NationalWatch

President Donald Trump delivered his second Inauguration Day speech on Jan. 20, when he previewed the steps his administration would take to unleash “the golden age of America,” which stretched from locking down the border and streamlining the federal government through the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

“From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer. During every single day of the Trump administration, I will, very simply, put America first,” Trump declared at the start of his speech.

“Our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced,” he added. 

Fox News Digital looked back at the top vows and declarations Trump made during his speech and where they stand 100 days later after his return to the Oval Office. 

FOX NEWS POLL: THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S SECOND TERM

Then-President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump look on as they meet with then-President Joe Biden and then-first lady Jill Biden on inauguration day of Donald Trump’s second presidential term in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

Immigration 

Ending the illegal immigration crisis that spiraled under the Biden administration was one of Trump’s top campaign platforms and was a topic he focused on repeatedly during his inaugural address. 

“First, I will declare a national emergency at our southern border. All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came. We will reinstate my Remain in Mexico policy,” Trump declared on Jan. 20. 

“I will end the practice of catch and release,” he continued. “And I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country.”

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DEPORTS 100K ILLEGAL MIGRANTS SINCE INAUGURATION: REPORT

Migrants walk along the road in a caravan in an attempt to reach the U.S. border in Tapachula, Mexico, on Nov. 5, 2023. (REUTERS/Jose Torres)

Trump did sign or authorize executive actions that declared a national emergency, ended catch-and-release policies and sent troops to the U.S. border. 

Fox News Digital reported this month that there were fewer apprehensions at the southern border in the entire month of March than across the Biden administration’s first two days of March 2024, when President Joe Biden was still in the Oval Office.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection noted that March was the second consecutive month in which the U.S. Border Patrol averaged its lowest daily nationwide apprehensions in history.

Deportations have also been underway, with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joining immigration raids since her confirmation in January, as well as the administration placing a heightened focus on deporting illegal immigrants with known ties to violent gangs, such as Tren de Aragua and MS-13. The State Department designated both gangs as foreign terrorist organizations in February. 

Trump invoked a wartime act, the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, to carry out the deportations, which allows deportation of natives and citizens of an enemy nation without a hearing. The act had been invoked three times before, including, during the War of 1812, World War I and World War II.

Restoring ‘competence’ in U.S. government 

President Donald Trump, right, tapped Elon Musk to help spearhead DOGE at the start of his administration. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk had both railed against government overspending, bureaucratic red tape and federal agencies that had become bloated in the lead up to Election Day, with Trump saying in his inaugural address that he would restore “competence” in the federal government.

DOGE SLASHES ‘WASTEFUL’ ‘PROBLEM-SOLVING’ CONTRACT WORTH $50K IN LATEST ROUND OF ELIMINATIONS

“Our liberties and our nation’s glorious destiny will no longer be denied. And we will immediately restore the integrity, competency, and loyalty of America’s government,” Trump said during his inaugural address. 

“To restore competence and effectiveness to our federal government, my administration will establish the brand-new Department of Government Efficiency,” he added. 

Trump signed an executive order in January establishing DOGE, renaming the Obama-era United States Digital Service to the United States DOGE Service. 

DOGE leader Elon Musk has been hit with 96% negative coverage on ABC, NBC and CBS evening newscasts, according to the Media Research Center. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

DOGE has been a thorn in the side of Democrats since Musk, the office’s public leader, and his teams began working through various federal agencies in the search of government overspending, mismanagement and corruption.

DOGE has since saved an estimated $160 billion through cancellations of government contracts, grant cancellations, workforce reductions, asset sales and other cuts, according to the DOGE website. 

Trump also signed an executive order closing down the Department of Education, citing how American students have fallen behind other nations in education, and instead charged individual states to hold authority over public education. The administration also effectively shuttered the U.S. Agency for International Development, an independent government agency charged with administering economic aid to foreign nations, as DOGE uncovered a slew of programs U.S. taxpayers funded and Musk slammed the group as a “viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America.”

‘Peacemaker and unifier’ 

President Donald Trump, left, meets face-to-face with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time since their Oval Office spat in February. (Vatican and Ukraine Ambassador to Holy See)

Trump entered office just days after Israel and Hamas declared a ceasefire in a war that had raged since Oct. 7, 2023, as well as an ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. 

“My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier. That’s what I want to be: a peacemaker and a unifier,” Trump said during his inaugural address. “I’m pleased to say that as of yesterday, one day before I assumed office, the hostages in the Middle East are coming back home to their families.”

Trump vowed while on the campaign trail that he would end the wars in the Middle East as well as between Russia and Ukraine, adding that if he had been in office for the 2020-2024 term, neither war would have launched. 

The majority of hostages Hamas held have since been released, with the terrorist group still holding at least 59 living or deceased hostages. A final hostage and permanent ceasefire deal, however, has not yet been reached, with Reuters reporting earlier in April that Hamas wants to strike a deal to end the war and return the remaining hostages. 

Gaza City, Gaza on Feb. 2, 2025. (Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The war between Ukraine and Russia, which began in February 2022, has continued raging after the Trump administration worked to help facilitate a deal for peace. Negotiations notably hit a wall in February when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a fiery meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

TRUMP BLASTS PUTIN, QUESTIONING IF RUSSIAN LEADER WANTS PEACE OR IS JUST ‘TAPPING ME ALONG’

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his address to the nation in Moscow on March 23, 2024. (Mikhail Metzel/Pool/AFP via Getty Images))

“You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people,” Trump said at one point during the meeting. “You’re gambling with World War III. You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country.”

Vance interjected, asking Zelenskyy whether he had “said thank you once this entire meeting.” He also added that Zelenskyy “went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October” and that he should “offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who’s trying to save your country.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this month that the U.S. might “move on” from trying to secure a deal between Russia and Ukraine if progress was not made. 

“We are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not,” Rubio said on April 18 while speaking with the media. “Because if it’s not, then I think we’re just going to move on. It’s not our war. We have other priorities to focus on.”

Trump met with Zelenskyy on Saturday at the Vatican as the pair attended Pope Francis’ funeral mass. 

“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, shortly after he met with Zelenskyy at the Vatican on Saturday. 

TRUMP AND ZELENSKYY HAVE ‘VERY PRODUCTIVE’ TALK AS THEY ATTEND POPE FRANCIS’ FUNERAL

“It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!” he added.

Rubio said on Sunday during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the coming week will be “very critical” as the White House weighs whether it wants to continue working towards a peace deal. Rubio warned earlier this month that the U.S. might “move on” from trying to secure a deal between Russia and Ukraine if progress was not made. 

“I think this is going to be a very critical week,” Rubio said on Sunday. “This week is going to be a really important week in which we have to make a determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in or if it’s time to sort of focus on some other issues that are equally, if not more, important in some cases. But we want to see it happen. There are reasons to be optimistic, but there are reasons to be realistic, of course, as well. We’re close, but we’re not close enough.”

Education 

President Donald Trump has moved to pare down the size and scope of the Department of Education, but abolishing it entirely would take an act of Congress. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

Ahead of winning re-election in November, Trump floated that he would shutter the Department of Education to overall improve the nation’s school systems, as well as remove diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) curricula from public schools. 

Trump reflected in his inaugural address that he was on the verge of overhauling an education system that teaches students to “be ashamed of themselves” as well as “hate our country.”

“And we have an education system that teaches our children to be ashamed of themselves — in many cases, to hate our country despite the love that we try so desperately to provide to them. All of this will change starting today, and it will change very quickly,” Trump said during his inaugural address. 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SIGNIFICANTLY DISMANTLED IN NEW TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER

Trump signed an executive order in March to dismantle the Department of Education and return oversight power of school systems to state leaders after years of the U.S. dragging behind other nations such as Finland and Japan in overall student performance. 

“Everybody knows it’s right, and we have to get our children educated,” Trump said while signing the executive order. “We’re not doing well with the world of education in this country, and we haven’t for a long time.” 

Trump also signed an executive order in January that removes federal funding from K-12 schools that teach critical race theory and DEI curriculum. 

“In many cases, innocent children are compelled to adopt identities as either victims or oppressors solely based on their skin color and other immutable characteristics. In other instances, young men and women are made to question whether they were born in the wrong body and whether to view their parents and their reality as enemies to be blamed. These practices not only erode critical thinking but also sow division, confusion, and distrust, which undermine the very foundations of personal identity and family unity,” the executive order, “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” reads. 

Trump also signed an executive order in February that prohibits schools and colleges that receive federal funds and are subject to Title IX from allowing men onto women’s sports teams and into women’s locker rooms, and another in January expanding school choice.  

Economy, manufacturing and inflation 

President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with former President Joe Biden at Trump’s inauguration in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Jan. 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images)

Another top campaign issue was the economy and job creation amid spiraling inflation under the Biden administration.

STEVE MOORE: IF TRUMP MAKES THESE DEALS IT WILL BE ‘VERY POSITIVE’ FOR THE ECONOMY

“The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices, and that is why today I will also declare a national energy emergency. We will drill, baby, drill,” Trump said during his inaugural address.

He added that “America will be a manufacturing nation once again,” and that the administration “will bring prices down” with the aid of unleashing American energy, such as oil and coal. 

