NationalWatch

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is defending the state’s congestion pricing program in New York City and pushing back against President Donald Trump’s “king” remark after his administration moved to block the scheme.

Hochul appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday and was asked about her one-on-one Oval Office meeting with Trump at the White House last week. The governor said she wanted to use the meeting with Trump to make a case for the toll program “because our city is paralyzed with gridlock, and we had a path forward to be able to make the city move again, and it’s working.”

“It wasn’t an adversarial meeting,” the Democrat said, “but I was very clear, especially after I found that the Trump administration had ended a program that was put in place, congestion pricing, by the duly elected members of our legislature representing the voice of the people, and with a tweet, he claims that he is the king, and therefore he has the power to destroy it.”

The Trump administration on Wednesday ordered a stop to the program, which launched Jan. 5 with the goals of thinning traffic and funding mass transit by imposing a $9 toll on most vehicles entering Manhattan’s core south of Central Park.

TRUMP ADMIN MOVES TO BLOCK NYC CONGESTION TOLL PROGRAM

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul revealed the details of her one-on-one meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on Sunday. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)

Trump declared victory on Truth Social after the announcement, writing, “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”

Trump celebrated his administration’s move to block the congestion pricing toll in New York City last week. (Scott Olson/Getty Images, File)

Hochul immediately fired back on Wednesday, criticizing the remark. She reiterated her stance Sunday.

“And I have a problem with that characterization, because we labored under a king 250 years ago, and as I said, we’re not going back there,” Hochul said.

NY GOV HOCHUL DECIDES NYC MAYOR ADAMS’ FATE; RAMPS UP OVERSIGHT OF CITY’S TOP OFFICIAL

Despite the federal order, the tolls are remaining in place for now because of a federal lawsuit aiming to keep them alive that was filed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a state agency that runs public transit in New York City. 

The congestion tolling has been divisive in New York, with most opposition coming from suburban commuters or from those living in areas not well-served by the subway system. Advocates say it is an innovative way to speed up traffic and reduce air pollution.

Hochul said that while her meeting with Trump may not have persuaded the president to rethink his move to block the program, she will continue to fight for it.

“The people in my state need to know I’m willing to take the fight wherever I have to,” she said.

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Hochul said that she believes the state’s case will be won in the courts and that the congestion pricing toll program will continue.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Editor’s note: This article has been corrected to reflect that Gov. Kathy Hochul said her meeting with President Donald Trump wasn’t adversarial.

Department of Government Efficiency chair Elon Musk announced that federal employees must report their accomplishments from the last week or face losing their jobs, which has roiled the federal workforce as some Democratic lawmakers and unions call on employees to flout the directive. 

“This is a good opportunity for mass civil disobedience. Musk has no authority to do this. Encourage all federal employees to report to work, prepare GFY letters and continue to demonstrate the public service and patriotism he lacks,” Illinois Democratic Rep. Sean Casten posted to X on Saturday evening. 

The acronym GFY is internet slang typically meaning “go f— yourself.”

“It takes a remarkable combination of arrogance and stupidity to think that this is the best use of time for our intelligence officers, VA workers, air traffic controllers, and everyone else we depend on to do their job well,” he continued. 

Congressman Casten wasn’t the only lawmaker to offer a vulgar reaction to musk’s directive with senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) raging on X, “This is the ultimate d–k boss move from Musk – except he isn’t even the boss, he’s just a d—,” 

Smith continued her post writing, “I bet a lot of people have had an experience like this with a bad boss — there’s an email in your inbox on Saturday night saying, ‘Prove to me your worthiness by Monday or else.’ I’m on the side of the workers, not the billionaire —hole bosses.”

Musk said on Saturday that federal employees would receive an email directing them to list their accomplishments from the week prior, with the DOGE leader adding later that day that the assignment should take less than five minutes to accomplish. Employees have until 11:59 pm on Monday to send the list or lose their employment, according to emails regarding Musk’s directive that were sent by the Office of Personnel Management.

TRUMP RATTLES OFF ‘FLAGRANT SCAMS’ UNCOVERED BY DOGE, TAKES AIM AT FORT KNOX IN CPAC SPEECH

Elon Musk walks to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building near the White House on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (Getty Images)

“Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week,” Musk wrote on X. “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”

“To be clear, the bar is very low here. An email with some bullet points that make any sense at all is acceptable! Should take less than 5 mins to write,” Musk added. 

Musk’s message followed President Donald Trump remarking that he’s been pleased with Musk and DOGE’s work investigating various federal agencies for government overspending, fraud and mismanagement, but that he would like to see Musk “get more aggressive.” 

Musk responded on X: “Will do, Mr. President!”

CPAC STRAW POLL REVEALS WHO CONSERVATIVES BELIEVE WILL BE 2028 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE

Demonstrators gather for a protest against Elon Musk on Feb. 22, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (David Ryder/Getty Images)

Unions lambasted Musk’s directive that federal employees detail their work accomplishments to DOGE, with a chapter of the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents FDA employees, telling members they “strongly” encourage them to flout the order. 

“We work for HHS/FDA, not OPM: OPM directives that have not been formally adopted or communicated by our employer, the FDA, do not create an obligation for you to respond,” the NTEU chapter’s guidance stated. The chapter’s website states in bolded, all-capitalized letters: “NTEU ADVISES YOU NOT TO SIGN THAT EMAIL… UNTIL WE GET MORE INFO.” 

ELON MUSK SAYS ‘BAR IS VERY LOW’ AFTER ORDERING FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TO FILL OUT PRODUCTIVITY REPORTS OR RESIGN

The chapter noted in a comment to Fox News Digital that it is only one chapter of hundreds under the national NTEU’s umbrella, and only represents FDA employees in five states, as well as Washington, D.C. Fox Digital reached out to the national NTEU’s press office on Sunday morning, but did not immediately receive a reply. 

Demonstrators gather for the “No Kings on President’s Day” protest in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 17, 2025. (Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)

The national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, Everett Kelley, also released a statement on Saturday evening, arguing that Musk and the Trump administration were showing “their utter disdain for federal employees and the critical services they provide to the American people.”

“It is cruel and disrespectful to hundreds of thousands of veterans who are wearing their second uniform in the civil service to be forced to justify their job duties to this out-of-touch, privileged, unelected billionaire who has never performed one single hour of honest public service in his life,” Kelley said in a statement. 

“AFGE will challenge any unlawful terminations of our members and federal employees across the country.”

ELON MUSK SAYS FEDERAL EMPLOYEES MUST FILL OUT PRODUCTIVITY REPORTS OR RESIGN

Elon Musk speaks during an event in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump at the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Images/Alex Brandon)

Trump joined the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday afternoon, where he took a victory lap for the breakneck pace of work his administration has accomplished in his first month back in the Oval Office, while lauding Musk for his DOGE efforts. 

“I signed an order creating the Department of Government Efficiency – you probably haven’t heard of it – which is now waging war on government waste, fraud and abuse. And Elon is doing a great job,” Trump said at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center Saturday in Oxon Hill, Maryland, just outside the nation’s capital. “He’s doing a great job.”

WHITE HOUSE OUTLINES WHERE DOGE SAVINGS COULD GO AFTER TRUMP FLOATS RETURNING 20% TO AMERICANS

President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Feb. 22, 2025. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)

Trump also touted that his administration is gutting the government of “corrupt” and “incompetent” federal employees. 

“We have a very corrupt group of people in this country, and we’re finding them out,” Trump said during his speech. “We’re removing all of the unnecessary, incompetent and corrupt bureaucrats from the federal workforce.”

