NationalWatch

In what could potentially be President Biden’s last foreign diplomacy trip, he will soon head to South America to meet with global leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Biden will first travel to Lima, Peru, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, where he is slated to meet with Xi, possibly their final encounter as heads of state, according to a senior administration official.

Biden’s attendance at the summit is expected to be followed by a stop in Brazil early next week, where the Group of 20 summit, a gathering of the nation’s foremost economic powers, is being held. While in Brazil, Biden will also become the first sitting U.S. president to make a visit to spots in the Amazon rainforest.

Luong Cuong, Vietnam’s president, speaks during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit in Lima, Peru, on Nov. 14, 2024. (Getty Images)

Biden’s foreign diplomacy curtain call in South America comes as the U.S.’s influence in the region has been getting overshadowed by China’s, experts have argued.

GOP REP SOUNDS ALARM ON GROWING CHINESE INFLUENCE IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA

The U.S.’s contemporary policy toward the region has shifted over the last century, from focusing on issues related to the political stability of the region to now on issues of illegal immigration and narcotics and how they impact the country domestically. Meanwhile, China has been taking advantage of the holes left open by the U.S. due to this shift in priorities.

For example, South American countries have turned to China when the U.S. has failed to establish trade agreements with them, the Wall Street Journal reported. Near the start of the Biden administration, Uruguay and Ecuador’s attempts to develop free-trade agreements with the U.S. were stymied, so they turned to China. While Ecuador’s priority is to establish a trade agreement with the U.S., its ambassador said the country is “prioritizing alternatives” while the U.S. transitions to the Trump administration. 

The national flags of Peru and China flutter at Tian’anmen Square on June 28, 2024, in Beijing. (Getty Images)

The U.S. still holds more trade agreements in South America than China, but the communist nation has expanded its influence in other ways. Beijing has invested in parts of South America with projects like ports in places such as Peru that trade in Chinese currency, and satellites in Las Lajas, Argentina. China has also established mineral and foodstuff purchases in the region, seen potentially as an effort to fortify resources ahead of any conflict in the South China Sea in light of the increased global tensions surrounding Taiwan.

TAIWAN EYES $15B MILITARY PACKAGE IN SIGNAL TO TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IT IS ‘SERIOUS’ ON DEFENSE: REPORT

Meanwhile, the U.S. International Development Finance Corp., a federal agency that directs investments in developing countries, invested $30 million in funding for a critical mineral mine in Brazil. However, under the investment’s current mandate, all Latin American countries, except Bolivia, Honduras, Nicaragua and Haiti, are considered to be too wealthy to benefit from the investment.

Under President-elect Donald Trump, relations with South America could continue to worsen as his threats of tariffs have create concern among global trade leaders.

President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque/File)

Biden and Xi’s meeting while in Peru will be the pair’s third in-person meeting since Biden took office. 

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According to a senior administration official, the two are expected to discuss a range of issues covering military-to-military communications, human rights, fentanyl, artifical intelligence, climate change, cybersecurity, Taiwan and the incoming Trump administration.

The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee told Fox News Digital that he believes President-elect Donald Trump’s decisive victory signals success for a second school choice bill introduced to the state legislature this week after his first proposal failed this year. 

Lee said he agreed with Trump’s promises to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, echoing the president-elect’s concern over the federal bureaucracy becoming entrenched with gender and race ideology rather than learning.

“I think it is a great idea to dismantle the Department of Education federally. And I’m a strong believer that policy at the state level should be handled by states, that states know best,” Lee told Fox News Digital. “In this case, states certainly know best. We know best in Tennessee what our children need and how best to educate our kids. The parents of this state should be given a greater influence on how their kids are educated, and that will happen if the federal Department of Education is dismantled and those funds are delivered to states to be used in a more efficient and more effective way.”

Lee said the political environment on the ground in the state is not what it was months ago when the first school choice proposal failed in the state legislature. Since then, the election saw a wave of pro-school choice candidates win at the state-level, and Trump succeeded in his bid for the White House.

TRUMP PLANS TO SHIFT SCHOOL FUNDING CONTROL TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES, HAS YET TO PICK DOE SECRETARY

Gov. Bill Lee discusses the devastation from Hurricane Helene at the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency on Oct. 2, 2024, in Nashville. (Mark Zaleski/The Tennessean/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

“President Trump has long believed that school choice is important for the people of this country and that education freedom is something that all Americans could have. He’s talked about it. He campaigned on it,” Lee said. “One thing is very evident about what happened last week. And President Trump is very clear about what his policies are, and Americans were very clear about their acceptance of those policies last week. They, with a strong mandate, said we like what we hear. We want him to execute on those things and that President Trump has a significant understanding and a clear understanding and is the leader, frankly, on the issue of school choice. All of those things benefit us as we move into this next session.”

Lee’s new school choice bill, titled the Education Freedom Act of 2025, was jointly introduced to the state House and Senate on Wednesday.

Drawing from funding already approved by the state legislature, the bill would allow the state Department of Education to award up to 20,000 scholarships – valued at about $7,000 each – for the next school year to be spent on tuition, tutoring, technology and examination expenses. The first 10,000 scholarships would be set aside for low-income students whose parents might not otherwise afford to send their children to institutions other than the public schools in their districts. 

Democrats have painted school choice as disenfranchising low-income students, but Lee said he feels the opposite.

“Every kid is unique. Every kid has different learning styles. Every kid has a different life situation. And every family ought to have the opportunity to choose the best path for their kid,” the governor said. “In particular, I don’t think that only the wealthy families that can afford a private option, that those families should be the only ones and those children should be the only ones that have that option for choice.”

President-elect Trump has been shaping up his Cabinet nominations. (Jabin Botsford/Washington Post via Getty Images)

“Oftentimes, opponents will say that school choice initiatives hurt public schools. I think that’s just the opposite,” Lee said. “This legislation that we’re actually bringing forth is an education policy initiative. It’s not just an Education Freedom Scholarship bill. It includes historic funding for public schools, bonuses for teachers, for public school teachers. We will include alongside with this legislation a teacher pay raise plan that will put us in the top 15 states for teacher pay raise in the country.”

BETSY DEVOS JOINS TRUMP’S CALL TO ‘DISBAND’ THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND ‘RE-EMPOWER’ FAMILIES

Lee noted that about 30 states already have school choice, 12 of which have universal school choice, and several of those states have passed their initiatives in recent years. 

“Americans are in growing numbers, and now the majority of Americans, as evidenced by the past elections, have come to believe that school choice is the way of the future,” Lee said. “It is the answer to challenging the status quo. It is the way that we take America’s rankings and educational outcomes that used to be the top in the world from way down the list as it relates to other countries back up into the outcomes that we hope for this country.”

