NationalWatch

EXCLUSIVE: A new, bipartisan, bicameral bill would boost pensions for Medal of Honor recipients six-fold. 

The legislation, reintroduced by Texas Republicans Rep. Troy Nehls and Sen. Ted Cruz and New Hampshire Democrat Rep. Chris Pappas, would bring pay for those who receive the nation’s highest military award from $16,880 per year to $100,000 per year. 

Proponents of the bill say the pay would ease the financial burden for medal recipients who often traverse the country for speaking engagements on their own dime.

The legislation would affect the 60 living Medal of Honor recipients. Some 3,500 have been awarded the medal since its inception in 1863.

PRESIDENT BIDEN AWARDS MEDAL OF HONOR TO SEVEN ARMY VETERANS

Pension rolls for Medal of Honor recipients were first created in 1916, with pensioners receiving $10 per month from the federal government. The monthly stipend was raised to $100 in 1961 and $1,000 in 2002. 

“I’m proud to reintroduce the Medal of Honor Act to ease the financial burdens of our nation’s Medal of Honor recipients,” Nehls said in a statement. “While we will never be able to repay these courageous individuals for their extraordinary acts, we must do everything we can to show our unwavering support and gratitude for their service.”

Former President Joe Biden awarded the Medal of Honor to seven U.S. Army soldiers, six posthumously and one who attended the White House ceremony in person – Pfc. Kenneth J. David – for their actions in the Korean and Vietnam wars. 

BIDEN TO AWARD MEDAL OF HONOR TO UNION SOLDIERS IN ‘ONE OF THE EARLIEST SPECIAL OPERATIONS’ IN ARMY HISTORY

Those honored posthumously were Pvt. Bruno R. Orig, Pfc. Wataru Nakamura, Cpl. Fred B. McGee, Pfc. Charles R. Johnson, Gen. Richard E. Cavazos and Capt. Hugh R. Nelson Jr.

In May 1970, David’s company had come under attack by enemy forces. Then a radio-telephone operator, David engaged the enemy and drew fire away from his fellow soldiers. He distracted them by yelling, firing his rifle and throwing hand grenades while friendly helicopters swooped in to evacuate the wounded. 

“Our Medal of Honor recipients are heroes who embody the highest ideals of courage, sacrifice and selflessness. They continue to serve our nation by sharing their stories, inspiring generations and encouraging the next wave of America’s heroes,” said Cruz. “Yet, they often lack the financial resources for these activities. The MEDAL Act addresses those shortfalls.”

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The bill has been introduced in two previous congressional terms, but has not yet received a floor vote. It’s not yet clear whether it will make it to the House and Senate floor this Congress.

FIRST ON FOX: The movement to eliminate the free trade perks China enjoys in the U.S. is gaining steam under Republican control of the government. 

GOP leaders in the House and Senate are once again introducing legislation that would end China’s most favored nation status by repealing Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR).

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., reintroduced the Restoring Trade Fairness Act in the Senate, with Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., as a cosponsor. The bill has bipartisan support in the House – Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Moch., China Competition Committee chair, introduced it along with Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y.

The measure would create a minimum 35% tariff on non-strategic goods and a 100% tariff on strategic goods, phased in over five years. 

SENATE REPUBLICANS LAUNCH EFFORT TO BAN CHINESE NATIONALS FROM BUYING LAND IN US

It would end “de minimis treatment” for China, or the value threshold below which imports are not subject to customs duties. The revenue generated, according to the bill, would go toward farmers and manufacturers injured by potential Chinese retaliation and the purchase of key munitions important to a potential Pacific conflict.

The bill follows a recent Trump executive order that directs the secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade representative to assess proposals regarding PNTR. 

Congress voted to grant China PNTR in 2000 under a directive from then-President Bill Clinton, which also allowed it to join the World Trade Organization (WTO). 

The designation fundamentally changed China-U.S. trade relations. U.S. consumers gained access to low-priced Chinese imports, and between 2001 and 2021, the value of goods imported from China quadrupled to $500 billion.

The U.S. share of global manufacturing production dropped from 25% in 1997 to 17% in 2019. 

Nations with PNTR enjoy an average tariff rate of around 3%. Additional tariffs on Chinese goods by sector that kicked off under the first Trump administration drive that figure higher for the CCP. 

TRUMP, CHINA’S XI SPEAK ON PHONE AHEAD OF INAUGURATION

Critics of PNTR say it allowed companies to outsource their manufacturing to China, and that renewed tensions with Beijing could lead to supply chain issues. 

Proponents of PNTR say that removing that status would cause inflation, allowing further tariffs on billions’ worth of Chinese goods. 

“For too long, permanent normal trade relations with China have undermined our manufacturing base, shifted American jobs abroad, and allowed the CCP to exploit our markets while betraying the promise of fair competition,” Moolenaar said in a statement.” 

“China’s Permanent Normal Trade Relations status has enriched the Chinese Communist Party while costing the United States millions of jobs,” said Cotton. “This comprehensive repeal of China’s PNTR status and reform of the U.S.-China trade relationship will protect American workers, enhance our national security, and end the Chinese Communists’ leverage over our economy.”

On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump suggested tariffs as high as 60% on Chinese goods. However, this week, after taking office, he said he intended to start off with a 10% tariff on Chinese products on Feb. 1. 

Ending China’s most favored nation status was a pipe dream under the previous administration, when Democrats controlled the Senate and White House. 

However, with Republican control of the executive branch and both chambers of Congress, the legislation has gained momentum. 

House Republicans who spoke with Fox News Digital said they wanted to see the legislation get passed this Congress. 

“China needs to be isolated,” said Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis. “That takes tariffs. It takes tariffs without any permanent normal trade relations. They never should have been allowed into the WTO – the Democrats gave them favored nation status.”

“That started the downward spiral out of our military industrial complex crashing in the ground,” he went on. “We can’t produce enough weapons right now because all the manufacturing – it’s not just that we’re not buying bombs from China, that there’s component parts that have to go into all these weapons systems that left the country. That’s a national security issue.”

“There’s no question in my mind that I would like to see an end to normal trade relations,” said freshman Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C. “China is not our friend. They are our adversary. I would go so far as to say they are our enemy.”

“I would never have voted for a permanent trade authority for China or for Russia,” said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.

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“You have to meet certain requirements to be a most favored nation,” he went on. “Previous presidents made the mistake of saying that we should give them the status because they were going to stop doing the wrong thing. No, they need to do the right thing. And then we’re certainly happy to have them back in.” 

President Donald Trump sat down for an exclusive interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Wednesday, his first since returning to the White House.

Trump has routinely answered questions from reporters during his first week in office, including from Hannity.

In front of a primetime audience, Trump reflected on his return to the White House four years after his loss to former President Joe Biden, threatened a reckoning with FEMA, shared his view on TikTok’s future and discussed Biden’s preemptive pardons for officials and family members.

Here are the standout moments.

TRUMP’S ‘SHOCK AND AWE’: FORGET FIRST 100 DAYS, NEW PRESIDENT SHOWS OFF FRENETIC PACE IN FIRST 100 HOURS

1. Trump reflects on return to White House

Trump looked back on his historic return to the White House in his interview with Hannity, saying his political comeback proves the policies and philosophies of the “radical left” throughout the past four years are “horrible” and “don’t work.”

The 47th president lamented the Biden administration’s policies, once again targeting inflation, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the onset of the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars. 

“With all that being said, I think it’s bigger. It’s bigger than if it were more traditional,” he said on “Hannity,” referring to his two nonconsecutive terms. “I think we got there just in the nick of time.”

