Bitter House GOP divisions erupt after Johnson shuts down votes over Republican mutiny
House Republicans are still divided after proceedings ground to a halt on Tuesday over a push by a small group of GOP lawmakers to block Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., from changing chamber procedures. Nine House Republicans joined Democrats in blocking a normally sleepy procedural vote, known as a “rule vote,” from passing on Tuesday afternoon. It came after House leaders tucked an unrelated provision into the measure that would have stopped Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., from forcing a vote on giving new parents in the House the ability to vote remotely. Johnson called the move “disappointing” and cut the House’s legislative week short, sending lawmakers back to their districts two days early and canceling the remaining votes. “If a career in politics doesn’t work out for me, I have ample credentials to work at a circus,” a senior House GOP aide said when asked about the current situation. HAWLEY OFFICIALLY A YES ON DR. OZ AFTER SECURING COMMITMENTS ON TRANSGENDER, ABORTION ISSUES It’s led to bitter feelings on both sides of the standoff – and in some cases, toward both parties. “America did not vote for Congress paternity proxy voting at home. America did not vote for Congress to put a lid on the week on a Tuesday,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., wrote on X on Wednesday morning. “I’m pretty disgusted with the events of yesterday. Republicans should not be joining with Democrats for their own personal agendas, and we shouldn’t quit and go home when things don’t go our way.” Republicans who were against Luna’s push accused her of acting against the will of the House GOP majority and the country. “I don’t think most Americans want their Congress members voting from home. Our constituents have to show up to work, and we should too,” Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, told “The Ingraham Angle.” Johnson accused Luna and her allies of delaying Trump’s agenda. Luna, however, has pointed out that Johnson could have stripped the provision killing her measure out of the “rule” and held the vote again, when it likely would have passed. “I am 100% supportive of [President Donald Trump] and his America First agenda. It is disingenuous for [Johnson] to lie about me,” Luna wrote on X in response to the speaker’s comments. “[House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Johnson] did not have to send us home.” Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., appeared to defend Johnson’s decision to end the week. “What I would say is, the speaker has a responsibility, and he is engaging in that responsibility to protect the institutions from proxy voting,” Houchin said. “I support that, and we’ll continue to have these conversations and hope that we’ll come back together next week, and we’ll get back to business.” Another House Republican told Fox News Digital of the decision to send lawmakers home early, “Lots of torn-up feelings. Might be better to press pause for a couple of days.” The “rule,” if passed, would have allowed for debate and eventual House votes on a bill to limit district judges’ ability to issue nationwide injunctions and a measure requiring proof of citizenship in the voter registration process, respectively. But House leaders also added a provision that would have neutered lawmakers’ ability to file discharge petitions, a mechanism that forces the chamber to consider legislation even if those in charge oppose it. Luna had used a discharge petition to try to force a vote on a bipartisan bill to allow new parents in the House to vote remotely for 12 weeks surrounding the birth of their child. That bill gained support from all Democrats and enough House Republicans to net the necessary majority threshold, despite Johnson and a group of conservatives being vehemently opposed. ‘BLINDSIDED’: HOW STEFANIK’S TRUMP NOMINATION AS UN AMBASSADOR IMPLODED Republicans who voted with Luna on Tuesday argued they did so to protect a tool of the House majority. “Don’t buy the BS. My ‘no’ vote was about process—not whether new parents should be able to proxy vote,” Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., wrote on X. “I voted against a rule bill that undermined a Member’s right to utilize the discharge petition—a century-old tool that empowers individual Members to force a vote when leadership blocks legislation.” Steube himself successfully used a discharge petition last year to force a vote on legislation to offer tax relief for disaster victims. Luna said in a statement Wednesday night, “The reason a discharge petition is put in place is in the event that members are unable to bring legislation to the floor because, for whatever reason, the leadership blocks it. There are a few bills that have been filed for a while but have never been voted on. This place loves to consolidate power. The discharge petition must be protected at all costs.” Johnson huddled with members of the House Rules Committee on Wednesday morning, but Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., one of the conservatives opposed to Luna’s push, told Fox News Digital that no decisions had been made. “Nothing has changed. I like Anna Paulina Luna. I just don’t like proxy voting. I think that opens Pandora’s Box,” Norman said. “We didn’t come up with any solutions today, but I think we’ll come up with something.” If Johnson decides to strip out the discharge petition language from the “rule,” the measure will have to be debated and advanced out of the House Rules Committee again. He said little to Fox News when asked about the standoff on Wednesday. “We’ll work through it. We’ve already begun that process today,” Johnson said. He added that “another rule” will be moved “early next week.” Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
