NationalWatch

Oklahoma’s Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt says his state is creating a plan to deport criminal illegal immigrants who are in custody in state prisons, in a boost to President-elect Trump’s proposal to conduct a mass deportation operation next year.

Stitt announced that he is directing the state’s commissioner of public safety to lead the effort to expel inmates in Oklahoma prisons who are in the country illegally, by creating a plan to deal with them. That plan will be delivered by January, and the state says it will consult with the Trump transition team and incoming administration to implement it.

Stitt downplayed the complexity of the effort, saying it was “common sense and restoring Oklahoma to the rule of law,” while speaking to Fox News Digital.

‘100% ON BOARD:’ BORDER STATE OFFERS TRUMP MASSIVE PLOT OF LAND TO AID MASS DEPORTATION OPERATION

Former President Trump speaks at the U.S.-Mexico border on Aug. 22, 2024, south of Sierra Vista, Arizona. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

“So these are people that are here illegally, that have committed crimes, and we want to make sure that they’re not burdensome to the taxpayers of the state of Oklahoma,” he said.

The state says there are more than 500 criminal illegal immigrants in Oklahoma’s correctional facilities, and it costs taxpayers $36,000 a day to house them. 

Trump has promised to launch the operation next year, sparking opposition from some Democrats in “sanctuary” jurisdictions and elsewhere. His incoming border czar, Tom Homan, has said the priority will be public safety and national security threats, but no one is off the table.

Stitt said he is surprised by the opposition from some Democrats, given the focus is on removing criminals from the country.

Gov. Kevin Stitt speaks during a meeting with other governors and President Trump at the White House on June 18, 2020. (Chris Kleponis/Polaris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“What’s amazing to me is you have some Democrat governors that are now talking about not supporting President Trump, and I don’t think they learned anything from the election, that the American people want safe communities, and we want to have strong borders,” he said.

‘SANCTUARY’ CITY MAYOR VOWS SHE WILL DEFY TRUMP’S MASS DEPORTATION PUSH: ‘CAUSING WIDESPREAD FEAR’

“When you think about someone that’s here illegally, that’s breaking the law, that’s pushing fentanyl, or they have been convicted of rape or burglary, and they’re not U.S. citizens, and they’re here illegally. I don’t know who could argue with me on ‘We want to make sure that those people are out of our country and not allowed to return,’” he said.

Oklahoma isn’t a border state, but Stitt says it has still been affected like every other state by the historic crisis at the southern border. He said fentanyl deaths are up 500% since he took office. He also noted the recent foiled Election Day terror plot; the suspect was living in Oklahoma.

Stitt stressed that he isn’t against immigration more broadly.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

“If you’re at the University of Oklahoma on a education visa, we certainly want to be able to convert that to a workforce visa if we have an employer that needs that job, and if you want to chase the American dream, if you want to be part of paying taxes, part of our society, then we absolutely want to work that angle as well,” he said.

He said there is now optimism in the U.S., and he believes there is enthusiasm about the prospect of being able to make communities safer across the U.S.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I think the American people have spoken loud and clear with Trump’s victory that they believe in safe communities. And so I think it’s, I think it’s just the right thing to do, and I’m excited about some of the Cabinet picks that President Trump has put in place, and it’s going to be, it’s going to be a fresh day for America,” he said.

Business magnate Elon Musk expressed interest in meeting Alex Soros, who replied that he would be open to it. 

Alex Soros is a son of nonagenarian liberal megadonor George Soros.

“I would be curious to meet and understand your goals better,” Musk wrote to Alex Soros on X.

“I often learn most from people whose views are different than my own. Open to meeting,” Soros replied.

ELON MUSK BLASTS JOHN BOLTON AS ‘STAGGERINGLY DUMB WARMONGER’ AFTER CRITICISM OF TRUMP AG PICK MATT GAETZ

Elon Musk, left, speaks at a rally for former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York, Oct. 27, 2024. Alex Soros attends The 24th Annual Watermill Center Summer Benefit & Auction at The Watermill Center on July 29, 2017 in Water Mill, New York. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images | Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

A video that recently circulated online showed Musk raising his hand after someone asked where there was a “George Soros of the right.”

Musk, who strongly supported President-elect Donald Trump’s 2024 White House bid, has likened himself to a centrist version of Soros.

“More accurate would be that I’m ‘George Soros’ of the middle. I don’t want the pendulum to swing too far right, but right now it’s just too far left,” he posted.

ELON MUSK DUBS HIMSELF THE ‘’GEORGE SOROS’ OF THE MIDDLE’

Hungarian-born U.S. investor and philanthropist George Soros smiles after delivering a speech on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos on May 24, 2022. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

During a 2023 appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Musk said that in his view, George Soros “fundamentally hates humanity.”

Alex Soros is chair of the board of directors of the Open Society Foundations, which was founded by his father.

“The Open Society Foundations, founded by George Soros, are the world’s largest private funder of independent groups working for justice, democratic governance, and human rights,” according to opensocietyfoundations.org.