2. Hannity reveals what he told Trump after 2020 election loss

Hannity revealed he told Trump after the 2020 election that a return to the White House four years after the Biden administration would be “bigger” than a consecutive win, comparing it to Winston Churchill’s return as prime minister following World War II.

“Maybe I shouldn’t disclose this, but I will, and it was after the 2020 election, and you asked me a question. And we’ve known each other for 30 years, so we have a friendship, and we have a professional relationship,” Hannity said in his exclusive interview with Trump on Wednesday. 

“And the question you asked me, ‘maybe in the end, it will be better that if I came back in four years.’ And we talked about history. After World War II, Winston Churchill was thrown out, but they brought him back. Grover Cleveland, the only other American president that did not serve consecutive terms,” he continued. 

TRUMP WARNS FEMA FACES A RECKONING AFTER BIDEN ADMIN: ‘NOT DONE THEIR JOB’

Churchill served as prime minister twice, from 1940-1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. Trump is the second U.S. president to serve two, non-consecutive terms behind President Grover Cleveland, the nation’s 22nd and 24th president. 

Hannity explained that he believed “it would be bigger if you came back.” Trump agreed that it is already shaping up that way after three days in office. 

“It’s turning out to be bigger. And I think one thing is happening is people are learning that they can’t govern and that their policies are terrible. I mean, they don’t want to see a woman get pummeled by a man in a boxing ring?” he said. 

3. Trump warns FEMA faces a reckoning after Biden administration

Trump warned that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is set to face a reckoning following four years under the Biden administration, arguing the emergency agency has “not done their job.” 

“FEMA has not done their job for the last four years. You know, I had FEMA working really well. We had hurricanes in Florida. We had Alabama tornadoes. But unless you have certain types of leadership, it’s really, it gets in the way. And FEMA is going to be a whole big discussion very shortly, because I’d rather see the states take care of their own problems,” Trump said.

FEMA came under the nation’s microscope last year when Hurricane Helene ripped through North Carolina, devastating residents as it wiped out homes and businesses and killed more than 100 people. FEMA and the Biden administration faced fierce backlash for its handling of the emergency, while Trump accused the agency of obstructing relief efforts in Republican areas. 

‘TOTALLY PREPARED’: TRUMP ALLIES SAY HE’S BETTER POSITIONED THAN EVER TO ENACT AGENDA

“The Democrats don’t care about North Carolina. What they’ve done with FEMA is so bad. FEMA is a whole ‘nother discussion, because all it does is complicate everything,” he said. 

“So I’m stopping on Friday. I’m stopping in North Carolina, first stop, because those people were treated very badly by Democrats. And I’m stopping there. We’re going to get that thing straightened out because they’re still suffering from a hurricane from months ago,” Trump said. 

Trump will visit North Carolina on Friday, his first trip as president, where he is expected to tour and meet with residents who were left devastated by the hurricane in September. He will also visit California that same day, where wildfires have ripped through the Los Angeles area this month. 

4. Trump has a ‘very warm spot in my heart’ for TikTok

Trump credited his campaign’s decision to go on TikTok with his strong 2024 election performance with youth voters, though he told Hannity the short form video platform must be sold by its Chinese owners to continue to operate in the U.S.

“I think TikTok ought to be sold,” Trump said. “People want to buy it.” 

On his first day in office Monday, Trump issued an executive order granting TikTok more time to operate and work toward compliance with a law forcing the platform’s Beijing-based owner, ByteDance, to either divest the app to an American buyer or shut the platform down in the U.S.

He has stated that the U.S. should own half of TikTok and suggested that billionaire Elon Musk or Oracle founder Larry Ellison should purchase the app. 

TRUMP’S 90-DAY TIKTOK EXTENSION COULD BE ‘LEGALLY INVALID,’ JONATHAN TURLEY WARNS

In the interview, Trump seemed dismissive of Hannity’s concerns that TikTok is a “spying app for the communist Chinese.” 

“But you can say that about everything made in China. Look, we have our telephones made in China for the most part. We have so many things made in China. So why don’t they mention that, you know?” Trump said.

“You’re dealing with a lot of young people,” he added. “So they love it. Is it that important for China to be spying on young people and young kids watching crazy videos of things?” 

Hannity replied that he does not want China spying on anybody.

“No, but they make your telephones, and they make your computers, and they make a lot of other things,” Trump said. “Isn’t that a bigger threat?”

5. Trump reacts to Biden not pardoning himself

During a discussion on Biden’s preemptive pardons for Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley and members of the House Jan. 6 select committee, Trump suggested the “sad thing” about it was that Biden did not pardon himself.

“I was given the option,” Trump said, recalling the end of his first term, when political pundits speculated that Trump may pardon himself to avoid prosecution for his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021 riots. 

“They said, ‘sir, would you like to pardon everybody, including yourself?’ I said, I’m not going to pardon anybody. We didn’t do anything wrong. And we had people that suffered,” Trump said, noting that his former chief strategist Steve Bannon and former trade advisor Peter Navarro were jailed for contempt of Congress. 

“[Biden] went around giving everybody pardons, and, you know, the funny thing — maybe the sad thing — is he didn’t give himself a pardon. And, if you look at it, it all had to do with him,” Trump told Hannity. 

TRUMP PARDONS NEARLY ALL JAN.6 DEFENDANTS ON INAUGURATION DAY

Biden was asked in 2020 about reports that then-President Trump was considering preemptive pardons for members of his family and even himself, describing the possibility as concerning. 

“Well, it concerns me in terms of what kind of precedent it sets and how the rest of the world looks at us as a nation of laws and justice,” Biden told CNN anchor Jake Tapper. 

Four years later, he pardoned his sister, two brothers and their spouses. Biden said the array of pardons was in part because he feared “baseless” and “politically motivated investigations” into his family from the Trump administration. 

“The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that they engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense,” Biden said in a statement released on Inauguration Day.

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Trump declined to answer Hannity’s question about whether Congress should investigate the Biden family. 

“Look, he didn’t give himself a pardon, and he didn’t give some other people a pardon that needed it,” said Trump. 

Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan, Emma Colton and Breck Dumas contributed to this report.

A key senator on the Armed Services Committee says he is standing by President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, pushing back on those he called “anonymous sources with ulterior motives” who are casting doubt on his character.

Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., in a statement Wednesday criticized recent reports on a confidential briefing on the FBI background investigation of Hegseth as “starkly and factually inaccurate.”

“It is disturbing that a sensitive, longstanding process used by committee leadership to vet presidential personnel is being litigated in the press by anonymous sources with ulterior motives,” Wicker said, adding that he’s received three separate, detailed briefings on the FBI’s background investigation.

Wicker was responding to a CNN report that cited two sources familiar with the matter who claimed that Hegseth’s ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth, gave a statement to the FBI about Hegseth’s alleged alcohol use. The outlet said one of the sources said Samantha Hegseth told the FBI, “He drinks more often than he doesn’t.”

HEGSETH LAWYER SLAMS ‘FLAWED AND QUESTIONABLE AFFIDAVIT’ FROM EX-SISTER-IN-LAW

Wicker says that he continues to stand by Hegseth.

“After this thorough review, I am ironclad in my assessment that the nominee, Mr. Hegseth, is prepared to be the next Secretary of Defense, and that the allegations unfairly impugning his character do not pass scrutiny,” the senator said.

Wicker said that Hegseth has the confidence of Trump and the backing of Senate Republicans, and called on the Senate to confirm the nominee “as fast as possible” during this “precarious national security moment.”

