Trump dares Newsom to run in 2028, slams record on LA wildfires
President Donald Trump said he would “love” California Gov. Gavin Newsom to launch a White House bid for the Democrats, but said his response to wildfires and other issues would “pretty much put him out of the race.” The president, during a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, took a swipe at Newsom, blasting California’s high-speed rail project. SMELT TEST: TRUMP ORDER OVERRIDES CALIFORNIA’S FISH-PROTECTING RULES TO MAXIMIZE WATER SUPPLY “A little train going from San Francisco to Los Angeles that’s being run by Gavin New-scum—the governor of California,” Trump said. “Did you ever hear of Gavin Newsom? He has got that train—the worst cost overrun I’ve ever seen. It’s like, totally out of control.” Trump said he “always liked Gavin” and “had a good relationship with him.” “I just got him a lot of water, you know, I sent in people to open up that water because he refused to do it,” Trump said, adding that “if they would have done what I said to do, they wouldn’t have had the fires in Los Angeles.” “Those fires would have been put out very quickly,” Trump said. Trump traveled to Southern California in January, just days after taking office, to see damage from the devastating wildfires that destroyed thousands of acres and more than 10,000 buildings in the Los Angeles area. After the visit, Trump issued an executive order calling on federal agencies to overrule California regulations on endangered species to create more water availability, expedite the removal of debris in the areas affected by the fires and conduct investigations into the City of Los Angeles’ use of federal grants. Trump also called on the Department of the Interior to immediately override existing regulations in California that “unduly burden efforts to maximize water deliveries” to the Central Valley Project, a water management effort in the state. TRUMP MEETS WITH CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, FIRE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO SEE LA WILDFIRE DAMAGE FIRST HAND Shifting back to the high-speed rail project, Trump said he has “watched a lot of stupid people build a lot of stupid things,” but that this is “the worst cost overrun I’ve ever seen.” California’s high-speed rail project was designed to cart riders between San Francisco and Los Angeles in less than three hours. It was expected to cost $33 billion and be finished by 2020, but the project has been riddled with funding challenges, cost overruns and delays. The project is now reportedly expected to cost an estimated $106 billion to complete. “This government is not going to pay,” Trump said, noting that he told Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy that the Trump administration is “not going to pay for that thing” – [it’s] “30 times over budget.” “It was supposed to be a simple train,” Trump said. Duffy, in February, began a Transportation Department review to determine whether the California High-Speed Rail Authority had “followed through on the commitments it made to receive billions of dollars in federal funding.” “If not, I will have to consider whether that money could be given to deserving infrastructure projects elsewhere in the United States,” Duffy said at a news conference in Los Angeles in February. Looking ahead to 2028, the president said he would “love” to see Newsom run for president. Newsom is barred from seeking re-election as California governor in 2026 due to term limits. NEWSOM PROPOSES TO WORK WITH TRUMP TO ‘MAKE AMERICA FILM AGAIN,’ FLOATS $7.5B FEDERAL TAX CREDIT “But I don’t think he’s going to be running because that one project alone—well, that and the fires and a lot of other things—pretty much put him out of the race,” Trump said. Newsom has been rumored to be mulling a 2028 presidential bid but has not committed to doing so. In a statement to The New York Times, Newsom said he wanted to work with the Trump administration on a $7.5 billion federal tax credit program to bolster the TV and film production industry. “California built the film industry – and we’re ready to bring even more jobs home,” Newsom wrote on X on Monday. “We’ve proven what strong state incentives can do. Now it’s time for a real federal partnership to Make America Film Again.” The White House said Monday that “no final decisions” had been made as the administration was “exploring all options” to deliver on Trump’s directive “to safeguard our country’s national and economic security while Making Hollywood Great Again.” Trump first announced in a Truth Social post on Sunday that he was authorizing the Department of Commerce and the U.S. trade representative “to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
SCOOP: Trump ally’s Gulf of America bill sparks frustration in House GOP
