NationalWatch

If you take a step back – make that several steps back – it’s easier to understand what Donald Trump is doing.

Why would he deliberately ignite a media firestorm over such controversial nominees as Matt Gaetz and Pete Hegseth, and to a lesser degree with Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr.?

The short answer is that the president-elect can’t run again and wants these nominees to disrupt – or even blow up – the departments they’d be in charge of running. And if they don’t have the usual credentials, if they’ve never run a large organization, he doesn’t give a damn.

But wouldn’t it better serve his purposes to nominate equally disruptive Cabinet members who don’t have the baggage of a Matt Gaetz? But would they have the unquestioned loyalty?

TRUMP, DEFYING MEDIA PREDICTIONS, MAINLY PICKS SEASONED CAPITOL HILL VETERANS SUCH AS MARCO RUBIO

Even skeptical members of his inner circle have no choice but to let Trump be Trump.  

If Gaetz were to become attorney general, for instance, he could fire FBI chief Chris Wray rather than Trump having to be the bad guy. 

The thinking in Trump World is that the Senate won’t be able to reject more than two of his nominees. So even if Gaetz, who doesn’t appear to have the votes, is rejected, and perhaps Hegseth as well, everyone else gets through, including Kennedy and Gabbard.

And wouldn’t it be hard for the Republican Senate, in the wake of such rejections, to be essentially obligated to approve the replacement nominees, given the magnitude of Trump’s victory? Is this 4-dimensional chess?

White House chief of staff Susie Wiles was on the plane, with Gaetz, when Trump offered the now-former congressman the AG’s job. Whether Wiles, who ran a tightly organized campaign, knew about it or not, she had no power to stop it.

Privately, some Trump advisers are opposed to the most radioactive picks, but they also know that the boss gets what he wants.  

THE PODCAST CAMPAIGN: IS IT CURTAINS FOR MAINSTREAM MEDIA?

The incoming Senate majority leader, John Thune, who’s not a Trump fan and was opposed by Trump, is deemed not likely to go along with recess appointments, which would be surrendering the chamber’s constitutional role of advise and consent.

New reporting has complicated things for Gaetz and Hegseth, the decorated Army combat veteran and former Fox weekend host tapped to run the Pentagon. 

The Washington Post scoop about Hegseth’s lawyer saying he paid off a female accuser who says he raped her in 2017, as part of a non-disclosure agreement, would sink a nominee under any other president. Hegseth, visibly intoxicated, says the encounter in his hotel room was consensual; the 30-year-old woman was at the conservative conference with her husband and small children.

In the case of Gaetz, House Speaker Mike Johnson doesn’t want the ethics committee report released, since the man has resigned his seat. Does anyone doubt that if this was a Democrat, he would take the opposite stance and denounce the nominee as a pervert?  

In any event, a lawyer for multiple women making accusations of sexual misconduct told ABC that two of his clients say Gaetz paid them for sex. And he plans more interviews.

Attorney Joel Leppard said that in their House ethics testimony, staffers “essentially put the Venmo payments on the screen and asked about them. And my clients repeatedly testified, ‘What was this payment for?’ ‘That was for sex.'” .

MEDIA LIBERALS SAVAGE KAMALA AS TRUMP PICKS EXPERIENCED HARD-LINERS

Leppard had previously said that one of his clients had also watched Gaetz have sex with a minor.

John Clune, another lawyer for a woman who contends that Gaetz had sex with a minor then in high school, called the Gaetz nomination “a perverse development in a truly dark series of events.”

And as CNN noted, one of the underage girls says she had sex with Gaetz on an air hockey table, according to her testimony.

One thing is certain: Trump continues to support both nominees. He is not going to back down.

By the way, if Kamala Harris had won the election, I’d be scrutinizing her nominees the same way. A number of pro-Trumpers online accused me of Trump Derangement Syndrome for covering the most controversial nominees, which is hilarious because the president-elect granted me two interviews in 10 months, one just a couple of weeks before the election, and told me that both were fair.

Meanwhile, Trump’s decision to meet with Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, who have relentlessly bashed him for the last seven years, was a brilliant move. Both made the request, and Trump was magnanimous enough to grant them an audience at Mar-a-Lago – really a stunning development.

As they explained yesterday on “Morning Joe:”

“We talked about a lot of issues, including abortion, mass deportation, threats of political retribution against political opponents and media outlets. We talked about that a good bit,” Scarborough said.

“It will come as no surprise to anybody who watches this show, has watched it over the past year or over the past decade, that we didn’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of issues and we told him so.”

‘MORNING JOE’ CO-HOSTS HOLD FACE-TO-FACE MEETING WITH TRUMP FOR FIRST TIME IN SEVEN YEARS

What they did agree on, Brzezinski said, “was to restart communications.”

She noted that her father, the late Zbigniew Brzezinski, “often spoke with world leaders with whom he and the United States profoundly disagreed. That is a task shared by reporters and commentators alike. We had not spoken to Trump since March of 2020, other than a personal call that Joe made after the attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania.”

Trump was “cheerful and upbeat” and “seemed interested in finding common ground with Democrats on some of the most divisive issues.”

As for the expected liberal backlash for meeting with a man they’d described as a fascist, Mika turned it around: “Why wouldn’t we?”

Trump later told Fox’s Brooke Singman: “Many things were discussed, and I very much appreciated the fact that they wanted to have open communication. In many ways, it’s too bad that it wasn’t done long ago…

“In order to Make America Great Again, it is very important, if not vital, to have a free, fair and open media or press.” 

MSNBC’S ‘MORNING JOE’ CO-HOSTS REVEAL THEY MET WITH PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP AT MAR-A-LAGO

Trump also said of his meeting with the husband-and-wife MSNBC hosts that they “congratulated me on running a ‘great and flawless campaign, one for the history books,’ which I really believe it was, but it was also a campaign where I worked long and hard — perhaps longer and harder than any presidential candidate in history.”

“We talked about various Cabinet members — both announced and to be announced. As expected, they like some very much, but not all. The meeting ended in a very positive manner, and we agreed to speak in the future.” And here’s the olive branch: “I expect this will take place with others in the media, even those that have been extremely hostile.”

Trump said he has “an obligation to the American public, and to our country itself, to be open and available to the press.”

“If not treated fairly, however, that will end.”

So there you have it, a carrot and a stick. 

The denunciations came fast and furious.

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

“Byron York – Annals of shamelessness: They call Trump a fascist, and much, much more, and then, just 22 days after his ‘Nazi-like’ rally, they fly to Florida for an audience. Afterward, they say, ‘We didn’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of issues,’ but they want to ‘restart communications.’ What?”

Steve Cortes – “It’s difficult to overstate how dishonest these two are. Mika & Joe scream for months that Trump is a ‘fascist’ who would ‘end democracy.’ Now that he’s elected — and very popular — they visit him like it’s just coffee with an opposing party politician???”

I couldn’t disagree more. The meeting, which may not be unrelated to ratings, means they will have some access to their onetime friend and, they say, criticize him when they think he’s wrong.

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Who wants to hear another four years of Trump-bashing, which didn’t work? This way they can report what the next president says and then take a stance. And with Trump vowing to reach out to other hostile outlets, I hope the truce lasts.

Footnote: Trump has named former Congressman Sean Duffy, a co-host of “Bottom Line” on FOX Business, as Transportation secretary.

FIRST ON FOX — The House Homeland Security Committee is demanding interviews with three FEMA employees on possible “systemic bias” against Trump supporters — as the agency deals with fallout from now-fired employee Marn’i Washington telling relief workers to skip houses visibly advertising support for President-elect Trump during recovery efforts after Hurricane Milton. 

In a letter to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn., asks to speak with three employees who would have been responsible for policy in Florida, where Washington was assigned. Those employees are FEMA Region 4 Administrator Robert Samaan, Deputy Region 4 Administrator Robert Ashe and Chad Hershey, the lead for FEMA’s disaster survivor assistance crew. 

The letter cites recent comments by Washington, including to Fox News, that she’s being scapegoated for doing what her superiors told her to do. 

Green is joined on the letter by Reps. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., and Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., who chair relevant Homeland Security subcommittees. 

