NationalWatch

House Republican leaders have endorsed Florida Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis for election in the Sunshine State’s 1st Congressional District.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., are all backing the candidate.

Patronis shared the endorsements on social media, thanking each of the House GOP figures.

WITH TRUMP PLEDGING ENDORSEMENT, FLORIDA CFO WILL RUN FOR MATT GAETZ’S FORMER HOUSE SEAT

U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (C), accompanied by U.S. House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer (L), and U.S. House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise (R) speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill on Nov. 19, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Last month, President-elect Donald Trump urged Patronis to run, pledging to endorse him.

“Should he decide to enter this Race, Jimmy Patronis has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, JIMMY, RUN!” Trump declared in a Truth Social post

Special primary and general elections will be held next year to fill the seat vacated last month by Matt Gaetz, who resigned from Congress after Trump nominated him to serve as attorney general. 

FLORIDA CFO REQUESTS REPORT ON POTENTIAL FOR INVESTING SOME STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEM FUNDS INTO DIGITAL ASSETS

Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis delivers remarks before Gov. Ron DeSantis took to the stage. (Tiffany Tompkins/Bradenton Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Gaetz, who had just been re-elected prior to leaving office, ultimately withdrew himself from consideration for the Cabinet-level post. 

But Gaetz is not the only Trump nominee who has bowed out.

FLORIDA SHERIFF CHAD CHRONISTER WITHDRAWS AS TRUMP’S NOMINEE TO LEAD DEA

President-elect Donald Trump looks on during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 16, 2024, in New York City (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

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Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, who Trump recently nominated to serve as administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, withdrew himself from consideration for the job.

Conservatives ripped a social media account associated with House Democrats on Tuesday over a deleted post suggesting the economy is strong and seemingly minimizing the struggles of those who have difficulty affording groceries. 

“And here we were thinking y’all couldnt afford eggs!” the Ways and Means Democrats posted on X on Tuesday with a screenshot of an X post from journalist Paul Brandus that said, “Record air travel, holiday shopping busting records, stock market at all-time highs. The economy is ‘the worst ever,’ some Pollyannas whine.”

The post, which has since been deleted by the Ways and Means Democrats, sparked backlash from conservatives on social media.

“What an embarrassing thing to post … wow,” Abigail Jackson, communications director for Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, posted on X, “and Dems wonder why they lost.”

TRUMP SUGGESTS CANADA BECOME 51ST STATE AFTER TRUDEAU SAID TARIFF WOULD KILL ECONOMY: SOURCES

House Ways and Means Democrats are facing backlash over a deleted tweet about the economy. (Getty Images/File)

“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Egg prices soared—he couldn’t afford it all!” GOP Rep. Claudia Tenney posted on X. “Ways and Means Dems tweeted with smiles so wide, While the cost of eggs kept rising high! Humpty Dumpty cracked in despair, ‘These prices, these prices, they’re too much to bear!’ Democrats laugh, they don’t seem to care, But we’re stuck paying more for eggs in high-cost despair!”

“This is really what Democrat staffers on Capitol Hill think of the American majority who just rejected their policies after causing the worst inflation crisis our country has seen,” conservative commentator Amanda Head posted on X. “This is just how out-of-touch they are!”

ANDY PUZDER: TRUMP WON IN AN ‘IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID’ ELECTION. DEMOCRATS CHOSE JUST TO BE STUPID

A woman shops in the dairy section of a supermarket in Manhattan, N.Y., on Jan. 27, 2024. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)

“And people wonder why the Dems lost…,” Meredith Schellin Turton, digital director for House Speaker Mike Johnson, posted on X.

“Americans have been struggling for FOUR YEARS to afford basic necessities and House Democrats are mocking them,” Johnson posted on X. “Talk about your all-time out of touch, disgraceful comments.”

“House Dems deleted the tweet below in which they mocked people for complaining about the price of eggs, and also thought they were dunking on Republicans because there was record high spending on Black Friday,” Washington Free Beacon reporter Chuck Ross posted on X.

Fox News Digital reached out to House Ways and Means Democrats for comment but did not receive a response. 

A Gallup poll released in the lead-up to the presidential election showed 52% of Americans believed they and their families are worse off today than they were four years ago. 

The polling powerhouse noted that participants’ responses to whether they felt “better off” were typically tied to the U.S. economy. 

Gallup’s monthly economic confidence index, which ranges from -100 to +100, registered at -26, with 39% saying they were better off financially four years ago.

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During the past three years, Americans have named inflation as the most important financial problem facing their families. The survey’s findings suggest that inflation is an underlying fear of many Americans’ perception of the economy despite generally low unemployment and steady economic growth.

Approximately 46% of Americans say their current economic conditions are “poor,” some 29% described them as “only fair,” while 25% said they were “good” or “excellent.” 

Additionally, 62% said the economy is “getting worse,” while 32% said in the survey that it is “getting better.”

Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.

Voters in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District gave six-term incumbent Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Pa., the boot last month in favor of a young, energetic and successful businessman who says he’s ready to defend their interests in the nation’s capital.

Republican Rep.-elect Rob Bresnahan, 34, tells Fox News Digital in an interview that “kitchen table issues” helped him connect with northeastern Pennsylvanians and oust Cartwright, a progressive who had served in Congress for more than a decade. 

“When we were knocking on doors and talking to people every single day over a period of 13 months, the first thing anyone had to say was, ‘I can’t afford my bills. I can’t afford rent. I can’t afford my mortgage. I can’t afford school property taxes. I can’t afford groceries,'” Bresnahan said. 

Rising prices for food and gas have made living costs unaffordable for Pennsylvanians, he explained. And as voters have watched illegal immigrants overrun the southern border and be provided free food, housing and benefits, while billions in foreign aid flows out from the U.S. to other countries, they felt that foreigners were being treated better than Americans by their government, said Bresnahan. 

PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRAT REP. MATT CARTWRIGHT CONCEDES RACE TO GOP CHALLENGER

Democratic Pennsylvania Rep. Matt Cartwright and Republican Pennsylvania House candidate Rob Bresnahan.  (Getty Images/Rob for PA)

“We’re looking around at our neighbors saying, ‘hey, what about us here?’ And they couldn’t help but feel that they have been put second for a long time.” 

Bresnahan was a success story before he won election to the House of Representatives. A fifth-generation native of Luzerne County, at just 19 years old he was entrusted to be CFO of his grandfather’s construction company, which builds electrical infrastructure for municipalities and highways throughout Pennsylvania. 

He spent his college years at the University of Scranton dashing back and forth between the office and class as he worked to help the business recover from the global financial crisis. His hard work paid off, the business grew and Bresnahan became CEO after graduating in 2013.

“I was still living at home with my parents and I was in and out of a dorm room and running a company with 58 employees even though I couldn’t legally drink a Coors Light yet,” he told the Citizen’s Voice in 2021. “The combination was a heavy workload but it was a sacrifice that I would make again in a second.” 

But as the years passed, Bresnahan, like many Americans, felt the country was headed on the wrong track. The decisions coming from Washington, D.C., were bad for his business, his employees and the people they serve. And so, he decided to enter politics to make a difference.

“I felt that the country was not heading in the right trajectory with what is happening on our southern border. We had life essentially unaffordable for the average person. And I’ve always been a person to roll up my sleeves and throw myself into fire,” Bresnahan said.

PA DEM IN DISTRICT THAT VOTED FOR TRUMP SAYS HE’S A MODERATE, BUT VOTING RECORD TELLS ANOTHER STORY

Rob Bresnahan, Republican nominee for Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, takes the stage during a Trump campaign rally at Riverfront Sports on Oct. 9, 2024 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. (Getty Images)

His winning congressional campaign focused on securing the border, cutting taxes and trimming government spending, creating “family-sustaining jobs” in the Keystone State and supporting law enforcement. In April, Bresnahan received an endorsement from President-elect Donald Trump.

“A successful Businessman, Rob has worked hard to Create Jobs and Grow the Economy, unlike his opponent, Matt Cartwright, who is completely beholden to Nancy Pelosi and the Radical Left,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

With the campaign behind him, Bresnahan says he and the other members of the incoming Republican majority in Congress are ready to hit the ground running with a pro-growth agenda in January. 

“Securing the border. That needs to be done day one, Jan. 3 at 12:01 p.m., the day after we are all sworn in,” he told Fox News Digital. “I think there’s going to be a big playbook, but that is a tangible win right off the bat.”

SINGLE HOUSE RACE STANDS BETWEEN REPUBLICANS AND 1-SEAT MAJORITY

A view of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 4, 2024, ahead of the 2024 presidential election.  (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

On inflation, Bresnahan says Congress and the Trump administration can tackle unaffordable prices by lowering energy costs. “Talking about just Pennsylvania alone, 52% of homes are heated from natural gas. $45 billion a year are generated from the natural gas industry, and $76 billion in GDP comes out of the fracking and natural gas industry,” he said, insisting that policymakers must stop “vilifying natural resources.” 

The rising national debt, at $36 trillion, is another burden on the economy Bresnahan says Congress must address. “We’re spending more on debt servicing – just our national debt and the interest – than we are on our national defense budget.”

The young lawmaker said there will be “tough votes” on discretionary spending when Congress convenes in January. But two of the largest contributors to the federal debt and deficit will remain untouched.

“Obviously, we can’t cut Medicare. We can’t cut Social Security. We have to preserve that for our current generation, and we have to find ways to preserve it for our generation and the next generation. But I don’t believe that there’s a one-size-fits-all policy on any circumstance, let alone the national debt and the expenditures of the federal government,” Bresnahan said.

However, he added that illegal immigrants should not benefit from programs that Americans have paid in to, including Social Security and Medicare.

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

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., is expected to keep his job after Republicans held on to their House majority.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Republicans are expected to extend the 2017 tax cuts that became law during Trump’s first term in office. Bresnahan says he supports those tax cuts and insists that economic growth spurred by deregulation and investments in infrastructure and American jobs can make up for any potential revenue losses.