FIRST ON FOX: A scheduled vote on making President Donald Trump’s Gulf of America name change permanent is causing some heartburn within the House GOP conference. Multiple House Republicans who spoke with Fox News Digital said they were frustrated by House GOP leaders’ decision to spend time voting on what they saw as a largely symbolic gesture in an otherwise light legislative week. It comes as GOP negotiators work behind the scenes to iron out divisions on Medicaid, tax policy and green energy subsidies in time to pass Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” by the Fourth of July. “This is a time where we should be in our districts, going to graduations, making sure that we’re listening to folks who have tariff issues,” a more moderate GOP lawmaker, granted anonymity to speak freely, told Fox News Digital. “Instead, we’re going to spend time doing this… it’s frustrating for somebody who’s got a lot of pragmatic legislation, waiting in the queue to be heard. Instead, we’re doing posture bills. It’s not what I came here to do.” SCOOP: REPUBLICANS DISCUSS DEFUNDING ‘BIG ABORTION’ LIKE PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN TRUMP AGENDA BILL But the frustration is not limited to moderate and mainstream Republicans. One conservative GOP lawmaker vented to Fox News Digital, “125 other [executive orders], this is the one we pick.” “Folks are upset that we’re not doing something more important,” the conservative lawmaker said. Two sources familiar with House Republicans’ whip team meeting said at least three GOP lawmakers aired concerns about the bill — Reps. Don Bacon, R-Neb., Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., and Glenn Grothman, R-Wis. One of the sources described their sentiments as, “They just think it’s kind of frivolous or not serious.” “I’ve heard criticisms from all corners of the conference. Conservatives to pragmatic ones,” Bacon told Fox News Digital. “It seems sophomoric. The United States is bigger and better than this.” Bacon is among the Republicans pushing hard for a restrained hand on Medicaid cuts in Trump’s multitrillion-dollar bill, while other GOP lawmakers are pushing for more significant cuts. Grothman would not confirm or deny his concerns, telling Fox News Digital, “That’s behind-the-scenes stuff.” Obernolte’s office did not respond to requests for comment by press time. While the concerns have not come from a large number of the overall conference, any degree of defections is significant with the GOP’s razor-thin House majority. With all lawmakers present in the chamber, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., can currently lose up to three votes to still pass something along party lines. It’s also a sign of Trump’s continued dominance on Capitol Hill starting to wear on some Republican lawmakers. It’s not clear that the lawmakers who expressed concerns will vote against the final bill, however, particularly with pressure from House GOP leaders. A third House Republican who spoke with Fox News Digital anonymously acknowledged the frustrations, but nevertheless said, “It’s not the hill to die on.” It’s worth noting that congressional Republicans have passed several bills promoting Trump’s agenda already, including resolutions to roll back key Biden administration policies. The budget reconciliation package, Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” is GOP negotiators’ current priority. MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE The Gulf of America Act was introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a top Trump ally. When reached for comment on some GOP lawmakers’ concerns, Greene told Fox News Digital, “Codifying the rightful renaming of the Gulf of America isn’t just a priority for me and President Trump, it’s a priority for the American people. American taxpayers fund its protection, our military defends its waters, and American businesses fuel its economy. My bill advances President Trump’s America First agenda.” “If certain moderate Republicans want to start elsewhere, where do they suggest?” she continued. “I have bills ready for all of it. But let’s be clear, we should be voting to codify every single executive order President Trump issues.” The bill is currently slated to get a vote on Thursday morning, and Johnson promoted it during his House GOP leadership press conference on Tuesday. “We’re going to pass Marjorie Taylor Greene’s bill to permanently rename the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of America. And then we’re going to codify dozens more of President Trump’s budget-related executive orders, spending-related executive orders through the budget reconciliation process,” the speaker said. Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Fla., posted on X in response to the speaker, “This will be a tremendous economic driver for my district. Families across the country will flock to the Florida Panhandle to be the FIRST to enjoy the Gulf of AMERICA!” The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Jill Biden lands new job following four years as first lady