“This is a way to challenge and change and bring innovation into an education system that’s grown stale and bloated and bureaucratic,” Lee said. “And we see it happening all across America. We believe it’s going to happen in Tennessee. It is an incredibly important moment in our country for parental rights and for the future of children and their education.” 

Lee said his schooling growing up in Tennessee happened before the U.S. Department of Education was established in 1979. 

“We knew how to do it then. We know how to do it now,” Lee said, explaining that Tennessee created a funding formula that “uniquely recognizes the needs of children with disabilities, with dyslexia and with English as a second language. “We know how to fund education for Tennessee children. We know much better than they do in a bureaucratic institution like the federal Department of Education. I think President Trump is exactly right. I think it’s a great idea.”

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee looks at a section of Interstate 26 over the Nolichucky River that collapsed during a flood in Erwin on Oct. 1, 2024. (Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

“As a governor, I would welcome the partnership with President Trump in allowing states to choose and determine how best to spend education dollars for their kids,” he added.

If Trump goes through with eliminating the U.S. Department of Education, experts expect the process could take several years. 

With Cabinet nominations underway, Fox News Digital asked Lee who he would like to see as Trump’s education secretary and if the governor would consider throwing his own name in the running.

“What I will say is and what I hope is that whoever takes this job is looking to work themselves out of a job,” Lee said. “It will take the right kind of leader who really understands, and I think, who really understands how states can function and how problematic for states federal bureaucracies are. Governors understand that. There are a lot of folks who would be well-qualified for this, but the next person needs to be hoping to work themselves out of a job.”

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On the heels of the devastation brought by Hurricane Helene, the governor said the new school choice bill would also commit state dollars from its sports gambling revenue to the construction and maintenance of public school facilities. The bill also offers $2,000 one-time bonuses to every teacher in the state and promises supplemental funding for school districts affected by enrollment drops.

“We can have the best public schools in America,” Lee said. “We can commit the right amount of finances and the right amount of focus. We can strengthen and support our public schools in unprecedented ways and provide freedom and opportunity for parents and choice. At the same time, those are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they shouldn’t be. We should improve every educational opportunity for every kid in our state and will do so through this legislation.”

As he aims to turn the nation’s capital upside down, President-elect Trump is turning to allies and supporters of his MAGA movement and America First agenda as he quickly moves to assemble his second administration.

The former and future president is clearly placing plenty of emphasis on loyalty as he makes increasing provocative picks for top cabinet posts.

And unlike eight years ago, when the first-time politician first took control of the White House, he is not in the market for establishment types or those who served in his first administration, but in his mind, proved disloyal.

Case in point – This week’s announcement from the president-elect that he was nominating as attorney general Rep. Matt Gaetz, the controversial conservative lawmaker from Florida who has been one of Trump’s biggest defenders in Congress as he’s repeatedly claimed the criminal investigations into Trump were “witch hunts.”

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE POTENTIALLY DAMAGING GAETZ HOUSE ETHICS REPORT?

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) arrives with President-elect Donald Trump’s motorcade at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill on November 13, 2024 in Washington, DC. As both the House and Senate GOP conferences hold their leadership elections, President-elect Donald Trump is in Washington to meet with Congressional Republicans and with President Joe Biden at the White House.  (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

In making his announcement – which sent shock waves through the nation’s capital – Trump highlighted that “Matt played a key role in defeating the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, and exposing alarming and systemic Government Corruption and Weaponization.”

Gaetz, following the nomination, stepped down from Congress, ahead of a potential damaging report by the House Ethics Committee into sexual misconduct allegations that the lawmaker has denied.

GAETZ FACES POTENTIAL GOP SENATE OPPOSITION TO HIS CONFIRMATION

On Wednesday afternoon, the president nominated his former rival in the presidential race – turned staunch advocate – Robert Kennedy Jr., as Health and Human Services Secretary.

Kennedy endorsed Trump shortly after suspending his campaign, and has since hit the campaign trail while touting his plans to “Make America Healthy Again” under a potential Trump presidency. 

In making the announcement, Trump said “I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health,”

Trump turned to another loyalist – former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate turned MAGA rock star who this year became a Republican and a top campaign trail surrogate for the former president – as his pick for Director of National Intelligence.

A day earlier, Trump named combat veteran, Army National Guard officer and Fox News Channel host Pete Hegseth, another major supporter, as his choice for Defense Secretary.

In announcing that Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York was his pick to serve as ambassador to the United Nations, Trump noted that “Elise is a strong and very smart America First fighter… She was the first Member of Congress to endorse me and has always been a staunch advocate.”

TRUMP PICKS THIS FORMER DEMOCRAT TURNED REPUBLICAN TO LEAD THE NATION’S INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES

And Trump called former Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York, whom he is aiming to install as Environmental Protection Agency administrator, “a true fighter for America First policies.”

He named South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a conservative firebrand and MAGA-world star who has long been a fierce Trump ally and supporter, as his choice for Homeland Security secretary.

Noem will work with Stephen Miller, whom the president-elect has picked as his incoming deputy chief of staff for policy. Miller was the architect of much of the first Trump administration’s hard-line policy on immigration and border security.

She will also collaborate with Thomas Homan, who, as acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement director during the first administration, was often the face of Trump’s controversial immigration policies. The president-elect has named Homan as his incoming “border czar.”

And Trump named Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as his choice for Secretary of State.

Rubio was a rival to Trump during the combustible 2016 Republican presidential nomination battle, but over the years has become a strong Trump ally in the Senate.

Trump also named Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida as his national security adviser. Waltz, a former Army Green Beret, is a longtime Trump ally.

VANCE IS THE FRONT-RUNNER, BUT HERE’S WHO ELSE MAY RUN FOR THE 2028 GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION

Dan Eberhart, an oil drilling chief executive officer and a prominent Republican donor and bundler who raised big bucks for Trump’s 2020 and 2024 campaigns, noted that Trump is in a very different situation than he was eight years ago, when he first won the White House.

“He’s got a stronger mandate because he won the popular vote, and he won all seven swing states,” Eberhart emphasized. “I also think he knows what he wants, and he knows better how to get what he wants out of Washington. He’s going to have a more cohesive, more MAGA team, that’s hopefully able to accomplish more.”

 Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on November 6, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

A leading strategist in Trump’s political  orbit, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, told Fox News that “one thing that is noticeable this time around is that instead of a team of rivals who are all over the place ideologically, Trump is largely bringing people on who are aligned with his America First agenda.”

Matt Mowers, a veteran Republican consultant and 2020 GOP congressional nominee in New Hampshire who worked on Trump’s 2016-2017 transition and served in the first Trump administration, told Fox News that Trump has “decided he needs everyone aligned.”