Trump tells Supreme Court his authority is under siege in deportation showdown
The Trump administration told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that the president’s authority to protect the nation is under siege from lower court rulings, using a final brief in a high-stakes deportation case to accuse federal judges of imperiling the executive branch’s core powers. In the filing – the last before justices are slated to rule on President Donald Trump’s use of a 1798 immigration law to deport Venezuelan nationals – administration lawyers outlined what they call a pattern of judicial overreach and mounting efforts by federal courts to rein in the president’s agenda. “A single district court cannot broadly disable the President from discharging his most fundamental duties, regardless of the order’s label, and irrespective of its duration,” U.S. Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris said Wednesday in the filing. Lawyers for the Trump administration urged the court to vacate a pair of lower court orders handed down by U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg and by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, which they argue have “rebuffed” Trump’s immigration agenda, including its ability “to protect the Nation against foreign terrorist organizations and risk debilitating effects for delicate foreign negotiations.” ‘WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT’: US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO Plaintiffs pushed back on the administration’s reliance on the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, calling its use during peacetime “unprecedented.” In a brief filed earlier this week, they argued the law permits immediate deportations only in cases of a “declared war” or an “invasion or predatory incursion” by a foreign nation – conditions they say do not apply to the Venezuelan nationals targeted for removal. The 1798 law at the center of the case has been invoked only three times in U.S. history: during the War of 1812, World War I, and World War II. Both sides have now submitted their briefs to the Supreme Court, clearing the way for a final decision from the nine justices. The administration has defended the deportations as necessary to remove alleged members of the violent Tren de Aragua gang, who were transferred to El Salvador under the rarely used 18th-century law. The deportations were temporarily blocked last month, first by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, and later by a three-judge panel on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, prompting the Trump administration to seek relief from the Supreme Court. “This Court should vacate this TRO, halt the tide of injunctions, and restore the constitutional balance,” Harris told the Supreme Court on Wednesday. APPEALS COURT BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN’S DEPORTATION FLIGHTS IN ALIEN ENEMIES ACT IMMIGRATION SUIT Harris warned that the flurry of injunctions has become so routine it now threatens to paralyze the executive branch, noting that district courts have issued more than 40 injunctions or temporary restraining orders against the administration in just the last two months. Such orders, she argued, risk “destabilizing” the president’s foreign policy powers and “perversely” prevent migrants from using proper legal channels to challenge their designations. Judge Boasberg and the D.C. Circuit panel blocked the administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act while the case plays out on the merits – a move Boasberg defended as necessary after what he described as a secretive, expedited round of deportations that gave migrants no meaningful opportunity to contest their removal or seek court relief. The U.S. Circuit Court judges who voted 2–1 to extend the block – Karen Henderson, a Bush appointee, and Patricia Millett, an Obama appointee – spent much of last month’s oral arguments focused on due process concerns and the potential for immediate, irreparable harm to migrants deported under the law. Boasberg, for his part, sharply criticized the administration for failing to disclose how many individuals were deported to El Salvador on the same night he blocked further removals. It remains unclear whether officials knowingly violated his bench order to return any departing flights to U.S. soil. WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS? The filing follows weeks of White House criticism accusing federal courts of blocking key parts of Trump’s agenda – a pattern officials describe as judicial overreach. The administration urged the court to vacate Boasberg’s temporary restraining order, “halt the tide of injunctions” and “restore the constitutional balance” that has escalated tensions between the executive and judiciary early in Trump’s second term. It also asked the Court to at least grant an administrative stay, allowing deportations to continue under the Alien Enemies Act while the justices weigh the case. White House officials have continued to denounce the lower court rulings, which press secretary Karoline Leavitt last month called an “unauthorized infringement” on the president’s authority. “The administration will act swiftly to seek Supreme Court review to vindicate the president’s authority, defend the Constitution, and Make America Safe Again,” Leavitt said.
