Trump official blasts Washington Post for ‘fake news’ reporting about DOGE firings
Andrea Lucas, the Trump administration’s acting chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), blasted The Washington Post and reporter Jeff Stein for spreading “fake news” about DOGE cutting 90% of the EEOC’s workforce. Lucas explained that Stein, the chief economics reporter at The Washington Post, mixed up federal agencies that have nothing to do with each other. The Post reported that “an office within the Labor Department that enforces equal employment opportunity laws” is planning on reducing its workforce by 90%. The article went on to state that the Department of Labor plans to cut its Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) from more than 50 offices and nearly 500 employees to four offices and 50 employees. Stein also posted on X that, among the “major changes” planned by Elon Musk’s DOGE, the Labor Department was eying “gutting EEOC office by *90%*.” ‘OVERWHELMINGLY POPULAR’: ELON MUSK TOUTS AMERICANS’ DOGE SUPPORT After Lucas called out the error on X, Stein posted another message in which he said, “To clarify, the office I refer to above is an office within the Labor Department that enforces workers’ civil rights laws.” Speaking with Fox News Digital, Lucas said the Post’s reporting “undermines” the EEOC’s ability to enforce the law by misleading the public. “We pushed back with corrections … and WaPo [Washington Post] retweeted being like, ‘Oh, I was talking about the OFCCP,’ which is in fact what he should have been doing if he bothered to get us back straight,” she said. “But the main message is that reporting is misleading. “The Department of Labor may be contemplating significant cuts to OFCCP. I don’t know. We’re totally separate from OFCCP.” SCOOP: INSIDE ELON MUSK’S MEETING WITH THE SENATE DOGE CAUCUS Lucas said any potential cuts by DOGE to the Labor Department and the OFCCP are “entirely distinct from the work that the EEOC does,” which she explained is to “enforce Title VII, which explicitly creates the EEOC and gives us a specific mission to combat discrimination.” Lucas said the EEOC is “fully operational and continues to be laser-focused on combating discrimination,” which she said includes discrimination on behalf of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) interests. Lucas said the EEOC is “fully comply[ing] with the president’s executive orders calling for evenhanded civil rights enforcement.” After four years of the Biden administration using federal agencies to advance DEI, Lucas directed the EEOC to issue a warning to U.S. employers that the commission would be prioritizing the enforcement of legal and financial consequences for “anti-American bias” against workers during hiring. VP JD VANCE SPEAKS ON ‘FUNDAMENTAL GOAL’ OF TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AT CPAC ADDRESS “Discriminatory employers should be aware the EEOC is not asleep,” she said. “This kind of fake news really can muddy the water and make it unclear to workers that this government watchdog remains active and ready to defend them against unlawful discrimination, including DEI-related discrimination.” On DOGE, Lucas said, “I fully support the president’s mission and DOGE’s mission to ensure government efficiency.” HEGSETH DISMISSES ‘PURGING’ NARRATIVE AMID TRUMP’S PENTAGON SHAKEUP: ‘TIME FOR FRESH BLOOD’ But she remains confident the EEOC is here to stay. “We’re working really hard to make sure that we have the most productive workforce possible, and we’re looking to make the agency a really evenhanded and efficient workforce,” Lucas said. “But I’m confident that we have an important role to play because our jurisdiction and mission are directly related to the civil rights executive orders. “So, we’re a law enforcement agency, and we’re here to execute on those and enforce the law.” The Washington Post did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment by time of publication.