“What he’s doing is he’s choosing a lot of people who aren’t just going to undo the Biden polices but really try to take a hammer to the bureaucracy… which is what he calls the ‘deep state,'” Mowers added.

Those whom the president-elect feels have not shown their loyalty to him appear to be iced out.

Trump this past weekend announced in a social media post that he would not ask former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley – who served as ambassador to the U.N. in his first administration – and former Rep. Mike Pompeo of Kansas – who served as CIA director and then Secretary of State in Trump’s first term – to join his incoming cabinet.

Former Republican presidential candidate, former U.N. ambassador, and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley speaks during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 16, 2024. ((PEDRO UGARTE/AFP via Getty Images))

Haley ran against Trump in this year’s Republican presidential primaries and ended up as the final challenger to the former president in what turned into a divisive nomination battle.  Haley made clear this week that she wasn’t seeking a job in the second Trump administration.

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Pompeo seriously mulled making his own 2024 White House run before ultimately deciding not to launch a campaign. 

Both politicians eventually endorsed Trump this year, following the primary season.

But a source in Trump’s political orbit told Fox News that the president-elect “is not looking to give a platform for those with future presidential ambitions other than JD Vance.”

EXCLUSIVE – The incoming chair of the Senate Republican campaign committee says his game plan for the 2026 elections is simple: “increase the majority.”

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, after his fellow GOP lawmakers in the Senate chose him to chair the National Republican Senatorial Committee over the next two years, told reporters that his “passion” is to make sure that President-elect Trump “does not have two years with a Republican majority in the Senate, he has four years in control.”

In his first interview following his election as NRSC chair, Scott told Fox News Digital this week that “what we’re going to do is defend the seats that we have and expand the map so that we can increase the majority brought to us by the Trump victory.”

JD VANCE IS THE HEIR APPARENT TO TRUMP, BUT HERE ARE SOME OTHER REPUBLICANS WHO MAY RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2028

GOP Sen. Tim Scott speaks at the Republican National Convention, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 16, 2024. (Getty Images)

Republicans won back control of the Senate in last week’s elections, ending four years of majority control by the Democrats.

And it’s expected that once a mandated state recount is completed in the Senate contest in Pennsylvania – where GOP challenger Dave McCormick leads Democratic Sen. Bob Casey by roughly 25,000 votes – the Republicans will hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate come January.

While not as favorable as the 2024 Senate map, the 2026 electoral landscape does give the Republicans some opportunities to flip seats.

Democratic Sens. Jon Ossoff of Georgia and Gary Peters of Michigan are up for re-election in two years in key battleground states Trump flipped last week.

And Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire will be up for re-election in a perennial swing state that Trump lost but over-performed from his 2020 showing. In Virginia, where Trump lost by just five points last week, Democratic Sen. Mark Warner will be up for re-election.

HERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS WHO MAY EVENTUALLY RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2028

“How do you expand the map,” Scott said. “You look at Georgia, and Michigan, and New Hampshire, and Virginia. And if you’re stretching – take a look at New Mexico and Minnesota. President Trump was very competitive in those states.”

But Republicans will also have to play defense. GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is up for re-election in a reliably blue state. And Sen. Thom Tills of North Carolina is also up in 2026, in a battleground state Trump narrowly won.

Scott emphasized that “the good news is as long as Susan Collins is running, I think we have a shot to win. Last time she won by several points. This time she’ll win by several points. Thom Tillis staying in North Carolina is good for our party.”

In the 2022 election cycle, when the Republicans blew a chance to win back the majority, NRSC chair Sen. Rick Scott of Florida was criticized for a hands-off approach in the GOP Senate primaries. 

This past cycle, outgoing NRSC chair Sen. Steve Daines of Montana got involved in Senate Republican nomination battles.

GOP Sen. Steve Daines of Montana speaks at the Republican National Convention, at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 18, 2024.  (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

Asked if the NRSC will take sides in competitive Republican Senate primaries during his tenure the next two years, Scott told Fox News “I think the best thing for us to do is have a family conversation next year about what we’re looking at. How we’re going to defend that map and then make the best decisions we can as it relates to making sure that we end up with more seats than we currently have.”

“Thank God we’re at 53. I’d like to see 55,” Scott added. 

Asked if 55 seats was his goal, Scott joked “if it were up to me, we’d have 100 seats.”

Scott last year unsuccessfully ran for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, before ending his bid and endorsing Trump. The senator was a high-profile surrogate for Trump on the campaign trail this year.

In last week’s election, unlike in 2016 and 2020, Trump outperformed many of the GOP’s Senate candidates.

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) waves as he sits with Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump during a Fox News town hall at the Greenville Convention Center on February 20, 2024 in Greenville, South Carolina (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Scott said he wants Trump to participate as much as he can in the 2026 Senate contests.

“Every day and every way, President Trump, I know you have a full-time job. I’m going to ask you to have two full-time jobs. Let’s expand this map,” Scott emphasized.

He said “that means that every single day we need President Trump on the campaign trail, doing fundraisers, talking to folks, because this is President Donald J. Trump’s party, and we need to make sure we expand it, from the man to the movement. We need him to do it.”

A big part of Scott’s duties as NRSC chair will be fundraising. The senator was a top Republican fundraiser during the 2022 cycle, when he easily cruised to re-election in red-state South Carolina.

“We have to have more resources than we’ve had in the past so we are competitive in the states where we can win. I think we can win in more states than ever. President Donald Trump has actually given us a lot of runway. It’s our responsibility to have the resources to win those seats,” Scott said.

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The rival Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee was chaired during the 2022 and 2024 cycles by Peters, who won’t be signing up for a third tour of duty as he is up for re-election in Michigan.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who easily won re-election last week in blue-state New York, is making a pitch to chair the DSCC. Senate Democrats will hold their leadership elections later this year.

David Bergstein, the DSCC communications director for the past couple of election cycles, highlighted that “in a challenging political environment, Democrats made history. We won multiple races in states won by Trump. We dramatically over-performed the presidential results. And for the first time in over a decade, Senate Democrats have won multiple races in states won by the opposite party’s presidential nominee.”

“The outcome of this cycle puts Senate Democrats in the strongest possible position to reclaim the majority in 2026,” Bergstein touted.

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

Here’s what’s happening…

-RNC files two lawsuits in Pennsylvania amid Sen Bob Casey refusing to concede race

-Who are Trump’s top contenders to lead comms team, interact with the media?

-Democrat senator reacts to Gaetz nomination: ‘Red alert moment’

Trump’s rigorous priority list

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., is planning to make ushering in President-Elect Donald Trump’s immigration agenda the first item on his to-do list when he succeeds Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in the new Congress, when Republicans will have a majority in both the upper chamber and the House. 

“Now the real work begins delivering on our agenda,” he said in a floor speech on Thursday. “That starts with ending the Biden-Harris border crisis and deporting illegal immigrants.”