“We have to get people back to work,” he said. “We have to create economic climates that are conducive to the American people to incentivize them to go to work.” 

Part of that is to support jobs that don’t require a college degree, such as carpenters, plumbers or electricians. “These are great, family-sustaining careers with annuities starting on day one, with health insurance for your family, and you’re earning while you learn.” 

Turning to foreign policy, Bresnahan said the United States must remain a global superpower and pursue “peace through strength.” 

“But we have to be strong as the United States,” he added. Asked about growing GOP opposition to foreign aid, including to Ukraine, Bresnahan emphasized that he supports efforts to push back against Russian aggression – but he wants to do so responsibly.

YOUNGEST HOUSE REPUBLICAN-ELECT REVEALS HOW GOP WON BACK AMERICA’S YOUTH

“Putin is a war criminal and needs to be stopped,” he said. “I am all supportive of providing weapons, missiles, rockets – actually, there’s a big manufacturing facility inside of my district. But where I do want accountability is the raw, hard dollars that have been sent. I want audits done on those to ensure they’re going to the right causes.” 

Echoing Trump’s beliefs about putting America first, Bresnahan said there is a point where “enough is enough” and that Europe has to match U.S. contributions to foreign aid. 

“Again, I’m looking at, you know, 25% of my bridges are structurally deficient. We have aging infrastructure levees that protect over $1 trillion of property here in the United States. You’re talking about power distribution grids that haven’t been re-invested in since the 1950s with 50 years of usable life. And, you know, we were without power for multiple days now, going on which could possibly be a week (Editor’s note: A blizzard in Breshanan’s district had postponed this interview). Europe didn’t come and send over trucks to help us rebuild our grids.”

“Ukraine obviously has a lot going on, but we need to take care of our own people. We have to take care of our own Americans. And I believe Donald Trump had that narrative and that’s why he just won an election in a landslide, because it’s about us,” he added. 

Bresnahan hopes to bring “common sense” solutions to the complex problems facing Americans. He has pledged to work with whomever has a good idea, Republican or Democrat, and has earned endorsements from both No Labels and the moderate Problem Solvers Caucus. Though he calls himself a “fiscal conservative,” he rejects political labels because “I don’t think confirmation bias is the right way to solve any issue.”

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“I believe most challenges can be overcome through healthy and solid debate,” he added.

And what about those issues that inflame passions on both sides? Before this interview, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., made national headlines after she put forward a resolution that would bar Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., a transgender lawmaker who is biologically male, from using the women’s bathrooms in the capitol. 

Bresnahan said that while he believes biological men should not play in women’s sports or use their facilities, the flare up between Mace and McBride distracts from other important issues facing Americans – like crumbling infrastructure and expensive living costs. 

“I don’t want the 119th Congress to be hijacked by what bathrooms we should be using when we have been elected to provide real solutions for the real American people. And that’s what I’m going down to Washington, D.C. to do.” 

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.

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

President-elect Trump’s transition team has signed on to an agreement for the FBI to vet the incoming administration’s cabinet nominees, the transition team announced Tuesday.

Trump’s team says it will “submit names for background checks and security clearances,” an agreement typically signed even before the election. The FBI historically vets each cabinet nominee and also handles security clearances, a process that could not begin until the agreement was made.

“This agreement with the Department of Justice will ensure President Trump and his team are ready on Day 1 to begin enacting the America First Agenda that an overwhelming majority of our nation supported on Election Day,” incoming White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said in a statement.

A number of Republicans in the Senate had been apprehensive about the transition team’s initial unwillingness to face FBI background checks, and several praised the Tuesday agreement.

WHO IS KASH PATEL? TRUMP’S PICK TO LEAD THE FBI HAS LONG HISTORY VOWING TO BUST UP ‘DEEP STATE’

President-elect Trump has agreed to allow his cabinet nominees to undergo vetting by the FBI. (Allison Robbert-Pool/Getty Images)

“I think that’s good –– it’ll save them some headache,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., according to Politico. “And it’ll give the public and senators a little comfort, I think, so I’m glad to hear that.”

DOJ SETTLES WITH FORMER FBI OFFICIALS OVER RELEASE OF ANTI-TRUMP TEXTS

Trump and his allies have been openly critical of the FBI both on the campaign trail and since the election. Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee to lead the organization, has been a crusader against the “deep state” since Trump’s first term and has echoed Republican claims that Democrats have “weaponized” the FBI.

A side-by-side of Kash Patel and President-elect Donald Trump. (Getty Images)

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

“Kash did an incredible job during my First Term, where he served as Chief of Staff at the Department of Defense, Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council. Kash has also tried over 60 jury trials,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Sunday.

“This FBI will end the growing crime epidemic in America, dismantle the migrant criminal gangs, and stop the evil scourge of human and drug trafficking across the Border. Kash will work under our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to bring back Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity to the FBI,” he added.

FBI Director Christopher Wray is set to be replaced by Kash Patel, who worked in the Pentagon during Trump’s first term. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Patel’s name spread across news reports as he became known as the man behind the “Nunes Memo,” a four-page document from then-Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., released in 2018 that revealed improper use of surveillance by the FBI and the Justice Department in the Russia investigation into Trump.

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“If they had gotten it right in the first place, when Devin and I and so many others were actually putting out the truth, instead of serving as a disinformation machine for the left-wing agenda, there would be no reassessment,” Patel told Fox News Digital of the memo last year. “They could not have done their work in the deep state without their partners in the mainstream media, who are part of that deep state.”

Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.

President Biden pardoned son Hunter Biden Sunday after repeatedly vowing he would not spare him from sentencing in a pair of separate federal court cases. 

Biden has just under 47 days remaining in the Oval Office before President-elect Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president. 

As Biden’s term comes to an end, a handful of elected officials and others have called on the president to issue pardons for other Americans, including the suggestion of “preemptive pardons” for Democrats ahead of Trump’s second term. 

HUNTER BIDEN PARDON WILL UNDERMINE PARTY’S ‘SELF-PROCLAIMED AUTHORITY’ ON RULE OF LAW: DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST

President Biden speaks in the Rose Garden at the White House Nov. 26, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

‘Preemptive pardons’ for Trump’s perceived enemies 

Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ed Markey claimed after the election he expects Trump to act in a “fascistic way” as president and called on Biden to pardon Democrats who could face prosecution under a second Trump administration.  

“I think that, without question, Trump is going to try to act in a dictatorial way, in a fascistic way, in a revengeful first year at least of his administration toward individuals who he believes harmed him,” Markey claimed during a local radio interview last month. 

“If it’s clear by Jan. 19 that that is his intention, then I would recommend to President Biden that he provide those preemptive pardons to people because that’s really what our country is going to need next year.” 

Trump has long accused Democrats and the Biden administration of employing “lawfare” against him as he battled charges from racketeering to falsifying business records, with supporters such as Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., proclaiming last month that “accountability is coming” for those who targeted Trump. 

Under Markey’s argument, Biden could preemptively pardon Democrats who directly prosecuted Trump on charges Trump has slammed as “shams” and “witch hunts.”

Kern Valley State Prison in California (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Sweeping pardons to end mass incarceration and ‘reunite families’

A handful of congressional Democrats — most notably representatives Ayanna Pressley, Mary Gay Scanlon and James Clyburn — called on Biden last month in a letter to issue sweeping pardons to convicts in a bid to “reunite families, address longstanding injustices in our legal system, and set our nation on the path toward ending mass incarceration.”

The lawmakers requested the president pardon those who have languished in prison systems for years and rectify “draconian” sentences imposed on criminals. The letter specifically called for the president to consider pardons for the “elderly and chronically ill, those on death row, people with unjustified sentencing disparities, and women who were punished for defending themselves against their abusers.” 

SPECIAL COUNSEL, IRS WHISTLEBLOWERS SAY DON’T BUY BIDEN’S ‘SPIN’ ABOUT HUNTER BIDEN LEGAL SAGA

“Now is the time to use your clemency authority to rectify unjust and unnecessary criminal laws passed by Congress and draconian sentences given by judges. The grant of pardons and commutations and the restoration of rights will undoubtedly send a powerful message across the country in support of fundamental fairness and furthering meaningful criminal justice reform,” they wrote in a letter to Biden last month. 

Former President Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, takes the stage during a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena Aug. 23, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

Pardoning President-elect Donald Trump 

Outgoing Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, a vocal critic of Trump’s, said earlier this year Biden should have pardoned Trump from his indictments. 

“[Biden] should have fought like crazy to keep this prosecution from going forward,” Romney told MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle in May. “It was a win-win for Donald Trump.

“You may disagree with this, but had I been President Biden, when the Justice Department brought on indictments, I would have immediately pardoned him,” he said. “I’d have pardoned President Trump. Why? Well, because it makes me, President Biden, the big guy and the person I pardoned a little guy.”

Biden pardoning Trump is unlikely to happen and would only apply to his federal charges brought by special counsel Jack Smith. Legal cases against Trump have stalled since his win last month. 

ROMNEY SUGGESTS BIDEN MADE ‘ENORMOUS ERROR’ IN NOT PARDONING TRUMP: ‘IT WAS A WIN-WIN’

A person holds foil while smoking after the decriminalization of all drugs, including fentanyl and meth, in downtown Portland, Ore., Jan. 25, 2024. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

Clemency for drug offenders 

Biden has pardoned 26 people during nearly four years in office, a review of DOJ data shows. The majority of those individuals were convicted of drug crimes, such as conspiracy to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine or conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. 

In October, seven Senate Judiciary Committee members and Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock sent a letter to Biden calling on him to commute sentences for individuals who would have been handed shorter sentences under the 2018 First Step Act. The First Step Act was a criminal justice reform bill Trump signed into law following bipartisan support that reduced mandatory minimum sentences for some drug crimes. 

