Republican Sen Murkowski prepared to ‘take the criticism’ over DOGE pushback
A Republican senator has vowed to remain vocal against some of the Trump administration’s actions, even if it means risking a billion-dollar opposition campaign funded by billionaire Elon Musk. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who previously claimed actions taken by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) could have “incredibly troubling” outcomes, suggested that Musk may “take the next billion dollars that he makes off of Starlink and put it directly against me” if she remains critical of the administration. “And you know what, that may happen. But I’m not giving up one minute, one opportunity to try and stand up for Alaskans,” the senator, whose term is up in 2029, said while speaking to voters in Alaska on Tuesday. “I’m gonna take the criticism that comes.” Murkowski also suggested that other lawmakers choose to “duck and cover” rather than speak out against the administration over fears of being primaried in their next elections. ELON MUSK IN ‘SHOCK’ OVER DEMS’ ALLEGED ‘HATRED AND VIOLENCE,’ LAMENTS ‘DERANGED’ ATTACKS ON TESLA PLANTS “That’s why you got everybody just zip-lipped, not saying a word, because they are afraid they’re going to be taken down, they’re gonna be primaried, they’re gonna be given names in the media,” the senator said. “You know what? We cannot be cowed into not speaking up.” BUCKING TRUMP ORDER, GOP SENS. MURKOWSKI AND SULLIVAN PUSH TO CHANGE MOUNT MCKINLEY’S NAME BACK TO DENALI Murkowski has been critical of some actions taken by the Trump administration, voting against the confirmation of the president’s pick to head the Department of Defense, Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Republican also spoke out against Trump and Vice President JD Vance following their heated meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. “This week started with administration officials refusing to acknowledge that Russia started the war in Ukraine. It ends with a tense, shocking conversation in the Oval Office and whispers from the White House that they may try to end all U.S. support for Ukraine,” Murkowski wrote in a post on X in March. “I know foreign policy is not for the faint of heart, but right now, I am sick to my stomach as the administration appears to be walking away from our allies and embracing Putin, a threat to democracy and U.S. values around the world.” Musk has suggested that he will fund primary challenges against Republican lawmakers who break with the Trump agenda. The billionaire, in response to a report posted to X making the suggestion about his potential involvement in future GOP elections, said in a November 2024 post, “How else? There is no other way.” “Until Alaskans tell me, Lisa, it’s just not working anymore, I’m gonna give you every last breath that I have, and I’m gonna try to solve every little problem, and I’m not gonna compromise my own integrity by hiding from my words when I feel they need to be spoken,” Murkowski said on Tuesday. The senator said that while she has disagreements with Trump, she is going to find “constructive” ways to work with him. Fox News Digital reached out to DOGE and Murkowski for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Fox News Poll: Voters have concerns about DOGE, even as they see need for cuts
Voters have concerns about the recent government spending cuts executed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), even as they see the need for such an effort. Most think the national debt is a crisis or major problem, and nearly 6 in 10 feel a great deal or almost all of government spending is “wasteful and inefficient,” according to a new Fox News national survey. Yet a slim 51% majority opposes substantially shrinking the number of government employees, some 56% disapprove of the job the Trump administration is doing identifying and reducing wasteful spending, and another 65% worry that not enough thought and planning has gone into the cuts. FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP IS THE MOST POPULAR HE’S EVER BEEN A sizable minority of Republicans (39%) share the concern of large numbers of Democrats (88%) and Independents (71%) about how the reductions are being implemented. Forty percent approve of the job Elon Musk is doing working with DOGE, while 58% disapprove. Fully 93% of Democrats disapprove, along with 70% of Independents and 20% of Republicans. When asked about funding for specific federal programs, majorities think the government should increase funding for Social Security (63%), Medicare and Medicaid (58%), and medical research (53%), while a large minority says the same about funding the military and national defense (44%). Sentiment is more mixed on humanitarian foreign aid, as 23% want to increase federal funding on aid, 36% would keep it at the same level as last year, and 39% want to decrease it. FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP, REPUBLICANS AT RECORD HIGH RATINGS AS DEMOCRATS