The Senate confirmed Kash Patel as the new director of the FBI last week, and he reportedly told staffers on Saturday that his office will handle reviewing their productivity. 

“FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information,” Patel reportedly told employees. “The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures. When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses.”

The State Department also reportedly issued a similar message to employees on Saturday, informing them that department officials “will respond on behalf of the Department,” according to a message sent by Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy, who serves as acting under secretary of state for management. 

The NSA told its employees that “NSA and CYBERCOM are awaiting further guidance” from the Defense Department, the Washington Post reported. 

Musk doubled down on X on Sunday that the initiative is important due to an alleged swath of government employees who accomplish such little work that they are not even checking their government email accounts. 

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“The reason this matters is that a significant number of people who are supposed to be working for the government are doing so little work that they are not checking their email at all! In some cases, we believe non-existent people or the identities of dead people are being used to collect paychecks. In other words, there is outright fraud,” Musk posted to X on Sunday. 

President Donald Trump announced that Dan Bongino will serve as the next deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“Great news for Law Enforcement and American Justice,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Sunday night. “Dan Bongino, a man of incredible love and passion for our Country, has just been named the next DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE FBI, by the man who will be the best ever Director, Kash Patel.”

The president said Bongino has a Master’s Degree in Psychology from the City University of New York and an MBA from Penn State.

“He was a member of the New York Police Department (New York’s Finest!), a highly respected Special Agent with the United States Secret Service, and is now one of the most successful Podcasters in the Country, something he is willing and prepared to give up in order to serve,” Trump wrote. “Working with our great new United States Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and Director Patel, Fairness, Justice, Law and Order will be brought back to America, and quickly. Congratulations Dan!

NEW FBI LEADER KASH PATEL TAPPED TO RUN ATF AS ACTING DIRECTOR

Dan Bongino as US Open winner Gary Woodland visits “FOX & Friends” at Fox News Channel Studios on June 18, 2019 in New York City.  (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

“Another aspect of the life of Dan Bongino that I think is very important. He has a great wife, Paula, and two wonderful daughters who truly love their dad,” Trump later wrote. “What an incredible job Dan will do!!!”

Dan Bongino, a conservative commentator, is photographed in Stuart, Florida on Thursday, March 18, 2021.  (Calla Kessler for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Bongino is also a former Fox News host.

Shortly after the announcement, Bongino responded on X, saying, “Thank you Mr. President, Attorney General Bondi, and Director Patel.”

Patel was sworn in to serve as the ninth FBI director on Friday, after a narrow senate vote of 51-49.

Patel, a vociferous opponent of the investigations into Trump and one who served at the forefront of Trump’s 2020 election fraud claims, vowed during his confirmation hearing last month that he would not engage in political retribution against agents who worked on the classified documents case against Trump and other politically sensitive matters.

But his confirmation comes at a time when the FBI’s activities, leadership and personnel decisions are being closely scrutinized for signs of politicization or retaliation.

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Patel held a number of national security roles during Trump’s first administration — chief of staff to acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, senior advisor to the acting director of national intelligence and National Security Council official. 

A member of the Boston City Council called out Border Czar Tom Homan in a post on social media, calling his promises to enforce President Donald Trump’s border policy “laughable.”

Councilwoman Sharon Durkan posted her response on X after Homan said he would “bring hell” to Beantown after Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox recently doubled down on the city’s sanctuary policies.

“You said you doubled down on not helping the law enforcement officers of ICE. I’m coming to Boston, and I’m bringing hell with me,” Homan said at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday. “I looked at the numbers this morning… I stopped counting at nine. Nine child rapists that were in jail in Massachusetts, but rather than honoring an ICE detainer, you released them back into the street.”

“You’re not a police commissioner,” Homan continued. “Take that badge off your chest. Put it in the desk drawer. Because you became a politician. You forgot what it’s like to be a cop.”

TRUMP’S ICE RACKS UP HUNDREDS OF ARRESTS, INCLUDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED FOR HORROR CRIMES

Sharon Durkin  called out Tom Homan in an X post over the weekend. (Getty Images)

Durkan responded by mocking Homan for briefly serving as a police officer in the village of West Carthage, New York, in the 1980s. He became a Border Patrol agent soon after, and has since worked for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the Obama administration, as well as the first Trump administration.

“Laughable that someone who spent their career policing a town smaller than a Fenway Park crowd thinks they can lecture Boston on public safety,” Durkan’s post read.

“Commissioner Michael Cox serves with distinction and earns trust with integrity,” the city official continued. “Tom Homan should know, we don’t scare easy.”

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

Sharon Durkan as a Boston City Council District 8 candidate. (Photo by Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

In a recent interview, Cox said that Boston “doesn’t enforce detainers” that are filed by ICE, per Massachusetts law.

“We just don’t do that,” Cox said on a segment of WCVB’s “On the Record” show. “We don’t enforce civil detainers regarding federal immigration law. It’s defined here in the state, and that’s just how it works.”

The Boston office of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) has overseen the arrest of several criminal migrants in recent weeks, including MS-13 gang members. 

Earlier this month, ERO Boston officers apprehended an illegal alien from Guatemala who was charged with multiple counts of child rape.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Tom Homan, U.S. President Donald Trump’s border czar, speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 6, 2025.  (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

Fox News Digital reached out to Durkan for comment, but did not immediately hear back.

Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

The Department of Defense (DOD) told its civilian workforce to ignore billionaire and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Elon Musk’s request to report their productivity.

In a letter to DOD personnel, Darin S. Selnick, who is performing the duties of the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, provided guidance on how to handle Musk’s demand through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

“DoD personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information. The Department of Defense is responsible for reviewing the performance of its personnel and it will conduct any review in accordance with its own procedures,” Selnick wrote. “When and if required, the Department will coordinate responses to the email you have received from OPM. For now, please pause any response to the OPM email titled, ‘What did you do last week.’”

Musk, a senior advisor to President Donald Trump, said earlier on Saturday that employees would receive an email giving them a chance to explain how productive they were the previous week. If an employee fails to respond to the email, Musk said the government will interpret that as a resignation.

ELON MUSK SAYS ‘BAR IS VERY LOW’ AFTER ORDERING FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TO FILL OUT PRODUCTIVITY REPORTS OR RESIGN

Elon Musk told federal employees they needed to report their productivity to keep their jobs. (AP/Jose Luis Magana)

“Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week,” Musk wrote on X. “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”

Later that day, Musk said the report should take under five minutes for employees to write. The deadline for responding to the email is 11:59 p.m. on Monday.

ELON MUSK SAYS FEDERAL EMPLOYEES MUST FILL OUT PRODUCTIVITY REPORTS OR RESIGN

The Department of Defense told civilian employees to ignore Elon Musk’s request to report productivity. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

“To be clear, the bar is very low here. An email with some bullet points that make any sense at all is acceptable! Should take less than 5 mins to write,” Musk wrote on X.

A spokesperson from OPM confirmed Musk’s plans.

“As part of the Trump Administration’s commitment to an efficient and accountable federal workforce, OPM is asking employees to provide a brief summary of what they did last week by the end of Monday, CC’ing their manager,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Agencies will determine any next steps.”

WHITE HOUSE OUTLINES WHERE DOGE SAVINGS COULD GO AFTER TRUMP FLOATS RETURNING 20% TO AMERICANS

Kash Patel informed FBI staffers that his office will handle reviewing their productivity. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Also telling employees to stand down was Kash Patel, who was confirmed by the Senate last week as the new director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information,” Patel told employees, according to The Associated Press. “The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures. When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses.”

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The State Department also reportedly issued a similar message to employees on Saturday, informing them that department officials “will respond on behalf of the Department,” according to a message sent by Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy, who serves as acting under secretary of state for management. 

Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion, Andrea Margolis and Fox News’ Patrick Ward contributed to this report.

The Trump administration is eliminating over a thousand positions at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), while also placing the majority of the remaining staff members on administration leave globally, just before midnight Sunday.

The Associated Press reported that it learned from the Trump administration that 1,600 posts would be eliminated after reviewing notices that were sent to USAID workers.

“As of 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 23, 2025, all USAID direct hire personnel, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and/or specially designated programs, will be placed on administrative leave globally,” the notices read.

The Trump administration intends on leaving fewer than 300 staffers on the job, out of the current 8,000 contractors and direct hires.

USAID WORKERS SEND MESSAGE TO TRUMP ON BOXES WHILE LEAVING OFFICE FOR LAST TIME

Retired United States Agency for International Development worker Julie Hanson Swanson, left, join supporters of USAID workers outside the USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian affairs office in Washington, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (Manuel Balce Ceneta)

The less than 300 remaining staff, along with an unknown number of the 5,000 locally hired international staff members abroad, will run the few life-saving programs that the administration said it intends to keep in place for the time being.

Sacked USAID staffers left their Washington, D.C., offices for the last time on Friday, with some carrying boxes scrawled with messages that seemed to be directed at Trump, who is slashing the agency’s workforce.

“We are abandoning the world,” read one message on a box containing belongings being hauled out by a grinning staffer as she walked out of USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs office.

‘WASTEFUL AND DANGEROUS’: DOGE’S TOP FIVE MOST SHOCKING REVELATIONS

Recently fired U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) staff carry boxes with a message as they leave work and are applauded by former USAID staffers and supporters during a sendoff outside USAID offices in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 21, 2025.  (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

Another smiling staffer’s box had a more upbeat tone, with her message reading: “You can take the humanitarians out of USAID but you can’t take the humanity out of the humanitarians.”

Thousands of staffers had been notified weeks ago of their pending dismissals, and on Friday, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols lifted a temporary restraining order he had issued at the outset of a lawsuit filed by government employee unions seeking a stop to the mass layoffs. After lifting the temporary restraining order, Nichols declined to issue a longer-term order that would have kept the employees in their posts.

Trump has moved to gut the agency after imposing a 90-day pause on foreign aid. He also appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the acting director of USAID.

SECRETARY OF STATE RUBIO CONFIRMS BECOMING ACTING USAID CHIEF

A worker removes the U.S. Agency for International Development sign on their headquarters on February 7, 2025, in Washington, DC.  (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

The agency has come under fire by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for alleged wasteful spending. 

For instance, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, the Senate DOGE Caucus Chairwoman, recently published a list of projects and programs she says USAID has helped fund over the years, including $20 million to produce a Sesame Street show in Iraq. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Several more examples of questionable spending have been uncovered at USAID, including more than $900,000 to a “Gaza-based terror charity” called Bayader Association for Environment and Development and a $1.5 million program slated to “advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities.”

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Trump administration is eliminating thousands of positions at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), while also placing the majority of the remaining staff members on administration leave globally, just before midnight Sunday.

The Associated Press reported that it learned from the Trump administration that 1,600 posts would be eliminated, after reviewing notices that were sent to USAID workers.

“As of 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 23, 2025, all USAID direct hire personnel, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and/or specially designated programs, will be placed on administrative leave globally,” the notices read.

The Trump administration intends on leaving fewer than 300 staffers on the job, out of the current 8,000 contractors and direct hires.

USAID WORKERS SEND MESSAGE TO TRUMP ON BOXES WHILE LEAVING OFFICE FOR LAST TIME

Retired United States Agency for International Development worker Julie Hanson Swanson, left, join supporters of USAID workers outside the USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian affairs office in Washington, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (Manuel Balce Ceneta)

The less than 300 remaining staff, along with an unknown number of the 5,000 locally hired international staff members abroad, will run the few life-saving programs that the administration said it intends to keep in place for the time being.

Sacked USAID staffers left their Washington, D.C., offices for the last time on Friday, with some carrying boxes scrawled with messages that seemed to be directed at Trump, who is slashing the agency’s workforce.

“We are abandoning the world,” read one message on a box containing belongings being hauled out by a grinning staffer as she walked out of USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs office.

‘WASTEFUL AND DANGEROUS’: DOGE’S TOP FIVE MOST SHOCKING REVELATIONS

Recently fired U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) staff carry boxes with a message as they leave work and are applauded by former USAID staffers and supporters during a sendoff outside USAID offices in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 21, 2025.  (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

Another smiling staffer’s box had a more upbeat tone, with her message reading: “You can take the humanitarians out of USAID but you can’t take the humanity out of the humanitarians.”

Thousands of staffers had been notified weeks ago of their pending dismissals, and on Friday, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols lifted a temporary restraining order he had issued at the outset of a lawsuit filed by government employee unions seeking a stop to the mass layoffs. After lifting the temporary restraining order, Nichols declined to issue a longer-term order that would have kept the employees in their posts.

Trump has moved to gut the agency after imposing a 90-day pause on foreign aid. He also appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the acting director of USAID.

SECRETARY OF STATE RUBIO CONFIRMS BECOMING ACTING USAID CHIEF

A worker removes the U.S. Agency for International Development sign on their headquarters on February 7, 2025, in Washington, DC.  (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

The agency has come under fire by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for alleged wasteful spending. 

For instance, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, the Senate DOGE Caucus Chairwoman, recently published a list of projects and programs she says USAID has helped fund over the years, including $20 million to produce a Sesame Street show in Iraq. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Several more examples of questionable spending have been uncovered at USAID, including more than $900,000 to a “Gaza-based terror charity” called Bayader Association for Environment and Development and a $1.5 million program slated to “advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities.”

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump is set to have another busy week meeting with foreign leaders in the nation’s capital as administration leaders continue working out a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. 

Trump will meet with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron in his fifth week back in the Oval Office, national security advisor Mike Waltz said on Fox News’ “America Reports.” The announcement follows Macron calling for an emergency meeting of world leaders after the Trump administration excluded Europe from sitting at the negotiating table to settle the war between Ukraine and Russia.

“Just a few months ago, everyone was talking about this war as though it would never end,” Waltz said on “America Reports” after confirming Starmer and Macron will visit Washington, D.C. “In just a very short amount of time, President Trump has us, everyone – the Ukrainians, the Russians, the Europeans – talking about it now and debating.… Only President Trump could drive that shift in conversation. And we have to acknowledge that that’s happened.”

TRUMP SOUNDS OFF ON ZELENSKYY’S INSULTS AS US WORKS TO BROKER UKRAINE PEACE DEAL WITH RUSSIA: ‘I’VE HAD IT’

President-elect Donald Trump, President Emmanuel Macron and President Volodymyr Zelensky meet at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on Dec. 7, 2024. (Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff met in Riyadh last week with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin’s foreign affairs advisor Yuri Ushakov to hash out ways to end the conflict. Ukraine was absent from the negotiations in Saudi Arabia. 

RUSSIA, UKRAINE TAKE ‘SIGNIFICANT FIRST STEP TOWARD PEACE’ AFTER RUBIO-LED NEGOTIATIONS, WHITE HOUSE INSISTS

Ukraine’s lack of involvement sparked President Vlodomyr Zelenskyy to double down on the stance that his nation will not accept a peace deal unless they are a part of the negotiation process. 

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a press conference at the Ukraine peace summit in Obbürgen, Switzerland, on June 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Zelenskyy told reporters Tuesday in Turkey that “nobody decides anything behind our back,” after stressing in recent days that Kyiv will not agree to a peace negotiation without Ukraine’s input.