“This Administration has the opportunity to deliver justice to incarcerated people who were sentenced under overly harsh mandatory minimums that the bipartisan First Step Act corrected,” Vermont Sen. Peter Welch, who signed the letter, told Politico earlier this year. “President Biden should heed our call and use the power of executive clemency while he has it.”

2 TIMES BIDEN SAID HE WOULD NOT PARDON SON HUNTER BIDEN 

Julian Assange 

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is again earning support from lawmakers and others to be pardoned after years of legal woes over his publication of classified military documents leaked to him by a source in 2010. 

A bipartisan effort spearheaded by representatives James McGovern, D-Mass., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., called on Biden last week to pardon Assange and “send a clear message” that his administration will not target journalistic activity.

REPS MCGOVERN, MASSIE URGE BIDEN TO PARDON JULIAN ASSANGE TO ‘SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE’ ON PRESS FREEDOM

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange speaks on the balcony of the embassy of Ecuador in London May 19, 2017.  (Constantin Eckner/picture alliance via Getty Images)

“We write, first, to express our appreciation for your administration’s decision last spring to facilitate a resolution of the criminal case against publisher Julian Assange and to withdraw the related extradition request that had been pending in the United Kingdom,” the lawmakers wrote to Biden. “This brought an end to Mr. Assange’s protracted detention and allowed him to reunite with his family and return to his home country of Australia.”

Assange reached a deal with the U.S. Justice Department to end his imprisonment in the U.K. over charges related to publishing classified military documents. He had spent years in the U.K. to avoid extradition to the U.S.

BIDEN PARDONS SON HUNTER BIDEN AHEAD OF EXIT FROM OVAL OFFICE

He pleaded guilty in June to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information and was sentenced to time served. He returned to his native Australia after the plea deal. 

“The terms of Mr. Assange’s plea agreement have now set a precedent that greatly deepens our concern,” the lawmakers’ letter to Biden said. “A review of prosecutions under the Espionage Act makes clear that Mr. Assange’s case is the first time the Act has been deployed against a publisher.

“A pardon would remove the precedent set by the plea and send a clear message that the U.S. government under your leadership will not target or investigate journalists and media outlets simply for doing their jobs.” 

President Biden pardoned son Hunter Biden Sunday. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Biden’s pardoning of his son Sunday followed the president saying earlier this year he would not pardon his son before and after Hunter was found guilty in a June gun trial. 

“I am not going to do anything,” Biden said after Hunter was convicted in the gun case. “I will abide by the jury’s decision.”

Hunter Biden was found guilty June 11 of lying about his drug use when buying a gun in 2018. He was found guilty on three charges — making a false statement in the purchase of a gun, making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federally licensed gun dealer and possession of a gun by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. 

HUNTER BIDEN’S PARDON SETS TROUBLING PRECEDENT, RISKS POLITICIZING JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, CRITICS SAY

Hunter Biden had an extensive and well-documented history with addiction, which was best captured in his 2021 memoir “Beautiful Things,” which walked readers through his spirals of crack cocaine use. 

Hunter Biden faced another trial regarding three felony tax offenses and six misdemeanor tax offenses over his alleged failure to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes in a California court in September. As jury selection was about to kick off in Los Angeles federal court, Hunter entered a surprise guilty plea. 

When grilled by the media about Biden pardoning his son after saying he would not take such an action, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president will make other pardon announcements in the coming weeks but did not provide details. 

“As it relates to pardoning or any clemency, the president, as you know, at the end of the year, makes announcements. He’s thinking through that process very thoroughly,” Jean-Pierre said Monday. 

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“I’m not going to get ahead of — of the president on this. But you could expect more announcements, more … pardons and clemency at the end of … this term.”

Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report. 

The Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in a high-profile case involving the right of transgender minors to receive gender transition care, such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy, in one of the most closely watched, potentially impactful cases slated to come before the high court this year.

The case, United States v. Skrmetti, centers on a Tennessee law that bans gender-transition treatments for adolescents in the state. The law also takes aim at health care providers in Tennessee who continue to provide gender-transition treatments to transgender minors, opening them up to fines, lawsuits and other liability.  

The petitioners in the case are the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which sued to overturn the Tennessee law on behalf of parents of three transgender adolescents, and a Memphis-based doctor who treats transgender patients. The petitioners were also joined by the Biden administration earlier this year under a federal law that allows the administration to intervene in certain cases certified by the attorney general to be of “general public importance.” 

The petitioners argue the law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The state has responded by insisting the law does not discriminate based on gender, arguing it sets parameters on age- and use-based restrictions on certain drugs and is therefore not a violation of the Constitution.

BIDEN’S SWEEPING HUNTER PARDON AT ODDS WITH LONGTIME RHETORIC ON EXECUTIVE POWER: ‘NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW’

Pro-transgender protesters rally for inclusion. Petitioners in U.S. v. Skrmetti will argue before the Supreme Court that transgender individuals have all the hallmarks of a “quasi-suspect class” under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.   (Mark Kerrison/In Pictures via Getty Images)

According to the U.S. Supreme Court website, the key question posed in the case is “whether Tennessee Senate Bill 1 (SBl), which prohibits all medical treatments intended to allow ‘a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor’s sex’ or to treat ‘purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the minor’s sex and asserted identity,’ Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-33-103(a)(1), violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.”

Wednesday’s oral arguments mark the first time the Supreme Court will consider restrictions on puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgery for minors, giving the case importance in Tennessee and in other states across the country. 

Tennessee passed its law, Senate Bill 1, in March 2023. But it is just one of at least 25 U.S. states that has banned gender transition care for transgender adolescents, making the case — and Wednesday’s oral arguments — one of the most high-profile cases to be heard this session.  

The oral arguments have been anticipated for months. The controversial case comes at a time in Washington when Republicans will regain control of the White House and both chambers of Congress next month, giving them heavy influence and, some fear, more control over the federal judiciary. 

Here’s what you need to know ahead of Wednesday’s oral arguments.

Who’s arguing the case?

The petitioners will be represented by U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar and Chase Strangio, an ACLU attorney who represented the original parties in the lawsuit.

Strangio, the deputy director for transgender justice for the ACLU’s LGBTQ and HIV Project, will be the first openly transgender person to argue before the Supreme Court.

The respondents in the case, namely the state of Tennessee, will be represented in court by Tennessee Solicitor General J. Matthew Rice and the state attorney general, Jonathan Skrmetti. 

In a court filing submitted ahead of Wednesday’s oral arguments, Prelogar’s office argued the Tennessee law has a deliberate focus on “sex and gender conformity,” asserting Senate Bill 1 “declares that its very purpose is to ‘encourag[e] minors to appreciate their sex’ and to ban treatments ‘that might encourage minors to become disdainful of their sex.'”

“That,” the federal government wrote, “is sex discrimination.”

Counsel for the petitioners will argue that the Tennessee law imposes “differential treatment based on the sex an individual is assigned at birth,” triggering a higher level of scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution.

HUNTER BIDEN GUN CASE TERMINATED AFTER PARDON, BUT FEDERAL JUDGE STOPS SHORT OF FULL DISMISSAL

They will also argue that upholding the ban will represent a “dangerous and discriminatory affront” to transgender minors not just in Tennessee, but across the country, a point that has been emphasized by Strangio.

The state argued in a court filing that the law “contains no sex classification” warranting the heightened scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause. Rather, it said, it “creates two groups: minors seeking drugs for gender transition and minors seeking drugs for other medical purposes.”

The question of scrutiny 

The Supreme Court has determined three different levels of scrutiny that help determine whether a law is permissible under the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution: Strict scrutiny, heightened scrutiny and rational basis. The highest level, strict scrutiny, requires a law be passed to serve a compelling government interest and be narrowly tailored to minimize harm. 

The second level of scrutiny, or “heightened scrutiny,” requires the governmental body to prove its actions further an “important government interest” by using means “substantially related to that interest.” 

The lowest bar, rational basis, is the most deferential of the tests and requires the law only serve a legitimate interest with a “rational connection” to the means and goals of the statute.

The U.S. Supreme Court at sunset (Aaron Schwartz/SIPA USA)

Overview of the arguments

Wednesday’s oral arguments will center on whether banning gender transition care for minors violates protections under the Equal Protection Clause, either via gender discrimination or discrimination against their transgender status.

The petitioners in the case will argue that the Tennessee law discriminates against individuals and their right to receive the same medical treatments based on their sex. Under the law, the petitioners argued in their court filing, “an adolescent assigned female at birth cannot receive puberty blockers or testosterone to live as a male, but an adolescent assigned male at birth can.”

TRUMP’S AG PICK HAS ‘HISTORY OF CONSENSUS BUILDING’

Separately, they will argue that discriminating against individuals based on their transgender status is also sufficient to trigger higher scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause, noting that transgender individuals “satisfy all of the hallmarks of a quasi-suspect class,” including being subject to discrimination, representing a “discrete and identifiable minority” and other components outlined by the Supreme Court, thereby necessitating that heightened scrutiny be applied.

The respondents will argue that Senate Bill 1, places age- and use-based restrictions on certain drugs and, therefore, is not an example of unconstitutional discrimination. 

Further, they will argue that the law easily passes even the test of heightened scrutiny. The state contends it has “compelling interests” to protect the health and safety of minors in the state and “in protecting the integrity and ethics of the medical profession.”

The U.S. Supreme Court (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Case history

U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson, a Trump appointee, granted a preliminary inunction for part of the Tennessee ban in June, siding with the petitioners’ assertion that “parents have a fundamental right to direct the medical care of their children, which naturally includes the right of parent[s] to request certain medical treatments on behalf of their children[.]”

He said the ban on most types of gender care for transgender minors would likely not survive the heightened scrutiny test under the Equal Protection Clause, since the same treatments were not banned for their non-transgender peers. 