‘DESPERATE ATTEMPT’: SENATORS RECEIVE AFFIDAVIT WITH ALLEGATIONS ABOUT HEGSETH’S PREVIOUS MARRIAGE

Hegseth has faced controversy throughout his nomination process.

On Tuesday, Fox News obtained an affidavit from Hegseth’s former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, which alleges he has an alcohol abuse problem and at times made his ex-wife, Samantha, fear for her safety. Danielle Hegseth was married to Pete Hegseth’s brother. She is not the sister of Samantha, Pete Hegseth’s second wife.

But Danielle Hegseth added that she never witnessed any abuse herself, physical or sexual, from Pete against Samantha. 

Samantha Hegseth has also denied any physical abuse in a statement first reported by NBC News.

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“There was no physical abuse in my marriage. This is the only further statement I will make to you. I have let you know that I am not speaking and will not speak on my marriage to Pete. Please respect this decision,” she reportedly said. 

Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson and Fox News’ Tyler Olson, Kelly Phares and Daniel Scully contributed to this report.

President Trump re-designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) on Wednesday, four years after his first administration made an identical move.

In an executive order signed on Wednesday, Trump said that the terrorist group “threaten[s] the security of American civilians and personnel in the Middle East, the safety of our closest regional partners, and the stability of global maritime trade.”

“Supported by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force (IRGC-QF), which arms and trains terrorist organizations worldwide, the Houthis have fired at U.S. Navy warships dozens of times since 2023, endangering American men and women in uniform,” the order noted.

Trump also documented that “numerous” attacks that the terrorist group has conducted over the years, including “multiple attacks on civilian airports in Saudi Arabia, the deadly January 2022 attacks on the United Arab Emirates, and more than 300 projectiles fired at Israel since October 2023.”

DOGE CAUCUS PLANS FOR BIGGEST IMPACT, EYEING KEY TOOLS TO EXPEDITE CUTTING WASTE

“The Houthis have also attacked commercial vessels transiting Bab al-Mandeb more than 100 times, killing at least four civilian sailors and forcing some Red Sea maritime commercial traffic to reroute, which has contributed to global inflation,” the order added.

Trump administration designated the Houthis as an FTO in January 2021. In a Wednesday press release, the White House noted that the Biden administration immediately reversed it.

“As a result of the Biden administration’s weak policy, the Houthis have fired at U.S. Navy warships dozens of times, launched numerous attacks on civilian infrastructure in partner nations, and attacked commercial vessels transiting Bab al-Mandeb more than 100 times,” the White House said on Wednesday.

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“The Executive Order directs the Secretary of State, in consultation with others, to recommend the re-designation of the Houthis within 30 days.”

Though the Biden White House removed the FTO designation in January 2021, Biden did name the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity last week. That designation is considered a lower grade than an FTO.

Then-State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller defended the move in a press conference, claiming that the Houthis recently launched attacks on cargo ships in the Middle East – though the group has targeted commercial ships for years.

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“The Houthis were procuring military equipment long before that designation and they continued to procure it in the year since,” Miller explained. “What’s changed as we have seen them launching attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, something that wasn’t the case in 2021. And that’s why we decided it was important to take this step. “

President Donald Trump’s Republican allies in the House say he is better positioned than ever to enact his legislative agenda, entering the White House armed with nearly a decade’s worth of knowledge about Washington.

“The first time, he was a great businessman, but he didn’t know Washington. He’s got it down now,” said Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., a close ally of Trump’s who switched parties to better align with him during his first term. “He’s totally prepared for this. Last time he was learning. He’s learned. He’s ready to go.”

Multiple House GOP lawmakers who served in Congress during Trump’s first term described a man who is returning to D.C. both with a triumphant electoral victory and a sharp understanding of how Capitol Hill and the wider D.C. network works.

Several said the changes are manifesting in his and his team’s near-constant communication with Republican lawmakers and in the people he’s hiring for his team.

REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS MEET WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP, VP VANCE TO ADVANCE AGENDA

“He knows now that Washington is generally going to push back, and they’re going to do what they want to do — whether you call it the deep state or the establishment or the uniparty. I think he’s very aware, and I think he’s comporting his actions to address those issues,” said Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa. “He understands that personnel is policy, so he’s trying to get the right people in place, not because they’re loyal to him, but because they’re loyal to the agenda that the people want.”

Within hours of being sworn in Monday, Trump held public events where he signed dozens of executive orders to enact promises he made on the campaign trail.

All the while, he’s stayed in close contact with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., as well as summoning a flurry of House Republicans to Mar-a-Lago earlier this month to discuss the GOP agenda.

Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., a former founding member of the House Freedom Caucus who served in the House from 2010 to 2017 and who is back for another term, noticed a marked difference from former Speaker Paul Ryan’s era.

“It didn’t seem he and Speaker Ryan were on the same page coming into Congress. I saw them have discussions about the election and rallies, and they just had different perspectives, which I think is unfortunate because it was a real missed opportunity for a lot of things to be done,” Stutzman said.

“This time, he knows Washington, he has a great team he’s pulling together and I think his team will be that much more disciplined and focused on the four-year window to get as much done as possible.”

Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., a former member of House GOP leadership, also remarked on Trump’s focus on Congress.

“His first term was clearly a populist campaign. He had really smart people, but they didn’t have any congressional experience,” Palmer said. “That’s not happening now. They’ve worked very closely with us. I feel like we’re all on the same page about what needs to be done.”

WHITE HOUSE OPM ORDERS ALL DEI OFFICES TO BEGIN CLOSING BY END OF DAY WEDNESDAY

Freshman Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colo., who had been a talk radio host before his political career, noted that the media environment Trump walked into had been a more receptive one compared to 2016.

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“He sort of broke the media complex. He seemed like – the media folks who in 2016 were resisting him, now they’ve realized, ‘Well, maybe this was censorship that we were doing, and that’s maybe not the best thing for our business model,’” Crank said. “But, whatever it is, they’ve sort of joined up with him, right, in a lot of ways.”

A significant part of Trump’s D.C. education came during the four years he was out of office, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., a longtime ally, said. But he and others agreed that, at his core, Trump has not changed.

“There’s no question that he is better than had he raced into a second term. He is the same man, though. He knows what he believes,” Issa said.

Democratic lawmakers grilled President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on a series of issues Wednesday, ranging from abortion to the constitutionality of the Impoundment Control Act. 

While Republicans argue that Russell Vought is qualified for the role because he served as Trump’s OMB director during the president’s first term, Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have labeled Vought an “ultra-right” ideologue. 

Vought appeared before the Senate Budget Committee on Wednesday for a confirmation hearing and defended his previous statements that the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional — an issue Democrats claim should disqualify him from leading the Office of Management and Budget.

TRUMP’S TREASURY NOMINEE TURNS THE TABLES ON SANDERS IN TESTY EXCHANGE ABOUT BIDEN’S ‘OLIGARCHY’ COMMENTS 

The law, adopted in 1974, stipulates that Congress may oversee the executive branch’s withholding of budget authority, and affirmed that Congress holds the power of the purse. Ultimately, the law bars the executive branch from circumventing Congress and withholding appropriated funds.

The first Trump administration and Vought have come under fire after the Office of Management and Budget held up $214 million in military aid for Ukraine in 2019, a decision that ultimately led to Trump’s first impeachment.

