Trump signs EO offering illegal migrants ‘exit bonus’ in first-ever self-deportation program
President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order establishing the first ever self-deportation program which incentivizes illegal migrants to voluntarily leave the country in a free flight and with a cash bonus. The new program, titled “Project Homecoming,” authorizes government-funded flights and offers money to illegal migrants willing to self-deport. Trump announced the signing of the order in a video post on Truth Social and said that the program will end up saving taxpayers “billions and billions” of dollars. DHS UNLEASHES POSSIBLE MONEY-SAVING MEASURE FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS TO SELF-DEPORT: ‘SAFEST OPTION’ “We are making it as easy as possible for illegal aliens to leave America. Any illegal alien can simply show up at an airport and receive a free flight out of our country,” Trump said. “Illegals can book a free flight to any foreign country as long as it’s not here. You can go anywhere you want.” Trump added that illegal migrants will be offered a “very important exit bonus” to leave. Homeland Security said earlier this week that migrants would be offered a $1,000 stipend each to leave. The department said this will be 70% cheaper for American taxpayers, as it currently costs DHS, on average, over $17,000 to arrest, detain, and deport someone. “This deportation bonus will save American taxpayers billions and billions of dollars,” Trump said. ICE FILES DETAINERS AGAINST 2 ILLEGAL ALIENS, INCLUDING 1 FACING ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES FOR SHOOTING SPREE He advised illegal migrants to use the Homeland Security CBP One app to arrange their deportations. The Biden-era app was previously used to expedite migrants to schedule appointments at official ports of entry before they were paroled into the U.S. That function was ended on the first day of Trump’s second term and the app is now being used to encourage migrants to self-deport and notify some migrants that their legal status has been revoked. Trump said that there would be stiff consequences for those who do not comply with his order, but added that migrants who have behaved in the U.S. may get a chance to come back in – as long as they follow the rules of the new plan. “Illegal aliens who stay in America face punishments, including significant jail time, enormous financial penalties, confiscation of all property, garnishment of all wages, imprisonment and incarceration and sudden deportation, in a place, and manner solely of our discretion,” Trump said. “So to all illegal aliens who book your free flight right now, we want you out of America. But if you’re really good, we’re going to try and help you get back in.” The White House said the financial incentives will benefit Americans in the long-term, given it estimates that illegal migrants will cost taxpayers $150 billion in FY 2023 alone. “Over the last 4 years, the United States has endured a full-scale invasion of aliens entering and remaining in the country illegally, causing a relentless onslaught of crime, vagrancy, violence, and death in countless American communities,” the White House said in a statement. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “This lawless invasion has also limited the capacity of American schools and hospitals to provide for American citizens and has diverted billions of dollars in Federal, State, and local social services from Americans in need.” Trump also took a shot at former President Biden, whose administration oversaw record numbers of border crossers. “What Biden did to this country can never be explained. Will never, ever be accepted. Eventually, when the illegals are gone, it will save us trillions of dollars,” Trump said.