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit later overturned the district court’s decision and reinstated the full ban, using the lowest test of rational basis. The petitioners appealed that decision to the Supreme Court, which agreed in June to review the case.

The petitioners have asked the Supreme Court to remand the case to the 6th Circuit Court to hear it again, this time using the test of heightened scrutiny.

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Strangio has repeatedly stressed the wide-ranging impact the Supreme Court decision could have on “countless transgender youth” of current and future generations and has described the bans as a “dangerous and discriminatory affront to the well-being of transgender youth across the country.”

Next steps

The Supreme Court is expected to rule on United States v. Skrmetti by July 2025. The Supreme Court typically issues summer decisions on cases argued during the October term.

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., a former medical doctor, is expected to introduce legislation that would ban gender-related medical procedures on minors and impose a penalty for professionals who perform such treatments, Fox News Digital has learned.

The bill, titled the Safeguarding the Overall Protection (STOP) of Minors Act, aims to prohibit youth gender transition treatment and “castration procedures” by banning “the use of interstate commerce to perform, attempt to perform, conspire to perform, or provide referral for any gender mutilation procedures on a minor.”

“Americans resoundingly rejected the Left’s dangerous transgender agenda. Let’s call it exactly what it is: child abuse,” said Marshall. 

Marshall is expected to introduce the bill on Capitol Hill on Wednesday: “The days of demented doctors and activists getting rich off of mutilating, sterilizing, and castrating children are over.”

The STOP Act, if passed, would call on Health and Human Services (HHS) to impose a civil penalty of at least $100,000 on those “providing transgender mutilation services and treatments” for minors. Secretary Xavier Becerra currently heads HHS under President Biden. However, he will soon be succeeded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. when President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. 

GOP LAWMAKERS REVEAL A HEIGHTENED LEGISLATIVE FOCUS AGAINST ‘IRREVERSIBLE’ GENDER SURGERY ON MINORS

Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan. (Tom Williams/File)

The Republican senator’s bill also seeks to provide assistance to people who no longer want to continue the gender transition process, commonly referred to as detransitioners.

COURT UPHOLDS RED STATE’S BAN ON TRANS SURGERIES, TREATMENTS FOR MINORS

Marshall signaled he would work with Trump, who has suggested he would seek to slash “gender-affirming” care for minors, on the issue.

(Pamela Garfield-Jaeger/File)

“Our legislation keeps children’s safety paramount by prohibiting anyone from performing, facilitating, or even conspiring to give these irreversible therapies and procedures to minors,” Marshall said. “This bill is just the beginning of what’s to come with President Trump at the helm and our unwavering commitment to protecting children from transgender activists’ twisted and criminal agenda.”

Marshall first teed up the bill during a panel led by Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project, and a group of lawmakers who discussed a heightened GOP focus on legislation against transgender medical procedures on minors. 

The U.S. Supreme Court (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/File)

Lawmakers on the other side of the issue have spoken out in support of such procedures for minors, such as hormone replacement therapy and laser hair removal. Most recently, they pushed back on a ban in Tennessee that prevents minors from receiving puberty blockers.

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In September, a total of 164 lawmakers, including 11 senators and 153 representatives in the House, filed an amicus brief defending transgender youth against the ban. 

The Supreme Court will hear arguments regarding the law Wednesday and decide on whether to uphold the ban.

Fox News’ Jamie Jospeh contributed to this report.

Let’s face it, trust in most of our government institutions has utterly collapsed.

Many people don’t have faith in the FDA, the DOD, HUD, Homeland Security, the health agencies, and the list goes on. And they don’t trust the media to deliver basic facts about Washington without bias and blunders.

These sentiments have basically been growing for the last 60 years, since the lies about Vietnam merged with the lies about Watergate and forced Richard Nixon to resign.

BIDEN, TRUMP BOTH RIP DOJ AFTER PRESIDENT PARDONS HUNTER

But the most sensitive federal agency, everyone would agree, is the Justice Department, including the FBI. Donald Trump has been attacking these agencies for years (along with the “fake news”), accusing them of politically persecuting him. He campaigned outside courthouses by telling reporters the prosecutors and judges were awful people who were out to get him solely because he was the leading candidate to win back the White House.

Joe Biden, by breaking his promise not to pardon his son Hunter, did more than just lie. He ripped his own DOJ for “selectively and unfairly prosecuting” his son. 

I used to patrol the endless hallways of the J. Edgar Hoover building as the Justice Department beat reporter. On the criminal side, it is supposed to be independent, since Justice often winds up investigating the administration. Back in the day it was filled with fair-minded career prosecutors who pursued legitimate leads regardless of party.

U.S. President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump are pictured in front of the United States Department of Justice Headquarters. (Getty Images)

In saying that Hunter Biden was singled out for harsh treatment, the outgoing president is making the same argument as the incoming president, that the department is badly biased. Little wonder that so many people don’t trust DOJ.

All Biden had to do when repeatedly asked about a pardon or commutation was “I’m not going to discuss hypotheticals.” Then at least he wouldn’t have the lying part.

There is no question that Pam Bondi, despite some roughing up, will be the next attorney general, having precisely the experience (Florida AG, career prosecutor) that Matt Gaetz so blatantly lacked. She is not going to blow up the department.

But in picking Kash Patel to run the FBI – and ignoring that Chris Wray is not through with his 10-year term – Trump is sending a very different message. And this isn’t some dark secret. It’s in the nominee’s own words.

TRUMP HIT FOR HIRING LOYALISTS LIKE PAM BONDI: DOESN’T EVERY PRESIDENT DO THAT?

Patel has vowed to shut down the bureau’s Washington headquarters. He said last year on Steve Bannon’s podcast, which we played on “Media Buzz”: “We will go out and find the conspirators…not just in government, but in the media.… Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out.”

In his 2022 book “Government Gangsters,” Patel names 60 people as part of the deep state,  “a cabal of unelected tyrants…the most dangerous threat to our democracy.” The press has dubbed this an enemies list.

It includes the aforementioned Bill Barr (for blocking his appointment), NSC chairman John Bolton (an “arrogant control freak”), and Defense Secretary Mark Esper (who tried to fire him).

Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden departs the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building on June 03, 2024 in Wilmington, Delaware. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Also on the list, as recounted by the New Republic:

Joe Biden. 

Kamala Harris.

Hillary Clinton.

Merrick Garland.

Samantha Power, who now runs the Agency for International Development.

Former Obama officials James Clapper; John Brennan; Peter Strzok (who trashed Trump in texts with his FBI girlfriend, Lisa Page), Andrew McCabe (FBI deputy director), Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch.

A striking number are Donald Trump’s own appointees: Pat Cippolone (his White House counsel). Gina Haspel (his CIA director). Mark Esper. Charles Kupperman (his deputy national security adviser).

TRUMP DROPPED MATT GAETZ AFTER COMPLAINING ABOUT HIGH POLITICAL COST OF DEFENDING HIM

Cassidy Hutchinson (Mark Meadows’ top aide, who criticized Trump in her testimony before the House Jan. 6 committee).

It’s a pretty big list. And having worked for Trump hardly provides immunity.

Patel would have his work cut out for him, though he’d have to get a career prosecutor to submit a wiretap request or search warrant to the courts.

Meanwhile, many Democratic lawmakers are hitting their party’s president pretty hard for the Hunter pardon, in interviews with the Times.

Colorado Congressman Jason Crow: He promised he would not do this. I think it will make it harder for us going forward when we talk about upholding democracy.”

Washington Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez: “The president made the wrong decision. No family should be above the law.”

The U.S. Department of Justice seal is displayed following a news conference in Washington, D.C., U.S. on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. (Yuri Gripas/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet said the Biden move “put personal interest ahead of duty and further erodes Americans’ faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all.” And his late dropout from the race was also “putting his personal interest ahead of his responsibility to the country.”

Vermont Sen. Peter Welch: “President Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter is, as the action of a loving father, understandable — but as the action of our nation’s chief executive, unwise.” 

Michigan Sen. Gary Peters: “Wrong.”

Pretty bracing stuff.

Some progressives defended Biden, such as Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett: “Way to go Joe!” She said a 34-count convicted felon is about to walk into the White House, perhaps missing the news that Jack Smith has dropped the charges.

On “Morning Joe” yesterday, Mika Brzezinski, while saying she wished Biden hadn’t promised no pardon, took on the coverage: “You look at what has happened on the Trump side, especially if you even parallel pardons that Trump has done himself, it’s just always so — it seems so hysterically imbalanced!”

Joe Scarborough spoke of “the frustration that many Democrats are having on the New York Times, The Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, a lot of mainstream organizations blowing this up to the size that they believe is really out of proportion, given everything Donald Trump has done in the past and what he’s doing right now.”

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Still, the two presidents have wound up in the same place in their view of the Justice Department as partisan and politicized.

One fascinating tidbit dug up by the Times: When Biden had Trump to the White House, according to three sources, and listened to his familiar grievances about the biased DOJ – the president-elect “surprised his host by sympathizing with the Biden family’s own troubles with the department.”

Lawyers for President-elect Donald Trump have officially requested to “immediately” dismiss charges against him in New York v. Trump, declaring the “failed lawfare” case “should never have been brought.” 

“President Donald J. Trump respectfully submits this motion to dismiss the Indictment and vacate the jury’s verdicts…,” they wrote in their official motion to dismiss submitted to the court on Monday. “The Presidential immunity doctrine, the Presidential Transition Act, and the Supremacy Clause all require that result, and they require it immediately.” 

TRUMP LAWYERS DEMAND BRAGG CASE BE ‘IMMEDIATELY DISMISSED,’ SAY ELECTION ‘SUPERSEDES’ POLITICAL ‘MOTIVATIONS’

Trump attorneys, in the beginning of their argument for dismissal, invoked President Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden.