“You’re quite comfortable assuming that the law doesn’t matter and that you’ll just treat the money for a program as a ceiling… rather than a required amount,” Senate Budget Committee ranking member Jeff Merkley said. “Well, the courts have found otherwise.”

TRUMP TREASURY PICK: EXTENDING TRUMP TAX CUTS ‘SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ECONOMIC ISSUE’

Additionally, the Supreme Court also ruled in 1975 that the executive branch cannot impound funds without congressional oversight. 

In that case, Train v. City of New York, the Supreme Court determined the Environmental Protection Agency must use full funding included in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, even though then-President Richard Nixon issued orders not to use all the funding. 

Lawmakers have pointed to this case in Vought’s confirmation hearings as further evidence that the executive branch cannot tie up funding Congress has approved. 

Even so, Vought told lawmakers in multiple exchanges he believes the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional, because presidents historically could spend less than what Congress had approved prior to the Impoundment Control Act, and that Trump campaigned on that position.

Democrats aren’t the only ones worried about Vought’s views on the Impoundment Control Act. Senate Budget Committee chair Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he also shared some concerns and would disclose them at a markup hearing for Vought’s nomination. 

Vought also faced questioning on his views regarding abortion, given his connection as an author of Project 2025, a political initiative The Heritage Foundation released in 2023 that called for policy changes, including instituting a national ban on abortion medication. 

Other proposals included in Project 2025 include eliminating the Department of Education, cutting DEI programs, and reducing funding for Medicare and Medicaid. 

“You have said that you don’t believe in exceptions for rape, for incest, or the life of the mother,” said Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington. “Is that your position?”

“Senator, my views are not important. I’m here on behalf of the president,” Vought said. 

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

Trump has repeatedly stated that he backs abortion in certain instances, and stated that “powerful exceptions” for abortion would remain in place under his administration.

Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., pressed Vought on whether healthcare is a “human right.” Sanders has previously introduced legislation called the Medicare for All Act that would establish a federal, national health insurance program. 

“Do you think we should join every other major country on Earth and say, ‘You know what? Whether you’re poor, you’re rich, you’re young, you’re old, healthcare is a human right,’” Sanders said. “We have the richest country in the history of the world. Do you think we should do what every other major country on Earth does?”

Vought declined to disclose specifics, but said that he believed it’s critical to provide “legitimate, evidence-based outcomes for people within the healthcare system, and to make sure that we tailor all of the dollars that are spent toward that.” 

After serving as director of the Office of Management and Budget under the first Trump administration, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America in 2021. The organization claims its mission is to “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God,” according to its website. Vought also served as the vice president of Heritage Action for America. 

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. said his meeting with Vought only exacerbated his concerns about the nomination. 

“I walked out of the meeting even more deeply troubled,” Schumer said on the Senate floor on Wednesday. “Of all the extremists President Trump could have picked for OMB, he picked the godfather of the ultra-right.”

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Vought has repeatedly told lawmakers that he would uphold the law and that his personal views aren’t important — carrying out Trump’s vision is what matters. 

The OMB is responsible for developing and executing the president’s budget, as well as overseeing and coordinating legislative proposals and priorities aligned with the executive branch. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Buckle up. 

President Donald Trump is back in the White House and moving at warp speed.

In his inauguration address, the new president vowed that things across the country would “change starting today, and it will change very quickly.”

And moments later, White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich took to social media to tease, “Now, comes SHOCK AND AWE.”

They weren’t kidding.

TRUMP UNPLUGGED: WHAT THE NEW PRESIDENT IS DOING THAT BIDEN RARELY DID

Trump signed an avalanche of executive orders and actions in his first eight hours in office, which not only fulfilled major campaign trail promises, but also allowed the returning president to flex his executive muscles as well as settle some longstanding grievances.

The president immediately cracked down on immigration, moved towards a trade war with top allies and adversaries, reversed many policies implemented by former President Biden, including scrapping much of the previous administration’s federal diversity actions and energy and climate provisions.

HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS UPDATES ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS IN THE WHITE HOUSE

He also sparked a major controversy by pardoning or commuting the sentences of roughly 1,500 supporters who took part in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol in an unsuccessful attempt to upend congressional certification of Biden’s 2020 election victory. Among those whose sentences were commuted included some who violently assaulted police officers on one of America’s darkest days.

Trump also fired some top government officials, made a high-profile half-trillion dollar tech investment announcement, held unscripted and wide-ranging, informal, and impromptu news conferences during his first two days back at the White House, and even renamed the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.

“I think it’s brilliant how they’ve been handling it, to immediately meet the moment with action. It’s exactly what he needs to do and its exactly what the people voted for,” veteran Republican strategist Kristin Davison told Fox News.

“Americans vote for decisive, fast action, and true leadership. And Trump understands that more than anyone. I think he and his team knew how important it was out the gate to show that they heard what the people wanted and are answering with leadership,” Davison argued.

WATCH: TRUMP SITS DOWN IN OVAL OFFICE WITH FOX NEWS’ HANNITY

Longtime Republican consultant Alex Castellanos agreed

“He’s flooding the zone. He’s making a case for action. He’s demonstrating action. He is rallying a wave of American support for a massive transformation of government,” Castellanos, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns, told Fox News. 

Seasoned Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo didn’t dispute Trump’s frenetic actions.

“The pace of this shouldn’t be surprising to anyone. Trump made it abundantly clear he was going to act quickly, he was going to act boldly, and he was going to do exactly what he told voters he would do,” Caiazzo said.

But he argued that “the things he is doing is going to directly negatively impact working families from coast to coast. It’s also a signal he has no respect for the rule of law.” 

TRUMP’S AVALANCHE OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Asked if Trump’s actions were what Americans voted for this past autumn, Caiazzo replied “of course not. What Americans voted for was cheaper groceries. What Donald Trump is going to give us is a litany of policies that work to deteriorate our institutions, that work to enrich the wealthy and solidify his standing among the oligarchy in this country.”

There’s another reason for Trump’s fast pace – even though he’s the new president, he’s also a term-limited and lame-duck president. And by Labor Day, much of the political world will start looking ahead to the 2026 midterm elections.

“This is his second term. He’s got to move quickly,” Davison emphasized.

Trump’s show of force in the opening days of his second administration is also in contrast to eight years ago, when he first entered the White House.

The president and his team are much more seasoned the second time around, and the supporting cast is intensely loyal to Trump.

“In the past administration, there would be logjams and bottlenecks because there were people who didn’t agree with him,” a senior White House source told Fox News. “Now we have a whole infrastructure and staff that’s built around him, in support of him. When he says something, it’s getting done. It’s testament to him and the team that he built.”

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Credit is also being given to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who, as co-campaign manager of Trump’s 2024 presidential bid, kept the trains on the tracks.

“What Susie has done is look at the totality of Trump and found the best players and put them in the best positions to support the president. Trump is surrounded by Trump people who’ve all proven themselves over the years not just to be loyal but ultra-competent operators,” added the adviser, who asked for anonymity to speak more freely.

Two police officers convicted in the death of a man riding a moped in Washington, D.C., have received pardons from President Donald Trump, the White House announced Wednesday. 

Former Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Lt. Andrew Zabavsky, 56, who was convicted of conspiracy and obstruction of justice, was sentenced in September in the 2020 death of Karon Hylton-Brown. Another former MPD officer, Terence Sutton Jr., 40, was also convicted and sentenced in the case. 

In a statement, the White House said Trump granted Zabavsky and Sutton full and unconditional pardons. 

On Tuesday, the DC Police Union said it was working with the Trump administration to ensure pardons for Zabavsky and Sutton. That same day, Trump said he approved pardons for both men. 

