IRS cutting its workforce by 25%, eliminating agency’s civil rights office
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will slash its workforce by at least 25% beginning Friday with layoffs as the Trump administration continues to shrink the size of the federal government. In addition to the layoffs, the agency said in a letter to employees that it is eliminating its Office of Civil Rights and Compliance, which is responsible for protecting taxpayers from discrimination, audits and investigations. The remaining employees in the division will be transferred to other departments. “In a stark contrast to the previous administration’s wildly unpopular plan to hire thousands of additional IRS agents, President Trump is focused on saving tax dollars, eliminating bloat, axing useless DEI offices, and increasing the agency’s efficiency,” White House spokesperson Liz Huston said to Fox News Digital. TRUMP FLOATS GUTTING THE IRS, MOVING AGENTS TO THE BORDER ARMED WITH GUNS “This action is being taken to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the IRS in accordance with agency priorities and the Workforce Optimization Initiative outlined in a recent Executive Order,” the letter states, referring to President Donald Trump‘s executive order directing the Department of Government Efficiency to get rid of wasteful spending. The agency said it was approved to offer Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) and Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP). Information about those programs will be shared with employees at a later date, the message said. TRUMP VOWS TO DELIVER ON ‘NO TAX ON TIPS’ CAMPAIGN PROMISE DURING LAS VEGAS SPEECH: ‘100% YOURS’ “This calendar year to date, approximately 5% of this office left through the Deferred Resignation Program and attrition,” the message said. “An additional 75% of the office will be reduced through a RIF (Reduction in Force).” A Treasury Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the reductions are part of, and driven by, “process improvements and technological innovations that will allow the IRS to collect revenue and serve taxpayers more effectively.” “The roll back of wasteful Biden-era hiring surges, and consolidation of critical support functions are vital to improve both efficiency and quality of service,” the spokesperson said. “The Secretary is committed to ensuring that efficiency is realized while providing the collections, privacy, and customer service the American people deserve.” The layoffs were expected, as the agency announced in February its intention to slash nearly 7,000 probationary workers in Washington, D.C. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Those employees have since been reinstated by a court order. The IRS has roughly 90,000 employees in total across the United States, according to the latest IRS data.
New book details Obama’s strained relationship with Democratic party: ‘Obama destroyed that s—‘
Former President Barack Obama sought to distance himself from the Democratic Party after leaving it in shambles following his departure from the White House, according to a new book. The book, “Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House,” published by William Morrow and Company, claims that Obama was never a Democratic Party loyalist. Instead, the authors allege, Obama curried favor from a group of “Black professionals” for his campaigns, unlike former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and former President Joe Biden. Additionally, Obama’s creation of Organizing for Action — a nonprofit that launched in 2012 following Obama’s re-election to advance his legislative priorities — fractured the Democratic Party, according to the book, authored by political journalists Jonathan Allen of NBC News and Amie Parnes of The Hill. “Though Organizing for Action never realized his vision, it competed with the party for power and money,” the book said. “He left the Democratic Party far weaker than he found it. Or, as one Black party operative put it, ‘Obama destroyed that s—.’” KAMALA HARRIS WAS ‘VERY ANNOYED’ WITH OBAMA AS SHE SOUGHT HIS ENDORSEMENT, BOOK REVEALS The book also detailed how the Clintons, along with Biden and former Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile and a few other party operatives, sought to “rebuild the party infrastructure” following Obama’s 2016 departure from the White House. This meant preventing far-left Democrats from seizing control of the party and ensuring party loyalists ran the show, according to the book. “By helping install party loyalists at the national and state committees over the course of years, these establishment Democrats kept progressive outsiders at bay. ‘You know who did that?’ said one Black Biden ally familiar with the maneuvering. ‘Bill and Hillary motherf—ing Clinton,’” the book related. “Fight,” released Tuesday, also revealed how Obama remained hesitant to back former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election to replace Biden, amid concerns about his mental fitness. The book claimed that Obama didn’t believe Harris had the capacity to beat now-President Donald Trump in the November 2024 race, frustrating Harris. Ultimately, Obama endorsed Harris five days after Biden announced he would not run for office again in the 2024 race — a delay that offended Harris and required some “mending” between the two Democrats, a source close to Obama said, Allen and Parnes wrote. A spokesperson for Obama’s press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Even so, Obama’s wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, appeared at the Democratic National Convention in August 2024 after Harris clinched the party’s nomination. TENSIONS ALLEGEDLY RISE BETWEEN BIDEN WHITE HOUSE AND HARRIS CAMPAIGN: ‘TOO MUCH IN THEIR FEELINGS’ “Kamala Harris is more than ready for this moment,” Michelle Obama said at the convention. “She is one of the most qualified people ever to seek the office of the presidency and she is one of the most dignified — a tribute to her mother, to my mother, and probably to your mother, too, the embodiment of the stories we tell ourselves about this country.” Meanwhile, Democrat strategists predict that Barack Obama’s influence over the Democratic Party is waning, and some have suggested he is out of touch with the appeal of Trump. For example, political commentator and author Ben Burgess wrote an op-ed after Obama delivered a speech at the Obama Democracy Forum that part of the “problem” is Obama doesn’t understand why Trump won the 2024 election and that the American public should stop listening to the former president. “Obama’s characteristic rhetorical virtues were on full display,” Burgess wrote in December 2024 for MSNBC, following Obama’s speech. “He was a constitutional law professor before he was a politician, and he still sounds like one. At the same time, he was a once-in-a-generation talent as a political communicator. He knows how to convey a complex set of ideas in a digestible and appealing way.” “But there was a massive gaping hole at the center of his speech,” the op-ed stated. “He still doesn’t understand why his eight years in power culminated in the rise of Trump.” “Fight” details how Trump secured the White House for a second term and the fallout of his victory for the Democratic Party. It is based on interviews Allen and Parnes conducted with more than 150 political insiders, according to the book’s description. Fox News’ Hanna Panreck and Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: ‘Liberation Day’ Backstory
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… –Dem Jasmine Crockett silent as aide attempts to intimidate, block reporter’s question about violence -Reporter’s Notebook: The Senate’s all-night session on the big, beautiful bill –Biden green energy project goes down in flames For decades, President Donald Trump has remained a staunch advocate for tariffs — routinely declaring the word one of the most beautiful in the dictionary and regularly accusing foreign countries of ripping off the U.S. Following through on 2024 campaign promises and building upon policies his first administration introduced, Trump unveiled a series of historic tariffs at the White House’s Rose Garden Wednesday for a “Make America Wealthy Again” event as part of a day his administration dubbed “Liberation Day” for the U.S. While some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have voiced concern over the policy, tariffs are an area where Trump’s views have remained incredibly consistent over the years, as he has routinely decried that other countries have treated the U.S. unfairly in trade deals…Read more MONEY TALKS: Trump admin halting more than $500M in federal funding to Brown University over antisemitism response ‘DEEPLY CONCERNED’: Obama urges Americans to ‘possibly sacrifice’ in resisting Trump policies TARIFF TANTRUM: Trump’s China tariffs face legal challenge from conservative group calling them ‘unlawful’ CALIFORNIA PLEADIN’: Newsom to ask world leaders to exempt California exports from retaliatory tariffs ‘ABSOLUTELY RIGHT’: Rubio, in Europe, says US has to ‘reset the global order of trade’ and Trump is ‘absolutely right to do it’ SECURITY RISK: Houthis shoot down third US reaper drone as Trump administration continues daily airstrikes WARNING STRIKE: In warning to Turkey, Israel hits strategic targets in Syria amid rising tensions BUCKING TRUMP: One Republican senator voted against confirming Trump nominee Harmeet Dhillon VOTE-A-RAMA: Republicans charge ahead on Trump budget, setting up marathon Senate votes VOTED DOWN: 15 Democrats back Sanders’ failed resolutions to cancel military aid to Israel ‘GOLDEN’ AGE: Democrat Rep. Jared Golden says his party’s moving in ‘wrong direction’ on trade TACKLING TRUMP TARIFFS: Dem senator looks to hijack key Trump budget process with tariff challenge HAUGH OUT: National Security Agency Director Gen. Haugh fired, civilian deputy director reassigned TO THE GOVERNOR’S DESK: Maryland bill creating commission to study, recommend slavery reparations heads to governor’s desk GAME FACE: Illegal accused in jogger Rachel Morin’s murder set to face family, jury ‘THEY ARE TERRORISTS’: 3 alleged MS-13 gang members in Florida hit with federal murder charges TRAVELERS BEWARE: Iowa student’s passport seizure in Dominican Republic raises red flags for Americans traveling: what to know Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Judge targeted by GOP for impeachment deals blow to Trump’s FEMA objectives
