NationalWatch

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., successfully won re-election in Wisconsin all while President-elect Donald Trump simultaneously flipped the state back to red in the presidential election. 

As to how she did it, the Democrat attributes much of her win to her “72-county strategy.” Baldwin made sure during her campaign to traverse the entire state, venturing far from the two large blue enclaves of Milwaukee and Dane counties. 

“I think showing up matters, listening matters,” she said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “And so I go, and I really listen and get to know the challenges and aspirations of people all over the state, rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas.”

Baldwin won by a few tens of thousands of votes in the state, clinching victory by roughly the same margin as Trump. 

RFK JR’S ABORTION ‘ISSUE’: SENATE GOP PLANS TO SCRUTINIZE TRUMP HHS PICK’S POSITION

Sen. Baldwin was re-elected in Wisconsin as the state also elected Donald Trump. (Reuters/File)

According to her campaign, she did more than 250 events in Wisconsin in 2024 alone. She also hosted several targeted tours during her campaign, including her Dairyland Tour and her Rural Leaders for Tammy Tour.

Further, Baldwin’s campaign microtargeted rural communities to deliver content regarding her agricultural work. 

But her rigorous travel is not the only thing that sealed the deal for her. The senator acknowledged that people can go everywhere, but they also need to effectively engage voters in each place they travel to. 

One thing she noted is that she’s “had years to earn the trust of Wisconsin voters,” referencing the short few months that the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris had to turn out voters for her in the state. 

Baldwin also said she convenes roundtables and forums on relevant issues while she travels in Wisconsin.

“So I’ve done that on, say, the fentanyl and opioid epidemic, bringing together first responders, public health officials, concerned community members to talk about what does the epidemic look like in this community, in this area of the state? What resources do you need? What are your biggest worries?”

INCOMING SENATE DEM ELISSA SLOTKIN TORCHES IDENTITY POLITICS IN 2024 AUTOPSY: ‘GO THE WAY OF THE DODO’

A woman wears a Cheesehead hat with the American flag in Wisconsin. (Reuters/File)

She also held events geared toward agricultural issues, she noted. 

Baldwin notably credits, in part, her work on agricultural issues with her re-election win. In early October, Baldwin earned the endorsement of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors, which was a significant achievement for a Democrat in a statewide election. 

“They cited a number of different measures that I either championed or actually got into law,” she said. 

The senator pointed to her Dairy Business Innovation Act, which provides small grants to various dairy producers and processors. 

“I went this past spring to a particular farm that had received one of these grants, and they had also invited several other farmers and processors who had received grants to show me what they were able to do with these grants in order to grow their business and improve their bottom line,” she said.

RICK SCOTT OUTLINES CONSENSUS FOR ‘DRAMATIC CHANGE’ TO SENATE OPERATION IN POST-MCCONNELL ERA

Dairy is a large agricultural industry in Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Charlie Litchfield/File)

The Wisconsin Democrat also pointed to the large manufacturing sector in her state and attributed her push for “buy America” rules in pieces of legislation as helping her win some of those voters. 

On whether her campaign is a model for other Democrats, specifically those in swing states, she said, “I think it is something that would be helpful to many public officials.”

Baldwin added that she realized the need to travel Wisconsin to this extent during her first Senate campaign: “I had been in the House of Representatives representing, as you know, seven counties in [the] south-central part of the state. I had to learn Wisconsin as I was running.”

MATT GAETZ ‘WORKING THE PHONES,’ SPEAKING TO GOP SENATORS DESPITE DIFFICULT CONFIRMATION ODDS

Baldwin touted her 72-country strategy. (Reuters/File)

“And so traveling to do that learning was extremely important, being exposed to, you know, the timber industry and the north woods. We didn’t have a big timber industry in the south-central part of the state.”

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The Midwestern senator also said this was the first time she heard from Wisconsinites that elected officials hadn’t been spending much time in certain parts of the state.

“One thing I will say that I hear from constituents when I show up is just like, ‘I don’t remember the last time we had a U.S. senator visit our community, and especially not a Democrat,'” she said.

“It’s like, you know, the timber industry folks saying, ‘I don’t think we’ve ever had a senator pay so much attention to us,'” she added.

President-elect Trump is reportedly considering rolling back the Biden administration’s credit for electric vehicles – a move that experts say would have varying effects across the automotive industry.

President Biden implemented a tax credit of up to $7,500 to incentivize the purchase of greener vehicles. However, sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters that Trump plans to ax the tax credit as part of his sweep of Biden’s climate agenda.

While the decision remains in debate among oil and energy advocates, one group promoting public policy on behalf of the natural gas industry suggested that behind the scenes, automotive groups and consumers could feel relieved if the EV credit is eliminated.

“Losing $70,000 on an EV is not a winning business model and U.S. automakers know that,” said Tim Stewart, president of the U.S. Oil & Gas Association. Stewart said axing the EV tax credit gives members of the auto industry the opportunity to shift back to traditional production lines.

HOUSE PASSES BILL TO BOLSTER GEOTHERMAL ENERGY PRODUCTION BY INCREASING LEASE SALE FREQUENCY

Tesla cars sit in a parking lot at a dealership on June 27, 2022, in Corte Madera, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

“If I was a CEO, I would quietly be relieved to have a reason to shift production lines back to traditional models and invest in new hybrid technologies,” Stewart told Fox News Digital. “The EV tax credit was the only way to entice consumers to ‘maybe’ purchase something they really didn’t want, but told by the Biden folks they had to buy.” 

“With the tax credit gone and the onerous Biden regulatory mandates lifted, the new administration is providing the exit ramp the U.S. producers were really hoping for, and U.S. consumers really want.”

HOUSE PASSES BILL BLOCKING BIDEN ADMIN ATTEMPT TO REQUIRE TWO-THIRDS OF NEW CARS TO BE ELECTRIC WITHIN YEARS

However, proponents of the tax credit, such as Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm – and those advocating for the switch to EVs – say its elimination would result in the U.S. being less competitive in the industry.

“The auto industry is investing billions of dollars in EV battery and EV manufacturing in the United States. Eliminating the tax credit will hurt the U.S. auto industry and make American manufacturers less globally competitive,” said Ingrid Malmgren, senior policy director of Plug In America, a Los-Angeles based nonprofit advocating for the transition to EVs.

The elimination of the tax credit could have differing effects across the auto industry, experts say.

Elon Musk speaks during an America PAC town hall on Oct. 26, 2024, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

One of Trump’s strongest allies, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, revealed in July that he supports getting rid of the credit. “Take away the subsidies,” Musk posted to X, saying “it will only help Tesla.”

Companies that are financially sound, such as Tesla, could benefit if the playing field for electric vehicles is narrowed, while the smaller companies that rely on the tax credit for consumer affordability could face setbacks, analysts suggest.

“Tesla has such a big cost advantage in EVs,” said David Whiston, an analyst at financial services firm Morningstar Inc, according to a report from CPA Practicing Advisor. “Getting rid of that tax credit wouldn’t necessarily hurt them.”

Dan Ives, a senior equity research analyst covering the technology sector at Wedbush Securities with a focus on EVs, conducted a review of the market impact on Tesla if the EV credit is removed.

“While this is a clear negative for the EV industry at first look and would particularly hurt GM, Ford, Stellantis, and Rivian… on the flip side, we view this as a net bullish move for Tesla and Musk over time,” Ives said in a report on Tesla. “We expect Musk to have a big seat at the table as these EV discussions happen within the Trump transition team.”