Trump amplified his rhetoric against Zelenskyy last week, including arguing Zelenskyy is a poor negotiator and that he’s “sick of it.” 

“I’ve been watching this man for years now as his cities get demolished, as his people get killed, as his soldiers get decimated,” Trump told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade last week. “I’ve been watching him negotiate with no cards. He has no cards, and you get sick of it,” he continued. “You just get sick of it, and I’ve had it.”

TRUMP’S FRUSTRATIONS WITH ZELENSKYY ESCALATE AS US TURNS UP PRESSURE ON UKRAINE TO REACH PEACE DEAL

“I get tired of listening to it,” Trump responded. “I’ve seen it enough, and then he complains that he’s not at a meeting that we’re having with Saudi Arabia trying to intermediate peace. Well, he’s been at meetings for three years with a… president who didn’t know what the hell he was doing. He’s been at the meetings for three years and nothing got done, so I don’t think he’s very important to be at meetings, to be honest with you. He’s been there for three years. He’s he makes it very hard to make deals.”

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer listens to a speech at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, England, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Trump added on Friday that Macron and Starmer “haven’t done anything” since 2022 to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. 

Trump’s recent remarks on Zelenskyy have apparently alarmed European leaders who have backed Ukraine throughout the war. Macron previewed in remarks on Thursday that he will reportedly take a tough tone with Trump during their meeting. 

TRUMP AND ZELENSKYY WAR OF WORDS HEATS UP EVEN AS US LOOKS TO WIND DOWN WAR IN UKRAINE

“Trump, I know him. I respect him and I believe he respects me,” Macron, who will meet with Trump on Monday, said during a question-and-answer session on social media. “I will tell him: deep down you cannot be weak in the face of President (Vladimir Putin). It’s not you, it’s not what you’re made of, and it’s not in your interests.”

President Donald Trump sits down with Fox News anchor Bret Baier for an interview. (Fox News/Special Report)

Starmer, who is slated to meet with Trump on Thursday, said on Sunday in Scotland that there cannot be peace talks without Ukraine’s input. 

“Nobody wants the bloodshed to continue. Nobody, least of all the Ukrainians,” he said Sunday, according to Reuters. 

“But after everything that they have suffered, after everything that they have fought for, there could be no discussion about Ukraine without Ukraine, and the people of Ukraine must have a long-term secure future.” 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt spoke to members of the media on Saturday following CPAC, saying a peace deal could be reached as soon as this week. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“The president, his team are very much focused on continuing negotiations with both sides of this war to end the conflict, and the president is very confident we can get it done this week,” she said. 

Fox News Digital’s Bailee Hill, Morgan Phillips and Diana Stancy contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump celebrated on Sunday after German conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz claimed victory in a national election, ousting Social Democrat incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

“LOOKS LIKE THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY IN GERMANY HAS WON THE VERY BIG AND HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ELECTION,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “MUCH LIKE THE USA, THE PEOPLE OF GERMANY GOT TIRED OF THE NO COMMON SENSE AGENDA, ESPECIALLY ON ENERGY AND IMMIGRATION, THAT HAS PREVAILED FOR SO MANY YEARS.

“THIS IS A GREAT DAY FOR GERMANY, AND FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF A GENTLEMAN NAMED DONALD J. TRUMP,” he added. “CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL — MANY MORE VICTORIES TO FOLLOW!!!”

Germany’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won Sunday’s national election, with the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) finishing a strong second, according to exit polls.

TRUMP SET TO MEET WITH WORLD LEADERS IN DC DURING BUSY WEEK AS RUSSIA-UKRAINE PEACE TALKS CONTINUE

President Donald Trump praised conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz’s victory to become Germany’s next chancellor. (AP)

The snap election came as the European nation grapples with illegal immigration and a souring economy. CDU leader Merz is expected to take a harder line than Scholz on immigration, though not as much as AfD supporters have called for.

Merz, whose party got about 29% of the vote, must form a coalition with one or more of the other parties, but has said he will not do so with AfD.

ECONOMY, IMMIGRATION, ELON MUSK AT CENTER OF GERMAN ELECTION; CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE FAVORED TO WIN

Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), casts his vote at a polling station Arnsberg-Niedereimer, Germany, on Feb. 23, 2025, during the national election. (Oliver Berg/dpa via AP)

Merz has said he will execute a 15-point plan to tackle immigration, including tightening the borders and deporting rejected asylum seekers. AfD wants to deport migrants en masse.

While the AfD may be frozen out of the incoming coalition, it doubled its vote total from the last election.

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Endorsed by Trump and Elon Musk, and led by Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, the party believes it has built momentum for the next election, expected in 2029.

Popular TV host Mike Rowe believes that President Donald Trump’s policies will be better for the country in the long run.

Asked by Fox News Digital how he feels about Trump’s first few weeks back in office, Rowe indicated that he is “happy” with what he has seen so far and optimistic about the future outlook.

“I’m a one-issue guy, I got a foundation, we’re trying to close the skills gap, he wants to bring manufacturing back, and I am all for it,” Rowe said of Trump from the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday. “But right now we got 7.2 million men, able-bodied, who are not looking for work. They’re just sitting out of the workforce. And we’ve got giant shortages already in dozens of skilled trades, so I think part of what has to happen is a PR campaign to reinvigorate the trades as we bring back the manufacturing.”

THE AGE OF RELYING ON CREDENTIALS IS NEARING AN END, MIKE ROWE SAYS

Mike Rowe (Getty      )

Rowe noted that he is willing to put his money where his mouth is to assist the effort and indicated he was available to help Trump with the issue as well.

“I got a million bucks I am giving away this month to microworks.org to help train the next generation of skilled workers. If I could be of use in any other capacity in that regard, I am at his disposal,” Rowe said.

Mike Rowe warned about the sharp decline in young men in the workforce in an interview with CBS. (CBS/screenshot)

MIKE ROWE WARNS ABOUT STIGMA ‘GUNK’ AROUND TRADES THAT KEEPS KIDS FROM EXPLORING INDUSTRY

Touching on Trump’s tariff and trade policies, Rowe acknowledged the possibility of some short-term pain for American industries but argued the payoff would be worth it in the end.

“Yes, they will hurt short term. Is it worth it long term?” Rowe said. “Look, do you want to be dependent on China? Do you want to be reliant on other countries? These are really simple, fundamental questions. If the answer is we want to be more independent, there’s going to be some short-term pain.”

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“I think it will be worth it to be less reliant on countries who hate us,” Rowe added. “I think it will be worth it to be less dependent on countries that aren’t terribly concerned with what’s best for us. I am all for an equal playing field, and I am all for every kind of independence we can muster, whether it’s energy independence, economic independence, workforce independence, all of it.”

The downtown Washington, D.C., Ronald Reagan building will undergo a dramatic shift as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) takes over the longtime headquarters of the Agency for International Development (USAID), Fox News Digital has confirmed.

“CBP has signed a license agreement to occupy approximately 390,000 usable square feet in the USAID tower,” a CBP spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

The news, which was originally reported by Politico, comes after a federal judge on Friday declined to keep in place a temporary block that was preventing President Donald Trump from removing all but a small number of USAID staffers, clearing the way for the administration to continue its dramatic cuts to federal departments, according to a report from the Associated Press.

USAID WORKERS SEND MESSAGE TO TRUMP ON BOXES WHILE LEAVING OFFICE FOR LAST TIME

Flowers and a sign are placed outside the headquarters of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Feb. 7, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

USAID, a decades-old foreign assistance agency, was one of the first targets for cuts by the new administration, sparking a lawsuit filed by unions representing federal workers in an attempt to block the layoffs.