ELON MUSK AND VIVEK RAMASWAMY APPROVE THE ‘VERY REASONABLE PROPOSAL’ TO ABOLISH DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

President-elect Donald Trump, left, and Elon Musk pose for a photo during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 16, 2024 in New York City. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump has tapped Musk and former GOP presidential primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to work for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The president-elect said in a statement that DOGE “will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C, on Wednesday urged his Republican colleagues not to form a “lynch mob” to block President-elect Trump’s controversial choice of Matt Gaetz to be U.S. attorney general.

Neither should the GOP-controlled Senate give Gaetz a “rubber stamp,” Graham said in a statement that called for a fair process after he met with the prospective nominee and Vice President-elect JD Vance.  

“My record is clear. I tend to defer to presidential cabinet choices unless the evidence suggests disqualification,” said the South Carolina senator.

“I fear the process surrounding the Gaetz nomination is turning into an angry mob, and unverified allegations are being treated as if they are true. I have seen this movie before.” 

VP-ELECT JD VANCE TO HOLD MEETINGS BETWEEN GAETZ, HEGSETH AND ‘KEY’ GOP SENATORS

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., waits for the arrival of President Joe Biden and the University of South Carolina Gamecocks Women’s basketball team in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, for an event to welcome the and celebrate their 2023-2024 NCAA championship season.  (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Graham appears to be alluding to the 2018 confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, which was rocked by unproven allegations of sexual assault made by Christine Blasey Ford. Kavanaugh emphatically denied Ford’s claims, and she was never able to identify the time and place of the alleged assault or provide corroborating witnesses to support her account. 

Kavanaugh was narrowly confirmed, mostly along party lines, after Ford provided emotional testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which Graham served as chairman. 

Trump’s selection of his close ally Gaetz to lead the Justice Department caught many Republicans by surprise since he does not have prior law enforcement experience and also faces misconduct allegations. Gaetz resigned from Congress shortly after Trump made the announcement. 

Gaetz was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which subpoenaed him as recently as September for an ongoing investigation into alleged sexual misconduct with a minor. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and had told the panel he would “no longer voluntarily participate” in its probe.

MATT GAETZ ‘WORKING THE PHONES,’ SPEAKING TO GOP SENATORS DESPITE DIFFICULT CONFIRMATION ODDS

Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who accused Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her, testifies to the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2018.  (Pool/Getty Images)

The firebrand ex-Florida lawmaker has not been convicted of any charges related to these allegations. He was previously under a yearlong investigation by the DOJ, but federal prosecutors ultimately decided against an indictment. 

Still, the allegations could make Gaetz’s confirmation more difficult even in the Republican-controlled Senate. A source familiar has told Fox News Digital that Gaetz is “working the phones” to address concerns from GOP senators ahead of his confirmation hearings next year. He is also making the rounds with Vance on Capitol Hill to meet with senators directly. 

“The meetings have been productive with AG nominee Gaetz listening to senators’ thoughts on the role of the DOJ and the confirmation process. Gaetz is looking forward to meeting with more senators throughout this process on the Hill,” a Trump transition official told Fox News Digital. 

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said earlier this week that he had a “nice chat” with Gaetz and that the congressman “wants to have the chance to clear his name in a hearing.” 

TRUMP NOMINEE FOR FCC CHAIR SAYS LEGACY MEDIA ‘STATUS QUO’ NEEDS TO CHANGE

A side-by-side of President-elect Donald Trump and former Rep. Matt Gaetz. (Getty Images)

Graham urged his colleagues to give Gaetz that chance.

“I would urge all of my Senate colleagues, particularly Republicans, not to join the lynch mob and give the process a chance to move forward. After years of being investigated by the Department of Justice, no charges were brought against Matt Gaetz. This is something we should all remember,” he said Wednesday.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I would also urge my colleagues to go back to a time-tested process, receive relevant information, and give the nominee a chance to make their case as to why they should be confirmed. This standard – which I have long adhered to – has served the Senate and country well.”

Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

President-elect Donald Trump could quickly work to reform the H-1B visa program after years of the program straying further from its original intent, according to one expert.

“It is not being used as was intended by Congress, so it needs to be reformed,” said Lora Ries, the director of the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, regarding the H-1B visa program in an interview with Fox News Digital.

The comments come as Trump prepares to transition from candidate to president for the second time, with the president-elect already busy announcing his picks for critical Cabinet positions and rolling out an agenda for his return to the White House.

One key area Trump is likely to once again focus on as he re-enters the Oval Office is the country’s immigration system, an issue that became a centerpiece of both of his campaigns for the nation’s highest office.

HOW PRESIDENT TRUMP CAN SAVE WOMEN’S SPORTS ON DAY 1

President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a House Republicans Conference meeting at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill on Nov. 13, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Allison Robbert-Pool/Getty Images)

While securing the border and carrying out a large-scale deportation operation are two policies likely to top the list of priorities for Trump, the president-elect is also likely to attempt to tackle immigration more broadly in his second term.

One such reform is likely to be the H-1B visa program, Ries argued, noting that it has long fallen victim to fraud and abuse.

“Like so many programs, it has gone away from intent and been watered down and defrauded,” Ries said.