Why longtime Trump ally and former Republican Gov. Paul LePage is aiming for a political comeback
LEWISTON, MAINE – EXCLUSIVE – Former two-term Gov. Paul LePage of Maine says President Donald Trump is a major reason why he’s coming out of political retirement at age 76 – and he’s eyeing a campaign comeback. “I never, ever had any aspirations to go to Washington until now,” LePage said this week in his first national interview after launching his bid for the House in Maine’s Second Congressional District, which is a top swing seat the GOP aims to flip in the 2026 midterm elections. The contest will likely be one of the most closely watched House races in the country next year as the Republicans aim to hold their fragile majority in the chamber. “Donald Trump, I think, is doing what is necessary in addressing the debt this country is facing. And I think that’s a big, big thing for me,” LePage said as he was interviewed in the Maine city where he was born and raised. HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CHAIR SPELLS OUT HIS PLAYBOOK TO HOLD THE CONGRESSIONAL MAJORITY LePage highlighted, “I have a friend in the White House right now. I know President Trump. I think I can have an audience of President Trump. I know several of his secretaries very well. And so I think this is a good time. It’s a good time for me to go help.” LePage – the brash and blunt politician who won over blue-collar workers struggling with economic woes, which helped the Republican businessman win election and re-election in the blue-leaning state – was one of the first major GOP elected officials to endorse Trump when the president first ran for the White House nearly a decade ago. “I was Donald Trump before Donald Trump became popular,” LePage joked at the time, in a line that’s since become famous. The conservative governor, who grabbed national attention with controversial comments made during his tenure, briefly moved with his wife, Ann, to Florida after finishing his second term in 2019. “I am done with politics. I have done my eight years. It’s time for somebody else,” he said at the time. CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS TARGETING THESE HOUSE REPUBLICANS IN 2026 MIDTERM BATTLE But LePage re-established residency in Maine five years ago and challenged his successor as governor, Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, in the 2022 election. LePage ended up losing his bid for a third term by 13 points to Mills, but he did carry the 2nd Congressional District in that race. Moderate Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, a U.S. Marine veteran who deployed to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and who often bucks his own party in Congress, has held the seat since first winning it in 2018. But Golden won re-election by a razor-thin margin last year in the district, which is the second-most rural in the U.S. and the largest east of the Mississippi River. And Trump, who carried the district in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections by nine, seven and 10 points, earned an electoral vote each time, as Maine and Nebraska, are the only two states in the union to allocate their electoral votes partially by congressional district. MAINE’S GOLDEN TAKES AIM AT FELLOW DEMOCRATS OVER POLICY Golden, in a statement after LePage announced his candidacy, said, “I thought Paul was doing his best work in retirement.” But the 42-year-old Golden has yet to announce whether he’ll seek re-election next year or instead run for either the state’s Senate seat or the open governor’s office. In his Fox News interview, LePage reiterated that the nation’s debt is a top motivation for him to return to politics. As of May 8, the national debt was $36,212,886,111,158.26, according to Fox News’ National Debt Tracker. “It’s the spending and the debt that this country has, and I’m worried about my grandchildren, great-grandchildren. And I think we have a president now that’s really willing to tackle it, and I’m willing to help,” he said. But LePage added that “the other thing that is really big is what’s happening in our country with the woke environment. I think I want to be there to help clean that up if we can. Having boys play in girls’ sports is really sad.” He also highlighted his Tuesday meeting—part of a three-day swing through the congressional district—with Maine student Cassidy Carlisle, whom he described as “the courageous young woman fighting unfair male competition in girls’ sports.” Maine’s 2nd Congressional District shares a long border with Canada. When asked if he’ll be spotlighting border security and immigration as major issues in his campaign, Lepage said, “Big time.” But the controversial tariffs the president placed on nations across the globe last month has strained relations with Canada. “I’m all for the tariffs,” LePage said. “The tariffs will fix our international trade and lower taxes.” LePage acknowledged: “Is it going to hurt in the short term? Yeah, it’s going to hurt a little bit in the short term, but I think it’s necessary.” And he predicted that “the tariffs are going to be a short-term problem. I think they’re going to settle out.” LePage spoke with Fox News at Lewiston’s Franco Center, a performing arts center and historic site of Franco-American culture located in a former Gothic church built in 1907 for French Canadian immigrants in Maine, which is located alongside the city’s historical mills and canals. The former governor, who survived a troubling and often brutal upbringing, gave Fox News a tour of the many dwellings within blocks of the Franco Center, where he spent his childhood. The eldest son of 18 children, LePage grew up speaking French in an impoverished home with an alcoholic and abusive father who was a mill worker. At age 11, he ran away from home after his father beat him and broke his nose. He lived on the streets of Lewiston and often crashed on friends’ couches for a couple of years before earning a living shining shoes, washing dishes at a restaurant, and haling boxes for a local truck
