NationalWatch

The Redwood City Council in California voted 4-3 in favor of calling for staff to draft an ordinance for consideration that would restrict the city from cooperating with immigration authorities.

“Council voted 4 to 3 to direct staff to place an ordinance restricting the use of city resources to cooperate with ICE on a future agenda in the first quarter of 2025. Thank you, RWC!” council member Chris Sturken said in a Facebook post.

The vote came ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming Jan. 20, 2025, inauguration — Trump pledged that as president he will initiate the “largest mass deportation” in American history.

MIGRANT MURDERS PUT AMERICAN COMMUNITIES ON EDGE AS OVER 1.4 MILLION AVOID DEPORTATION WITH SHADY TACTICS 

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with House Republicans at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 13, 2024 (ALLISON ROBBERT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

“The outcome of the national and state election has brought up feelings of uncertainty and anxiety for many of us. I assure you that as your representative I will do everything in my power to make Redwood City a safer and more inclusive community for all,” Sturken said in a Facebook post earlier this month.

During discussion of his proposal on Monday, Sturken argued in favor of passing an ordinance to ensure that no city resources may be utilized to cooperate with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, unless required under law.

Sturken said that the “ordinance would codify our existing non-cooperation policy with ICE and expand it across the whole city.”

INCOMING BORDER CZAR HOMAN TO JOIN TEXAS GOV. ABBOTT AT KEY BORDER POINT, SERVE MEALS TO TROOPS

Redwood City Council voted 4-3 in favor of calling for staff to draft an ordinance for consideration that would restrict the city from cooperating with ICE. (PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP via Getty Images)

Redwood City’s website indicates that “the Redwood City Police Department does not actively participate in the enforcement of federal immigration laws, which are under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

“This means that police officers do not conduct sweeps looking for suspected undocumented persons, and we serve all members of the public regardless of immigration status,” the site also states.

TOM HOMAN RESPONDS TO DENVER MAYOR: ‘HE’S WILLING TO GO TO JAIL, I’M WILLING TO PUT HIM IN JAIL’

A law enforcement officer walks past the ICE logo ahead of a press conference on May 11, 2017, at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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Trump has tapped former acting ICE Director Tom Homan to serve as border czar.

FIRST ON FOX: Facing the threat of a contempt of Congress vote, Secretary of State Antony Blinken finally agreed to testify in front of the 118th Congress’ House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) on the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal after being sought to do so for months, according to a spokesperson for the committee’s GOP majority. 

President Biden’s Secretary of State is set to appear for a public hearing on Dec. 11, an HFAC majority spokesperson told Fox News Digital. His testimony will take place over three years after the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Blinken did testify directly after the withdrawal in front of the Democrat-controlled HFAC in September 2021. 

Blinken has previously refused to comply with the GOP-led committee’s subpoena for testimony in 2024 on the Afghanistan withdrawal.

His initial testimony to the Democrat-controlled committee was not sufficient for Republican HFAC Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas.

CONGRESS HAS JUST WEEKS TO AVOID A PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AFTER THANKSGIVING

Antony Blinken agreed to testify in front of the GOP-controlled House under threat of a contempt vote. (Reuters/Getty Images)

In the recent Blinken contempt report, McCaul noted the 2021 “appearance was prior to an investigation being launched by the Committee, meaning this Committee had yet to conduct any transcribed interviews or document discovery. As a result, the Committee did not have the benefit of its investigative findings to probe Secretary Blinken’s testimony, which contained misleading accounts of the withdrawal and NEO under his leadership.”

“After months of good faith efforts that were too often met with stonewalling from the State Department, I’m proud to have secured Secretary Blinken’s appearance before my committee. I trust his testimony will provide some long-overdue accountability and transparency for the American people, our Afghan allies, and our Gold Star families,” said McCaul in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“It’s unfortunate the secretary agreed to appear only after my committee advanced contempt proceedings against him. While I wish he had not delayed this crucial appearance until the end of his tenure as head of the State Department, I look forward to hearing his testimony and asking poignant questions to help House Republicans and the next administration ensure nothing like this ever happens again.”

Blinken’s decision to finally testify came as a floor vote to hold him in contempt of Congress drew closer, with the House Rules Committee expected to soon begin setting terms for a vote on the resolution. 

SENATE GOP MOTIVATED TO RAPIDLY CONFIRM TRUMP NOMINATIONS AHEAD OF PARTY TRIFECTA IN WASHINGTON

Gold Medals sit on display ahead of a ceremony honoring the 13 American service members who died in the suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Sept. 10, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Per the committee spokesperson, McCaul began seeking Blinken’s testimony in May. McCaul’s investigation into the withdrawal has spanned three years, but when Republicans were in the minority during the 117th Congress, he had limited oversight capabilities. 

During a general hearing on American diplomacy with Blinken in May, McCaul first asked for the secretary to testify in September when the committee’s report on its investigation on the Afghanistan withdrawal was set to be released. 

Blinken would not commit to do so, telling the chairman, “Well, we can have our teams talk about that Mr. Chairman. Thank you.”

‘CONVEYOR BELT OF RADICALS’: GOP SLAMMED OVER SENATE ABSENCES THAT HELPED BIDEN SCORE MORE JUDGES IN LAME DUCK

McCaul sent Blinken a subpoena to appear to discuss the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. (Getty Images)

The committee spokesperson told Fox News Digital that, in the months following, Blinken was afforded repeated accommodations and received various warnings, but the Department of State (DOS) refused to name a date he would be willing to appear in September. He sought instead for his two deputies to testify, despite the fact that neither of them had been with the department during the withdrawal. 

The committee ultimately decided to issue a subpoena for Blinken’s testimony in early September. The chairman then moved the date that he was subpoenaed to testify upon learning that Blinken was abroad, in order to ensure his attendance. 

But on September 24, Blinken did not report to Congress to testify. 

Following his absence, the HFAC voted to recommend that Blinken be held in contempt of Congress for defying the subpoena. The vote was 26 to 25, along party lines. 

The committee spokesperson detailed the lengths to which the Republican majority went to work with Blinken to avoid using its subpoena power. According to them, the committee reminded the DOS of the report just before September, when McCaul sought to have Blinken testify. However, the department and Blinken still refused to pick a date during the month. 

DSCC HOPEFUL GILLIBRAND SAYS DEMS SHOULD HAVE PUT IMMIGRATION FIX ON TABLE ‘2 YEARS AGO’

Blinken initially defied the subpoena. (Reuters/Elizabeth Frantz/Pool/File Photo)

On Nov. 7, HFAC majority staff met with leadership from the DOS and informed them about the report recommending Blinken be held in contempt advancing out of the committee. They further relayed that if he still refuses to provide dates to testify in front of the committee that the contempt resolution was prepared to head to the House floor for a vote. 

By Nov. 14, the contempt proceedings were noticed for consideration in the rules committee, which is one of the last steps before a House vote can occur. On this same day, the DOS made its first date offering to the committee. The department offered either Dec. 17 or 18, according to the committee spokesperson, but the two dates were in the last week of the session when many representatives will already be gone. 

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On Nov. 15, the committee countered the DOS with an offer of Dec. 10 or 11. The department ultimately chose the 11th and Blinken accepted, per the committee spokesperson. 

The DOS did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital. 

EXCLUSIVE: Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin will release a video ad Tuesday inviting the countless new workers and officials in the second Trump administration to settle in his state, versus the District of Columbia and neighboring Maryland.

Youngkin, who made education policy a pillar of his 2021 campaign against ex-Gov. Terence McAuliffe amid several school controversies in Northern Virginia, said the commonwealth has better schools than its neighbors.