TRUMP PARDONS NEARLY ALL JAN. 6 DEFENDANTS ON INAUGURATION DAY

“I just approved it,” Trump said during a press conference. “They arrested the two officers to put them in jail for going after a criminal.”

In a statement Tuesday, the union said both men were wrongly convicted and maliciously prosecuted. 

DOJ’S ‘EXCESSIVE’ TREATMENT OF JAN. 6 RIOTERS ‘UNDERMINED’ THE PROSECUTIONS, TURLEY SAYS AFTER PARDONS

“These officers — men of integrity and dedication — were targeted by corrupt prosecutors who weaponized the legal system against them,” the union said. 

Sutton was convicted and sentenced to 66 months in prison for Hylton-Brown’s death, while Zabavsky was sentenced to a 48-month prison term. 

Hylton-Brown was riding a moped without a helmet on a sidewalk Oct. 23, 2020, when Sutton tried to pull him over in an unmarked car, authorities said. A chase ensued, reaching speeds of more than double the speed limit on residential streets, the Justice Department said. 

Hylton-Brown was eventually struck by a vehicle in an alley during the pursuit. He sustained severe head trauma and died two days later. The pursuit appeared to violate the Metropolitan Police Department’s policy prohibiting chases.

High-speed chases are barred over minor traffic offenses. 

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Prosecutors alleged both officers conspired to hide the events that led to Hylton’s death, such as failing to tell superior officers about the seriousness of his injuries. 

Prosecutors also claimed the officers deactivated their body cameras minutes after the collision and failed to take statements from witnesses. 

FIRST ON FOX: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the first days of the Trump administration, has made for than 460 arrests of illegal immigrants, including those with criminal histories that include sexual assault, domestic violence and drugs and weapons crimes.

Information obtained by Fox News Digital, shows that between midnight Jan. 21 and 9am Jan 22, a 33-hour period, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrests over 460 aliens that include criminal histories of sexual assault, robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, drugs and weapons offenses, resisting arrest and domestic violence.

Agents arrested nationals from a slew of countries including Afghanistan, Angola, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Senegal and Venezuela.

‘PROMPT REMOVAL’: TRUMP DHS EXPANDS EXPEDITED DEPORTATION POWERS AS OPERATIONS RAMP UP

Arrests took place across the U.S. including Illinois, Utah, California, Minnesota, New York, Florida and Maryland. 

Meanwhile, ICE issued more than 420 detainers – requests ICE be notified when a national is released from custody. The nationals were arrested for crimes including homicide, sexual assault, kidnapping, battery and robbery.

TRUMP BORDER CZAR REVEALS ICE TEAMS ARE ALREADY ARRESTING ‘PUBLIC SAFETY THREATS’

Arrests include:

– A Mexican national, Jesus Perez, arrested in Salt Lake City, charged with aggravated sexual abuse of a child.

– A Honduran national, Franklin Osorto-Cruz, convicted of driving while intoxicated. He was arrested in New York.

– A Jamaican national, Kamaro Denver Haye, arrested for “promote a sexual performance by a child less than 17 years of age and possessing sexual performance by child less than 16 years of age: possess/access to view.”

– A Mexican national, Jesus Baltazar Mendoza, convicted of 2nd degree assault of a child. He was arrested in St. Paul.

– Colombian national Andres Orjuela Parra, who was arrested in San Francisco. He has a conviction of sexual penetration with a foreign object on an unaware victim.

TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS, ORDERS PAROLE REVIEW

– Six illegal immigrants in Miami from Guatemala, with criminal histories including battery, child abuse, fraud, resisting arrest, DWI, trespassing and vandalism.

Meanwhile, Fox News’ Bill Melugin was on the ground in Boston, where agents arrested multiple MS-13 gang members, Interpol Red Notices, and murder & rape suspects.

The arrests come as the Trump administration is moving rapidly to fulfill its promise to launch a historic mass deportation operation, which it has said will focus primarily – but not exclusively – on public safety threats.

This week the administration has made a slew of moves to make it happen, including a barrage of executive orders by President Trump and subsequent moves by his cabinet agencies.

Fox News reported Wednesday that the Department of Homeland Security has removed limits from powers of expedited removal, a day after it rescinded a Biden-era memo restricting where ICE can conduct enforcement operations.

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“Teams are out there as of today,” Homan said on “America’s Newsroom” on Tuesday. “We gave them direction to prioritize public safety threats that we’re looking for. We’ve been working up the target list.”

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“Right out of the gate it’s public safety threats, those who are in the country illegally that have been convicted, arrested for serious crime,” he said. “But let me be clear. There’s not only public safety threats that will be arrested, because in sanctuary cities, we’re not allowed to get that public safety threat in the jail, which means we got to go to the neighborhood and find him.”

Fox News’ Sophia Compton contributed to this report. 

Newly sworn-in Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Panama for his first international trip as the nation’s top diplomat, Fox News has learned. 

Though details are still being worked out, the visit could come as early as next week. 

The planned trip comes after repeated vows by President Donald Trump – who returned to the White House on Monday – to take back the Panama Canal.

Trump mentioned the Panama Canal again during his inaugural address on Monday, claiming that it was now in the hands of China and vowing to take it back. 

MARCO RUBIO CLASHES WITH NBC ‘TODAY’ HOST WHEN PRESSED ON TRUMP’S JAN. 6 PARDONS

“China is operating the Panama Canal. And we didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back,” Trump said. 

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino responded forcefully to Trump’s comments on Wednesday saying, “we reject in its entirety everything that Mr. Trump has said. First, because it is false and second, because the Panama Canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong to Panama.”  

The U.S. built the canal in the early 1900s under then President Theodore Roosevelt as it looked for ways to facilitate the transit of commercial and military vessels between its coasts. Washington relinquished control of the waterway to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 by then President Jimmy Carter. 

TRUMP WARNS FEMA FACES A RECKONING AFTER BIDEN ADMIN: ‘NOT DONE THEIR JOB’

News of Rubio’s trip was first reported by Politico and could include other Central American countries like Guatemala and El Salvador, where Rubio is expected to address a top priority of curbing mass migration that he outlined earlier this week. 

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce tells Fox News that “Secretary Rubio is prioritizing the region because it’s where we live,” adding “we won’t continue to ignore the region as other administrations have.” 

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She added: “Engaging with our neighbors is a vital element in addressing migration, supply chains, and economic growth, which are key to Secretary Rubio’s pursuit of foreign policy focused on making America strong, prosperous, and safe.”

Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Fox News host Sean Hannity revealed he told President Donald Trump after the 2020 election loss that a return to the White House four years after the Biden administration would be “bigger” than a consecutive win, comparing it to Winston Churchill’s return as prime minister following World War II.

“Maybe I shouldn’t disclose this, but I will, and it was after the 2020 election, and you asked me a question. And we’ve known each other for 30 years, so we have a friendship and we have a professional relationship,” Hannity said in his exclusive interview with Trump on Wednesday. 

“And the question you asked me, ‘maybe in the end, it will be better that if I came back in four years.’ And we talked about history. After World War Two, Winston Churchill was thrown out, but they brought him back. Grover Cleveland, the only other American president that did not serve consecutive terms,” he continued. 

TRUMP DETAILS HOW HE FELT WALKING BACK INTO THE OVAL OFFICE IN EXCLUSIVE ‘HANNITY’ INTERVIEW

Churchill served as prime minister twice, from 1940-1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. Trump is the second U.S. president to serve two, non-consecutive terms behind President Grover Cleveland, the nation’s 22nd and 24th president. 