He said repairing the economy is also near the top of his list. As crucial elements of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 passed by Trump are set to expire in 2025, Thune said Republicans will take action through the budget reconciliation process to renew them…Read more

Left: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Nov. 6, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Fla; Right: Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., speaks at a press conference following being elected the Senate Majority Leader by the Senate Republican caucus in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 13, 2024. (Left: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Right: Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

White House

‘BIDEN-HARRIS BORDER CRISIS’: Thune says Trump’s border plan is first up in rigorous priority list for new Congress: ‘Real work begins’…Read more

GOV HARRIS?: Could Vice President Kamala Harris make a run for California governor in two years?…Read more

‘DRILL, BABY, DRILL’: Trump vows to unleash US energy, undo key Biden rules in 2nd term…Read more

MELANIA ‘ON THE MOVE’: Melania Trump launches ‘On the Move’ digital photo series highlighting her ‘fast-moving life’…Read more

Melania Trump’s digital photography series.  (Melania Trump)

Cabinet Picks

‘UNQUALIFIED’: Democrats trash Tulsi Gabbard after Trump taps her for DNI post…Read more

OUT OF THE RUNNING: Trump attorney Alina Habba not considering press secretary role…Read more

GAETZ CLOSED: What happens to the Gaetz House ethics report?…Read more

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 16: Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) (R) and Andy Ogles (R-TN) listen as former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media during his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 16, 2024 in New York City. Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records last year, which prosecutors say was an effort to hide a potential sex scandal, both before and after the 2016 presidential election. Trump is the first former U.S. president to face trial on criminal charges. (Angela Weiss-Pool/Getty Images)

Capitol Hill

‘WILL NOT LET IT STAND’: RNC files two lawsuits in Pennsylvania amid Sen Bob Casey refusing to concede race…Read more

DECLARING VICTORY: California Democrat Josh Harder declares victory in House race…Read more

STILL COUNTING: Size of Republican House majority to be decided by 9 remaining uncalled races…Read more

House Speaker Mike Johnson of La., speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. 

COUNT ‘EM AGAIN: Pennsylvania Senate race triggers recount, with McCormick projected to win and Casey yet to concede…Read more

MAJORITY NARROWS: Oregon Democrat unseats GOP incumbent in toss-up House race, narrowing Republicans’ majority…Read more

‘MOVES QUICKLY’: Trump says Thune ‘will do an outstanding job’ as Senate Majority Leader…Read more

‘PRESERVE FEDERAL RECORDS’: Top GOP senators warn DOJ to preserve Jack Smith docs in Trump cases, citing ‘past destruction’ of records…Read more

Across America 

DUEL OF THE MEGADONORS: Elon Musk dubs himself the ”George Soros’ of the middle’…Read more

CERTIFICATION SEASON: Election calendar continues with key post-election dates…Read more

TRUMPING THE TOLL: Hochul spurs bipartisan outrage over massive toll reboot, as Dems worry Trump will block it…Read more

HOWARD KURTZ: Is it curtains for mainstream media?…Read more

‘ESPECIALLY EGREGIOUS’: Florida AG files lawsuit against FEMA over alleged political discrimination against Trump supporters…Read more

LAPD: Newly sworn-in LAPD chief sparks backlash after revealing plan to buck Trump admin on ‘mass deportations’…Read more

CULTURE WAR: Ohio House passes bill that would restrict transgender student access to school bathrooms…Read more

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

Actor and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone introduced President-elect Donald Trump at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) Gala on Thursday with a short and sweet speech in which he called Trump the “second George Washington.”

The “Rocky” actor was the final speaker of the night – only talking for about two minutes – before the president-elect took the stage at Mar-a-Lago.

When starting off his speech, Stallone began speaking about his “Rocky” character and how he was “going to go through a metamorphosis and change lives, just like President Trump.”

“We are in the presence of a really mythical character. Nobody in the world could have pulled off what he pulled off, so I’m in awe,” he said.

‘PENNSYLVANIA, KEEP PUNCHING’: SYLVESTER STALLONE HAS A MESSAGE FOR VOTERS

Actor Sylvester Stallone likened President-elect Trump to his “Rocky” character and said he is the “second George Washington” while introducing him at the AFPI Gala at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

He continued on by comparing Trump to George Washington and how his dedication to America changed the world. 

“When George Washington defended his country, he had no idea that he was going to change the world because without him, you could imagine what the world would look like. Guess what? We’ve got the second George Washington. Congratulations!” Stallone said before Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” began playing.

After a brief pause, Trump walked onto the stage to Stallone’s introduction and shook his hand while saying a few words to the actor.

SYLVESTER STALLONE ON DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICANS AND RUNNING FOR OFFICE

President-elect Trump was welcomed to the podium at the AFPI Gala by actor and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

While Stallone has stayed pretty quiet about his personal politics over the years and admitted to not voting in the 2016 and 2020 elections, he did tell Variety magazine in 2016 that he liked Trump.

“I love Donald Trump,” he said at the time. “There are certain people like Arnold [Schwarzenegger], Babe Ruth, that are bigger than life. But I don’t know how that translates to running the world.”

The “Rocky” actor told Variety magazine in 2016 that he loved Donald Trump and described him as “bigger than life,” but said he wasn’t sure how that translated to “running the world.” (Ryan Emberley/Getty Images for Netflix)

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Stallone did not publicly endorse Trump during the 2024 election cycle, but he did answer a FaceTime call from Fox News’ Brett Baier in October and encouraged Pennsylvania voters to “keep punching.”

His speech at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday marks the first time he has publicly shared his thoughts surrounding a Trump presidency.

Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis praised President-elect Trump for nominating Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

In a lengthy social media post on Thursday, Polis praised Kennedy for helping Colorado “defeat vaccine mandates” in 2019 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“He helped us defeat vaccine mandates in Colorado in 2019 and will help make America healthy again by shaking up HHS and FDA,” he wrote. 

“I hope he leans into personal choice on vaccines rather than bans (which I think are terrible, just like mandates) but what I’m most optimistic about is taking on big pharma and the corporate ag oligopoly to improve our health,” Polis said.

RFK JR. ASKS AMERICANS TO SUGGEST POLICIES FOR NEW TRUMP ADMINISTRATION: ‘TRANSITION TEAM BELONGS TO YOU’

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis speaks on stage during the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 21, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.  (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Trump announced his nomination of RFK Jr. for HHS secretary Thursday afternoon, igniting a firestorm of praise and critique.

In his announcement, Trump promised that, with Kennedy leading the HHS, the agency would be restored as the “Gold Standard Scientific Research.”

“For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health,” Trump wrote. “Mr. Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!”