Electric vehicle at a charging station. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

“In line with our thoughts over the past few weeks, Tesla has a scale and scope that is unmatched and while losing the EV tax credit could also hurt some demand on the margins in the U.S., this will enable Tesla to further fend off competition from Detroit as pricing/scale/scope is apples to oranges when compared to the rest of the auto industry once the EV tax credit disappears,” Ives added.

Ives also said that removing the credit could slow down the shift toward EVs in Detroit, specifically.

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During his campaign, Trump highlighted his intent to target Biden’s clean energy-driven initiatives, such as vowing to “cancel the electric vehicle mandate.” 

Nearly 200 migrant advocacy groups crafted a letter to President Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas demanding they close ICE detention centers and consider releasing detainees ahead of the Trump administration’s plan to reverse current policy. 

The letter, which was also “cc’d” to ICE Deputy Director Patrick Lechleitner and ICE chief of staff Michael Lumpkin, called for “immediate action to protect immigrant communities while [they] still can” before their administration’s term comes to a close.

“In your remaining months in office, you have an opportunity to honor your stated commitments to the dignity and humane treatment of all people, including those who immigrate to our nation…”

Without naming President-elect Trump, the groups warned the next administration is likely to follow “through on his mass deportation plans.”

‘IT’LL UPEND THE COMMUNITY’: PA TOWN ROILED BY TALK OF MIGRANT HOUSING IN CIVIL WAR-ERA ORPHANAGE

This photo shows migrants at the southern border encountered in Arizona. (U.S. Border Patrol)

The groups warned that the move would separate families and “upend the lives of millions.”

Spearheaded by the Detention Watch Network, the letter included 192 other signatories, including the American Friends Service Committee, Americans for Immigrant Justice, the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at the UCLA School of Law, Human Rights Watch, Make the Road and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights.

The latter group is run by Kerry Kennedy – not her brother, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

By closing detention centers now, the consortium claims, it will put a stop to alleged “inhumane and abusive conditions” that purportedly include inadequate food and water, negligent medical care and deaths.

FLASHBACK: PA REPUBLICANS DRAFT BILL DIVERTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM SECRETIVE BIDEN-DHS FLIGHTS TO DE

A group claiming to be from India sits in the shade of the border wall, Aug. 29, 2023, in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument near Lukeville, Arizona. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

“No one should be detained in these conditions. You [Biden and Mayorkas] promised to end the use of for-profit detention centers by the federal government and with over 90% detained at facilities run by private companies, this is your final chance to follow through on that promise,” the letter reads.

The second of the three prongs is halting detention facility expansion efforts by way of freezing or rescinding RFPs (Requests for Proposal).

The consortium said the incoming Trump administration should not be gifted an expanded system through which to institute their countervailing goals.

“To protect families and prevent separations, you must take all possible action to prevent the incoming administration from being able to easily expand detention capacity, including by pressuring Congress to pass a reduced appropriation for immigration detention.”

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President Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas meet in the Oval Office. (AP/Evan Vucci)

Third, the groups pleaded for release proceedings to begin with “vulnerable populations” like migrants with physical or mental health concerns and those that have been deemed eligible for parole or Temporary Protected Status.

“People can and should be able to go through their immigration proceedings in community with the support of their loved ones and access to legal support.”

“Now is the time to take decisive action to prevent catastrophe for millions of people and avoid handing the keys to an expanded and inhumane detention and deportation system to the next president,” they wrote.

Other officials across the country have also warned against Trump’s immigration policy proposals, with Chicago Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson calling Trump a “threat” against “new arrivals and undocumented families… and Black families.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Mayorkas for comment.

President-elect Trump’s team is confident that Senate Republicans will approve his cabinet selection – despite some of the picks raising eyebrows from Republicans and Democrats alike.

A Trump transition official confirmed to Fox News that the president-elect is “confident that Senate Republicans will hold the line.”

“President Trump is confident that Senate Republicans will hold the line and respect the will of the American people by approving his cabinet nominees,” the official said.

The official said that Trump is “very happy” with the vice president-elect, saying that Vance is “laser focused on already getting the ball rolling on his highly-qualified nominees.”

TRUMP PICKING CABINET AT BREAKNECK SPEED COMPARED TO 2016

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a House Republicans Conference meeting at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill on November 13, 2024 in Washington, DC.  (Allison Robbert-Pool/Getty Images)

Trump’s nominees and administration picks during his second administration are being publicly announced at a much faster pace than during his first administration in 2016, which the transition team attributed to Trump’s commitment to putting “America first.”

“The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin, giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail, and his Cabinet picks reflect his priority to put America First. President Trump will continue to appoint highly qualified men and women who have the talent, experience and necessary skill sets to Make America Great Again,” Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt previously told Fox News Digital when asked about Trump’s speedy rollout of Cabinet picks. 

WATCH:

Trump’s most contentious choice so far has been Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., for attorney general. The pick came as a surprise to many since the firebrand does not have any prior law enforcement experience and faces misconduct allegations.

Gaetz was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which subpoenaed him as recently as September for an ongoing investigation into alleged sexual misconduct with a minor. 

LOYALTY MATTERS: TRUMP PICKS ALLIES AND SUPPORTERS TO FILL OUT HIS ADMINISTRATION

Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and had told the panel he would “no longer voluntarily participate” in its probe. Gaetz resigned from Congress shortly after Trump made the announcement. 

Vice President-elect Vance and former Rep. Gaetz were seen leaving the Capitol building on Wednesday, Nov. 20. (Fox News)

On Wednesday, Vance and Gaetz were spotted leaving the Capitol.

A source familiar previously told Fox News Digital that Gaetz is “working the phones” to address concerns from GOP senators ahead of his confirmation hearings next year. He is also making the rounds with Vance on Capitol Hill to meet with senators directly. 

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“The meetings have been productive with AG nominee Gaetz listening to senators’ thoughts on the role of the DOJ and the confirmation process. Gaetz is looking forward to meeting with more senators throughout this process on the Hill,” a Trump transition official told Fox News Digital. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump transition team for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: Two high school cross-country runners and their families are suing a California school district, alleging their “Save Girls Sports” T-shirts were likened to a swastika.

Plaintiffs Kaitlyn and Taylor, two athletes at Martin Luther King High School in ninth and eleventh grade, respectively, wore T-shirts bearing the messages “Save Girls’ Sports” and “It’s Common Sense. XX ≠ XY.” 

The girls wore the shirts after a transgender athlete, who didn’t consistently attend practices or meet key varsity eligibility requirements, was placed on the varsity team, displacing Taylor from her spot, the complaint alleged.

“My initial reaction was like, I was really surprised, because it was like, why is this happening to me?” Taylor told Fox News Digital. “There’s a transgender student on the team. Why am I getting displaced when I worked so hard and gone to all of the practices, and this student has only attended a few of the practices.”

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Taylor and Kaitlyn, two cross-country athletes at a high school in Riverside, CA, sued the district for allegedly impeding on their First Amendment rights and Title IX violations. (Courtesy of Kaitlyn and Taylor)

Athletic department school officials allegedly forced the students to remove or conceal the shirts, claiming they created a “hostile” environment and comparing wearing these shirts to wearing a swastika in front of Jewish students.