Youngkin cited a CNBC study ranking Virginia first in the U.S. in education, and first in the nation overall for business – displacing its neighbor in 2023, first-place North Carolina.

“To the new members of President Trump’s administration moving to the area, I want to personally invite you to make Virginia your home,” Youngkin said.

DOJ ONCE OK’D KAINE-ERA LAW AT CENTER OF YOUNGKIN VOTE CULLING ORDER FEDS NOW SUING TO BLOCK

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, right, and President-elect Donald Trump meet ahead of the 2024 election. (Trump campaign)

“Virginia is right across the Potomac. We offer a great quality of life, safe communities, award-winning schools where parents matter, and lower taxes than D.C. or Maryland.”

Maryland was listed 31st in best-for-business, and the District of Columbia was unranked, according to the study.

The ad flashed through several scenes in the Old Dominion, from the capital, Richmond, to the King Street Trolley slinking through Old Town Alexandria. 

“It’s why so many people choose Virginia as the best place to live, work and raise a family,” Youngkin said.

Youngkin has called education the “bedrock of attaining the American dream,” and the CNBC study credited both Youngkin and the Democratic state legislative majority for compromising on $2.5 billion in new K-12 funding and 3% raises for teachers.

When asked about Virginia being pitched as a new home for the new administration, Trump transition team spokesman Brian Hughes said Youngkin’s performance speaks for itself as its own advertisement.

CLIMATE PROTESTERS INTERRUPT YOUNGKIN’S 9/11 SPEECH

Alexandria, Virginia, once part of Washington, D.C., until it retroceded to Virginia in the 1840s, sits across the Potomac River from the White House. (Getty)

“With the amazing job Governor Youngkin has done bringing common sense, low taxes, and high quality of life to his state, it’s no wonder that he has a compelling case to make to people who are exploring next steps in the region.” Hughes said.

Youngkin was swept into office in 2021 after a major political upset of McAuliffe – as Republicans had been out of power in Richmond for about a decade.

The last Republican governor, Bob McDonnell, reappeared on the political scene during President-elect Donald Trump’s various legal trials, as he, too, had been subject to prosecution by now-special counsel Jack Smith.

In McDonnell’s case, the once-rumored 2012 running-mate candidate’s political future imploded during his own corruption litigation, but the Supreme Court later unanimously threw out Smith’s conviction. Now-Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, ultimately chose then-Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. to run with him that cycle.

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Richmond, Virginia, and the Virginia State Capitol. (Getty)

With Virginia being the rare state that does not allow its governor to run for consecutive terms, Youngkin’s deputy, Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, has launched a 2025 gubernatorial campaign she said seeks to build on the Youngkin-Sears record.

The prominent Democrat in the upcoming contest thus far is Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who gave up her seat in launching her bid. Spanberger will be replaced in Congress by Rep-elect Yevgeny “Eugene” Vindman, D-Va., – the twin brother of Trump impeachment witness Col. Alexander Vindman.

Incoming border czar Tom Homan will join Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday at a key border area in Texas, and will serve meals to troops stationed there over Thanksgiving – ahead of what is expected to be significant cooperation between the Trump administration and Abbott’s team next year.

Homan and Abbott will greet and serve meals to Texas National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers in Eagle Pass, Texas.

Homan was appointed “border czar” by President-elect Trump this month after Trump’s election win.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THOMAS HOMAN, TRUMP’S INCOMING BORDER CZAR 

Gov. Greg Abbott during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 17, 2024. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“​​I’ve known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders. Likewise, Tom Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin. Congratulations to Tom. I have no doubt he will do a fantastic, and long awaited for, job,” Trump said on Truth Social.

Homan, a former acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director, will be one of the most high-profile figures in terms of the mass deportation operation the incoming administration has planned.

Abbott, meanwhile, has clashed repeatedly with the Biden administration over border security as his state bore the brunt of the historic migrant crisis at the southern border. 

Abbott caused controversy by bussing migrants to “sanctuary” cities like New York City, Chicago and others as a way to relieve the pressure on the state. His administration has also built its own border wall, set up buoys in the Rio Grande and deployed troops to provide additional border security.

Tom Homan speaks at the Republican National Convention on July 17, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

Abbott, a Republican, is likely to find an alliance with the incoming administration with aligned views on additional border security, the ending of “catch-and-release” and tougher penalties on those entering the U.S. illegally. Speaking on “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday, Homan said the incoming administration is not waiting until Jan 20 to get to work.

TRUMP’S ‘BORDER CZAR’ WARNS DEM GOVS REJECTING TRUMP DEPORTATION PLAN: ‘GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY’

“We’re already planning what we’re going to do to lock down the state of Texas,” he said. “Gov. Abbott’s in a great job so far. Illegal crossings in Texas are down over 80% because of the great work by Gov. Abbott, and he’s been successful because he has taken the Trump policies and put them to work.”

“We’re going to partner up and help him do 100% security on his border, and we’re going to do that across the southwest border,” he said.

On Monday, Abbott announced that Texas recently installed more buoy barriers in the Rio Grande.

“Texas continues our historic border security mission to stop illegal entry and safeguard our nation,” he said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

“We’ll use every tool and strategy available to hold the line,” he said.

Later Monday, he told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that he was thankful for the incoming administration and the role Homan will play in it.

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“I’m thankful that we have Tom Homan as the incoming border czar who is going to help execute those laws and enforce those laws and make sure that we get back to restoring order.”

A New York City elementary school is being called out for teaching a gender identity class to kindergartners after a copy of the course began circulating on social media.

Hillside Elementary School, part of the Hastings-on-Hudson Union Free District, has been teaching a “gender curriculum” to elementary-level children in an effort to promote “inclusion” in the school, according to the course description reviewed by Fox News Digital.

The course includes showing kindergarten students photos of other children which are used to “introduce vocabulary to describe characters of different identities,” including teaching them about the terms “cisgender, transgender, and non-binary,” according to a message to parents regarding the curriculum.

“Our gender curriculum focuses on Hillside’s core value of respect and aims to center discussions on gender identity. The students will learn and discuss that there is a lot you can’t tell about a person by simply looking at them,” the kindergarten level course description reads. 

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“The students will look at pictures of children and talk about what they notice and what they think they know about the children just from the pictures. Using their observations, we will then take the opportunity to introduce vocabulary to describe characters of different identities,” the school writes.

GOP SENATOR DEBUTS BILL TO ABOLISH DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOLLOWING TRUMP CAMPAIGN PROMISE

The “identity” being taught to children includes discussing “gender and the pronouns that you use,” and that “as we learn and grow, the words we use to describe our gender identity can grow too,” as described by the school.

When asked by Fox News Digital about the curriculum, the Hastings-on-Hudson Union Free District communications team said that the lessons have been in place for several years and are rooted in “Hillside’s core values of respect and fostering dignity for all students.”

A New York City elementary school is being called out for teaching a gender identity class to kindergartners. (Jeenah Moon)

“One 30-minute gender lesson is taught in each class one time per year. The classes are led by a certified educator, following a specific set of lessons designed to help students value the full diversity of their classmates,” Superintendent William S. McKersie said in a message to faculty and parents. “The lessons have been created in alignment with the NYS Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework,” he wrote. The school noted that the lessons do not address sex education or sexuality.

The school district said that while they usually have the courses posted publicly online, the gender lesson description has been taken off the website since going viral. 

LibsofTikTok, a social media account known for posting content geared toward calling out the far-left, posted a copy of the message to parents, which quickly received millions of views.

An aerial view of Central Park in New York City. (iStock)

“Our kids can’t read or write or even possess a basic understanding of history, yet the gender communism indoctrination of kindergartners continues unabated,” New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino said in a repost of the curriculum. “This won’t stop until these people face real consequences.”