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a campaign rally at the Desert Diamond Arena, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Kennedy launched his presidential campaign as a Democrat and then eventually endorsed Trump. 

Kennedy also spoke during Trump’s historic Madison Square Garden rally last month, where he unleashed on the current state of the Democratic Party.

“The Democratic Party is the party of war. It’s the party of the CIA. You had Kamala Harris giving a speech at the Democratic convention that was written by neocons. It was belligerent, pugnacious. It talked about domination of the world by the United States through our weapons of war. It’s the party today that wants to divide Americans. It’s a party that is dismantling women’s sports by letting men play women’s sports,” he said. 

TRUMP’S PICKS SO FAR: HERE’S WHO WILL BE ADVISING THE NEW PRESIDENT

“It’s the party of Wall Street. It’s the party of Bill Gates, who just gave $50 million to Harris. It’s the party, and the Harris campaign is very proud that it received the endorsement of 50 former CIA agents and officers and of John Bolton and of Dick Cheney.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced ‘No Spoiler’ pledge for the upcoming elections at a campaign stop. RFK Jr. announced that only he could defeat Donald Trump in the general election in November and demanded that President Joe Biden step aside.  (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

This isn’t the first time Kennedy was considered for a Cabinet position for a presidential administration. Back in 2008, then President-elect Obama reportedly strongly considered naming Kennedy to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, Politico reported at the time. 

Polis has been critical of a Trump presidency. He recently joined forces with Illinois Gov. J.B Pritzker to co-chair a new coalition called Governors Safeguarding Democracy.

The website names “fast-moving disinformation campaigns” and “cyberthreats” as examples of “threats to our democracy.”

“Donald Trump is going to bring people into his administration who are absolute loyalists to his cult of personality and not necessarily to the law,” Pritzker said, according to the New York Times. “Last time, he didn’t really know where the levers of government were. I think he probably does now. And so I think that the threat remains great.”

Left: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis speaks to members of the media in the spin room following the first vice presidential debate at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York, on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024; Right: Ill. Gov. J. B. Pritzker attends the Clinton Global Initiative 2024 Annual Meeting at New York Hilton Midtown on Sept. 24, 2024 in New York City.  (Left: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Right: John Nacion/Getty Images;)

During an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Polis said of Trump, “we’re gonna work with him and his administration however we can for our state.” 

Polis echoed his sentiments, writing on X that he looks forward to “partnering with him to truly make America healthy again.”

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“He will face strong special interest opposition on these, but I look forward to partnering with him to truly make America healthy again,” Polis added. 

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.

President-elect Trump teased a “big” announcement Thursday night, sharing that North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum will lead the Department of the Interior.

“He’s going to be announced [Friday]…I look forward to doing the formal announcement, although this is a pretty big announcement right now, actually,” Trump said during his speech at the Americans For Prosperity Gala at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday. “He’s going to head the Department of Interior, and he’s going to be fantastic.”

“We’re going to reduce regulation waste, fraud and inefficiency,” Trump said. “We’re going to clean out the corrupt, broken and failing bureaucracies. And we’re going to stop child sexual mutilation. We’re going to stop it because it’s time.”

TRUMP’S PICKS SO FAR: HERE’S WHO WILL BE ADVISING THE NEW PRESIDENT

President-elect Trump attends the America First Policy Institute Gala held at Mar-a-Lago, Thursday, in Palm Beach, Fla. ( Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Burgum, a multi-millionaire former software company CEO turned two-term governor, launched a White House bid in June 2023. 

Bergum made energy and natural resources a key part of his campaign for the GOP nomination.

After making the stage at the first two GOP presidential debates, Burgum failed to qualify for the third showdown, in autumn of last year, and he dropped out of the White House race last December. A month later, he appeared in Iowa with Trump and endorsed the former president for the GOP nomination, days ahead of the first-in-the-nation caucuses.

Former President Trump, left, listens as North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum speaks during a Nevada Republican caucus night watch party in Las Vegas, Feb. 8.  (Ian Maule/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Burgum became a high profile surrogate for the former president, appearing on the campaign trail and in media hits on Trump’s behalf.

He was in consideration as Trump’s running mate this past summer before Sen. JD Vance of Ohio was picked as the Republican Party’s vice presidential nominee.

WATCH:

Burgum, in an interview with “Fox and Friends” last week, said Trump’s election victory was “game changing” and that “we’ve got a new sheriff in town.” 

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The governor added that a Trump victory also “means that America is going to be dominant in energy.”

“America is going to be dominant in energy which is key to all the diplomacy we do all over the world,” he said.

The president of Argentina is the first foreign leader to meet in person with President-elect Trump since Trump’s win last week.

Javier Milei, known as “the Lion,” has gained notoriety worldwide for his pro-market policies that have slashed Argentine inflation since he took elected office last year.

He attended the America First Policy Institute’s (AFPI) gala Thursday evening at Mar-a-Lago and will stay through the CPAC Investor Summit that ends Saturday.

ARGENTINA’S MILEI BLASTS UN OVER SUPPORT FOR COVID LOCKDOWNS, APPEASING ‘BLOODY DICTATORSHIPS’

President-elect Trump and President Milei met earlier Thursday, and the encounter “went well,” according to an anonymous source via The Associated Press.

He posted to social media site X, sharing his plans with President-elect Trump for the week ahead, claiming he will be the only other president in attendance at the summit.

As Milei was ushered out the door to the AFPI gala Thursday, he told the Argentine outlet Clarion, “We’re going to plant the ideas of freedom high.”

During his address at the gala, Milei congratulated Trump on his resounding win through an interpreter, saying “this has been the greatest political comeback in history, defying the entire political establishment, even at the risk of his own life.”

Argentina President Javier Milei arrives to speak before President-elect Trump during an America First Policy Institute gala at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

He also thanked Elon Musk for his role boosting his social media site X for President-elect Trump and communication worldwide.

ARGENTINA’S MILEI SHUTS UP CRITICS WITH MIRACLE TURNAROUND OF ECONOMY, STRONG SECURITY POLICIES

“There is a silent or rather silent majority that has begun to make itself heard despite the enemies of freedom clinging to power through propaganda, distortion and censorship,” said Milei. “And this is why I would especially like to thank the great Elon Musk for the wonderful job he has been doing to save humanity in communication around the world.”
 

The Argentine president then claimed that what happened in the U.S. elections last week is similar to his own election last year, with the “party of freedom” taking a victory lap.

Milei is considered to be a Trump-like figure in South America, marketing black hats similar to red MAGA hats for fans labeled “las Fuerzas del Cielo” or “the Forces from Heaven.” He also famously wielded a chainsaw at a political rally, vowing to slash wasteful government spending.

President-elect Trump gestures after speaking during an America First Policy Institute gala at his Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

“I am exhilarated to be able to share with a new United States administration that same love for freedom. And I’m convinced that together we will restore it to the place it deserves,” Milei said in his remarks.