A Rhode Island federal judge targeted for impeachment dealt the Trump administration a legal blow on Friday, ordering it to lift a freeze on federal funds. U.S. District Judge John McConnell ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to unfreeze federal funds to states after plaintiffs alleged the agency had failed to comply with an earlier court order. The lawsuit was originally launched by 22 states and the District of Columbia, challenging the Trump administration’s decision to block funding for programs like the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Climate Pollution Reduction Grant and other environmental initiatives. LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS Plaintiffs in the suit, including the states of New York, California, Illinois and Rhode Island, argued that FEMA’s implementation of a manual review process for payment requests violated a previous preliminary injunction issued by McConnell. The states argued that the review “constitutes ‘a categorical pause or freeze of funding appropriate by Congress.’” The defendants, which include President Donald Trump and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), responded that the review did not violate the order because “FEMA is relying on its own independent authorities to implement the process rather than the OMB Directive.” McConnell concluded that the plaintiffs had “presented evidence that strongly suggests that FEMA is implementing this manual review process based, covertly, on the President’s January 20, 2025 executive order.” COURTROOM COMBAT: INSIDE THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY SYSTEM WHERE TRUMP’S AGENDA IS UNDER ASSAULT “The Court reaffirms its preliminary injunction order,” McConnell wrote. McConnell had issued a restraining order in late January that enjoined the defendants from freezing federal funds. This came after OMB released a memo on Jan. 27 announcing the administration’s plans to temporarily pause federal grants and loans. The White House later rescinded the memo on Jan. 29. However, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the move didn’t equate a “recission of the federal funding freeze.” ‘CORRUPT, DANGEROUS’: GOP REP MOVES TO IMPEACH JUDGE WHO BLOCKED TRUMP FEDERAL FUNDS FREEZE After McConnell ordered the administration to comply with the restraining order, the government appealed to the First Circuit — which refused to stay the orders. McConnell also recently made headlines after becoming one of several federal judges hit with impeachment articles. Georgia Republican Rep. Andrew Clyde formally introduced his articles of impeachment against McConnell on March 24, after his initial announcement in February. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The articles, first shared with Fox News Digital, charged McConnell with abuse of power and conflicts of interest, stating he “knowingly politicized and weaponized his judicial position to advance his own political views and beliefs.” “The American people overwhelmingly voted for President Trump in November, providing a clear mandate to make our federal government more efficient,” Clyde told Fox News Digital. “Yet Judge McConnell, who stands to benefit from his own injunction, is attempting to unilaterally obstruct the president’s agenda and defy the will of the American people. Judge McConnell’s actions are corrupt, dangerous, and worthy of impeachment.” Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy contributed to this report.
‘Absolute no’: Proxy voting is a dereliction of ‘constitutional duty,’ Nancy Mace says
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said, “As a woman and as a mom,” she does not support proxy voting exceptions for new mothers in Congress, a hotly debated topic that brought the House to a grinding halt this week. A bill sponsored by conservative firebrand Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., which would let new parents vote by proxy for 12 weeks while caring for their newborns, appears to have split the GOP. While President Donald Trump has said he supports proxy voting for new parents in Congress, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has said he believes proxy voting is “unconstitutional.” With 218 lawmakers backing the move, it has enough support to force a vote. TRUMP SUPPORTS PROXY VOTING FOR NEW MOTHERS IN CONGRESS: ‘DON’T KNOW WHY IT’S CONTROVERSIAL’ After Democrats and nine Republicans blocked an effort to sideline the issue, prompting Johnson to call the House into recess for the rest of the week, Mace said she is an “absolute no” on the question. “I’m an absolute no on any and all proxy voting. It’s wrong,” Mace told Fox News Digital. “We have a job. We have a constitutional duty to show up here and work, and we should.” Asked whether any exceptions should be made for new mothers and fathers in Congress, Mace answered, “Nope, none, zero.” PRESIDENT TRUMP, CONSERVATIVES CELEBRATE ‘ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE’ FLORIDA SPECIAL ELECTIONS SWEEP “As a woman and as a mom, I want to make it on my own merit,” she added. “I don’t want to be given an exception for anything. I want to be able to make here like any man would.” Addressing other hot questions about exceptions for women, Mace also shared that she strongly supports Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s moves on standards. “Doing it based on merit and making the standards be the same, I think that’s good for our country. It’s good for those who are willing to risk their lives, put their lives on the line for their fellow countrymen,” she said. SCOOP: WHITE HOUSE RALLIES HOUSE GOP ON TRUMP TARIFF PLAN IN SECRET CALL “I love what Pete Hegseth is doing,” she added. “I think he’s doing a remarkable job, and he’s bringing so much transparency to DOD and the Pentagon. And where they failed, then he is trying to pick up the pieces and put it back together, including how men and women are treated in uniform and how we are combat-ready.” Despite changes to standards, Mace predicted a “major uptick with recruitment” in all military branches under Trump and Hegseth’s leadership, saying, “I think we’ve got great things to come. Our enemies should be scared.”