ACLU LAWYER CALLS FEMALES ‘NON-TRANSGENDER WOMEN’ IN RANT ABOUT TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER

Hannity explained that he believed “it would be bigger if you came back.” Trump agreed that it’s already shaping up that way after three days in office. 

“It’s turning out to be bigger. And I think one thing is happening is people are learning that they can’t govern and that their policies are terrible. I mean, they don’t want to see a woman get pummeled by a man in a boxing ring?” he said. 

Trump sat down for his first interview in the White House on Wednesday after he was sworn in as the 47th president on Monday. 

BREAKING DOWN THE SENATE HEARINGS FOR TRUMP’S CABINET NOMINEES

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“They don’t want to see men in women’s sports … They don’t want to have transgender for everyone. They don’t want a child leave home as a boy and come back two days later as a girl. A parent doesn’t want to see that, and there are states where that can happen. They don’t want to see taxes go through the roof like this,” he continued. 

President Donald Trump warned late Wednesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is set to face a reckoning following four years under the Biden administration, arguing the emergency agency has “not done their job.” 

“FEMA has not done their job for the last four years. You know, I had FEMA working really well. We had hurricanes in Florida. We had Alabama tornadoes. But unless you have certain types of leadership, it’s really, it gets in the way. And FEMA is going to be a whole big discussion very shortly, because I’d rather see the states take care of their own problems,” Trump said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, his first White House interview since his inauguration. 

Trump then turned his attention to the state of Oklahoma, touting that he won all 77 of the state’s counties in the 2024 election, and arguing that if the Sooner State is hit by a tornado, state leaders should take the lead on emergency response before the federal government steps in for additional assistance. 

“I love Oklahoma, but you know what? If they get hit with a tornado or something, let Oklahoma fix it. … And then the federal government can help them out with the money. FEMA is getting in the way of everything, and the Democrats actually use FEMA not to help North Carolina,” Trump continued. 

TRUMP, GOP LEADERS MEET AT WHITE HOUSE AS PRESIDENT PLANS VISIT TO NC, DEFENDS EXECUTIVE ORDERS

FEMA came under the nation’s microscope last year when Hurricane Helene ripped through North Carolina, devastating residents as it wiped out homes and businesses and killed more than 100 people. FEMA and the Biden administration faced fierce backlash for its handling of the emergency, while Trump accused the agency of obstructing relief efforts in Republican areas. 

“The Democrats don’t care about North Carolina. What they’ve done with FEMA is so bad. FEMA is a whole ‘nother discussion, because all it does is complicate everything,” he said. 

TRUMP SAYS NEWSOM IS TO ‘BLAME’ FOR ‘APOCALYPTIC’ WILDFIRES

“So I’m stopping on Friday. I’m stopping in North Carolina, first stop, because those people were treated very badly by Democrats. And I’m stopping there. We’re going to get that thing straightened out because they’re still suffering from a hurricane from months ago,” Trump said. 

Trump will visit North Carolina on Friday, his first trip as president, where he is expected to tour and meet with residents who were left devastated by the hurricane in September. He will also visit California that same day, where wildfires have ripped through the Los Angeles area this month. 

The trip is set to highlight what Trump has described as emergency response failures at the hands of Democratic leaders. 

FAST-MOVING HUGHES FIRE ERUPTS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY AS CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS ORDER EVACUATIONS

“And then I’m going to then I’m going to go to California,” he said, before criticizing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s handling of wildfire prevention and response. Trump has long criticized the Democratic governor for prioritizing environmental policies, such as protecting the dwindling smelt and Chinook salmon populations, and not tapping water sources in the northern part of the state that he argued would allow better fire response. 

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“There is massive amounts of water, rain water and mountain water, that comes to with the snow, comes down, as it melts, there’s so much water they’re releasing it into the Pacific Ocean,” he said.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) sent a memo to its civil rights division, ordering a freeze to all ongoing litigation originating from the Biden administration and halting the pursuit of any new cases or settlements, according to reports.

The Washington Post first reported that a memo sent to Kathleen Wolfe, the temporary head of the division appointed by the Trump administration, instructed her to make sure attorneys do not file “any new complaints, motions to intervene, agree-upon remands, amicus briefs, or statements of interest.”

As to how long the freeze will last, the memo does not say, though it practically ceases the division until President Donald Trump’s nomination to lead the department, Harmeet Dhillon, is confirmed by the Senate.

The publication also reported the freeze was “consistent with the Department’s goal of ensuring that the Federal Government speaks with one voice in its view of the law and to ensure that the President’s appointees or designees have the opportunity to decide whether to initiate any new cases.”

DOJ RACING THE CLOCK TO ENSHRINE ‘WOKE’ POLICING RULES, LAWYER SAYS, AS JUDGE HEARS BREONNA TAYLOR REFORM CASE

A source familiar with the memo confirmed its contents to Fox News.

The DOJ had no comment on the matter.

Wolfe was also told in another memo that the division must tell the chief of staff of the DOJ about any consent decrees finalized by the division over the past 90 days.

WATCHDOG SEEKS HALT TO 11TH HOUR BIDEN DOJ EFFORT TO ‘HANDCUFF’ KY POLICE OVER BREONNA TAYLOR INCIDENT

Earlier this month, a Kentucky judge declined to immediately sign a police reform consent decree forged by the DOJ and the city of Louisville during a hearing one courtroom participant described as a hasty attempt by the Biden administration to hamstring incoming President Trump.

But federal Judge Benjamin Beaton refused to be a “rubber stamp” for a 240-page reform plan prompted by the 2020 police-involved shooting of Breonna Taylor, according to Oversight Project counsel Kyle Brosnan.

Taylor was killed in a hail of police gunfire after Louisville officers sought to serve a drug warrant at her boyfriend Kenneth Walker’s house. Walker fired a “warning shot” through the door and struck Officer Jonathan Mattingly in the leg.

PROPOSED CHICAGO POLICE RESOURCE CUTS COULD LAND CITY IN COURT UNDER CONSENT DECREE, OFFICIALS WARN

A consent decree, Brosnan noted, is different from other legal agreements in that it cannot simply be reversed by presidential order or a change of heart by one of the parties involved.

The consent decree alleged a pattern or practice of racial bias in Louisville policing, including in traffic stops, sexual assault probes or use of force.

There are at least two other police reform consent decrees going through the legal process, one in Maryland and one in Minnesota.

On Jan. 6, the DOJ reached an agreement with Minneapolis, which still requires court approval, to reform the department’s “unconstitutional and unlawful practices” allegedly counter to the Americans With Disabilities Act and 14th Amendment.

In October 2024, the feds sued the Maryland Department of State Police alleging Civil Rights Act violations.

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“The United States claims MDSP violated Title VII when it used a certain physical fitness test and a certain written test to hire entry-level Troopers because the tests disqualified more female and African-American applicants than others and were not job related,” a court document states. 

Maryland police dispute the allegations.

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.

Kai Madison Trump, daughter of Donald Trump Jr., garnered nearly 27 million combined views on TikTok and YouTube after posting a vlog of her grandfather’s historic Inauguration Day.

In the 14-minute YouTube video, the 17-year-old is seen getting ready for the day with a hair and makeup team, before heading to a church service.

The family then traveled by car to the U.S. Capitol, where President Donald Trump was inaugurated.