“It was definitely hard to hear because we’re by no means trying to be hateful,” Kaitlyn told Fox News Digital. “We’re just wearing a shirt that expresses what we believe in trying to raise awareness to a situation.”

The transgender athlete, however, has been allegedly allowed to wear “trans pride” bracelets, and the school allows other forms of social messaging around campus, including a LGBTQ pride flag, the complaint noted.

“The biological male transgender athlete who displaced T.S. on the girls’ varsity team had recently transferred from another local high school after breaking that school’s all-time cross-country record for the girls’ cross-country team,” the complaint said.

TRANSGENDER WOMEN TO BE BANNED FROM CAPITOL HILL FEMALE BATHROOMS UNDER NEW HOUSE GOP PROPOSAL

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers argued that Assembly Bill 377 “ignores” a 2015 policy created by the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) to govern the eligibility of transgender high school athletes in the state. (ALLISON DINNER/AFP via Getty Images)

“T.S., who had held a position on the girls’ Varsity Top 7 since August 2024 was removed from the girls’ Varsity Top 7 to make room on the girls’ Varsity Top 7 for an eleventh-grade transgender student and T.S. was relegated to the junior varsity team for one of the most important meets of the season for college recruitment,” the complaint said.

According to the girls’ Advocates for Faith and Freedom attorney, Julianne Fleischer, the lawsuit claims there were violations of their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights and their Title IX protections.

In October, according to the complaint, the district’s Title IX coordinator, Bethany Scott, informed Taylor’s mother of a formal investigation into her complaint. Scott also conveyed that Taylor would not be disadvantaged by running on the junior varsity team at a key upcoming cross-country meet, but her mother argued it would harm her chances of being noticed by college scouts. By Nov. 1, after follow-ups, the district reclassified the Title IX complaint as a confidential personnel matter, claiming it did not meet the criteria for sex-based discrimination.

JOHNSON DECLINES TO SAY IF TRANSGENDER REP-ELECT IS MAN OR WOMAN, SAYS HOUSE TO TREAT EVERYONE WITH ‘RESPECT’

Taylor and Kaitlyn are cross-country runners in RUSD. (iStock)

Typically, multiple factors, beyond race times, are considered for varsity selection on the cross-country team They complaint alleges that Taylor’s dedication and hard work were overlooked, and the school district failed to provide a clear explanation, forming the basis of the Title IX complaint, Fleisher said.

“We’re seeing more and more women and young girls speak up and challenge these policies that are allowing biological boys to join and participate in these sports,” Fleischer told Fox News Digital. “And so there’s lawsuits that are popping up all around the country. We’re hopeful that even with the incoming administration and Congress that we’re going to see real positive change to Title IX that actually upholds and safeguards the rights of women to participate in their sports and to be safe and to be able to compete amongst one another.”

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Under the Biden-Harris administration, Title IX was amended to include discrimination against gender identity and sexual orientation. The Supreme Court ruled against one of Biden’s requests in August that would have permitted biological men in women’s bathrooms, locker rooms and dorms in 10 states where there are state-level and local-level rules in place to prevent it. 

On the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump said he would roll back Biden-Harris policies on gender treatments for minors and protect women in sports.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Riverside Unified School District and Martin Luther King High School for comment.

Conservative Republican Nick Begich has won a tight race for Alaska’s lone seat in the House of Representatives, according to the Associated Press.

Begich defeated his main rival, Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, the first Native Alaskan in Congress, and one of only five House Democrats currently representing a district won by President-elect Trump in 2020.

The win widens the Republican majority in the House to 219 and 213 for Democrats.

SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN’S HELENE RESPONSE: ‘ALARMED AND DISAPPOINTED’

Alaska congressional candidates Nick Begich and Rep. Mary Peltola were the top two in the race. (Getty Images)

The GOP candidate is no stranger to politics, having been born into a prominent political family in Alaska – made up of mostly Democrats.

His grandfather, Nick Begich, Sr., was an Alaska congressman, before mysteriously disappearing on a flight and being pronounced dead in 1972. His uncle, Mark Begich, was a U.S. senator for Alaska from 2009 to 2015.

The other two hopefuls in the race were Alaska Independence Party candidate John Wayne Howe and Democratic candidate Eric Hafner.

Nick Begich, photographed at the Resource Industry Trade Organizations Host Congressional Candidate Forum. (Ash Adams for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

In a statement, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) congratulated Begich for his “resounding victory.”

“Congratulations to Congressman-elect Nick Begich on his resounding victory,” NRCC Spokesperson Ben Petersen said in a statement. “Alaskans just sent an America First fighter to drain the swamp and stop the liberal war on Alaska, and Congressman-elect Begich will deliver.”

HERITAGE FOUNDATION SUES DHS FOR DOCUMENTS THAT SAY ‘HARRIS’ AND ‘BORDER CZAR’

Rep. Mary Peltola is one of a few House Democrats in a seat won by Trump in 2020. (Getty Images)

Alaska is one of only two states to use ranked-choice voting in federal elections, something that benefited Peltola in 2022, when Begich and former Gov. Sarah Palin knocked each other out of the running by splitting the Republican vote.

Republicans took a lesson from that defeat, however, and instead, coalesced around Begich earlier in the race.

CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION

Alaska has just one House seat given its modest population compared to more densely packed states. It is also one of only two states to use ranked-choice voting in its federal elections.

Peltola won her seat in a special election following the sudden death of longtime Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, in 2022.

Young’s daughters and several former staffers endorsed Peltola for re-election in the November race later that year.

Rep. Mary Peltola replaced late Rep. Don Young, who died suddenly in 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

The moderate Democrat has been known to break from her party on certain climate and energy issues, among others.

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Begich’s victory is a much-needed win for House Republicans who have fought tooth-and-nail to retain and even expand their majority.

He was added to the House GOP campaign arm’s “Young Guns” list in August of this year, giving him access to National Republican Congressional Committee resources, support, and advisement.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. 

President-elect Trump chose former ambassador and Rep. Pete Hoekstra for his pick for the U.S. ambassador to Canada.

“Pete is well-respected in the Great State of Michigan – A State we won sizably. He represented Michigan’s 2nd District in Congress for nearly 20 years, where he was also Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and was a great help to our Campaign as Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party,” Trump wrote in a Wednesday evening release.

Trump said that Hoekstra would help the president-elect’s “American First” agenda.

“In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” he wrote. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role. Thank you, Pete!”

GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP’S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR?

Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party Pete Hoekstra speaks before Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance was scheduled to speak during a campaign stop in Flint, Mich., Nov. 4. (Reuters/Rebecca Cook)

Hoekstra was the U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump’s first term. 

Prior to his ambassadorship, he served 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 2nd District of Michigan, and served as chairman and ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee. 

Former Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., has been picked to be the U.S. ambassador to Canada. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Trump’s pick of Hoekstra on Wednesday came after he tapped former Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker to become U.S. ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in his new administration. 

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Trump described Whitaker, who is from Iowa, as “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot, who will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended.” 

A House Republican whose name has been floated for Secretary of Labor is traveling to Mar-a-Lago at the end of this week, two sources told Fox News Digital.

Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., who recently lost re-election in a close race against Democrat Janelle Bynum, is in consideration to lead the Labor Department, according to Politico.

Her travel down to President-elect Trump’s Florida home could mean that she is a serious contender for the role.

Chavez-DeRemer’s candidacy is backed by the Teamsters Union, who Trump allies had been trying to court earlier this year in their bid to broaden the Republican base ahead of the 2024 election.