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

“Yesterday, in issuing a 10-year pardon to Hunter Biden that covers any and all crimes whether charged or uncharged, President Biden asserted that his son was ‘selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,’ and ‘treated differently,’” they wrote. “President Biden argued that ‘raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice.’” 

Trump attorneys said Biden’s “comments amounted to an extraordinary condemnation of President Biden’s own DOJ.” 

PROSECUTORS REQUEST STAY IN TRUMP NY CASE UNTIL 2029 AS DEFENSE PLANS MOTION FOR DISMISSAL ‘ONCE AND FOR ALL’

“This is the same DOJ that coordinated and oversaw the politically-motivated, election-interference witch hunts targeting President Trump by disgraced Special Counsel Jack Smith, the other biased prosecutors in Smith’s Special Counsel’s Office (“SCO”), and others. This is the same DOJ that sent Matthew Colangelo to DA Bragg to help unfairly target President Trump in this empty and lawless case,” they wrote. “Since DA Bragg took office, he has engaged in ‘precisely the type of political theater’ that President Biden condemned.” 

Trump spokesman and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung said after the filing, “President Trump and his legal team have filed a powerhouse motion to dismiss once and for all the unconstitutional and politically motivated Manhattan DA Hoax. This lawless case should have never been brought, and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed, as President Trump must be allowed to continue the Presidential Transition process, and execute the vital duties of the presidency, unobstructed by the remains of this, or any other, Witch Hunt.”

“Today’s motion provides every possible chance for Judge Merchan do the right thing and end what remains of this charade immediately, rightfully allowing our country to unite behind President Trump for the betterment of all Americans.”

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg arrives at Daniel Penny’s trial following a lunch break at the Manhattan Supreme Criminal Court building in New York City on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024.  (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital)

Trump attorneys said New York v. Trump is “based on a contrived, defective, and unprecedented legal theory relating to 2017 entries in documents that were maintained hundreds of miles away from the White House where President Trump was running the country.” 

“There are no ‘aggravating factors’ here, other than those arising from DANY’s misconduct,” they wrote. “Thus, this case should never have been brought, particularly during a period when DA Bragg’s failure to protect this City from pervasive violent crime frightens, threatens, and harms New Yorkers on a daily basis.” 

Trump attorneys also said that the case “would never have been brought were it not for President Trump’s political views, the transformative national movement established under his leadership, and the political threat that he poses to entrenched, corrupt politicians in Washington, D.C. and beyond.” 

JUDGE GRANTS JACK SMITH REQUEST TO DISMISS JAN. 6 CHARGES AGAINST TRUMP, APPEAL DROPPED IN FLORIDA DOCS CASE

Trump lawyers said that “wrongly continuing proceedings in this failed lawfare case disrupts President Trump’s transition efforts and his preparations to wield the full Article II executive power authorized by the Constitution pursuant to the overwhelming national mandate granted to him by the American people on November 5, 2024.” 

Trump attorneys, citing the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision which ruled that presidents have immunity from official acts, said the case threatens the functioning of the federal government. 

“Local elected officials such as DA Bragg have no valid basis to cause such disruptions, which also violate the Supremacy Clause,” they wrote. “Consequently, the federal Constitution is an absolute “legal impediment” to further proceedings…and the case must be immediately dismissed.”

Trump attorneys said that Bragg’s “wrongful prosecution threatens ‘enduring consequences upon the balanced power structure of our Republic’ and the type of ‘factional strife’ that President Biden decried in yesterday’s blanket pardon announcement.” 

They said the Special Counsel’s Office “has been forced to concede.” 

FILE – Judge Juan M. Merchan poses in his chambers in New York, March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

TRUMP REQUESTS NY JUDGE OVERTURN GUILTY VERDICT, INDICTMENT AFTER SCOTUS IMMUNITY RULING

Last month, a federal judge, upon Special Counsel Jack Smith’s request, dismissed charges against Trump in his 2020 election interference case. Smith also rescinded his appeal in his classified records case against Trump — a case that was tossed in July by a federal judge in Florida who ruled Smith was appointed unlawfully as special counsel. 

Bragg, last month, requested to Judge Juan Merchan that the case be stayed until the end of Trump’s second term, but Trump attorneys noted that the Office of Legal Counsel in the Justice Department concluded that “the categorical prohibition on the federal indictment of a sitting president…even if the case were held in abeyance…applies to this situation.” 

They wrote that Bragg’s “ridiculous suggestion that they could simply resume proceedings after President Trump leaves Office, more than a decade after they commenced their investigation in 2018, is not an option.”

BRAGG CASE ‘EFFECTIVELY OVER’ IN ‘MAJOR VICTORY,’ TRUMP OFFICIALS SAY

Donald Trump waves to supporters in West Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

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Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree stemming from the yearslong investigation related to alleged hush money payments run by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance initiated the investigation, and Bragg prosecuted Trump. 

After an unprecedented six-week trial in New York City, a jury found the president guilty on all counts. 

The federal judge overseeing Hunter Biden’s tax case issued a sharp rebuke of President Biden’s claim that his son was unfairly treated as well as the president’s delivery method following the president’s last-minute pardon.

U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi, who is based in the Central District of California and was nominated by President-elect Trump, accused President Biden in a scathing five-page order of “rewriting history” with the pardon and suggested that the breadth of the pardon granted to his son is unconstitutional.

“The Constitution provides the President with broad authority to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, but nowhere does the Constitution give the President the authority to rewrite history,” he wrote.

BIDEN PARDONS SON HUNTER BIDEN AHEAD OF EXIT FROM OVAL OFFICE

Hunter Biden departs a House Oversight Committee meeting on Capitol Hill on January 10. On Friday, a judge denied a motion to throw out a federal gun case against him.  (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

The judge voiced his displeasure that the president alerted the judicial system of his order to pardon his son via a White House press release.

“Rather than providing a true and correct copy of the pardon with the notice, Mr. Biden provided a hyperlink to a White House press release presenting a statement by the President regarding the pardon and the purported text of the pardon,” he wrote.

“In short, a press release is not a pardon,” he continued.

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Scarsi continued, reacting to the president’s statement on his son’s tax case: “the President asserts that Mr. Biden ‘was treated differently’ from others ‘who were late paying their taxes because of serious addictions,’ implying that Mr. Biden was among those individuals who untimely paid taxes due to addiction. But he is not.”

“According to the President, ‘[n]o reasonable person who looks at the facts of [Mr. Biden’s] cases can reach any other conclusion than [Mr. Biden] was singled out only because he is [the President’s] son.’ But two federal judges expressly rejected Biden’s arguments that the Government prosecuted Mr. Biden because of his familial relation to the President. And the President’s own Attorney General and Department of Justice personnel oversaw the investigation leading to the charges,” Scarsi wrote.

2 TIMES BIDEN SAID HE WOULD NOT PARDON SON HUNTER BIDEN 

“In the President’s estimation, this legion of federal civil servants, the undersigned included, are unreasonable people,” he said.

Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, departs the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building on June 03, 2024 in Wilmington, Delaware. Biden is standing trial for felony gun charges.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The judge said he would dispose of the case once he receives the official pardon from “the appropriate executive agency.” 

He also vacated Hunter Biden’s sentencing, which was scheduled for Dec. 16.  The charges carried up to 17 years behind bars, but the first son would likely have faced a much shorter sentence under federal sentencing guidelines.

TRUMP PREVIOUSLY PREDICTED BIDEN WOULD PARDON SON HUNTER

“Subject to the following discussion, the Court assumes the pardon is effective and will dispose of the case. The Supreme Court long has recognized that, notwithstanding its nearly unlimited nature, the pardon power extends only to past offenses,” he wrote.

FILE: President Joe Biden, wearing a Team USA jacket and walking with his son Hunter Biden, heads toward Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, July 26, 2024.  (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Hunter Biden, 54, has had a busy year in court, kicking off his first trial in Delaware in June, when he faced three felony firearm offenses, before he pleaded guilty in a separate felony tax case in September. 

President Biden pardoning his son is a departure from his previous remarks to the media over the summer when he insisted he would not pardon the first son.

“Yes,” President Biden told ABC News when asked if he would rule out pardoning Hunter ahead of his guilty verdict in the gun case. 

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Days later, following a jury of Hunter’s peers finding him guilty of three felony firearm offenses, the president again said he would not pardon his son. 

“I am not going to do anything,” Biden said after Hunter was convicted. “I will abide by the jury’s decision.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment. 

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.

The popular American gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson says it is still being kept in the dark after its Facebook account was suddenly suspended last month.

Though the account has since been reinstated, a representative for the company told Fox News Digital that “despite multiple attempts to reach Facebook to discuss the matter, to date we have not had direct communications with any of their staff members.”

The gun company, which is headquartered in Maryville, Tennessee, said staff suddenly received a notification from Facebook on Nov. 22 stating that their official Smith & Wesson account had been “suspended indefinitely.”

“No warnings of a page suspension were previously communicated by Facebook,” said the representative.

BIDEN-HARRIS POLICIES MAY BE BEHIND SURGE IN REPUBLICAN WOMEN OWNING GUNS, CONCEALED CARRY ADVOCATE SAYS

Handguns are displayed at the Smith & Wesson booth at the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 19, 2016. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

The representative said Facebook referenced five posts dating back to December 2023 that they “suggest did not follow their community guidelines.”

“The posts in question included consumer promotional campaigns, charitable auctions, and product release announcements,” the Smith & Wesson representative explained. “While Facebook’s policies are ever-changing, which creates a burden for users to comply with, we do not believe this content violated any of Facebook’s policies or community guidelines, and similar posts have been published in the past without issue.”  

Facebook’s commerce policy prohibits the promotion of buying, selling and trading of weapons, ammunition and explosives. However, according to Facebook’s parent company Meta’s website, there is an exception for legitimate brick-and-mortar and online retailers, though their content is still restricted for minors.