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Kemberlee Kaye, managing editor of Critical Race Training in Education, a database that allows viewers to see which schools identified have been practicing critical race theory teachings, responded on X to “get your kids out of government schools.”

A federal judge in Kentucky rejected expanded protections implemented by the Biden-Harris administration for foreign farmworkers who come to the U.S. under H-2A visas.  

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves granted an injunction siding with Kentucky farmers and Republican attorneys general in Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia and Alabama who argued that the new rules constituted granting foreign farmworkers collection bargaining rights. Reeves said that Congress, not the Biden-Harris administration, would have to determine whether to allow H-2A visa-holders the right to unionize. 

Those new rules, implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor in April, expanded protections for H-2A visa-holders, including requiring employers to ensure they would not intimidate, threaten or otherwise discriminate against foreign farmworkers for “activities related to self-organization” and “concerted activities for the purpose of mutual aide or protection relating to wages of working conditions.” 

“In perhaps its most blatant arrogation of authority, the Final Rule seeks to extend numerous rights to H-2A workers which they did not previously enjoy through its worker voice and empowerment provisions,” Judge Reeves wrote. “The DOL justifies this attempted regulatory expansion as an effort to prevent the alleged ‘unfair treatment’ of H-2A workers by employers to protect similarly situated American workers.”

FARMERS ‘BRUTALIZED’ AS COSTS ‘GO THROUGH THE ROOF’ IN LAST DAYS OF BIDEN’S AMERICA

Temporary agricultural workers with H-2A work visas wait in line to cross the San Ysidro Port of Entry on their way to seasonal jobs in the United States on March 22, 2022 in Tijuana, Mexico.  (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

“The Final Rule not so sneakily creates substantive collective bargaining rights for H-2A agricultural workers through the ‘prohibitions’ it places on their employers,” Reeves wrote. “Framing these provisions as mere expansions of anti-retaliation policies, the DOL attempts to grant H-2A workers substantive rights without Congressional authorization.” 

Under a prior preliminary injunction issued by a federal judge in Georgia, the new rules had already been blocked in 17 states. Reeves’ decision does not apply nationwide. 

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman speaks during the Fancy Farm picnic in Fancy Farm, Kentucky, on Aug. 5, 2023.  (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

TRUMP TAPS TEXAN BROOKE ROLLINS AS AGRICULTURE SECRETARY

Congress created the H-2A temporary agricultural visa program in 1986 through the Immigration Reform and Control Act, allowing employers to hire foreign farmworkers on a temporary, seasonal basis, when there is a shortage of U.S. workers to fill the needed positions. It includes protections for American workers, including setting a minimum wage rate for foreigners coming to work under the program. 

A barn and rock stacks outside of the Horse District of Lexington, Kentucky. (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman argued that the Biden-Harris administration rules could have caused “serious and irreversible damage to farmers who are just trying to get by and bring food to Kentucky’s dinner tables.” 

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“We should be working to help Kentucky’s farmers, not put them out of business. This unlawful and unnecessary rule from the Biden-Harris Administration would have made it harder to get farmers’ products to grocery store shelves and would have increased already high prices for families,” Coleman said in a statement. “We will continue to do what’s right to stand up for Kentucky’s farmers.”

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis plans to run for U.S. Congress, he indicated in a resignation letter circulating online.

In the letter to Sunshine State Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Secretary of State Cory Byrd, Patronis said, “This letter is to give you notice of my resignation from the role as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the State of Florida in order to become a candidate in the 2025 Special Election for Florida’s First Congressional District.

“Because the primary election for CD 1 is currently scheduled for January 28, 2025, with the general election scheduled for April 1, 2025, I hereby irrevocably resign as CFO effective March 31, 2025.”

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 during his Don’t Tread on Florida Tour in Sarasota. (Tiffany Tompkins/Bradenton Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

In a post on Truth Social on Monday, President-elect Donald Trump urged Patronis to run for the House seat.

“I hear that Jimmy is now considering launching a Campaign for Congress in Florida’s 1st Congressional District!” Trump said in the post. 

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

TRUMP BEGINS ENDORSING REPLACEMENTS TO REPLENISH GOP MAJORITY IN HOUSE AS CABINET PICKS SHRINK LEAD

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, left, and President-elect Donald Trump. (Left: Octavio Jones/Getty Images; Right: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Patronis shared a screenshot of Trump’s post and wrote in a post on X, “Put me to work, Mr. President! @realDonaldTrump I am here to serve.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Patronis and the Florida Department of Financial Services, but has not yet received a response.

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz won re-election to the House seat earlier this month, but resigned after Trump tapped him for attorney general. 

FLORIDA CFO SHARES EMOTIONAL STORY OF RETIREE’S INSURANCE DISASTER IN MILTON AFTERMATH: ‘HEARTBROKEN’

President Joe Biden shakes hands with Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, as he meets with first responders to the collapse of the 12-story Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, during a meeting in Miami Beach, Florida, on July 1, 2021. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

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Gaetz later withdrew from consideration for the role, noting in a post on X, “It is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition. There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General.”

NEWFIELDS, N.H. – After eight years in office, Republican Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire is in his final weeks steering New England’s only swing state.

Sununu announced last year that he wouldn’t seek an unprecedented fifth two-year term as governor. New Hampshire and Vermont are the only two states in the nation to hold gubernatorial elections every two years.

And he’s leaving office on a high note, with his approval ratings remaining firmly in positive territory.

So what’s next for the 50-year-old Sununu, who eight years ago, when first elected, was the nation’s youngest governor?

IS THERE STILL ROOM IN THE GOP FOR TRUMP SKEPTICS?

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu is interviewed by Fox News Digital, on July 11, 2024, in Newfields, New Hampshire. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

“I’m excited to get back to the private sector. I like businesses, I like deal sourcing,” the governor said in a Fox News Digital interview. “I’m not sure exactly what the private sector is going to bring, but I think it’s going to be pretty exciting.”

New Hampshire, a perennial swing state, will likely have a competitive Senate contest in 2026 when longtime Democrat Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a former governor, is up for re-election. And Sununu is likely to be courted by national Republicans to run for the Senate.

EXCLUSIVE: WHAT THE NEW REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS CHAIR TOLD FOX NEWS

But Sununu reiterated what he told Fox News Digital in July.

“Definitely ruling out running for the Senate in 2026. Yeah, definitely not on my dance card,” he said.

But the governor predicted that Republicans will “have a good candidate. There’s no question about it. A couple of different folks that might be interested in running. I think that’d be fantastic. We’ve had an all-Democrat [congressional] delegation for a long time. I think the people in the state… would love a different voice, would love just some sort of change.”

Sununu, one of the more recognizable governors nationwide thanks to his regular appearances the past few years on the Sunday talk shows and cable news networks, mulled a Republican presidential nomination run before announcing a year and a half ago that he wouldn’t seek the White House in 2024.

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu speaks at a news conference on Nov. 15, 2023, at the Statehouse in Concord, New Hampshire. (Fox News  – Paul Steinhauser)

Asked if there’s another run for office in his future, the governor said he’s “not thinking about that at all, excited for the private sector. And that’s all… that’s in my windshield.”

But he didn’t entirely shut the door, adding, “We’ll see what political chapters write themselves down the road.”

Sununu will be succeeded as New Hampshire governor by Gov.-elect Kelly Ayotte, a fellow Republican and former state attorney general and former U.S. senator.

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

The governor was a top surrogate on the campaign trail and on the airwaves for Ayotte, who pledged to continue the Sununu agenda.

Asked if Ayotte’s nearly nine and half point win over former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, the Democratic Party gubernatorial nominee, was also a victory for him, Sununu said, “It was a victory for New Hampshire.”