TRUMP’S FORMER EDUCATION SECRETARY REACTS TO PRESIDENT-ELECT’S NEW PICK FOR THE ROLE

Lori Chavez-DeRemer is traveling to Mar-a-Lago at the end of this week, two sources told Fox News Digital. (Ben Lee/Handout via REUTERS )

She would be the fourth current House Republican selected for the new Trump administration after House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Reps. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., and Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. 

But unlike the others, her elevation to Trump’s Cabinet would not take away from the GOP’s razor-thin House majority.

When reached by Fox News Digital, Chavez-DeRemer’s spokesperson did not comment directly on the congresswoman’s travel plans but shared her statement on the Teamsters’ endorsement for the role.

“I’d be honored to have the opportunity to support President Trump’s mission to empower and grow our nation’s workforce. Hardworking Americans finally have a lifeline with the president, and I’d work tirelessly to support his impressive efforts to remake the Republican Party into the Party of the American worker,” she said.

MUSK, RAMASWAMY LAY OUT DOGE’S PLAN FOR SLASHING GOVERNMENT WASTE

Multiple House Republican allies of hers have also lauded her as a potential Trump Cabinet pick on social media.

Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, a former Trump 2020 campaign staffer, wrote on X that she “would be a fantastic Labor Secretary.”

Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR) leaves a meeting with Republican House leadership and Rep. Jim Jordan holdouts on Capitol Hill on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Reps. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., and Pete Sauber, R-Minn., shared similar praise on the platform, among others.

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“She is a champion for workers; she is a problem solver, and she is a no nonsense leader,” Rep. Marc Molinaro, who a source said is also being considered for a high-ranking role in the Department of Transportation, wrote on X.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump transition team for comment.

House Republicans grilled Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra on Wednesday over his agency’s failure to account for thousands of unaccounted migrant children and the process used to vet their sponsors amid concerns of exploitation and abuse. 

Speaking before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, Becerra testified about his department’s Refugee Resettlement Office, which is charged with caring for and placement of unaccompanied migrant children.

Republican subcommittee members accused the Biden administration of rushing migrant children out of HHS custody and into the hands of unvetted sponsors who sometimes exploit and abuse them while not conducting adequate background checks. 

‘IT’LL UPEND THE COMMUNITY’: PA TOWN ROILED BY TALK OF MIGRANT HOUSING IN CIVIL WAR-ERA ORPHANAGE

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra testifies during the Senate Finance Committee hearing titled “The President’s Fiscal Year 2025 Health and Human Services Budget,” in Dirksen building on Thursday, March 14, 2024.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“How can you say that the No. 1 priority is the safety of these unaccompanied children when you’re placing them in sponsors’ homes that occasionally have had criminal gang affiliations because there are no proper background checks?” Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., asked. 

Becerra said his agency follows “child welfare best practices” that include “extensive” background checks. 

“No sponsor would be allowed to take a child if we have information that shows that they are engaged in criminal activity,” he said. 

Health Secretary Xavier Becerra testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement on Wednesday.  (House Judiciary GOP/X)

Lawmakers, however, said thousands of violent criminal illegal immigrants and unaccompanied migrant children have been released across the United States under the Biden administration’s watch.

They cited the murder of Laken Riley, a Georgia college student killed by an illegal immigrant, and the 2022 killing of Kayla Hamilton in Maryland by Walter Javier Martinez, who was in the country illegally from El Salvador. 

Martinez was taken to the ORR as an unaccompanied child despite a previous arrest in his home country.

FLASHBACK: PA REPUBLICANS DRAFT BILL DIVERTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM SECRETIVE BIDEN-DHS FLIGHTS TO DE

“One call to Salvadoran authorities would have confirmed this and an association with MS-13,” said subcommittee Chair Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif. “Instead, Martinez was released into our country with no questions asked. He has since admitted to four murders, two rapes and additional other crimes.”

Other cases include the killing of 11-year-old Maria Gonzalez, who was found by her father last year sexually assaulted and strangled in her home.

Her alleged killer, Juan Carlos Garcia-Rodriguez, illegally entered the U.S. from Guatemala in 2023, but was allowed to stay in the country via a sponsor in Louisiana.

‘100% ON BOARD:’ BORDER STATE OFFERS TRUMP MASSIVE PLOT OF LAND TO AID MASS DEPORTATION OPERATION

Migrant children stand in line at a “tender-age” facility in San Benito, Texas in 2019.   (AP Photo/Eric Gay File)

In the case of vetting unaccompanied children, the Department of Homeland Security performs that task, Becerra said. HHS vets potential sponsors once the child is in its care, he said. 

“HHS’s custodial responsibility and overnight for unaccompanied children through ORR ends once we place the child with an appropriately vetted supervisor,” the secretary stated. 

Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas., noted that the Biden administration admitted more than 100,000 refugees in the past year alone, compared to 12,000 in 2020 under President-elect Trump. 

“Under the Biden-Harris administration, Americans are left behind while the needs of ‘new’ Americans are pushed to the front of the line,” said Hunt. “Americans are sick and tired of being treated like second-class citizens in our own country.”

When asked what he would do differently after four years, Becerra failed to answer the question.

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“Do you understand how this affects the lives of a population that you’ve placed that is approaching the size of the state of Wyoming?” asked McClintock. “Some of them: innocent, defenseless children. Others: gang members who are 17-years-old or pretending to be 17.”

“Mr. Secretary, when the history of this administration is written, I would not want to be you looking back at what historians say about your tenure,” he said before adjourning the hearing.

EXCLUSIVE – Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp says justice was served after a judge gave the 26-year-old migrant from Venezuela who was convicted of murdering Laken Riley a life sentence.

“I’m glad that justice was served, and it was swift and severe,” the governor said in a Fox News Digital interview on Wednesday soon after a judge in Athens County, Georgia, convicted and then sentenced Jose Antonio Ibarra, a migrant who had entered the U.S. illegally.

Kemp said the conviction and sentencing were “no surprise” and emphasized that Riley’s murder was “a really tragic set of circumstances. Tragic for that family and I’ve certainly had them in my thoughts and prayers. I know that people in Georgia and around the country have.”

JUDGE ANNOUNCES SENTENCE IN LAKEN RILEY MURDER TRIAL

Family members and friends of Laken Riley react as Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard announces the verdict in Jose Ibarra’s trial at Athens-Clarke County Superior Court, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, in Athens, Georgia. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)

The 22-year-old Riley, a nursing student, was attacked in February while running on a trail on the University of Georgia campus in Athens. Ibarra was charged in connection with the killing a day later.

The judge, H. Patrick Haggard of State Superior Court in Athens-Clarke County, rather than a jury, decided the case following a request from Ibarra’s lawyers after they unsuccessfully worked to move the case out of Athens.

A translator assists defendant Jose Ibarra with his headphones during his trial at the Athens-Clarke County Superior Court, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)

Riley’s killing was repeatedly spotlighted by President-elect Trump during this year’s presidential campaign, as he argued for the mass deportation of millions of undocumented migrants in the country.

Kemp, taking aim at President Biden’s border security actions, argued that “the policies are outrageous. They’ve gotten people killed not only in Georgia but around the country and that’s why our people elected Donald Trump to be our president, or at least a big reason for that. So we look forward to working with the administration like we did in their first term to secure the border and make sure these things aren’t happening in our local communities.”