‘SMOKING-GUN DOCUMENTS’ PROVE FACEBOOK CENSORED AMERICANS ON BEHALF OF WHITE HOUSE, JIM JORDAN SAYS

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and founder of Facebook, speaks during the Silicon Slopes Tech Summit in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Jan. 31, 2020. (George Frey/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

According to the representative, the page was reinstated on Nov. 27 after the gun manufacturer made a public statement about the incident on X.

In the post, which has 3.1 million views, Smith & Wesson criticized Facebook and thanked Elon Musk and X for supporting free speech amid what it called ongoing attacks against the First and Second Amendments. The company encouraged its 1.6 million Facebook followers and fans to “seek out platforms” that represent the “shared values” of free speech and the right to bear arms.

Despite the page eventually being reinstated, the representative told Fox News Digital that the company has still had no contact with Meta and “no rationale was given for the reinstatement beyond a comment on social media from a Facebook representative stating that the suspension had been ‘in error.’”

That same Meta staffer, Andy Stone, also directed Fox News Digital to the X post positing that Smith & Wesson’s suspension was an accident. In the post, Stone said “the page was suspended in error and we’ve now restored it. We apologize that this happened.”

TRUMP FCC PICK SAYS BRINGING ‘CENSORSHIP CARTEL’ TO HEEL WILL BE A ‘TOP’ PRIORITY: ‘IT’S GOT TO END’

Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk (Getty Images)

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Through it all, the Smith & Wesson representative said the manufacturer is “grateful to Elon Musk for having created a public square platform that respects the right for Americans to voice their opinions, ALL opinions, and not just those that coincide with one agenda or another – especially as it relates to our constitutional rights guaranteed under the 1st and 2nd Amendments.”

The spokesperson said that since their account was suspended, they have become aware that many other social media users have been similarly silenced and de-platformed.

“While we were encouraged by the reinstatement of our account, we were similarly disappointed by the number of other users reacting to our statement on X that commented that they have had very similar experiences with their accounts being de-platformed without warning,” said the representative. “While we obviously do not know the details of those instances, we encourage Meta to continue working towards a more inclusive platform which allows the freedom for respectful dialogue from all viewpoints, which is a hallmark of American society.”

Founded in Norwich, Connecticut, in 1852, Smith & Wesson is one of the most recognized gun brands in America and reported $535.8 million in sales in the 2024 fiscal year.

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…

-Hunter Biden’s pardon sets troubling precedent, risks politicizing Justice Department, critics say

–Senate Democrats name top leadership positions after losing chamber majority

-House Dem moves to force vote on releasing Gaetz ethics report

Bench Warfare

The Senate GOP leader on Monday slammed decisions by two federal judges to reverse their announced retirements after Republican former President Trump won re-election in November.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., criticized the pair of “partisan Democrat district judges” after they announced plans to “unretire” after “the American people voted to fire Democrats last month.” 

“Looking to history, only two judges have ever unretired after a presidential election. One Democrat in 2004 and one Republican in 2009. But now, in just a matter of weeks, Democrats have already met that all-time record. It’s hard to conclude that this is anything other than open partisanship,” McConnell said in remarks delivered on the Senate floor…Read more

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., speaks with reporters after a meeting with fellow Republicans, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 4, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) (AP)

White House

‘IMPARTIAL INSTITUTION’: Hunter Biden’s ex-biz partner reveals Trump DOJ blueprint he would like to see after last-minute pardon…Read more

GUNNING FOR JUSTICE: DOJ special counsel says Hunter Biden’s indictment should not be dismissed…Read more

TRUMP TRUMPS BIDEN: Mar-a-Lago trumps White House as president-elect overshadows Biden on world stage…Read more

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with President-elect Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida on Friday to discuss topics like the economy, illegal immigration and a proposed 25% tariff. (Justin Trudeau X)

HUNTER BIDEN SAGA: Hunter Biden gun case terminated after pardon, but Delaware judge stops short of full dismissal…Read more

Trump Transition

‘MAJOR INCREASE’: John Bolton declares hiking US defense budget the ‘most important priority in foreign affairs today’…Read more

‘MOUTHPIECES FOR GOVERNMENT’: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy agree on ‘need to scrutinize’ US funding for NGOs…Read more

A side-by-side of Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk. (Getty Images/AP Images)

‘DEEP STATE’ FOE: FBI has long been accused of politicization ahead of Dem concern over Kash Patel nomination…Read more

Trail Dust

PARTING WORDS: Outgoing DNC chair defends party, says 2024 could have been worse for Democrats…Read more

LEADERSHIP ELECTION: Senate Democrats to hold leadership elections after losing chamber majority…Read more

Capitol Hill

‘NO LONGER EMPLOYED’: House Democrat staff member fired following arrest by Capitol Police…Read more

PROMOTED: General involved in Afghanistan withdrawal has promotion confirmed by Senate…Read more

GETTING TESTY: Recently ousted Dem senator said he’s ‘getting the f*** out of here’ when asked about presidential pardon…Read more

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester prepares to debate GOP challenger Tim Sheehy on campus at the University of Montana in Missoula, Mont., Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (The Missoulian via AP)

CROSSING THE AISLE: Dem lawmaker joins Republican-led DOGE caucus with push to remove Secret Service from DHS…Read more

‘FROM THE ASHES’: Conservative group’s roadmap calls for Congress to rebuild new US immigration system ‘from the ashes’…Read more

‘ABOVE THE LAW’: Dem Rep. Dean Phillips blasts Biden after Hunter pardon, says some people ‘are indeed above the law’…Read more

Across America

‘CHOOSE WORDS CAREFULLY’: Denver mayor criticized by hometown paper over vow to resist Trump deportations…Read more

STACKING THE DECK: Daniel Penny prosecutor dangles race card again over defense objection despite no hate crime charges…Read more

SHOOTER TO SHOP OWNER?”: Would-be Reagan assassin John Hinckley Jr. opening music store…Read more

‘COMMON SENSE’: Ohio Lt. Gov. touts state’s ‘common sense’ bathroom bill, hopes to see similar bills ‘across the country’…Read more

Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted told Fox News Digital that Ohio’s bathroom bill is “common sense.” (Getty Images)

RED LIGHTS: AOC’s ‘Red Light District’ plagued by crime as Democrat who helped her rise to power says she ‘disappeared’…Read more

GANG EXECUTIONER?: Suspected Tren de Aragua gang member in Texas charged with murder, kidnapping…Read more

FALLEN HEROES: Trump, DeSantis join thousands to mourn three Florida deputies killed in roadside crash…Read more

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Departing Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.V., focused on unity in an emotional farewell address to his colleagues in the Senate, marking the final floor speech of his 14-year term after not seeking re-election this cycle. 

“My friends and colleagues, today I rise with a full heart and an overwhelming sense of gratitude. It’s been the honor of my life to represent my great state of West Virginia in this great country of ours,” Manchin opened his final remarks on Tuesday. “Now, as my time here comes to an end. I want you to know that my belief in the potential of this institution, and each and every one of you that represent it, remains as strong as ever.”

In his speech, Manchin urged his colleagues to put their differences aside and work together in an effort to bridge political differences.

The senator revealed that it “wasn’t exactly my plan to join the Senate” at first, but that he “saw an opportunity to serve more people and tackle bigger challenges.”

SENATE DEMOCRATS NAME TOP LEADERSHIP POSITIONS AFTER LOSING CHAMBER MAJORITY

US Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) speaks to the Detroit Economic Club at their meeting held at The Masonic in Detroit, Michigan, on February 26, 2024. (Jeff Kowalsky)

Manchin, focusing on the theme of unity, recalled being asked to help recruit Democratic candidates to run against Republicans when he first entered the Senate, but vowing not to work against his colleagues.

“It didn’t take long for me to see that the divisions here run pretty deep,” he said. “I’m not going to raise money to attack my friends and colleagues just because they have an ‘R’ by their name. How do we expect to work together if I’m working against them when they’re in cycle?”

KYRSTEN SINEMA RESPONDS TO DEMOCRATS ADMITTING FILIBUSTER WILL HELP THEM STOP TRUMP AGENDA: ‘SCHADENFREUDE

In his final speech, Manchin took the opportunity to highlight accomplishments in his state of West Virginia such as on energy, infrastructure, and job growth.

While Manchin is widely known for his memorable work in the senate, his career in West Virginia politics dates back decades.

WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 5: Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.V.) walks with staffers on the east front of the U.S. Capitol on June 5, 2024, in Washington, DC.  (Kent Nishimura)

Manchin served as a state delegate in the early 1980s, before being elected as a state senator until the late 90s. Manchin served as Secretary of State for four years, and then was elected as governor of West Virginia in 2005. 

Manchin was eventually elected to his longest held post of Democratic senator for West Virginia in 2010. Known for his moderate approach and bipartisan work on national issues, the senator left the Democratic Party to register as an independent in May 2024, but continued to caucus with Democrats in the months following his departure from the party. 

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., waves to visitors on the Senate steps as he leaves the Capitol. (CQ-Roll Call, Inc)

Manchin ended his speech urging his colleagues to fix inflation and the southern border crisis, emphasizing that “when each side could take a little step to find common ground, powerful things happen.”

“I’m not going anywhere, gang,” Manchin said, appearing to tear up as he thanked his staff and family for their support over the years.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., commended Manchin’s service in the senate ahead of his farewell address.

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“It fills me with great pleasure, and a little sadness, to say a few words here in his honor,” Schumer said. “So today, I wish to pay tribute to a very dear friend, one of my closest friends in the Senate – even when we disagreed we stayed friendly and stayed good friends – and of course a longtime colleague: Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia.”

A Georgia judge ordered Fulton County District Attorney Fani Williams to hand over records related to her communications with special counsel Jack Smith and the U.S. House January 6 Committee after failing to comply with a request under the Open Records Act (ORA).

The nonprofit group Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit against Willis in March after her office claimed it did not have any documents and communications on file between Willis and Smith or Willis and the January 6th Committee.