Inflation has eased since 2024, with the March annual inflation rate falling to 2.4% from 2.8% in February, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The annual inflation rate in March 2024 stood at 3.5%. 

The U.S. job market added 151,000 jobs in February, and 228,000 jobs in March, while the unemployment rate sits at 4.2% as of last month, according to BLS data. The unemployment rate sat at 3.9% in March 2024 under the Biden administration. 

“The prices are going down, not going up. One of the big things is, energy is going down. I see that we had a couple of states where gasoline was at $1.98 a gallon. Nobody thought they’d see that for years,” Trump said from the Oval Office on April 22 when asked about costs picked up by Americans at the checkout line. 

Tariffs and trade relations 

A New York Times columnist grilled the Democratic Party for not mounting an aggressive enough attack on President Donald Trump’s tariff policy. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

“I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families. Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens,” Trump declared during his inauguration speech in January. 

“For this purpose, we are establishing the External Revenue Service to collect all tariffs, duties, and revenues. It will be massive amounts of money pouring into our Treasury, coming from foreign sources,” he added. 

On April 2, Trump announced his administration’s reciprocal, customized tariff plan to be imposed on dozens of nations as part of his highly-anticipated Liberation Day event. The plan aims to bring parity to the country’s chronic trade deficit. 

TRUMP SAYS CHINA’S XI CALLED HIM AMID ONGOING CONFUSION OVER TRADE TALKS

On April 9, when the tariff plan took effect, Trump abruptly changed course and put the reciprocal tariff plan on ice for 90 days. China, however, was not spared from the pause and was instead hit with a 125% after the Asian nation retaliated against the U.S. with its own tariffs. 

A tariff negotiation blitz is now underway as nations across the world look to book meetings with the White House to iron out more favorable terms. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent lauded South Korea specifically last week for its negotiations, saying talks have progressed quickly and that the two countries could reach a trade agreement as early as this week. 

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, left, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, right, are key economic advisors to President Donald Trump’s trade negotiations. (Getty Images)

“We had a very successful bilateral meeting with the Republic of South Korea today,” Bessent said from the White House on Thursday. “We may be moving faster than I thought, and we will be talking technical terms as early as next week as we reach an agreement on understanding as soon as next week.”

“So South Koreans came early. They came with their A game, and we will see if they follow through on that,” Bessent continued. 

Concerns have mounted that the tariffs will cause American consumers to spend more at the checkout lines. Trump said during his speech to a joint session of Congress in March that there will be “a little disturbance” with the tariffs, but that America will be made “rich again” through the plan.  

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again. And it’s happening, and it will happen rather quickly,” Trump said in his March address to Congress. “There will be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that. It won’t be much.” 

Trump said earlier this month that there is a “real chance” tariffs could replace income tax.

“There’s a real chance,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News’ Rachel Campos-Duffy. “There is a chance that the money from tariffs could be so great that it would replace. You know, in the old days, about 1870 to 1913, the tariffs were the only form of money. And that’s when our nation was relatively the richest. We were the richest.”

The president said during the interview that there was a committee formed in the 1880s to “get rid of money.”

FIRST ON FOX: As President Trump marks his first 100 days in office on Tuesday, the administration is touting all of their fulfilled campaign promises when it comes to Social Security, an issue where he has been much maligned by Democrats and some in the media.

“I am proud of the extraordinary work by our dedicated employees at SSA to help deliver on President Trump’s promise to protect Social Security,” Lee Dudek, acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), told Fox News Digital in a statement.

“They have worked tirelessly to improve customer service while safeguarding Americans’ hard-earned benefits from waste, fraud, and abuse. It will take time to fully recover from the disastrous policies of the previous administration, which led to sky-high wait times for customer service and unconscionable delays for benefit decisions,” Dudek continued. “But SSA employees are leading the turnaround by refocusing their work on frontline customer service, modernizing IT for a better customer experience, and bolstering program integrity.” 

The administration, which has called Trump’s first 100 days the most successful of any administration, says that it has made “significant strides” in moving the Social Security Fairness Act forward and has paid over $14.8 billion in retroactive payments to over 2 million individuals affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset.

GOP SENATOR TURNS TABLES ON DEM NARRATIVE ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE: ‘GET FRAUD OUT OF THERE’

The Trump administration is touting its improvements to Social Security during President Donald Trump’s first 100 days. (Getty)

Trump’s moves on Social Security come as Democrats, including former President Joe Biden, have accused the administration of plotting to slash Social Security benefits, particularly through the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE’s) efforts to reform the agency. 

However, the administration says that it is focused on reforms, not cutting benefits, and a White House official told Fox News Digital that SSA has identified over $1 billion in cost avoidance or efficiencies for fiscal year 2025 “through new, common-sense approaches in areas such as payroll, information technology, contracts and grants, real property, printing, travel, and purchase card policies.”

Examples include reducing software licensing, salvaging and repairing tables and chairs, returning leased motor vehicles, converting in-person training to online, streamlining case assignment and tracking systems, and reducing travel card spending allowances. 

Additionally, the White House official says the agency has made strides in implementing fraud prevention tools, including tools that help identify fraudulent claims via telephone.

Many, including DOGE chief Elon Musk, have raised concerns about the accuracy of Social Security records, particularly when it comes to data related to whether a person is deceased or still on the rolls despite being well over 100 years old. 

The White House told Fox News Digital that progress has been made on that front as well to improve the accuracy of death data and called that effort a “high priority” that was a low priority in the previous administration.

FEDERAL JUDGE TEMPORARILY RESTRICTS DOGE ACCESS TO PERSONALIZED SOCIAL SECURITY DATA

Social Security card. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Musk has drawn the ire of Democrats by referring to Social Security as a “Ponzi scheme.”

Fox News Digital spoke to an expert earlier this year who made the case that Musk has a point in using the term “Ponzi scheme.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

DOGE leader Elon Musk has been hit with 96% negative coverage on ABC, NBC and CBS evening newscasts, according to the Media Research Center. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

“Musk’s statement about Social Security being the world’s biggest Ponzi scheme does have validity,” James Agresti, president of the nonprofit research institute Just Facts, told Fox News Digital in response to pushback from Musk’s claim, which included a “false” rating from Politifact. 

“A Ponzi scheme operates by taking money from new investors to pay current investors. That’s the definition given by the SEC, and contrary to popular belief, that’s exactly how Social Security operates.”

President Donald Trump has spent the first 100 days of his second White House term signing a flurry of executive orders aimed at delivering on his policy priorities: slashing government spending, cracking down on illegal immigration and eliminating many diversity and equity initiatives enacted under the Biden administration.

The more than 150 executive orders Trump has signed far outpace those of his predecessors. But they have also triggered a torrent of lawsuits seeking to block or pause his actions, teeing up a high-stakes showdown over how far Trump can push his Article II powers before the courts can or should intervene. 

It’s a looming constitutional clash spinning like a top through the federal courts; a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it set of hearings and appeals and emergency orders that deal with weighty issues of due process and First Amendment protections guaranteed by the Constitution. 

Trump’s critics argue the fast-paced strategy is meant to confuse and overwhelm his opponents. His supporters counter that it allows him to strike with maximum precision and sidestep a clunky, slow-moving Congress as the president pursues his top priorities.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW EL SALVADOR DEPORTATION FLIGHT CASE

Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, Chief Justice John Roberts, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor attend President Trump’s inaugural ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025. (Ricky Carioti/Washington Post via Getty Images)

In his first 100 days, administration lawyers have gone to bat in courtrooms across the country to defend Trump’s early executive orders and halt a wave of lawsuits and emergency restraining orders aimed at blocking them. 

Trump, meanwhile, has steadfastly maintained that he would “never defy” the Supreme Court as recently as in an interview last week. 

“I’m a big believer in the Supreme Court and have a lot of respect for the justices,” Trump told Time Magazine.  

Critics say he already has.

“The second Trump administration has taken the guardrails off of the norms that historically governed the rule of law and is undertaking steps to enhance the perceived power of the executive branch to the detriment of the two other co-equal branches,” Mark Zaid, an attorney who has gone toe-to-toe with the Trump administration in several court cases this year, told Fox News Digitial.

APPEALS COURT BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN’S DEPORTATION FLIGHTS IN ALIEN ENEMIES ACT IMMIGRATION SUIT

President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty)

“These actions threaten the fundamental notion of our democracy, particularly as the Administration seeks to eliminate due process protections in a quest for power.”

The biggest fights so far have centered around the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 wartime law, to deport certain migrants to El Salvador. Another major case to watch will be challenges to Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship. 

Two separate federal judges, in D.C. and Maryland, have suggested they could move to begin possible contempt proceedings against some Trump officials for refusing to comply with their orders.

In one case, a judge issued a scathing rebuke against Trump officials for failing to return a Maryland resident and alleged gang member who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador this year. Separately, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said there was probable cause to find Trump administration officials in criminal contempt for defying his order to return deportation flights to El Salvador on March 15.

The Trump administration has fought back, questioning the authority of lower courts to stop his agenda. The Supreme Court agreed to hear oral arguments on a challenge to some of the nationwide injunctions, beginning with a birthright citizenship case in early May.