Judge orders Trump officials to sit for depositions in lawsuit over DOGE access to federal databases
A federal judge on Thursday ordered Trump administration officials involved with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to testify in a legal dispute that seeks to block DOGE’s access to sensitive government databases. U.S. District Judge John Bates said officials from the departments of Labor and Health and Human Services, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and other agencies linked to the Elon Musk-led DOGE will sit for questioning under oath by lawyers for labor unions and other groups suing to block DOGE’s efforts to trim the federal bureaucracy. The groups claim some DOGE officials and allies have already been granted access to sensitive databases and that privacy concerns of federal workers are being ignored. HERE ARE THE AGENCIES THAT FOLLOWED MUSK’S DOGE PRODUCTIVITY EMAIL VERDICT — AND THE ONES THAT DIDN’T Bates had earlier refused to block DOGE access entirely. Bates limited the depositions to eight hours, but no specific timeline was announced. Names of those who will be asked to testify were not revealed. HOUSE DOGE HEARING ERUPTS OVER DEMOCRAT DEEMING TRUMP ‘GRIFTER IN CHIEF,’ REFERRING TO ‘PRESIDENT MUSK’ “It would be strange to permit defendants to submit evidence that addresses critical factual issues and proceed to rule on a preliminary injunction motion without permitting plaintiffs to explore those factual issues through very limited discovery,” the judge wrote. Bates’ order also permits a limited set of written questions to be submitted to the agencies targeted by the lawsuit. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House.
New study reveals blue state’s fast-food minimum wage hike jeopardized thousands of jobs
Fast-food job losses in California spiked after passage of the $20 minimum wage for some workers, according to a new study. A Berkeley Research Group study discovered not only were there 10,700 jobs lost between June 2023 and June 2024 in the sector, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. But prices at the establishments soared by 14.5% after the new minimum wage became law. “California fast food restaurants also increased automation and technology adoption to offset rising labor costs,” the study released Feb. 18 stated. “Therefore, it should not be surprising that the number of employees per restaurant is declining. BLUE CITY MAYOR EMBRACES GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY IN NEW MEMO TO CITY EMPLOYEES “Californians are bearing the cost of the minimum wage increase through fewer available jobs and higher food cost,” it added. The study also debunked notions that the minimum-wage legislation created jobs, according to the California Globe. The study noted that the authors were “retained” by Save Local Restaurants but said the research was conducted independently. Chef Andrew Gruel, a California-based restaurateur, told Fox News Digital he saw early on that there could be negative consequences for the service industry. “I railed about this months ago,” he said, adding that while the early economic effects were being touted, he suggested there would be losses. MARTINA NAVRATILOVA TAKES SHOT AT GAVIN NEWSOM OVER CALIFORNIA’S TRANS-ATHLETE POLICY Gruel also offered advice to businesses struggling to keep up with the minimum wage requirement. “Cut your menu size, outsource a lot of kitchen labor and utilize AI for back office management,” Gruel said. SOCIAL MEDIA BLASTS ‘GASLIGHTING’ GAVIN NEWSOM AFTER HE ANNOUNCES NEW PODCAST The minimum wage for workers was $16 before the $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers became law in April 2024. Gov. Gavin Newsom said in September 2023 the increase would help workers earn more as the cost-of-living rises. “Fast food workers in CA will now be paid the highest minimum wage of any state in the country. I just signed a bill that will ensure these workers receive the fair pay they deserve,” he tweeted at the time. However, the report also cautioned that it may also result in people getting paid less overall and “accelerate automation.” “If large enough, the combination of job eliminations and reductions could leave workers earning less income as a result of (the) $20 minimum wage,” the report stated. “For example, even if no jobs are eliminated (a dubious assumption given the BLS data discussed above), a 20% reduction in hours worked with no overtime increases would erase the financial gains from the 25% hourly wage increase, leaving workers with the same or even less total income,” it continued. The California Fast Food Council may consider increasing the minimum wage to $20.70, according to Restaurant Business Magazine.