The suit accused the Trump administration of stalling medical evacuations for USAID staffers and family members overseas and cutting off contractors from emergency communications while also challenging the constitutionality of the administration’s sudden cuts, which the suit argues requires congressional approval.

“At present, the agency is still standing,” U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols wrote in the ruling. “And so the alleged injuries on which plaintiffs rely in seeking injunctive relief flow essentially from their members’ existing employment relationships with USAID.”

The U.S. Agency for International Development headquarters after workers removed its sign on Feb. 7, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

‘WASTEFUL AND DANGEROUS’: DOGE’S TOP FIVE MOST SHOCKING REVELATIONS

With the drastic reduction in staffing and the loss of its longtime headquarters, questions remain about the future of USAID and its mission. Earlier this month, the State Department announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been appointed as acting administrator for the agency with an eye toward possible reorganization of its activities under the State Department.

Protesters gather in front of the USAID building on Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Pete Kiehart for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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“The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has long strayed from its original mission of responsibly advancing American interests abroad, and it is now abundantly clear that significant portions of USAID funding are not aligned with the core national interests of the United States,” the State Department said in a statement. “As we evaluate USAID and ensure it is in alignment with an America First agenda and the efforts of the State Department, we will continue to protect the American people’s interests and ensure their tax dollars are not wasted.”

President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said Sunday that he would aim to negotiate an “extension” of Phase One of the Israel-Hamas hostage release and ceasefire deal when he returns to the region this week. 

“We have to get an extension of Phase One. And, so I’ll be going into the region this week, probably Wednesday, to negotiate that,” Witkoff said during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “And we’re hoping you have the proper time to finish off to begin Phase Two and finish it off and get more hostages released. And move this – move the discussion forward.” 

Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close confidante of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reportedly met with Witkoff in Washington, D.C., last week. 

In regard to the meeting, CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Witkoff if he believes Netanyahu “wants to move forward with the ceasefire, or does he want to resume the war to try to eliminate Hamas?”

ISRAEL DELAYS PALESTINIAN PRISONER RELEASE AFTER HAMAS’ ‘HUMILIATING’ TREATMENT OF HOSTAGES, NETANYAHU SAYS 

U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff speaks during the FII Priority Summit on Feb. 20, 2025, in Miami Beach, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Witkoff said he believes the prime minister “is well-motivated” and wants to see “the hostages released,” as well “to protect the state of Israel.” 

“And so he’s got a red line,” Witkoff said. “And he said what the red line is, and that is that Hamas cannot be involved in a governing body when this thing is resolved.” 

“They can’t be any part of governance in Gaza,” the U.S. envoy said of Hamas. “And, you know, as to existing, I’d leave that – that detail to the prime minister.” 

In another Sunday show appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Witkoff said he would arrive “probably Wednesday evening” in the Middle East and would visit various countries, including Qatar, Egypt, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. He added that the last remaining living American hostage, Edan Alexander, remains a top priority in negotiations.

“He’s front and center for us,” Witkoff said. “I know his parents. We talk all the time. He’s critical. It’s one of President Trump’s most important objectives is to get all Americans home. And we’re going to be successful in getting Edan home, I believe.” 

 A woman holds an image of hostage Edan Alexander. (Yuri Cortez/AFP via Getty Images)

REMAINS OF SHIRI BIBAS, MOM OF TWO KILLED, ALLEGEDLY RETURNED TO ISRAEL FOLLOWING HAMAS’ BROKEN PROMISE

According to the May 27 protocol agreement, Witkoff explained that Phase Two involves both “a permanent ceasefire, a cessation of all violence,” as well as “the fact that Hamas cannot be allowed to come back into the government” in Gaza. 

“And I think the way you square that circle is that Hamas has to go. They’ve got to leave,” Witkoff said, adding, “I would say physically, that’s correct.” The envoy said he was not at liberty to say which countries might take in people from Gaza during ongoing negotiations, but stressed that Gaza would not be a safe living environment for another 15 to 20 years following the war and requires an extension reconstruction plan.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced Saturday night that “in light of Hamas’s repeated violations, including the ceremonies that humiliate our hostages and the cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda purposes, it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists that was planned for yesterday until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies.” 

Hamas terrorists display Israeli hostages before handing them over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza on Feb. 22, 2025. (Ashraf Amra/Anadolu via Getty Images)

In a video message Friday, Netanyahu condemned how Hamas “brutally murdered” two young Israeli boys, whose bodies were initially returned to Israel without the remains of their mother, Shiri Bibas. In what Netanyahu decried as a “brazen violation of their agreement,” Hamas initially handed over the wrong body for Bibas, whose actual remains were later returned and identified Saturday following an intense standoff with the terrorist group. 

Hamas handed over another six Israelis on Saturday in the latest scheduled release of living hostages.

As part of Phase One of the ceasefire deal, Israel agreed to release nearly 2,000 prisoners and detainees in exchange for the remaining hostages. About 1,200 people were killed, and about 250 others were taken in to Gaza as hostages during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on southern Israel. About 60 hostages remain held by Hamas, approximately half of whom Israel has declared to be dead. 

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“I will not rest until the savages who executed our hostages are brought to justice,” Netanyahu said Friday. “They do not deserve to walk this Earth. Nothing will stop me.” 

President Donald Trump fired the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown, and a number of other top military officers over the weekend in a dramatic shakeup of Pentagon leadership.

Trump announced on social media Friday that he was replacing Brown and planned on nominating retired Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to fill his role as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, making him the military’s top officer.

A report from Reuters noted Trump’s move was “unprecedented,” becoming the first time a president has pulled a military officer out of retirement to head the Joint Chiefs. 

The move was just one of many changes Trump announced to top military brass in recent days, including plans to replace the U.S. Navy’s top officer, Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead one of the military branches. Trump is also removing the Air Force vice chief of staff, Gen. Jim Slife, and the judge advocates general of the Army, Navy and Air Force.

OBAMA FIRED TOP MILITARY OFFICERS TO ALIGN PENTAGON WITH HIS POLICY VISION, NOW TRUMP SET TO DO THE SAME

President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Evan Vucci/AP)

“I want to thank General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family,” Trump wrote in a social media post.

Trump campaigned heavily on the idea of removing “woke” generals from the top of the military, especially those he believed were responsible for botching the U.S. exit from Afghanistan in 2021.

Trump’s defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has also made it a point to root out Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the military, going so far as to question whether Brown was given the nod as the nation’s top military officer as a result of his race.

“Was it because of his skin color? Or his skill? We’ll never know, but always doubt – which on its face seems unfair to CQ. But since he has made the race card one of his biggest calling cards, it doesn’t really much matter,” Hegseth wrote in his 2024 book.

Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown (Joint Chiefs of Staff)

OFFICIALS PUSH BACK ON CLAIMS OF ‘LIST’ OF GENERALS HEGSETH PLANS TO FIRE AT PENTAGON

The decision to move on from Franchetti also reverses a 2023 decision by former President Joe Biden, who surprised Pentagon leaders by tapping Franchetti over Adm. Samuel Paparo, who at the time led the Navy’s Pacific Command and was widely expected to be in line for the service’s top job.

But Trump’s decision has also caused “upheaval” at the Pentagon, according to the Reuters report, where the Defense Department was already bracing for mass cuts to its civilian staff.

The moves were also condemned by the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Jack Reed, of Rhode Island, who called the firings “political.”

Adm. Lisa Franchetti (U.S. Navy)

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“Firing uniformed leaders as a type of political loyalty test, or for reasons relating to diversity and gender that have nothing to do with performance, erodes the trust and professionalism that our service members require to achieve their missions,” Reed told Reuters.