Meanwhile, White House officials have railed against the “activist” judges who they say have overstepped and are acting with a political agenda to block Trump’s policies. They’ve blasted judges for pausing Trump’s transgender military ban, reinstating USAID programs and blocking Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing federal offices.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Some congressional allies have threatened impeachment against judges who defy Trump, but so far Congress has not advanced any impeachment articles.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined this week to rule out the arrest of federal judges, including Supreme Court justices.

Asked at a press briefing about the hypothetical on Monday, Leavitt referred the matter to the Justice Department but said a judge in New Mexico was arrested in “a clear-cut case of obstruction.”

“And so anyone who is breaking the law or obstructing federal law enforcement officials from doing their jobs is putting themselves at risk of being prosecuted, absolutely,” she said.

Jonathan Turley, a law professor and Fox News contributor, told Fox News Digital that he sees Trump’s early actions as getting ahead of the 2026 primaries and moving with maximum force to implement his agenda.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Trump “knows that he has no alternative but to push ahead on all fronts if he is going to make meaningful progress on his promised reforms,” Turley told Fox News. 

“The midterm elections are looming in 2026. If the Democrats retake the House, he knows that he can expect investigations, impeachments and obstruction. That means that he has to expedite these cases and establish his lines of authority in areas ranging from migration to the markets.”

Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., announced on Monday that he introduced seven articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

“Donald Trump has repeatedly demonstrated that he is unfit to serve as President and represents a clear and present danger to our nation’s constitution and our democracy,” Thanedar said in a news release.

The articles allege wrongdoing by Trump including “Obstruction of Justice and Abuse of Executive Power,” “Usurpation of Appropriations Power,” “Abuse of Trade Powers and International Aggression,” “Violation of First Amendment Rights,” “Creation of an Unlawful Office,” “Bribery and Corruption,” and “Tyrannical Overreach”

SENATOR JOINS GROUP OF FAR-LEFT LAWMAKERS WHO THINK TRUMP HAS — AGAIN — COMMITTED IMPEACHABLE OFFENSES

Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., announced that he has introduced articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, describing him as “a clear and present danger to our nation’s constitution and our democracy.” (Left: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images; Right: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“His unlawful actions have subverted the justice system, violated the separation of powers, and placed personal power and self-interest above public service. We cannot wait for more damage to be done. Congress must act,” Thanedar said of the president.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

CHUCK SCHUMER DODGES ON WHETHER DEMOCRATS WILL LOOK TO IMPEACH TRUMP IF THEY WIN BACK CONGRESS

The impeachment push will almost certainly fail to go anywhere in the GOP-controlled House of Representatives.

The House impeached Trump twice during his first term in office, but in both cases the respective Senate votes failed to reach the threshold necessary for conviction — the second impeachment took place just before Trump left office, with the Senate acquittal coming after his term was over.

DEM REP. AL GREEN, BOOTED FROM TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS, DOUBLES DOWN ON IMPEACHMENT

Thanedar was born in India and became an American citizen in 1988, according to his House website. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

He has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since early 2023.

President Donald Trump is now at the finish line of his first 100 days of his second term in the White House, as of Tuesday. 

Key tenants of Trump’s first 100 days include imposing harsh tariffs on Chinese imports, starting and continuing peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, unveiling plans to dismantle organizations like the Education Department and cracking down on border security amid a mass deportation initiative. 

The period also marked a steep increase in executive orders in comparison to previous presidents. Altogether, Trump has signed over 140 executive orders during his first 100 days in office during his second term. That is an increase from the 33 he signed during the first 100 days of his first term, and up from the previous record of 99 that former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed during that same timeframe. 

The Trump administration’s mass deportation effort is in full force, and border czar Tom Homan told reporters Monday that border crossings were down by 96% under the Trump administration. 

WHITE HOUSE TOUTS 100-DAY ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN AFTER BIDEN ‘UNSECURED THE BORDER ON PURPOSE’

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks as White House “border czar” Tom Homan looks on during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 28, 2025. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

Additionally, the White House said earlier in April it has deported more than 100,000 illegal immigrants in 2025. The administration’s handling of these deportations has attracted scrutiny in certain high-profile cases, including one involving El Salvador native Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who the Trump administration claimed in court filings was deported by mistake. 

However, the Trump administration has since said Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang and has released protective order documents from his wife. 

Following through on another campaign promise, the Trump administration unveiled sweeping tariffs against a host of countries on April 2, after historically lambasting other countries’ trade practices and accusing them of engaging in unfair trade practices against the U.S.

“For decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike,” Trump said April 2 at the White House. 

The administration later walked back its initial proposal, and announced April 9 it would immediately hike tariffs on Chinese goods to 145% but scale back reciprocal tariffs on other countries for 90 days to a baseline of 10%. In response, China proceeded to boost its tariffs on U.S. goods to 125%.

Additionally, Trump signed an executive order on March 20 to overhaul the Education Department — following through on a campaign promise he made to eliminate the federal government’s influence over education and “stop the abuse of your taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate America’s youth.”

TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER SURGE: THE UNPRECEDENTED USE OF PRESIDENTIAL AUTHORITY

President Donald Trump signs an executive order to reduce the size and scope of the Education Department alongside school children signing their own versions, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on March 20, 2025. (Getty)

A White House fact sheet on the executive order said the directive aims to “turn over education to families instead of bureaucracies” and instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”

Still, Trump revealed that functions of the department overseeing Pell Grants, student loans and others that provide services for those with special needs would continue at other agencies.

Likewise, Trump has long called for an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and promised to end the conflict between the two within 24 hours during his time on the campaign trail. 

TRUMP REPORTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AT HISTORIC LOWS DURING FIRST FULL MONTH IN OFFICE

President Donald Trump, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sparred during Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House in February but have since picked up peace discussions to end the conflict with Russia. (Getty)

Still, he has continued to advance negotiations during his first 100 days in office — including hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House in February. Trump said Sunday that he is aiming to end the war in the next two weeks or so and that he wants Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop launching strikes against Kyiv. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I want him to stop shooting, sit down and sign a deal,” Trump told reporters Sunday on the way back from Italy for Pope Francis’ funeral. “We have the confines of a deal I believe and I want him to sign it and be done with it and just go back to life.”

President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan touted how the administration has released a shockingly low number of illegal aliens, during a 100-day press conference at the White House on Monday.  

Homan noted that the nine illegal aliens in comparison to hundreds, if not thousands, of releases in a single day under the Biden administration, as well as times when there were over 10,000 migrant encounters in places like Eagle Pass, Texas, is a huge accomplishment.

“We have the most secure border in the history of this nation, and the numbers prove it. President Trump’s policies are saving lives every day,” Homan said.  

TRUMP’S BORDER CZAR TELLS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS THAT ICE WILL TRACK THEM DOWN

White House “border czar” Tom Homan speaks with reporters outside the White House on March 7, 2025.  (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

“This success is unprecedented,” he continued.

As for the nine who were released, the border czar explained the rare circumstances. 

“Four of them were material witnesses in a criminal investigation. We needed them here to testify in a serious criminal trial. Four was extreme medical condition. We couldn’t return them because we were in such bad shape. And one was a humanitarian issue,” Homan said about the nine releases, as the number has been public for some time. 

Fox News reported that on Dec. 22, 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection data indicated that there were 4,832 illegal aliens released on that day alone. On that same day, there were just under 9,000 migrant encounters. 

WHITE HOUSE TOUTS 100-DAY ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN AFTER BIDEN ‘UNSECURED THE BORDER ON PURPOSE’

Migrants flood into Eagle Pass, Texas, waiting to be processed on Dec. 18, 2023. (Fox News)

At the ports of entry, there were 1,400 releases that day as a result of the CBP One app, which has since been changed to the CBP Home app. The CBP One app was a way for people seeking to enter the country to get prompted for the next steps, whereas the CBP Home app is meant for those in the country illegally to self-deport.  

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

Later on Monday, Trump is expected to sign executive orders cracking down on sanctuary cities, which limit the ability of federal authorities to work with state and local law enforcement on some immigration matters.

Migrant encounters at the border have plummeted since the change in administration, with just over 7,000 marked by CBP in March. 

TOM HOMAN DECLARES THAT “CATCH AND RELEASE IS OVER”

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt, with border czar Tom Homan, speaks with reporters at the White House, Monday, April 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“U.S. Border Patrol’s apprehensions along the southwest border for the entire month of March 2025 were lower than the first two days of March 2024,” Pete Flores, acting commissioner of CBP, said in a statement on April 14. “This is a testament to the tireless dedication and vigilant service of the men and women of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, who work every day to keep our country safe. Their commitment on the front lines plays a vital role in securing our borders and protecting American communities.”

Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., touted his vote against the Laken Riley Act and bashed President Donald Trump’s administration at an April event, saying deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia, along with other illegal immigrants, is “testing and stretching the fabric of our democracy to a place we have never seen before.” 

In his speech, Vasquez claimed some said it would take “courage” to vote against the Laken Riley Act, to which the Democratic congressman exclaimed, “I did. I voted against [the bill],” leading the audience to cheer. “Because due process is a fundamental part of who we are as Americans,” he continued.

The Laken Riley Act, which was signed into law by Trump on Jan. 29, was introduced after an illegal immigrant brutally murdered 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley while she was jogging in Athens, Georgia, in February 2024. The law established that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must detain illegal migrants if they are arrested or charged with a violent crime.