President-elect Trump took the stage after Milei’s speech, thanking the Argentine president for his congratulations and commending his leadership.

President-elect Trump listens during an America First Policy Institute gala at his Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

“And, Javier, I’d like to congratulate you on the job you’ve done for Argentina,” said Trump. “Your speech was beautiful, but the job you’ve done is incredible. Make Argentina great again. You know MAGA. He’s a MAGA person. And you know he’s doing that. He’s actually. He’s actually doing that.

“You know, I’d say you’ve done a fantastic job in a very short period of time. It’s an honor to have you here.”

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The office of Argentine President Javier Milei did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Some lawmakers and public health leaders decried the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for health secretary by President-elect Trump. 

U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., called the choice “f—— insane.”

“The RFK as Health Secretary appointment is f—— insane,” he wrote on X. “He’s a vaccine denier and a tin foil hat conspiracy theorist. He will destroy our public health infrastructure and our vaccine distribution systems. This is going to cost lives.”

Garcia’s office was not immediately available for comment. 

RFK JR. CALLS FOR REMOVAL OF FLUORIDE FROM DRINKING WATER, SPARKING DEBATE

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks before former President Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, speaks at a campaign event Nov. 1, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

In a statement posted on social media, Kennedy said he plans to tackle a range of issues should he be confirmed by the Senate to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

“Together we will clean up corruption, stop the revolving door between industry and government, and return our health agencies to their rich tradition of gold-standard, evidence-based science. I will provide Americans with transparency and access to all the data so they can make informed choices for themselves and their families,” he wrote. 

Kennedy rose to prominence as a skeptic of vaccines, while voicing concerns about their impact.

Madhukar Pai, chair of McGill University’s Global and Public Health Department in Montreal, Canada, said Kennedy’s appointment could be the “biggest setback to global vaccination programs since Andrew Wakefield,” referring to the British scientist who published research linking vaccines to autism that was later retracted.

TRUMP HHS COULD REVERSE BIDEN-HARRIS POLICIES ON GENDER TREATMENTS FOR MINORS

U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago Aug. 19, 2024.  (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Garcia, the former mayor of Long Beach who served on the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, previously described Kennedy as a threat to public health during a hearing. 

“The fact that we’re considering to bring somebody on with no scientific or medical credentials, who’s falsely claimed for decades that vaccines cause autism, who has, quite frankly, said just outrageous comments about science and medicine, that this person would come in to gut the NIH (National Institutes of Health), I think is shameful,” he said. 

“We should be very concerned as a country that RFK Jr. could be put in charge of health when he is a vaccine denier and has caused great harm to the American public.” 

Donna Shalala, the longest serving HHS secretary, called Kennedy’s nomination “shocking.”

RFK JR. ASKS AMERICANS TO SUGGEST POLICIES FOR NEW TRUMP ADMINISTRATION: ‘TRANSITION TEAM BELONGS TO YOU’

Former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and former President Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, shake hands during a campaign rally in Glendale, Ariz., Aug. 23. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

“Kennedy is an unqualified, know-nothing. He is dangerous to the health and well-being of every American,” she said. 

Despite the pushback, Kennedy has supporters. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, urged Kennedy to make changes at HHS and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican, noted that Kennedy has championed issues like healthy foods and greater transparency in public health infrastructure.

“I look forward to learning more about his other policy positions and how they will support a conservative, pro-American agenda,” Cassidy wrote on X. 

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Kennedy was previously considered for a Cabinet position in 2008, when President-elect Barack Obama reportedly considered naming him to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.

President-elect Donald Trump named his personal criminal defense attorney Todd Blanche as deputy attorney general.

“I am pleased to announce that Todd Blanche will serve as Deputy Attorney General in my Administration. Todd is an excellent attorney who will be a crucial leader in the Justice Department, fixing what has been a broken System of Justice for far too long,” Trump announced in a news release Thursday evening.

“Todd is going to do a great job as we, Make America Great Again,” he wrote.

Blanche represented Trump during his Manhattan criminal case earlier this year, becoming a focal point of Trump’s daily press conferences, as he stood behind the 45th president while he railed against the case to the media.  

‘EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES’: NY JUDGE IN TRUMP CASE PAUSES ALL COURT DEADLINES, SENTENCING

Former President Trump gives brief remarks alongside his attorney, Todd Blanche, after the conclusion of Trump’s hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, May 30.  (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records following his Manhattan criminal trial in May. Trump pleaded not guilty in the case, repeatedly calling it a “sham” and “scam” and “witch hunt” launched by Democrats to injure his re-election chances ahead of Nov. 5. 

The Manhattan judge overseeing the case, Juan Merchan, agreed to grant a stay on all deadlines associated with the felony conviction proceedings against Trump earlier this week. The decision follows the Supreme Court ruled in July that former presidents have substantial immunity from prosecution for official acts in office, but not for unofficial acts.

Amid Trump’s lengthy court trial, which stretched from mid-April until the end of May, Blanche defended Trump both in the courtroom and to the public during press conferences. 

“President Trump is innocent. President Trump did not commit any crimes. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office should never have brought this case,” Blanche said in his opening remarks during the trial. 

CHINESE HACKERS ATTEMPTED TO BREACH TRUMP AND HARRIS CAMPAIGNS’ CELLPHONE DATA

Attorney Todd Blanche listens as his client former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he arrives for his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 30, 2024 in New York City.  (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Deputy attorney general is the second-most powerful position in the Department of Justice, and entails overseeing the department’s day-to-day dealings. Trump announced Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz as his attorney general pick, which sent shockwaves among Democrats and some Republicans in Washington, D.C.

NOBODY HAS EVER SEEN A CASE LIKE THIS BEFORE: TODD BLANCHE

“Gaetz has been Trump’s chief defender when it comes to Trump’s assault on democracy. His attempt to overthrow the government on January 6th. And he has openly called for the abolition of law enforcement agencies if they don’t get in line with conservative political priorities,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said of the choice. 

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., waves on stage on the third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Gaetz said it would be an “honor” to serve in the Trump administration earlier this week, and celebrated Trump’s pick of Blanche as deputy on Thursday. 

TRUMP’S ‘MODERN DAY SALEM WITCH TRIAL’ VERDICT SIGNALS ‘OPEN SEASON’ ON FORMER PRESIDENTS: EXPERTS

“We are building an incredible team at the Department of Justice in the Trump/Vance Administration! Todd Blanche and Emil Bove are brilliant litigators and top-tier legal minds. We can’t wait to get to work for the American People,” Gaetz posted to X. 