The White House did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will release parts of Prince Harry’s immigration records with some redaction, in the ongoing lawsuit over the royal’s move to the United States.

The move comes after federal Judge Carl Nichols ordered the agency to provide the court with a redacted version of Harry’s file for review with the ultimate goal of making the records public, according to a New York Post report Friday.

At issue is whether the British royal lied on immigration documents or was given preferential treatment when he moved to the U.S. in 2020, with Harry later revealing in his memoir “Spare,” which was released in 2023, that he had used illegal drugs.

PRINCE HARRY SEES COURT SETBACK ON IMMIGRATION RECORDS CASE IN FIRST HEARING SINCE TRUMP TOOK OFFICE

Prince Harry (Wiktor Szymanowicz/Anadolu Agency)

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, sued DHS in an attempt to get Harry’s record released, hoping to find out if the 40-year-old royal failed to disclose his former drug use on his immigration application.

In a DHS filing to the court, the agency said it could turn over “items 1-3” of Harry’s records with some redactions, but would not release “item 4.”

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry (Getty Images)

PRINCE HARRY, MEGHAN MARKLE SLAMMED BY JUSTINE BATEMAN FOR BEING ‘DISASTER TOURISTS’ AMID CALIFORNIA FIRES

It is unclear what information the items DHS is set to release will contain, though Nichols said at the hearing earlier this month that he wanted the records to be disclosed “in stages” in order to prevent violating U.S. privacy laws.

DHS will have until March 6 to provide the redacted version of the records for the judge’s review, the report notes.

Nile Gardiner, the director of the Heritage Foundation’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, has argued that “transparency” is important when it comes to how immigration cases are handled.

At issue is whether the British royal lied on immigration documents or was given preferential treatment when he moved to the U.S. in 2020. (Random House)

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“It’s important because this is an issue of the rule of law, transparency and accountability. No one should be above the law,” Gardiner said earlier this month. “Donald Trump is ushering in a new era of strict border control enforcement, and you know, Prince Harry should be held fully to account as he has admitted to extensive illegal drug use.”

DHS did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

President Donald Trump’s White House is looking to sell two prominent federal buildings in San Francisco, including the recently dubbed Nancy Pelosi Federal Building, according to local reports.

The Nancy Pelosi Federal Building, a two-decade-old, 18-story tower known as the San Francisco Federal Building until its formal dedication to the former House speaker in December, sits on Mission and 7th streets in an area that has been for years plagued by open-air drug dealing, illegal markets reselling stolen goods and other crime. 

In addition to Pelosi’s namesake building, the Trump administration is reportedly also considering selling the 1930s-era federal building at 50 United Nations Plaza, which currently serves as the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) regional headquarters. The potential sales were reported by KGO-TV, as well as the San Francisco Chronicle, which cited a GSA document earmarking both federal properties in San Francisco as “non-core” assets to possibly be sold off. 

In 2023, hundreds of federal employees at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) assigned to the building were instructed to work from home amid worsening safety concerns, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. At the time, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, demanded its closure due to the drug dealing at the building’s doorstep. 

‘GREEN’ FEDERAL BUILDING ONCE RIDICULED BY TRUMP BEING DEDICATED TO NANCY PELOSI

The Nancy Pelosi Federal Building (Google Maps)

“It’s another example of how he is coming after Democrats. He’s coming after California, and it’s all about payback,” former Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier told KGO, referring to Trump. “The lease will keep going up and you will end up paying the property taxes of the lessor, whereas you don’t pay federal taxes when you are a federal government.” 

PELOSI HOPES SHE CAN REPAIR RELATIONSHIP WITH BIDENS, ADMITS SHE STILL HASN’T SPOKEN TO THEM

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks during a roundtable at the SF-Marin Food Bank in San Francisco, on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

In a 2020 executive order, Trump described the 7th Street federal building – an energy-efficient “green” structure opened in 2007 at a cost of $144 million – as being considered by San Franciscans as “one of the ugliest structures in their city.” 

Andy Ball, a developer who worked as a concrete subcontractor on the building two decades ago, told the Chronicle the project was a “waste of taxpayer money from day one.” 

“No investor would have built this building,” Ball said, estimating the costs were about “50% greater” than if the project had been funded by the private sector. “In this market, it will represent the greatest difference between cost to build and its sale value.” 

A newly constructed X sign is seen on the roof of the headquarters of the social media platform previously known as Twitter, in San Francisco, on July 29, 2023. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)

The potential building sales come as the Trump administration, through Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), continues efforts to downside federal government bureaucracy. Though the lease remains active for the 800,000-square-foot former Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, Musk moved his tech company, rebranded as X Corp., to Texas last year. 

Last year, the overall vacancy for downtown San Francisco reached 37%, with the vacancy rate specifically in the Mid-Market area sitting at 55%, according to the Chronicle. 

As of December, the Federal Protective Service ramped up security at the corner since the 7th Street federal building was formally named after Pelosi, who has represented San Francisco for more than 37 years in Congress. Residents who spoke to KGO-TV lamented that the problems just seemed to have been moved a block over, as federal employees would now enjoy the benefit of armed security, while everyday citizens do not. The building, which can accommodate roughly 2,000 workers, currently houses offices for Pelosi, HHS, as well as the Social Security Administration, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Labor, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

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Fox News Digital reached out to Pelosi’s office, as well as the GSA and the White House, for comment Sunday but did not immediately hear back. 

A group of veterans and lawmakers is urging President Donald Trump to award an 87-year-old Marine Corps “legend” and war hero the Medal of Honor after he was snubbed by former President Joe Biden. 

The veteran, Maj. James Capers, served in the Vietnam War and saved seven fellow Marines when his recon group was ambushed and outnumbered by North Vietnamese troops in Phú Lộc in 1967. 

According to the sworn testimony of the surviving Marines, then-Lt. Capers’ unit was ambushed in the jungle, with blasts from claymore mines inflicting devastating injuries on him and his men. Despite the blasts ripping open his stomach and breaking his leg, a heavily bleeding Capers kept command of his Marines and led two in holding off the enemy long enough for the medevac flight to arrive. 

When the overloaded aircraft struggled to take off, Capers attempted to sacrifice himself by jumping from the helicopter and insisting he be left behind until he was pulled back on board by the medevac crew chief. 

NATIONAL VIETNAM WAR VETERANS DAY: HISTORY, FACTS AND HOW TO COMMEMORATE

Two American soldiers watch as combat helicopters of the 1st Air Cavalry Division fly over during a search-and-destroy mission on the Bong Son Plain and An Lao Valley of South Vietnam. (Patrick Christain/Getty Images)

Capers received multiple gunfire wounds and 19 pieces of shrapnel in the firefight. He continues to suffer from the wounds to this day. But due to his heroic actions, Capers and all of his Marines survived. 

For his heroism, Capers was awarded the Bronze Star, which was later upgraded to the Silver Star. However, many believe that Capers rightfully should have received the nation’s highest military honor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at Phú Lộc. 

Unconcerned about his own recognition, Capers continued to serve in the Marines after the war and became a central figure in the “Ask a Marine” program, where he shared his experiences and inspired countless young Americans to serve their country. 

For years now, a collection of Marine and other military veterans has been advocating for Capers to finally receive the recognition they believe he deserves. But despite their efforts, Capers, who happens to have also been the first African American to serve in a recon battalion in Vietnam, continued to be ignored by the Biden administration. 

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Maj. James Capers became the face of the “Ask a Marine” recruiting program.

With his advanced age and frail health, friends of Capers are worried he may never get the recognition they feel he deserves. 