CHANCE OF LAKEN RILEY’S ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT KILLER DOING TIME IN EL SALVADOR PRISON ADDRESSED BY LAWMAKERS

Just a month after the Laken Riley Act was signed into law, Secretary Kristi Noem and DHS announced a “627% increase in monthly arrests compared to just 33,000 at-large arrests under Biden for ALL of last year.”

New Mexico Rep. Gabe Vasquez spoke with constituents at an April 16 event, explaining why he voted against the Laken Riley Act.

Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, whose district contains the longest stretch of U.S. land neighboring Mexico, defended the bipartisan bill in a statement to Fox News Digital Friday. 

Gonzales explained that border security is “a real and lasting issue as a result of four years of inaction under President Biden. That’s why Americans voted for safer communities and to restore law and order and President Trump is delivering on that promise with legislation like the Laken Riley Act and much more that is coming down the pike.”

Vasquez went on to bash the Trump administration for deporting illegal migrants, including Abrego Garcia, claiming U.S. citizens aren’t safe from being removed from the country if the Trump administration gets “their way.” 

“Time and time again, out-of-touch Democrat Gabe Vasquez chooses to prioritize criminal illegal aliens over the well-being of hardworking New Mexicans,” National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokesman Zach Bannon told Fox News Digital. “He’s completely abandoned common sense, pandering to the radical left while betraying the very people who will vote him out of office next year.” 

DEMS RIDICULED FOR GOING ‘ALL IN’ ON SUSPECTED MS-13 GANG MEMBER KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA 

Rep. Gabe Vasquez attends a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 15, 2024.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Abrego Garcia, who has been the focus of Democratic talking points criticizing Trump’s immigration policies, was one of many illegal immigrants who were deported to the El Salvadorian “Terrorism Confinement Center” (CECOT) in March. 

It was most recently revealed that the 29-year-old illegal migrant and suspected member of the violent MS-13 gang was pulled over while driving an SUV that belonged to another illegal immigrant who confessed to human smuggling in 2020. 

While the Trump administration has maintained their position on Abrego Garcia’s gang ties and history of violence, a federal judge and even the U.S. Supreme Court have ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to facilitate his return. Abrego Garcia had been living in Maryland with his family prior to being sent to El Salvador, on the grounds that his removal to the country was unjustified. 

TOP TRUMP OFFICIALS FILE CHARGES AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT AFTER FOX NEWS EXPOSES EARLY RELEASE PLANS

Jose Ibarra, left, was found guilty on 10 counts in the death of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, right. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)

Some Republicans have pushed back at the decision to double down on Abrego Garcia’s stay in El Salvador, including Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, who said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Abrego Garcia’s deportation was a “screw up.” 

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis gave the DOJ a week’s extension to provide explanation, documentation and testimony defending the decision to deport Abrego Garcia.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital reached out to Vasquez’s office for comment.

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston

Hell hath frozen over: At the White House the other day, Donald Trump “was launching a charm offensive, directed mainly at Goldberg,” as in Jeffrey Goldberg, the Atlantic’s editor-in-chief. “There was none of the name-calling or hostility he regularly levels at our magazine.”

That’s according to Atlantic reporters Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer, who wrote the magazine’s cover story, which was posted yesterday.

For all the insights gleaned from the interview, nothing is more fascinating than how it came about.

They called the president on his cell phone. (Wha? Who do I have to court to get that? The reporters ain’t saying.)

Trump says he did the initial phone interview to see if the liberal magazine could be fair.

PRESIDENT TRUMP TELLS THE ATLANTIC HE RUNS THE COUNTRY ‘AND THE WORLD’

So I’m here to pronounce that the entire, seemingly endless piece is fair. The president hasn’t taken a shot at it on Truth Social, at least so far.

He has, however, ripped new polls from the “Failing New York Times” and “ABC/Washington Post” as “FAKE POLLS FROM FAKE NEWS ORGANIZATIONS,” saying they should be “investigated for ELECTION FRAUD, and add in the Fox News Pollster while you’re at it.” His lowest approval rating, in the Post-ABC survey, was 39 percent.

Meanwhile, we may now look back on Trump’s 2024 victory as inevitable, but after Jan. 6 it was anything but. On the cell call, “The president seemed exhilarated by everything he had managed to do in the first two months of his second term.”

President Trump recently gave an interview to The Atlantic. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

And then came the transaction: “As ever, Trump was on the hunt for a deal. If he liked the story we wrote, he said, he might even speak with us again.”

Goldberg describes the session: “What I found in this particular meeting was a Trump who was low-key, attentive, and eager to convince us that he is good at his job and good for the country. It isn’t easy to escape the tractor beam of his charisma, but somehow we managed, and we asked him what needed to be asked. 

“But squaring Trump the Charmer with the Orcish Trump we more frequently see is difficult…Trump posted on the social-media platform he owns that Ashley is a ‘Radical Left Lunatic’ (she is not) and that Michael ‘has never written a fair story about me, only negative, and virtually always LIES’ (also false). It is our task at the Atlantic not to be bullied by these sorts of attacks.”

STATE OF WAR: HOW TRUMP IS FIGHTING A 9-FRONT BATTLE

The most interesting Trump sound bite is his comparison of the two terms:

“The first time, I had two things to do—run the country and survive; I had all these crooked guys. And the second time, I run the country and the world.”

Parker and Scherer did many other interviews, such as with Steve Bannon. “Our reality is that we won,” and he cited the conspiracy theory that the FBI had incited the crowd on Jan. 6. The reporters said that was simply untrue. 

“Now, here’s the interesting thing,” Bannon said. “Who’s won that argument? I think we have…

“This time it’s ‘Hey, f**k you, Greenland’s ours…When you’ve come back from such long odds, you clearly feel, ‘I can do anything.’ ”

What about the four criminal investigations, including the conviction on the weakest one – Alvin Bragg’s hush money case? Trump says his numbers kept going up.

INTERVIEWING DONALD TRUMP: A LAST-MINUTE BLITZ AND NEW CLOSING MESSAGE

“Shockingly, yes,” Trump said. “Normally, it would knock you out. You wouldn’t even live for the next day. You know, you’d announce your resignation, and you’d go back and ‘fight for your name,’ like everybody says—you know, ‘fight for your name, go back to your family.’ …Yeah, it made me stronger, made me a lot stronger.”

He also said in the phone interview: “I got indicted five different times by five different scumbags, and they’re all looking for jobs now, so it’s one of those things. Who would have thought, right? It’s been pretty amazing.”

After the 2016 election, Trump told oil executives at Mar-a-Lago:

If I’m not president, you’re f***ed. Look at your profit-and-loss statements. You realize what would have happened to you if she was president? What’s wrong with you?”) She was Kamala Harris, of course.

Referring to the criminal cases against him – including the charges brought forth by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Trump said “it made [him] stronger.” (Fulton County Sheriff’s Office via AP / Trump-Vance Transition Team)

One turning point: When he went to East Palestine, Ohio after the derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals, while Joe Biden didn’t do squat.

On the Kennedy Center: “I didn’t really get to go the first time, because I was always getting impeached or some bulls**t, and I could never enjoy a show.” So he fired the Democrats and made himself chairman.

All right, enough quotes. Wait, one more that captures the tone of the piece:

“I got 38 percent of the male Black vote. Nobody knew that was possible. That’s a lot. I got 56 percent of Hispanics. How about that one? Every county along the Texas border is Hispanic. I won every one of them.” Though every single number he cited was wrong, the general thrust of his observation was correct.”

The reporters chronicled how things have gone south for the president, especially on tariffs and the economy, and how he pressured Hill Republicans into backing his nominees with primary threats. 

SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES

After the March phone interview, the reporters tried Trump’s cellphone again. Just got voice mail. But at 1:38 am, he tried them back. No message.

Trump believes he can win over even his worst enemies. In 2015 or 2016, I watched him make a beeline in the New York green room for Karl Rove, who was very rough on him. At worst, he thinks, he can neutralize the person. Or soften him or her up for the next time. He enjoys the challenge.

The mainstream media almost uniformly can’t stand Donald Trump. He does invite some of his own negative headlines, while providing unprecedented access, but much of the press is back in Resistance mode. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Still, the Atlantic’s original pitch is undeniable, that he’s “The Most Consequential President of the 21st Century.”

FIRST ON FOX: As the Senate reconvenes this week after a spring break, the Honest Elections Project is urging GOP leaders to move quickly to close a loophole they say is allowing noncitizens to vote in federal elections.

According to Honest Elections Project, an election integrity watchdog group, judicial interpretation of the National Voter Registration Act, often called the Motor Voter Act, effectively ties states’ hands, making it difficult to put commonsense voter ID requirements in place and opening the window for noncitizens to influence and tip the balance in elections.

The group said current federal law makes it so that voter registration essentially operates on an honor system in which all a noncitizen needs to do to be added to the voter rolls is check a box indicating he or she is a citizen. Doing so is punishable as perjury but is not sufficient as a deterrent, critics say.

To stop this, Honest Elections sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Rules Committee Chair Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Monday, urging them to immediately bring the SAVE Act to the Senate floor for a vote. 