Hochul cancels CUNY press conference after anti-Israel protest erupts
A press conference for Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., was suddenly shut down after a group of anti-Israel protesters disrupted the event. The governor planned a press event at the City University of New York (CUNY) on Thursday, but it was canceled due to a planned protest outside the governor’s event, according to a New York Police Department officer onsite. About 35 protesters at the entrance of CUNY were heard chanting, “Kathy Hochul go to hell,” “free, free Palestine,” “CUNY going to hell” and “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free.” ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS ALLEGEDLY ASSAULT EMPLOYEE DURING BUILDING TAKEOVER AT BARNARD COLLEGE IN NEW YORK CITY Several arrests were made during the protest, according to Fox News at the scene. The individuals gathered to protest Hochul’s recent decision to remove a job posting for a Palestinian studies professor role. MEET THE FAR-LEFT GROUPS FUNDING ANTI-DOGE PROTESTS AT GOP OFFICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY “Governor Hochul has directed CUNY to immediately remove this job posting and conduct a thorough review of the position to ensure that antisemitic theories are not promoted in the classroom,” a spokesperson for Hochul told the New York Post of the decision. The protest comes just one day after 50 anti-Israel agitators took over a building at New York City’s Barnard College on Wednesday evening. An employee was allegedly assaulted during the protest that erupted over the expulsion of two students who stormed a Columbia University classroom in January, Fox News reported. Fox News Digital reached out to Hochul’s office for comment but did not immediately hear back. Fox News’ Christina Shaw contributed to this report.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: The Epstein files
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… -Trump administration cutting 90% of USAID foreign aid contracts, documents show –Attorney General Pam Bondi dismisses DEI lawsuits brought against police, fire departments under Biden -Trump urged to assert executive power after JD Vance’s relative was denied organ transplant over COVID-19 vaccine Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., is preparing legislation to safeguard the FBI’s Jeffrey Epstein files, citing concerns that some documents at the bureau were in danger of being destroyed. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the government was in possession of “pretty sick” information on the late convicted pedophile, during an interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters Wednesday. “Should you encounter any statutory barriers to the expeditious public release of Jeffrey Epstein’s client list or other pertinent information related to his activities — to include circumstances in which any such documentation is housed in other federal agencies — I stand ready to assist,” Ogles wrote to Bondi in a memo on Wednesday. The legislation, which is still in the works, would protect all files across Bondi’s jurisdiction… Read more ‘HELP IS ON ITS WAY’: Trump admin won’t tolerate antisemitism in schools, says Leo Terrell as NYC schools under microscope FOOL’S GOLD?: Trump’s ‘gold card’ could invite fraud, national security concerns, expert says BURDEN OF PROOF: Here’s why dozens of lawsuits seeking to quash Trump’s early actions as president are failing ‘ROBUST MEDIA ACCESS’: Trump isn’t the only one. Biden also changed White House press pool, cutting off more than 440 reporters’ credentials AUSTERE CONDITIONS: US and Canada conduct air defense drills in Greenland as Trump pushes for control BIG DEAL: What we know about the US-Ukraine mineral deal so far ‘WE CAN AND WE WILL’: UK’s Starmer meets Trump at White House amid divide between US, Europe over Ukraine peace deal ON THE BOOKS: Trump accepts second state visit to UK, reveals letter from King Charles ‘IMPORTANT AGREEMENT’: Trump offers assurances Ukraine will agree to ‘very important’ rare earth minerals deal ‘DEADLY DRUGS’: Grieving parents slam Dems for opposing bipartisan fentanyl bill using claims parroted by Soros-backed group MTG VS USAID: House DOGE subcommittee chair Greene threatens criminal referrals over foreign aid spending ‘NEW LOW’: Longtime House Dem ripped for ‘disgusting’ questioning of Musk’s loyalty to US as an immigrant ‘GREEN ENERGY BOONDOGGLES’: Republicans seek to end taxpayer funding of ‘green energy boondoggles’ on agricultural lands DOGE DISCUSSIONS: Inside Elon Musk’s meeting with the Senate DOGE Caucus COTTON ON CAMPAIGN TRAIL: Top Intel Republican Tom Cotton seeking re-election to Senate in 2026 TURNING UP THE HEAT: 11 House Dems vote for GOP bill to overturn Biden’s gas water heater ban RADIO-ACTIVE: ‘Liberal propaganda’ media outlet could see taxpayer