FALTER Overall, one in four voters says someone in their family has been significantly affected by the government cuts, and among that group, 79% are concerned about how the cuts have been handled. Voters also have doubts about tariffs, as majorities think the measures will make products that they buy more expensive (69%) and hurt the economy (53%). Views are divided on the job front, with 35% saying tariffs help protect U.S. jobs and 39% saying they hurt. FOX NEWS POLL: OVER HALF SAY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION MADE THE ECONOMY WORSE The 53% saying tariffs hurt the economy is a new high, up from 50% in January and a low of 39% in 2024. When asked about specific tariffs, voters favor imposing them on products from China (55%), while they oppose tariffs on Mexico (56%) and Canada (61%). On the overall economy, a growing number of voters think it is in bad shape, many think inflation is out of control, and most believe a recession is at least somewhat likely. Views of the economy have soured since President Donald Trump began his second term, as 79% of voters give it negative marks, up from 70% two months ago. This increase in pessimism is largely due to a 35-point spike among Democrats plus an 18-point jump among Independents. In the same period, Republican assessment of the economy has shifted positively by 22 points. At the end of December, at the tail end of former President Joe Biden’s term, 77% held a negative view of the economy. Some 60% of voters rate their personal finances negatively, which is a touch better compared to 62% in December. And while nearly half, 47%, continue to say inflation is “not at all” under control, that’s down from 56% in early 2023 (the last time the question was asked). Seven in 10 say they expect a recession this year, including majorities of Democrats (93%) and Independents (72%), and half of Republicans (50%). Those sentiments help explain why more than 4 in 10 identify inflation (27%) or the economy generally (16%) as the most important issues facing the country. Those beat the next most commonly mentioned issues: political divisions (14%), political leadership/corruption (10%), and immigration (8%). For reference, 3% cite government spending and 2% say tariffs. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Even though partisans have adjusted their attitudes with the change in administrations, the public as a whole remains jittery about the economy,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News surveys with Democrat Chris Anderson. “The aggressiveness of Trump’s tariff policy and the pace of DOGE’s actions have spooked Democrats and many Independents. If Trump is to maintain broad public support, it’s imperative that his approach produces results.” Generally, 43% are satisfied with how things are going in the country. That’s up 12 points from 31% in December. Some 57% are unsatisfied, including 20% of Republicans. Voter dissatisfaction hit a high of 75% during Biden’s term (August 2022). In Trump’s first term, it peaked at 66% (August 2020). Again, major post-inauguration partisan shifts are driving these changing numbers. The new survey shows the share of Democrats happy with the direction of the country dropped 33 points to 9% after Biden left office. And 80% of Republicans are satisfied now, up 55 points since Trump took office. Trump started his first term with a 48% job approval rating (Feb. 2017). Today, his approval stands at a record 49%, which he also achieved once during his first term (April 2020). For comparison, Biden’s highest approval was 56% in June 2021. Currently, 92% of Democrats disapprove of Trump, while an equal number of Republicans approve (92%). Fully 97% of 2024 Trump supporters like the job he’s doing as president. Trump’s ratings are underwater by 13 points on the economy (43% approve – 56% disapprove) and by 18 points on inflation (40-58%). He receives his best marks on border security, as a 56% majority approves (43% disapprove). CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE Conducted March 14-17, 2025 under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 994 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (123) and cellphones (648) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (223). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error
Fox News Poll: Trump, Republicans at record high ratings as Democrats falter