FEMA OFFICIAL SAID TO AVOID HOMES WITH TRUMP SIGNS: ‘TO SAY I WAS SURPRISED WOULD BE A LIE’

“Ms. Washington’s statement contradicts FEMA’s press release and points to a possibly systemic bias within FEMA against individuals that support President-elect Donald J. Trump,” the lawmakers said in the letter. “If such bias is present within FEMA, the Committee is deeply concerned that households that support President-elect Trump and even neighborhoods consisting of primarily Republican-aligned households might be receiving diminished levels of resources, manpower, and support, significantly protracting recovery following natural disasters.” 

Criswell said in a statement after the Daily Wire first reported on Washington’s order that it was “reprehensible” and “a clear violation of FEMA’s core values and principles.”

“I’m just simply executing, again, what was coming down from my superiors,” Washington shot back in an interview with Trace Gallagher on “Fox News @ Night” last week. 

“This was the culture. They were already avoiding these homes based on community trends from hostile political encounters,” Washington also said. 

HOUSE OVERSIGHT CALLS ON FEMA DIRECTOR TO TESTIFY AFTER OFFICIAL TELLS WORKERS TO AVOID HOME WITH TRUMP SIGNS

Green’s letter asks that FEMA schedule the interviews with Hershey, Ashe and Samaan by the end of this week. Fox News is also told by a source familiar that the Homeland Security Committee will have another transcribed interview request on FEMA oversight soon. 

“If [Washington] is right and there is a broader ‘policy’ of discriminatory practices in the agency’s recovery efforts, this Committee will demand accountability from the highest levels,” Green said in a statement to Fox News. 

Washington emphasized to Fox News that FEMA prioritizes “avoidance” and “de-escalation” in situations where some employees may feel unsafe, and that isn’t necessarily politically targeted at Trump supporters. This could include other situations, like urban areas where there are unleashed dogs, she said. 

Washington told Gallagher that discriminating against people explicitly because of political leanings would violate the Hatch Act, but said “unfortunately, again, the passionate supporters for Trump, some of them were a little bit violent.” 

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Criswell will nevertheless face a congressional grilling Tuesday. She appears before a House Transportation & Infrastructure subcommittee at 10 a.m. EST and then will testify to the House Oversight Committee at 2 p.m. EST.  

Fox News’ Trace Gallagher and Melissa Summers contributed to this report.

Energy and climate-focused groups have mixed feelings about the new appointees selected to lead the charge on environmental issues over the next four years.

President-elect Donald Trump tapped fracking CEO Chris Wright to head the Department of Energy, while former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin was nominated to run the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Both candidates are teed up to align themselves with Trump’s position on achieving U.S. energy independence and cut back on the Biden administration’s environmental policies, such as emissions standards. When interviewed by Fox News Digital, leaders of environmental groups said that neither inspired much hope that Trump would seriously address their concerns about the future. 

Zeldin previously supported environmental causes during his time in Congress, such as cleaning up Long Island Sound, which was applauded by environmental groups after he was nominated for the top administration position.

TRUMP TAPS LIBERTY ENERGY CEO CHRIS WRIGHT FOR DEPARTMENT TO ENERGY: ‘LEADING TECHNOLOGIST AND ENTREPRENEUR’

“Lee Zeldin is deeply familiar with the environmental issues we face in the Long Island Sound region and has championed the Sound’s health as co-chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus,” Save the Sound, a group focused on stopping water pollution, and restoring wildlife habitats, said in a statement. “We appreciate Representative Zeldin’s prior support of the funding that is critical for the restoration of Long Island Sound, his role in passing the Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Act, and his support for the permanent preservation of Plum Island.”

The New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) also highlighted their work with Zeldin over the years on environmental issues.

TRUMP TAPS FORMER NEW YORK REP LEE ZELDIN TO LEAD EPA

“While we did not always see eye to eye with Rep. Zeldin, we did work to find common ground on several issues during his time in office, including on Plum Island, the Great American Outdoors Act, fighting offshore drilling on the East Coast, EPA actions on PFAS, and restoring funding for Long Island Sound,” NYLCV said in a statement after Zeldin was nominated. 

“The former congressman has called himself a champion for conservation within the Republican Party. He has also said he is committed to public health and that he supports energy independence. He opposed cuts to the EPA from both Democratic and Republican presidents because, he said, they would hurt the people he was in office to serve,” NYLCV continued. “For the health and wellness of the American people and given the urgency of the climate crisis, we hope his EPA will reflect these values.”

However, the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit of 250 scientists whose research is geared towards a mission to “combat climate change,” claimed that Zeldin does not have the experience for the role.

“If confirmed, Lee Zeldin would come to the crucial position of EPA administrator lacking relevant experience and has already signaled that he would put corporations over people,” Rachel Cleetus, the policy director for the Union of Concerned Scientists, said in a statement. “The EPA’s mission is to protect public health and the environment, and he must make decisions based on the best available science, not pressure from oil and gas companies seeking to expand their profits. His focus should be on cutting harmful pollution—including heat-trapping emissions—to safeguard people, the economy and ecosystems.” 

Earthjustice, the San Francisco-based nonprofit that dates back to 1971, expressed skepticism that Zeldin could get rid of many of the current environmental policies of the Biden administration.

“We need a steady, experienced hand at EPA to marshal federal resources to fight climate change and utilize the full power of the law to protect communities from toxic pollution. Lee Zeldin is not that person,” Earthjustice President Abigail Dillen said, according to Roll Call. “His loyalty to Donald Trump indicates he will gladly take a sledgehammer to EPA’s most recent lifesaving regulations, putting politics over science and endangering our communities.”

Environmental groups have been widely critical of pro-fracking candidate Wright, the CEO and founder of Liberty Energy, to head the Department of Energy in Trump’s second term.

Jeff Deyette, deputy director of the climate and energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said that “the nomination of Chris Wright makes crystal clear the fossil fuel industry’s out-sized and undue influence on shaping and implementing the Trump administration’s agenda.”

“DOE must prioritize confronting the reality of the climate crisis, maintaining focus on the technological and policy innovation required to enable a rapid phase out of dirty fossil fuels and transition to clean and reliable renewable energy,” Deyette added.

Wright, who described himself as a “lifelong environmentalist,” has said that he believes climate change is an issue, but not a crisis, and accused the movement of using “deceptive marketing terms.” 

“Climate change is a real problem, and I’ve been speaking on it for 20 years,” Wright said while speaking at the 2023 American Conservation Coalition Summit in Salt Lake City. “We can make progress on that. But we can’t make progress towards solving a climate challenge if we’re keeping people in poverty and not letting them rise up.”

The Sierra Club, an environmental group that “works to promote clean energy,” slammed his views on climate change.

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“Not since Donald Trump’s most recent cabinet pick has a nominee ever been so utterly unqualified for the job,” Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous said of Chris Wright. “Clean air and clean water are not a priority for these people, and their reckless ideas and policies will only further harm the American people. Chris Wright is not merely unqualified, he’s a direct threat to our future and the planet’s.”

Wright is likely to push back on the Biden administration’s target to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government in Canada “could have acted quicker” to reign in the massive influx of migrants entering the country following the coronavirus pandemic. 

Trudeau’s remarks came during a nearly seven-minute video he posted online over the weekend, during which the prime minister laid out the reasons why Canada was putting limits on its temporary foreign worker program, while also reducing the number of permanent residents allowed entry into Canada by as much as 27% by 2027. 

Trudeau largely blamed “bad actors,” such as corporations and universities, for enticing immigrants to come to Canada, where there was a massive labor shortage following the pandemic. He pointed out that many of these predatory entities lured hordes of immigrant workers with false promises of college degrees, permanent residency, jobs and more. 

CANADA’S TRUDEAU FACING REVOLT FROM WITHIN AS POPULAR CONSERVATIVE LEADER LOOKS TO CAPITALIZE

However, Trudeau also suggested that the federal government was at least partly to blame for not “turn[ing] off the taps faster” after the country’s labor shortage waned.

“Looking back, when the post-pandemic boom cooled and businesses no longer needed the additional labor help, as a federal team, we could have acted quicker, and turned off the taps faster,” Trudeau said in his video message. “Immigration is primarily a federal job. We have the levers to rein it in. So we are.”

Canada’s new plan, introduced formally last month, seeks to reduce the threshold of immigrants allowed into the country who are seeking permanent residency over the next three years. In the first year, 2025, the allowable threshold will be reduced from 500,000 to 395,000, followed by a 2026 threshold of 380,000 immigrants seeking permanent residency and finally, in 2027, the limit will be set at 365,000.