Chinese-owned GNC stores operating on US military bases spark national security concerns
While much of Congress focuses on banning China from buying land near U.S. military bases, freshman Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., says the Chinese Communist Party already has a direct presence on those installations – through national nutrition chain GNC. A bill released by Harrigan this week, the Military Installation Retail Security Act of 2025, would ban any companies of Chinese, North Korean, Iranian or Russian ownership from operating on military bases. “This is actually a situation where the CCP is operating on our military bases. It’s even crazier [than foreign land purchases],” Harrigan told Fox News Digital. In June 2020, vitamin retailer GNC filed for bankruptcy and was wholly acquired by Harbin Pharmaceuticals, a partially state-owned enterprise in China. Harbin had previously acquired a 40% stake in GNC in 2018. ‘MIND-BOGGLING’: SPACE FORCE CHIEF FIRES OFF DIRE WARNING ABOUT CHINESE CAPABILITY TO KNOCK OUT US SATELLITES In 2019, GNC agreed to integrate its manufacturing with International Vitamin Corporation (IVC), which has a consortium of Chinese investors. The company, founded in Pittsburgh, had already been operating on U.S. bases for years at the time of its sale, and its potential to help with Chinese surveillance on military bases was overlooked. Now, some 85 GNC stores operate on U.S. military bases. They operate under what are known as “long term concessions” contracts, meaning they are operated, staffed and supplied by GNC. “This is a really ripe target for intelligence gathering,” said Harrigan. “This is no joke about defending the integrity of our military, making sure that foreign adversaries who are actively seeking to undermine us don’t have the opportunity to do that from within our military bases.” “You know who these people are, the customers you’ve got, their purchasing habits. You have access to sensitive health information based on the type of products that they’re purchasing,” he said. The store could identify individuals with vulnerabilities by tracking frequent purchases of testosterone, sleep aids, or anxiety supplements, Harrigan said. It could also monitor deployment cycles based on changes in buying patterns, he added. Harrigan warned that GNC’s access could even allow adversaries to introduce banned or harmful substances – or counterfeit products – to degrade military readiness. US BANS ROMANTIC AND SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH CHINESE CITIZENS FOR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES IN CHINA The store also poses potential cyber risks, Harrigan said, noting that in-store WiFi and mobile data tracking could reveal troop geolocations. Loyalty apps and promotional materials, he warned, could be used to embed malicious links or software. Fox News Digital reached out to GNC for comment but did not receive a response prior to publication. Lawmakers have introduced dozens of bills aimed at blocking China from buying U.S. land near sensitive military sites – a movement that gained urgency after Chinese food producer Fufeng Group purchased 370 acres near a North Dakota Air Force base in 2022. China owned around 350,000 acres of farmland across 27 states as of last year, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. GNC Holdings appeared on the System for Award Management – the federal registry for government contractors – in 2023 and 2024, despite not being required to register due to its long-term concessions contract. The company did not disclose its Chinese ownership on the website, and let its registration expire in October 2024. As a U.S. senator from Florida, Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised alarms in 2020 over GNC’s sale to Harbin, warning that customers’ personal data could be handed over to the Chinese Communist Party. He urged the Treasury Department to launch a national security review. Despite those concerns, Bankruptcy Judge Karen Owens approved the $770 million sale. Since then, GNC has capitalized on renewed interest in health and wellness to grow its footprint to more than 4,000 stores in the U.S. and 2,000 internationally, according to the company’s website.