Nearly two months into his second term, President Donald Trump’s approval rating matches his all-time high. Congressional Republicans also enjoy record ratings, while views of congressional Democrats tumble near an all-time low, according to the latest Fox News Poll. FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT DOGE, EVEN AS THEY SEE NEED FOR CUTS Half of voters, 49%, approve of the job Trump is doing as president, matching his high from April 2020. That’s also better than at the same point in his first term (43% approved in March 2017). He is at high marks among key groups, including women, Black voters, and voters under age 30. (For reference, in January, a 52% majority of voters approved of the job Trump was doing handling the presidential transition.) Nine in 10 Republicans approve of Trump, while the same number of Democrats disapprove. Six in 10 Independents disapprove of his job performance. FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP IS THE MOST POPULAR HE’S EVER BEEN Overall, 51% disapprove of the job Trump is doing, including 45% who strongly disapprove. Trump has issued more than 90 executive orders in his first 60 days in office and about 7 in 10 voters are concerned these actions may permanently alter the country’s system of checks and balances. That’s similar to how voters felt about former President Barack Obama’s use of executive actions in December 2014 (68% concerned). Predictably, a decade ago, more Republicans were concerned, while now it’s Democrats – roughly 9 in 10, respectively. Independents feel about the same as they did 10 years ago (about three-quarters concerned). FOX NEWS POLL: OVER HALF SAY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION MADE THE ECONOMY WORSE Congressional Republicans hit their highest approval rating ever this month, as 43% of voters approve and 55% disapprove. While that is upside down by 12 points, it still constitutes a significant improvement from the 36-point net negative rating in October 2023 and the 55-point low a decade ago. News across the aisle isn’t as rosy. For Democrats in Congress, 66% disapprove of the job they are doing, with only 30% approving — nearly matching their record low of 29% approval in November 2013. The current 36-point deficit represents a marked decline from the 23-point difference in October 2023, the last time the question was asked (37% approve, 60% disapprove), and the high of +10 in April 2009 (50-40%). The boost to the GOP approval is primarily attributable to more Republicans backing their party today (88%) than in October 2023 (54%). Again, the partisan contrast is striking, as only 49% of Democrats approve of their party’s lawmakers today vs. 74% in 2023. “Democrats are united in their antipathy toward Trump, but they aren’t happy with their own party either,” says Daron Shaw, a Republican who conducts the survey with Democrat Chris Anderson. “As Democratic elites argue over whether to be more confrontational or accommodating toward Trump, their voters are unhappy with what they see as an uneven, disjointed response.” Vice President JD Vance’s job rating is in negative territory by 8 points: 45% approve, 53% disapprove. Among Republicans, his approval (85%) is slightly lower than Trump’s (92%) and Congressional Republicans’ (88%). By an 18-point margin, voters disapprove of the job Elon Musk is doing at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) (40% approve, 58% disapprove). Most Republicans (78%) approve, while nearly all Democrats disapprove (93%). Secretary of State Marco Rubio breaks even with 47% both approving and disapproving. He is the only administration official who receives double-digit approval from Democrats (11%). CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE Conducted March 14-17, 2025 under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 994 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (123) and cellphones (648) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (223). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error associated with results among subgroup is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.
Newsom concedes skyrocketing healthcare costs for illegals are ‘partial’ contributor to Medicaid problem
California Gov. Gavin Newsom admitted that the high Medi-Cal spending, which is the state’s version of the Medicaid program for low-income Golden Staters, is partly due to illegal immigrants being allowed to take part in the program, but that it’s part of a larger cost issue nationwide. “That’s partial,” Newsom said when asked by a KCRA reporter about the $9.5 billion price tag for the program, which the Newsom administration is having to ask for $6.2 billion in loans to help cover. A $3.4 million loan was first requested last week, then another $2.8 million was asked for. He further told the local outlet that it was “something we previewed in the January budget.” CALIFORNIA EXPLOITING MEDICAID ‘LOOPHOLE’ TO PAY BILLIONS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS’ HEALTHCARE, STUDY SAYS “Yeah,” he said when asked by the outlet if it would be the end of requests made by the state’s Executive Branch for more funding this fiscal year. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “With tough fiscal choices ahead, Governor Newsom, jointly with Pro Tem McGuire and Speaker Rivas, will evaluate proposals to rein in long-term spending — including in Medi-Cal — while working to protect the core health and social services Californians rely on,” Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement Tuesday to Fox News Digital. Newsom and the governor’s office have argued that similar problems in Colorado, Pennsylvania and Indiana make the Golden State’s situation less unique. TRUMP SURROGATE CORRIN RANKIN PICKED TO LEAD BLUE STATE’S GOP: ‘MAKE CALIFORNIA GREAT AGAIN’ Medi-Cal is the state’s affiliate of Medicaid, which is a health insurance program for low-income residents in the Golden State. The program receives taxpayer dollars at both the state and federal levels. The $9.5 billion cost was a major increase to the $6 billion projected for the program. It has earned the criticism of numerous Republican lawmakers because of the ability to enroll when “immigration status doesn’t matter,” according to the California Department of Health Care services. “That’s a staggering $6.2 billion over budget…and the costs keep climbing with no end in sight,” California Senate Republican Minority Leader Brian Jones, said in a post on X on Monday. “Californians should not be forced to shoulder the burden of radical Democrats’ reckless financial mismanagement.” “Even Jerry Brown refused to expand Medi-Cal to all illegal immigrants because he knew it was fiscally irresponsible and unsustainable,” Jones added. “Now under Newsom, legal residents are paying the price both financially and in reduced access to healthcare. The public deserves answers: Why are the costs so much higher than what Newsom promised? What is Newsom’s plan to fix the financial disaster he created?” NEWSOM ASKS FOR NEARLY ANOTHER $3B FOR STATE HEALTH PROGRAM OVERWHELMED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS Of the 15 million people in the Medi-Cal program, an estimated 1.6 million are in the United States without proper documentation, according to the state. Fox News’ Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
Fox News Politics: DeSantis Calls on Congress to Rein in Courts
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -Progressive leader says Schumer faces ‘uphill’ climb to win back Democrats’ trust -Study found US gas exports did not impact climate change, so Biden admin buried it, officials say -Israeli official thanks Trump administration as the country resumes war in Gaza As aspects of President Donald Trump’s agenda are stymied by judges amid legal challenges, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has suggested that Congress could strip federal courts of jurisdiction. “Congress has the authority to strip jurisdiction of the federal courts to decide these cases in the first place. The sabotaging of President Trump’s agenda by ‘resistance’ judges was predictable — why no jurisdiction-stripping bills tee’d up at the onset of this Congress?” DeSantis wrote in a Wednesday post on X. When someone responded by asking how such a move could pass when 60 votes would be needed to push it through the Senate, DeSantis replied, “Attach it to a ‘must pass’ bill…”…Read more JUDICIAL REBUTTAL: Federal judge blocks Trump’s transgender military executive order SECURE THE SEAS: Trump’s use of warship for border enforcement a ‘smart’ use of military force, expert says CHOPPING BLOCK: Trump fires Democratic FTC commissioners ‘UNLIKELY TO BE SERIOUSLY QUESTIONED’: Successful legal challenges to Biden’s pardons over autopen signature ‘vanishingly low’ JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP: Judge blocks Trump’s EPA from terminating $14 billion in ‘green bank’ grants after accusations of fraud ‘F—ING CRAZY’: JD Vance recalls his wife texting him under table at Silicon Valley dinner FIRST ON FOX: Judge who blocked key Trump executive order has long history of left-wing activism, Dem donations ‘JUDICIAL COUP’: El Salvador’s Bukele weighs in after Trump’s call to impeach judge PROGRAM ENDED: Trump administration ends program to track kidnapped Ukrainian children in Russia, lawmakers say ‘WE WILL NOT GO FOR IT’: Zelenskyy wants details after Trump-Putin call, lays out ‘red line’ for Ukraine DESPERATION PLAY?: Iran trying to bolster its ‘battered deterrence’ with response to Trump threats against Houthis, expert says HARD NEGOTIATIONS: What’s next in the Russia, Ukraine ceasefire talks? INFO DUMP: Lawmakers cheer Trump’s JFK files release: ‘Restoration of the people’s trust’ ‘DOGE-BAGS’: Dem governor slams Trump’s ‘authoritarian rule’ during ‘better way forward’ speech ‘I’M THE FUTURE’: House Dem Green’s GOP challenger dishes on campaign after outburst during Trump speech ‘WHAT CAN WE DO?’: Dems forecast ‘Trump recession,’ as Republicans say it’s time to double down ‘PART OF THE GAME’: House Dems stage coordinated ‘Town Halls’ on GOP colleagues’ turf SMALL BUSINESS CALL: House panel asks Trump’s small business chief to provide info on alleged Biden-era electioneering project ‘RESISTANCE’: DeSantis proposes solution as Trump’s agenda is stymied by judges ‘RESTORE ORDER’: Trump admin demands NYC ‘restore order’ amid rampant crime or face billions in funding cuts DOGE AT DOD: Pentagon to cut up to 60,000 civilian jobs, but fewer than 21,000 have voluntarily resigned CLIMATE COVER-UP: Study found US gas exports did not impact climate