Gov-elect Kelly Ayotte and Gov. Chris Sununu meet in the Statehouse in Concord on Nov. 7, 2024. (Office of New Hampshire governor)

“Kelly’s going to be phenomenal. She has that experience as an attorney general, as U.S. senator. She understands how the systems work,” Sununu emphasized. “Our transition is already going incredibly smoothly; discussions virtually every single day about all aspects of government, where it’s going, how to build good teams and, most importantly… the opportunities to listen to what’s happening in the communities.”

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Asked if he’d be offering advice to his successor, Sununu said “she’ll have my cell number. I don’t know if she’ll need it, because I think she’s going to be fantastic on her own, but she’ll always have my cell number.”

Sununu pointed to John Lynch and now-Sen. Maggie Hassan, his Democratic predecessors as governor, who Sununu said shared their cellphone numbers with him. He noted, “We want New Hampshire to be successful. So, it’s not just me helping Kelly out. It is always a team effort. She’s going to have a host of people that she can lean on for any advice when she needs it.”

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., on Monday appeared to poke fun at Senate Democrats for coming out in support of the filibuster after her former party had called for it to be abolished over the past four years to push through Democratic agenda items.

Sinema, who left the Democratic Party nearly two years ago, responded on the social media platform X to a report by the Washington Examiner citing Democratic senators who now say they support the Senate filibuster to block President-elect Trump’s agenda in his second administration.

“Please, please, please stop what you’re doing and read these quotes,” Sinema said.

“Filing under: schadenfreude,” she continued.

DEM ATTORNEYS GENERAL PREPARE FOR LEGAL BATTLE WITH TRUMP AFTER FILING HUNDREDS OF CHALLENGES LAST TERM

Senator Kyrsten Sinema, an independent from Arizona, during an interview on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, May 18, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Sinema and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who has also left the party to become an independent, were the two then-Democrats who opposed eliminating the filibuster during the Biden administration when Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., attempted to abolish it in 2022, although he was unsuccessful without the support of Sinema and Manchin in a razor-thin majority for Democrats.

Both independent senators did not run for re-election and will be leaving the Senate in January.

In August, Schumer told the New York Post that Sinema and Manchin are “both gone” in 2025 when asked if he would make another attempt to eliminate the filibuster.

After the election, Schumer pleaded with Republicans to prioritize bipartisanship.

“I offer a word of caution in good faith: Take care not to misread the will of the people, and do not abandon the need for bipartisanship,” Schumer said.

Earlier this month, Sinama responded to Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who said she would not support eliminating the filibuster now that the GOP will control the House, Senate and White House, but would have supported it if Democrats had the trifecta.

“You don’t say?” Sinema wrote on X.

The report from the Washington Examiner quotes several Senate Democrats, including Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill; Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii; Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who all expressed support for maintaining the filibuster to halt Trump-backed legislation.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema speaks alongside Sen. Chris Murphy with reporters in the U.S. Capitol Building on December 20, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“I’d be lying if I said we’d be in a better position without the filibuster,” Blumenthal said. “We have a responsibility to stop autocratic and long-headed abuse of power or policy, and we’ll use whatever tools we have available. We’re not going to fight this battle with one hand tied behind our back.”

Durbin said he views the filibuster as “part of the calculation” on how Democrats will resist Republican bills in the next Congress in which the GOP will hold a 53-47 majority in the Upper Chamber.

“We had to live with it when we were in the majority,” he said.

Schatz said: “I’m going to try not to make a mess of my position on this one.”

The Hawaii democrat previously slammed the “unprecedented abuse of the filibuster by Republicans” during the Obama administration as he backed reforms.

WASHINGTON GOVERNOR-ELECT ANNOUNCES SUBCOMMITTEE TO COMBAT PROJECT 2025

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on February 5, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

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“You play with the rules that exist,” Murphy said, adding that he is open to changes but not to “obliterate” the filibuster, which he criticized in 2021 as “downright dangerous,” a “slap in the face to majoritarianism” and an “argument that essentially prioritizes consistency over democracy.”

Incoming Senate GOP Leader John Thune, R-S.D., recently said that the filibuster will be “safe under Republican control,” even if it blocks Trump’s agenda.

“I find it ironic that a party that has spent a fair amount of time this election cycle talking about the importance of preserving our democracy seems intent on embracing the thoroughly undemocratic notion that only one party should be making decisions in this country,” Thune said.

Roughly half the country is represented by Democratic attorneys general, and a significant number seem ready to confront President-elect Donald Trump, just as many did during his first term.

Twenty-three states plus the District of Columbia and Northern Marianas Islands have Democrats as their top law enforcement officers, and many have positioned themselves as a line of defense against a Trump administration.

The most prolific state-government-litigant last term was Washington Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson, who as attorney general filed or was party to suits against the Trump administration 99 times. He lost three times.

He litigated the Muslim “travel ban,” and has expressed concern about Trump-era changes to abortion, immigration and LGBTQ policy.

NJ GOV SAYS HE’LL ‘FIGHT TO THE DEATH’ AGAINST CERTAIN TRUMP ACTIONS

Washington Gov-elect Bob Ferguson. (Getty)

Fox News Digital reached out to Ferguson, but he told the Washington Standard the state has been working “for many months … to prepare for this.”

Ferguson’s team reportedly read the Heritage Foundation’s entire 900-page Project 2025 publication and prepared successor Attorney General-elect Nick Brown to continue his work.

“Obviously, Trump’s [first] administration turned out to be a train wreck for our country and his efforts to trample on the rights of Americans and Washingtonians on our environment, reproductive freedom; the list goes on,” Ferguson told Democracy Docket in October.

Brown told Fox News Digital he pledged to “enforce and defend our laws, stand up for our values and protect our communities: And I intend to fully honor that commitment.”

“I have no interest in needlessly creating or seeking out conflict with the incoming Trump administration,” Brown said.

“But if they take actions that violate our laws or harm our people, I am ready and willing to use all available legal options to protect the residents of Washington State from such unwanted intrusions.”

NEWSOM TO ‘TRUMP-PROOF’ CALIFORNIA

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, center. (Getty)

Ferguson said a lot of Trump’s actions may be legal and “no one will be more happy than me” if Olympia never goes to court again.

In New Jersey, then-Attorney General Gurbir Grewal participated in dozens of suits against the first Trump administration, and Gov. Phil Murphy said while he hopes to find common ground with Trump, he will “fight to the death” to defend Jersey values.

Current New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin told Fox News Digital the election was fair and that Trenton will respect the democratic process that put Trump in the White House.

“As the president, he has the right to implement the policy agenda that he sees fit for the country. What he does not have the right to do is to violate the laws of this nation [or] this state…” Platkin said, citing a focus on gun safety, health care, the environment and immigration issues.

“I do not wake up every day dying to sue the president of the United States, but I also will not hesitate to do so when it’s in the best interests of our residents.”

New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin, right. (Getty)

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has been preparing for another Trump administration as his office also reportedly observes the behavior of Trump’s circle.

“President Trump has made no secret of his agenda for his second term. We’re taking him at his word when he tells us what he plans to do: whether that be rolling back environmental protections, threatening immigrant and civil rights, or restricting access to essential reproductive care,” Bonta said.

“Fortunately, and unfortunately, we have four years of ‘Trump-1.0’ under our belts. We know what to expect, and we won’t be caught flat-footed: What happens next is up to the president-elect. If he doesn’t violate the law, and we hope he won’t, we won’t need to take action.

“But based on our experience with the first Trump administration and the president-elect’s own words, we expect that won’t be the case…”

In Delaware, Attorney General Kathy Jennings made opposing Trump key to her 2018 campaign.