Jill Biden landed a new job following her four years in the White House: leading a California-based think tank’s initiative aimed at improving women’s health. “From endometriosis to healthy aging, the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research made important investments in research and development, while making clear it will take collaboration across industries to bring these innovations to scale,” Biden said, according to a Milken Institute press release published April 29. “I am honored to join the Milken Institute as we unite leaders around a shared mission: for women everywhere to benefit from the lifesaving, world-changing research we know is possible.” The Milken Institute describes itself as a nonpartisan economic think tank based out of Santa Monica that focuses on “financial, physical, mental, and environmental health” to “bring together the best ideas and resourcing to develop blueprints for tackling some of our most critical global issues.” Biden will serve as the chair of the think tank’s new Women’s Health Network. Biden, who is a teacher and holds a doctorate in education, focused as first lady on the Biden Cancer Moonshot plan to end cancer, the Joining Forces initiative to support veteran families and caregivers, and launching the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research. JILL BIDEN’S STATE OF THE UNION GUESTS: ALABAMA IVF PATIENT, SWEDISH PM, UAW PRESIDENT AND MORE Biden joined the Milken Institute’s 28th annual Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, Monday. Other notable guests who addressed the conference included Trump administration Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Trump administration Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, the Los Angeles Daily News reported. Biden’s new role serving as chair of the Milken Institute’s initiative will focus on “galvanizing participation, collaboration, and shared action in the Women’s Health Network to improve women’s health and wellbeing,” according to the think tank’s press release announcing the former first lady’s new role. Former President Joe Biden signed a presidential memorandum in 2023 that launched the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research. Jill Biden led the White House initiative, which worked to beef up funding for and research into women’s health. The Biden White House argued at the time that “TOO MANY medical studies have focused on men and left women out” and that too many of “the medicine dosages, treatments, medical school text books, are based on men and their bodies – and that information doesn’t always apply to women.” Jill Biden said during Milken’s conference Monday that her husband had been eager to “infuse” the “federal government with money” when they launched the White House women’s health initiative in 2023. “So one of the things we did was we got to work right away,” Jill Biden said during the Milken Institute conference Monday. “Joe said, ‘You know, let’s infuse – really, the federal government with money.’ In one year, we put in $1 billion to advance women’s research.” “And we worked a lot through the (National Institutes of Health) and the way that they did research, and we made sure that they disaggregated the data and that they separated the research on women and men differently, and we worked with (the Department of Defense) DOD – they put a lot of money into women’s research – and then we put a lot of money in to de-risk the investment. So there were a lot of things that, really, private equity wasn’t willing to take on because it was too risky, and we thought, let’s push this forward, and let’s try to find answers more quickly.” JILL BIDEN ‘STUNNED’ JOE’S FAMILY DURING HEALTH SCARE, MARKING HER STATUS AS ‘FULL-FLEDGED’ BIDEN: BOOK Fox News Digital reached out to the Milken Institute Tuesday for additional comment on the former first lady’s new role, but did not immediately receive a reply. Jill Biden worked as a professor at Northern Virginia Community College from 2009 to December 2024, when she announced she wrapped up her final semester as her husband prepared for his Oval Office exit. TOP 5 REVELATIONS IN 2024 CAMPAIGN BOOKS, FROM OBAMA WORKING AGAINST HARRIS TO BIDEN’S ‘OUT OF IT’ DEMEANOR Jill Biden’s new role comes as political books recapping the Biden administration hit bookshelves nationwide, with several reporting that concerns over the president’s mental acuity and age had gripped the administration across its four years. The book “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America,” for example, is set to be released in July and authored by three reporters from the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Washington Post, and reportedly details how Biden’s team chose not to have the president take a cognitive test in February 2024 due to concerns that taking the test itself would raise more questions about his age. Another book, Chris Whipple’s “Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History,” reported that White House staffers allegedly kept Biden from socializing with others, including close allies and friends, out of fear the 46th president “might say the wrong thing or might feed the mental acuity narrative.”