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Shady trial lawyer pipeline’ funneling millions to Democrats according to report
EXCLUSIVE — One of the country’s leading consumer protection firms released a report today exposing a “shady lawyer pipeline” of politicians handing out lucrative public contracts to trial lawyers, who in turn contribute millions of dollars to liberal political campaigns, including $1.4 million to the Harris-Walz campaign in 2024. The report – released by Alliance for Consumers (AFC) – highlights the deep Democratic ties of eight major consumer protection law firms – Morgan & Morgan, Lieff Cabraser, Motley Rice, Baron & Budd, Grant & Eisenhofer, Berger Montague, Cohen Milstein and Simmons Hanly – which it dubs the “shady eight.” According to AFC, these firms hold profitable public contracts across the country and contributed around $25 million in political donations from 2017 through 2024. In 2024 alone, the firms collectively donated $4 million to political campaigns, 99% of which were for Democrat candidates or Democrat-allied committees. EXCLUSIVE: GOP FIREBRAND DARES DEMS TO CONDEMN ATTACKS ON ELON MUSK’S TESLA During the 2024 presidential election, the firms contributed $1.4 million to former Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign. The shady eight also prioritized midterm Senate races, the report found, with Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and former Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Bob Casey, D – Penn., and Jon Tester, D – Mont. receiving the largest contributions next to Harris. Five of the firms — Lieff Cabraser, Motley Rice, Grant & Eisenhofer, Simmons Hanly, and Baron & Budd – showed a 100% commitment to Democrats and their allies, generating more than $2.5 million in federal donations in 2024. “The consumer should never be on the losing side of a left-wing political money game like what is on display in the Shady Trial Lawyer Pipeline,” AFC says in its report. “This partisan political giving is supported by money from public contracts signed by politicians and public officials; money that belongs to the taxpayers and consumers.” TESLA HYPOCRISY: DEMS CONTINUE INVESTING IN ELON MUSK COMPANY DESPITE PAINTING HIM AS VILLAIN AFC said “the ‘Shady Eight’ are stark examples—although far from the only ones—of how the Shady Trial Lawyer Pipeline works, with politicians feeding sweetheart contracts to trial lawyers who give 99% of their political donations to liberals and will happily turn around and pump millions of dollars into left-leaning candidates, committees, and allied organizations.” O.H. Skinner, executive director of the Alliance for Consumers, told Fox News Digital the report “shows how left-wing trial lawyers have turned consumer protection efforts into a political game.” He urged states to move to end their contracts with these “shady” law firms. DEM CANDIDATE CAUGHT ON CAMERA APPLAUDING NOTORIOUS ANTISEMITE’S VIOLENT RHETORIC: ‘YOU BREAK HIS NECK’ “The contracts that states have with these firms make some sense if the goal is funding left-wing political campaigns, but, for many reasons, they are exactly the wrong way to protect consumers,” he said. “Ending the Shady Trial Lawyer Pipeline is one of the strongest steps public officials can take to protect consumers and the rule of law.” This comes as Republicans in Congress move to rein in “out of control” rulings by activist judges that have inhibited some of the most highly-prioritized aspects of the Trump administration’s agenda, such as immigration enforcement and the deportation of criminal migrant gang members.