funding slashed if GOP efforts succeed ‘GENEROUS PEOPLE’: Big spending conservative group once at odds with Trump to ‘work closely’ with him in 2026 GOP primaries CUTTING RED TAPE: HUD terminates Obama-era housing rule that Trump warned would ‘destroy’ home values ‘REVOLVING DOOR’: Blue state’s bail laws panned by police chief as violent suspects repeatedly cut loose ‘#FORTHEPEOPLE’: Democratic donor John Morgan launches new political party ahead of possible run for Florida governor HELD TO ACCOUNT: Department of Homeland Security must fully account for migrant crimes linked to Biden parole program, lawmaker says Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna blasts DOJ over Epstein address book: ‘GET US THE INFORMATION WE ASKED FOR’
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who has been pressing the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the release of classified records related to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, was disappointed after it was revealed not all the documents would be released Thursday. “I nor the task force were given or reviewed the Epstein documents being released today… A NY Post story just revealed that the documents will simply be Epstein’s phonebook,” Luna wrote Thursday in a post on X. “THIS IS NOT WHAT WE OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ASKED FOR and a complete disappointment. GET US THE INFORMATION WE ASKED FOR!” AG PAM BONDI SAYS SOME EPSTEIN FILES COMING THURSDAY: ‘IT’S PRETTY SICK’ The federal lawmaker was referring to a story run by the New York Post, which noted that a source who had reviewed the files ahead of their release claimed they consisted of more than 100 pages of Epstein’s address book. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month calling on agencies to create plans to release and distribute top-secret documents, including those pertaining to Epstein, and the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King. Luna, who is leading the House Oversight Committee’s Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, sent letters to the DOJ on Feb. 11 and Feb. 19, requesting the release of the documents. TRUMP SIGNS ORDER TO DECLASSIFY FILES ON JFK, RFK AND MLK ASSASSINATIONS Having not heard back for about two days, Luna said she had faced silence from the DOJ. “On Feb 11 & Feb 19, House Oversight sent a letter to the DOJ asking for status on releasing the Epstein files as well as JFK etc.,” Luna wrote Monday in a post on X. “The DOJ has not responded. Reaching out on X because we can’t seem to get a response from the AG. @AGPamBondi what is the status of the documents? These documents were ordered to be declassified.” Two days later, she heard back from the DOJ, which thanked her for the two letters in which she requested briefings and any documents in the department’s possession relating to the classified investigations. The DOJ also acknowledged Luna’s request for written confirmation of the date and location of the release of those records. ANNA PAULINA LUNA TO LEAD TASK FORCE ON DECLASSIFICATION OF JFK ASSASSINATION RECORDS, EPSTEIN CLIENT LIST “The Department remains committed to meeting its legal recordkeeping obligations as it pursues that mission,” the DOJ wrote. “We are reviewing your requests and look forward to engaging further to accommodate your oversight and legislative needs.” The same day, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on “Jesse Watters Primetime” that Epstein documents would be released Thursday. But after not being able to release the trove of documents as announced, Bondi sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, accusing the federal investigators in New York of withholding thousands of pages of Epstein documents she vowed previously to make public. EPSTEIN FILES: PAM BONDI SENDS FIERY NOTE TO KASH PATEL ACCUSING FBI OF WITHHOLDING DOCS Bondi said she had requested the full Epstein case file before Patel was confirmed as the head of the FBI and received about 200 pages of files — far fewer than the number of pages released last year in a civil lawsuit connected to Ghislaine Maxwell, the trafficker’s former lover and convicted accomplice. Bondi said the FBI had never disclosed the existence of thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation and indictment of Epstein, and she demanded they be turned over by Friday morning. “By 8:00 a.m. tomorrow, February 28, the FBI will deliver the full and complete Epstein files to my office, including all records, documents, audio and video recordings, and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and his clients, regardless of how such information was obtained,” Bondi wrote. “There will be no withholdings or limitations to my or your access.” Luna did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News’ Michael Ruiz and David Spunt contributed to this report.
