whether administration officials knowingly defied the order. Boasberg had issued a bench ruling requiring any flights that had already taken off to return “immediately.” That did not happen. APPEALS COURT BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN’S DEPORTATION FLIGHTS IN ALIEN ENEMIES ACT IMMIGRATION SUIT Boasberg said on April 3 that he was weighing whether to hold certain Trump administration officials in contempt of court for refusing to provide information, even after the court issued repeated requests regarding the deportation flights and the number of individuals sent to El Salvador. Government lawyers cited national security concerns as the reason for refusing to comply with the court’s request for information. But during the April 3 hearing, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign told Boasberg the flight information likely wasn’t classified — prompting the judge to question why the administration had declined to provide it on more than four occasions, including under a court-imposed deadline. “Pretty sketchy,” Boasberg mused in court. WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS? Boasberg also pressed the government to disclose the names, locations, and agencies of individuals involved in the removals, as well as any internal conversations with officials who may have been monitoring the court proceedings. The hearing marked the latest in a flurry of legal battles over the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act. It followed Boasberg’s order requiring officials to explain why they failed to comply with his directive to return the deportation flights – and whether they knowingly defied the court. The Supreme Court ruling may not mark the end of Trump’s push to invoke the Alien Enemies Act. Boasberg is still weighing potential contempt charges against administration officials. As of this writing, a preliminary injunction hearing is set for April 8.
Elbridge Colby clears hurdle, moves to final vote to become Pentagon’s top policy strategist
The Senate voted Monday to invoke cloture on Elbridge Colby’s nomination, moving the national security strategist one step closer to confirmation as undersecretary of defense for policy, the Pentagon’s No. 3 post. The procedural vote, which limits debate and tees up a final confirmation vote, passed by a margin of 53 to 49. Colby’s nomination advanced out of the Armed Services Committee last month, overcoming skepticism from hawkish Republicans like Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., during a closed-door vote. Colby, a co-founder of the Marathon Initiative and a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development under the Trump administration, is best known for his role in authoring the 2018 National Defense Strategy, which reoriented long-term military strategy toward a great power competition with China. He has long argued the U.S. military needs to limit its resources in the Middle East in a pivot to the Indo-Pacific region. Colby has scored staunch backing from a number of figures in Trump world, increasing the pressure on GOP skeptics to get on board with his nomination. VANCE VISITS CAPITOL HILL TO URGE SENATORS TO CONFIRM ELBRIDGE COLBY FOR PENTAGON NO. 3 POST Vice President J.D. Vance paid a visit to Capitol Hill last month to offer support for his “friend” Colby. “In so many ways, Bridge predicted what we would be talking about four years down the road, five years down the road, 10 years down the road. He saw around corners that very few other people were seeing around,” Vance said at the time. “If you look at his long career in defense policy, he has said things that, you know, frankly, alienated Democrats and Republicans. He’s also said things that I think both Democrats and Republicans would agree with.” During the hearing, Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., questioned Colby on his previously stated position, “America has a strong interest in defending Taiwan, but Americans can survive without it.” “Your views on Taiwan’s importance to the United States seems to have softened considerably,” Wicker told Colby. Colby disputed that point, arguing he had been sounding the alarm that the U.S.’ “military balance has declined” in relation to China. DISPUTED DOD NOMINEE IS ‘BEST PERSON’ TO IMPLEMENT TRUMP AND HEGSETH AGENDA, KEY CONSERVATIVE GROUP SAYS “What I have been trying to shoot a signal flare over is that it is vital for us to focus and enable our own forces for an effective and reasonable defense of Taiwan and for the Taiwanese, as well as the Japanese, to do more,” said Colby. When pressed by Cotton during the hearing, Colby said he believes Iran to be an “existential” threat to the U.S. “Yes, a nuclear-armed Iran – especially, Senator, given that … we know they’ve worked on ICBM-range capabilities and other capabilities that would pose an existential danger to the United States,” Colby said. He promised to provide “credible good military options” to the president if diplomacy with Iran fails. It was a different tune than he’d sung in years past. “The only thing worse than the prospect of an Iran armed with nuclear weapons would be consequences of using force to try to stop them,” Colby had said in 2012. “I would say a lot of what I was arguing against at the time, these conversations 15 years ago, a lot of the opponents I felt had a casual or in some cases even flippant attitude towards the employment of military force,” Colby said. “That’s a lot of what I was arguing against. Was my wording always appropriate, was my precise framing always appropriate? No.”