Laken Riley, a nursing student, was found dead near a lake on the University of Georgia campus on Feb. 22. (Laken Riley/Facebook)

And Kemp emphasized that “it is just literally heartbreaking for this family, for her fellow students that she was in school with, for her friends, for local communities and really for the whole state.”

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Kemp was interviewed by Fox News Digital in Marco Island, Florida, minutes after he was elected chair of the Republican Governors Association. 

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump transition, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.

Here’s what’s happening…

– Speaker Johnson makes clarification after statement regarding transgender House member-elect

-Top 10 states where Trump outperformed in 2024

-Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia says with Trump’s election, ‘we’ve got a friend in the White House’

‘On One Condition’

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said he would vote to confirm his former political opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz to serve as Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator if Oz plans to protect the government programs. 

“If Dr. Oz is about protecting and preserving Medicare and Medicaid, I’m voting for the dude,” Fetterman tweeted.

Fetterman defeated Oz, a Republican, in Pennsylvania’s 2022 U.S. Senate race…Read more

Left:  Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024; Right: Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz laughs during a safer streets community discussion at Galdos Catering and Entertainment on Oct. 13, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pa. (Left: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Right: Mark Makela/Getty Images)

White House

‘THEY MAKE US STRONGER’: Biden Defense Secretary argues women, racial diversity ‘make us stronger’ as Trump admin looms…Read more

MR PRESIDENT!?: Biden skips taking questions at G-20 in Brazil, despite reporter pleading with him…Read more

MACHINE BIAS: Biden admin warns AI in schools may exhibit racial bias, anti-trans discrimination and trigger investigations…Read more

MAJOR CHANGES: Biden makes another Ukraine policy shift with approval of sending anti-personnel mines…Read more

U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris, France, on Friday, June 7. (AP/Evan Vucci)

‘WOMEN’S ONLY SPACES’: Speaker Johnson announces new Capitol bathroom policy in response to controversy over trans new House member…Read more

‘CLEAR DEADLINE’: Biden admin Commerce Dept seeks to exhaust CHIPS Act funding before Biden leaves office…Read more

Trump Transition

WHISTLEBLOWER’S FREEDOM: Trump Cabinet picks increase odds Edward Snowden could see life of freedom in the US…Read more

VISA ABUSE: Trump could seek to roll back habitually ‘defrauded’ immigration program, expert says…Read more

President-elect Donald Trump arrives before the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Boca Chica, Texas.  (AP)

WHITAKER TAPPED: Trump taps former acting AG Matthew Whitaker as NATO ambassador…Read more

THE SPRINT: Race to confirm Trump nominees kicks off in January – Chad Pergram…Read more

‘IMMEDIATE DISMISSAL’: Trump lawyers demand Bragg case be ‘immediately dismissed,’ say election ‘supersedes’ ‘political motivations’…Read more

NUCLEAR THREAT: Iran vastly increased nuclear fuel stockpile ahead of Trump return, UN agency finds…Read more

‘EXIT RAMP’: Trump’s cut to Biden’s EV tax credit, backed by Musk, may impact auto industry, experts say…Read more

HEAR HIM OUT: Lindsey Graham urges GOP not to form ‘lynch mob’ ahead of Gaetz confirmation…Read more

Capitol Hill

‘VERY PLEASED’: House passes bill to bolster geothermal energy production by increasing lease sale frequency…Read more

BATHROOM BATTLE: Nancy Mace’s effort to ban transgender Delaware Democrat from Capitol women’s restrooms gains support…Read more

STILL WAITING: 5 uncalled House races to determine size of Republican majority…Read more

MRC Free Speech America feels Speaker Mike Johnson should “direct relevant committees and committee chairmen to investigate Google for abridging people’s constitutional rights.”  (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)

‘GO THE WAY OF THE DODO’: Incoming Senate Dem Elissa Slotkin torches identity politics in 2024 autopsy…Read more

Trail Dust

WATCHERS ON THE WAY: Congressional election observers deploy to Iowa for recount in uncalled House race…Read more

TOLEDO TOSSUP: Democratic Ohio Rep. Kaptur narrowly wins re-election, keeping Republican majority at 218 seats…Read more

Across America

NEVER AGAIN: DePaul University student assaulted by anti-Israel agitator seeks legal action: ‘I will never apologize’…Read more

HISTORIC REJECTION: Calif rejects minimum wage hike…Read more

‘OPEN TO MEETING’: Elon Musk wants to meet Alex Soros — and Soros says he’s open to it…Read more

HITTING HOME: Illegal with suspected Tren de Aragua ties robbed Manhattan prosecutor in her apartment building: police…Read more

This compilation shows a suspected Tren de Aragua members and the southern border, (Fox News/Border Patrol)

EX-POLL WORKER INDICTED: Ex-Georgia poll worker indicted for mailing bomb threat to polling place: FBI..Read more

AMENDMENT: Louisiana lawmakers weighing constitutional amendment that would send more juvenile offenders to adult jails…Read more

‘THIS IS THE RESULT’: Democrat mayor slams his own party after deadly hours-long stabbing spree…Read more

Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

Senate Republicans are preparing to probe Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on his pro-choice stance after the former presidential candidate was selected by President-elect Trump to be his nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services. 

Kennedy, a former Democrat, has concerned a number of Senate Republicans over his espoused views on abortion. His former presidential campaign reportedly said he believed it “should be left up to the woman and her doctor.” 

Over the summer, Kennedy shared a video on social media, writing in a post, “I support the emerging consensus that abortion should be unrestricted up until a certain point.” 

He suggested that this limit should be “when the baby is viable outside the womb.” Viability is understood to occur around 24 weeks gestation. 

INCOMING SENATE DEM ELISSA SLOTKIN TORCHES IDENTITY POLITICS IN 2024 AUTOPSY: ‘GO THE WAY OF THE DODO’

RFK Jr.’s selection by Trump for HHS is stirring some concerns among Republicans.  (Reuters I iStock)

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., a staunch pro-life advocate, told Fox News Digital, “It’ll come up in the hearing 100%. There’s no question that this will be an issue. I will raise it if no one else does.” 

He explained that his office is compiling a list of “all of the things that the first Trump administration did for life through HHS, because they were very active in that area.” 

RICK SCOTT OUTLINES CONSENSUS FOR ‘DRAMATIC CHANGE’ TO SENATE OPERATION IN POST-MCCONNELL ERA

Lankford is a pro-life advocate. (Reuters)

Lankford pointed to HHS’ work when it came to conscience protections for abortion and taking on Planned Parenthood as examples. 

“There’s a lot of things that they did during the first Trump administration through HHS. So, we’re compiling that list, and that’ll definitely be my list of questions,” he said. 

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said, “There’s several questions I want to talk to him about.”

He explained he wanted to see exactly what RFK Jr.’s position is — “How far? What month?”

MATT GAETZ ‘WORKING THE PHONES,’ SPEAKING TO GOP SENATORS DESPITE DIFFICULT CONFIRMATION ODDS

Tuberville says he plans to ask Kennedy questions. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

HELP committee ranking member Bill Cassidy, R-La., said, “We’ll do our due diligence, but I’m sure somebody will ask that. How could they not?” 

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told Fox News Digital abortion was a concern of his when it comes to RFK Jr.

While several Republicans are wary about Trump’s pick for HHS, some expressed confidence that he would act in line with the administration. 