States support parents in legal case over school’s secret gender transition of child
Nearly two dozen states have banded together, filing an amicus brief to defend the constitutional rights of a Florida family, whose public middle school is accused of secretly “socially transitioning” their 13-year-old daughter without their consent. The brief, filed on April 30, involves January and Jeffrey Littlejohn, parents in Leon County, Florida, who allege school officials met privately with their child about using a new name and pronouns, and did not inform or involve them as parents. School staff allegedly asked the Littlejohns’ daughter which bathroom and locker rooms she wanted to use, which gender she wanted to room with during overnight trips, and if she wanted her parents to be notified. A three-judge panel from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta sided 2-1 with the school district in a ruling on March 12, finding school officials “did not act with intent to injure” or “force the child to attend a student support plan meeting,” thus not meeting the “shock the conscience” standard. The Littlejohns appealed, requesting the court hear the case in full. EXCLUSIVE: MOM’S FIGHT WITH SCHOOL OVER TEEN DAUGHTER’S GENDER TRANSITION GETS BOOST FROM PARENTS GROUP The “shock the conscience” standard is often used in due process cases and refers to “egregious and unjust actions” that violate principles of fairness and decency, according to the Liberty Justice Center, which, in addition to the brief filed by the states’ attorneys general, joined the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty and Dr. Erica Anderson, Ph.D., in filing a brief in support of the parents’ position. “The issue of parental notification policy, or, in this case, the lack of notification policies, is something we’re seeing around the country,” Emily Rae, senior counsel at the Liberty Justice Center, told Fox News Digital. “There are dozens of cases at the state level and federal level juggling this issue, trying to determine what parents’ rights are in this situation.” States’ attorneys general called the court’s decision “disastrous for parents everywhere,” according to the brief that includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, West Virginia and Arizona. TRUMP GUEST WHOSE DAUGHTER WAS TRANSITIONED BEHIND HER BACK SPEAKS OUT “Purposefully withholding from a parent critical information about supposed medical treatment that a school is providing a student not only violates that right, but does so to a disturbing and constitutionally intolerable degree,” the states’ attorneys general added. “Parents – not the government – know what’s best for their children,” Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr wrote in a statement. “We will always stand for parental rights and Georgia families.” The Liberty Justice Center, in conjunction with the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty and Anderson, wrote that school officials are not experts and should not aid in students’ transition. “To summarize, no professional association recommends that teachers and school officials, who have no expertise whatsoever in these issues, should facilitate a social transition while at school, treating minors as if they are really the opposite sex, in secret from their parents,” the Liberty Justice Center wrote. “Usurping the parents in this way is conscience-shocking.” PARENTS TELL SCOTUS: LGBTQ STORYBOOKS IN CLASSROOMS CLASH WITH OUR FAITH In an interview earlier this year, January Littlejohn, who was one of President Donald Trump’s guests at his address to a joint session of Congress, said the school’s actions had a “destructive” effect on her entire family. Ultimately, she said her daughter worked through the gender confusion, but the issue created a family rift that “took many years to repair.” The Leon County School District and Carr did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
WATCH: Senators answer questions about ‘due process’ as Trump cracks down on illegal immigration
While Republicans have celebrated President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, Democrats have accused the Trump administration’s deportations of violating due process. “We need judges that are not going to be demanding a trial for every single illegal immigrant. We have millions of people who have come in here illegally, and we can’t have a trial for every single person. That would be millions of trials,” Trump recently told reporters on Air Force One. Fox News Digital asked lawmakers on Capitol Hill to respond to Trump’s argument that illegal immigrants are not entitled to due process. “People come here and get a legal process called parole and have a right to due process,” said Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz. “We are a country of laws, and we shouldn’t be kicking people out of the country without having that due process.” FOX NEWS RIDES ALONG AS FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL BEGINS ENFORCING FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAWS ON STATE ROADS According to the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, all “persons” are entitled to due process. While the extent of due process for deporting illegal immigrants has played out in the courts, Kelly made his position clear when pressed by Fox News Digital. DEM CONGRESS MEMBERS STORM NEW JERSEY ICE PRISON TO CONDUCT ‘OVERSIGHT VISIT’: ‘PEOPLE DESERVE DIGNITY’ “I’ll also say, throwing out little kids who are U.S. citizens, it’s wrong, it’s dangerous. It is certainly not fair to them or their parents, but it really