Musk not leaving yet, wrapping up work on schedule once ‘incredible work at DOGE is complete’: White House
Elon Musk will exit his role with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on schedule later this spring, once “his incredible work at DOGE is complete,” the White House confirmed Wednesday. “This ‘scoop’ is garbage,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted to X Wednesday. “Elon Musk and President Trump have both *publicly* stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete.” Leavitt was referring to a Wednesday Politico article reporting that “Trump has told his inner circle & members of his Cabinet that” Musk “will be stepping back in the coming weeks from his current role.” Musk, however, has long been anticipated to step back from DOGE when his 130 days as a “special government employee” run out in May. Musk has been the public face of DOGE since President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing the office Jan. 20. Musk officially was hired as a “special government employee,” which is a role Congress created in 1962 that allows the executive or legislative branch to hire temporary employees for specific short-term initiatives. IVY LEAGUE STUDENT ACCUSED OF CAUSING ‘EMOTIONAL HARM’ TO NON-FACULTY STAFF FOR SENDING DOGE-LIKE EMAIL Special government employees are permitted to work for the federal government for “no more than 130 days in a 365- day period,” according to data from the Office of Government Ethics. Musk’s 130-day timeframe, beginning on Inauguration Day, runs dry May 30. “Politico has become a tabloid paper that would rather run fake news for clicks than real reporting,” White House spokesman Harrison Fields told Fox Digital Wednesday of Politico’s report. “This is exactly why President Trump and DOGE have terminated millions of dollars in wasteful, government contracts to so-called news organizations that have diminished their credibility with the American people.” DOGE SLASHES OVER $100M IN DEI FUNDING AT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT: ‘WIN FOR EVERY STUDENT’ DOGE is a temporary cross-departmental organization that was established to slim down and streamline the federal government. The group itself will be dissolved on July 4, 2026, according to Trump’s executive order. Musk and Trump have both previously previewed that Musk’s role was temporary and would come to end in the coming weeks. “You, technically, are a special government employee and you’re supposed to be 130 days,” Fox News’ Bret Baier asked Musk during an exclusive interview with the DOGE leader and members of his team Thursday. “Are you going to continue past that or do you think that’s what you’re going to do?” “I think we will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars within that time frame,” Musk responded. Trump hinted at Musk’s departure in comments to the media Monday when asked if he wants Musk to remain in a government role for longer than the predetermined 130 days. DOGE VOLUNTEER CREDITS TRUMP FOR UNPRECEDENTED EFFORT TO CURB ‘JAW-DROPPING’ SOCIAL SECURITY FRAUD “I think he’s amazing. But I also think he’s got a big company to run,” Trump responded. “And so at some point he’s going to be going back.” “I’d keep him as long as I can keep him. He’s a very talented guy. You know, I love very smart people. He’s very smart. And he’s done a good job,” the president added. “DOGE is, we’ve found numbers that nobody can even believe.”
DeSantis rebukes Republicans for backing bill for carbon sequestration task force: ‘Absolutely embarrassing’
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis described it as “embarrassing” after the Sunshine State’s GOP-dominated House Natural Resources and Disasters Subcommittee voted to advance a bill that proposes creating a carbon sequestration task force. The subcommittee favorably reported the measure in a 15-2 vote on Tuesday, April 1. Just two Republicans opposed it, while 10 Republicans and all five Democrats voted in favor of it. FORMER DESANTIS OFFICIAL DEFEATS DEM FOR MATT GAETZ’S HOUSE SEAT “Is this Sacramento or Tallahassee? Absolutely embarrassing,” DeSantis asked when commenting on the vote result. The task force would “provide recommendations for the development of a statewide carbon sequestration program,” according to the measure, which defines carbon sequestration as “the long-term storage of carbon in plants, soils, geologic formations, and the ocean through land and aquatic habitat management.” In a video posted on social media the day before the vote, DeSantis called carbon sequestration a “scam” that is a facet of “climate ideology.” SCOOP: TRUMP ALLY DONALDS SHOWCASES CAMPAIGN CASH SURGE SINCE ANNOUNCING FLORIDA GOVERNOR RUN “Don’t indulge the left with carbon sequestration,” he declared. The text of the governor’s tweet described the prospect of dumping carbon into the soil, aquifers, or the ocean floor as a “non-starter.” But Democratic Florida state Rep. Lindsay Cross pushed back, tweeting, “We aren’t pumping carbon anywhere.” DESANTIS PROPOSES SOLUTION AS TRUMP’S AGENDA IS STYMIED BY JUDGES CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “#CarbonSequestration is Science & happening all around us. Plants pull carbon from the air & store in their roots/soil. We aren’t pumping carbon anywhere. This bipartisan bill will make FL a leader; ready to leverage private investments to conserve & manage natural & ag areas,” she wrote in response to the governor.