SENATE GOP INITIATES THUNE-ENGINEERED SLOW DOWN AS SCHUMER LOOKS TO STACK JUDICIAL VOTES

“I would fully expect any of Trump’s nominees to be pro-life, as is President Trump,” said Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C.

But, he said, “It does need to be addressed.”

“I believe what he’s going to do is do the right thing,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said of RFK Jr.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told Fox News Digital “he’ll be asked a question, and we’ll see how he answers. And we’ll take it from there.”

An unoccupied recovery area, left, and an abortion procedure room at a Planned Parenthood Arizona center in Tempe, Ariz., June 30, 2022.  (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

Katie Miller, a Trump-Vance transition spokesperson, told Fox News Digital in a statement, “Mr. Kennedy has every intention of supporting President Trump’s agenda to the fullest extent. This is President Trump’s administration that Robert F. Kennedy has been asked to serve in, and he will carry out the policies Americans overwhelmingly voted for in President Trump’s historic victory.” 

The concerns aired by Senate Republicans come as some conservative and pro-life groups have already sounded the alarm bell on the HHS pick. 

“I believe the nomination of RFK Jr. to serve as secretary of HHS is an abrupt departure from the pro-life record of our administration and should be deeply concerning to millions of pro-life Americans who have supported the Republican Party and our nominees for decades,” former Vice President Mike Pence said in a statement from his organization, Advancing American Freedom, last week.

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The president of top pro-life group Susan B. Anthony Pro Life America, Marjorie Dannenfelser, expressed her own worry, saying in a statement, “There’s no question that we need a pro-life HHS secretary, and, of course, we have concerns about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.”

But she signaled confidence in Trump’s administration to uphold pro-life values. 

“I believe that no matter who is HHS secretary, baseline policies set by President Trump during his first term will be reestablished,” Dannenfelser said. 

Oklahoma’s Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt says his state is creating a plan to deport criminal illegal immigrants who are in custody in state prisons, in a boost to President-elect Trump’s proposal to conduct a mass deportation operation next year.

Stitt announced that he is directing the state’s commissioner of public safety to lead the effort to expel inmates in Oklahoma prisons who are in the country illegally, by creating a plan to deal with them. That plan will be delivered by January, and the state says it will consult with the Trump transition team and incoming administration to implement it.

Stitt downplayed the complexity of the effort, saying it was “common sense and restoring Oklahoma to the rule of law,” while speaking to Fox News Digital.

‘100% ON BOARD:’ BORDER STATE OFFERS TRUMP MASSIVE PLOT OF LAND TO AID MASS DEPORTATION OPERATION

Former President Trump speaks at the U.S.-Mexico border on Aug. 22, 2024, south of Sierra Vista, Arizona. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

“So these are people that are here illegally, that have committed crimes, and we want to make sure that they’re not burdensome to the taxpayers of the state of Oklahoma,” he said.

The state says there are more than 500 criminal illegal immigrants in Oklahoma’s correctional facilities, and it costs taxpayers $36,000 a day to house them. 

Trump has promised to launch the operation next year, sparking opposition from some Democrats in “sanctuary” jurisdictions and elsewhere. His incoming border czar, Tom Homan, has said the priority will be public safety and national security threats, but no one is off the table.

Stitt said he is surprised by the opposition from some Democrats, given the focus is on removing criminals from the country.

Gov. Kevin Stitt speaks during a meeting with other governors and President Trump at the White House on June 18, 2020. (Chris Kleponis/Polaris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“What’s amazing to me is you have some Democrat governors that are now talking about not supporting President Trump, and I don’t think they learned anything from the election, that the American people want safe communities, and we want to have strong borders,” he said.

‘SANCTUARY’ CITY MAYOR VOWS SHE WILL DEFY TRUMP’S MASS DEPORTATION PUSH: ‘CAUSING WIDESPREAD FEAR’

“When you think about someone that’s here illegally, that’s breaking the law, that’s pushing fentanyl, or they have been convicted of rape or burglary, and they’re not U.S. citizens, and they’re here illegally. I don’t know who could argue with me on ‘We want to make sure that those people are out of our country and not allowed to return,’” he said.

Oklahoma isn’t a border state, but Stitt says it has still been affected like every other state by the historic crisis at the southern border. He said fentanyl deaths are up 500% since he took office. He also noted the recent foiled Election Day terror plot; the suspect was living in Oklahoma.

Stitt stressed that he isn’t against immigration more broadly.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

“If you’re at the University of Oklahoma on a education visa, we certainly want to be able to convert that to a workforce visa if we have an employer that needs that job, and if you want to chase the American dream, if you want to be part of paying taxes, part of our society, then we absolutely want to work that angle as well,” he said.

He said there is now optimism in the U.S., and he believes there is enthusiasm about the prospect of being able to make communities safer across the U.S.

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“I think the American people have spoken loud and clear with Trump’s victory that they believe in safe communities. And so I think it’s, I think it’s just the right thing to do, and I’m excited about some of the Cabinet picks that President Trump has put in place, and it’s going to be, it’s going to be a fresh day for America,” he said.

Business magnate Elon Musk expressed interest in meeting Alex Soros, who replied that he would be open to it. 

Alex Soros is a son of nonagenarian liberal megadonor George Soros.

“I would be curious to meet and understand your goals better,” Musk wrote to Alex Soros on X.

“I often learn most from people whose views are different than my own. Open to meeting,” Soros replied.

ELON MUSK BLASTS JOHN BOLTON AS ‘STAGGERINGLY DUMB WARMONGER’ AFTER CRITICISM OF TRUMP AG PICK MATT GAETZ

Elon Musk, left, speaks at a rally for former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York, Oct. 27, 2024. Alex Soros attends The 24th Annual Watermill Center Summer Benefit & Auction at The Watermill Center on July 29, 2017 in Water Mill, New York. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images | Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

A video that recently circulated online showed Musk raising his hand after someone asked where there was a “George Soros of the right.”

Musk, who strongly supported President-elect Donald Trump’s 2024 White House bid, has likened himself to a centrist version of Soros.

“More accurate would be that I’m ‘George Soros’ of the middle. I don’t want the pendulum to swing too far right, but right now it’s just too far left,” he posted.

ELON MUSK DUBS HIMSELF THE ‘’GEORGE SOROS’ OF THE MIDDLE’

Hungarian-born U.S. investor and philanthropist George Soros smiles after delivering a speech on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos on May 24, 2022. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

During a 2023 appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Musk said that in his view, George Soros “fundamentally hates humanity.”

Alex Soros is chair of the board of directors of the Open Society Foundations, which was founded by his father.

“The Open Society Foundations, founded by George Soros, are the world’s largest private funder of independent groups working for justice, democratic governance, and human rights,” according to opensocietyfoundations.org.

ELON MUSK AND VIVEK RAMASWAMY APPROVE THE ‘VERY REASONABLE PROPOSAL’ TO ABOLISH DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

President-elect Donald Trump, left, and Elon Musk pose for a photo during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 16, 2024 in New York City. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

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Trump has tapped Musk and former GOP presidential primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to work for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The president-elect said in a statement that DOGE “will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C, on Wednesday urged his Republican colleagues not to form a “lynch mob” to block President-elect Trump’s controversial choice of Matt Gaetz to be U.S. attorney general.

Neither should the GOP-controlled Senate give Gaetz a “rubber stamp,” Graham said in a statement that called for a fair process after he met with the prospective nominee and Vice President-elect JD Vance.  