BIDEN LEFT TRUMP ‘INSPIRATIONAL’ MESSAGE IN ‘VERY NICE’ LETTER, NEW PRESIDENT SAYS

Kai snacked on Red Bull and cookies that she picked up inside the Capitol building, while joking with her father ahead of the ceremony.

Although she was not allowed to film the event, she included a number of clips.

The family got ready for the Liberty Inauguration Ball, where Kai stunned in a silver sequined Sherri Hill gown. 

“My favorite part of this dress is the corset part because it just makes it look really flattering,” she said while spinning for the camera. “I also love all the diamonds and silver stuff. I think it looks really nice on my skin tone.”

The dress designer is linked in the teen’s video description, but it is unclear if they have a business relationship. Fox News Digital requested comment.

Kai and her family then dropped by the White House to see President Trump, entering through a side door.

Framed photos in White House hallways featured art of the newly-sworn in president.

The family took pictures in front of the fireplace in the iconic Diplomatic Reception Room.

She then showed her 806,000 subscribers the Green, Blue and Red rooms – a set of three parlors named for their color schemes.

“By the way, welcome to the White House,” she told viewers.

They arrived at the ball where she expressed anxiety about dancing with her father in front of a crowd. Nerves seemed to wear off as the family made a number of other appearances.

She arrived at her hotel around 1 a.m., ready to get some rest before heading out of the nation’s capital the next morning.

In less than a day, the video amassed nearly 1.5 million views and 83,000 likes on YouTube.

Kai made national headlines when she spoke at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in July.

During her speech, she explained how the commander in chief was “just a normal grandpa.”

She captured America’s hearts, describing Trump sneaking her candy and soda when her parents weren’t looking, or playing a competitive round of golf.

TRUMP EXCORIATES BISHOP AS ‘RADICAL LEFT HARD LINE TRUMP HATER’ AFTER POLITICALLY CHARGED PRAYER SERVICE

“When we play golf together, if I’m not on his team, he’ll try to get inside of my head,” she said. “He is always surprised that I don’t let him get to me, but I have to remind him I’m a Trump too.”

Kai committed in August to play collegiate golf at the University of Miami.

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Kai’s production/representation, AKA Collective, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

AKA Collective lists one of its clients as pro golfer Bryson DeChambeau, who posted a viral YouTube video in July playing a round with Trump.

Trump formally nominated Sean Curran, the head of his personal Secret Service security detail, to serve as director of the U.S. Secret Service on Wednesday.

In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump wrote that it was an “honor” to appoint Curran.

“Sean is a Great Patriot, who has protected my family over the past few years, and that is why I trust him to lead the Brave Men and Women of the United States Secret Service,” the president wrote.

Trump went on to call Curran a “brilliant leader, who is capable of directing and leading operational security plans for some of the most complex Special Security Events in the History of our Country, and the World.”

SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR CHEATLE RESIGNS AFTER MOUNTING PRESSURE IN WAKE OF TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

“He proved his fearless courage when he risked his own life to help save mine from an assassin’s bullet in Butler, Pennsylvania,” Trump said. “I have complete and total confidence in Sean to make the United States Secret Service stronger than ever before.”

This is a breaking news story. Check back with us for updates.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.

We’re quickly approaching the fourth weekend of 2025.

And the Senate is already running behind.

This could trigger weekend Senate sessions as Senate Republicans try to accelerate the process on some of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees.

Senators failed to forge a time agreement to expedite the confirmation of CIA Director nominee John Ratcliffe.

SEN. THUNE SUGGESTS STAYING THROUGH WEEKEND TO CONFIRM TRUMP PICKS AFTER DEMS DELAY VOTES: ‘SHOULDN’T BE HARD’

So, here are some Senate vocabulary terms for you.

Cloture, filibuster and ripen.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., filed “cloture” Tuesday to break filibusters on three nominees, starting with Ratcliffe. “Invoking cloture” is the parliamentary means to break a filibuster.

A filibuster is in the eyes of the beholder. A filibuster could be a way to hold something up via a lengthy speech. It could be a way to just object and sidetrack the Senate’s course. Or, it could be implied that senators who plan to deploy either option. Thus, the Senate Majority Leader gets the joke. He knows he must “file cloture” to terminate the “filibuster.”

Democrats appear dug in on Ratcliffe. So Thune took the procedural step of filing cloture petitions to overcome a filibuster on the the Ratcliffe nomination, but also for Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary nominee Kristi Noem.

By rule, once cloture is filed, it must “ripen” for a day before the Senate may consider it. Thune filed cloture on Ratcliffe Tuesday. Therefore Wednesday serves as the intervening day. The Senate could vote to break the filibuster one hour after the Senate meets on Thursday at 10 am et. By rule, the cloture vote can begin at 11 am et. That will only need 51 yeas to break the filibuster.

SECOND ACTS: PRESIDENT TRUMP MAKES HISTORIC COMEBACK

CIA Director is not recognized as a full-level cabinet position. So the “post cloture” time is limited to only two hours – not the full 30 hours of debate allowed for all cabinet level slots.

Thus, if the Senate breaks the filibuster on Thursday, a vote to confirm Ratcliffe as CIA Director could come just two hours later. Confirmation only needs 51 votes.

Next in the queue is the Hegseth nomination. And the process starts all over again.

Fox has learned that unless there is a time agreement to accelerate debate on nominees, it is possible that the confirmation vote on Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth could come late Friday night or in the wee hours of Saturday morning.

So let’s say the Senate clears the filibuster on Ratcliffe by late morning. It debates his nomination for a couple of hours. That means the Senate could vote by 3 or 4 p.m. ET to confirm Ratcliffe.

Once Ratcliffe is confirmed, Hegseth is next. The Senate could then vote to break the filibuster on Hegseth on Thursday afternoon. If the Senate breaks the filibuster, that would then trigger up to 30 hours of debate. If all time is used, final confirmation on Hegseth could come late Friday night or early Saturday morning.

HEGSETH LAWYER SLAMS ‘FLAWED AND QUESTIONABLE AFFIDAVIT’ FROM EX-SISTER-IN-LAW

Regardless, this is where things get interesting:

Fox is told it’s possible there could be a tie on the confirmation vote for Hegseth. It’s about the math. Republicans have 53 members. Fox is told to keep an eye on Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. All have played their cards close to the vest as to their opinions on Hegseth. If they vote nay, Vice President Vance could need to come to the Capitol to break the tie and confirm Hegseth as Defense Secretary.

No vice president had ever broken a tie to confirm a cabinet secretary until former Vice President Mike Pence did so to confirm Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary on February 7, 2017. Pence also broke ties to confirm former Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., as ambassador for religious freedom in 2018. He also broke a tie to confirm current Budget Director nominee Russ Vought as Deputy Budget Director in 2018.

Once the Senate dispenses with the Hegseth nomination, it’s on to a procedural vote for Noem. The Senate would need to break a filibuster on Noem’s nomination. If that vote comes late Friday/early Saturday, the Senate could vote to confirm Noem midday Sunday if they burn all time. If the vote to break the filibuster on Noem comes at a “normal” hour Saturday (say 10 or 11 am et), the Senate doesn’t vote to confirm Noem until Sunday night or Monday if all time is required.

Thune also filed cloture on the nomination of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent late Thursday. So that’s up once Noem is confirmed. If all time is used, Bessent isn’t confirmed until early next week.

And so it goes.

TRUMP NOMINEES COLLINS, STEFANIK TO FACE SENATE GRILLING AS VA, UN PICKS; BESSENT GETS COMMITTEE VOTE

“Do you all have your sleeping bags and cots?” asked Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss.