Senator introduces legislation to rein in widely used, controversial abortion pill
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced legislation Tuesday to scale back the popular abortion drug mifepristone after a recent study revealed that 1 in 10 women who used the medication experienced “serious adverse effects.” The Restoring Safeguards for Dangerous Abortion Drugs Act would direct the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to create safeguards on the abortion drug mifepristone, allow women who have suffered complications from prescriptions the right to sue telehealth providers and pharmacies for damages, and ban foreign companies from mailing and importing mifepristone into the U.S. Hawley introduced the legislation “after a bombshell study revealed the truth about mifepristone: it’s dangerous,” the Missouri senator told Fox News Digital. “The data shows 1 in 10 women who take mifepristone experience adverse health effects, like going to the ER or suffering from sepsis. The FDA needs to act to protect women now.” COVID VACCINE BOOSTERS CALLED INTO QUESTION BY FDA CHIEF: ‘VOID OF DATA’ Hawley cites last week’s study by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC), which revealed in its key findings that “10.93 percent of women experience sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious or life-threatening adverse event within 45 days following a mifepristone abortion.” The study assessed 865,727 insurance claims between 2017 and 2023 for women who used the medication to terminate early pregnancy. The pill can be taken up to “70 days since the first day of their last menstrual period,” according to the FDA. The exact number of women who have undergone a mifepristone abortion since the FDA’s approval under the Clinton administration in 2000 can be difficult to calculate, as some pregnancies are terminated without official medical intervention. The Guttenmacher Institute, a non-governmental organization (NGO) which was once a part of Planned Parenthood, estimates that there were 1,038,100 clinician-provided abortions in 2024, though this number only reflects “states without a ban”. The estimation does not include the number of abortions that occurred illegally or in states where pregnancy termination laws vary. SCOOP: REPUBLICANS DISCUSS DEFUNDING ‘BIG ABORTION’ LIKE PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN TRUMP AGENDA BILL At the time of approval, there were stricter parameters for administering the drug. However, the Obama administration’s FDA rolled back some of these requirements in 2016 by reducing the need for in-person visits, removing mandatory physician prescription requirements, and eliminating non-fatal adverse event reporting. Hawley sent a letter last week to Trump-appointed FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, whom Hawley questioned during the former Johns Hopkins School of Medicine professor’s confirmation before the U.S. Senate. “[D]uring your confirmation hearing, you pledged to me that you would ‘review the totality of the data and ongoing data’ to inform action on the drug,” Hawley’s letter to the FDA head explained. “I urge you to follow this new data and take all appropriate action to restore critical safeguards on the use of mifepristone. The health and safety of American women depend on it.” TRUMP FOE LETITIA JAMES LEADING CHARGE ON NEW MULTISTATE LAWSUIT OVER HHS CUTS The introduction of Hawley’s bill comes just one day after Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) asked a Texas federal judge to dismiss a case that could restrict access to the controversial pill. This move mirrored a similar stance taken by the Biden administration to keep a mifepristone lawsuit out of a Texas court. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital reached out to the FDA for comment.
Carney says Canada is not for sale, Trump replies, ‘Never say never’
Despite President Donald Trump’s interest in Canada becoming the 51st state, Canada isn’t for sale — ever, according to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Trump regularly has said that he wants Canada to become a U.S. state, and has discussed acquiring Greenland and the Panama Canal for security purposes. However, the matter isn’t open to negotiation, Carney said. “Having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign the last several months, it’s not for sale,” Carney said at the White House Tuesday. “Won’t be for sale ever, but the opportunity is in the partnership and what we can build together. We have done that in the past, and part of that, as the president just said, is with respect to our security and my government is committed for a step change in our investment in Canadian security and our partnership.” While Trump acknowledged that Canada was stepping up its investment in military security, Trump said “never say never” in response to Canada becoming another state. “I’ve had many, many things that were not doable, and they ended up being doable,” Trump said. Later, Carney said that Canada’s stance on the issue wouldn’t alter. “Respectfully, Canadians’ view on this is not going to change on the 51st state,” Carney said. The interaction comes after Trump told Time magazine in an April interview that he wasn’t “trolling” when discussing the possibility of Canada becoming part of the U.S. Trump told TIME’s Eric Cortellessa that the U.S. is “losing” money supporting Canada, and the only solution on the table is for it to become a state. “We’re taking care of their military,” Trump told the magazine. “We’re taking care of every aspect of their lives, and we don’t need them to make cars for us. In fact, we don’t want them to make cars for us. We want to make our own cars. We don’t need their lumber. We don’t need their energy. We don’t need anything from Canada. And I say the only way this thing really works is for Canada to become a state.” This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Trump teases ‘very, very big announcement’ ahead of Middle East trip, Carney says he’s ‘on edge of my seat’