“My record is clear. I tend to defer to presidential cabinet choices unless the evidence suggests disqualification,” said the South Carolina senator.

“I fear the process surrounding the Gaetz nomination is turning into an angry mob, and unverified allegations are being treated as if they are true. I have seen this movie before.” 

VP-ELECT JD VANCE TO HOLD MEETINGS BETWEEN GAETZ, HEGSETH AND ‘KEY’ GOP SENATORS

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., waits for the arrival of President Joe Biden and the University of South Carolina Gamecocks Women’s basketball team in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, for an event to welcome the and celebrate their 2023-2024 NCAA championship season.  (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Graham appears to be alluding to the 2018 confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, which was rocked by unproven allegations of sexual assault made by Christine Blasey Ford. Kavanaugh emphatically denied Ford’s claims, and she was never able to identify the time and place of the alleged assault or provide corroborating witnesses to support her account. 

Kavanaugh was narrowly confirmed, mostly along party lines, after Ford provided emotional testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which Graham served as chairman. 

Trump’s selection of his close ally Gaetz to lead the Justice Department caught many Republicans by surprise since he does not have prior law enforcement experience and also faces misconduct allegations. Gaetz resigned from Congress shortly after Trump made the announcement. 

Gaetz was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which subpoenaed him as recently as September for an ongoing investigation into alleged sexual misconduct with a minor. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and had told the panel he would “no longer voluntarily participate” in its probe.

MATT GAETZ ‘WORKING THE PHONES,’ SPEAKING TO GOP SENATORS DESPITE DIFFICULT CONFIRMATION ODDS

Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who accused Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her, testifies to the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2018.  (Pool/Getty Images)

The firebrand ex-Florida lawmaker has not been convicted of any charges related to these allegations. He was previously under a yearlong investigation by the DOJ, but federal prosecutors ultimately decided against an indictment. 

Still, the allegations could make Gaetz’s confirmation more difficult even in the Republican-controlled Senate. A source familiar has told Fox News Digital that Gaetz is “working the phones” to address concerns from GOP senators ahead of his confirmation hearings next year. He is also making the rounds with Vance on Capitol Hill to meet with senators directly. 

“The meetings have been productive with AG nominee Gaetz listening to senators’ thoughts on the role of the DOJ and the confirmation process. Gaetz is looking forward to meeting with more senators throughout this process on the Hill,” a Trump transition official told Fox News Digital. 

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said earlier this week that he had a “nice chat” with Gaetz and that the congressman “wants to have the chance to clear his name in a hearing.” 

TRUMP NOMINEE FOR FCC CHAIR SAYS LEGACY MEDIA ‘STATUS QUO’ NEEDS TO CHANGE

A side-by-side of President-elect Donald Trump and former Rep. Matt Gaetz. (Getty Images)

Graham urged his colleagues to give Gaetz that chance.

“I would urge all of my Senate colleagues, particularly Republicans, not to join the lynch mob and give the process a chance to move forward. After years of being investigated by the Department of Justice, no charges were brought against Matt Gaetz. This is something we should all remember,” he said Wednesday.

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“I would also urge my colleagues to go back to a time-tested process, receive relevant information, and give the nominee a chance to make their case as to why they should be confirmed. This standard – which I have long adhered to – has served the Senate and country well.”

Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

President-elect Donald Trump could quickly work to reform the H-1B visa program after years of the program straying further from its original intent, according to one expert.

“It is not being used as was intended by Congress, so it needs to be reformed,” said Lora Ries, the director of the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, regarding the H-1B visa program in an interview with Fox News Digital.

The comments come as Trump prepares to transition from candidate to president for the second time, with the president-elect already busy announcing his picks for critical Cabinet positions and rolling out an agenda for his return to the White House.

One key area Trump is likely to once again focus on as he re-enters the Oval Office is the country’s immigration system, an issue that became a centerpiece of both of his campaigns for the nation’s highest office.

HOW PRESIDENT TRUMP CAN SAVE WOMEN’S SPORTS ON DAY 1

President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a House Republicans Conference meeting at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill on Nov. 13, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Allison Robbert-Pool/Getty Images)

While securing the border and carrying out a large-scale deportation operation are two policies likely to top the list of priorities for Trump, the president-elect is also likely to attempt to tackle immigration more broadly in his second term.

One such reform is likely to be the H-1B visa program, Ries argued, noting that it has long fallen victim to fraud and abuse.

“Like so many programs, it has gone away from intent and been watered down and defrauded,” Ries said.

Trump attempted to tackle the issue during his previous term in office, introducing several reforms in the hopes of eliminating that fraud and ensuring that the program was not harmful to American workers.

Implementing stricter definitions of what is a “specialty occupation” and making it more difficult to obtain H-1B visas for those who do not meet those requirements was one such reform made by Trump, while the president-elect also sought to enforce stricter minimum wage requirements for H-1B holders.

IN ELECTION VICTORY, TRUMP’S GAINS WENT BEYOND THE BATTLEGROUNDS

President-elect Donald Trump is also likely to attempt to tackle immigration more broadly in his second term. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Those reforms were meant to tackle what Trump viewed as a threat to American workers, who he believed were being passed over for jobs by companies that preferred to hire cheaper foreign labor. 

“The program needs more work protections for Americans,” Ries said. “There are plenty of stories of American high-skill workers who were replaced by lower-wage foreign workers who they then had to train to take their jobs.”

Trump has in the past struck a similar tone when discussing the program, including a vow to commit to “eliminating rampant, widespread H-1B abuse and ending the outrageous practices such as those that occurred at Disney in Florida when Americans were forced to train their foreign replacements” on the campaign trail in 2016.

President-elect Donald Trump attempted to tackle the issue during his previous term in office. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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While the program was originally intended to allow American companies to fill gaps in the American workforce with qualified foreign labor, Ries argued it has since strayed away from that goal. Any reforms by Trump are likely to be similar to his first term as president, Ries said, with the goal of making sure American workers are protected.

“Protecting American workers and not replacing them with foreign workers just because you can pay less money, Ries said.

On Tuesday, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released presidentially-mandated guidance that lays out how schools’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) can be discriminatory toward minority and transgender students, “likely” opening them up to federal investigations.

President Biden signed Executive Order 14110 last year mandating that the Education Department develop resources, policies and guidance regarding AI in schools to help ensure responsible and non-discriminatory use, “including the impact AI systems have on vulnerable and underserved communities.”

“The growing use of AI in schools, including for instructional and school safety purposes, and AI’s ability to operate on a mass scale can create or contribute to discrimination,” the Education Department’s guidance states. “This resource provides information regarding federal civil rights laws in OCR’s jurisdiction and includes examples of types of incidents that could, depending on the facts and circumstances, present OCR with sufficient reason to open an investigation.” 

BIDEN EXECUTIVE ORDER FOR ‘WOKE’ ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CALLED ‘SOCIAL CANCER’

The first seven examples laid out in the guidance were scenarios where AI could potentially deny benefits, unfairly single out students or exclude them based on race, color or national origin. 

One scenario suggested that a plagiarism checker, run using generative AI with “a high error rate when evaluating essays written by non-native English speakers,” could be racist, unbeknownst to a teacher. Nonetheless, if the school continues using the racist plagiarism checker after students and parents complain, it could “likely” lead to a federal civil rights investigation, the guidance states. 