SENATOR JOINS GROUP OF FAR-LEFT LAWMAKERS WHO THINK TRUMP HAS – AGAIN – COMMITTED IMPEACHABLE OFFENSES

The Honest Elections Project urged Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., left, and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to act to protect federal elections from ineligible noncitizen voters. (Getty Images)

The SAVE Act, which passed the House this month, would require voters to show proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, passport, naturalization certificate or REAL ID that notes citizenship status. According to Congress.gov, the Senate received the legislation for consideration from the House on April 10.

When the House was considering the bill, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said, “This will be one of the most important votes that members of this chamber will ever take in their entire careers.” 

Johnson urged House members to vote in favor of the bill, posing the question: “Should Americans and Americans alone determine the outcome of American elections? Or should we allow foreigners and illegal aliens to decide who sits in the White House and in the people’s House and in the Senate?”

Critics of the bill, largely Democrats, argue that it would make voter registration more difficult by adding new documentation requirements and red tape to register. Opponents have argued that people in rural areas, as well as elderly people who have trouble accessing ID offices, would find it difficult to register to vote, effectively disenfranchising them.

AS REAL ID ROLLOUT APPROACHES, CONGRESSIONAL PRIVACY HAWKS LARGELY SILENT ON CONCERNS

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

Opponents have also said that recently married women who have had a name change would be disenfranchised because their identification would be outdated.

The House passed the measure in a 220-208 vote, with just four Democrats joining Republicans to vote in favor.

Honest Elections Executive Director Jason Snead argued in the letter that adding the proof of citizenship requirement to voter registration would make it “easy to vote, but hard to cheat.”

Snead slammed opponents of the SAVE Act, saying they “rely on a familiar litany of debunked and misleading arguments” that “have been made about voter ID laws for decades but were never borne out.”

HOUSE REPUBLICAN ENTERS RACE FOR MITCH MCCONNELL’S SENATE SEAT, SETTING UP HIGH-STAKES GOP PRIMARY

U.S. Capitol (Fox News Digital)

He explained that the SAVE Act has safeguards in place that would require states to establish a process to resolve identification discrepancies, such as a married woman’s new name, allowing them to show additional documentation, such as a marriage license.

Snead said that “by the same token, alternative evidence of citizenship could be offered by any American who may lack common records.”

On the other hand, Snead said “the evidence clearly shows that noncitizens are able to register and vote” under current law.

“In 2018, the Department of Justice charged 19 noncitizens with illegally registering and voting,” he said.

HOUSE DEM JUMPS INTO CROWDED MICHIGAN SENATE RACE

(Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)

Snead also cited Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson recently announcing that 15 noncitizens voted in 2024 and officials in Ohio, Texas and Virginia recently identifying “significant numbers of noncitizens on their voter rolls and reported that many appear to have voted in recent years.”

“Many races are decided by razor-thin margins – sometimes by a single vote. Each illegal vote cancels out the voice of a lawful citizen voter,” said Snead.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, Snead said proof of citizenship for voter registration is widely popular among most Americans. He cited a recent Gallup survey that found that 83% of Americans support having to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.

“As the Senate returns to session, I urge Leader Thune to take up the SAVE Act without delay,” Snead said. “We urge Leader Thune to take this opportunity to allow every Senator to go on the record supporting the fundamental principle that only citizens should vote in American elections.”

Fox News Digital has requested comment from the offices of both Thune and McConnell.

The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., issued a ruling Monday to restore a lower court’s order barring the Trump administration’s planned mass layoffs at the Consumer Financial Protections Bureau (CFPB).

The court ruled 2-1 to restore an earlier ruling by federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson, an Obama appointee, which temporarily halted the Trump administration’s reductions in force (RIF) at CFPB, which would have cut the agency’s staff by 90 percent.

Before Jackson’s ruling, the agency was slated to carry out a reduction in force of roughly 1,400 employees, which would have left just several hundred in place. 

Following a legal challenge against the reduction filed in the D.C. district court in early February, Jackson issued a preliminary injunction in late March, finding that the plaintiffs would likely succeed on the merits.

TRUMP TO SIGN ORDER CRACKING DOWN ON ‘SANCTUARY’ CITIES, THREATEN THEIR FEDERAL FUNDING

CFPB sign and termination papers. Credit: Getty Images/iStock (Getty Images)

The order directed the government to “rehire all terminated employees, reinstate all terminated contracts, and refrain from engaging in reductions-in-force or attempting to stop work through any means.” 

Jackson then ordered another halt to plans earlier this month, shortly after an appeals court narrowed her earlier injunction. Jackson noted that within several days of an appeals order narrowing her initial injunction, CFPB employees were told the agency would do “exactly what it was told not to do,” which was to carry out a RIF. 

Jackson blocked the administration from moving forward with any layoffs or from cutting off employees’ access to computers at the bureau until she had time to hear from the officials in question.

TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS CHALLENGE CAMPUS DEI AS EXPERT WARNS CHANGE MUST BE ‘REFORMED INTERNALLY’

A view of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) headquarters building in Washington, DC, on February 10, 2025. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Jackson said she was “willing to resolve it quickly,” but noted that she is “deeply concerned, given the scope and scope of action.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Lawyers with the Justice Department sought to appeal Jackson’s order earlier this year, arguing in a filing that the injunction “improperly intrudes on the executive [branch’s] authority” and goes “far beyond what is lawful.”

Jackson is set to hear testimony from officials slated to carry out the RIF procedures on Tuesday. 

It sometimes takes a pot a while to boil.

Democrats lost the presidency. Lost the Senate. Failed to flip control of the House.

And now, more than six months after last year’s election, the Democrats’ pot is starting to gurgle.

It was natural that Democrats would take some time to figure out what went wrong. Clang around some pots and pans. And finally pour some water into a pot and turn on the stove.

DEMOCRATS’ IDENTITY CRISIS: YOUTH REVOLT ROCKS PARTY AFTER TRUMP COMEBACK

So Democrats are starting to get their pot to boil.

How hot it gets – and whether the stew is anything to wow political culinary taste buds – is unclear.

For starters, some Democrats are boiling at one another.

The Democratic pot seems to be simmering – even if it’s just internal turmoil. DNC Chair Ken Martin (right) recently gave vice chair David Hogg an ultimatum to stay out of primary politics or remain neutral. (Getty/AP)

Democratic National Committee Chairman (DNC) Ken Martin handed down an ultimatum after DNC Vice Chairman David Hogg aimed to spend millions of dollars mounting primary challenges to Democratic incumbents.

“Let me be unequivocal. No DNC officers should ever attempt to influence the outcome of a primary election, whether on behalf of an incumbent or a challenger,” said Martin.

Hogg defended his tactic to weed out Democrats who he believe lost a step, are older or just aren’t getting the job done.

SENATE PUTS TRUMP TEAM IN PLACE, SETS UP AGENDA FIGHT AFTER 100-DAY SPRINT

“We want people to know they’re being watched,” said Hogg. “It’s not to say it’s ‘out with the old in with the new.’ I would say it’s out with the ineffective and in with the effective.”

Democrats contend their neutrality pledge is about assuring party unity.

“The reforms that Chair Martin is rolling out, including the one that we’re talking about today of increasing funding for state parties, is not a reaction to David Hogg,” said Jane Kleeb of the Association of State Democratic Parties (ASDC). “The reform package that Ken Martin is bringing forward, that he will be discussing over the next several months, that he ran on as chair, is not a reaction to David.”

“We want people to know they’re being watched,” Hogg said, defending his unusually aggressive approach to party primaries. (GABY VELASQUEZ/ EL PASO TIMES / USA TODAY NETWORK)

But Hogg is the elephant in the room to the party represented by the donkey.

“I have great respect for David Hogg,” said Martin. “I understand what he’s trying to do. I’ve said to him, ‘If you want to challenge incumbents, you’re more than free to do that.’ But just not as an officer of the DNC.”

And then there’s rage over age.

DNC’S DAVID HOGG TAKING ON DEMOCRATS IS ‘THE BIGGEST GIFT TO REPUBLICANS EVER,’ SAYS STRATEGIST

80-year-old Senate Minority Whip and the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee Dick Durbin, D-Ill., is the latest veteran Democrat to announce his retirement.

“I had to project forward. The campaign is going to last two years. And then you’re going to serve six years. So are you ready to make an eight year commitment?” asked Durbin.

Durbin would be 87 when another term concluded in early 2033 – presuming he won and served the entire time.

Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., is the latest member of his party’s old guard to announce his retirement. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“A lot of this is the fallout from Biden,” said Rutgers University political scientist Ross Baker. “It sort of contaminated older Democrats.”

Age is just a number. But it’s a number with consequences. Five House Republicans over the age of 65 have died within the past year. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., says Democrats could have sidetracked parts of President Trump’s agenda had the older members lived.

75-year-old Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., defeated 35-year-old Rep. Alexandria, Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., in November to become the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. The vote: 131-84. Connolly suffered from esophageal cancer – but pushed through. Democrats gave him a vote of confidence. However, Connolly just announced his cancer returned after treatment. He will give up his committee ranking post and retire at the end of this term.

DICK DURBIN, NO. 2 SENATE DEMOCRAT, WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION

Durbin’s departure could intensify progressive pressure on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to quit, too. Liberals are fuming over Schumer intervening to side with President Trump and avoid a government shutdown in March.