“Donald Trump threatens our civil rights. He undermines the rule of law,” Jennings said in an ad. “As attorney general, I’ll stand up to Donald Trump when his agenda hurts Delaware.”

(Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings.)

Fox News Digital reached out to Jennings, who previously challenged Trump’s child migrant detention system.

Wisconsin was party to several lawsuits in Trump’s first term, and Attorney General Josh Kaul signaled he’s “prepared to defend the rights of Wisconsinites if necessary.” 

“Let me say if the new administration infringes upon the freedoms of Wisconsinites or attempts to use our system of justice as a tool for vengeance, we will act,” he said recently.

In Connecticut, Attorney General William Tong is coordinating with other attorneys general.

“I’m sad to say we are here again. But we went through this the first time with the Muslim ban and the border wall, and we are even more ready now,” he said, according to WSHU.

“[W]hen they attack the American-born children of immigrants, and they talk about denying birthright citizenship, they are talking about me,” said Tong.

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New York Attorney General Letitia James. (Getty)

Then-Hawaii Attorney General Douglas Chin succeeded in blocking Trump’s “travel ban,” crediting the Aloha State as the first to launch litigation. Fox News Digital reached out to successor Anne Lopez regarding her stance toward Trump.

Fox also sought comment from the most high-profile of attorney-general-litigants. New York’s Letitia James pledged to be a “real pain in the a–” and led a $450 million fraud case against Trump.

She did not respond, but recently said she’s ready to “fight back again.”

The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment, but the president-elect did recently say of James, “she’s got serious Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

Donald Trump was in the room with JD Vance, Stephen Miller and other top advisers after calling senators to try to salvage the sinking nomination of Matt Gaetz.

He wasn’t having any luck.

“I’m using a lot of my political capital,” the president-elect told his inner circle. He could only spend so much of it, he explained.

Trump had picked up the phrase from a lawmaker who bluntly told him there was a cost to any continued effort to push the ex-congressman for attorney general, amid allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. 

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

President-elect Trump’s support for former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., as his attorney general pick all but fell apart at the seams after he realized he simply lacked the political capital to salvage his nomination. (Getty Images)

“Sir, we’re going to vote for you” on Gaetz, “but you’re using a lot of political capital.” 

Once Trump told Gaetz that he didn’t have the votes, prompting him to withdraw, he quickly settled on Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and career prosecutor who had precisely the experience that the embattled Gaetz lacked – and without the personal baggage. Gaetz, who is accused of sleeping with a 17-year-old girl, continues to deny any wrongdoing.

He formally withdrew 45 minutes after CNN told him it would report that he’d had a threesome – specifically, that there had been another alleged incident with Jane Doe, the woman who says she had sex with Gaetz at 17, and an adult woman.

Bondi has a history of partisan loyalty to Trump, such as defending him at his first impeachment trial, and this year, headed the legal arm of a pro-Trump firm and became a registered lobbyist. 

But here’s the difference, according to insiders: She won’t go in and blow up the Justice Department, as Gaetz wanted to do. She respects the rule of law, say Florida colleagues. She even hired the Democrat who ran against her for AG, who is praising her. Yes, Bondi has talked about prosecuting “bad” prosecutors, but who can object to that?

With Gaetz out, more scrutiny has shifted to Pete Hegseth’s nomination to run the Pentagon’s global bureaucracy.

WHY TRUMP IS STICKING WITH GAETZ, HEGSETH DESPITE NEW ACCUSATIONS – AND HIS ‘MORNING JOE’ MEETING

The view from Trump World is that Hegseth, as a decorated Army combat veteran, probably gets confirmed, though there is annoyance that he didn’t come clean with the transition team about having paid off a woman who accused him of sexual assault, and had her sign an NDA, in what he calls a consensual encounter in California in 2017.

The transition team’s view is that Hegseth did nothing illegal, that he made a deal with the accuser who lied to save her marriage – and didn’t go to the hospital for four days – and he didn’t want this public because he feared losing his job at Fox. 

I agree he’ll probably be confirmed, and the transition gang is more worried about Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr. As a practical matter, I think the GOP-controlled Senate can reject only one other nominee.

With Gaetz out of the picture, Trump critics’ scrutiny may well shift to defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

The concern about Gabbard for director of national intelligence is that she has no experience in that sensitive area, that the former Democratic congressional representative met with Syrian strongman Bashar Assad despite his murder of hundreds of thousands of people, and often seems to echo the Putin line. The question is whether she is even qualified.

There is even more concern about Kennedy’s bid to become HHS secretary. He has some good ideas, but even putting aside his history of infidelity, he embraces one conspiracy theory after another: Vaccines cause autism, WiFi causes cancer, water systems should stop using fluoride.

The worst, by far, is what he said in 2020, embracing the idea that the federal government deliberately created the pandemic – what he called the “plandemic” – that killed 1.2 million Americans. This is the equivalent of 9/11 truthers.

The key here is that the criticism is coming from the left. Liberals in the media and on the Hill don’t like RFK because he’s pro-choice and is seen as a rogue Democrat who has said a lot of crazy things over the years, and that could be enough to sink his nomination.

Trump World doesn’t care about the other nominations on the theory that the average voter has never heard of most of Trump’s picks for Energy or HUD. 

There’s some Republican resentment at his selection of pro-union Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer for Labor, but that’s among the insiders.

President-elect Trump’s cabinet is the most ideologically diverse in recent memory, staffing everyone from conservative hardliners to ex-Democrats, and from long-serving congressmen to people best known as TV personalities. (Getty Images)

What’s striking is that this is the most ideologically diverse Cabinet of the modern era.

As Axios was the first to point out, the lineup ranges from Marco Rubio as secretary of State to a slew of current and former members of Congress to such controversial picks as Hegseth, Gabbard and RFK, to Dr. Oz, to run the Medicare and Medicaid programs, to frequent Fox medical commentators Marty Makary to manage the FDA and Janette Nesheiwat as surgeon general; both are medical doctors. And he chose former congressman Dave Weldon to take over the CDC.

In a CBS poll, 59% approve of the way Trump is handling the transition.

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

The internal jockeying also led to leaks like this, to the Washington Post:

“Donald Trump’s attorney and adviser Boris Epshteyn arrived recently for a meeting about Cabinet picks in the Tea Room at Mar-a-Lago only to find his way blocked.

Transition co-chair Howard Lutnick, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, told Epshteyn in front of others that this was not a meeting for him. ‘We’re not talking legal nominees today,’ Lutnick said, according to one person familiar with the exchange.

“Epshteyn refused to budge. Using his forearm, he pushed Lutnick out of the way, according to two people familiar with the incident, which Lutnick later recounted to others. ‘I’m coming in,’ Epshteyn retorted, according to one of the people.

Cantor Fitzgerald CEO and Commerce Secretary pick Howard Lutnick reportedly had a rough time at a recent Mar-a-Lago meeting, apparently being pushed aside by Boris Epshteyn – who wasn’t supposed to be there. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

“A third person described the incident more as Epshteyn simply brushing past Lutnick on his way into the meeting.”

This flood-the-zone approach diverted attention from the Gaetz fiasco and raised questions about incoming White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and how much input she has. And unlike the traditional one-nominee-per-day approach, it blurs the focus on nominees who otherwise might draw media criticism, such as Dr. Oz, who was often accused of peddling ineffective remedies on his TV show, because you’d need a scorecard to keep track of the blizzard of Trump picks.    

So why did Trump pick Matt Gaetz in the first place?

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It may have been an impulsive move while Trump was on the plane with him, along with Wiles. But the president-elect is savvy enough to know it would trigger a media firestorm, and insiders call it a screw-you decision to the establishment.