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Last week, following Trump’s massive win over Vice President Kamala Harris, reports spread that the FBI reportedly notified Blanche that Chinese hackers breached his phone and procured voice recordings and texts, Fox News Digital previously reported. Chinese hackers had reportedly targeted Trump, Vice President-elect JD Vance and individuals connected to Harris’ campaign.

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report. 

President-elect Trump announced on Thursday his intent to nominate former Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., to serve as secretary of Veterans Affairs.

“Doug is a Veteran himself, who currently serves our Nation as a Chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command, and fought for our Country in the Iraq War,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need. Thank you, Doug, for your willingness to serve our country in this very important role.”

Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., speaks at an event in 2020. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Shortly after Trump made the announcement, Collins posted to X that he was “honored” to accept the nomination.

“Our heroes deserve the best care and support,” Collins wrote. “We’ll fight tirelessly to streamline and cut regulations in the VA, root out corruption, and ensure every veteran receives the benefits they’ve earned. 

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“Together, we’ll make the VA work for those who fought for us,” he added. “Time to deliver for our veterans and give them the world-class care they deserve.”

President-elect Trump announced Dean John Sauer as his pick for U.S. solicitor general.

“John is a deeply accomplished, masterful appellate attorney, who clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia in the United States Supreme Court, served as Solicitor General of Missouri for six years, and has extensive experience practicing before the U.S. Supreme Court and other Appellate Courts,” Trump said in the announcement on Tuesday evening.

Former President Donald Trump flanked by attorney John Lauro, left, and D. John Sauer, at the Waldorf Astoria hotel after attending a hearing of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, in Washington, D.C., Jan. 9.  (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Sauer served as solicitor general of Missouri from 2017 to 2023, and represented Trump in his successful appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in Trump v. United States.

“Most recently, John was the lead counsel representing me in the Supreme Court in Trump v. United States, winning a Historic Victory on Presidential Immunity, which was key to defeating the unconstitutional campaign of Lawfare against me and the entire MAGA Movement,” Trump said.

D. John Sauer, special assistant to the Louisiana attorney general listens during a hearing with the House Judiciary Subcommittee in Washington, D.C., in 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Sauer was a Rhodes Scholar and graduated from Duke University, Oxford University and is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School.

“John will be a great Champion for us as we Make America Great Again!” Trump said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

FIRST ON FOX: Sens. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., on Thursday introduced a bipartisan bill to intensify federal prosecution of human smugglers at the U.S.-Mexico border. 

The proposed legislation, dubbed the Border Smuggling Crackdown Act, aims to enhance penalties for traffickers by updating federal sentencing guidelines to better reflect the exact number of individuals smuggled.

“Criminals and human traffickers who exploit and smuggle human beings across our Southern Border must pay a heavy price. They threaten our national security and exploit victims of trafficking,” Ossoff said in a statement. 

MORE MIGRANTS LIKELY TO RUSH BORDER DESPITE REPORTS OF SPLINTERING CARAVAN: EXPERTS

A group claiming to be from India sits in the shade of the border wall as they wait to be picked up by Border Patrol after crossing through the border fence in the Tucson Sector of the U.S.-Mexico border near Lukeville, Arizona, on Aug. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

In recent years, federal authorities have reported an uptick in the kidnapping and extortion of migrants in U.S. border cities, as human smuggling operations increasingly shift from people to transnational criminal networks. 

Ossoff’s office said that current federal guidelines do not adequately account for the precise number of persons smuggled, instead allotting sentencing enhancements based on broad ranges of persons smuggled.

TRUMP LIKELY TO MAKE SEVERAL BORDER SECURITY MOVES ON FIRST DAY, SAYS EXPERT

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. (Shannon Finney/Getty Images for RIAA)

Additionally, the bill raises the sentencing levels for cases where victims experience bodily harm or death, with an increase in penalty increments based on the severity of injuries sustained. Bodily injury incurs a two-level increase per person, serious bodily injury adds four levels, life-threatening or permanent injury adds six levels, and each death leads to a 10-level increase, according to the bill text.

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Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

“Cartels at our southern border are trafficking and exploiting innocent men, women, and children every day,” Blackburn said in a statement. “Our bill would modernize federal sentencing law to better hold these human smugglers to account and ensure that sentencing for these crimes reflects every single person these criminals injure or murder.”

The bill comes as President-elect Trump has promised to crack down on illegal immigration and the crisis at the southern border while making historic gains among Democratic districts. 

Democrats have struggled this election cycle, with Vice President Kamala Harris as their presidential nominee, to address illegal immigration. 

This year, the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General sent a report to Congress finding that, over the past five years, more than 32,000 unaccompanied illegal alien children did not show for immigration court hearings, and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement could not account for the location of all of those who did not appear. 

Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw contributed to this report.

A woman reportedly told the House Ethics Committee that she had sexual relations with Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., when she was 17 years old.

ABC News reported on Thursday that the woman testified to the committee in its investigation into Gaetz, which has now ceased after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced that Gaetz resigned from Congress on Wednesday.

The resignation announcement came hours after President-elect Trump tapped Gaetz to be his attorney general.

The chief counsel for the House Ethics Committee declined to comment when asked by Fox News Digital.

One of Donald Trump Jr.’s allies and business partners has reportedly been offered a key position in his father’s second term in the White House.

Sergio Gor is expected to lead the Presidential Personnel Office and will be tasked with aiding President-elect Donald Trump in recruiting, vetting and nominating thousands of political appointees across the federal government, according to a report. 

“Awesome news. Sergio will be great!” Trump Jr. posted on the social media platform X in response to the news, first reported by Semafor. 

As president and co-founder of Trump Jr.’s publishing company, Gor is part of President-elect Trump’s latest efforts in assembling a second administration full of allies, loyalists and other supporters.

TRUMP’S PICKS SO FAR: HERE’S WHO WILL BE ADVISING THE NEW PRESIDENT

Sergio Gor is reportedly President-elect Trump’s choice to lead the Presidential Personnel Office in the new administration. (Andrew Kelly)

Trump has previously said that the biggest mistake of his first presidency was picking disloyal people to join his administration.

“The biggest mistake I made was I picked some people – I picked some great people, you know, but you don’t think about that. I picked some people that I shouldn’t have picked,” Trump said last month on the “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast.

TRUMP’S SPEEDY CABINET PICKS SHOW HIS ‘PRIORITY TO PUT AMERICA FIRST,’ TRANSITION TEAM SAYS

“I picked a few people that I shouldn’t have picked,” he said.

Not only did Gor help publish books by the former and future president, he also left his position as a longtime aide to Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., to join the finance committee for Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign. 

In 2021, Gor also officiated a wedding in California for Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., another Trump ally who Trump recently tapped to be his nominee for attorney general.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Gaetz has since resigned from the House of Representatives after his selection for the Department of Justice, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced.