“Sen. Schumer made the disastrous decision,” said House Progressive Caucus Chairman Greg Casar, D-Tex. “I think we have to get to a place where we’re willing to disagree with even our leaders, like Sen. Schumer, when they make a disastrous decision. Thats how we get better.”

Schumer contends he isn’t going anywhere.

“No conversation about when you might step aside?” asked MSNBC’s Chris Jansing.

“I’m focusing on the decision that the Republicans in Congress have to make to whether support Trump with these horrible economic policies or not,” replied Schumer.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., seems to be showing no intention to step aside anytime soon. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

The New York Democrat further rejected any chatter that he might step down when appearing on CNN.

“I am staying put and I’m fighting the fight every day, as is our caucus, in a united and successful way,” said Schumer.

Democrats set out to hold town hall meetings over the recent Congressional recess in districts where they accused Republicans of ducking their constituents. But caveat emptor. In some instances, it was Democrats who got an earful.

DEMOCRATS’ VICE CHAIR GETS ULTIMATUM: STAY NEUTRAL IN PRIMARIES OR STEP DOWN FROM PARTY LEADERSHIP

For instance, Casar conducted a town hall in the district of Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo. Evans just flipped his district from blue to red by 2,500 votes.

“What are we going to do about the DNC?” asked one Colorado town hall attendee of Casar. “They need to listen to you young people.”

“Democrats didn’t really, as far as I can tell, really do anything,” observed another.

Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, who also chairs the House Progressive Caucus, recently got an earful from town hall attendees looking for answers on his party’s direction. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The pot really started to boil just before dawn early Sunday morning on the East Front of the Capitol.

Both clad in black, Jeffries and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., began what they billed as a “sit-in” to protest President Trump’s policies and reject the “big, beautiful bill.”

House committees are prepping that legislation this week.

“People will die if this budget is successful. That’s how urgent the fight is,” said Jeffries.

But when it comes to conventional tactics, younger, upstart Democrats say BLANK THAT!

JEFFRIES, BOOKER PROTEST TRUMP AND HIS POLICIES DURING SIT-IN ON CAPITOL STEPS

They’re urging their party to ditch the pleasantries and use, well, kitchen language.

“I say it’s time to drop the excuses and grow a f***ing spine,” said 26-year-old Democratic Illinois Congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh.

Abughazaleh is running in the district now held by 80-year-old Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill. She’s expected to announce her retirement in the coming days.

Democrat Mike Sacks is running against Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y. in a swing district just outside New York City.

“I’m running for Congress to tell you the truth, to fight for New York, and to unf**k our country,” said Sacks in a campaign ad.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

So the Democrats’ pot is churning. Democrats will soon have the water ready. But it’s unclear what dish they plan to prepare.

The only problem is that so far, Democrats are scalding themselves with that hot water. There’s infighting. Arguing. And everyone is trying to figure out what works.

For the Democrats, it’s enough to make their blood boil.

The Trump administration has launched investigations into Harvard University and the Harvard Law Review after allegations that the journal discriminated against readers who wanted to respond to an article about police reform because they were white men.

Both the Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched investigations into possible violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The investigations were launched in response to information both federal agencies received about policies and practices for journal membership as well as article selection that may violate Title VI.

In a press release, HHS claimed the Harvard Law Review’s editor reportedly wrote that it was “concerning” that “four of the five people” who wanted to reply to an article on police reform were “white men.”

TRUMP FROZE FUNDING FOR HARVARD. MONEY TO THESE UNIVERSITIES MAY ALSO BE ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK

The Trump administration announced it was freezing over $2 billion in grants and contracts after Harvard University said it would not comply with federal demands regarding antisemitism. (Reuters/Nicholas Pfosi)

HHS also said another editor at the Review suggested “that a piece should be subjected to expedited review because the author was a minority.”

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin in education programs and activities that receive federal funding. Any violations of Title VI could result in the loss of funds from the federal government.

“Harvard Law Review’s article selection process appears to pick winners and losers on the basis of race, employing a spoils system in which the race of the legal scholar is as, if not more, important than the merit of the submission,” HHS Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said. “Title VI’s demands are clear: recipients of federal financial assistance may not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin. No institution—no matter its pedigree, prestige, or wealth—is above the law. The Trump Administration will not allow Harvard, or any other recipients of federal funds, to trample on anyone’s civil rights.”

TRUMP ADMIN SLASHES OVER $2.2B IN FUNDING TO HARVARD AFTER SCHOOL DEFIES DEMANDS

Harvard University (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images/File)

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the school stated, “Harvard Law School is committed to ensuring that the programs and activities it oversees are in compliance with all applicable laws and to investigating any credibly alleged violations. The Harvard Law Review is a student-run organization that is legally independent from the law school. A claim brought in 2018 was dismissed by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.”

The investigations come as the Trump administration continues to feud with elite education institutions, announcing earlier this month it would be cutting off over $2.2 billion in funding to Harvard University while threatening cuts to another $1 billion of its federal grants and funding.

After Harvard refused to comply with a series of requests from the Trump administration to reform various practices on campus, the administration revealed April 18 that it would freeze more than $2 billion in federal funding for the institution.

HARVARD WON’T COMPLY WITH TRUMP ADMIN’S DEMANDS AMID THREATS OF CUTTING FEDERAL FUNDING

The Trump administration dismissed more than a dozen judges on Friday. (Donald Trump/Truth Social)

Harvard University President Alan M. Garber said in a statement that President Donald Trump’s administration tacked on additional requests that go beyond addressing antisemitism on campus, and the institution would not comply because the demands were unconstitutional.

Garber said the new requests “direct governmental regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions’ at Harvard,” including auditing viewpoints of student, faculty and staff members on campus and eliminating all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, offices and initiatives at Harvard. 

“It makes clear that the intention is not to work with us to address antisemitism in a cooperative and constructive manner,” Garber wrote. “We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Trump administration launched the Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism in February, which aims to eradicate bias on campuses that have experienced incidents targeting Jewish students since October 2023.

“It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support,” the task force said in a statement. 

Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy contributed to this report.

A California human trafficking bill to combat child sex trafficking is being gutted with the reluctant agreement of the bill’s author to remove a provision that targets consumers in an effort to get the legislation passed. 

State Assemblywoman Maggy Krell, a Democrat, agreed to remove a clause from Assembly Bill 379 that states buyers of 16 and 17-year-olds for sex would face felony charges, leaving the solicitation of those minors by adults to be treated as a misdemeanor. 

“In order to get a hearing on the bill, we were forced to remove the piece of the bill that ensures the crime of purchasing a minor for sex applies in all cases where the victim is under the age of 18,” Krell told Fox News Digital.

HARVEY WEINSTEIN’S TEAM STRESSES SEX CRIME RETRIAL COULD LEAD TO DEATH, REQUESTS HOSPITAL STAY

A view of the California state capitol building on National Urban League California Legislative Advocacy Day on March 13, 2024 in Sacramento, California. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for National Urban League)

“I wholeheartedly disagree with that amendment,” she added. “This has been my life’s work and I will continue to partner with sex trafficking survivors and law enforcement to ensure all minors are protected from the horrors of sex trafficking.”

Krell noted that the bill still criminalizes “the creeps who are loitering to buy teenagers for sex and sets up a fund to help victims. Those will be powerful tools in the fight against sex trafficking — it’s a good start.”

California Assembly Republicans quickly criticized Democrats over the change. 

“Why are some @AssemblyDems planning to cut felony charges for adults who buy 16- and 17-year-olds for sex?,” California Assembly Republicans posted on X. “There are no excuses. Protect the kids. Not the predators.”

Earlier, media reports stated that lawmakers wanted to hold off on the bill and possibly hold information hearings on the issue in the fall. 

The bill came together after older teens were left out of a state law that went into effect this year that makes it a felony to purchase a child, ages 15 and younger for sex. Last year, California State Sen. Shannon Grove authored a bill that made it illegal to buy minors for sex, but it excluded 16 and 17 year-olds.

SON OF SUSPECTED WOULD-BE TRUMP ASSASSIN ARRESTED ON CHILD PORN CHARGES

California Assemblymember Maggy Krell, a Democrat, on Monday said she agreed to remove a provision in her child sex trafficking bill that  ensures the crime of purchasing a minor for sex applies in all cases where the victim is under the age of 18. (Assemblymember Maggy Krell)

Currently, traffickers, not the buyers, face the harshest consequences when convicted of trafficking anyone under 18. 

AB 379 faced a key deadline this Friday and was dropped from the Public Safety Committee agenda for Tuesday’s meeting.

State Rep. David Tangipa, a Republican, said the move was a way to kill a bill that lawmakers don’t want to be heard. If Krell didn’t want to accept the amendment, then the committee chair, Rep. Nick Schultz, would have discretion over whether the legislation should be heard, Tangipa said. 

“Apparently, what they want to do is remove the 16 and 17-year-old portion of the bill and then just increase penalties and fines,” Tangipa, who has a relative who was previously trafficked, told Fox News Digital. “What that actually sounds like is just California participating in the prostitution and the trafficking themselves.”