In addition to the changes impacting immigrants seeking permanent residency, Canada will also begin limiting the number of temporary foreign workers allowed into the country for the first time. The limit aims to reduce the share of temporary foreign workers in Canada to 5% of the overall population.

CANADA LAUNCHES SUDDEN IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN AMID PUBLIC PRESSURE: REPORT

Meanwhile, Trudeau’s liberal government has seen waning support among voters this year. Amid that decreasing support, Canada began cracking down on visa requirements and started turning away more immigrants showing up at its front door, Reuters reported in September. On average, Canada turned away roughly 20% more immigrants per month during the first seven months of this year, the outlet indicated.

During a podcast conversation about Canada’s ongoing immigration challenges, released Friday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said the chaos in Canada’s immigration system has largely occurred under Trudeau’s leadership, who Poilievre said ushered in a 300% increase in Canada’s population over several years. The Conservative Party leader also blamed Trudeau for much of the waste, fraud and abuse the prime minister spoke of in his video that resulted in such a massive influx in immigration post-coronavirus pandemic. 

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“Now, [Trudeau] is basically denouncing his entire immigration policy and expecting us to believe that he can fix the problems that he caused,” Poilievre concluded. “The bottom line is we have to fix our immigration, get back to the best system in the world, the one that brought my wife here as a refugee legally and lawfully, the one that brought so many people here to pursue the Canadian promise.”

Criticisms have mounted surrounding President-elect Trump naming former Rep. Matt Gaetz as his pick for U.S. attorney general, following nearly four years of actions taken by the Biden administration’s Department of Justice that came under fierce fire from conservatives. 

Trump named Gaetz as his pick for attorney general last Wednesday, coming as a surprise to both conservatives and liberals alike. Democrats have notably slammed the choice, citing the House Ethics Committee’s investigation into Gaetz’s alleged sexual misconduct with a minor. Gaetz has long denied any wrongdoing, and the Trump transition team said they are confident the Senate will confirm Gaetz. 

“I know Matt personally. He is a great person. He’s a man of integrity. He also is a brilliant litigator. He served on the House Judiciary Committee for eight years. Anyone who has watched him in those hearings knows that he’s incredibly impressive,” Karoline Leavitt, the transition team’s spokesperson and Trump’s recently announced pick for press secretary, said on Fox News last week. 

“Like President Trump, Matt Gaetz has been a victim of the weaponized Department of Justice, and one of the promises President Trump made to the American people was to root out the corruption at the DOJ. We have seen this agency turn against the American people because of their political beliefs. Matt Gaetz and President Trump are going to put an end to that, and that’s what the American people want. That’s why they elected him,” Leavitt added. 

SPEAKER JOHNSON OPPOSES RELEASING MATT GAETZ’S HOUSE ETHICS REPORT: ‘OPEN A PANDORA’S BOX’

The Biden administration’s Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Merrick Garland, has repeatedly come under fire for a series of actions viewed as targeting conservatives. 

The DOJ was heavily criticized by parents nationwide in 2021, when Garland issued a memo directing the FBI to use counterterrorism tools related to parents speaking out at school board meetings against transgender-related issues and critical race theory curricula. The memorandum followed the National School Boards Association (NSBA) sending a letter to President Biden, asking that the federal government investigate parents protesting at school board meetings, claiming school officials were facing threats at meetings. 

The NSBA requested that parents’ actions should be examined under the Patriot Act as “domestic terrorists,” sparking Garland’s eventual memo, which did not use the phrase “domestic terrorist.”

“After surveying local law enforcement, U.S. Attorney’s offices around the country reported back to Main Justice that there was no legitimate law-enforcement basis for the Attorney General’s directive to use federal law-enforcement and counterterrorism resources to investigate school board-related threats,” the House Judiciary Committee stated in an interim report on the memo last year. 

Garland testified before the Senate last year that the memo “was aimed at violence and threats of violence against a whole host of school personnel,” not parents “making complaints to their school board,” but the memo set off a firestorm of criticism from parents, nonetheless. 

“The premier law enforcement agency of the United States of America, the FBI, was used as a weapon by the DOJ against parents who dared to voice their concerns at the most local level – their school board,” Moms For Liberty founder Tiffany Justice told Fox News Digital last year. 

Other parents sounded off on social media, facetiously asking if they looked like a “domestic terrorist,” and others stating “arrest me” online in response to protesting liberal school policies. 

GAETZ-GATE: NAVIGATING THE PRESIDENT-ELECT’S MOST BAFFLING CABINET PICK

The Biden DOJ again came under fire for claims it was fraudulently targeting religious Catholics when the FBI arrested a Pennsylvania dad in 2022 who frequently prayed outside of abortion clinics. 

Mark Houck, a Catholic dad of seven who would often pray outside a Philadelphia abortion clinic, was arrested at his rural Pennsylvania home in Kintnersville by the FBI. The arrest stemmed from an altercation he had with a Planned Parenthood escort in Philadelphia in October 2021. Houck was accused of pushing the abortion clinic escort, who allegedly verbally harassed Houck’s 12-year-old son outside the clinic.  

The Biden administration alleged Houck violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which makes it a federal crime to use force with the intent to injure, intimidate and interfere with anyone because that person provides reproductive health care. 

Houck was acquitted by a jury last year, after arguing that he was protecting his son. He and his wife Ryan-Marie argued the FBI used excessive force during the arrest, filing a lawsuit against the DOJ earlier this year alleging the arrest followed a “faulty and malicious investigation.” 

FBI ARREST OF PENNSYLVANIA PRO-LIFE ACTIVIST ‘STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN,’ FORMER PROSECUTOR SAYS: ‘LOSER CASE’

In Georgia, the DOJ came under fire for suing the state after it passed the Election Integrity Act of 2021, which overhauled its election laws, including limiting ballot drop box locations and requiring absentee voters to provide a form of identification – such as a driver’s license or the last four digits of their Social Security number – when requesting an absentee ballot.

Biden, along with Democrats nationwide and Hollywood actors who frequently film in the Peach State, sounded off on the election laws, including the 46th president calling them “Jim Crow 2.0.” 

“This is Jim Crow in the 21st century. It must end. We have a moral and constitutional obligation to act,” Biden said in March 2021.

‘JIM CROW 2.0?’ CONSERVATIVES BLAST DEMOCRATIC FEARMONGERING AFTER GEORGIA SMASHES EARLY VOTING RECORDS

“This law, like so many others being pursued by Republicans in statehouses across the country is a blatant attack on the Constitution and good conscience. Among the outrageous parts of this new state law, it ends voting hours early so working people can’t cast their vote after their shift is over. It adds rigid restrictions on casting absentee ballots that will effectively deny the right to vote to countless voters,” Biden added. 

The DOJ filed a lawsuit against the state, claiming that portions of the law had a “purpose of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race,” the DOJ said in a press release at the time. 

“The right of all eligible citizens to vote is the central pillar of our democracy, the right from which all other rights ultimately flow,” said Garland in a statement at the time. “This lawsuit is the first step of many we are taking to ensure that all eligible voters can cast a vote; that all lawful votes are counted; and that every voter has access to accurate information.”  

Conservatives slammed the Biden administration and Democrats for “fearmongering” following the 2022 election cycle, which reported record-smashing early-voting numbers after Democrats claimed the laws would prevent some voters from casting ballots. 

Simultaneous to running for re-election, Trump had juggled a handful of lawsuits leading up to Nov. 5, including charges brought against him by Special Counsel Jack Smith. Garland appointed Smith as special counsel, with the Trump legal team arguing the AG “violated the Appointments Clause by naming private-citizen Smith to target President Trump.” 

Smith indicted Trump in Washington, D.C., over alleged efforts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election, as well as federal charges against the former president in Florida for his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House. The judge presiding over the Florida case tossed it over the summer, which Smith quickly appealed.  

Following Trump’s massive electoral win this month, however, Smith began winding the cases down as DOJ policy forbids criminal charges against a sitting president. 

JUDGE DISMISSES TRUMP’S FLORIDA CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASE

Following the controversies within the DOJ under the Biden administration, Democrats are slamming Trump for naming Gaetz as his pick for attorney general. Gaetz resigned from the House of Representatives following Trump’s announcement, but he still needs to be confirmed by the Senate in order to officially become attorney general in the second Trump administration. 