EXCLUSIVE: Jubilant Mike Johnson claims victory as Florida helps House GOP grow majority
EXCLUSIVE: House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is celebrating the GOP’s victory in two Florida special elections, despite Democrats’ full-throated fundraising efforts. “Decisive and double-digit wins in Florida show yet again that Americans are fired up to continue electing House Republicans, despite being significantly outraised and underestimated by misleading narratives from the media,” Johnson told Fox News Digital. “Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine will now be strong voices for Florida and our nation who will help us deliver on the mandate voters have given us in Congress,” he added. LIBERAL WINS FIRST MAJOR 2025 STATEWIDE BATTLEGROUND ELECTION IN RACE TURNED INTO TRUMP-MUSK REFERENDUM He is celebrating having “full” House GOP membership after kicking off the year – and Republicans’ government trifecta – with a razor-thin majority after two key departures amid Trump administration turnover. “Democrats are in disarray, and even after wasting tens of millions of dollars, they could not sell their extreme, radical, and rejected ideas to voters,” Johnson said. “With our full House Republican Conference now in place, we will continue our work to advance President Trump’s America First agenda and defend our majority in 2026.” Victories for Patronis, who served as Florida’s chief financial officer, and state Sen. Fine means Republicans will have a 220-213 majority in the House for the time being. Democrats have two vacancies of their own after the recent deaths of two lawmakers. However, until those are filled, Johnson will be able to afford up to three GOP defections on any party-line vote. Their votes will be critical for Johnson as he works to enact President Donald Trump’s agenda with little to no Democratic support – particularly with Republicans trying to pass sweeping legislation via the budget reconciliation process. FORMER DESANTIS OFFICIAL DEFEATS DEM FOR MATT GAETZ’S HOUSE SEAT Fine won his race against Democrat Josh Weil with nearly 57% of the vote in Florida’s 6th Congressional District. He ran to replace National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In Florida’s 1st Congressional District, which former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., vacated during an unsuccessful bid to become attorney general, Patronis beat Democrat Gay Valimont by nearly the same margin. Both districts lean heavily Republican, despite Democrats’ significant fundraising efforts.
Vance says we can ‘reclaim’ society from totalitarian left if we ‘keep on fighting’
FIRST ON FOX: Vice President JD Vance said the message in a new docuseries echoed the direction of the Trump administration’s recent actions – and the rest of the world would be wise to take notice. He offered remarks Tuesday night at an exclusive screening of the film adaptation of author Rod Dreher’s “Live Not By Lies” – first-hand interviews with civilian figures throughout the postwar period who embraced Christian values to blunt totalitarian regimes and efforts from Great Britain to Czechoslovakia when it was part of the Soviet bloc Vance said he got to know Dreher after the writer asked to interview him about his book, “Hillbilly Elegy,” before the now-vice president was a fixture on the political scene. Before boarding a flight back to the U.S. from a vacation in the United Kingdom, Vance submitted written answers to Dreher and hoped for the best – his book was hovering around No. 1,000 on the Amazon list. By the time he landed in the U.S., Dreher’s write-up had propelled it to No. 16. “Hillbilly Elegy” later inspired a Ron Howard film, and helped launch Vance into the spotlight as a nationally recognized figure. He would go on to win a seat in the Senate and eventually become vice president. TRUMP TARIFFS LEAD CANADIAN BUSINESS TO OFFER ‘RAGE ROOM’ FOR TRUMP, MUSK, VANCE PORTRAITS Dreher’s book and film, which featured interviews with notable dissidents of communism and totalitarianism in the Soviet bloc and even in England today, is a lesson for people of Christian and democratic values not to lose hope and “never stop fighting,” Vance said. He said that, without the courage to act in the face of government-compelled groupthink, the traditionalist West cannot “reclaim our civilization… rebuild prosperity and opportunity [or] rebuild the kind of society where we teach children the important virtues and skills to thrive; as opposed to trying to tear our kids down, which is what I think our education system does all too often.” Without speaking up, people who seek liberty over tyranny cannot defeat the left-wing foreign policy groupthink that has become the “animating concept” in too many Western nations, the vice president added. “We’re not going to solve any of these problems