Trump attempted to tackle the issue during his previous term in office, introducing several reforms in the hopes of eliminating that fraud and ensuring that the program was not harmful to American workers.

Implementing stricter definitions of what is a “specialty occupation” and making it more difficult to obtain H-1B visas for those who do not meet those requirements was one such reform made by Trump, while the president-elect also sought to enforce stricter minimum wage requirements for H-1B holders.

IN ELECTION VICTORY, TRUMP’S GAINS WENT BEYOND THE BATTLEGROUNDS

President-elect Donald Trump is also likely to attempt to tackle immigration more broadly in his second term. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Those reforms were meant to tackle what Trump viewed as a threat to American workers, who he believed were being passed over for jobs by companies that preferred to hire cheaper foreign labor. 

“The program needs more work protections for Americans,” Ries said. “There are plenty of stories of American high-skill workers who were replaced by lower-wage foreign workers who they then had to train to take their jobs.”

Trump has in the past struck a similar tone when discussing the program, including a vow to commit to “eliminating rampant, widespread H-1B abuse and ending the outrageous practices such as those that occurred at Disney in Florida when Americans were forced to train their foreign replacements” on the campaign trail in 2016.

President-elect Donald Trump attempted to tackle the issue during his previous term in office. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

While the program was originally intended to allow American companies to fill gaps in the American workforce with qualified foreign labor, Ries argued it has since strayed away from that goal. Any reforms by Trump are likely to be similar to his first term as president, Ries said, with the goal of making sure American workers are protected.

“Protecting American workers and not replacing them with foreign workers just because you can pay less money, Ries said.

On Tuesday, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released presidentially-mandated guidance that lays out how schools’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) can be discriminatory toward minority and transgender students, “likely” opening them up to federal investigations.

President Biden signed Executive Order 14110 last year mandating that the Education Department develop resources, policies and guidance regarding AI in schools to help ensure responsible and non-discriminatory use, “including the impact AI systems have on vulnerable and underserved communities.”

“The growing use of AI in schools, including for instructional and school safety purposes, and AI’s ability to operate on a mass scale can create or contribute to discrimination,” the Education Department’s guidance states. “This resource provides information regarding federal civil rights laws in OCR’s jurisdiction and includes examples of types of incidents that could, depending on the facts and circumstances, present OCR with sufficient reason to open an investigation.” 

BIDEN EXECUTIVE ORDER FOR ‘WOKE’ ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CALLED ‘SOCIAL CANCER’

The first seven examples laid out in the guidance were scenarios where AI could potentially deny benefits, unfairly single out students or exclude them based on race, color or national origin. 

One scenario suggested that a plagiarism checker, run using generative AI with “a high error rate when evaluating essays written by non-native English speakers,” could be racist, unbeknownst to a teacher. Nonetheless, if the school continues using the racist plagiarism checker after students and parents complain, it could “likely” lead to a federal civil rights investigation, the guidance states. 

SEN. TOM COTTON TORCHES GOOGLE AI SYSTEM AS ‘RACIST, PREPOSTEROUSLY WOKE, HAMAS-SYMPATHIZING’

Another example suggested that schools using AI to determine appropriate disciplinary procedures for students could also be exhibiting a racial bias.

Chicago Public Schools teachers came forward to share the troubles they have faced in the classroom with trying to communicate with migrant students. (Getty Images)

“Significant disparities by race have persisted in the school’s application of student discipline, and Black students are disciplined more frequently and more harshly than other similarly situated students of another race,” the guidance reads. “As a result, the historic school discipline data that the software relies on reflects the school’s discriminatory disciplinary practices.”

Other sections of the guidance touched on how AI could lead to sex discrimination, with one of the examples detailing a scenario in which AI could discriminate against students who do not conform to traditional gender norms. The scenario suggested that schools using facial recognition software to check students into school could improperly flag students as a security risk because “they do not conform to the technology’s assumptions as to what girls and boys should look like, based on the sex specified in their school records.”

BEN AFFLECK IS CONFIDENT AI CANNOT REPLACE HOLLYWOOD MOVIES FOR THIS REASON

The guidance notes that students who are falsely flagged can be subjected to “embarrassment and missed class time,” and if administrators are “aware of the problem” but continue to use the screening software anyway, it could result in a Title IX violation and a likely investigation by civil rights officers.

This photo illustration created in Washington, D.C., shows an AI image generator in front of an image of school buses.

Challenging discrimination within AI has been a focal point for the Biden administration, with top leaders at the Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission pledging in April of last year that they would begin using existing federal civil rights and consumer protection laws to crack down on AI systems that are discriminatory.

Those calls from leaders within the Biden administration preceded the president’s October 2023 executive order mandating various initiatives to root out discrimination in AI, including Tuesday’s published guidance from the Department of Education.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he would be nominating former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon to be the next leader of the Department of Education. 

The Department of Education did not supply Fox News Digital with any on-the-record comments prior to publication of this story. 

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said he would vote to confirm his former political opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz to serve as Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator if Oz plans to protect the government programs. 