“Three recent Trump nominees – Gaetz, Hegseth, and Gabbard – are far less qualified than Senate confirmation rejects like Bork, Tower, and Mier [sic],” Harvard Professor Lawrence Summers, who served in the Clinton and Obama administrations, posted on X, referencing Supreme Court nominees Robert Bork and Harriet Miers and Defense secretary nominee John Tower. “I hope that the Senate will do its duty.”

“This is going to be a red alert moment for American democracy. Matt Gaetz is being nominated for one reason and one reason only: Because he will implement Donald Trump’s transition of the Department of Justice from an agency that stands up for all of us to an agency that is simply an arm of the White House designed to persecute and prosecute Trump’s political enemies,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said last week. 

TRUMP LAWYERS MOVE TO DISMISS JACK SMITH 2020 ELECTION CHARGES, CLAIM HE WAS UNLAWFULLY APPOINTED

“It’s just kind of like a God-tier kind of trolling just to trigger a meltdown,”  Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said. “But, really, the Dems’ opinions on Gaetz, that’s not really what’s interesting. The good ones are going to come by my colleagues on the other side, the GOP, on how they can justify voting for that j— off.”

While some Republicans have also sounded off on the choice and predicted that Gaetz won’t make it through the confirmation process, conservatives such as Fox News’ Mark Levin and Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson shut down such criticisms. 

DEMOCRATS’ FUROR OVER ‘UNQUALIFIED’ TRUMP NOMINEES PUTS BIDEN’S STAFFING DECISIONS BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT

“The Democrat Party nominated and supported Tim Walz for vice president. I don’t want to hear from that party or its media that any of the Trump nominees are unqualified for their posts. They have demonstrated that they have no standards at all when it comes to selecting even a vice-presidential candidate.  Every Trump nominee has a solid record.  Perspective is very important,” Levin posted to X last week. 

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Johnson held up a photo of assistant HHS Secretary Rachel Levine and former senior Department of Energy official Sam Brinton when asked about the selection of Gaetz last week, asking, “Did you ask Democratic senators about this?” Levine is the first openly transgender individual to be confirmed by the Senate, while Brinton identifies as nonbinary and was arrested for baggage theft at airports before he departed the DOE.

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller, Gabriel Hays and Julia Johnson contributed to this report. 

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…

– House Ethics Committee to meet Wednesday after postponing Gaetz investigation meeting

– Trump confirms support for major step in mass deportation push to ‘reverse the Biden invasion’

– Republicans file 12 Pennsylvania lawsuits in ‘aggressive’ push to end recount

‘Game On’

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus will oppose President-elect Donald Trump’s planned mass deportation campaign, Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán, D-Calif., declared during remarks on Friday.

The congresswoman – who chairs the group composed entirely of Democrats – claimed that mass deportations would “have a negative impact on the U.S. economy.”

During a Saturday appearance on “Fox News Live,” Tom Homan, who Trump tapped to serve as “border czar,” responded to the lawmaker’s remarks…Read more

Biden White House

‘TOTAL CATASTROPHE’: Biden pushes to finalize more student debt relief before end of term, including for ‘future borrowers’…Read more

‘A DEFINING CAUSE’: Biden touts six-fold climate funding increase under his administration: ‘A defining cause of my presidency’…Read more

‘LIKELY BE IMPOSSIBLE’: Trump would need congressional approval in order to dissolve Education Department, experts say…Read more

‘FACE THE CONSEQUENCES’: Democratic effort to block Biden weapons sale to Israel gains momentum: ‘Congress must step up’…Read more

STATE OF EMERGENCY: Trump declaring national emergency at border would not lead to militarization of country, expert says…Read more

LAME DUCK ESCALATION: Trump allies warn Biden risking ‘World War III’ by authorizing long-range missiles for Ukraine…Read more

POLITICAL STORM: Biden asks Congress for $98 billion in Helene, Milton disaster relief funding…Read more

Cabinet Picks

‘PERVASIVE ANTISEMITISM’: Fetterman calls out ‘UN’s rank, pervasive antisemitism,’ says he looks forward to confirming Elise Stefanik…Read more

FORWARD FOCUS: Trump’s choice for FCC chairman says agency ‘will end its promotion of DEI’ next year…Read more

CLEAN HOUSE: Pentagon bracing for sweeping changes after Trump nominates Pete Hegseth for secretary…Read more

‘BUSINESS-AS-USUAL’: Musk pegs potential Trump Treasury secretary pick Bessent as ‘business-as-usual choice,’ backing Lutnick…Read more

Capitol Hill

‘THAT’S THE LAW’: Fetterman defends Casey-McCormick recount as challenger’s team says ‘zero’ path for Democrat…Read more

‘SWAMPBUS’: Spending bill trouble brews as Sen Mike Lee warns of Dec. 20 govt. funding deadline…Read more

BIG SPENDERS: What is reconciliation, the tool Republicans want to use to ‘push the outer limits’ on federal policy?…Read more

‘RECKONING’ COMING’: Dozens of state financial officials warn new Congress of national security implications of ignoring US debt…Read more

YOUNG GUNS: Youngest House Republican-elect reveals how GOP won back America’s youth…Read more

LET’S CIRCLE BACK IN JANUARY: DeSantis sets timetable for naming a replacement for Rubio in Senate…Read more

Trail Dust

CONCESSION STAND: Hovde concedes 12 days after Wisconsin Senate race call, blames Dem-recruited 3rd-party candidate…Read more

MILLION-DOLLAR BOB: McCormick-Casey recount to top $1M, as GOP slams blue counties defying high court…Read more

BREAKING THE BANK: Harris campaign budget for star-studded events on election eve ballooned to over $10M…Read more

STILL TOO CLOSE: Size of slim Republican House majority hangs on five uncalled races…Read more

Across America 

‘ABSOLUTELY WRONG’: Federal complaint targets Boston school district for Whites-only teacher training on racism…Read more

‘SUBSTANTIAL FLAWS’: GOP cries foul on Dem border spending bill they say would drag out migrant crisis…Read more

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

Senate Republicans opted to delay votes and draw out floor action on Monday night after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., sought to stack additional judicial confirmation votes on the calendar ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Two sources familiar told Fox News Digital that the plan to slow down the Senate was spearheaded by Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., who was recently elected as the next Republican Senate leader. 

“If Sen. Schumer thought Senate Republicans would just roll over and allow him to quickly confirm multiple Biden-appointed judges to lifetime jobs in the final weeks of the Democrat majority, he thought wrong,” Thune told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. 

In response to the Democrat leader’s decision to file cloture on a number of judicial nominees, which would come up for confirmation votes in a number of days, Republicans plotted procedural maneuvers on the Senate floor to significantly delay votes, multiple GOP sources told Fox News. 

GOP CRIES FOUL ON DEM BORDER SPENDING BILL THEY SAY WOULD DRAG OUT MIGRANT CRISIS

The additional cloture filings by Schumer come as Democrats are focusing their efforts on confirming as many judges nominated by President Biden as they can in the time they have left in the majority. 

During the first procedural vote of the evening, a source familiar told Fox News, “it could be a late night.”

SPENDING BILL TROUBLE BREWS AS SEN MIKE LEE WARNS OF CHRISTMAS ‘SWAMPBUS’

In order to file cloture on a nomination, the Senate needs to transition from legislative session to executive session. This is typically done by unanimous consent from the Senate. But on Monday evening, Republicans began objecting to the requests for unanimous consent. 

When a senator objects, it requires the transition between executive and legislative sessions to be voted on. 

By objecting to Democrats’ unanimous consent requests in order to file cloture on the Biden nominees, Republicans are adding additional votes to the schedule, taking up a substantial amount of time. 

THUNE ‘ADAMANT’ ABOUT TRUMP SUPPORT, DRIVING MAGA AGENDA DESPITE TENSE PAST RELATIONSHIP

Schumer’s office did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital. 

In floor remarks on Monday, Schumer emphasized that Democrats are prioritizing judges in the lame duck session. 

“The judges we’ve confirmed represent perhaps the widest range of backgrounds and experiences ever seen under any president. We have more judges that worked as public defenders, legal aid attorneys, civil rights lawyers, federal prosecutors, voting rights lawyers, and more women and people of color than we’ve ever had under one Administration,” he said of the 215 nominees that have already been confirmed. 