President Donald Trump teased a “very, very big announcement” ahead of his upcoming trip to the Middle East. Trump has a planned visit to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar in the coming days. “We’re going to have a very, very big announcement to make, like as big as it gets,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, where he is meeting with Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney. “And I won’t tell you on what… and it’s very positive.” ISRAEL SAYS TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST VISIT IS THE ‘WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY’ FOR HOSTAGE DEAL “It is really, really positive. And that announcement will be made either Thursday or Friday or Monday before we leave,” Trump added. “But it’ll be one of the most important announcements that have been made in many years about a certain subject, very important subject. So you’ll all be here.” After that, the president asked Carney if he’d like to say a few words. “I’m on the edge of my seat,” Carney said, drawing laughter from the press before thanking Trump for his “hospitality” and “leadership.” At the start of the meeting, Trump announced that the Houthis agreed to stop bombing shipping lanes and do not want to fight any longer as the U.S. has been launching daily airstrikes on Yemen since March 15. In turn, the president said the U.S. would stop its bombardment of the Iran-backed terror group. After teasing the forthcoming announcement, Trump went on to discuss trade, but the president circled back to clarify that the announcement would not necessarily be on that subject. “We’re going to have a great announcement. And I’m not necessarily saying it’s on trade,” Trump said. “We’re going to have a great announcement over the next few days. Announcement that will be, so, so incredible, so positive. And I’m not saying… I don’t want you to think it’s necessarily on trade.” Trump said the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), which was agreed upon in 2020, would be renegotiated shortly, but was a “transitional” and “very positive step” away from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA.) Trump said NAFTA was the “worst trade deal in the history of our country, probably in the history of the world.” Asked about a potential new trade deal with Canada with Carney in power, Trump said he has “a lot of respect” for the prime minister, who “ran a really great campaign.” “Yeah, something could happen,” Trump said. “Regardless of anything, we’re going to be friends with Canada,” he added. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Speaker Johnson gives verdict on House plan to impeach judges blocking Trump
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., signaled there is little appetite for judicial impeachments among House Republican leaders. He said a bill passed by the House earlier this year, aimed at limiting federal district judges from issuing nationwide injunctions in most cases, was a “silver bullet” against activist judges. Johnson refused to pull impeachment off the table indefinitely when pressed by Fox News Digital, but he cautioned that there was a high bar for such maneuvers, while noting that getting enough votes to impeach in the House and remove in the Senate is an uphill battle in itself. REPUBLICANS ADVANCE TRUMP ALLY’S GULF OF AMERICA BILL TO FULL HOUSE VOTE DESPITE DEM OPPOSITION “Look, impeachments are never off the table if it’s merited. But in our system, we’ve had 15 federal judges impeached in the entire history of the country. I mean, there may be some that I feel merit that, but you’ve got to get the votes for it, right? And it’s a very high burden,” Johnson said. “And by the way, even if we could get an impeachment article through the House on a federal judge, it’s unlikely that they would be tried and convicted in the Senate on that, with the divided number we have. So, short of that, what can we do?” The speaker said House Republicans had “done everything within our power to solve that problem.” GOP LEADERS FIND NEW MAJOR HOLIDAY DEADLINE FOR TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ AMID MEDICAID TAX DIVISIONS “Darrell Issa’s bill is a great response: The No Rogue Rulings Act would prohibit a single individual judgment issuing a nationwide injunction like that to stop the entire policy of an administration,” Johnson said. “We passed it to the House, we sent it to the Senate with every expectation that they should be able to take that up. And I certainly hope they can, because, again, shouldn’t be a partisan issue.” Some conservatives, however, are still hungry to pursue the impeachment route. They could force the House to do so by introducing a “privileged” resolution, meaning Johnson would need to take it up within two legislative days. However, it is a politically risky undertaking that is ultimately guaranteed to fail in the Senate, where at least several Democrats would be needed to meet the two-thirds threshold for removal. It comes amid the Trump administration’s continued standoff with the courts over a litany of the new White House’s policies — from deportation flights to the Department of Government Efficiency. Republicans have dismissed the rulings as political decisions by activist judges, while Democrats accuse the White House of waging war on a co-equal branch of government. The Trump administration, meanwhile, has consistently said it is complying with all lawful court orders while denouncing activist judges in court and in the media sphere.