Or Trump may have figured that Gaetz was unlikely to make it, but it would be difficult to reject the backup nomination, especially one as qualified as Pam Bondi.

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Whatever your view, there’s no question that Trump has managed the transition quite well and, with some exceptions, is off to a good start.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston says that he is prepared to go to jail over his opposition to President-elect Trump’s mass deportation plan – even as he walked backed comments predicting a “Tiananmen Square moment.”

Johnston had been asked last week about his opposition to the Trump plan to significantly ramp up deportations of illegal immigrants when he enters office next year. Johnston predicted police deployment and a “Tiananmen Square moment” if federal immigration officials attempted to do their job.

“More than us having DPD stationed at the county line to keep them out, you would have 50,000 Denverites there,” Johnston said in the interview with Denverite. “It’s like the Tiananmen Square moment with the rose and the gun, right? You’d have every one of those Highland moms who came out for the migrants.

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

President-elect Trump and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston (Getty Images)

“And you do not want to mess with them.”

But in a subsequent interview on Friday with 9News, he walked back those comments.

“Would I have taken it back if I could? Yes, I probably wouldn’t have used that image,” Johnston said. “That’s the image I hope we can avoid. What I was trying to say is this is an outcome I hope we can avoid in this country. I think none of us want that.”

But he said he was prepared to protest against anything he believes is “illegal or immoral or un-American” in the city – including the use of military force – and was then asked if he was prepared to go to jail for standing in the way of policies enacted by the administration.

“Yeah, I’m not afraid of that, and I’m also not seeking that,” Johnston said. “I think the goal is we want to be able to negotiate with reasonable people how to solve hard problems.”

He expressed support for limited deportations of those convicted of “serious crimes.” He also said they would be a “ready partner” if the plan was only to focus on violent criminals.

TRUMP’S ICE NOMINEE DECISION COULD BE IMMINENT AS DEPORTATION PLAN TAKES SPOTLIGHT 

ICE agents conduct an enforcement operation on June 2, 2022. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

“I think our line is clear,” Johnston said. “We think if you are a violent criminal that is committing serious crimes like murder or rape in Denver, you should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and you should be deported. We support that, we have always supported that, we’ll continue supporting that. We’ve worked with previous administrations on that; we will do it going forward.”

The incoming administration’s plan to ramp up deportations has already brought opposition from Democratic officials in a number of states.

The governors of Illinois, Arizona and Massachusetts have said they won’t assist the administration in the operation. Arizona’s Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs said her state will not be helping in what she called a “misguided” plan.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

“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.

But some Republican states have offered support, with Texas offering more than 1,400 acres of land to stage mass deportations near the border.

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 “I am 100% on board with the Trump administration’s pledge to get these criminals out of our country, and we are more than happy to offer our resources to facilitate those deportations of these violent criminals,” Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham told Fox News Digital last week.

Washington governor-elect Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, announced Monday that he is creating a subcommittee in his transition team that will have the sole purpose of fighting Project 2025.

The transition team expects Project 2025 to be pushed by the Trump Administration despite President-elect Trump’s efforts during his campaign to distance himself from the controversial proposal.

Ferguson’s committee will be co-chaired by Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates CEO Jennifer Allen and King County Councilmember Jorge L. Barón, who is also a former executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, Fox 13 reported.

“We are preparing in case President Trump attacks Washingtonians’ core freedoms,” Ferguson said, according to the outlet. “We will keep Washington moving forward no matter what happens at the federal level.”

WASHINGTON STATE DEMOCRAT PUSHES TO GIVE HOMELESS SPECIAL CIVIL RIGHTS

Governor-elect Bob Ferguson gives his victory speech at the Washington State Democrats Election Night Watch Party at the Seattle Convention Center on November 5, 2024, in Seattle, Washington. (Getty Images)

Project 2025 is a controversial initiative organized by conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation that was authored by a number of conservatives, including some former Trump administration officials.

The initiative offered right-wing policy recommendations for Trump’s second term, including replacing civil service employees with Trump loyalists, abolishing the Department of Education, criminalizing pornography, eliminating DEI programs, cutting funding for Medicaid and Medicare, rejecting abortion as health care, carrying out mass deportations and infusing the government with Christian values.

During his campaign, Trump had sought to distance himself from the initiative, which has been criticized as being an authoritarian and Christian nationalist plan that would undermine civil liberties, saying he knew nothing about it, that parts of it are “absolutely ridiculous and abysmal” and that its backers are on the “radical right.”

PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP APPOINTS THREE KEY POSITIONS IN WHITE HOUSE OFFICES

Washington governor-elect Bob Ferguson announced Monday that he is creating a subcommittee in his transition team to fight Project 2025. (Getty Images)

Former Trump officials also told POLITICO ahead of Election Day that people involved in Project 2025 would be blacklisted from his administration.

But Trump has selected authors and contributors for Project 2025 to serve in his next administration, including Russell Vought as director of the Office of Management and Budget, Tom Homan as “border czar,” Stephen Miller as deputy chief of policy and Brendan Carr as chair of the Federal Communications Commission.

“This is a critical time in our nation as we look to the possibility of our communities being under attack from many different directions,” Allen said, according to Fox 13. “I’m honored to serve on Governor-elect Ferguson’s transition team and to co-chair this subcommittee to support his leadership in our state and country in championing and safeguarding reproductive rights and all of the rights of Washingtonians.”

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump attends a viewing of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket on Nov. 19, 2024, in Brownsville, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

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Barón said he is “honored to assist Governor-elect Ferguson in his transition into this new role and to co-chair this important subcommittee,” Fox 13 reported.

“As an immigrant and as the proud parent of a trans daughter, I am particularly grateful that the Governor-elect is committed to protecting all Washington state residents, and especially those communities at greatest risk of having their rights attacked by the incoming federal administration,” Barón continued.

Ferguson’s office said the subcommittee will establish policy priorities for his first 100 days in office, according to Fox 13, although specific policy proposals have not been released.

A judge has dropped the charges against President-elect Donald Trump in the D.C. case against him, following a request that Special Counsel Jack Smith made on Monday.

The decision concerns the investigation into the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol breach. Fox News Digital previously learned of Smith’s request earlier on Monday.

“The Government has moved to dismiss the Superseding Indictment without prejudice,” U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan wrote in a decision. “Defendant does not oppose the Motion…and the court will grant it.”

Smith also filed a motion to drop his appeal in his classified records case against Trump – a case that was tossed in July by federal Judge Aileen Cannon. Cannon ruled Smith was unlawfully appointed as special counsel. 

NEW YORK JUDGE GRANTS TRUMP REQUEST TO FILE MOTION TO DISMISS CHARGES, CANCELS SENTENCING INDEFINITELY

The Jan. 6 case against Trump was dropped on Monday. (Fox News Digital)

The moves come after Smith, earlier this month after Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, signaled he would begin winding down his case against Trump. The filing went live on the Department of Justice docket on Monday afternoon.

Smith had already filed a motion to vacate all deadlines in the 2020 election interference case against Trump in Washington, D.C. – a widely expected move, but one that stopped short of dropping the case against Trump completely. Smith had said his team planned to give an updated report on the official status of the case against Trump on Dec. 2.

Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges in the case and took the fight to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing on the basis of presidential immunity. 

The high court ruled that Trump was immune from prosecution for official presidential acts, forcing Smith to file a new indictment. Trump pleaded not guilty to those new charges, too. Trump’s attorneys have been seeking to have the election interference charges dropped in Washington, D.C., alleging that Smith was appointed unlawfully. 