TOP GOP SENATORS WARN DOJ TO PRESERVE JACK SMITH DOCS IN TRUMP CASES, CITING ‘PAST DESTRUCTION’ OF RECORDS

 “After we vote today, we’ll keep going. Tonight, I will file on additional judges who we will move forward on the floor this week.”

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“So, let me repeat: the Senate is going to keep prioritizing judicial and administrative confirmations this week, this month, and for the rest of this year,” he said. 

During Biden’s term, his administration has sought to surpass President-elect Donald Trump’s first-term legacy of 234 confirmed Article III judicial nominees. And as Democrats look down the barrel of a Republican trifecta in Washington, D.C., controlling the House, Senate, and White House, they appear more energized than ever to push Biden’s judges through and potentially beat Trump’s number. 

Trump campaign official Chris LaCivita predicted election officials in Pennsylvania will face jail time for counting mail-in ballots with either incorrect or missing dates after the state Supreme Court previously ruled such ballots should not be counted.

“They will go to jail,” LaCivita, Trump’s co-campaign manager, posted to his X account on Sunday evening. “Count on it.”

LaCivita was reacting to a social media post touting a Washington Free Beacon article detailing that Democratic Sen. Bob Casey endorsed Democratic Bucks County commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia last year during her campaign for the position, before she and other Democratic commissioners in the state voted to count the disqualified ballots. 

“I think we all know that precedent by a court doesn’t matter anymore in this country,” Ellis-Marseglia said Thursday as she and other Democrats voted to reject a GOP-led challenge to ballots that should be disqualified. 

PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRATS OPENLY ADMIT TO COUNTING ILLEGAL BALLOTS IN MCCORMICK-CASEY RACE

Pennsylvania is in the midst of a ballot recount after Casey refused to concede his race against Sen.-elect Dave McCormick earlier this month. McCormick’s unofficial margin of victory stands at roughly 17,000 votes, or within the 0.5% threshold required under Pennsylvania law to trigger an automatic recount.

“Pennsylvanians deserve to have their voices heard, and the worth of someone’s vote is not determined by how long it takes to be counted,” Casey wrote in an op-ed defending his decision to not concede the race. “When a Pennsylvanian takes the time to cast a legal vote, often waiting in long lines and taking time away from their work and family, they deserve to have their vote counted, whether it is the first ballot counted or the last.”

The state Supreme Court ruled ahead of the election that mail-in ballots that do not include formally required signatures or dates should not be counted for the official tally of votes in the state. Democratic-led election boards, however — including in Philadelphia, Bucks County, Montgomery County, and Centre County — bucked the state high court’s ruling and voted to include such ballots in the recount. 

“People violate laws any time they want,” Ellis-Marseglia said last week, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “So, for me, if I violate this law it’s because I want a court to pay attention. There’s nothing more important than counting votes.”

REPUBLICANS FILE 12 PENNSYLVANIA LAWSUITS IN ‘AGGRESSIVE’ PUSH TO END RECOUNT

In addition to Casey endorsing the Democratic commissioner during her campaign last year, Ellis-Marseglia, as well as fellow Democratic Bucks County commissioner Bob Harvie, donated a combined $2,600 to the Casey campaign this year, the Washington Free Beacon reported. 

Republicans have launched a bevy of lawsuits over including the disqualified ballots in the recount. Republican Party officials are filing 12 lawsuits in Pennsylvania in order to protect the Senate seat.

‘ABSOLUTE LAWLESSNESS’: GOP BLASTS PA. DEMS’ RECOUNT EFFORT IN CASEY SENATE LOSS

Both national and state Republican parties have filed lawsuits in four counties across Pennsylvania, urging the courts to not count mail-in ballots with either incorrect or missing dates, in accordance with a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling this month.

RNC officials challenged the notion that the Senate recount, which continues through Nov. 26, will change the outcome of the election in any substantive way. They have decried the effort, which costs an estimated $1 million, as a waste of taxpayer money, noting that since 2000 there have been just three statewide election recounts in Pennsylvania, and each has resulted in an average change of 393 votes.

PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRATS SLAMMED FOR COUNTING ILLEGAL BALLOTS IN SENATE RACE: UNBELIEVABLY ‘BRAZEN’

“Democrat officials are on video saying that they’re going to choose to break the law, and there will be legal consequences for that,” a senior party official told Fox News earlier Monday. 

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“The Casey campaign could end the recount at any time,” Pennsylvania Republican Party Chair Lawrence Tabas added of the lawsuits. “And there are political ramifications of eroding the voters’ confidence in elections that has been built. So we need to stop this attempt at electioneering and declare McCormick the winner.”

President-elect Trump announced that he is nominating former Congressman Sean Duffy of Wisconsin to serve as the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.

“Sean has been a tremendous and well-liked public servant, starting his career as a District Attorney for Ashland, Wisconsin, and later elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District,” Trump said in his announcement on Monday. “Sean will use his experience and the relationships he has built over many years in Congress to maintain and rebuild our Nation’s Infrastructure, and fulfill our Mission of ushering in The Golden Age of Travel, focusing on Safety, Efficiency, and Innovation. Importantly, he will greatly elevate the Travel Experience for all Americans!”

While in Congress, Duffy helped advocate for fiscal responsibility, economic growth and rural development.

FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., is introducing a resolution to ban transgender women from using women’s restrooms at the U.S. Capitol.

Mace is expected to file the resolution on Monday.

She told Fox News Digital of the measure, “The sanctity of protecting women and standing up against the Left’s systematic erasure of biological women starts here in the nation’s Capitol.”

JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’

The South Carolina Republican plans to introduce a measure “prohibiting Members, officers, and employees of the House from using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex, and for other purposes,” according to text previewed by Fox News Digital.

House Republicans have previously changed rules on their side of Congress, such as when ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., scuttled metal detectors outside the House chamber after winning the gavel from previous Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN AFTER TRUMP ENDORSEMENT

Mace’s legislation would charge the House sergeant at arms with enforcing the rule.

It’s a preview of what kind of changes Republicans could look to pass when they control both houses of Congress next year. 

MATT GAETZ FACES GOP SENATE OPPOSITION AFTER TRUMP SELECTION FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL

Republicans hammered Democrats on transgender issues in the most recent election, particularly the topic of trans youth athletes in school sports.

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The House GOP moved to restrict federal dollars for transgender health care and to block trans student athletes from participating in school sports teams of their chosen gender.

Mace previously introduced a bill that would have forced illegal immigrants with a history of sex crimes or violence against women to be deported. That bill passed with the support of 51 Democrats and all House Republicans.

Boston’s Democrat Mayor Michelle Wu said in an interview on Sunday that her city won’t cooperate with the looming mass deportation operation from the incoming Trump administration — even as the region sees a number of illegal immigrants with criminal charges released back onto the streets.

Wu was asked in an interview with WCVB about the Trump administration’s plans to launch a mass deportation operation when it takes office in January, and was asked what Boston’s response will be.

“Elections have consequences, and the federal government is responsible for a certain set of actions, and cities, no individual city, can reverse or override some parts of that,” she said. “But what we can do is make sure that we are doing our part to protect our residents in every possible way, that we are not cooperating with those efforts that actually threaten the safety of everyone by causing widespread fear and and having large scale economic impact.”

TRUMP CONFIRMS SUPPORT FOR MAJOR STEP IN MASS DEPORTATION PUSH TO ‘REVERSE THE BIDEN INVASION’

“And then we are providing the spaces to reach out directly to our residents, because the last thing we want is for people who are part of our economy, part of our school system, part of our community and the fabric of our city, to feel that all of a sudden they have to retreat into the shadows with because of fear that reaching out to city services, whether it’s calling 911, when you need it, or taking your child to school, those are all city services that have nothing to do with immigration enforcement, and we will continue to protect our residents within those spaces,” she said.

Trump made a mass deportation operation a centerpiece of his campaign and on Monday said he was open to declaring a national emergency and using military assets.

Fox News Digital reported last week that the Trump administration is already discussing where it can expand detention centers in anticipation of the operation and has spoken to private prison companies about potential expansion.

But there is already brewing resistance from blue cities and states, including those that are “sanctuary” cities — meaning they do not cooperate with ICE requests that detained illegal immigrants with criminal charges or convictions be transferred to ICE custody.

INCOMING TRUMP ADMIN EYES MASSIVE EXPANSION OF IMMIGRATION DETENTION: ‘HE WILL DELIVER’

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said she is prepared to use “every tool in the tool box” to protect its citizens and residents and vowed that state police would “absolutely not” assist Trump in the operation.