Gabbard says Biden admin ignored ‘highly inappropriate’ chats happening at national security agencies
FIRST ON FOX: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said former President Joe Biden’s administration was aware of “very sexually explicit, highly inappropriate and unprofessional chatter” happening on internal agency messaging boards across national intelligence entities for years, but they allowed it to go on. “I’ve had whistleblowers come forward just in the last few days who work in the [National Security Agency] and who said, ‘Hey, we saw this, and we reported it through official channels under the Biden administration,’” she told Fox News Digital in an interview at the White House on Wednesday, following President Donald Trump’s first Cabinet meeting. “And essentially they were told this is no issue, step aside,” Gabbard said. BIPARTISAN DUO LOOKS TO FEND OFF FOOD SUPPLY CYBER THREATS AS GLOBAL TENSIONS PERSIST It all comes back to “the Biden administration’s obsession with” diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), according to the new Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The chatrooms “were set up because of DEI policies,” she said. Gabbard said the discussions had been going on for two years. SCOOP: INSIDE ELON MUSK’S MEETING WITH THE SENATE DOGE CAUCUS Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Biden and former DNI Avril Haines but did not immediately receive comment. “They were shut down immediately after President Trump issued his executive order shutting down the DEI across the federal government,” she noted. After discovering the chats, Gabbard directed the agencies under her to terminate those involved, which she said amounted to over 100 people. She further directed their security clearances to be revoked. TOP INTEL REPUBLICAN TOM COTTON SEEKING RE-ELECTION TO SENATE IN 2026 The employees who were part of the chats “violated the trust that the American people placed in them to work in these highly sensitive jobs that are directly related to national security,” she explained. As for DEI, Gabbard said, “We’re just scratching the surface here” regarding how much money, time and resources have been spent on DEI in intelligence agencies. According to the director, “getting rid of the DEI center that was stood up under the Biden administration, we immediately saved taxpayers almost $20 million.” TULSI GABBARD GIVES EXCLUSIVE GLIMPSE OF TRUMP’S FIRST CABINET MEETING An additional $3 to 4 million was saved by nixing the various DEI conferences that employees would travel to, she added. Gabbard joined billionaire and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) advisor Elon Musk, Trump, and other confirmed and unconfirmed Cabinet picks on Wednesday during a meeting she described as energetic. Gabbard explained that many of the Cabinet officials are friends with one another and that they’ve all been inspired by Trump and Musk’s quick and aggressive work with DOGE.
Biden-era Coast Guard failed to ‘consistently’ stop drug smugglers: watchdog
The U.S. Coast Guard was unable to “consistently” stop drug smugglers during the Biden administration, with vessels unavailable for a combined total of 2,000 days over a three-year period, according to a new report. The Department of Homeland Security Inspector General report found that the Coast Guard “was not able to consistently interdict non-commercial vessels smuggling drugs into the U.S.” from fiscal years 2021 through 2023. The audit looked at the Coast Guard’s ability to stop drug trafficking across 95,000 miles of coastal waters and more than 300 ports. The agency focuses primarily on cocaine because it is the primary drug smuggled across water. The report found the Coast Guard did not have enough cutter vessels to conduct the antidrug mission and “did not have a contingency plan to address the cutters’ unavailability.” US COAST GUARD RESCUES 3 AFTER BOAT CAPSIZES OFF FLORIDA COAST: VIDEO “We found Coast Guard cutters were unavailable for 2,058 cumulative days over a 3-year period,” the report said. Reasons for 39 of 90 cutters being unavailable included reallocation to migrant interdiction, unscheduled maintenance or being inoperable due to COVID-19 protocols. The report did find that the number of days the cutters were unavailable increased each year and correlated with a decline in seized cocaine. “According to Coast Guard personnel, many of the cutters scheduled for the counterdrug mission were reassigned to the migrant crisis, thus reducing the number of cutters available in the maritime transit zone, and negatively impacting cocaine removals,” the report said. RETIRED COAST GUARD HELICOPTER COMMANDER DETAILS RISKS TO AIR CREWS FIGHTING LA FIRES “Coast Guard personnel also attributed these issues to deferred maintenance. Coast Guard personnel said that insufficient funding for maintenance and repairs has reduced cutter availability, and that the more maintenance periods that are deferred in the short term, the more downtime is needed for maintenance and repair in the long term,” it said. It said that between fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2023, which included a few months of the Trump administration but was predominantly during the Biden administration, the Coast Guard intercepted around 421 metric tons of cocaine, short of its goal of 690 metric tons. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE It also found that the Coast Guard did not accurately record all interdictions, with 58% of counter drug case files not containing seizure results and 68% not containing required documentation. “Without addressing the issues identified in this report, the Coast Guard may be missing opportunities to meet target goals of removing cocaine and reducing the illicit flow of drugs coming into the country,” the report concluded. It recommended that the Coast Guard develop a drug interdiction contingency plan to prioritize the availability of cutters and also update systems to ensure data accuracy, including a centralized database. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Coast Guard agreed with the recommendations except for the contingency plan, which it said would be “redundant and not effective to resolve the documented issue of asset availability.” The Coast Guard also said it “remains committed to strengthening its tactics, techniques, and procedures to stop the illicit flow of drugs entering the United States by disrupting the flow of cocaine and other illegal drugs in the maritime environment.”