unless we have the courage to speak the truth, unless we have the courage to live the truth.” One thing the traditionalist right struggles with is submitting to despair, Vance said. “This idea that because things were not going great in 2020, because things weren’t always going in our way electorally, we would give into this sense that the country that we love, the civilization that we love was always on a negative trajectory,” he said. “And I say that as not a criticism of Rod, because I, myself, have sometimes felt in the lowest moments of American politics that, maybe, this country is just not going in the right direction.” “But I think that what we’ve learned over the last few months is that the American people, and I think Western peoples, are a hell of a lot more resilient than our elites give them credit for.” Vance said “Live Not By Lies” – a phrase itself coined by Soviet exile Alexander Solzhenitsyn in one of his famous oratories – means to maintain the same optimism that is at the root of Judeo-Christian theology and therefore the root of American traditions. VANCE CALLS OUT LEFTIST HYPOCRISY AGAINST JILL STEIN, SAYING DEMS CONTRARILY WANT RFK JR OFF BALLOT “You have Western peoples calling out their governments pushing back on issues like migration and religious freedom in a way that we haven’t seen in 20 or 30 years – if we’ve ever seen it,” he said. “If we keep on fighting and we keep working and we keep on having faith and we keep on pursuing the values that we know are right, I really do believe that we are going to see great things happen… all across the West. I know the president knows this.” Vance said the message of “Live Not By Lies” has been proven in the first months of the fledgling Trump-Vance administration. “We’ve gone from a country where we would harass and threaten and investigate and even arrest pro-life protesters to one where we’re encouraging pro-life activists to do what they can to persuade their fellow Americans,” Vance said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The film and book show British pro-life leader Isabel Vaughan-Spruce recounting being arrested essentially for praying outside an abortion clinic, and feature video of London police interrogating her on the street to find out what she was praying about. “A couple of months ago, we had social media censorship run amok. We were threatening people’s right of free expression for not saying the things that Silicon Valley technology companies told them to say,” Vance went on. “Now I believe that we have more free speech on the internet today than we’ve probably had in 10 or 15 years. So we’re making progress.”
UN watchdog project calls on DOGE Caucus to ‘audit’ the International org
UNITED NATIONS – The DOGE Caucus just got a consulting offer from an initiative looking to remove waste in the United Nations. Dynamic Oversight for Global Efficiencies in the U.N. (DOGE-U.N.) is looking to help the caucus identify cost-cutting opportunities and hold the U.N. accountable. “Accountability should extend beyond domestic institutions to global organizations that America funds. And they all should operate with fiscal responsibility and proper oversight,” DOGE-U.N. wrote in a letter to Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who founded the Senate DOGE Caucus. ‘UN80 INITIATIVE’ APPEARS TO SHOW WORLD BODY’S PANIC OVER POSSIBLE DOGE-LIKE CUTS Last month, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres announced the UN80 Initiative in honor of the 80th anniversary of the international organization. Despite speculation that the initiative was a response to Elon Musk’s work with DOGE, Guterres told reporters that it was completely unrelated. Guterres said the project is meant to handle the U.N.’s ongoing “liquidity crisis.” “For at least the past seven years, the United Nations has faced a liquidity crisis given the fact that not all member states pay in full, and many member states also do not pay on time,” secretary-general spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told Fox News Digital at the time. “This is about prudent spending planning to ensure that we can continue to fulfill our core functions and the mandates given to us by member states.” Hugh Dugan, the head of DOGE-U.N., told Fox News Digital that this is an opportunity to reform the U.N., which has not undergone any significant overhaul since 2000. Dugan also emphasized that the U.N. should be under this type of scrutiny more frequently and not just when the U.S. is “frustrated with” the organization. DOGE USAID BUDGET CUTS HIT UN IN ‘WORST LIQUIDITY CRISIS SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT’ Under Musk, DOGE first tackled waste at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which drew significant criticism. President Donald Trump listed several examples of the ways USAID