does affect everybody. I mean, tossing out a 2-year-old who’s a U.S. citizen is crazy,” Kelly said. But Republicans who spoke to Fox News Digital weren’t so sympathetic, as they doubled down on their support of the Trump administration deporting illegal immigrants. “Nobody should be coming into the country illegally,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said. “[Former President Joe] Biden has ruined all this. He’s ruined the whole immigration process. He has tainted immigration. Now we have [Venezuelan President Nicolás] Maduro’s criminals that are coming in, that he sent here. We have all the drug traffickers here. We have terrorists here. These people need to get out of the country. They’re here illegally. I want this country safe.” Scott’s comments mimic Trump’s accusations on the 2024 presidential campaign trail of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro intentionally sending criminals to the U.S., and blaming former President Joe Biden for the surge in illegal immigration. “The law does not require someone to actually have a jury trial,” Sen. James Lankford, D-Okla., countered to Fox News Digital. “A hearing can be done. It’s not a trial. It’s not a jury trial. That’s not the right of someone that’s not legally present in the country.” Lankford said illegal immigrants are only entitled to a hearing, not a trial before a jury before deportation, which is supported by the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment. “No, it’s not necessary,” said Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., agreeing with Trump. “These people are illegal.” Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., explained to Fox News Digital that while illegal immigrants are entitled to prior notice before deportation under habeas corpus, the judicial system has not clearly defined how long that window is. “Basically, the courts have said under a habeas proceeding, there needs to be notice,” said Schmitt. “But the question is, what does that notice mean? Is it an hour, is it a day or is it a week? I think what you’re ultimately going to see, not under the Alien Enemies Act, but under the habeas cases, is that there’s going to be a relatively short window, and [Trump’s] going to be able to proceed with these deportations.” White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller told reporters on Friday that the White House is considering suspending habeas corpus, which he said the Trump administration has the authority to do during “a time of invasion.” “A lot of it depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not,” Miller said.
Judge puts temporary pause on Trump’s mass layoffs at government agencies
A federal judge on Friday issued a temporary pause on the Trump administration’s plans to restructure various government agencies and cut tens of thousands of federal workers because the government overhaul was not authorized by Congress. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston put a 14-day pause on the mass layoffs, siding with a group of unions, non-profits and local governments after they filed a lawsuit on April 28. Illston said Trump may broadly restructure federal agencies, but only in “lawful ways” with approval from Congress. “The President has the authority to seek changes to executive branch agencies, but he must do so in lawful ways and, in the case of large-scale reorganizations, with the cooperation of the legislative branch,” Illston said. “Many presidents have sought this cooperation before; many iterations of Congress have provided it.” FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN FROM DISMANTLING 3 AGENCIES “Nothing prevents the President from requesting this cooperation—as he did in his prior term of office,” the judge continued. “Indeed, the Court holds the President likely must request Congressional cooperation to order the changes he seeks, and thus issues a temporary restraining order to pause large-scale reductions in force in the meantime.” Illston’s ruling was the broadest of its kind against administration efforts to overhaul the federal government, which have been led by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment. In February, Trump directed agencies to work with DOGE to identify targets for mass layoffs as part of the administration’s plans to restructure the government. FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS HALT TO TRUMP ADMIN’S CFPB TERMINATIONS The president instructed agencies to eliminate duplicate roles, unnecessary management layers and non-critical jobs, as well as to automate routine tasks, close regional field offices and reduce the use of outside contractors. The group of plaintiffs said the administration’s “unlawful attempt to reorganize the federal government has thrown agencies into chaos, disrupting critical services provided across our nation.” “Each of us represents communities deeply invested in the efficiency of the federal government – laying off federal employees and reorganizing government functions haphazardly does not achieve that,” the groups said in a statement. Illston scheduled a hearing for May 22 for a potential longer preliminary injunction. She said plaintiffs are likely to suffer irreparable harm without the temporary restraining order, which she said preserves the status quo. The judge said the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of some of their claims. They accuse Trump of exceeding his authority and say that DOGE, the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management exceeded their authority and violated administrative law. “The Court here is not considering the potential loss of income of one individual employee, but the widespread termination of salaries and benefits for individuals, families, and communities,” Illston wrote. Reuters contributed to this report.