But it turned out her office did have communications, and on Monday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ordered Willis to produce them within five business days. McBurney also determined in his ruling that Willis violated Georgia’s open records act by failing to respond to Judicial Watch’s lawsuit.

McBurney granted judgment by default after the DA did not make any ‘meritorious defense.’ Instead, Willis claimed she was not served properly.

TRUMP’S LEGAL CASES LIKELY TO DIE OUT AMID IMPENDING WHITE HOUSE RETURN, EXPERTS SAY

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis testifies during a hearing in the case of the State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump at the Fulton County Courthouse on February 15, 2024, in Atlanta. (Alyssa Pointer-Pool/Getty Images)

“Plaintiff is thus entitled to judgment by default as if every item and paragraph of the complaint were supported by proper and sufficient evidence,” McBurney wrote in his decision, while also ordering her to pay Judicial Watch’s attorney’s fees. “Here, this means Plaintiff has established that Defendant violated the ORA by failing to either turn over responsive records or else notify Plaintiff of her decision to withhold some or all such records.”

A hearing on the attorney’s fees and costs is set to take place on Dec. 20, 2024 at 10 a.m.

“Fani Willis is something else. We’ve been doing this work for 30 years, and this is the first time in our experience a government official has been found in default for not showing up in court to answer an open records lawsuit,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said. “Judicial Watch looks forward to getting any documents from the Fani Willis operation about collusion with the Biden administration and Nancy Pelosi’s Congress on her unprecedented and compromised ‘get-Trump’ prosecution.”

The documents Judicial Watch sought to obtain stemmed from an investigation by the House Judiciary Committee into whether Willis coordinated with the House Jan. 6 Committee in their investigations.

HOUSE JUDICIARY INVESTIGATING WHETHER FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS ‘COORDINATED’ WITH JAN 6 COMMITTEE

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks in the Fulton County Government Center during a news conference, Aug. 14, 2023, in Atlanta.  (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

U.S. lawmakers had said Willis asked the House Select Committee on Jan. 6 to share evidence with her office.

Last year, President-elect Trump and 18 others pleaded not guilty to all charges in connection to a racketeering indictment for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

Specifically, Willis charged Trump with one count of violation of the Georgia RICO Act, three counts of criminal solicitation, six counts of criminal conspiracy, one count of filing false documents and two counts of making false statements.

TRUMP BOOKED AT FULTON COUNTY JAIL AFTER CHARGES STEMMING FROM 2020 ELECTION PROBE

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis arrives to speak after winning the Democratic primary on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Buckhead, Ga.  (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Four of the defendants who were charged alongside Trump took plea deals in exchange for testifying against the other defendants.

Trump’s team and other defendants had previously asked the Georgia Court of Appeals to hold oral arguments to determine whether Willis could continue to prosecute the case.

The charges against Trump have not officially been dropped, though the case is on pause as Trump and his co-defendants appeal a Fulton County judge’s decision to not disqualify Willis from prosecuting the case.

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The Court of Appeals canceled the arguments in November, which were initially scheduled for early December. 

Fox News Digital’s Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can continue using a Seattle airport for chartered deportation flights in a win for incoming President-elect Trump’s administration, a federal appeals court ruled.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling rejected a 2019 local executive order that sought to counter then-President Trump’s immigration policies, saying that King County, Washington violated its contract by prohibiting deportations at King County International Airport, which is also known as Boeing Field.

The court ruled that the order was unlawful because it discriminated against ICE and targeted federal operations. In 2019, Trump used Boeing Fields to deport illegal migrants from the U.S. and the local county sought to block the president’s removal operations.

MIGRANT ACCUSED OF VIOLENT CRIMES ARRESTED BY ICE AFTER MASSACHUSETTS COURT REFUSED TO HONOR DETAINER

This Feb. 23, 2018 file photo shows cranes from the Port of Seattle in the background, airplanes are parked at a Boeing facility at Boeing Field in Seattle.  (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, file)

The order prompted ICE to begin using an airport in Yakima, Washington — a much longer drive from ICE’s Northwest detention center— for the deportation flights.

“The relocation increased operational costs due to the greater distance from ICE detention facilities to the airport. It also led to increased security concerns,” the ruling noted.

READ THE RULING – APP USERS CLICK HERE

In response, a legal battle with King County ensued. The U.S. in 2020 sued the county, alleging that it violated the terms of a World War II-era contract that guarantees the federal government’s right to use the airport along with discriminating against ICE.

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

In a ruling on Friday, Nov. 30, 9th Circuit Judge Daniel A. Bress upheld the court’s decision. In the ruling, obtained by Fox News Digital, he wrote that, “this is not a situation in which King County officials are being conscripted into carrying out federal immigration laws on the federal government’s behalf.”

“Instead, the United States is asking King County, in its capacity as the owner of a public airport facility, to lift a discriminatory prohibition on private parties’ ability to engage in business with the federal government that supports federal immigration efforts,” the ruling states.

Migrants board a state-sponsored bus to New York outside the Mission: Border Hope non-profit organization in Eagle Pass, Texas, US, on Monday, March 11, 2024.  (Christopher Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The new order also calls for transparency around any deportation flights. 

The airport now offers a conference room where the public can observe deportation flights on a video feed, and the county posts a log of deportation flights from the airport on its website.

President Elect Donald Trump, left, and newly appointed Tom Homan, right (Getty)

The ruling is a win for the incoming Trump administration. The president-elect has vowed to initiate deportation efforts on his first day back in office.

His promise was cemented by his pick of “border czar,” Tom Homan. 

“If you don’t want to work with us, then get the hell out all the way. We’re going to do it,’ Homan recently said.

DENVER MAYOR MIKE JOHNSTON SAYS TRUMP’S MASS MIGRANT DEPORTATIONS WILL CREATE ‘TIANANMEN SQUARE MOMENT’

Trump’s election has prompted blue city officials to voice their opposition against Trump’s deportation efforts. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said that he is prepared to go to jail in opposition to Trump’s plans.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey delivers her inaugural address in the House Chamber at the Statehouse moments after being sworn into office during inauguration ceremonies, Jan. 5, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

The governors of Illinois, Arizona and Massachusetts have said that they also won’t assist the administration in the operation. 

In Illinois, Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker promised to uphold sanctuary status, boldly declaring, “If you come for my people, you come through me.”

Arizona’s Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs said her state will not be helping in what she called a “misguided” plan. 

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“What I will unequivocally say is that, as governor, I will not tolerate efforts that are part of misguided policies that harm our communities, that threaten our communities, that terrorize our communities, and Arizona will not take part in those,” Hobbs said.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey insisted that Massachusetts state police would “absolutely not” help the Trump administration’s planned deportations. 

It’s a sign of the times.

Once a Democratic stronghold, Miami-Dade County, Florida, will honor President-elect Donald Trump by adding his name to a street after the Republican flipped the county by double digits in his historic 2024 election victory. 

“President Donald J. Trump Avenue is official in Miami-Dade County!” District 6 Miami-Dade Commissioner Kevin M. Cabrera wrote in a post on X.

On Tuesday, the Board of County Commissioners for the city of Hialeah voted 9 to 1 to approve the street name.

DNC CHAIR FRONTRUNNER OFFERS ‘UNCOMFORTABLE’ ADVICE TO DEMOCRATS AFTER CRUSHING LOSS TO TRUMP

“Today, we ratified the City of Hialeah’s initiative to honor President Trump’s legacy of championing freedom and opportunity by co-designating Palm Avenue—a vital artery in our community—as ‘President Donald J. Trump Avenue.’” 

Democrats on the County Commission could have blocked Tuesday’s approval because Democratic commissioners hold seven of the officially nonpartisan board’s 13 seats, according to the Miami Herald.

Only one member of the commission voted down the move because “they couldn’t assent given some of the former president’s derogatory comments on immigrants.”

“I respect the fact that President Trump won the popular vote, the Electoral College and Miami-Dade County,” Democratic commission member Marleine Bastien said in a statement reported by the Miami Herald. “However, his victory does not erase the collective trauma that immigrants and citizens alike felt during this election cycle.”

Four Democrats joined five Republican members of the commission to vote for the renaming of the street, according to the commission clerk. 

FORMER LAWMAKER CALLS FOR COMPLETE ‘REBRAND’ OF ‘TOXIC’ DEMOCRATIC PARTY

President-elect Donald Trump was honored on Tuesday with a street renamed after him in Miami-Dade County, Florida.  (X/@KMCabreraFL)

“Miami-Dade County strongly supported President Trump during the election, and this designation serves as a lasting tribute to his leadership and vision for our nation,” Cabrera said. 

The city is allowed to hang “President Donald J. Trump Avenue” signs on county infrastructure, including under Miami-Dade traffic lights along the city-maintained roadway with the county vote’s approval, according to the local outlet.

Miami-Dade commissioners have approved Hialeah’s renaming of a historic road after President-elect Donald Trump.  (Truth Social/@realDonaldTrump)

Last year, city council approved a proposal to rename the road for Trump after Hialeah Mayor Esteban “Steve” Bovo announced the move and presented Trump with a street sign at a campaign rally. 

“Our city LOVES Donald Trump. The Cuban American community feels a sense of gratitude towards him,” Bovo said in a previous interview.

LIBERALS DESPAIRING OVER TRUMP VICTORY ARE TURNING OFF THE NEWS: REPORT

Donald Trump holds a sign with Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo at a campaign rally in Hialeah, Fla., Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023.

Trump won Hialeah by 53 points in November, which is about 75% of the vote in Hialeah in last month’s election. He also won Miami-Dade by more than 13%, the first time a Republican has won the county since 1988.

“This renaming honors President Trump’s steadfast commitment to putting America first and prioritizing the needs of the American people. It is a tribute to his vision and efforts to uphold the values that resonate deeply with our community,” Bovo wrote in a statement on X. 