“If Dr. Oz is about protecting and preserving Medicare and Medicaid, I’m voting for the dude,” Fetterman tweeted.

Fetterman defeated Oz, a Republican, in Pennsylvania’s 2022 U.S. Senate race.

FETTERMAN CALLS OUT ‘UN’S RANK, PERVASIVE ANTISEMITISM,’ SAYS HE LOOKS FORWARD TO CONFIRMING ELISE STEFANIK

Left: Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., seen in the U.S. Capitol during votes on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024; Right: Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz laughs during a safer streets community discussion at Galdos Catering and Entertainment on Oct. 13, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pa. (Left: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Right: Mark Makela/Getty Images)

“Our politics are obviously different, and we do have a history, but I don’t have any bitterness. I don’t hold anything against him,” Fetterman said, according to CNN’s Manu Raju. 

President-elect Donald Trump announced Oz as his pick to head the CMS, which falls under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“America is facing a Healthcare Crisis, and there may be no Physician more qualified and capable than Dr. Oz to Make America Healthy Again,” Trump said in a statement. “Dr. Oz will work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to take on the illness industrial complex, and all the horrible chronic diseases left in its wake.” 

TRUMP APPOINTS DR. OZ TO KEY HHS POSITION IN NEW ADMINISTRATION

Pennsylvania GOP Senate candidate and former TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz is greeted by former president Donald Trump at a rally to support local candidates at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Sept. 3, 2022 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Kennedy, who Trump nominated to helm HHS, hailed the president-elect’s decision to tap Oz to serve as CMS administrator.

“Very excited that my friend @DrOz has agreed to run CMS. Thank you ​@realDonaldTrump for this outstanding nomination. Welcome Dr​. Oz to ​The Avengers. ​Let’s Make America Healthy Again!” Kennedy tweeted.

Oz said in a post on X that he is “honored” by Trump’s nomination. 

“I look forward to serving my country to Make America Healthy Again under the leadership of HHS Secretary @RobertKennedyJr,” he noted.

PRO-LIFE GROUPS CAUTIOUS ON RFK JR. NOMINATION AFTER EVOLVING ABORTION VIEWS

Mehmet Oz at the 40/40 Club popup inside Fanatics Fest NYC held at Jacob Javits Convention Center on Aug. 16, 2024 in New York City. (John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., congratulated Oz, calling him an “excellent fit” for the job.

“His medical background as a cardiothoracic surgeon and public health advocate makes him an excellent fit for this position,” Paul said in a tweet.

President Biden ignored a reporter’s pleas to speak to the press as she screamed questions at him while he boarded Air Force One to depart from Rio de Janeiro.

On Tuesday, Biden finished up his trip to Brazil, where he attended the G-20 summit and met with world leaders, including Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. 

Video shows that as Biden prepared to board Air Force One, an unidentified reporter tried to grab his attention. She can be heard yelling at the top of her lungs to break through the noise created by Biden’s Boeing 747 plane. It is not clear if Biden chose not to answer her or if he could not hear her questions over the roar from the plane’s engines. 

“Mr. President, happy early birthday! For your birthday, will you talk to us, sir?” the reporter said, her voice growing louder with each attempt to ask questions.

PRESIDENT BIDEN SMILES, IGNORES PRESS SHOUTING QUESTIONS FOR A FULL MINUTE AT WHITE HOUSE EVENT

President Biden boards Air Force One prior to departure from Galeao International Airport in Rio de Janeiro on Nov. 19, 2024 as he returns to Washington following the G-20 Summit. He did not take questions from the press. (SAUL LOEB/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

“As a gift to the press will you please talk to us? Mr. President! President Biden, please! We haven’t heard from you all trip!” 

Her voice sounded almost hoarse with the final cry of, “MR. PRESIDENT!” 

BIDEN MISSES G-20 FAMILY PHOTO, WHITE HOUSE BLAMES ‘LOGISTICAL’ ISSUES

President Biden, left, and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrive late for a group photo during the G-20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Biden turns 82 on Wednesday and will finish office as the oldest person to serve as president in American history – until President-elect Trump, 78, assumes office in January and serves for four more years.  

Many news outlets have called out Biden for his habit of ignoring reporters’ questions and lack of direct interviews with the media. 

BIDEN LAUGHS AND SMIRKS AS THE PRESS IS USHERED OUT OF THE OVAL OFFICE WITHOUT QUESTIONS

President Biden, right, and Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva meet during a working lunch at the G-20 Leader’s Summit at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (Eric Lee/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

“For anyone who understands the role of the free press in a democracy, it should be troubling that President Biden has so actively and effectively avoided questions from independent journalists during his term,” The New York Times said in a public statement in April. “The president occupies the most important office in our nation, and the press plays a vital role in providing insights into his thinking and worldview, allowing the public to assess his record and hold him to account.”

The statement went on to say that while Biden may be within his rights to avoid the New York Times in particular, he needs to speak with major news outlets on principle. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“However, in meetings with Vice President Harris and other administration officials, the publisher of The Times focused instead on a higher principle: That systematically avoiding interviews and questions from major news organizations doesn’t just undermine an important norm, it also establishes a dangerous precedent that future presidents can use to avoid scrutiny and accountability.”