‘Master dealmaker’: Inside Trump’s budget bill victory amid House GOP rebellion
House Republican leaders were preparing for defeat Tuesday night when they were forced to call off a vote on a resolution intended to serve as a framework for a massive bill to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda. Minutes later, however, a stunning about-face brought lawmakers sprinting back to the nearly empty House chamber. GOP leaders celebrated a narrow victory soon afterward, with the resolution being adopted in a 217-to-215 vote, with just one Republican voting against it. It was a stark departure from the situation hours earlier when several GOP lawmakers – Reps. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, and Thomas Massie, R-Ky. – all signaled that they would oppose the bill. Several people who have spoken with Fox News Digital in the days since then have credited Trump with getting the bill across the line. Trump had lengthy phone calls with both Burchett and Spartz on Tuesday, Fox News Digital was told. BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘PURGE’ OF ‘MINORITY’ FEDERAL WORKERS “He answered my questions,” Burchett told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “He’s very persuasive.” One person who is familiar with the discussions told Fox News Digital that Trump had spoken with Burchett for 15 or 20 minutes on Tuesday afternoon and that the discussion was cordial. Later, Spartz could be seen on the phone in the House Chamber during an earlier, unrelated vote. Another source who spoke with Fox News Digital said that Spartz had asked to speak to Trump before she could support the bill and wound up having two calls with him. Spartz declined to tell reporters how many times she had spoken with Trump and denied a Puck News report that the president had screamed at her over the phone. “It’s a complete lie,” Spartz said. A third source credited House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., with helping to get Spartz over the line as well. “Things got very emotional” on the House floor as leaders focused their efforts on Spartz for roughly an hour, the source said. “Tom was really able to reassure Victoria that everything was OK. People weren’t mad at her. He just knows what to say,” the source said. But the earlier, unrelated vote had been held open for 45 minutes past its 15-minute window, and lawmakers were getting testy at being kept in limbo. A vote that was meant to be third in the series was second instead and had also wrapped up. Meanwhile, three Democrats who had been absent earlier in the day returned in dramatic fashion – Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., with her newborn infant, Rep. Kevin Mullin, D-Calif., using a walker just after knee surgery, and Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., who had returned for the earlier votes – until Republicans saw they could only lose one GOP lawmaker and still pass the bill. But Spartz had been convinced. Just after the vote was called off, she told House Republican leaders she would support the resolution if it were to come up for a vote the next day. GOP LAWMAKER CALLS FOR CONGRESSIONAL HEARING OVER DC PLANE CRASH Instead of delaying the vote for another day, however, GOP leaders made a split-second-play call to rush lawmakers back to the House floor. It angered Democratic leaders, who sent a message to their own caucus: “House Republicans are trying to jam through their Budget Resolution after assuring House Democrats that there would be no further votes this evening.” Ten minutes later, the vote was back on, and lawmakers on both sides were rushing back to the House Chamber. Burchett voted for the bill, and Spartz followed suit. Davidson, who also voted yes, said he had done so because he had gotten assurances from House GOP leaders about the March 14 government-funding deadline. “I voted ultimately . . . once I received the assurances I need that there would be actual cuts to discretionary spending. And, you know, everything about this is avoided,” Davidson told reporters. But a GOP lawmaker who spoke with Fox News Digital credited Trump with rescuing the bill due to his persuasion of Burchett and Spartz. When reached for comment, a White House official told Fox News Digital that the resolution had been on life support until Trump saved it. “As a master dealmaker, President Trump is always active in negotiations on Capitol Hill, and the budget bill was on life support until President Trump urged Members of Congress to pass it,” the White House official said. “The House and Senate must ensure that the final product encompasses all of the president’s priorities, but the budget passed this week was an extremely positive step towards one big, beautiful bill that puts America First.” A spokesperson for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., referred Fox News Digital to his comments after the vote: “This is the first important step in opening up the reconciliation process. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us, but we are going to deliver the America First agenda. We’re going to deliver all of it, not just parts of it. And this is the first step in that process.” Fox News Digital reached out to Spartz’s office but did not receive comment by filing deadline.