Everyone is settling in for a slog.

“Right now it appears there’s every indication that votes will be taking place through Saturday. We’ll see if that goes into Sunday or Monday without any days in between. But right now, I’m planning on being there for the weekend for votes,” said Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M.

“I’m happy to be here all weekend, if that’s what it takes,” said Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo.

That said, Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., cautioned that things sometimes accelerate in the Senate. Especially when there’s chatter of late-night votes and weekend sessions.

“I think I’ve seen this game before,” said Durbin Tuesday. “I think it ends with an accommodation and a bipartisan agreement. So I wouldn’t jump too quickly now to reach a conclusion.”

DEM WHO CALLED TRUMP ‘EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO DEMOCRACY’ NOW BLOCKING HIS NOMINEES

That said, there are two factors afoot:

Democrats want to make a point about their reservations Trump nominees – especially those with whom they vehemently disagree or believe are unqualified. So politically, it’s important that they go to the mat and show their base they’re standing up to the President and his cabinet.

By the same token, this is Thune’s first rodeo as Majority Leader. He needs to establish his bona fides as Leader. Politically, Thune must demonstrate he’s fighting for Mr. Trump and his nominees – and willing to keep the Senate in session around the clock. In other words, there’s a new sheriff in town.

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So, unless something changes, everyone is dialed in for some lengthy weekend and even late-night sessions. It’s likely the Senate will confirm President Trump’s nominees.

But it might just take a while.

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

Here’s what’s happening…

-Bureau of Prisons director out as Trump’s Justice Department reforms take shape

-Republican leaders still at odds on reconciliation debate after Trump meeting

-Trump DHS expands expedited deportation powers as operations ramp up

‘One Flag’ Policy Takes Effect

The U.S. State Department has adopted a new policy under the Trump administration that effectively blocks U.S. embassies and outposts from flying Pride and Black Lives Matter flags, a report said Tuesday.

The Washington Free Beacon first reported that it obtained a copy of the “One Flag Policy” order, which permits only the American flag to be flown at U.S. facilities at home and abroad, with two notable exceptions: the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) emblem and the Wrongful Detainees Flag.

“Starting immediately, only the United States of America flag is authorized to be flown or displayed at U.S. facilities, both domestic and abroad, and featured in U.S. government content,” the memo states, according to the outlet. “The flag of the United States of America united all Americans under the universal principles of justice, liberty, and democracy. These values, which are the bedrock of our great country, are shared by all American citizens, past and present.”…Read more

White House

ROOTING OUT DEI: Trump revokes Biden order allowing transgender troops in bid to rid DEI from military…Read more

KEY MEETING: Trump, GOP leaders meet at White House as president plans visit to NC, defends executive orders…Read more

‘DESPERATE ATTEMPTS’: Pastors, conservatives unleash on Episcopal bishop for ‘weaponizing’ the pulpit against Trump…Read more

BYE-BYE BIDEN: Biden returns to California vacation spot after leaving office…Read more

‘VERY NICE’: Biden left Trump ‘inspirational’ message in ‘very nice’ letter, new president says…Read more

‘NOT VERY GOOD AT HER JOB!’: Trump excoriates bishop as ‘Radical Left hard line Trump hater’ after politically charged prayer service…Read more

TALIBAN FEARS: Trump order puts thousands of Afghan allies waiting for US resettlement in limbo…Read more

A NEW HEALTHCARE HORIZON: Trump’s Day One actions reversed Biden-era health policies, including efforts to expand ObamaCare…Read more

ODD MAN OUT: Nearly all of D.C. shut down for Trump’s inauguration. So why was there no designated survivor?…Read more

World Stage

‘DO NOT NEGOTIATE’: UN urges diplomacy as Iran hits nuclear ‘gas pedal,’ conservative commentator tells Trump ‘do not appease’…Read more

Capitol Hill

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President Donald Trump’s first actions in the Oval Office included rolling back healthcare policies put forth by former President Joe Biden, including expansions to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), otherwise known as “ObamaCare.”  

Directly after he was sworn in on Monday, Trump moved quickly to revoke a long list of Biden executive orders covering a wide range of issues. Two of the orders that were revoked included efforts by Biden to expand access to the ACA and restore the federal program “to the way it was before Trump became president” the first time around.

The move angered Democrats, who argued the action was an “attack” on the federal health insurance program.

“Donald Trump’s immediate priority as president is ripping away affordable health care coverage for tens of millions of Americans and screwing over people with preexisting conditions,” the Democratic National Committee said in a Tuesday statement. 

Shortly after taking office in January 2021, Biden passed Executive Order 14009, titled the “Strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.” The move, which Trump rescinded as part of his Day One executive actions, doubled the window of time that uninsured Americans had to apply to participate in the federal insurance program. Under Trump’s first term, the ACA’s open enrollment period was six weeks long.  

TRUMP AND A HEALTHIER AMERICA WELCOMED BY DOCTORS: ‘NEW GOLDEN AGE’

In addition to expanding the open enrollment period, Biden’s January 2021 executive order also directed all relevant federal agencies to examine their policies and implement any necessary changes to help get more people covered under the ACA.

Meanwhile, in April of the following year, Biden signed a second executive order on “Continuing to Strengthen Americans’ Access to Affordable, Quality Health Coverage,” which Trump also reversed on Monday. The April order from Biden directed the Department of Health and Human Services to analyze new policies aimed at “exploring how medical debts are collected from beneficiaries,” in order to find new ways to reduce “the burden of medical debt on working families and individuals across the country.” 

Consistent with both of these orders, agencies facilitated the expansion of the ACA through new eligibility provisions, increased funding to groups that help people sign up for the ACA, and more. 

Other changes enacted by Trump during his first days in office included the revocation of a Biden-era policy that directed Medicare and Medicaid to investigate how to lower drug costs. In response to that order, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented a $2 cap for certain generic drugs, ensured Medicare beneficiaries did not overpay for drugs that received accelerated approval, and helped state Medicaid programs pay for certain high-cost, cutting-edge therapies. Biden’s policy that capped insulin costs at $35 and implemented a $2,000 out-of-pocket maximum for prescription drug costs went unaffected by Trump’s Day One orders.

TRUMP TO DEPLOY MILITARY TO BORDER, END BIDEN PAROLE POLICIES IN FLURRY OF DAY ONE EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Trump also acted during his first day in office to rescind several of Biden’s COVID-19 health orders, such as directives to ensure equity in the pandemic response and COVID-19 vaccine requirements for federal workers. He withdrew the U.S. from its participation in the World Health Organization, as well.

The Democratic National Committee argued Tuesday that Trump was “screwing over people with pre-existing conditions.” 

“Donald Trump’s immediate priority as president is ripping away affordable health care coverage for tens of millions of Americans,” the DNC said in a Tuesday statement. “Thanks to the Biden-Harris administration, more Americans have health coverage than ever before, and Trump wants to unwind this progress even though the American people overwhelmingly support the ACA. Trump’s plans will do nothing but raise costs and make Americans sicker.”

Yet, according to a health policy expert from Vanderbilt University, the moves Trump made on health policies will likely not be consequential when it comes to how much Americans are paying for their healthcare. 

“When administrations change over, many of them want to undo some of the actions of other presidents, even when those are more symbolic,” Dr. Stacie Dusetzina, a professor at Vanderbilt’s Department of Health Policy told NBC News. “It could mean that the Trump administration is not interested in pursuing any of the work that has since developed out of these executive orders.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump administration for comment, but did not receive a response by publication time.