change, so Biden admin buried it, officials say ‘BAD IDEA’: Conservatives warn red state data center bill will derail Trump’s vision of energy ‘golden age’ ‘LET GOOD COPS BE’: Patel says FBI has captured its 3rd most wanted fugitive since Trump took office: ‘Let good cops be good cops’ NOURISHING A GENERATION: RFK Jr targets companies making baby formula after shortages rocked Biden administration CRIME CRISIS: Chicago police solve only 6% of non-fatal shootings, review finds, as mayor faces mounting criticism SPEAKING OUT: Mahmoud Khalil blames ‘anti-Palestinian racism’ for arrest in first statement since ICE detainment BLUE WALL: Chaos erupts at GOP lawmaker’s town hall after left-wing groups promote protests WOAH, BABY: Hospital questionnaire sparks outrage over newborn sexual orientation question ‘START RUNNING NOW’: Blue sanctuary state operating as ‘control’ center for vicious migrant gang: acting DEA chief Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
NASA astronauts stranded in space due to Biden’s ‘lack of courage,’ White House says
The NASA astronauts who were stranded at the International Space Station were stuck in space for so long because the Biden administration lacked “urgency” in securing their return to Earth, according to the White House press secretary. Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams launched from their Boeing Starliner spacecraft in June 2024 for a mission set to last only eight days. But when the spacecraft encountered technical issues, NASA decided it was unsafe for it to arrive back on Earth with the astronauts on board. As a result, Wilmore and Williams remained stranded at the International Space Station — until Tuesday when they parachuted down to Earth, off the coast of Florida. “These two incredible astronauts were only supposed to be up there for eight days, but because of the Biden administration’s lack of urgency, they ended up spending nine months in space,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Wednesday at the White House. “Joe Biden’s lack of courage to act boldly and decisively was a big reason why Butch and Suni did not make it back until yesterday. But President Trump doesn’t waste time.” SPACEX DRAGON CAPSULE STICKS SPLASHDOWN LANDING AS NASA ASTRONAUTS RETURN HOME AFTER MONTHS STUCK IN SPACE A spokesperson for Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Leavitt said that after taking office in January, Trump directed SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk to hash out a plan to rescue the astronauts with NASA. Wilmore and Williams returned to Earth on a SpaceX Dragon capsule. Musk issued his congratulations to the SpaceX team and NASA for successfully pulling off the rescue, and also thanked Trump for prioritizing the mission. STRANDED ASTRONAUT SAYS HE BELIEVES MUSK’S CLAIMS THAT BIDEN REFUSED TO CONDUCT RESCUE MISSION “Thanks to the excellent work of the SpaceX team working with NASA, the astronauts are now safely home,” Musk said Tuesday during an exclusive interview on “Hannity.” “And so congratulations to the SpaceX NASA teams on excellent work.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Musk, who is also heading the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), previously said in an interview with Hannity in February that he had offered to work with the Biden administration to return the astronauts, but that his offer was rejected for “political reasons.” Wilmore said in an interview in March that he trusted Musk’s assessment of the situation, although he said he did not know the nature of the private discussions. “I can only say that Mr. Musk, what he says, is absolutely factual… I believe him,” Wilmore said March 4 during an in-orbit press conference, according to the New York Post. Still, Wilmore said he wasn’t involved in the discussions, and so he couldn’t personally verify what the conversations entailed. “We have no information on that, though, whatsoever,” Wilmore said. “What was offered, what was not offered, who it was offered to, how that process went. That’s information that we simply don’t have.”
US spies urged to refocus efforts on America’s backyard, new House Intel chair says
The two-decade War on Terror in the Middle East has left America overlooking the security issues in its own backyard, at least according to the House’s new Intelligence Chair Rick Crawford, R-Ark. “We were so focused on the global war on terror, what that’s done is opened up opportunities for countries like China,” the Arkansas Republican told a small group of reporters as he laid out his priorities for the committee. “But even going back before China, you know, obviously the Russians have been very aggressive in the hemisphere, in particular in countries like Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela and elsewhere,” Crawford added. “They’ve taken every opportunity to try to carve out a niche of influence in areas… in our backyard.” GABBARD ANNOUNCES CRACKDOWN ON INTELLIGENCE LEAKS Since President Donald Trump took office, his administration has pushed a new Monroe Doctrine-like focus, most notably with Trump calling for the U.S. to take back the Panama Canal from China. That call was answered with a deal for U.S.