House conservatives ready to oppose Senate GOP framework for Trump tax cut package
There is serious consternation among House conservatives about the updated budget framework the Senate approved early Saturday morning for the tax cut and spending cut package. Fox is told there are at least five to 10 House Republicans who cannot support this plan. The reason is that the measure doesn’t cut nearly enough spending to satisfy conservatives. President Trump has signaled that he wants the House to accept the Senate’s blueprint. But these House conservatives are adamantly against it. We’ll see if they fold. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: POWER PLAYER ON CAPITOL HILL Fox asked one archconservative if pressure by President Trump would get them to come around. Fox was told they wouldn’t do so this time. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has set Wednesday as the day for the House to vote on the new framework. Fox is told that the House wants to do it Wednesday in case GOP leaders need to take a mulligan and try again later in the week. It’s about the math. Here’s the current House breakdown: 433 members. 220 Republicans. 213 Democrats. That means Republicans can only lose three votes and still pass a bill if all House members cast ballots. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: THE GAME OF DEATH Here’s why the framework is so important: The House and Senate must be on the same page and adopt the same budget blueprint in order for the Senate to use a process called “budget reconciliation” to avoid a filibuster. A filibuster would kill the bill because Republicans lack 60 yeas to break a filibuster in the Senate. So they have to use budget reconciliation. The House and Senate cannot delve into the guts of the “big, beautiful bill” until they both adopt the same budget framework. Otherwise, they are dead in the water. The Senate prepped a measure that didn’t include cuts as deep as demanded by the House for a reason. First, such deep cuts would never command the necessary votes to pass the bill in the Senate. Secondly, Senate Republicans are bound by special budget rules. Thus, their cuts can’t be as deep. However, Senate GOP sources have repeatedly told Fox that they are trying to establish a “floor” for cuts. Not a “ceiling.” The budget framework already has a fraught legislative history. The Senate approved its initial blueprint in February. The House approved a different framework a week later. But they were different documents. So, the Senate approved yet another version over the weekend. The House now needs to align with the Senate — or approve something different. Either way, the House and Senate are not on the same page. And they cannot begin dealing with the actual bill until they are. After two “vote-a-ramas” in the Senate (where senators vote round-the-clock for hours on a budget measure), some Senate GOPers have indicated that the Senate would not do a third vote-a-rama. Moreover, Johnson has set a deadline of Memorial Day to pass the plan. One item expected to be included in the package: a debt ceiling increase. The Senate budget package hiked the debt ceiling by $5 trillion. Considering volatility in the markets and overall economic uncertainty, there is concern that Congress may need to address the debt ceiling sooner rather than later. The current estimation is that lawmakers have until summertime to address the debt ceiling. But there could be problems if Congress can’t greenlight any bill to address the debt ceiling — this one or something else.
DOGE helps Coast Guard save nearly $33M by eliminating ‘ineffective IT program’
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has helped the U.S. Coast Guard save $32.7 million by eliminating an “ineffective IT program” known as the Logistics Information Management System (CG-LIMS), the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Fox News Digital. “Another win for government efficiency at DHS!” Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Monday. “Continuing the crucial work of DOGE, the Coast Guard eliminated an ineffective IT program, saving over $32 million and focusing its resources where they’re most needed to protect the homeland. The USCG continues to deliver on the President’s priorities, maximizing its efficiency while securing our borders and maritime approaches.” Originally anticipated to begin operating in 2027 and reaching full capability in 2031, the CG-LIMS was expected to integrate existing and future capabilities with the Coast Guard while supporting operations. As designed, CG-LIMS would have modernized the Coast Guard’s IT systems, which, according to the military branch’s website, would have gained increases in capabilities and resources while resulting in “substantial cost savings and improved integration of logistics” between the services. TRUMP WANTS MUSK TO STAY WITH ADMINISTRATION, SAYS DOGE FOUND SOMETHING ‘HORRIBLE’ TODAY CG-LIMS would also have been utilized on 245 cutters, 200 aircraft, 1,800 boats, shore-based systems, aids to navigation equipment and command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment. But starting no later than May 1, 2025, all program activities regarding CG-LIMS will end. According to the Coast Guard, the termination is the result of the program’s inability to deliver on its full requirements in the near future. The $32.7 million saved will instead be used “to address emergent Coast Guard needs,” according to the military service. Personnel that worked on CG-LIMS will be “reassigned to fill critical personnel shortages” within the Coast Guard, it said. DOGE SLASHES NEARLY $1M FOR ALPACA FARMING IN PERU, OTHER QUESTIONABLE GRANTS IN LATEST WASTEFUL SPENDING CUT The Coast Guard said it will continue to search for alternatives to resolve gaps in IT logistics, and achieve the necessary functionality envisioned by the Service. “The Coast Guard upholds a longstanding tradition of meticulous stewardship, driven by our talented, innovative and resourceful workforce,” Rear Adm. Mike Campbell, the Coast Guard’s director of acquisition programs and program executive officer, said. “The termination of the Logistics Information Management System acquisition program continues that legacy under Force Design 2028 (FD 2028). Through Force Design 2028, we are renewing our efforts to maximize efficiencies, identify cost savings and maximize the return on America’s investment in the Coast Guard.” AMERICANS GRADE DOGE AND ELON MUSK’S EFFORTS WITHIN THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP FD 2028, the Coast Guard said, focuses on people, organization, contracting and acquisition, and technology. It is also described as a “once-in-a-generation” effort to investigate and transform the Coast Guard so it can adapt to the current and future environment.