Pro-Trump House candidate unleashes on ‘partisan hack’ Dem incumbent after launching rematch bid
FIRST ON FOX: Former Ohio Republican State Senator Kevin Coughlin exclusively spoke to Fox News Digital about his recent announcement that he is challenging Dem. Rep. Emilia Sykes in one of the most closely watched House districts in next year’s midterms. “The motivation is the same as it was in the last election,” Coughlin, who narrowly lost to Sykes in November by two points in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, told Fox News Digital. “I wanna make a difference for people. I think our country’s going in the wrong direction. I think we have some great opportunities here. And it’s very clear that with tight majorities in both the House and the Senate, we need reinforcements there to help push an America First agenda through and to try to secure our border, bring down costs, protect our communities and give taxpayers value for their dollar. The spirit is there, and the movement is there in DC. It’s harder to do when you’ve got close majorities. And so I want to go and contribute to that and help deliver for the people of Northeast Ohio.” Coughlin told Fox News Digital that Sykes has not served the district well and that when he speaks to people in the district they tell him they are unsatisfied with her leadership. LEAKED VIDEO EXPOSES DEM STAFFER ADMITTING ‘QUIET PART OUT LOUD’ IN FIERY TIRADE: ‘OPEN THE F—ING BORDER’ “What they’re getting with our current member of Congress is somebody who’s just a partisan hack who’s doing everything her party tells her to do at the expense of what’s right for the families and the small businesses of our region and our district,” Coughlin said. “She’s repeatedly voted against extending the Trump tax cuts of 2017, which would end up being a huge tax increase on everyone. She has opposed efforts to reduce regulation and to root out waste and fraud in our government. She has voted to shut down our government and provide essential services to people who truly need them.” Coughlin added that Democrats since Trump’s inauguration have become “a bunch of toddlers pounding on the floor” and that they “really just don’t have a message right now.” “They’re flailing around not only for leadership, but for a voice and a message and you know the old adage when your adversary is drowning, don’t interrupt them,” Coughlin said. “I think the best thing for us to do as Republicans is to continue moving forward in the way they have so far, methodically move toward delivering on President Trump’s agenda, delivering on the promises that they were elected on and moving that forward to deliver for the people that they represent. And as long as we keep doing that, and I think that the spirit is there, as long as they keep doing it, I think we’ll be rewarded in the midterms.” FORMER NAVY SEAL CLINT BRUCE ON RELATIONSHIP WITH OHIO STATE’S RYAN DAY, HELPING COLLEGE FOOTBALL STARS The Cook Political Report ranks the race in OH-13 as a “Democrat toss up” as Republicans head into the midterms with a slim majority in the House and facing the conventional wisdom that the party in power struggles in the first midterm after a new president takes office. Coughlin told Fox News Digital he expects Republicans to do well in the midterms, particularly in Ohio, where Trump won by 11 points in November. “I was encouraged by results around the country this week with special elections in Florida and with the ballot issue on voter ID passing in Wisconsin,” Coughlin said. “It tells me that our issues are still winning, that the people still view and have the same concerns that we have, and so that’s a good thing.” “I think with regard to my opponent, what I’ve seen this year is that she’s become even more partisan than she was before. She’s digging in and hugging the liberal left even harder than she did before. So, that means she’s casting a lot of votes that are very much out of step with her district, and I expect she’ll continue to do that. And frankly, Ohio is different from the rest of the country in some regards,” Coughlin said. “I think we’re a little bit insulated here from the traditional midterm effect of the president’s party not doing well in the elections. Statewide elections are going on next year, and if we stay true to form, we will have a strong, talented, dynamic, well-organized, well-funded slate of people running for statewide office, which lifts all boats with regard to Republican candidates in our state. So, I think it’s going to be a good year here in Ohio.” A Sykes campaign spokesperson dismissed Coughlin’s attacks. “Rep. Sykes is focused on how we can best bring costs down, put money in people’s pockets and protect earned benefits like social security and medicaid and will let others engage in unproductive name-calling,” the spokesperson said. The spokesperson also referred Fox News Digital to a quote from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), who called Coughlin a “corrupt, out of touch loser who’s only running so he can work with Elon Musk to dismantle Social Security and gut Medicaid to pay for billionaire tax breaks.” “Congresswoman Sykes is a results oriented leader with an undeniable record of fighting for Northeast Ohioans – focusing on lowering costs, creating good paying jobs, and keeping our communities safe,” the DCCC spokesperson Viet Shelton added. “Emilia Sykes is nothing but a rubber stamp for the far Left, completely out of touch with the people of Ohio,” NRCC spokesman Zach Bannon said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “From voting to shut down the government and raise taxes to supporting open borders, Sykes is too extreme for Ohio. That’s why she’ll be out of a job next November.”