-based BlackRock to take over two ports of entry to the canal from Hong Kong-based C.K. Hutchison. Now, Chinese authorities are threatening to thwart that deal. As China increasingly threatens U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific, Crawford believes the U.S. could win a war with the Chinese if it needed to — for now. “But we don’t have a lot of time. We can’t sit back and ponder the situation much more.” China and Russia are aggressively testing offensive capabilities in space, Pentagon officials have said, while China-watchers warn the CCP is ahead of the U.S. in shipbuilding capabilities, hypersonics, anti-ship ballistic missiles, cyber and is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal. Crawford said the U.S. may need to rethink its policy from a focus that leans heavily on cybersecurity to one that considers offensive attacks. Crawford’s predecessor, former committee Chair Mike Turner, fired off an ominous public warning calling on President Joe Biden to declassify information about a threat that was later reported to be Russian anti-satellite capabilities. That warning and the public scare it caused later factored into Speaker Mike Johnson’s decision to replace Turner as head of the committee in January, sources familiar with the situation have told Fox News Digital. Crawford’s views also fell closer in line with those of Trump than Turner’s. Asked if he shared Turner’s concern, Crawford said: “Everything that Russia does is a concern to me as it applies to, you know, their belligerent behavior, the potential that they have.” “The reason they punch above their weight is, I mean, they have a GDP about the size of Spain. It’s not that they’re a huge economy, it’s that they’re willing to do things that other countries aren’t, and they’re willing to be belligerent. They’re willing to invade their neighbor, and that’s a problem.” RUBIO THREATENS VENEZUELA WITH NEW SANCTIONS It’s a different message than one might expect to hear from a Trump-aligned Republican, amid a thawing in U.S.-Russia relations as Trump tries to negotiate peace between President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “[Russia’s] willingness to do things that most civilized nations wouldn’t do puts them in a unique category,” Crawford said. “So let’s engage in trying to end the hostilities in Ukraine, bring that to a peaceful end to the extent that we can. But, you know, as Reagan said, trust, but verify.” Crawford also said that the intelligence community [IC] needed a “retooling of the culture” to address recruitment and retention issues. He called the IC’s handling of the Havana Syndrome a “slap in the face” to its sufferers. The IC’s assessment that Havana Syndrome, also known as anomalous health incidents (AHI) was likely not the work of a foreign adversary “missed the mark grossly.” “If we’ve got problems with recruiting and retention because the workforce doesn’t think the seventh floor [where leadership sits] has their back, that’s a real problem for national security.” Crawford continued: “If analytic integrity or lack of is driving that, that’s something we’re going to have to pay close attention to. And we’re going to exercise rigorous oversight.” In December, Crawford’s CIA subcommittee released a report finding it “increasingly likely” a foreign adversary had been behind a number of the anomalous health incidents, and that the IC’s assessment finding just the opposite “was developed in a manner inconsistent with analytic integrity and thoroughness.” Trump officials have repeatedly stressed that this administration will put renewed attention on the Western Hemisphere, with an eye for what Secretary of State Marco Rubio calls “missed opportunities and neglected partners.” Crawford added that the U.S. needed to hold close to its relationship with Guatemala. “Guatemala is probably our best ally in the hemisphere,” he said. “They want to be a partner. There are others where we see some great opportunity — Guyana and Suriname are sort of beneficiaries of some huge mineral wealth that has developed in the last four or five years.” Venezuela, whose dictatorial leader Nicolas Maduro is backed by China, Russia and Iran, has claimed swaths of Guyanese territory as its own. The U.S., which does not recognize Maduro’s regime, removed sanctions loopholes for Venezuelan oil in January, and threatened to ramp up financial penalties even further if Maduro will not accept deported migrants. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP For the U.S.’s northern neighbor, Crawford believes the current quarrel with Canada over tariffs and Trump suggesting it become the 51st U.S. state will quiet down due to the important national security partnership. “We’re having a little family spat here,” Crawford said. “But you know, Canada is an important ally.”