DNC launches new ‘war room operation’ to keep up with GOP’s digital media dominance
The Democratic National Committee launched a new “war room operation” initiative Monday aimed at combating the right’s dominance in digital media. The new initiative intends to leverage influencers, opposition research, policy matter experts, appearances on podcasts and a revamped rapid response program aimed at challenging the narratives pushed by the Trump administration online. Newly installed DNC Chair Ken Martin told media outlets that the party’s rapid response efforts would be among his top three priorities going into the position. He won the election this year to be the DNC’s next chair. DEMOCRATS REEXAMINE THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA GAME AFTER LOSING TO TRUMP: NOT ‘DIRECT’ OR ‘AUTHENTIC’ “We are the opposition party. Our job is to put the Republicans on their heels, to put them on defense,” Martin told the Washington Post after news of the new war room initiative. “We have one role, and that is to litigate the case against Donald Trump, Elon Musk and JD Vance.” In the same interview, Martin lamented that Republicans were quicker to realize the strategic importance of digital media in the smartphone age, telling the Post that the GOP has taken a more aggressive stance in the realm of podcasts, social media and more since 2020. “I would argue that for 3½ years, they spent time beating the hell out of Joe Biden and the Democrats, really, in an unimpeded way,” Martin said. “They defined us before we ever got a chance to define ourselves.” CORY BOOKER REVEALS THE ‘BIGGEST MISTAKE’ DEMOCRATS MADE IN 2024 Per the DNC’s press announcement, the new “war room” initiative will incorporate “four main pillars.” These include “expanding Democrats’ reach into new information spaces,” “modernizing the rapid response operation to drive aggressive daily messaging to counter the Trump administration,” “leveraging creative opposition tactics and an expansive research operation” and “launching a modernized misinformation counter programming verticil to combat the lies from the right.” One element of the new initiative involves a “People’s Cabinet” of policy experts and local community voices who will stand ready to engage with the media to counter “the lies from the Trump administration.” The new program also plans to boost its “media-monitoring and research operation” to keep tabs on Trump officials as they appear on various networks and across the internet. The press announcement adds that the initiative will seek to “reach beyond traditional audiences” with their efforts, including by “prioritizing efforts to compete in conservative and mixed media spaces.” This strategy has already been picked up by some in the Democratic Party, such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who recently began a podcast that emphasizes speaking with guests he disagrees with, usually a conservative. ‘CHAOS AND CONFUSION’: HOW DEMOCRATS INFILTRATED ‘THUNDEROUS’ GOP TOWN HALLS Tim Hogan, a longtime Democrat operative who has worked in communications for the likes of Hillary Clinton and Amy Klobuchar, said to the Post that one of his top goals will be to recruit influencers with a broad reach to assist in building support in places Democrats typically have not in the past. When reached for comment, the White House pointed to a post on X by White House Communications Director Steven Cheung. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Democrats have no idea how to actually set up a functioning war room and response operation. That’s why they’re pitching stories with vague descriptions and pie-in-the-sky promises that show how far back they are in this race,” Cheung said. “Team Trump has been doing this since 2016.” The DNC declined to comment on this story, pointing Fox News Digital to its Monday press announcement with details about the new program.