Fox News Digital reached out to all the Democratic members of the commission but did not immediately receive a response. 

Stepheny Price is writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister withdrew his name for consideration as President-elect Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

“To have been nominated by President-Elect @realDonaldTrump to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration is the honor of a lifetime,” Chronister wrote in a post on X.

“Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration. There is more work to be done for the citizens of Hillsborough County and a lot of initiatives I am committed to fulfilling,” Chronister continued. 

“I sincerely appreciate the nomination, outpouring of support by the American people, and look forward to continuing my service as Sheriff of Hillsborough County.”

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Chronister was appointed by then-Florida Gov. Rick Scott to head the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in 2017, and has been re-elected twice. 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams revealed on Tuesday that he is open to meeting with incoming Trump border czar Tom Homan to develop solutions to take on illegal immigrant criminals — and dismissed criticism from the left, telling critics to “cancel me.”

Adams was asked at a press conference about whether he will meet with Homan, who was picked by President-elect Trump to lead the mass deportation operation he intends to launch after he is sworn into office.

Adams stressed the city’s openness to immigrants and emphasized the work being done on helping migrants apply for Temporary Protected Status and work authorization, as well as services including case management for migrants. He said it has now seen a 21-week decrease in migrant arrivals. 

TRUMP BORDER CZAR HOMAN SAYS HE’LL MEET WITH NYC MAYOR ADAMS TO ADDRESS MIGRANT CRISIS: LETS ‘GET THIS DONE’ 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is open to meeting with incoming Trump border czar Tom Homan to develop solutions to take on illegal immigrant criminals. (Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Daily News via Getty Images)

“But we cannot ignore, ignore the fact that the American people have communicated to us, loudly and clearly. We have a broken system. They want to fix, and we need to fix our immigration system,” he said.

He said he has reached out to Homan and said he would like to speak to him: “I’m not going to be warring with this administration, I’m going to be working with this administration. President Trump is the president-elect. And whomever he chooses to run his agencies. I’m looking forward to sitting down and see how do we better New York,” he said.

Tom Homan, former acting director of US Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, US, on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. ( Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“I would like to speak with our border czar, and find out what his plans are. Where our common grounds are, we can work together. And I strongly believe, my history is sitting down with those across the aisle, with different ways of thinking, and sit down and share my ideas,” he said. “I believe I have some ideas that could deal with this issue, and we can reach what the American people have been saying to us — secure our borders, address the people who are committing violent acts in our country and make sure that… our citizens are going to be safe.”

In another part of the press conference, he said that those who are in the country illegally who are otherwise law-abiding “should not be rounded up in the middle of the night.”

But he said that it was different for criminal illegal immigrants.

NYC ENDS TAXPAYER-FUNDED PREPAID DEBIT CARD PROGRAM FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

“Those are the people I am talking about. And I would love to sit down with the border czar and hear his thoughts on how are we going to address those who are harming our citizens.”

As to his critics from the left on the issue, Adams pointed to past remarks by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama, who he said had called for the deportation of criminal illegal immigrants, and brushed off what he said was “cancel culture.”

“Well, cancel me, because I’m going to protect the people of this city, and if you come into this country, in this city, and think you’re going to harm innocent New Yorkers and innocent migrants and asylum seekers, this is not the mayor you want to be in a city under,” he said.

Adams has been sounding the alarm about the impact that the border crisis has had on New York City, including the billions that it has cost the city. He has repeatedly called for additional support from the federal government. He said on Tuesday that the city has so far seen $6.4 billion spent on the migrant crisis.

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

President Elect Donald Trump, left, and his incoming “border czar” Tom Homan, right. (Getty)

While New York City is a sanctuary city — meaning local police are not allowed to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requests to hand over illegal immigrants after they are released from custody — Adams has increasingly backed away from that stance.

He has called for changes that allow those suspected of major crimes to be turned over to ICE, something that is not currently allowed under the sanctuary policies.

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Homan, meanwhile, has also been open to a meeting with Adams.

“I’m willing to meet with him, and I’m willing to meet with anybody to help make their communities safer,” Homan said Monday on “America’s Newsroom” after being contacted by the Adams administration. 

“Prioritization out of the gate is public safety threats. Work with us on that. It makes your community safer. It keeps my officers safe. It keeps the community safe. Let’s work together and get this done.” 

Fox News’ Taylor Penley contributed to this report.

California’s unemployment insurance (UI) financing system is facing big deficits, requiring a full “redesign,” according to a new report from the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO).

The system, meant to be self-sufficient, has fallen short of covering annual benefit costs, resulting in a projected $2 billion annual deficit over the next five years and an outstanding $20 billion federal loan balance.

“This outlook is unprecedented: although the state has, in the past, failed to build robust reserves during periods of economic growth, it has never before run persistent deficits during one of these periods,” the LAO report, titled “Fixing Unemployment Insurance” and published Tuesday, stated. 

NEWSOM PROPOSES $25M FROM STATE LEGISLATURE TO ‘TRUMP PROOF’ CALIFORNIA

California Gov. Gavin Newsom pauses during a news conference after touring Barron Park Elementary School on March 2, 2021 in Palo Alto, Calif. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Independent analysts project that annual shortfalls will increase California’s federal loan, costing taxpayers around $1 billion in interest each year. The system, which is funded by employer payments to the UI Trust Fund, hasn’t been updated since 1984 and “cannot keep up with inflation or provide the intended wage replacement of half of workers’ wages,” according to the report.

The current employer tax structure discourages eligible unemployed workers from claiming benefits, while the state’s low taxable wage base hampers hiring of lower-wage workers, analysts found.

One suggestion researchers wrote to fix the gap is to increase the amount of wages taxed for unemployment benefits, raising it from $7,000 per worker to $46,800. Supporters of this change say it would bring in more money to fund the program. The report also recommends reworking how businesses are taxed for unemployment benefits to make the system simpler and encourage more hiring.

PROPOSITION 36 OVERWHELMINGLY PASSES IN CALIFORNIA, REVERSING SOME SOROS-BACKED SOFT-ON-CRIME POLICIES

California’s LAO found deficits in the state’s UI system. (iStock)

To deal with the massive federal loan, the report suggests splitting the cost between employers and the state government, so that businesses aren’t stuck with all the debt.

“These are significant problems in isolation, let alone in combination,” analysts wrote. “The significant changes proposed in this report are an honest reflection of these problems. However, whether or not the Legislature takes action, employers will soon pay more in UI taxes than they do today due to escalating charges under federal law.”

California Gov. Newsom speaks in San Francisco on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. He is expected to disclose his plan to deal with California’s massive deficit on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Jeff Chi, File)

Gareth Lacy, a spokesperson for the California Employment Development Department, which administers the state’s unemployment insurance program, called it “a thoughtful report” and noted officials “are reviewing it carefully.”

“We agree the issue stretches back for decades and the pandemic compounded it,” Lacy told Fox News Digital in a statement.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, the state’s UI system was hit hard with an overwhelming number of unemployment claims, resulting in the state borrowing roughly $20 billion from the federal government to cover insurance benefits, which the state still owes. 

“Not only will the state’s tax system fall short of repaying that loan, the balance is set to grow due to the ongoing gap between contributions and benefits,” the report noted. “This will become a near-permanent feature of the state’s UI program and a major ongoing cost for state taxpayers.”

A Democratic lawmaker is moving to force a vote on releasing the results of the House Ethics Committee’s report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.

Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., introduced legislation on Tuesday afternoon aimed at mandating a House-wide vote on whether to make the Gaetz report public. 

He introduced it as a “privileged resolution,” a mechanism that forces House leaders to consider it within two legislative days – putting the deadline on Thursday.

HACKER OBTAINS HOUSE ETHICS TESTIMONY ON MATT GAETZ AS TRUMP MAKES CALLS FOR AG NOMINEE

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz has been the subject of a multi-year investigation by the House Ethics Committee. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

The House Ethics Committee’s multi-year investigation into Gaetz, involving allegations of sex with a minor and illicit drug use, came to an abrupt halt last month after he resigned from Congress hours after President-elect Donald Trump tapped him to be his attorney general.

Gaetz dropped out of consideration amid quiet but steady GOP opposition, but the committee nevertheless lost jurisdiction over the probe when Gaetz left the House of Representatives.

His resignation came just before the committee was expected to meet to consider releasing the report.

Gaetz has consistently denied any accusations of wrongdoing.

An earlier federal investigation into the allegations ended without charges against Gaetz.

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

Rep. Sean Casten is aiming to force a vote on the committee’s report (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

It’s highly unusual for the House Ethics Committee, a panel normally shrouded in secrecy, to release reports on lawmakers who have left office. It’s a detail House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., raised when telling reporters last month that he was against releasing the report.

But it’s not unheard of, as Casten pointed out on Tuesday.

“The Committee on Ethics has, on many occasions, released its reports on former members,” Casten said in a statement. “Resigning from Congress should not allow Members to avoid accountability for allegations as serious as those faced by Matt Gaetz. Withholding this report from the American people would impede the dignity and integrity of the legislative proceedings of the House.”

Casten introduced a similar resolution last month, but his office said it was allowed to expire by House GOP leaders over the Thanksgiving break. 

The new resolution will likely not be sidelined so easily, with the House expected in session from now until Friday. 

Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the Ethics Committee, hinted that the vote on releasing it fell along party lines last month. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The last day to consider the resolution will be Thursday, the same day the Ethics Committee will meet after previously failing to come to an agreement on releasing the Gaetz report.

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Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., the top Democrat on the panel, hinted that the vote to do so fell along party lines.

“I’d say that a vote was taken. As many of you know, this committee is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, five Dems, five Republicans, which means that in order to affirmatively move something forward, somebody has to cross party lines and vote with the other side – which happens a lot, by the way, and we often vote unanimously,” Wild told reporters after the last meeting. “That did not happen in today’s vote.”