Pro-energy group urges AG Bondi to probe Biden’s autopen on crucial decisions that devastated industry
FIRST ON FOX: An energy watchdog group is calling on the Trump administration to investigate whether former President Joe Biden used an autopen to sign energy-related executive orders and if such actions “were instituted with the president’s knowledge.” Power the Future, a pro-energy group, sent a letter to the attorney general’s office raising questions regarding the “propriety and legitimacy” of several major orders signed by the Democratic president during his term. “In light of the mounting evidence of significant executive actions with serious economic and national and global security implications being undertaken in President Biden’s name apparently without his knowledge by unelected officials, we respectfully request that you investigate whether former President Biden authorized the LNG pause, or whether any documentation reflecting the White House’s position was instead prepared or signed by staff,” the group wrote in a letter to Bondi, shared first with Fox News Digital. The letter comes after President Donald Trump declared Biden’s 11th hour pardons “void” over claims that they were signed by an autopen and that the former president “did not know anything about them.” TRUMP CLAIMS BIDEN PARDONS ARE ‘VOID,’ ALLEGING THEY WERE SIGNED VIA AUTOPEN Power the Future points to Biden’s January 2024 order pausing permits for liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities and his ban on new drilling on 625 million acres of U.S. coastal and offshore waters – both orders that Trump immediately moved to lift after assuming office. “In connection with recent revelations that many actions purportedly taken by the former president may not have been approved or signed by him, but instead promulgated over his signature using an ‘autopen,’ and especially in light of the Speaker’s public statements that Mr. Biden was not even aware of the LNG pause and the reporting that a particular White House ‘advisor’ was ‘the person behind [it,]’ it does not require a great leap to wonder whether the LNG pause was itself promulgated by an advisor with an autopen, rather than by the former President himself,” the group wrote. The letter, raising concerns over the president’s knowledge of his executive orders, refers to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who, in January, shared that Biden, during a meeting, appeared to forget that he signed an order to pause LNG exports. TRUMP UNDOES STACK OF ‘HARMFUL’ BIDEN EXECUTIVE ORDERS, SHRINKS MULTIPLE AGENCIES “I cannot answer this from my constituents in Louisiana,” Johnson said he told Biden. “Sir, why did you pause LNG exports to Europe? Liquefied natural gas is in great demand by our allies. Why would you do that? Cause you understand we just talked about Ukraine, you understand you are fueling Vladimir Putin’s war machine, because they gotta get their gas from him.” Biden, according to Johnson, responded by saying, “I didn’t do that.” The letter also notes the involvement of John Podesta, the former White House senior advisor to the president for clean energy innovation and implementation, in the major decision to pause LGN exports. In March 2024, a group of GOP lawmakers hand-delivered a letter to Podesta expressing concern over his “driving” the LNG pause. Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s office and the DOJ for comment. The presidential autopen has been in focus this week after Trump claimed on Sunday that the courts must decide whether Biden’s use of an autopen for executive orders and pardons means they are void. An autopen is a device that physically holds a pen and is programmed to replicate a person’s signature. The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel determined in 2005 that the president is permitted to use an autopen to sign bills into law, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued a ruling in February that said the absence of “a writing does not equate to proof that a commutation did not occur.” The majority of official documents signed by Biden allegedly used the same autopen signature, reinvigorating concerns over the former president’s mental acuity and if he “actually ordered the signature of relevant legal documents,” a recent report published by an arm of the Heritage Foundation found. Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy and Emma Colton contributed to this report
Education leaders say Trump dismantling key government agency ‘saved education’
The head of Oklahoma’s public school system is backing President Donald Trump’s executive order to dismantle the federal Department of Education, saying that Trump will “go down in history as the president that saved education.” Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced a dramatic “reduction in force” of the federal Department of Education and detailed plans to reduce the size of the agency by over 50% from around 4,133 to around 2,183 employees. Trump has previously said he wants to “close up the Department of Education” entirely and “move education back to the states.” As Democrats and media outlets sound the alarm that Trump’s changes mean doom for education in America, Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters is saying that Trump’s move is exactly what students, parents and the entire country need right now. “This is a historic moment,” he said. “I think President Trump is going to go down in history as the president that saved education and the future of the country.” RANDI WEINGARTEN ‘SPITTING MAD’ ABOUT ‘EVISCERATION’ OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT Walters said that rather than helping to implement effective education systems, the Department of Education had long been co-opted by radical teachers’ unions like the American Federation of Teachers, which he said has been pushing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and other leftist ideologies in states, including Oklahoma. “The disruption of education was the federalization of education and the unionization of education. That’s what got us away from the concept of schools that valued the community, value the family, value the individual,” he