‘Radical’ federal judges ‘will soon learn’ consequences of bucking Trump’s orders: official
The Trump administration said that “radical judges” will “soon learn that denying” President Donald Trump his “constitutionally granted authorities is a gross infringement of the law and will not stand on appeal” after a Bush-appointed judge blocked the administration from firing intelligence agency employees tied to DEI programs. U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga, a President George W. Bush appointee in Virginia, issued the preliminary injunction on Monday ahead of a 5 p.m. deadline issued by CIA Director John Ratcliffe for the agents to resign or be fired, allowing them to appeal and stay on the federal payroll. The injunction was part of a lawsuit filed by more than a dozen intelligence agents from the CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence who were found to be involved in, or working on, DEI programs in the department. TRUMP DOJ, EDUCATION DEPT FORM TASK FORCE TO PROTECT FEMALE ATHLETES FROM ‘GENDER IDEOLOGY’ IN SCHOOLS, SPORTS “The plaintiffs face termination without any suggestion of wrongdoing or poor performance,” Trenga said after the ruling, according to Politico. “Simply requiring the government to follow its regulations is a minimal burden.” The employees, who were abruptly placed on administrative leave in January, were facing termination as part of the Trump administration’s effort, supported by Elon Musk, to eliminate DEI-related programs and initiate a large-scale government overhaul. Musk also visited the CIA headquarters on Tuesday to discuss his government efficiency program. “These radical judges will soon learn that denying the Chief Executive his constitutionally granted authorities is a gross infringement of the law and will not stand on appeal,” Trump administration spokesperson Harrison Fields told Fox News Digital. CONCERNED PARENTS OF TRANS KIDS COMPARED TO ‘HATE GROUPS’ BY COLORADO DEM: WOULDN’T ‘ASK THE KKK’ FOR OPINION “Ending the bigotry of DEI and ensuring the federal government runs efficiently might be a crime to Democrats, but it’s in line with the law,” he said. The 19 employees, who are unnamed, contended in their lawsuit last month that their roles in the DEI programs were “temporary assignments” and that they also had other responsibilities as intelligence officers. The lawsuit also states that “poor performance” wasn’t a factor in their dismissal. The “imminent termination is therefore arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion,” the lawsuit charges. BAN ON TAXPAYER-FUNDED SEX CHANGES FOR PRISONERS SPARKS DEM WALKOUT IN GEORGIA HOUSE VOTE Trenga’s written order also said the Trump administration must consider employees’ “request for reassignment for open or available positions, in accordance with their qualifications and skills.” The administration can still fire the employees but first has to present a “report” on the employees’ appeals or reassignments to the judge. This injunction adds to a stack of injunctions and temporary restraining orders placed on several of President Donald Trump’s executive orders. Trump issued an executive order last month penalizing law firm Perkins Coie for its representation of Hillary Clinton and its DEI policies by targeting the firm’s government contracts and limiting access to federal facilities. Over 300 law professors and legal groups, including the ACLU and Cato Institute, filed briefs supporting Perkins Coie. In February, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking key provisions of President Trump’s executive orders aimed at banning DEI programs on university campuses. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser lobbed at least 13 lawsuits against Trump administration policies related to DEI, including the Health and Human Services’ (HHS) termination of public health grants, and moves to defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
FBI Director Patel leads charge to root out Chinese influence on US soil
FBI Director Kash Patel is tackling China’s influence on American farmlands head-on, as both a food supply and national security concern. Patel’s early focus on Chinese influence over American land — particularly farmland near sensitive sites — reflects a broader second-term push by the Trump administration to confront the Chinese Communist Party’s presence on U.S. soil. The effort has gained traction among Republican lawmakers and conservative allies, who say CCP-connected land ownership poses a direct threat to national security and critical infrastructure. “FBI Director Kash Patel has made eradicating CCP interference and infiltration in the United States a relentless, uncompromising priority,” Patel advisor Erica Knight told Fox News Digital. “With his unmatched experience in counterterrorism and intelligence, Patel possesses a profound understanding of the grave threats our nation faces,” Knight said. “His expertise and unwavering resolve make him uniquely equipped to lead the bureau to crush CCP infiltration and safeguard America’s national security.” US-CANADA BORDER EYED AS VULNERABILITY BY CHINA, RUSSIA, SAYS PATEL: ‘THE ENEMY ADAPTS’ Patel recently told lawmakers that the “effective resolution” of the southern border crisis has prompted adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran to shift their focus to the U.S. northern border. As the administration ramps up its second-term focus on China, President Donald Trump was asked aboard Air Force One on Thursday what the White House is doing about Chinese-owned farmland. Trump said he is “looking at it all the time,” adding that he has “a very good relationship with China and with the president.” “I have a lot of respect for President Xi,” Trump said. TOP FIVE TAKEDOWNS: KASH PATEL’S FBI HITS THE GROUND RUNNING WITH MAJOR EARLY VICTORIES Trump emphasized that Chinese-owned farmland “has been an issue for years.” In a February Fox News op-ed, Presidential Envoy for Special Missions Ric Grenell echoed growing concern on the right over Chinese-owned farmland, calling it part of a “not-so-silent takeover.” “While conservative legislators and governors across the country are taking action to stop adversarial nations from buying U.S. farmland, we must recognize that there’s a much broader issue at play here — China’s end goal is not confined to land ownership,” Grenell wrote. MORE THAN HALF A MILLION LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL BACK PATEL AS FBI DIRECTOR Capitol Hill lawmakers have already begun taking action. In early March, Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., introduced the PASS Act in the Senate, which would bar entities from “covered countries” — including China — from purchasing agricultural land near military bases or other sensitive sites. The legislation, which also has Democratic support, would allow the Department of Agriculture to submit cases to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. for review if the department suspects there is a national security concern. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Likewise, Republican senators in January also announced the Not One More Inch or Acre Act, led by Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota and Katie Britt of Alabama. The legislation would require selling land owned or “influenced” by the Chinese Communist Party that is deemed to be a national security risk. Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips and Michael Lee contributed to this report.
Cory Booker on whether he should be Democrats’ next leader: ‘It’s time for all of us’
After breaking the Senate record for longest floor speech, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., gave an innocuous answer about whether he sees himself as the Democratic Party’s next leader. With Democratic veterans like former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., no longer in leadership, no one person can fully claim the title of Democratic Party leader. At age 55, Booker has been in the Senate for more than 10 years. After his record-breaking speech on the Senate floor this week, during which he bashed the Trump administration, Elon Musk and Republicans, some wonder whether Booker could be a contender for party leader. “Some are saying the Democratic Party needs a national leader, are you it?” Fox News Digital asked. BOOKER CALLED FILIBUSTER AN ‘ABUSE OF POWER’ YEARS BEFORE SETTING SENATE SPEECH RECORD “I think that, as the great Ella Baker said, we are the leaders we’ve been looking for,” Booker answered. “I think the Democratic Party needs everybody to realize it’s time for all of us to lead,” he added. During his speech, Booker claimed that President Donald Trump, in 71 days, “has inflicted so much harm on Americans’ safety, financial stability, the core foundations of our democracy, and even our aspirations as a people for, from our highest offices, a sense of common decency.” Booker said he felt inspired to make his marathon speech, which disrupted votes on the Senate floor for over 25 hours, because his constituents “were demanding more.” BAN ON TAXPAYER-FUNDED SEX CHANGES FOR PRISONERS SPARKS DEM WALKOUT IN GEORGIA HOUSE VOTE “We’re in a moral moment in our country about what we are going to stand for,” he said. “So, I wanted to stand with our veterans, I wanted to stand with expecting moms in their healthcare, I want to stand for people who rely on Social Security and a lot of the other things that are happening I think are in the balance right now.” The senator said that his days as a football player at Stanford prepared him to be able to stand and speak for so long. “I learned a lot as an athlete — as most athletes will tell you, what you learn is that you can go further than you think you can,” said Booker. “You’ve got more in the tank when you think it’s all gone. And those lessons gave me a lot to draw on. And then even when everything is out of the tank and you physically have hit your wall, that your spirit can take over and you can do a little bit more.” JASMINE CROCKETT SETS OFF SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER TOUTING BEING BLACK AS QUALIFICATION FOR PUBLIC DEFENDER JOB Asked whether his speech, not technically a filibuster, had the impact he was hoping for, Booker responded: “I think this is not a single moment, or even 25 hours. I think it’s a longer journey.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “It was a good day,” he continued. “But as I learned playing college football, just because you had a good play, you get back to the huddle, and you get ready for the next one, and that’s what we need to do.”