Fox News has reached out to Schultz’s office and the state Democrats. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In a post on X, the California Republican Party criticized the state Democratic Party, saying that it was “sad and disgusting that this is even a debate over at the pro-criminal” Democrats. 

Democratic Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley warned President Donald Trump that his mass deportation efforts are “not going to end well” for him, during comments from the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner over the weekend.

Merkley’s warning came after being asked about his thoughts on Trump’s deportation policies and Democrats’ efforts to challenge them, specifically their decision to visit alleged Venezuelan gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, after the Trump administration deported him. 

Democrats insist Abrego Garcia was wrongly deported in the president’s sweeping decision to remove hundreds of mostly Venezuelan gang members from the United States, arguing Abrego Garcia is not a gang member despite the Trump administration’s insistence that he is. 

DEMOCRAT FAULTS HIS OWN PARTY FOR PICKING WRONG BATTLE WITH CASE OF DEPORTED MS-13 SUSPECT

“You know due process is a – it sounds very scholarly but it’s basically what prevents the government from sweeping you, or me, off the street,” Merkley said when asked his thoughts on Democrats’ defense of Abrego Garcia. “[Due process] is extraordinarily important for freedom.”

“I want President Trump to understand this is about freedom and that what he’s doing is undermining it,” Merkley continued. “It’s not going to end well for him because our nation is going to respond, and we are going to defend our Constitution and our freedom.”

The White House, meanwhile, slammed Merkley and other Democrats for choosing to die on a hill defending a documented criminal who was residing in the United States illegally.

DEMS RIDICULED FOR GOING ‘ALL IN’ ON SUSPECTED MS-13 GANG MEMBER KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA

“If the hill that Democrats want to die on is demanding the return of a violent illegal alien, wifebeater, and foreign terrorist, we are happy to dig that grave for them,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai told Fox News Digital in response to Merkley’s comments. 

President Donald Trump in the Oval Office holding a photo of the tattoos on Abrego Garcia’s knuckles that the White House says are affiliated with the MS-13 terrorist group. (Donald Trump TRUTH Social)

In addition to Trump’s deportation of Abrego Garcia, Democrats have also been up in arms over the president’s decision to rescind student visas and deport non-citizen college students in the U.S. who have allegedly been involved in organizing anti-Israel, and some have argued anti-Semitic, protests on college campuses. 

The Trump administration has cited federal law that allows immigration enforcement against visa-holders deemed a national security threat.  

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

On Monday, Trump also signed an executive order aimed at rescinding local sanctuary city policies that prevented local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. 

The new order seeks to hold federal funds hostage and allows the Justice Department to pursue “all necessary legal remedies and enforcement measures” to bring non-compliant jurisdictions back into compliance with the new order. 

Former Georgia GOP Sen. David Perdue’s nomination to become President Donald Trump’s ambassador to China passed a Senate vote for cloture – to end debate – Monday evening.

The vote starts the “2-hour clock” of limited debate that will ultimately end in a vote on Perdue’s nomination. That clock is typically 30 hours for Cabinet-level officials.

Perdue has long been an ally of Trump and narrowly lost his 2021 runoff election with Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., by just over 1%, or about 55,000 votes.

He also has experience working in global supply chains as a former chief executive of Tennessee-based Dollar General, and other companies.

TRUMP APPOINTS SEN. DAVID PERDUE AS AMBASSADOR TO CHINA

During his confirmation hearing, Perdue said, “Marxist nationalism” is reshaping China and that their global ambitions threaten the world order.

“Since 2000, China has doubled its nuclear arsenal and grown its military at a pace unseen since WWII. They have militarized the South China Sea and violated their agreement in Hong Kong. Their Social Credit Score system and extensive policing capability are designed to enforce domestic state control. Their Belt and Road Initiative and their Made in China 2025 statements demonstrate their global ambitions,” Perdue said.

“They speak of a global ‘community of common destiny for all mankind.’ Put simply, they want a world more in line with their authoritarian principles.”

Perdue went on to argue that Trump’s “America First” strategy that greatly affects the U.S.’s relationship with China is not isolationist, but “just the reverse.”

TRUMP SAYS CHINA’S XI CALLED HIM AMID ONGOING CONFUSION OVER TRADE TALKS

Former President Donald Trump, right, shakes hands with David Perdue, left, at a “Save America Rally.” (Joshua L. Jones/IMAGN)

“America will be a stronger ally and partner by rebuilding our strategic supply chains at home and with our friends.”

He said Chinese leader Xi Jinping, like Trump, only respects strength and that, if confirmed, he will work on reciprocity and security agreements with Beijing.

“Our approach to China should be nuanced, nonpartisan, and strategic,” Perdue said.

On Taiwan, which China views as a breakaway province, Perdue said he will support the longstanding One China Policy while remaining committed to a “peaceful resolution” of tensions that is acceptable to both Beijing and Taipei.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I will also ensure focus on our priority to eliminate fentanyl precursors and hold China accountable on human rights.”

The Senate recently confirmed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be the U.S. Ambassador to Israel.

The upper chamber has also filed cloture motions – which will spur votes after they “ripen” for one legislative day – on three other potential diplomats: former Reagan staffer and New York real estate investor Tom Barrack for ambassador to Turkey, Landry’s Restaurants and Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta as ambassador to Italy and San Marino, and Arkansas investment banker billionaire Warren Stephens as ambassador to the United Kingdom.

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

Here’s what’s happening…

-House Speaker Mike Johnson praises Trump’s first 100 days: More than most leaders ‘accomplish in their entire lifetimes’

-Where President Donald Trump stands with Americans 100 days into his second presidency

-Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vows crackdown on military obesity after shocking Reserve, Guard report

Reversing Biden’s Purposely ‘Unsecured Border’

The White House kicked off its celebration of President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office by highlighting its efforts to combat illegal immigration on Monday.

Border czar Tom Homan joined White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at an early morning briefing on Monday. The pair touted massive decreases in border crossings as well as new executive orders aimed at deportations and further border enforcement.

“We are in the process of carrying out the largest deportation campaign in American history,” Leavitt said. “After four years of being vilified by the Biden-Harris administration, our heroic ICE officers can finally do their jobs.”…Read more

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks as White House ‘border czar’ Tom Homan looks on during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 28, 2025. US President Donald Trump is to name and shame cities accused of “obstructing” his crackdown on illegal immigration, the White House said Monday, in a move aimed at “protecting American communities from criminal aliens.” (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

White House

‘VERY DISAPPOINTED’: Trump disappointed Russia launched rockets at Ukraine, blames Obama, Biden for Crimea giveaway

‘TREMENDOUS TAX CUT’: Trump says income tax cuts, and perhaps elimination, coming due to tariffs

‘TROUBLEMAKERS’: Trump says ‘disruptors’ at GOP town hall events should be ‘immediately ejected’

MADE TO ‘ORDER’: Trump’s Executive Order surge: The unprecedented use of presidential authority: experts weigh in

President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

‘YOU CANNOT HIDE’: Trump’s border czar has word of warning for illegal immigrants

PEACE PRESSURE: White House reveals possible penalties on Putin amid peace push: ‘Whatever it takes’

World Stage

SEEING RED: China’s billion-dollar footprint near Florida coast poses US national security risk, expert warns

CANADA VOTES: Trump threats boosted Canada’s Carney, hurt Conservatives as country votes for new leader

CANNOT BE BOUGHT: Greenland prime minister says island cannot be bought, US has ‘not been respectful’

THE WORLD AWAITS: Conclave to pick next pope to begin May 7, Vatican says

A pilgrim holds a portrait of late Pope Francis at the Basílica de San José de Flores, where he worshipped as a youth, following the Vatican’s announcement of his death in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, April 21, 2025. (Gustavo Garello/AP)

THANKING TROOPS: Putin thanks North Korea for sending troops to fight Ukraine: ‘Will never forget the heroism’

END ‘CAMPAIGN OF VIOLENCE’: Treasury targets Houthi-linked vessels to ‘disrupt’ efforts to fund ‘dangerous and destabilizing attacks’

VICTORY DAY TRUCE: Russia declares 3-day ceasefire in Ukraine for WWII Victory Day

Capitol Hill

CLEARING THE FIELD?: Illinois candidate for Durbin Senate seat consolidates support with Duckworth endorsement

RESTORING TRUST: Hawley reignites ‘PELOSI Act’ push to ban lawmakers from trading stocks

BIDEN EFFECT: Democrat challenging 12-term rep slams ‘retirement community’ Congress amid youth revolt

BACK IN SESSION: Senate puts Trump team in place, sets up agenda fight after 100-day sprint

Congress returns from spring break and the fight for President Trump’s legislative agenda resumes. (Getty Images)

BACK IN SESSION: Dems stage 12-hour ‘moral moment’ at US Capitol, rejecting Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’

‘NO RANCOR, FULL HEART’: Virginia Democratic congressman to retire after cancer returns

Across America 

‘AMERICA’S FINEST’: Inside the elite police unit that’s quietly thwarting terror attacks

SCOOP: Energy Dept saves taxpayers over $600M in Trump’s first 100 days, $3B if counting unfinalized contracts

‘NOT READY’: REAL ID rollout could trigger national headache, state lawmaker warns

Real ID and TSA lines (Reuters/DC DMV)

‘PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY’: Ethics complaint against Letitia James calls for NY state courts to investigate Trump admin fraud claims

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

President Donald Trump is poised to sign an executive order Monday instructing the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security to create a list of all sanctuary cities failing to adhere to federal immigration laws, providing them a chance to abandon their sanctuary status. 