But with Trump in the Oval Office, Bill Cortese, one of Capers’ supporters, feels confident it will finally happen. 

Cortese, who is also a Marine Corps vet, told Fox News Digital that he believes Capers could be an inspiring and unifying force in the country. 

“When you are overseas, when those bullets start flying, no one’s a Democrat or a Republican. No one’s a conservative or a progressive. And I think Maj. Capers is sort of the example of someone who just did what had to be done,” he explained. “This is someone who led the way, who grew up in Jim Crow South Carolina, overcame incredible racism and incredible obstacles to join the Marine Corps and serve his country, and not once did he ever look for anyone to give him anything based on the color of his skin. It was entirely on his merit and his actions. And so that’s something that we can rally around.” 

SHOULD WOMEN SERVE IN COMBAT? MILITARY EXPERTS WEIGH IN

Marines stand in formation. (iStock)

Despite this, Cortese said he found it “mind-boggling” how the previous administration “found every reason why not to upgrade this award to the Medal of Honor.”

“It’s strange, but it seems we received every excuse under the sun.” he explained.  

He suspects Biden snubbed Capers because he does not fit into the left’s political box and narrative. 

“Anyone who knows Maj. Capers knows that he is not someone who bought into any of the woke ideology the last administration was pushing,” he explained. “He wouldn’t, I think, sing the song that they wanted, and so, I think they just decided to sit on their hands and not do anything, which is sad and unfortunate.”  

“That’s why we’re just trying to do the right thing,” he continued. “And we know this administration knows how to do the right thing when it comes to veterans.” 

“We know President Trump cares about our veterans. We know he cares about recognizing their heroic actions. And so, we feel very positive about this new administration that they’re going to recognize the value in this both for the veteran community itself, but also for the country as a whole.” 

HOMELESS MAN TURNS NIGHT IN JAIL INTO LIFE OF SERVICE AFTER RUN-IN WITH DEPUTY AND MARINE RECRUITER

Maj. James Capers serving in the U.S. Marines.

The push recently gained even more momentum when 47 members of the U.S. House and Senate formally signed a letter asking Trump to give Capers the recognition he deserves. 

“We firmly believe that Major James Capers, Jr., has met the stringent criteria for the Medal of Honor,” the lawmakers wrote. “His selfless actions, leadership, courage, and initiative uphold the highest traditions of the United States Armed Forces. The exceptional valor displayed by Major Capers during his missions in the Republic of Vietnam from March 31 to April 3, 1967, serves as a shining example for all servicemen and women, and it is deserving of the highest recognition.”

Cortese said he is very grateful for the lawmakers and that he is thankful just to be a part of the movement to finally give Capers the honor he deserves. 

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Recently, 47 members of the U.S. House and Senate asked Trump to give Maj. James Capers the recognition he deserves.

“We stand on the shoulders of people like Maj. Capers,” he said. “So, we think it’s very important to make sure that we honor those who have come before us, honor those who have served, put their lives on the line like Maj. Capers.” 

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“As a Marine Corps veteran myself, I think it’s important to recognize tradition, and it’s important to recognize those who have paved the way before you,” he explained. “I think that’s something that is instilled in us as Marines to always remember that, to keep those traditions alive and to recognize those like Maj. Capers who are Marine Corps legends.” 

Truckers are “very hopeful” about the trajectory of the auto industry under President Donald Trump after years of feeling like the Biden administration “completely fell asleep behind the wheel,” a trucking executive told Fox News Digital.

“We’re excited, hopeful, because the new administration will help with the issues that we’re having,” Mike Kucharski, co-owner and vice president of JKC Trucking, told Fox News Digital as the Trump administration walks back on Biden-era regulations mandating the sale of more electric vehicles (EVs).

Former President Joe Biden granted California a waiver allowing them to enforce emissions standards that are more stringent than other states, including the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, which mandates that truck manufacturers sell more zero-emission heavy-duty trucks. However, in February, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent the previously granted waiver to the Republican-controlled Congress for review.

If Congress decides to strike down the waiver, California could lose its ability to enforce the independent emissions standards, which truckers believe would be “a huge win for the industry,” according to Kucharski.

EPA ADMINISTRATOR ZELDIN DEMANDS RETURN OF $20B IN TAXPAYER MONEY WASTED BY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION

Mike Kucharski is the co-owner and vice president of JKC Trucking. (Fox News Digital)

“California doesn’t dictate the nation,” the trucking executive told Fox. “And the frustrating part is, we’re in Illinois, we’re not in a much better state than California. But we need a technology that we can use across the whole U.S., not one state demanding that they do it.”

Kucharski says that truckers are in support of green energy alternatives, but that the industry does not have the infrastructure for such strict mandates, citing the 2023 California heatwave when residents were told to avoid charging their electric vehicles due to the heat. 

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The big-rig executive also raised concerns over the ability to charge a large quantity of electric big-rig trucks in California if the emissions standards remain in place.

Lee Zeldin, a former Republican House member, is serving as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. (Al Drago)

“Where’s that power going to come from? We would need a miracle or some super-alien technology to make that work,” he told Fox News Digital.

California’s standards, which are the strictest in the country, also “cost truckers money,” he said.

“Right now, we don’t have the money, we’re still dealing with aftershocks of COVID,” Kucharski told Fox. “We hope that this administration can pull us out of this black hole.”

Truckers are “hopeful” about the Trump administration’s walking back of Biden-era climate regulations affecting the auto industry. (Getty Images)

“Truckers are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. I’m very hopeful,” Kucharski said. “This administration, they’re at least looking out for the good of the American people and for the truckers. And I hope they can get this economy roaring again, as they did in the first administration.”

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As the EPA pulls back on the green energy push, Kucharski said there are three issues truckers hope to see addressed under the Trump administration: overregulation, the cost of diesel and achieving energy independence.

A climate group linked to high-profile Democrat Stacey Abrams was granted $2 billion by the Biden administration in a “scheme” of “wasteful” spending, the Trump administration’s leading environmental agency has revealed.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently made a revelation that the Biden administration was allowing just eight entities to distribute $20 billion of taxpayer dollars “at their discretion.” 

Included in the funds was a $2 billion grant to Power Forward Communities, a nonprofit with ties to former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams that seeks to “reduce our impact on the climate” by financing the replacement of household appliances in lower-income communities with green alternatives.

Abrams, who lost the Georgia gubernatorial race in the 2022 midterms, reportedly “played a pivotal role” in establishing the group, according to a LinkedIn post by Ian Magruder, who works at one of the coalition’s partners, Rewiring America.

‘WASTEFUL AND DANGEROUS’: DOGE’S TOP FIVE MOST SHOCKING REVELATIONS

Stacey Abrams lost the 2022 gubernatorial race in Georgia. (Dustin Chambers)

“If you care about clean air, land and water, if you think there are some communities that have been left behind, then why aren’t you spending a dollar actually remediating that issue instead of paying off your friend,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham.

The $2 billion was used for the “decarbonization of homes” in low-income communities and paid for new household appliances, such as water heaters, induction stoves, solar panels, EV chargers, and weatherization, according to an April 2024 press release from Power Forward Communities.

Zeldin told Fox News that in 2023, Power Forward Communities reported just $100 in revenue but was later granted $2 billion by the Biden-era EPA in 2024.

TRUMP TO SIGN EXECUTIVE ORDER INSTRUCTING AGENCIES TO HUNT DOWN REGULATIONS THAT VIOLATE CONSTITUTION

Then-Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin addresses supporters at his election night party in New York on Nov. 9, 2022.  (AP Images)

The climate group was given only 21 days to distribute the $2 billion, and another 90 days to complete a training session called “How to develop a budget,” Zeldin said.