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

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on November 06, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“The American People re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate to Make America Great Again. Today’s decision by the DOJ ends the unconstitutional federal cases against President Trump, and is a major victory for the rule of law,” Trump spokesman and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement. “The American People and President Trump want an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and we look forward to uniting our country.”

Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges stemming from both of Smith’s investigations. 

Smith is expected to resign as special counsel before Trump takes office. 

Trump posted to his Truth Social Monday afternoon that the cases against him “are empty and lawless and should never have been brought.”

TRUMP APPOINTS TULSI GABBARD AS DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: ‘FEARLESS SPIRIT’

“These cases, like all of the other cases I have been forced to go through, are empty and lawless, and should never have been brought. Over $100 Million Dollars of Taxpayer Dollars has been wasted in the Democrat Party’s fight against their Political Opponent, ME,” Trump posted. “Nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before.” 

Trump said “state Prosecutors and District Attorneys, such as Fani Willis and her lover, Nathan Wade (who had absolutely zero experience in cases such as this, but was paid MILLIONS, enough for them to take numerous trips and cruises around the globe!), Letitia James, who inappropriately, unethically, and probably illegally, campaigned on ‘GETTING TRUMP’ in order to win Political Office, and Alvin Bragg, who himself never wanted to bring this case against me, but was forced to do so by the Justice Department and the Democrat Party.” 

Jack Smith, US special counsel, speaks during a news conference in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Trump added: “It was a political hijacking, and a low point in the History of our Country that such a thing could have happened, and yet, I persevered, against all odds, and WON. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Just weeks after Vice President Kamala Harris’ overwhelming loss to President-elect Trump in the 2024 presidential election, the White House released a memo that hailed the Biden-Harris administration as one of the most successful in history.

The memo shared on Monday highlighted how President Biden and Harris took office during the COVID-19 pandemic and a “reeling” economy, before going on to call their administration “one of the most successful administrations in history” which “will be leaving behind the best economy in the world.”

“Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership, 16 million jobs have been created, and we’ve gotten women and people of color back in the labor force at record rates,” the memo stated. “A record 20 million new business applications have been filed, and inflation is down to near pre-pandemic levels.”

The White House added that “our success” in these areas was due to “passing and implementing legislation that rebuilt our nation’s infrastructure, made the largest investment in climate action in history, lowered prescription drug costs, and spurred a manufacturing renaissance.”

HARRIS DISAPPEARS FROM SPOTLIGHT, VACATIONS IN HAWAII AFTER ELECTION LOSS

The White House released a memo on Monday calling the Biden-Harris administration “one of the most successful administrations in history.” (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images, File)

The memo quotes unnamed “business leaders” calling the U.S. economy “among the best performing economies” in decades.

The latest jobs report released earlier this month, however, appears to show a different story.

The Labor Department report shows that just 12,000 jobs were created in October, far below estimates of up to 120,000 and were the lowest in four years. The unemployment rate was 4.1%, in line with expectations.

President Biden bowed out of the 2024 presidential race in July following a dismal debate performance against former President Trump. Vice President Kamala Harris then led the Democratic ticket, ultimately losing to Trump. (Andrew Leyden/NurPhoto via Getty Images, File)

The cumulative effect of inflation has continued to weigh on many Americans.

TRUMP PLANNING TO LIFT BIDEN’S LNG PAUSE, INCREASE OIL DRILLING DURING 1ST DAYS IN OFFICE: REPORT

The Labor Department’s inflation report for October found that the consumer price index — a broad measure of how much everyday goods like gasoline, groceries and rent cost — was up 2.6% from a year ago for the U.S. as a whole, in line with expectations as inflation ticked higher amid a broader cooling trend.

Days ahead of the presidential election, Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt argued that “this jobs report is a catastrophe and definitively reveals how badly Kamala Harris broke our economy.”

President-elect Trump overwhelmingly defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, winning both the Electoral College and popular vote. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, File)

On Election Day, the will of the American people was reflected in the vote totals and appeared to show a referendum on the policies of the Biden-Harris administration.

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Trump beat Harris with a resounding 312 electoral votes to Harris’ 226, and with over 2 million more votes in the popular vote.

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser and Fox Business’ Eric Revell contributed to this report.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is already planning on pushing back against President-elect Donald Trump’s policies derailing the current administration’s green energy push. 

President Joe Biden implemented a tax credit of up to $7,500 to incentivize the purchase of greener vehicles, but Trump is reportedly planning to ax the tax credit when he assumes office, sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Newsom, in a statement Monday, revealed that he will offer the same EV rebate for Californians in the case that Trump gets rid of the credit.

TRUMP PLANNING TO LIFT BIDEN’S LNG PAUSE, INCREASE OIL DRILLING DURING 1ST DAYS IN OFFICE: REPORT

Gov. Gavin Newsom is already planning on pushing back against President-elect Donald Trump’s policies derailing the current administration’s green energy push.  (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

“Consumers continue to prove the skeptics wrong – zero-emission vehicles are here to stay,” Newsom said in a statement. 

“We will intervene if the Trump Administration eliminates the federal tax credit, doubling down on our commitment to clean air and green jobs in California. We’re not turning back on a clean transportation future — we’re going to make it more affordable for people to drive vehicles that don’t pollute,” the governor added.

NEBRASKA AG LAUNCHES ASSAULT AGAINST CALIFORNIA’S ELECTRIC VEHICLE PUSH

The Golden State EV credits would be funded by a relaunch of the Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, the state’s electric car incentive program that closed in November 2023, according to a press release from the governor’s office.

The announcement comes just one week ahead of Newsom’s emergency special session that he called after the election to bolster the blue state’s legal response to any future attacks from the incoming Trump administration. (Alex Brandon)

The announcement comes just one week ahead of Newsom’s emergency special session that he called after the election to bolster the blue state’s legal response to any future attacks from the incoming Trump administration.

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However, Newsom has a long history of hitting back against Trump’s policies, having launched more than 100 lawsuits against the president-elect during his first administration alone.

President-elect Trump announced three key appointments to White House offices on Monday, including two who served during his first term.

The announcement included the appointment of James Braid, who will return to the White House as the deputy assistant to the president and director of the Office of Legislative Affairs.

Braid worked in legislative affairs at the Office of Management and Budget during Trump’s first term, and since then he has served as the lead policy staffer for Vice President-elect JD Vance in the U.S. Senate.

Braid has also served as chief of staff for multiple members of Congress, and has taken on several other senior policy roles on Capitol Hill since 2015.

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

Donald Trump waves to the crowd on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 18, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Trump also announced Alex Latcham will return to the White House as the deputy assistant to the president and director of the Office of Public Liaison.

Latcham previously served as special assistant to the president and deputy political director during Trump’s first term.

For the past eight years, Latcham served Trump as a senior deputy political director for his campaign and for the Republican National Committee.

TRUMP NOMINATES FORMER WISCONSIN REP. SEAN DUFFY FOR SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on November 06, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The third person to be appointed is Matt Brasseaux, who will serve as deputy assistant to the president and director of the Office of Public Affairs.

Brasseaux worked as a deputy political director for the Trump campaign and Republican National Committee in 2024.

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He also served as a regional political director for the Republican National Committee and campaign manager for now-Gov. Joe Lombardo in Nevada.

President-elect Trump began endorsing fellow Republicans this week to replace members of Congress who have vacated their seats to join his Cabinet. 

The endorsements come amid fears that the party’s razor-thin majority in the House – the size of which still remains undetermined – could be in jeopardy as a result of Trump’s selections from the lower chamber.

Trump threw his support behind two Floridians, former GOP state Sen. Randy Fine and the current chief financial officer for the Sunshine State, Jimmy Patronis Jr., both of whom are considering runs for Congress, according to the president-elect. 