The order comes as Trump seeks to speed up deportations, following through on a key promise he made on the campaign trail during his third bid for president.

But so-called “sanctuary cities,” or jurisdictions that limit the ability of local agencies to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, have restricted his ability to do so. 

“It’s quite simple: obey the law, respect the law, and don’t obstruct federal immigration officials and law enforcement officials when they are simply trying to remove public safety threats from our nation’s communities,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday. “The American public don’t want illegal alien criminals in their communities. They made that quite clear on November 5, and this administration is determined to enforce our nation’s immigration laws.”

Specifically, the executive order will notify sanctuary cities of their status and allow them to drop the sanctuary title — or risk losing federal funding. Additionally, it instructs Attorney General Pam Bondi and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to “pursue all legal remedies” to push sanctuary cities into compliance with federal law, according to a Monday White House fact sheet shared with Fox News Digital. 

Bondi and Noem are also instructed to establish proper channels ensuring that those in sanctuary cities do not receive federal public benefits. 

YOUNGKIN TO DRAFT SANCTUARY CITY BAN, MAKING STATE FUNDING CONTINGENT ON ICE COOPERATION

President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House. (Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo/Reuters)

Some of the country’s largest cities have some sort of sanctuary law on the books aimed at protecting their illegal immigrant residents, including Chicago, New York City, Boston and Los Angeles, according to the Center for Immigration Studies. Some states have even gone on to pass their own sanctuary laws, including California, Oregon, Washington and Illinois.

The jurisdictions have faced controversy as Trump has accelerated his deportation efforts, especially in the wake of multiple high-profile crimes that have been allegedly committed by illegal immigrants in sanctuary cities.

Officers with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have seen their efforts hindered by sanctuary jurisdictions. (ICE)

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDENT PROTESTER SUES TRUMP ADMIN TO PREVENT DEPORTATION

Even so, the executive order comes days after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from restricting federal funds for sanctuary cities violates the Constitution’s separation of powers principles and the Spending Clause, in addition to the Fifth and 10th Amendments.

The tension between the federal government and the jurisdictions has increased in recent weeks, including at a House Committee on Oversight and Government hearing in March, where members of Congress grilled the mayors of four prominent sanctuary cities. 

“These reckless policies in Democrat-run cities and states across our nation have led to too many preventable tragedies,” House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said ahead of the hearing. “They also endanger ICE agents who are forced to take more difficult enforcement actions in jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.”

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has been vocal in opposing the Trump administration, saying of her sanctuary city, “we stand with immigrants.” (Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump, a longtime critic of sanctuary jurisdictions, hinted earlier in an April 10 social media post that such an executive action might be in the works.

“No more Sanctuary Cities! They protect the Criminals, not the Victims,” Trump said on April 10 in a Truth Social post.

“They are disgracing our Country, and are being mocked all over the World. Working on papers to withhold all Federal Funding for any City or State that allows these Death Traps to exist,” Trump said. 

The Trump administration has signed more than 140 executive orders during Trump’s first 100 days in office — an increase from the 33 he signed during the first 100 days of his first term. 

Fox News’ Peter Pinedo contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump will sign an executive order requiring truck drivers to pass English literacy tests which will bolster road safety, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. 

Trump will sign an “order directing the Department of Transportation to include English literacy tests for our truckers. This is a big problem in the trucking community,” Leavitt said on Monday afternoon during a press conference with new members of the media. The press conference was separate from a White House press briefing earlier Monday morning. 

Trump is expected to sign the executive order late Monday afternoon, Leavitt said. 

“You might not know, but there’s a lot of communication problems between truckers on the road with federal officials and local officials, as well, which obviously is a public safety risk,” Leavitt continued. “So we’re going to ensure that our truckers, who are the backbone of our economy, are all able to speak English. That’s a very common sense policy.” 

BULK OF TRUCKERS BACK TRUMP AND ARE WARY OF A HARRIS PRESIDENCY, SAYS BIG-RIG BIG SHOT

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order requiring truck drivers pass English literacy test.  (Bob Riha Jr./Reuters)

Fox News’ Wil Cain reported earlier in April on “The Will Cain Show” that trucking experts reported that there has been an influx of foreign-born truckers in recent years. 

Cain, citing experts, reported that former President Barack Obama’s administration in 2016 stopped an English requirement for drivers from being enforced, while the Biden-Harris administration in 2024 promoted an initiative that increased truck driving training opportunities for refugees, which has increased the number of foreign-born truck drivers operating in the U.S.

Trump’s anticipated executive order comes after he lauded truckers during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, under his first administration, for their work delivering goods to stores as the nation locked down. 

DRIVER OF TRUMP GARBAGE TRUCK SHARES HOW VIRAL MOMENT CAME ABOUT: ‘DIDN’T REALLY BELIEVE IT AT FIRST’

“American truckers are the foot soldiers who are really carrying us to victory,” Trump said in April 2020 from the White House. “They’ve done an incredible job. We’ve had no problems. It’s been just — it’s been just great.”

“Thank God for truckers,” he added. 

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

This is at least the second executive order focused on the English language that Trump has signed since his Oval Office return in January. Trump signed a separate executive order in March declaring English as the official language of the U.S.

TRUCKERS ARE ‘HOPEFUL’ ABOUT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S WALKBACK OF BIDEN-ERA CLIMATE REGULATIONS, SAYS TRUCKING EXECUTIVE

“A nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society, and the United States is strengthened by a citizenry that can freely exhange ideas in one shared language,” Trump wrote in that order.

The American Flag is carried down the front stretch on the back of a Semi truck. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

The order revoked an executive order issued by former President Bill Clinton in 2000, titled “Improving Access Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency,” which required federal agencies and recipients of federal funding to provide language assistance to non-English speakers. 

Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colo., responded to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) major bust at an illegal nightclub in his district on Sunday that resulted in over 100 illegal immigrants being arrested.

The state has become a hub of illegal immigration-related activities, including the presence of Tren de Aragua in cities like Aurora. In this case, not only were people detained, but pink cocaine and firearms were also confiscated by the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division. The DEA said many arrested will soon be bound for deportation. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted to X that the venue is “frequented by Tda and MS-13 terrorists.”

“Yesterday’s raid in Colorado Springs was the Trump administration following through on their promise to the American people that illegal aliens have no place in our country. Federal law enforcement, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the Colorado Springs Police Department were able to work together to apprehend these dangerous criminals to help ensure that our communities are safe,” Crank told Fox News Digital in a statement.

AURORA AUTHORITIES ‘DECLINED’ TO HELP SEARCH FOR 2 ILLEGAL ALIENS WHO ESCAPED COLORADO DETENTION FACILITY: ICE

Salvadoran police officers escort alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua recently deported by the U.S. government to be imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) prison, in Tecoluca, El Salvador, March 16, 2025. (Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia/Handout via Reuters)

“Law enforcement in Colorado’s Fifth Congressional District takes immigration enforcement seriously. Gov. Polis and the Colorado state legislature should follow suit,” he continued. Crank introduced a House Resolution earlier this month expressing support for President Donald Trump’s legally challenged use of the Ailen Enemies Act to transport alleged MS-13 and Tren de Aragua gang members out of the country, as the groups have been classified as foreign terrorist organizations.

Meanwhile, Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., also praised the law enforcement crackdown done on Sunday, as he’s introduced legislation hoping to increase local coordination between federal and local authorities – as he argues that current state sanctuary policies make comprehensive immigration enforcement difficult.

“This admin is fighting to make Colorado safe again. Thanks to this raid, we are one step closer,” Evans said, also saying that Colorado’s sanctuary policies are causing the state to generate “headlines as ground zero for the country’s most dangerous criminals.”

Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement that he is “focused on making Colorado safer for everyone, and that includes cracking down on illegal drugs and firearms. We await the details from the DEA and federal government on this action,” according to KRDO.

BLUE SANCTUARY STATE OPERATING AS ‘CONTROL’ CENTER FOR VICIOUS MIGRANT GANG: ACTING DEA CHIEF

Hundreds of officials raided an illegal afterhours nightclub in Colorado Springs. (@AGPamBondi/X)

In videos posted of the operation, U.S. Postal Service and IRS agents are seen arresting illegal aliens at the nightclub, showing the Trump administration using a whole-of-government approach to carrying out deportations.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

Specifically, a U.S. Postal Service inspector and an agent with IRS Criminal Investigations were seen with alleged criminals in their custody.

DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz previously said Colorado has become “ground zero for some of the most violent criminals in America,” including Tren de Aragua’s leadership, Denver 7 reported.

WHITE HOUSE DISPLAYS LAWN SIGNS HIGHLIGHTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIME

Alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang overran an apartment building in Aurora, Colorado, charging rent in exchange for “protection,” previous reports say. (Edward Romero)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In January, there was a similar nightclub takedown in Adams County, Colorado, which resulted in 50 illegal immigrant arrests, including alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

Fox News’ Danielle Wallace, Bonny Chu, Greg Wehner, Bill Melugin contributed to this reported.