Fox News Digital’s Alexander Hall contributed to this report.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., declined to answer when asked on Tuesday whether Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, D-Del., is a man or woman, but the speaker later made a statement in which he declared, “A man cannot become a woman.” 

McBride, a Delaware state senator who identifies as transgender, won election to the U.S. House of Representatives this year and will become the first openly transgender member of Congress after being sworn in next year.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who has called McBride a “biological male,” is pushing a resolution to block House members and others from using single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House office buildings that do not correspond with their biological sex.

NANCY MACE’S EFFORT TO BAN TRANSGENDER DELAWARE DEMOCRAT FROM CAPITOL WOMEN’S RESTROOMS GAINS SUPPORT

“A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House may not use a single-sex facility (including a restroom, changing room, or locker room) in the Capitol or House Office Buildings, other than those corresponding to the biological sex of such individual,” the resolution states, noting that the House sergeant-at-arms would be tasked with enforcement.

When asked on Tuesday whether McBride is a man or a woman, Johnson declined to answer the question, saying, “I’m not gonna get in to this.”

Johnson said that everyone would be treated with dignity and respect.

JOHNSON DECLINES TO SAY IF TRANSGENDER REP-ELECT IS MAN OR WOMAN, SAYS HOUSE TO TREAT EVERYONE WITH ‘RESPECT’

Later, Johnson made a statement of clarification in which he said he had rejected the question’s “premise because the answer is … so obvious.”

“A man is a man. And a woman is a woman. And a man cannot become a woman,” Johnson declared.

“But I also believe that we treat everybody with dignity,” he said.

MACE FACES BACKLASH OVER EFFORT TO BAN NEW TRANSGENDER MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM WOMEN’S BATHROOMS

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., listens as President-elect Donald Trump speaks at the House Republicans Conference meeting at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill on Nov. 13, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Every day Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own and engage with them respectfully, I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness,” McBride posted on Monday.

“This is a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing. We should be focused on bringing down the cost of housing, health care, and child care, not manufacturing culture wars. Delawareans sent me here to make the American dream more affordable and accessible and that’s what I’m focused on,” the incoming House lawmaker added in another post on X.

President Biden approved sending anti-personnel mines to Ukraine late Tuesday, a reversal of policy and yet another escalation in the conflict with Russia ahead of President-elect Trump’s inauguration.

Ukrainian officials have reportedly promised to only deploy the mines in Ukrainian territory and away from major population centers. The U.S. had previously withheld anti-personnel mines because of their tendency to outlast conflicts once deployed and cause injury to innocents.

The U.S. has reportedly taken precautions to prevent such injuries, however. The mines being delivered to Ukraine operate on an electric fuse that relies on a battery. That battery typically runs out over the course of hours or even weeks, and it is then inoperative, according to CBS News.

The Biden administration’s approval came the same day that Ukraine used American-made ATACMs in a strike on Russian soil. Biden had prohibited such uses until last week.

UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY SITS DOWN WITH FOX NEWS ANCHOR BRET BAIER AS WAR NEARS TWO-YEAR MARK

Ukrainian forces are now being supplied with U.S.-made anti-personnel mines. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Press Service of the 24th King Danylo Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Handout via REUTERS )

Allies of President-elect Trump have blasted the Biden administration for approving Ukraine’s escalation of its conflict with Russia in the final months before Trump takes office.

TRUMP’S FIRST CABINET PICKS DECIDEDLY NOT ISOLATIONISTS: UKRAINE, ISRAEL BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF

“The Military Industrial Complex seems to want to make sure they get World War 3 going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives,” Donald Trump Jr. posted on social media after Biden’s long-range missile approval. “Gotta lock in those $Trillions. Life be dammed!!! Imbeciles!”

According to a senior U.S. official, Biden’s actions are spurred by the Russian decision to invite 10,000 North Korean soldiers into the fight against Ukraine in Kursk. A second official told Fox News that it is unclear if Biden plans to approve the use of the missiles outside the Kursk region.

The Biden-Harris administration has approved Ukraine to escalate its conflict with Russia ahead of Trump’s inauguration. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Russian President Vladimir Putin reacted by updating Russia’s nuclear weapon use doctrines. The White House National Security Council downplayed that reaction.

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

“As we said earlier this month, we were not surprised by Russia’s announcement that it would update its nuclear doctrine; Russia had been signaling its intent to update its doctrine for several weeks. Observing no changes to Russia’s nuclear posture, we have not seen any reason to adjust our own nuclear posture or doctrine in response to Russia’s statements today,” an NSC spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

Trump has said he could resolve the conflict in Ukraine before he enters office. (Allison Robbert-Pool/Getty Images)

“This is more of the same irresponsible rhetoric from Russia, which we have seen for the past two years. As we said to Russia weeks ago, Russia’s use of DPRK soldiers in combat operations against Ukraine presents a significant escalation of its war of choice against Ukraine and we warned that the United States would respond,” the statement continued.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

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

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

The House Ethics Committee may meet on Wednesday to discuss its investigation into allegations against now-former Rep. Matt Gaetz one week after President-elect Donald Trump tapped him to be the next attorney general.