But the state, and the Boston area, have seen a number of ICE arrests of illegal immigrants who have been charged with crimes, including child sex offenses, but then released back onto the streets. 

ICE announced this month that it apprehended a Colombian illegal immigrant, who had been arrested on charges of enticing a child under 16, distribution of obscene matter, and lascivious posing and exhibiting a child in the nude. ICE had filed a detainer against him, but it was ignored, the agency said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

In March, Fox News embedded with ICE officers in Boston and saw them make five arrests, including four alleged child rapists and a member of MS-13, a group of potential dangerous criminals the officers say were allowed on the streets because of local sanctuary policies that denied the agency’s detainer requests.

But the lack of cooperation from those states and cities is unlikely to dissuade the administration. Tom Homan, appointed to be the border czar by President-elect Trump, had a message for those jurisdictions this month.

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“If you don’t want to work with us, then get the hell out all the way. We’re going to do it. What it means is, rather than send 100 people to Boston, we’re going to send 200 agents to Boston. We’re going to get the job done,” he said.

President Joe Biden for the first time authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-given long-range missiles to strike inside Russia, a prospect that President-elect Donald Trump’s allies believe could threaten “World War III.”

Ukraine can now target positions in the Kursk region, where Russia has lined up some 50,000 troops, including 10,000 North Koreans, senior U.S. officials confirmed to Fox News. Ukrainian forces seized the Russian territory earlier this year. 

“This is another step up the escalation ladder, and no one knows where this is going,” Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., Trump’s incoming national security adviser, said on Fox News. 

“​​No one anticipated that Joe Biden would ESCALATE the war in Ukraine during the transition period. This is as if he is launching a whole new war,” Ric Grenell, Trump’s former acting director of national intelligence, wrote on X, formerly Twitter. 

“Everything has changed now – all previous calculations are null and void. And all for politics.”

“The Military Industrial Complex seems to want to make sure they get World War 3 going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives. Gotta lock in those $Trillions. Life be damned!!! Imbeciles!” Donald Trump Jr., the president-elect’s son, wrote on X.

ZELENSKYY: RUSSIA USING IRANIAN WEAPONS IN ‘MASSIVE’ ATTACK TARGETING ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE

“On his way out of office, Joe Biden is dangerously trying to start WWIII by authorizing Ukraine the use of U.S. long range missiles into Russia,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on X. “The American people gave a mandate on Nov 5th against these exact America last decisions.”

Deputy national security adviser Jon Finer, in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, did not comment specifically on long-range missiles, but suggested the introduction of North Korean forces factored into the White House’s decision. 

“The United States has been clear throughout this conflict that we will make our policy decisions based on the circumstances we identify on the battlefield, including in recent days and weeks a significant Russian escalation that involves the deployment of a foreign country’s forces on its own territory,” Finer said.

Ukraine has pleaded for months with the Biden administration to be allowed to strike inside Russia — and hawkish members of Congress have issued similar demands. But Biden officials feared getting the U.S. further entrenched in the war.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., called the authorization an “impeachable offense.”

“By authorizing long range missiles to strike inside Russia, Biden is committing an unconstitutional Act of War that endangers the lives of all U.S. citizens. This is an impeachable offense, but the reality is he’s an emasculated puppet of a deep state,” Massie wrote on X. 

Ukrainian forces have been using drones for some deep strikes, but believe the U.S.-made ATACMS would be more effective. 

ATACMS, a surface-to-surface missile system fired from a mobile launcher vehicle, can strike anywhere between 100 and 190 miles away. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has yet to respond to reports the U.S. will cross one of his “red lines,” but his spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, accused the U.S. of adding fuel to the fire. 

“This is a qualitatively new round of tension and a qualitatively new situation in terms of U.S. involvement in this conflict,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists in a Monday briefing. “It’s clear that the outgoing administration in Washington intends to take steps to, they’ve said so, to continue to add fuel to the fire and to further provoke the level of tension.”

Ukraine has not yet used any ATACMS in Russia, according to a senior defense official. 

Rebekah Koffler, a former Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) officer and author of “Putin’s Playbook,” suggested the reports could be a “trial balloon to disrupt Trump” and Biden may not have formally authorized the ATACMS strikes yet. 

“Biden knows the danger of dragging the U.S. into conflict with Russia,” she said. “But if the reports are true, then what it means to Putin is that he has been correct all along in thinking that the U.S. is serious about destroying Russia, using Ukraine, and he was correct all along to devise a plan to defeat the U.S., if necessary, with kinetic means.

“It will mean when Trump comes, Putin does not trust the U.S.… he will likely just proceed to destroying Ukraine. That is why he is not in a rush to negotiate, because he thinks that he can do it, because Russia has Ukraine outgunned and outmanned.”

Trump has insisted he could bring a quick end to the war, a belief Koffler predicted Putin would play to his advantage. 

“He’s going to pretend that he’s interested in negotiations, and drag it on, drag it on. And you know, trying to get the best deal possible. In the meantime, he’s going to proceed [with] destroying Ukraine.”

DOCUMENTS REVEAL RUSSIA’S INITIAL ‘PEACE DEAL’ EQUATED TO THE SURRENDER OF UKRAINE: REPORT

Other congressional hawks welcomed the reported lift on restrictions, but said it had taken too long.

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Mo., ranking member on the Armed Services Committee, said the decision “does not excuse the administration’s deliberate slow-walking of items and assistance long authorized by Congress for use against] Putin’s illegal aggression.”

Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, called the new move “long overdue,” saying, “President Biden should have listened to President Zelenskyy’s pleas much earlier.”

Earlier this month, Biden, for the first time, authorized U.S. contractors to deploy to Ukraine to help the country’s military maintain and repair U.S.-provided weapons systems. 

The announcement came after Great Britain and France authorized Ukraine to launch SCALP/Storm Shadow missile strikes, according to French outlet Le Figaro.

Biden’s announcement also came just hours after Russia concluded one of its largest missile and drone attacks in months, launching more than 200 targeting Ukraine’s power and energy infrastructure.

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Putin has previously said that giving Ukraine the green light on missile use would effectively mean that the U.S. and NATO are “in the war.”

“Flight assignments for these missile systems can, in fact, only be entered by military personnel from NATO countries. Ukrainian servicemen cannot do this. And therefore, it is not a question of allowing the Ukrainian regime to strike Russia with these weapons or not. It is a question of making a decision whether NATO countries directly participate in the military conflict or not,” Putin said in September.

Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.

Senate Republicans slammed their Democrat counterparts in the chamber for moving forward with a “partisan” Homeland Security appropriations bill that they say has “substantial flaws” and will leave the incoming Trump administration without the resources they need to fix the border crisis.

Senate Committee on Appropriations ranking member Susan Collins, R-Maine, said in a statement that Democrats’ leadership has led to a “unilateral decision from the Majority to post a partisan measure on a critical appropriations bill that is meant to help secure our borders and combat the surge of deadly fentanyl and other illegal narcotics flooding our communities.”

SPENDING BILL TROUBLE BREWS AS SEN MIKE LEE WARNS OF CHRISTMAS ‘SWAMPBUS’

She slammed this decision, claiming it “undercuts our efforts over the last two years to reach bipartisan consensus and allow Senators an opportunity to debate and amend appropriations bills.”

Appropriations Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash., did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication. 

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., the ranking member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, also criticized the move by Democrats. 

THUNE ‘ADAMANT’ ABOUT TRUMP SUPPORT, DRIVING MAGA AGENDA DESPITE TENSE PAST RELATIONSHIP

“On a unilateral, partisan basis, Senate Democrats chose to post a Homeland Security bill that falls woefully short of what’s needed to combat America’s border crisis and strengthen interior immigration enforcement,” she said in a statement. 

“Senate Democrats know [Trump] is going to immediately take action to clean up the Biden-Harris Administration’s mess at the border, so instead of working with Republicans to create a responsible appropriations bill they chose to release a product that would leave a Trump Administration short of the resources they need to secure our border.”

TOP GOP SENATORS WARN DOJ TO PRESERVE JACK SMITH DOCS IN TRUMP CASES, CITING ‘PAST DESTRUCTION’ OF RECORDS

Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., also hammered the Democrats for advancing the bill. 