Top House Republican threatens to expose CCP officials if China invades Taiwan
FIRST ON FOX: Deterring China is a top priority in Congress for the House’s number four Republican. Michigan Rep. Lisa McClain, GOP conference chairwoman, is putting forth legislation that would expose the assets of top CCP officials and bar them from using U.S. banking systems if China chooses to invade Taiwan. Her bill would require the Treasury secretary to unleash details about illegal assets held by Chinese officials and “expose all the players” to show where their money is coming from to the public. TAIWAN COAST GUARD DETAINS CHINESE-CREWED VESSEL SUSPECTED OF CUTTING UNDERSEA CABLE The U.S. has for decades operated under a deliberately vague “One China” policy that supports Taiwan with military aid but refuses to say whether America would defend Taiwan if China were to invade. “This is deterrence. The U.S. can’t risk an invasion of Taiwan that would interrupt our critical supply chains,” McClain, a member of the Financial Services Committee, told Fox News Digital. “We need to keep the pressure up, we need to remember that China is not our friend.” McClain’s legislation dropped just as President Donald Trump announced another 10% in tariffs he intends to place on Chinese goods – the latest shot in an escalating trade war. Canada and Mexico will also face another 10% in tariffs. The president imposed minimum 10% tariffs on Chinese imports last month. He had also proposed 25% tariffs for Mexico and Canada, but those were delayed amid promises that the two countries would do more to step up border enforcement. However, Trump said Thursday the nations were still not doing enough to combat drug trafficking. “Drugs are still pouring into our country from Mexico and Canada at very high and unacceptable levels. A large percentage of these drugs, much of them in the form of fentanyl, are made in, and supplied by, China,” Trump said. China, meanwhile, has warned the U.S. there are “no winners” in a trade war and insisted it has been aggressively targeting fentanyl as a favor to the U.S. “Out of kindness and sympathy to U.S. people and the responsibility as a big country, although fentanyl is not a problem in China, China has put into a lot of human, material and financial resources to assist U.S. to address the fentanyl crisis. It is fair to say that China is genuine and unselfish in this respect,” Yang Pang, second secretary for fentanyl and law enforcement, told U.S. journalists last week. TAIWAN FM HAILS IMPORTANCE OF US RELATIONSHIP, SAYS GROUP VISITS ‘CONTRIBUTE TO PEACE AND STABILITY’ She added that China has handed over more than 10,000 “pieces of information” to its U.S. counterpart related to online platforms conducting fentanyl trade. U.S. intelligence officials have pegged 2027 as the year when China will have the capability to launch a full-scale invasion of Taiwan. TAIWAN DISPATCHES NAVY, AIR FORCE AFTER CHINA LAUNCHES LIVE-FIRE DRILLS WITH NO WARNING China in recent years has increasingly crept into Taiwanese waters with threatening displays of force. Taiwan dispatched its naval, land and air forces on Wednesday after China launched a live-fire exercise zone just 40 nautical miles off its coast. As part of the drill, Taiwan says it detected 32 Chinese military aircraft carrying out joint exercises with warships. Chinese officials have so far not acknowledged Taiwan’s complaints. And days ago, the CCP’s fourth-ranked leader, Wang Huning, called for greater “reunification” efforts. China has long maintained that Taiwan is a rebel territory belonging to Beijing. China must “firmly grasp the right to dominate and take the initiative in cross-strait relations, and unswervingly push forward the cause of reunification of the motherland,” Huning said, according to a translation by Chinese state media. On Tuesday, Taiwan’s Coast Guard detained the Chinese crew of a Togolese-registered vessel suspected of severing an undersea fiber optic cable connecting the islands of Taiwan and Penghu. Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.