allegedly wasted U.S. taxpayer dollars, including millions of dollars that went to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in other countries. Dugan told Fox News Digital that a significant portion of USAID funding was “funneled” through U.N. entities. He believes the “money trail will definitely be taking us through many of those entities, whether it’s peacekeeping or a U.N. development program.” In its letter, DOGE-U.N. lists several recommendations for the DOGE Caucus, including decentralizing New York-based U.N. entities to lower-cost countries, which the organization said could save “at least 40% in salaries alone.” DOGE-U.N. also recommends an audit of the U.N.’s ongoing “liquidity crisis.” The U.S. is not the only country rethinking its contributions to the international body. Dugan told Fox News Digital that other countries are also reevaluating their spending, but the U.S. is “the most colorful and biggest” because of Musk. Dugan ultimately pointed the finger at Guterres and told Fox News Digital that there are “whispers and grumblings among ambassadors” who are allegedly dissatisfied with the secretary-general’s performance. Senior U.N. insiders allegedly told Dugan that they too are “very eager” to see things turn around “sooner rather than later.” Ernst’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Pence group lashes out at Trump tariffs ahead of ‘Liberation Day’ event: ‘Tax on American consumers’
Former Vice President Mike Pence’s policy advocacy organization came out against President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day,” arguing his tariff plans “are essentially a tax on American consumers and businesses.” In a post on X on Wednesday, along with a letter to Congress, the group Americans Advancing Freedom (AAF) stated the tariffs “are essentially a tax on American consumers and businesses.” This marks one of the rare occasions when the group, founded in 2021 based on the principles of Trump’s first term, has opposed his policies. “Congress has a constitutional responsibility to reclaim its authority over taxation,” AAF’s general counsel Marc Wheat wrote in the letter. TRUMP’S 11TH WEEK IN OFFICE SET TO FOCUS ON TARIFFS AS PRESIDENT TOUTS ‘LIBERATION DAY’ Wheat said Congress could achieve this by passing Sen. Mike Lee’s Article One Act, which was introduced in 2023 under the Biden administration. The bill would require Congress to approve national emergency declarations declared by the president within 30 days as well as place other barriers around such orders. “The Framers knew from experience the dangers of abuse of the taxing power,” Wheat wrote. Trump is expected to roll out his plan for reciprocal tariffs, which would impose higher taxes on countries that export goods to the U.S. on Wednesday afternoon, dubbing it “Liberation Day.” CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER MARK CARNEY SAYS ‘OLD RELATIONSHIP’ WITH US ‘IS OVER’ AMID TENSION OVER TRUMP TARIFFS “April 2, 2025, will go down as one of the most important days in modern American history,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during Tuesday’s White House press briefing. “Our country has been one of the most open economies in the world, and we have the consumer base, hands down – the best consumer base. But too many foreign countries have their markets closed to our exports. This is fundamentally unfair.” “The lack of reciprocity contributes to our large and persistent annual trade deficit that’s gutted our industries and hollowed out key workforces,” she continued. “But those days of America, beginning tomorrow, being ripped off, are over. American workers and businesses will be put first under President Trump, just as he promised on the campaign trail.” TRUMP PRESSES 4 GOP SENATORS AHEAD OF ANTI-CANADIAN TARIFF VOTE, ACCUSING THEM OF ‘TDS’ The White House has been discreet about Trump’s planned tariff announcement, only explaining reciprocal tariffs will restore fairness to U.S. trading after decades of disproportionate trade deals with other countries. “I think it’s going to be something that’s going to bring a lot of wealth back to our country, tremendous wealth back to our country, actually,” Trump told the media Monday. “And, other countries are understanding, because they’ve been ripping us for 50 years, longer.” Trump and his administration said the tariff plan will boost business in the U.S. by encouraging companies to establish operations on American soil to bypass the tariffs, thereby creating job opportunities for American workers. In February, Trump signed executive orders imposing 25% tariffs on most goods imported from Canada and Mexico – citing national security concerns related to drug trafficking and illegal immigration – with Canadian oil and energy exports facing a 10% tariff. Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.