Where Donald Trump stands with Americans 15 weeks into his 2nd presidency
President Donald Trump is giving himself a big thumbs-up when it comes to his job performance during his second tour of duty in the White House. “We had the greatest 100 days in the history of our country,” Trump touted on Sunday night, as he spoke with reporters aboard Air Force One. Trump has aggressively asserted executive authority in his second term, overturning long-standing government policy and making major cuts to the federal workforce through an avalanche of sweeping and controversial executive orders and actions – with some aimed at addressing grievances he has held since his first term. However, it appears many Americans are not applauding the job Trump is doing steering the nation. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS COVERAGE OF DONALD TRUMP’S PRESIDENCY Most, but not all, of the most recent national public opinion surveys indicate Trump’s approval ratings in negative territory, which is a slide from the president’s poll position when he started his second tour of duty in the White House. An average of the latest national surveys puts the president’s approval rating underwater by around six points. Trump stood at 44% approval and 55% disapproval in the most recent Fox News national poll, which was conducted April 18-21. WHERE TRUMP STANDS IN THE LATEST FOX NEWS NATIONAL POLL The president’s approval rating was also 11 points in the red in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted April 25-27, but a trio of other surveys released in recent days put Trump slightly above water. Trump does not care about the polls. “Never been a better 100 days,” he said on Sunday. Then, the president blasted what he charged were “fake polls.” His claim reiterated charges made last week, during the intense coverage of the president as he reached the 100-day mark into his second administration. Contributing to the drop in Trump’s poll numbers are increased concerns by Americans over the economy and inflation, which were pressing issues that kept former President Joe Biden‘s approval ratings well below water for most of his presidency. Additionally, Trump’s blockbuster tariff announcement a month ago, which sparked a trade war with some of the nation’s top trading partners, triggered a massive sell-off in the financial markets and increased concerns about a recession. The president’s approval rating on the economy stood at 38% in the Fox News poll, with just a third of respondents approving of the job he was doing handling inflation and tariffs. However, Trump, on Sunday, touted that “inflation is down, all costs are down,” as he pointed to the top issue that landed him back in the White House. WILL TRUMP’S MAGA DOMINANCE OVER THE GOP LAST AFTER HE’S GONE? Doug Heye, a longtime GOP strategist and communicator on Capitol Hill and veteran of the Republican National Committee and the President George W. Bush administration, noted that “the main reason Trump won was to lower prices. Prices haven’t lowered, and polls are reflecting that.” “It makes the politics of tariffs perilous for Trump – if prices rose because of Trump fiat, Biden/Trump voters may desert him,” Heye argued. The presidential approval rating is one of the most closely watched polling indicators and often heavily influences upcoming elections. Additionally, with the party in power – which is obviously Republicans thanks to their control of the White House and both chambers of Congress – traditionally facing political headwinds in the midterm elections, there is growing concern in the GOP over the president’s slippage in the polls. However, Heye cautioned that “polling in May of an off year doesn’t tell us anything about what could happen 18 months later.” Trump’s overall approval rating is close to where he stood 100 days into his first term in office, in 2017, when he stood at 45% approval in Fox News polling. So how does Trump stack up against his presidential predecessors? “John F. Kennedy and Dwight Eisenhower had the highest first-quarter average ratings, with both registering above 70%, while Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan averaged between 60% and 69%. George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Joe Biden and Bill Clinton had similar average ratings of 55% to 58% in their first quarters,” Gallup noted in a poll released two weeks ago on presidential approval ratings. Gallup highlighted that “Trump is the only president to have sub-50% average approval ratings during a first quarter in office.” However, enjoying promising approval ratings out of the gate does not guarantee a positive and productive presidency. Carter’s poll numbers sank into negative territory less than two years into his presidency, and he was resoundingly defeated in his bid for re-election in 1980. Biden stood at 54% approval in Fox News polling 100 days into office, with his numbers hovering in the low-to-mid-50s during the first six months of his single term as president. However, Biden’s numbers sank into negative territory in the late summer and autumn of 2021, in the wake of his much-criticized handling of the turbulent U.S. exit from Afghanistan and amid soaring inflation and a surge of migrants crossing into the U.S. along the nation’s southern border with Mexico.