The meeting comes after a woman reportedly told the Ethics Committee that she had sexual relations with Gaetz when she was 17 years old, according to ABC News.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) had previously spoken to the woman, now in her 20s, as part of its yearslong investigation into Gaetz related to accusations of sex trafficking and obstruction of justice, according to the outlet.

The House Ethics Committee was investigating the accusations and was expected to vote on whether to release the committee’s report into Gaetz last Friday. However, the meeting did not take place after Gaetz announced his immediate resignation from Congress just two days prior.

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

Matt Gaetz (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/File)

Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., chair of the House Ethics Committee, told reporters after Gaetz’s nomination that his panel would lose jurisdiction over the Florida Republican if he left Congress.

“If Mr. Gaetz were to resign because he is taking a position with the administration as the attorney general, then the Ethics Committee loses jurisdiction at that point,” Guest said before news of Gaetz leaving. “Once we lose jurisdiction, there would not be a report that would be issued. That’s not unique to this case.”

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

Following his resignation from Congress, officials debated whether the investigation findings should be released ahead of Gaetz’s confirmation hearing.

Several Republicans, including GOP senators critical in determining his confirmation, have said the report should be released if Gaetz were to go through the attorney general vetting process.

Rep. Michael Guest (Andrew Harnik/File)

A spokesperson for Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who presides over the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he has advocated for the report’s release to the public.

“There is longstanding precedent for releasing ethics investigation materials after a member resigns, whether in the House or Senate,” said Josh Sorbe. “The now-former congressman shouldn’t be able to resign away an ethics investigation involving allegations of grave misconduct, especially when he will be nominated to be our country’s top law enforcement officer.”

A House Republican told Politico on condition of anonymity that Gaetz was stepping down from Congress to “stymie the ethics investigation that is coming out in one week.”

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

However, at a press conference, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Gaetz told him he resigned abruptly to expedite the process of filling his House seat through a special election.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (Allison Robbert/Pool via AP/File)

The House Ethics Committee’s investigation into Gaetz, which began in 2021, stems from accusations of illicit drug use and sex with a minor. The DOJ, which Gaetz has been tapped to lead, ultimately did not press charges, and Gaetz has consistently denied all wrongdoing.

Johnson has said he does not believe the report should be released.

“The speaker of the House is not involved with those things. I am reacting to media reports that a report is currently in some draft form and was going to be released on what is now a former member of the House. I do not believe that that is an appropriate thing,” the House speaker said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“That would open up Pandora’s box, and I don’t think that’s a healthy thing for the institution, so that’s my position.”

Fox News’ Daniel Scully contributed to this report.

President-elect Trump flipped six highly competitive states in his election victory last week. But as a Fox News analysis showed last week, his gains with voters were not limited to the battlegrounds. 

This list covers the 10 states where Trump most outperformed his 2020 margins.

Notably, conservative strongholds aren’t the only states that made the list. The top 10 also includes deeply Democrat areas. Trump didn’t win these states, but they swung to the right.

Vote counting continues in some highly populated states on this list, including California and New York.

IN ELECTION VICTORY, TRUMP’S GAINS WENT BEYOND THE BATTLEGROUNDS

Donald Trump’s gains in 2024 were not limited to battleground states. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci/File)

1. New York

Note: As of this writing, approximately 3% of ballots have not yet been counted in New York.

• 2020 Winner: Biden +23.1 points
• 2024 Winner: Harris +11.8 points
• Swing toward Trump: 11 points

So far, New York has swung 11 points toward Trump.

New York swung 11 points toward Trump, with the president-elect’s greatest gains being made on Long Island and within New York City. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

The president-elect posted a 6.3-point improvement on his 2020 vote share, while his Democrat opponent, Vice President Harris, slipped by five points.

He gained across the state, with his largest swings in New York City and Long Island.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 97% of the vote counted, she is winning by 12 points.

TRUMP TRAIN CHUGS PAST 2020 MARGINS, PARTICULARLY AMONG HISPANICS, URBAN NORTHEASTERNERS

2. New Jersey

Note: As of this writing, approximately 1% of ballots have not yet been counted in New Jersey.

• 2020 Winner: Biden +15.9 points
• 2024 Winner: Harris +5.9 points
• Swing toward Trump: 10 points

So far, New Jersey has swung 10 points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 4.7-point improvement on his 2020 vote share, while Harris slipped by 5.3 points.

New Jersey saw a 10-point swing toward the president-elect, with Passaic and Union counties, both rife with urban hot spots on New York City’s outskirts, seeing the biggest trends toward him. (iStock)

He gained across New Jersey, with his largest swings in the northeast corner of the state. Hudson and Passaic counties lead the pack.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 99% of the vote counted, she is winning by six points.

3. Florida

• 2020 Winner: Trump +3.3 points
• 2024 Winner: Trump +13.1 points
• Swing toward Trump: 9.8 points

Florida swung 10 points toward Trump.