FBI flooded with record number of new agent applications in Kash Patel’s first month leading bureau
FIRST ON FOX: The FBI received a record number of new agent applications in Director Kash Patel’s first full month leading the bureau, with the flood of law enforcement job-seekers nearly doubling the monthly average since 2016. There were 5,577 new FBI agent applications submitted in March, Fox News Digital has learned. The last time the bureau saw a monthly figure even close to that number was April 2016, with 5,283 applications. By comparison, the monthly average in 2023 was 2,797 applications, with 3,383 applications per month in 2024, according to FBI data reviewed by Fox News Digital. KASH PATEL TAKES REINS AT SCANDAL-RIDDEN FBI WITH ‘AMERICA ALWAYS’ MINDSET: ‘LET GOOD COPS BE COPS’ “Director Patel and Deputy Director (Dan) Bongino have put a major emphasis on restoring confidence in federal law enforcement and boosting new agent recruiting,” FBI spokesman Ben Williamson told Fox News Digital Wednesday. “These record early returns certainly suggest the new FBI is heading in the right direction.” Since January, the FBI has seen more than 10,000 new agent applications, according to FBI data. In January, the first month of the Trump administration and the month of Patel’s nomination and confirmation hearing, the FBI saw 4,143 applications to join the bureau – the first time the bureau had seen a month of new agent applications in the 4,000s since August 2020. TOP FIVE TAKEDOWNS: KASH PATEL’S FBI HITS THE GROUND RUNNING WITH MAJOR EARLY VICTORIES “The record number of FBI job applications in March shows that people are inspired by Kash Patel’s commitment to restoring integrity and effectiveness at the bureau,” Patel advisor Erica Knight told Fox News Digital Wednesday. “Americans are putting their trust in his leadership to rebuild the FBI and keep our communities safe.” And, Knight told Fox News Digital, “this is just the beginning.” “Kash is dedicated to creating a stronger, more trusted FBI that serves the American people the way it was always meant to,” Knight said. During his Senate confirmation hearing in late January, Patel illustrated the “erosion of trust” at the bureau, pointing to polling revealing that “only 40% of Americans hold a favorable view of the FBI.” “This must change,” Patel testified. “Public cooperation is vital for the bureau to solve crimes, and its declining reputation is already affecting recruitment efforts.” FBI LAUNCHES TASK FORCE TO CRACK DOWN ON VIOLENT TESLA ATTACKS, MIGRANT THREATS The record number of new agent applications comes as Patel and Bongino put a heavy emphasis on new agent recruiting and restoring law enforcement morale by “letting good cops be cops.” In March, Patel released an FBI recruitment video, showing the director in the field with agents and highlighting footage from the hostage rescue team facility urging people to join the team. The video ends with a graphic showing the FBI seal, and the words: “A renewed mission. A stronger future.” “Apply today at FBIJobs.gov,” the video says. Patel and Bongino also have privately emphasized to their staff the importance of boosting local partner engagement. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Sources familiar told Fox News Digital that Patel has instructed his team to offer full and total support to the families of fallen officers, while Bongino has personally reached out and met with the uniformed officers on FBI ground to thank them for their work that “often goes unnoticed.” “Our team will continue to recruit the best law enforcement personnel in the country,” Williamson told Fox News Digital. “We hope to see even more brave men and women want to be a part of what we’re building.”