“Americans rejected open borders, yet Senate Democrats propose: 

• $750 million for resettling illegal aliens
• CBP One app
• More $ for resettlement facilities
• Less $ for CBP Border Operations Democrats are using their last 2 months to admit as many illegal aliens as possible,” Hagerty wrote on X.

THUNE SAYS TRUMP’S BORDER PLAN IS 1ST UP IN RIGOROUS PRIORITY LIST FOR NEW CONGRESS: ‘REAL WORK BEGINS’

The 11 other various appropriations bills advanced out of committee this summer with bipartisan support after being debated. The Homeland Security measure was the only outstanding spending measure that did not go through the committee. 

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None of the individual measures have been voted on in the Senate. It’s unclear if or when Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will schedule votes on them. 

Schumer’s office did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital.

Fears over President-elect Trump’s plan to declare a state of emergency at the border and make use of the military as part of a mass deportation plan have been overblown, according to one expert.

“The country is not going to be militarized,” Alfonso Aguilar, a former chief of the U.S. Office of Citizenship and the director of Hispanic engagement at the American Principles Project, told Fox News Digital. “Neighborhoods with immigrants are not going to militarize.”

The comments come after Trump confirmed Monday via Truth Social a report that he is “prepared to declare a national emergency and will use military assets to reverse the Biden invasion through a mass deportation program.”

“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. He will deliver,” Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump transition team, told Fox News Digital.

‘TRUE!!’: TRUMP CONFIRMS SUPPORT FOR MAJOR STEP IN MASS DEPORTATION PUSH TO ‘REVERSE THE BIDEN INVASION’

Such plans have been rumored for much of Trump’s campaign, raising fears among some critics that a future Trump administration would deploy the military onto American streets.

“They are promising to use the military to do mass raids of American families at a scale that harkens back to some of the worst things our country has done,” Todd Schulte, the president of FWD.us, an immigration advocacy organization, told The Associated Press in October.

But Aguliar argued that the military is to play a support role, providing logistics support to the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

“There is a lot of fearmongering from the left and many in the media,” Aguliar said. “These are not going to be sweeps of neighborhoods, these are going to be targeted arrests… initially going after criminals.”

“I would anticipate that the military would participate in a supportive capacity,” he continued. “You’re detaining people, you’re going to need to move these people and provide shelter.”

DEM GOVERNOR THREATENS TO USE ‘EVERY TOOL’ TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST TRUMP-ERA DEPORTATIONS

Aguilar pointed out that federal law limits how Trump can use the military domestically, meaning ICE officers are likely to lead deportation efforts with a logistical hand from the military. On the border, the military would serve as a show of force while also helping be the eyes and ears for Border Patrol officers who are stretched thin across multiple sectors.

“That’s historically how we use the military,” Aguliar said. “Force projection to dissuade people from coming in, but their role is basically to help detect… helping move [migrants] to buses… all the logistical support.”

Aguliar also argued that ICE is likely to make wider use of workplace raids, where again the military’s logistical might could be harnessed to assist with detaining and transporting arrested migrants.

“They’re not going to set loose the military in neighborhoods trying to detect illegal immigrants,” Aguliar said.

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Meanwhile, many blue state leaders have announced plans to push back against Trump’s deportations plans, with Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey saying she is prepared to use “every tool in the tool box” to protect the state’s migrant residents and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker vowing to “do everything that I can to protect our undocumented immigrants.”

“We cannot prohibit them, federal law enforcement, from coming into our state to, you know, conduct raids or do anything else like that,” Pritzker said last week. “Meanwhile, I think it would be very difficult for them to just spread out across the country. They don’t have enough manpower within the Department of Homeland Security in order to carry that out.”

EXCLUSIVE: The GOP appears to be attracting more of America’s youth than in previous elections, with the 2024 cycle seeing a double-digit shift by young voters toward the top of the Republican ticket.

One of the Republicans leading that new wave is Rep.-elect Brandon Gill, of Texas, who at age 30 will be the youngest member of the House GOP conference and among the youngest in the 119th Congress overall.

“I think that’s a few things. One is that younger voters are looking, more than anything, for sincerity. They’re looking for people who understand what they’re going through,” Gill told Fox News Digital.

“And the reality is, the younger voters, they don’t like things like censorship. They don’t like government authorities telling them what they can and can’t say. Younger voters don’t like entering the workforce and finding out that it’s really difficult to buy a home in Joe Biden’s economy, that it’s really difficult to get a good paying job, to put food on the table, to get groceries.”

JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’

The Trump-Vance campaign made multiple overtures to young voters, and young men in particular, who Republicans believed felt largely left behind and disaffected by Democratic leaders’ push toward progressivism. 

President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance sat for interviews with an array of podcasts that generally appeal to young men, including “The Joe Rogan Experience” and a one-on-one with comic Theo Vonn.

The strategy appears to have paid off; Fox News’ voter analysis of the 2024 election saw an 11-point shift by voters under 30 toward Trump, compared to 2020.

Vice President Kamala Harris also significantly underperformed with that age group, netting 51% of those voters compared to President Biden winning 61% when he beat Trump.

Gill spoke with Fox News Digital on Friday afternoon, just after being elected president of the freshman class of House Republicans – a largely ceremonial role for incoming new lawmakers with leadership aspirations.

REPUBLICANS PROJECTED TO KEEP CONTROL OF HOUSE AS TRUMP PREPARES TO IMPLEMENT AGENDA

“We’ve got to take our country back,” Gill said. “And I jumped in the race because we’ve got to have real, conservative, hard-core fighters who are willing to stand up to the swamp, to the establishment, and actually get real conservative reform here.”

The Texas Republican was elected to represent a deep-red district occupied by retiring House Rules Committee Chairman Michael Burgess, R-Texas, who is four decades older than Gill.

Asked how Republicans can sustain the momentum of 2024 in future elections, Gill said it was about following through on promises.

MATT GAETZ FACES GOP SENATE OPPOSITION AFTER TRUMP SELECTION FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL

“I think that the Republican Party, especially President Trump, has a very, very clear mandate, right?… We’ve got a majority in the House. We’ve got a majority in the Senate. President Trump not only won the Electoral College, he won every single swing state. He won the popular vote as well,” Gill said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“And if Republicans, if we come in, and we execute on the mandate, we do what we said we were going to do, then in two years and four years… people are going to reward us at the ballot box in future cycles.”

In addition to his own fundraising during the 2024 election cycle, Gill also contributed over $170,000 to other House GOP candidates and incumbents, his campaign said.

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

President Biden bragged about achieving his goal of delivering $11 billion per year in climate financing, which represents a six-fold increase since 2021.

Biden’s comments came during a historic trip to the Amazon rainforest in South America over the weekend, during which he declared “nobody” could reverse “the clean energy revolution” ongoing in the U.S.

“The fight against climate change has been a defining cause of my presidency,” Biden said Sunday. “It’s no secret that I’m leaving office in January. I will leave my successor and my country [with] a strong foundation to build on if they choose to do so.”

The U.S. saw a massive increase in climate financing under Biden. In 2021, taxpayers spent roughly $1.5 billion, while, by Biden’s final year in office, that number ballooned to $11 billion annually. 

BIDEN IMPOSES A NEW METHANE EMISSIONS TAX AS HE PREPARES TO LEAVE THE WHITE HOUSE

Meanwhile, according to a White House fact sheet, the Biden administration also increased “U.S. adaptation finance” six-fold, to $3 billion per year. This money is aimed at helping less developed countries build resilience to the impacts of climate change.

“Folks, we don’t have to choose between the environment and the economy. You can do both,” Biden said during his address from the Amazon. “The question now is: Which government will stand in the way, and which will seize the enormous economic opportunity?”

FEDERAL COURT UPENDS DECADES OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS

President-elect Trump has signaled that he would reverse many of the climate initiatives put in place under Biden. Much of those climate investments stem from executive rulemaking under Biden, as well as his administration’s passage of three major bills that worked to address climate change: the CHIPS Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.  

Meanwhile, Trump has referred to climate change as a “hoax” and derided the Biden administration’s focus on climate funding as “the green new scam.”

TRUMP TO INSTALL ‘ENERGY CZAR’ TO DISMANTLE BIDEN CLIMATE RULES

The future president has signaled he would repeal many of the green energy initiatives implanted within Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, while also indicating during his campaign for the presidency that he was “not thrilled” about some of the big spending in Biden’s CHIPS Act, which also serves to address climate change.