Mexico sues Google for changing ‘Gulf of Mexico’ to ‘Gulf of America’ after Trump’s order
Mexico has filed a lawsuit against Google after it changed the label for the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on its maps platform to match U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order to amend the name of the body of water, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Friday. Sheinbaum said at a press briefing that the lawsuit had been filed against the tech giant, without providing additional details. The lawsuit comes after Sheinbaum threatened in February to sue Google for the name change. MEXICAN PRESIDENT SIGNALS POSSIBLE LAWSUIT AGAINST GOOGLE OVER GULF OF AMERICA NAME CHANGE “We are going to wait. We are already seeing, observing what this would mean from the perspective of legal advice, but we hope that they will make a revision,” Sheinbaum said at the time. Mexico’s Foreign Relations Ministry has also previously sent letters to Google urging it not to relabel the oceanic basin as the Gulf of America. Trump signed an order on his first day back in the White House in January to rename the northern part of the gulf to the Gulf of America. The body of water has shared borders between the United States and Mexico, and Trump’s order only carries authority within the U.S. Mexico has argued that the Gulf of America label should only apply to the part over the U.S. continental shelf. The U.S. has control over about 46% of the gulf, Mexico controls about 49% and Cuba controls about 5%, according to Sovereign Limits, a database of international boundaries. “What Google is doing here is changing the name of the continental shelf of Mexico and Cuba, which has nothing to do with Trump’s decree, which applied only to the U.S. continental shelf,” Sheinbaum said in February. The gulf appears in Google Maps as the Gulf of America within the U.S., as the Gulf of Mexico within Mexico and Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) everywhere else. It had been called the Gulf of Mexico for more than 400 years. GOOGLE MAPS, FAA OFFICIALY ACKNOWLEDGE GULF OF AMERICA AFTER TRUMP DECLARATION: ‘ISN’T IT BEAUTIFUL?’ Google Maps began using Gulf of America for users in the U.S. shortly after Trump’s order, citing its “longstanding practice” of following the U.S. government’s lead on these matters. In cases where official names vary between countries, Google’s policy says users will see their official local names. In February, the Mexican president shared a response from Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy, Cris Turner, who said the company would not change its policy after Trump’s order. Sheinbaum’s announcement of the lawsuit comes after House Republicans passed the Gulf of America Act in a 211-206 vote, marking the first step in codifying Trump’s order. The legislation now heads to the Senate. Fox News Digital has reached out to Google for comment. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Texas pushes back against foreign land grab with ‘strongest bill in the nation’ against China, Iran, Russia
Texas lawmakers are charging ahead with what they call the nation’s strongest legislative effort yet to block hostile foreign powers from purchasing land in the Lone Star State. Championed by Republican state Rep. Cole Hefner and state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, Senate Bill 17 (SB17) is designed to stop governments and entities tied to countries like China, Iran, North Korea and Russia from gaining a foothold on Texas soil. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Hefner described SB17 as “model legislation” aimed at shutting down land purchases that pose a national security threat. “This bill is about actions and affiliations, not race, not nationality,” Hefner said. “If you’re acting on behalf of a hostile foreign adversary, we’re going to take that land back.” TEXAS LAW GETS TOUGH ON PUBLIC, PRIVATE DRONE USE The bill is in direct response to real-world events. Hefner cited the 2021 case of a retired Chinese general acquiring over 140,000 acres near Laughlin Air Force Base. “We’ve [also] seen the attempt of foreign actors or hostile foreign adversaries to buy land close to food processing plants,” Hefner said. “And it’s just something that we have found the more we dig into it, the more we find that there’s a lot of things we don’t know and a lot of vulnerabilities that are out there.” The bill prohibits entities and individuals affiliated with governments designated as national security threats, based on the U.S. Director of National Intelligence’s annual assessments, from purchasing real estate if those purchases pose risks to public health or safety. The law empowers the state’s attorney general to investigate, block and even reverse such land deals through court-ordered receivership. TEXAS LAWMAKERS CONSIDERING BILL TO BAN GENDER CHANGES ON BIRTH CERTIFICATES Under SB17, “real property” includes agricultural, commercial, industrial, and residential land as well as mines, minerals, and timber. The law includes key exemptions for