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Gor is among the latest in a string of announced picks for Trump’s new administration. The president-elect has also picked, among others, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., for national security adviser and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., for secretary of state. 

Tesla CEO and billionaire endorser Elon Musk and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy are expected to lead Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency.

Fox News’ Bonny Chu contributed to this report.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has filed a lawsuit against current and former officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for allegedly ordering its workers to ignore storm victims who support President-elect Trump.

The revelation made headlines following whistle-blower reports that FEMA workers in Lake Placid, Florida, were told to skip over households of storm victims who showed support for Trump.

“FEMA workers followed these instructions and entered in a government database messages such as ‘Trump sign no entry per leadership,’” the lawsuit states. “According to whistleblowers, ‘at least 20 homes with Trump signs or flags’ in Lake Placid, Florida ‘were skipped from the end of October and into November due to the guidance.’”

Moody vowed to investigate the allegations as Floridians still face the threat of damaging storms this season.

FEMA OFFICIAL FIRED FOR TELLING STAFF TO AVOID HELPING TRUMP SUPPORTERS SAYS AGENCY SCAPEGOATING HER

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed a lawsuit against FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and former FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington. (Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg via Getty Images, File)

“Hurricane season is not over, and the federal agency in charge of emergency response is embroiled in scandal – caught withholding aid from storm victims in Florida who support President Trump,” the attorney general said. “I am taking swift legal action to find out how far this political discrimination reaches and to make sure all Americans who fall victim to devastating storms are served, regardless of their political affiliation.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he supports the legal action and further instructed other state agencies to take “any action necessary” to investigate and hold alleged wrongdoers accountable.

“It’s unacceptable for the federal government to discriminate against Floridians who voted for Trump, and especially egregious in the aftermath of a hurricane,” he said.

When Fox News Digital reached FEMA for comment about the legal action, a FEMA spokesperson said, “FEMA does not comment on pending litigation,” and provided a statement that FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell issued over the weekend about the incident and the firing of the employee.

FIRED FEMA EMPLOYEE SAYS INSTRUCTIONS TO SKIP TRUMP HOMES WERE PART OF ‘COLOSSAL AVOIDANCE’ POLICY

On Saturday, Criswell confirmed to Fox News Digital that the employee had been fired, calling her actions “reprehensible” and a clear violation of FEMA’s core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation.

A tattered Trump 2024 flag on a damaged property in Florida following Hurricane Helene. (Office of Rep. Kat Cammack)

A FEMA spokesperson told Fox News on Friday that the agency was “deeply disturbed” by the fired worker’s actions but insisted it was an “isolated incident.”

The fired FEMA supervisor, Marn’i Washington, has said her actions were consistent with agency guidance and were not isolated to her team alone and claimed FEMA is scapegoating her.

“Why is this coming down on me? I am the person that jotted down the notes from my superiors and my notation in [Microsoft] Teams chat was exposed from their search capacity team,” Washington told “Fox News @ Night” on Wednesday.

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The lawsuit is seeking punitive damages against Washington and Criswell in their individual capacities.

Fox News Digital’s Gabriel Hays, Michael Dorgan, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, and Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – President-elect Donald Trump is on a Cabinet announcement spree just a week after his massive win against Vice President Kamala Harris, with his eyes locked on who he will announce to head up his White House communications team. 

Karoline Leavitt is the leading name for press secretary after she worked as the Trump campaign’s national press secretary throughout the high-stakes election cycle. Alina Habba, Trump’s legal spokeswoman and adviser, was also viewed as a front-runner for the position but said Thursday she would “be better served in other capacities.”

“While I am flattered by the support and speculation, the role of Press Secretary is not a role I am considering. Although I love screaming from a podium I will be better served in other capacities. This adminstration is going to be epic! So proud of the Trump team, the latest appointments and 47!” she posted to X on Thursday morning. 

Speculation has mounted that in addition to Leavitt – and previously Habba – Trump could potentially announce former President George W. Bush aide and CNN contributor Scott Jennings for the role, or longtime Trump adviser and ally Jason Miller, or campaign spokesman and adviser Steven Cheung. Other names floated as potential contenders include former ESPN host Sage Steele, RNC spokeswoman Elizabeth Pipko and former Trump administration official Monica Crowley.

TRUMP’S PICKS SO FAR: HERE’S WHO WILL BE ADVISING THE NEW PRESIDENT

Democrats reportedly are concerned that President-elect Donald Trump could potentially appoint another conservative-leaning Supreme Court justice. (AP/Evan Vucci)

During Trump’s first administration, the communications team saw, at times, a revolving door of press secretaries and communications directors. 

TRUMP’S VICTORY IS THE ‘REVENGE OF THE WORKING-CLASS AMERICAN,’ SAYS CNN’S SCOTT JENNINGS

Back in 2016, Trump announced Sean Spicer as his first press secretary, who served in the position from Jan. 20, 2017 to July of that year. Spicer resigned after Trump named Anthony Scaramucci as communications director in a communications team shake-up. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who currently serves as governor of Arkansas, took over the position from July 2017 until July 2019. 

Scaramucci served as communications director for about 10 days before he was shown the door and has since been a top critic of the former and upcoming president. Spicer had also served as acting communications director during Trump’s first administration and was followed by Scaramucci, Hope Hicks, Bill Shine and finally Stephanie Grisham as communications directors. 

TRUMP’S SPEEDY CABINET PICKS SHOW HIS ‘PRIORITY TO PUT AMERICA FIRST,’ TRANSITION TEAM SAYS

On the press secretary front, Grisham followed Sanders as press secretary, notably serving in the role in the early days of the pandemic before Kayleigh McEnany took over the role, serving in the position until President Biden’s inauguration in 2021. 

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer conducts a White House daily briefing at the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on June 12, 2017 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Trump’s second administration is already coming together at a much faster pace than during his 2016 transition phase, with Trump announcing 20 individuals for key Cabinet and administration positions as of Thursday. 

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

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

Trump tapped Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., for example, to serve as his national security adviser, announcing that pick on Tuesday, about three days ahead of his announcement for the same role in 2016, when he chose former Army Gen. Mike Flynn for the position about 10 days after Election Day. 

Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Nov. 6, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Trump also announced he chose former New York Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, a pick Trump did not make until Dec. 7, 2016, when he tapped Scott Pruitt to serve in the role.

Trump’s first pick for his administration, Susie Wiles for chief of staff, was announced the day after the election, while his 2016 announcement of Reince Priebus as chief of staff was made five days after the election. 

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Trump has made one communications appointment announcement, revealing on Wednesday that Taylor Budowich will serve as an assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel. 

Trump did not announce his first press secretary pick back in 2016 until Dec. 22, 2016, though this year’s pick is anticipated to be publicly announced much sooner, similar to his Cabinet announcements.