‘FASCIST’: LIBERAL CRITICS MELT DOWN AFTER FLORIDA VOTERS REJECT ABORTION RIGHTS AMENDMENT

The president-elect posted a 4.9-point improvement on his 2020 vote share; Harris slipped by the same amount.

He gained across the state. The most notable swing was in Miami-Dade County, which flipped to the GOP for the first time since 1988.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Trump would win the state. With the results certified, he won by 13 points.

President-elect Trump won Florida by 13.1% of the vote, flipping Miami-Dade County red among numerous others. (iStock)

4. Massachusetts

• 2020 Winner: Biden +33.6 points
• 2024 Winner: Harris +24.8 points
• Swing toward Trump: 8.8 points

Massachusetts swung nine points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 4.2-point improvement on his 2020 vote share and Harris slipped by 4.6 points.

ABORTION SUPPORTERS AT WOMEN’S MARCH IN BOSTON TURN OUT IN DROVES TO SUPPORT HARRIS PRESIDENCY

He gained across the state, with double-digit swings in Suffolk County, which includes Boston, and Bristol County.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 99% of the vote counted, she is winning by 25 points.

5. California

Note: As of this writing, approximately 5% of ballots have not yet been counted in California.

• 2020 Winner: Biden +29.2 points
• 2024 Winner: Harris +20.6 points
• Swing toward Trump: 8.6 points

So far, California has swung nine points toward Trump.

Vice President Harris didn’t see a home-field advantage in her native California, which swung some 8.6% toward her opponent. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

The president-elect posted a 3.8-point improvement on his 2020 vote share as Harris slipped by 4.8 points.

He gained in many areas across the state, including the two most populated cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 95% of the vote counted, she is winning by 21 points.

DEMOCRAT WINS HOUSE RACE TO RETAIN SEAT IN CALIFORNIA’S 21ST DISTRICT

6. Texas

• 2020 Winner: Trump +5.6 points
• 2024 Winner: Trump +13.9 points
• Swing toward Trump: 8.3 points

Texas swung eight points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 4.2-point improvement on his 2020 vote share; Harris slipped by roughly the same amount.

Texans, particularly those in the Rio Grande Valley, decisively swung right in their voting habits this year, disappointing Democrats hoping for big gains in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Austin suburbs. (Callaghan OHare/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

He gained across Texas, with the largest swings concentrated in the southern parts of the state. Webb County, for example, home to Laredo, moved 25 points toward Trump. That gave Republicans their first win there in over a century.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Trump would win the state. With 99% of the vote counted, he is winning by 14 points.

7. Mississippi

Note: As of this writing, approximately 2% of ballots have not yet been counted in Mississippi.

• 2020 Winner: Trump +16.5 points
• 2024 Winner: Trump +24.3 points
• Swing toward Trump: 7.8 points

So far, Mississippi has swung eight points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a four-point improvement on his 2020 vote share; Harris slipped by roughly the same amount.

EX-TRUMP OFFICIAL PREDICTS ‘ENTIRE MINDSET CHANGE’ AT SOUTHERN BORDER, HAILS ‘FANTASTIC’ PICK TO LEAD DHS

He gained across the state, including in Yazoo County, a majority-Black county that last voted for the GOP in 2004.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Trump would win the state. With 98% of the vote counted, he is winning by 24 points.

8. Rhode Island

• 2020 Winner: Biden +20.9 points
• 2024 Winner: Harris +13.6 points
• Swing toward Trump: 7.3 points

Rhode Island swung seven points toward Trump.

Rhode Island saw a 7.3% swing in Trump’s favor, with gains being observed across the state, including in its capital, Providence. (Visions of America/Joseph Sohm/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The president-elect posted a 3.3-point improvement on his 2020 vote share, while Harris slipped by four points.

He gained across the state, led by Providence, the city’s highest-populated area.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 98% of the vote counted, she is winning by 14 points.

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

9. Tennessee

• 2020 Winner: Trump +23.2 points
• 2024 Winner: Trump +29.7 points
• Swing toward Trump: 6.5 points

Tennessee swung 6.5 points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 3.5-point improvement on his 2020 vote share, while Harris slipped by three points.

Tennessee swung decisively in Trump’s favor despite worrying trends for Republicans in suburban Nashville in recent years. Trousdale County, situated just outside the metro area, swung toward the president-elect by double digits. (iStock)

He gained across the state, including a double-digit swing in Trousdale County, a rural area outside the Nashville metropolitan area.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Trump would win the state. With 99% of the vote counted, he is winning by 30 points.

10. Illinois

Note: As of this writing, approximately 1% of ballots have not yet been counted in Illinois.

• 2020 Winner: Biden +16.9 points
• 2024 Winner: Harris +10.6 points
• Swing toward Trump: 6.3 points

So far, Illinois has swung six points toward Trump.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The president-elect posted a 3.4-point improvement on his 2020 vote share; Harris slipped by 2.9 points.

He gained across Illinois, with a notable eight-point swing in Cook County, home to Chicago.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 99% of the vote counted, she is winning by 11 points.