SEN. TOM COTTON TORCHES GOOGLE AI SYSTEM AS ‘RACIST, PREPOSTEROUSLY WOKE, HAMAS-SYMPATHIZING’

Another example suggested that schools using AI to determine appropriate disciplinary procedures for students could also be exhibiting a racial bias.

Chicago Public Schools teachers came forward to share the troubles they have faced in the classroom with trying to communicate with migrant students. (Getty Images)

“Significant disparities by race have persisted in the school’s application of student discipline, and Black students are disciplined more frequently and more harshly than other similarly situated students of another race,” the guidance reads. “As a result, the historic school discipline data that the software relies on reflects the school’s discriminatory disciplinary practices.”

Other sections of the guidance touched on how AI could lead to sex discrimination, with one of the examples detailing a scenario in which AI could discriminate against students who do not conform to traditional gender norms. The scenario suggested that schools using facial recognition software to check students into school could improperly flag students as a security risk because “they do not conform to the technology’s assumptions as to what girls and boys should look like, based on the sex specified in their school records.”

BEN AFFLECK IS CONFIDENT AI CANNOT REPLACE HOLLYWOOD MOVIES FOR THIS REASON

The guidance notes that students who are falsely flagged can be subjected to “embarrassment and missed class time,” and if administrators are “aware of the problem” but continue to use the screening software anyway, it could result in a Title IX violation and a likely investigation by civil rights officers.

This photo illustration created in Washington, D.C., shows an AI image generator in front of an image of school buses.

Challenging discrimination within AI has been a focal point for the Biden administration, with top leaders at the Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission pledging in April of last year that they would begin using existing federal civil rights and consumer protection laws to crack down on AI systems that are discriminatory.

Those calls from leaders within the Biden administration preceded the president’s October 2023 executive order mandating various initiatives to root out discrimination in AI, including Tuesday’s published guidance from the Department of Education.

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President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he would be nominating former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon to be the next leader of the Department of Education. 

The Department of Education did not supply Fox News Digital with any on-the-record comments prior to publication of this story. 

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said he would vote to confirm his former political opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz to serve as Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator if Oz plans to protect the government programs. 

“If Dr. Oz is about protecting and preserving Medicare and Medicaid, I’m voting for the dude,” Fetterman tweeted.

Fetterman defeated Oz, a Republican, in Pennsylvania’s 2022 U.S. Senate race.

FETTERMAN CALLS OUT ‘UN’S RANK, PERVASIVE ANTISEMITISM,’ SAYS HE LOOKS FORWARD TO CONFIRMING ELISE STEFANIK

Left: Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., seen in the U.S. Capitol during votes on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024; Right: Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz laughs during a safer streets community discussion at Galdos Catering and Entertainment on Oct. 13, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pa. (Left: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Right: Mark Makela/Getty Images)

“Our politics are obviously different, and we do have a history, but I don’t have any bitterness. I don’t hold anything against him,” Fetterman said, according to CNN’s Manu Raju. 

President-elect Donald Trump announced Oz as his pick to head the CMS, which falls under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“America is facing a Healthcare Crisis, and there may be no Physician more qualified and capable than Dr. Oz to Make America Healthy Again,” Trump said in a statement. “Dr. Oz will work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to take on the illness industrial complex, and all the horrible chronic diseases left in its wake.” 

TRUMP APPOINTS DR. OZ TO KEY HHS POSITION IN NEW ADMINISTRATION

Pennsylvania GOP Senate candidate and former TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz is greeted by former president Donald Trump at a rally to support local candidates at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Sept. 3, 2022 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Kennedy, who Trump nominated to helm HHS, hailed the president-elect’s decision to tap Oz to serve as CMS administrator.

“Very excited that my friend @DrOz has agreed to run CMS. Thank you ​@realDonaldTrump for this outstanding nomination. Welcome Dr​. Oz to ​The Avengers. ​Let’s Make America Healthy Again!” Kennedy tweeted.

Oz said in a post on X that he is “honored” by Trump’s nomination. 

“I look forward to serving my country to Make America Healthy Again under the leadership of HHS Secretary @RobertKennedyJr,” he noted.

PRO-LIFE GROUPS CAUTIOUS ON RFK JR. NOMINATION AFTER EVOLVING ABORTION VIEWS

Mehmet Oz at the 40/40 Club popup inside Fanatics Fest NYC held at Jacob Javits Convention Center on Aug. 16, 2024 in New York City. (John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images)

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Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., congratulated Oz, calling him an “excellent fit” for the job.

“His medical background as a cardiothoracic surgeon and public health advocate makes him an excellent fit for this position,” Paul said in a tweet.

President Biden ignored a reporter’s pleas to speak to the press as she screamed questions at him while he boarded Air Force One to depart from Rio de Janeiro.

On Tuesday, Biden finished up his trip to Brazil, where he attended the G-20 summit and met with world leaders, including Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. 

Video shows that as Biden prepared to board Air Force One, an unidentified reporter tried to grab his attention. She can be heard yelling at the top of her lungs to break through the noise created by Biden’s Boeing 747 plane. It is not clear if Biden chose not to answer her or if he could not hear her questions over the roar from the plane’s engines. 

“Mr. President, happy early birthday! For your birthday, will you talk to us, sir?” the reporter said, her voice growing louder with each attempt to ask questions.

PRESIDENT BIDEN SMILES, IGNORES PRESS SHOUTING QUESTIONS FOR A FULL MINUTE AT WHITE HOUSE EVENT

President Biden boards Air Force One prior to departure from Galeao International Airport in Rio de Janeiro on Nov. 19, 2024 as he returns to Washington following the G-20 Summit. He did not take questions from the press. (SAUL LOEB/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

“As a gift to the press will you please talk to us? Mr. President! President Biden, please! We haven’t heard from you all trip!” 

Her voice sounded almost hoarse with the final cry of, “MR. PRESIDENT!” 

BIDEN MISSES G-20 FAMILY PHOTO, WHITE HOUSE BLAMES ‘LOGISTICAL’ ISSUES

President Biden, left, and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrive late for a group photo during the G-20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Biden turns 82 on Wednesday and will finish office as the oldest person to serve as president in American history – until President-elect Trump, 78, assumes office in January and serves for four more years.  

Many news outlets have called out Biden for his habit of ignoring reporters’ questions and lack of direct interviews with the media. 

BIDEN LAUGHS AND SMIRKS AS THE PRESS IS USHERED OUT OF THE OVAL OFFICE WITHOUT QUESTIONS

President Biden, right, and Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva meet during a working lunch at the G-20 Leader’s Summit at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (Eric Lee/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

“For anyone who understands the role of the free press in a democracy, it should be troubling that President Biden has so actively and effectively avoided questions from independent journalists during his term,” The New York Times said in a public statement in April. “The president occupies the most important office in our nation, and the press plays a vital role in providing insights into his thinking and worldview, allowing the public to assess his record and hold him to account.”

The statement went on to say that while Biden may be within his rights to avoid the New York Times in particular, he needs to speak with major news outlets on principle. 

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“However, in meetings with Vice President Harris and other administration officials, the publisher of The Times focused instead on a higher principle: That systematically avoiding interviews and questions from major news organizations doesn’t just undermine an important norm, it also establishes a dangerous precedent that future presidents can use to avoid scrutiny and accountability.”

Fox News Digital’s Alexander Hall contributed to this report.