“I would say that if an organization needs to take a training on how to develop a budget, one, they should be taking the training before they are spending a dollar, but they definitely shouldn’t be getting two billion [dollars],” the administrator told Fox News.

“The entire scheme as set up is fraud, it’s wasteful, it’s abuse,” he said.

Stacey Abrams is linked to a climate group that was granted $2 billion by the Biden administration. (Getty Images)

Zeldin also noted the EPA found a potential “conflict of interest” payment of $5 billion to the former director of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund under Biden.

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“All this money was put up front,” Zeldin said. “It was ‘here is $20 billion.’ And it was going to their friends on the left.”

The news that the Biden administration gave $2 billion to a climate group linked to Abrams was first reported by the Washington Free Beacon.

Fox News Digital reached out to Rewiring America, Power Forward Communities and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund for comment.

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia is well aware that plenty of people are waiting for his decision on whether to run for the Senate next year.

The popular term-limited conservative governor is the GOP’s dream candidate to take on Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is considered vulnerable, in the key southeastern battleground state, as Republicans aim to expand their 53-47 Senate majority in the 2026 midterm elections.

“We need to flip that seat. We should have a Republican in that seat, and I believe we’ll have one after the ’26 election,” Kemp said in a Fox News Digital interview this past week.

Kemp isn’t ready to make an announcement, emphasizing that he’s “really got a lot on my plate right now.”

THIS KEY REPUBILCAN GOVERNOR SPOTLIGHTS TRUMP’S FRENETIC PACE

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia is interviewed by Fox News Digital, on Sept. 27, 2022 in Alpharetta, Georgia (Fox News )

“I’m in the middle of my legislative session. We’ve got a big tort reform fight going on. I’m chairing the Republican Governors Association. I made a commitment on that,” he added.

But the governor acknowledged that “I know I can’t keep holding out forever, so we’ll have something to say on that down the road.”

Georgia’s legislative session is scheduled to adjourn on April 4.

THERE WILL BE ANOTHER OPEN DEMOCRATIC-HELD SENATE SEAT IN NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERMS

Sen. Tim Scott, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, has said that Kemp is a top recruit, and he hopes the governor will run.

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, is interviewed by Fox News on Capitol Hill, on Feb. 19, 2025 in Washington D.C.  (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

And recent partisan polling in Georgia indicated Kemp topping Ossoff in a hypothetical matchup.

But the NRSC is confident of flipping the seat in Georgia even if Kemp decides to take a pass on a 2026 run.

Among the Republicans who’ve expressed interest in a run for the Senate seat in Georgia if Kemp opts out are Reps. Buddy Carter, Rich McCormick, Mike Collins, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, a top ally of President Donald Trump and a political rockstar on the far right with a very large national profile, along with state Insurance Commissioner John King.

Kemp was interviewed as he chaired the Republican Governors Association’s (RGA) winter meeting in Washington D.C.

The governor, who has been steering the RGA for three months, emphasized his frenetic schedule to fundraise and recruit candidates. 

“Doing a lot of stuff in Florida, Texas, been to California, will be traveling to help other governors, but also just in DC, you know, continuing to work hard to raise money, really, all across the board,” he said.

And Kemp said he’s aiming to “really grow the organization, grow the donor base, and make people understand why it’s so important to have Republican governors, because we are the incubators of democracy. We’re the ones that are implementing a lot of these new and efficient things that we’re doing that then may filter out to another state and then another state after that.”

THIS REPUBLICAN SHERIFF JUST JUMPED INTO THE GOVERNOR’S RACE IN THIS KEY BLUE STATE

Republicans held onto their 27-23 gubernatorial advantage in the 2024 elections, thanks in part to the efforts of the RGA.

Looking ahead, New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states to hold gubernatorial elections this year, giving them outsized national attention and making them key barometers for the mood of Americans during the start of a new presidential term.

A competitive GOP primary is underway in blue-state New Jersey, where Republicans hope to win a gubernatorial election for the first time in a dozen years.

REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS SAY WITH TRUMP ELECTION, ‘WE’VE GOT A FRIEND IN THE WHITE HOUSE’

And in Virginia, GOP Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears is aiming to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin [Virginia governors can only serve one consecutive four-year term] and make history as the state’s first woman governor and the nation’s first Black female governor.

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla., as Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Lousiana Gov. Jeff Landry, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and Susie Wiles listen. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Next year, 36 states will hold gubernatorial elections.

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Pointing to the two-year cycle, Kemp said, “There’s a lot of work to do, but we are right on the ideas, and we just got to have the money and the fundamentals to be able to have a playbook and a plan and all these races to make sure we continue to have great Republican governors that are elected around the country.”

The Senate GOP has been working in overdrive to confirm key officials for President Donald Trump’s administration faster than his predecessors.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Republicans in the upper chamber have successfully approved 18 of the 22 Cabinet positions. 

The most recent was former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who was confirmed to lead Trump’s Small Business Administration (SBA). 

SCOOP: REPUBLICAN DANIEL CAMERON BLASTED BY LIKELY GOP OPPONENT AS MCCONNELL SUCCESSOR FIGHT BEGINS

The Republican Senate has worked to push through Trump’s picks.  (Getty Images)

With the successful confirmation of Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick last week, the 17th official put in place, Republicans and Trump officially outpaced former President Joe Biden, who had just seven nominees confirmed at the same point in 2021. 

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso’s office pointed out that former President Barack Obama had only 16 Cabinet officials confirmed by February 18, 2009, during his first term, meaning that Trump outpaced him as well with Lutnick’s confirmation. 

His office noted that 17 Cabinet nominees were not confirmed for Obama in 2009 until he had been in office for 36 days, citing official congressional records. Biden did not see 17 Cabinet nominees confirmed for 56 days. 

KASH PATEL’S CONFIRMATION AS TRUMP FBI PICK ‘WILL HAUNT YOU,’ SENATE DEMS WARN GOP AHEAD OF VOTE

Obama and Biden did not confirm their cabinets as quickly in 2009 and 2021. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

The GOP-led Senate confirmed Kash Patel as FBI director last week, giving Trump another win, even though Patel is not a member of the president’s Cabinet.

“By the end of today, we will have confirmed 18 of President Trump’s nominees. These nominees are bold and well-qualified,” Barrasso said on the Senate floor before Patel’s vote. 

“That is more nominees than President Obama had in 2009. It is more than President Biden had in 2021. More than twice as many,” he said. 

“Americans voted for a bold, new direction in Washington. Senate Republicans are delivering it,” he said.

FETTERMAN LOSES TWO TOP STAFFERS AS HE MAKES WAVES BY BUCKING DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Patel was confirmed in a party-line vote, with some Republican defectors.  (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

While they still have a handful of Cabinet nominees left to confirm, the approval of Patel marked a crucial accomplishment for the party, as they officially put in place each of the president’s most controversial picks. 

Trump nominated Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard and Patel, each of whom managed to lose the support of at least one Republican. 

SCOOP: TOP GOP SEN. COTTON TO MEET WITH EMBATTLED TRUMP DEFENSE NOMINEE AS DOUBTS SWIRL

Gabbard relied on help from JD Vance and Tom Cotton to get key votes. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

And while their confirmations were at some points uphill battles for the administration, each of them successfully got past the finish line. 

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Those still left to be confirmed to Trump’s Cabinet are Lori Chavez-DeRemer for Secretary, of Labor Linda McMahon for Secretary of Education, U.S. Trade Representative nominee Jamieson Greer and Elise Stefanik to be ambassador to the United Nations.