U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and property intended as a personal homestead. “The strong points of our bill is that it can apply to anyone if we can prove they’re acting as an agent,” said Hefner. “So even if they’re from a friendly country, but they’re actually on behalf of a foreign adversary, then they will be subject to the bill.” The bill gives the attorney general investigative powers, and authority to appoint receivers to manage or sell properties acquired in violation of the law. Hefner pushed back hard on critics who claim the bill is xenophobic. “This has nothing to do with skin color or ethnicity,” he said. “It’s about protecting Texans and Americans from foreign espionage and influence.” He also stressed that SB17 should not be seen as a partisan move. “It shouldn’t be a partisan issue. This is about national security. This is about keeping our citizens safe,” said Hefner. “It’s not about Republican or Democrat, it’s not liberal or conservative. It is just taking care of our people. “And I believe that’s the, you know, the number one responsibility of the government is to make sure that people can live free and safe in their state.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP SB17 is set to take effect Sept. 1. Hefner said he hopes the legislation sparks a nationwide effort. “We need to wake up,” he said. “This is about securing the homeland, not playing politics.” Fox News Digital’s Nick Butler contributed to this report.
Massachusetts suspect charged with attempting to assassinate a Cabinet nominee
A Massachusetts suspect was charged this week with attempting to assassinate a cabinet nominee, the U.S. Department of Justice said. Ryan Michael English, 24, was arrested in January after allegedly attempting to bring a knife and two improvised Molotov cocktails into the U.S. Capitol to assassinate then-Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent during his nomination. On Thursday, English was charged with the attempted assassination of a cabinet member nominee and carrying a dangerous weapon on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol Building. English had an initial court appearance on Thursday afternoon. PHOTOGRAPHER WINS PULITZER FOR ICONIC PHOTO OF BULLET SPEEDING BY TRUMP’S HEAD DURING ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT Prosecutors said that English had also originally plotted to kill House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and was inspired by United HealthCare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione. English walked up to a U.S. Capitol Police officer on Jan. 27 and allegedly stated, “I’d like to turn myself in,” according to initial charging documents. English claimed to have two Molotov cocktails and two knives and expressed being there “to kill Scott Bessent,” according to court documents. Federal prosecutors said English left home in Massachusetts and traveled to Washington with the intent of killing Hegseth, whom the suspect referred to as a “Nazi,” and Johnson, and burning down the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank near the White House. Capitol Police officers found a folding knife and two improvised incendiary devices made of vodka bottles with a grey cloth affixed to the top inside English’s jacket during a search. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP They found a green lighter in another pocket. Fox News’ Danielle Wallace and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Pete Hegseth directs military academies that all future admissions will be based solely on merit
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday sent a memo to West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy, saying that all future admissions will be based solely on merit. “The Department owes it to our nation, our Service Members, and our young Americans applying to the MSAs to ensure admissions to these prestigious institutions are based exclusively on merit,” Hegseth wrote in a memo to the academies. He added that this would ensure that only the “most qualified candidates” would be admitted. PETE HEGSETH SAYS WEST POINT PROFESSOR WHO RESIGNED OVER TRUMP ADMIN EDUCATION OVERHAUL ‘WILL NOT BE MISSED’ “Selecting anyone but the best erodes lethality, our warfighting readiness, and undercuts the culture of excellence in our Armed Forces,” he wrote. He said the secretaries of the military departments would have 30 days to certify that there will be no consideration of race, ethnicity or sex in applications and that they will be based on merit only. HEGSETH ORDERS DEADLINE FOR TRANS SERVICE MEMBERS TO LEAVE MILITARY: ‘OUT AT THE DOD’ He said merit can be weighted by athletic talent, prior military service, performance at an MSA preparatory school, or other similar experience. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The Department must remain steadfast in its pursuit of excellence and never compromise the high standards at our MSAs,” he concluded. “A strong officer corps is essential to ensuring the United States military remains the most lethal the world has ever known.”