Fine would run in Florida’s 6th Congressional District, a seat that is currently held by Trump’s pick to be his next national security adviser, Rep. Michael Waltz. Patronis would run in Florida’s deep-red 1st District, previously held by former Rep. Matt Gaetz. Gaetz resigned from Congress after Trump nominated him to be attorney general, but allegations of sexual assault and other improprieties prompted Gaetz to withdraw his name from the running. He has denied any wrongdoing.

SIZE OF SLIM REPUBLICAN HOUSE MAJORITY HANGS ON 3 UNCALLED RACES

President-elect Trump endorsed two public officials from Florida to fill vacant House seats left open by his Cabinet picks. (Florida House of Representatives)

Trump, however, has not endorsed anyone to replace Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., the GOP House conference chair, whose solidly red seat in upstate New York will also be up for grabs if she is confirmed by the Senate to be the Trump administration’s ambassador to the United Nations. 

Republicans in the House of Representatives are on track to have somewhere between a one- and three-vote majority once the few outstanding races are called. There are three races remaining that still need to be called, two in California and one in Iowa. 

The balance of power in the House currently sits at 219 seats for Republicans and 213 for the Democrats. Republicans must hold 218 to retain their majority.

While Waltz, Stefanik and Gaetz’s seats all sit in Republican strongholds, lawmakers have nonetheless signaled concern, particularly, because the ensuing special elections could likely occur within the first weeks or months of Trump’s term and potentially stymie Trump’s ambitions for his first 100 days in office.

Reps. Mike Waltz and Elise Stefanik were tapped to serve in the Trump administration. (Getty Images)

“I know he’s already pulled a few really talented people out of the House – hopefully no more for a little while until special elections come up, but it shows you the talent that we have and the ability we have,” Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., said last week during a press conference. Scalise is House majority leader. 

INCUMBENT IOWA REPUBLICAN SAYS DEM HOUSE OPPONENT ‘WASTING TAXPAYER MONEY’ WITH RECOUNT 

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., similarly said he did not believe Trump would pluck any more members from the House for his administration, adding that he and Trump broached the topic in discussions. 

The Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 4, 2024. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

“President Trump fully understands and appreciates the math here, and it’s just a numbers game. You know, we believe we’re going to have a larger majority than we had last time. It’s too early to handicap it, but we are optimistic about that,” Johnson said. “But every single vote will count, because if someone gets ill or has a car accident or a late flight on their plane, then it affects the votes on the floor. So, I think he and the administration are well attuned to that. I don’t expect that we will have more members leaving, but I’ll leave that up to him.”

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Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital that the president-elect “is 100% committed” to working with House leadership, including Speaker Johnson, “to maintain the House GOP majority and immediately get to work in January” to implement the policies that voters elected him on.

Fox News Digital politics reporter Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

After Congress returns from Thanksgiving break in December, they will have just weeks to approve continued government spending past the Dec. 20 deadline. 

In floor remarks last week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said, “When the Senate returns after Thanksgiving, senators can expect a very busy few weeks to finish our work before the end of the year.

“Both sides must continue working together to keep the government open beyond the Dec. 20 deadline.”

SENATE GOP MOTIVATED TO RAPIDLY CONFIRM TRUMP NOMINATIONS AHEAD OF PARTY TRIFECTA IN WASHINGTON

The Senate was not able to pass the section 702 FISA renewal before its deadline last year, despite the support of both party leaders, Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell. (Getty Images)

“Letting the government shut down just before Christmas would be asinine, plain and simple, and nobody wants that to happen,” he said. “Well, there may be a few in the other chamber who do, but they’re a distinct minority.”

While nearly all the appropriations bills have passed through committee and are ready to be voted on, Schumer hasn’t brought any to the floor. His office has not answered questions from Fox News Digital about whether he will in the time that Congress has left. 

‘CONVEYOR BELT OF RADICALS’: GOP SLAMMED OVER SENATE ABSENCES THAT HELPED BIDEN SCORE MORE JUDGES IN LAME DUCK

Schumer hasn’t said whether he will bring the appropriations bills to the floor. (Reuters)

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has noted Schumer’s inaction on individual appropriations bills, suggesting its likely that lawmakers will ultimately put forward a short-term stopgap spending bill into next year. This would be preferable to some Republicans, who would like the GOP and the incoming Trump administration to contribute to a spending bill as soon as possible. 

If appropriations measures are passed during this Congress while Democrats control the Senate and President Joe Biden is still in office, Republicans will have much less leverage in influencing bills that will dictate the entire rest of the 2025 fiscal year. 

Biden will need to sign off on a spending bill passed this year.  (Reuters)

A short-term spending bill, known as a Continuing Resolution (CR), would give Republicans much more authority much earlier. But it’s unclear whether Democrats will let this happen and those who have discussed the forthcoming deadline have expressed an expectation of a large appropriations bill known as an omnibus, or smaller groups of spending bills known as minibuses. 

DSCC HOPEFUL GILLIBRAND SAYS DEMS SHOULD HAVE PUT IMMIGRATION FIX ON TABLE ‘2 YEARS AGO’

Lee warned of an omnibus bill. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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However, some Republicans have vocally opposed this type of bill. In fact, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, penned an open letter to the American people recently, warning them that their representatives and senators are poised to push through a large, omnibus bill ahead of Christmas. He urged people to call lawmakers and urge them not to. 

If Congress does not pass some form of stopgap bill or appropriations package prior to Dec. 20, the government will enter into a partial shutdown until they do so.

A Missouri state court on Monday upheld a state law banning child mutilation, following a brief two-week trial challenging the legislation.

“The Court has left Missouri’s law banning child mutilation in place, a resounding victory for our children. We are the first state in the nation to successfully defend such a law at the trial court level,” state Attorney General Andrew Bailey said in a statement. “I’m extremely proud of the thousands of hours my office put in to shine a light on the lack of evidence supporting these irreversible procedures. We will never stop fighting to ensure Missouri is the safest state in the nation for children.”

CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OFFICIAL COMPARED ‘SAVE GIRLS SPORTS’ SHIRT TO SWASTIKA, REBUKED GIRLS WEARING IT: LAWSUIT

Andrew Bailey, Missouri’s attorney general, during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 10, 2024. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The ruling in Cole County coincides with the U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming review of U.S. v. Skrmetti, a case in Tennessee set to address the constitutionality of the state’s ban on transgender surgical procedures and medications for minors. The decision in this case could jeopardize the future of so-called “gender-affirming” care for minors nationwide.

The Missouri court rejected the argument by the plaintiffs – Emily Noe on behalf of her minor child – stating that “Any person – including a minor – would be able to do anything from meth, to ecstasy, to abortion as long as a single medical professional was willing to recommend it.”

The court also noted that such arguments have been routinely dismissed by courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.

The law, enacted in 2023, has been the subject of legal challenges from trans minors, their families and health care providers. It prevents medical providers from performing trans surgeries and administering hormone treatments such as puberty blockers to people under 18.

TRANSGENDER WOMEN TO BE BANNED FROM CAPITOL HILL FEMALE BATHROOMS UNDER NEW HOUSE GOP PROPOSAL

(A decision in an upcoming Supreme Court case could jeopardize the future of so-called “gender-affirming” care for minors nationwide.)

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After Monday’s ruling, Missouri became the first state to uphold a ban on such procedures at the trial court level.

President-elect Trump also vowed on the campaign trail last year to outlaw “gender-affirming” procedures on minors and allow medical providers to be prosecuted. There are currently 26 states that have enacted laws or policies that ban or restrict trans surgeries and treatments for minors, while 24 states and the District of Columbia allow it and/or have passed “shield” laws to protect access to it.