Trump meets with freed Russian American who was detained abroad for over a year
Russian American Ksenia Karelina, who was released last month after being detained in Russia for more than a year, met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. “It’s a great honor,” the president said as he shook Karelina’s hand. Karelina’s release from Russia last month was part of a prisoner swap, reports note. TRUMP SAYS HE COULD ‘WALK AWAY’ FROM RUSSIA-UKRAINE TALKS, CITES ‘TREMENDOUS HATRED’ ON BOTH SIDES “President Trump was proud to welcome home Ksenia Karelina, who spent 15 months in Russian captivity. He has secured the release of nearly 50 Americans detained abroad because America is strong again under his leadership,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted in a post on X that the Trump administration is dedicated to securing the release of all Americans being detained in foreign countries. RUSSIAN AMERICAN BALLERINA KSENIA KARELINA HAS MESSAGE FOR TRUMP AFTER RELEASE FROM RUSSIA “Honored to join @POTUS at the @WhiteHouse today to welcome Ksenia Karelina. The Trump Administration is committed to bringing home every single American who is wrongfully detained around the world,” Rubio noted in a tweet on Monday. Karelina’s boyfriend Chris van Heerden, who reports have also referred to as her fiancé, was also present at the meeting. “Today was an unreal moment meeting and shaking hands with the 45th & 47th Presidents of the United States @potus in the Oval Office of the White House. Words cannot express how proud I am of Ksenia,” van Heerden noted in a post on X, adding, “NEVER NEVER NEVER GIVE UP.” FORMER HOSTAGE THANKS TRUMP UPON RELEASE AFTER YEARS OF DETENTION IN KUWAIT CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Last month van Heerden tweeted the link to a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Karelina – so far a bit more than $12,000 has been donated.
Air travelers without REAL ID to face extra screening but will be allowed to fly for now, DHS says
Americans who don’t have their REAL IDs will still be allowed to fly after the May 7 deadline, but they will face extra screening and delays at the airport. Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem made the announcement during a House Appropriations Committee hearing on Tuesday. Noem said 81% of travelers already have IDs that comply with the REAL ID requirements and added that security checkpoints will also be accepting passports and tribal identification when the deadline hits Wednesday. “People will be allowed to fly,” Noem told lawmakers. “We will make sure it’s as seamless as possible.” Those who still lack an identification that complies with the REAL ID law “may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step,” Noem said. MARRIED WOMEN FACE REAL ID DOCUMENTATION HURDLES: ‘I CAN’T ACCEPT THIS’ REAL ID is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that Homeland Security says is a more secure form of identification. It was a recommendation by the 9/11 Commission and signed into law in 2005, but implementation has been repeatedly delayed. REAL ID REJECTION BY AMERICANS MAY COME DOWN TO ONE SURPRISING FACTOR Obtaining a REAL ID includes more stringent requirements for verifying a person’s identity than has been used in the past with non-REAL ID driver’s licenses. The switch to this new form of identification has caused a lot of chaos and confusion, with many travelers expressing fear they won’t be able to get a REAL ID before the Wednesday deadline. Travelers without a REAL ID can use their passport, but even without that there are still alternatives to the new requirement, though they just might add delays to your trip and aren’t guaranteed to work. Passengers will be required to fill out a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Form 415, also known as a Certification of Identity form, and if the TSA officials are able to confirm the details given to them, passengers will be allowed to go through the security checkpoint and board their flight. Passengers who go this route may be subject to additional pat-downs, questioning or other extra security screening. Even if you get denied, you may still be able to take advantage of airline policies that allow passengers to re-book their flight the following day, providing those without the proper identification time to get it. The Associated Press contributed to this report