Pope Leo XIV’s name gives clue to how he’ll handle social, political divides, bishop says
American author, speaker and theologian Bishop Robert Barron was at the Vatican this week to witness the election of a new pope, and he shared his thoughts with Fox News Digital about Cardinal Robert Prevost’s “intriguing” new papal name. Papal names are often very symbolic with regard to how a Pope will serve as the leader of the Catholic Church. Typically, Pope’s select the names of predecessors they admire or want to emulate. Prevost ultimately went with Leo XIV in honor of Pope Leo XIII, who served from 1878 to 1903. “He could have been Francis II, and we would have said, ‘Oh, there he is clearly in the line of Francis.’ He could have been John Paul III, then we would have thought, ‘Oh, he’s very much in that more conservative line.’ He could have been John XXIV, and we say ‘Oh, now he’s a real revolutionary liberal, et cetera,’” Barron said. “The fact that he went back, well over 100 years, to this very interesting and pivotal figure … our new pope was saying, I too, want a critical engagement with the modern world, not simply a ‘no,’ but also not simply a ‘yes,’ not simply an acquiescence to it.” CARDINAL DOLAN DESCRIBES POPE XIV AS ‘CITIZEN OF THE WORLD,’ WILL BUILD BRIDGES WITH TRUMP Barron pointed out that Leo XIII was a pivotal figure due to the timing of his reign, which came during a moment when the Church was contending with the tremendous political and philosophical upheavals of the 18th and 19th centuries, such as the French and American Revolutions, and the introduction of philosophies such as Marxism. “The church’s first reaction [to these changes] was very negative. It was a great ‘no’ to modernity. By the end of the 19th century, I think, with a certain distance and a certain critical intelligence, the church was willing to enter into a more, call it, creative engagement with modernity. And I think Pope Leo the 13th represents precisely that,” Barron said. The bishop pointed to the Rerum Novarum to further his point, an encyclical letter issued by Pope Leo XII in 1891. BEARS STAR CALEB WILLIAMS ISSUES TWO-WORDED REACTION TO POPE LEO XIV’S ELECTION “In that document, [Leo XII] is a fierce opponent of Marxism, a fierce opponent of socialism and communism, a great defender of private property and of the market economy,” Barron said. “So you say, ‘Okay, there’s that great ‘no’ to the left-wing economic revolutions.’ At the same time, in that same letter, [Leo XII] comes out strongly in favor of the right to form unions. He comes out very strongly in favor of what we call the universal destination of goods.” “In fact, Pope Leo says in that letter, once the requirements of necessity and propriety have been met in your life, the rest of what you own belongs to the poor,” Barron continued. “That’s not a just a standard, boring, mainstream point of view. That’s a pretty revolutionary statement. But notice the lovely balance in that letter between ‘yes’ to private property, the great ‘no’ to socialism and Marxism, but the great ‘yes’ to the universal destination of goods. Leo sets the tone thereby for the rest of Catholic social teaching that followed him.” In conclusion, Barron said he thinks Prevost’s selection of Leo XIV makes the new pope “a very interesting player” in terms of the debate between the Right and the Left in politics. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “[Leo XVI] doesn’t fit – and I’ve said this 1,000 times – he and other great representatives of Catholic social teaching don’t fit into our categories of left and right,” Barron said. “They don’t fit into Democrat-Republican, they’re in a space beyond those distinctions. So, I think that’s what’s perhaps most interesting about him.”