However, while Trump will be able to influence some change when it comes to the government’s climate investments, efforts to claw back unspent funds from these major bills will ultimately require approval from Congress.

Trump nominated the CEO of a Denver-based fracking corporation, Chris Wright, to lead his Energy Department over the weekend. If confirmed, Wright will be at the helm of any efforts to claw back climate funding allocated under Biden. 

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“My dedication to bettering human lives remains steadfast, with a focus on making American energy more affordable, reliable, and secure,” Wright said on X, formerly Twitter, following news of his nomination. “Energy is the lifeblood that makes everything in life possible. Energy matters. I am looking forward to getting to work.”

President-elect Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that he is prepared to declare a national emergency and potentially use military assets as part of a mass deportation effort that his administration is preparing to launch on day one.

Trump responded to a Truth Social post by Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton, who said that Trump is reportedly “prepared to declare a national emergency and will use military assets to reverse the Biden invasion through a mass deportation program.”

“TRUE!!” Trump posted.

INCOMING TRUMP ADMIN EYES MASSIVE EXPANSION OF IMMIGRATION DETENTION: ‘HE WILL DELIVER’

Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border in 2019 in order to allocate more money to the construction of a border wall amid congressional inaction on the subject. Military assets have been used in a number of ways in regard to border security, including in Texas. However, it is not clear how they would be used related to deportations.

Trump made a historic mass deportation campaign a cornerstone of his 2024 campaign, and his top officials have repeated that promise since he was elected this month.

“Following the Eisenhower Model, we will carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history,” Trump said in September.

He has also promised to invoke the Alien Enemies Act to remove gang members, drug dealers and cartel members from the U.S., with the help of multiple government agencies.

Additionally, he previously said he is prepared to move troops to the southern border and use the Navy to impose a “fentanyl blockade” on U.S. waters.

Fox News Digital reported last week that the Trump administration is already discussing where it can expand detention centers in anticipation of the operation and has spoken to private prison companies about potential expansion.

Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the transition team told Fox News Digital, “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. He will deliver.” 

DEM GOVERNOR THREATENS TO USE ‘EVERY TOOL’ TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST TRUMP-ERA DEPORTATIONS

Trump announced three major immigration-related staffing moves last week. He announced that former acting ICE Director Tom Homan will be the “border czar” and will be in charge of border security and overseeing the deportation operation. On Tuesday, Trump announced that Kristi Noem was his pick to lead the department of Homeland Security. 

Trump is likely to face significant resistance from blue states for his deportation operation. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said she is prepared to use “every tool in the tool box” to protect its citizens and residents and vowed that state police would “absolutely not” assist Trump in the operation.

‘LIBERATION DAY’: WHAT TO EXPECT FROM PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP ON BORDER SECURITY, IMMIGRATION

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said last week that he is “going to do everything that I can to protect our undocumented immigrants.”

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However, he conceded there were some circumstances where his state would work with the federal government to deport illegal immigrants.

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“We cannot prohibit them, federal law enforcement, from coming into our state to, you know, conduct raids or do anything else like that,” Pritzker said. “Meanwhile, I think it would be very difficult for them to just spread out across the country. They don’t have enough manpower within the Department of Homeland Security in order to carry that out.”

Fox News’ Kristine Parks contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: PALM BEACH — President-elect Donald Trump said Monday that in order to “Make America Great Again,” it is “vital” to have a “free, fair and open media,” telling Fox News Digital that he feels he has “an obligation” to the American people to work with the press, even those who had treated him “badly beyond comprehension.” 

In an exclusive interview Monday morning, the president-elect said he is in the process of transforming America into “the greatest and most powerful country in the world.” 

Trump discussed his relationship with the media, and how he plans to interact with the press in his second term. 

“In order to Make America Great Again, it is very important, if not vital, to have a free, fair and open media or press,” Trump said.

‘MORNING JOE’ CO-HOSTS HOLD FACE-TO-FACE MEETING WITH TRUMP FOR FIRST TIME IN SEVEN YEARS

Trump met with MSNBC hosts of “Morning Joe” Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski on Friday in Palm Beach — his first meeting with the two in seven years. 

“I received a call from Joe Scarborough requesting a meeting for him and Mika, and I agreed that it would be a good thing if such meeting took place,” Trump said. “We met at Mar-a-Lago on Friday morning at 8:00.” 

Trump said the meeting was “extremely cordial.” 

“Many things were discussed, and I very much appreciated the fact that they wanted to have open communication,” he said. “In many ways, it’s too bad that it wasn’t done long ago.” 

TRUMP TAPS FCC MEMBER BRENDAN CARR TO LEAD AGENCY: ‘WARRIOR FOR FREE SPEECH’

Trump added that they “congratulated me on running a ‘great and flawless campaign, one for the history books,’ which I really believe it was, but it was also a campaign where I worked long and hard — perhaps longer and harder than any presidential candidate in history.” 

“We talked about various Cabinet members — both announced and to be announced. As expected, they like some very much, but not all,” Trump said. “The meeting ended in a very positive manner, and we agreed to speak in the future.” 

Trump added: “I expect this will take place with others in the media, even those that have been extremely hostile.” 

The president-elect said he feels he has “an obligation to the American public, and to our country itself, to be open and available to the press.” 

“If not treated fairly, however, that will end,” Trump said. “The media is very important to the long-term success of the United States of America.” 

Trump told Fox News Digital that he “will do whatever is necessary to bring our country to the highest level that it’s ever seen.” 

“We’re off to a good start, and I will be open and free as to further developments as they take place, that includes media relationships,” he said. 

Trump said he “obviously” has “the upper hand at this moment.” 

“And while many others are calling for meetings, I am not looking for retribution, grandstanding or to destroy people who treated me very unfairly, or even badly beyond comprehension,” he said. “I am always looking to give a second and even third chance, but never willing to give a fourth chance — that is where I hold the line.” 

TRUMP GOES FULL MAGA AS HE PICKS ALLIES AND LOYALISTS TO FILL HIS SECOND ADMINISTRATION

Trump, though, thanked the “many reporters, journalists, shows and new media sources, of which there are many, who were truthful, honest and professional over the years of both my presidency and candidacies.” 

“They were the ones that kept me in the game, and they were the ones that gave me a victory — the likes of which our country has rarely seen before,” Trump said. “These people and organizations, and they know who they are, should be, and are, very proud of themselves, and they have a right to be proud. And I have a right to say to them — congratulations.”

Meanwhile, Trump has topped the majority of his key Cabinet officials in just the week and a half since his massive election victory. 

His transition team is being run out of Palm Beach, Fla., before returning to Washington D.C. on Jan. 20, 2025. 

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“I will soon begin the process of transforming America into the greatest and most powerful country in the world,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “But at the same time, it must be a fair and just country — a country that others throughout the world will look up to and emulate.” 

The president-elect added: “Hopefully, our success will make the world, itself, a far better and safer place.” 

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., an ardent supporter of Israel, said that he looks forward to voting to confirm Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

In a post on X, the senator accused the international body of persistently peddling “rank, pervasive antisemitism.”

A UN special committee report claimed that “the policies and practices of Israel during the reporting period are consistent with the characteristics of genocide.”

Fetterman spurned the report.

SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN PROCLAIMS UNFLINCHING SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL: ‘WILL NOT WAVER’

“What’s actually consistent is UN’s rank, pervasive antisemitism. I reject this report in its entirety. I look forward to voting for @RepStefanik to continue a strong and unapologetic pro-Israel position,” he tweeted.

President-elect Trump announced Stefanik as his pick for the role last week.

“She will be an incredible Ambassador to the United Nations, delivering Peace through Strength and America First National Security policies!” Trump said in a statement.

FETTERMAN SAYS DEMS SHOULDN’T ‘FREAK OUT’ OVER EVERYTHING TRUMP DOES: ‘IT’S GOING TO BE 4 YEARS’

Fetterman also called Trump’s selection of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., for Secretary of State “a strong choice,” noting that he looks forward to voting to confirm Rubio – another strong supporter of Israel – to serve in the role.

Fetterman has been vocal about his staunch support for Israel in the wake of the heinous Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack against the U.S. ally.

FETTERMAN HAILS RUBIO AS ‘STRONG CHOICE’ FOR SECRETARY OF STATE, SAYS HE WILL VOTE TO CONFIRM HIM

“My vote and my voice for Israel will not waver,” he declared in a post on X earlier this year.