said. “You have thousands of bureaucrats that are up there that are pushing a left-wing agenda, the most radical agenda the country has ever seen. They’re teaching kids to hate the country. They’re teaching kids to hate their faith.” “You can talk to teachers about the types of trainings the feds were requiring them to go to,” he continued. “These were not helping them drive student achievement in their classroom. It was to push a left-wing agenda on kids.” DEMOCRAT-LED STATES SUE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT PURGE After taking office in January 2023, Walters said he had to immediately deal with the Biden Department of Education using federal funding as leverage to push concepts like DEI and gender ideology in classrooms. “I was very sharp in my responses of why are we talking about transgenderism in an Algebra One class? Like there’s no connection between the two, but it shows you how far they were willing to go with their woke ideology, with the strategy to undermine American society, undermine the family unit.” The result, Walters said, has shown in students’ test scores. “All the test scores have shown that they’ve all gotten worse since this disruption occurred,” he explained. “Nearly every society factor has gotten worse. You look at teenage suicide. You look at teenage drug use. You look at the disintegration of the family unit. All of these things coincided in part with the creation of the federal Department of Education and the rise of the teachers’ unions.” TEXAS PRIVATE SCHOOL INTEGRATES AI, REPORTS STUDENTS LEARNING ‘FASTER’ Walters anticipates that cutting the Education Department will free up huge sums of funds that, instead of paying bureaucrats’ salaries, will instead go straight to students’ education and teachers. He pointed to cuts he made to the Oklahoma Education Department in which he reduced the state’s bureaucracy by 150 employees, which he claimed saved millions, creating opportunities for tutoring programs and offering more competitive salaries to hire top-talent teachers. “You’re going to see that, times a thousand with the federal Department of Education,” he said. Meanwhile, Tiffany Justice, co-founder of the parents’ rights group “Moms for Liberty,” assured parents that “your children’s education will not be affected by any of these things.” ILLINOIS MOM SPEAKS OUT OVER SCHOOL’S TRANSGENDER LOCKER ROOM POLICY “Don’t believe the union talking point, fearmongering lies,” Justice said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “Abolishing the Department of Education or dismantling it, cutting back on half the staff, only means more power to the parents, which is why the unions are concerned.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Since the creation of the Department of Education, student achievement has only declined,” she said. “We’ve got a real crisis on our hands. I think the fact that the majority of American children are not learning to read is one of the biggest national security threats that we face as a nation.” “If you’re watching mainstream media or the fake news, as President Trump likes to say, you’re hearing those union fearmongering talking points. They’re saying, ‘Oh, this is going to hurt teachers. This is going to hurt services.’ Nothing could be further from the truth,” she went on. “Every state has a department of education, and I think every state and every state leader should really be looking at this as an opportunity to be able to show what their vision is for education, and then to execute on that vision and really make sure that kids in their states are learning.” Nearly two dozen Democrat attorneys general are currently suing the Trump administration to stop the cuts to the Department of Education. Speaking with Fox News, Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, said it is “outrageous” that the Trump administration is “set on gutting the Department of Education.” She claimed that this move amounts to “neglecting our students, and our parents, our communities and… the future of this country.”
New border sector becomes nation’s busiest as overall encounters continue to plummet on Trump watch
The El Paso sector of the southwest border has become the busiest in the country as overall encounters at the border continue to freefall. The El Paso sector, which extends from Hudspeth County, Texas, to the New Mexico-Arizona state line, became the busiest sector on the southwest border in February, with the latest U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data showing it recorded 2,110 encounters last month. Overall, CBP data shows 8,347 encounters at the southwest border in February, a stunning 94.1% drop from the same month last year, when 124,215 encounters were recorded. TRUMP POLICY ON BORDER JUMPERS EMPOWERS USE OF ‘MAXIMUM CONSEQUENCES,’ BORDER AGENT TELLS FOX While the El Paso sector took the crown for the busiest, the just over 2,000 encounters for the area still represented a significant year-over-year drop from the numbers recorded during February of last year, when the sector had 23,919 encounters. The February numbers in El Paso also represented a drop from last month, with the sector recording 4,870 encounters in January 2025. El Paso replaced the San Diego sector as the busiest on the southwest border in February, with San Diego recording just 1,650 encounters last month, a decline of 94.8% from the year before. The numbers for San Diego were also a dramatic drop from those recorded just last month, when the sector recorded 6,390 encounters. TRUMP PUTTING TROOPS ON BORDER WAS GAME CHANGER, SAN DIEGO SECTOR CHIEF SAYS: ‘FORCE MULTIPLIER’ CBP has nine sectors on the southwest border from the coast of California extending east to Texas and the Gulf of America. Multiple sectors along the border recorded under 200 total encounters in February, including the El Centro sector in the Imperial Valley of California and the Big Bend sector of West Texas. The El Centro sector recorded the fewest encounters in February, with CBP data showing just 102, a 91.6% reduction from the same time last year. The Big Ben sector wasn’t far behind, recording just 165 encounters in February, marking a 71% drop from the same month last year.