MARCO ISLAND, FL – EXCLUSIVE – After some high-profile battles with President Biden’s administration the past three years, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin says that President-elect Trump’s decisive election victory earlier this month means he now has “a friend in the White House.”

Youngkin, the popular Virginia governor who’s entering his final year in office, argued in an exclusive Fox News Digital interview that “as a governor who’s been driving pro-business and strong education and safe communities and lower tax rates, we now have someone in the White House who believes in all of that.”

“I look forward to us having the wind at our backs as opposed to in our face,” Youngkin said as he spoke Tuesday on the sidelines of the Republican Governors Association annual winter meeting, which is being held this year at a southwestern Florida waterfront resort.

And pointing to his final year steering Virginia, Youngkin said “I can’t wait to see what we’re going to do having the wind at our back from the Trump administration.”

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE TRUMP TRANSITION

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin during a rally at Greenbrier Farms on June 28, 2024 in Chesapeake, Virginia. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

There was plenty of speculation regarding Youngkin potentially serving in a top position in the second Trump administration, but the governor in a recent call with the president-elect made it clear he intends to finish out his term.

But he doesn’t sound like he’s ruling out serving in the Trump administration after he finishes up in Richmond in a year.

“I told the president when I called him and told him that I wanted to finish my term, that I would be available to help him at any time while I’m governor and afterwards,” Youngkin said.

TRUMP FAR AHEAD OF HIS FIRST TERM PACE IN NAMING HIS CABINET

Youngkin energized Republicans nationwide three years ago, as the first-time candidate who hailed from the party’s business wing edged out former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe to become the first GOP candidate in a dozen years to win a gubernatorial election in the one-time swing state that had trended towards the Democrats over the previous decade.

The governor instantly became a Republican rock star and speculation stirred about a possible 2024 White House run.

But Youngkin and his party suffered a setback a year ago in legislative elections that grabbed outsized national attention, as Democrats retained control of the Virginia state Senate and flipped the House of Delegates.

While Youngkin wasn’t on the ballot, he had plenty riding on the results, after investing plenty of political capital on behalf of Republican legislative candidates. The results also meant Youngkin wouldn’t have a free hand during his final two years in office to push through a conservative agenda.

Youngkin returned to the campaign trail this year in Virginia and a couple of key battleground states, to help campaign on behalf of Republicans up and down the ballot.

And he spoke at a large rally Trump held in conservative southwest Virginia the weekend before Election Day. 

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Salem Va., Saturday, Nov 2, 2024.  (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

While Vice President Kamala Harris carried the Commonwealth in the White House race, her margin over Trump was 4.5 points narrower than President Biden’s victory in the state four years earlier, as Trump and Republicans over performed expectations.

The results appear to have given Youngkin more clout ahead of his final legislative session. Democrats who over the past year were united in opposition to the governor’s proposed tax cuts, may now be receptive to negotiating.

Asked if the Democrats are now ready to play ball, Youngkin said “I’m hoping they are. I think that the recognition that Virginians want to keep more of their hard-earned money has really engaged everyone in a dialogue on how to provide tax relief.”

He argued the election results “demonstrated record job growth which has created surplus after surplus after surplus is driven by pro-business standards.”

And he emphasized that “we’re going to come back with a big tax package again, and we’re going to make sure we’re standing strong for education and strong for public safety.”

“I’m optimistic,” he added, but acknowledged that “it will be a normal legislative process. We have a legislative – we’re a one seat minority in the House and the Senate – so we have to go to work to get things done.”

Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia rallies on behalf of GOP legislative candidates ahead of the state’s closely watched elections, in Norfolk, Virginia on Nov. 2, 2023 (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

All political eyes will be on Virginia in 2025, as the Commonwealth and New Jersey are the only two states to hold gubernatorial elections in the year after a presidential election.

But Virginia governors, by law, are prevented from running for re-election to a second straight term.

That doesn’t mean Youngkin will disappear from the campaign trail in 2025. He says it’s just the opposite.

VIRGINIA’S YOUNGKIN ENDORSES HIS LT. GOVERNOR TO SUCCEED HIM

“You’re going to see me a lot,” he touted. “We’ve got a very aggressive agenda for being governor in the last 14 months. But part of that agenda that I have is to make sure that we have [Lt. Gov.] Winsome Sears as our next governor. [Virginia Attorney General] Jason Miyares back as our attorney general and a super lieutenant governor who we will pick at our primaries.”

Youngkin predicted that “Virginians are going to make clear that they want to keep doing more of what we’re doing that’s proving record job growth and opportunity and great outcomes in schools and safe communities.”

The 2025 Virginia gubernatorial showdown is shaping up as a contest between Sears and Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA officer. The winner will make history as the state’s first ever female governor. And Sears, if she wins, will also make history as the nation’s first Black female elected governor.

Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears speaks to the crowd during a rally held to announce she will seek her party’s nomination for Virginia governor in 2025 at Chick’s Oyster Bar in Virginia Beach, Va., on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.  (Kristen Zeis/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Youngkin pushed back when asked if Sears, who served in the Marine Corps and made history as the first woman in Virginia to hold statewide office, is too conservative for voters. 

“Not at all,” the governor quickly responded. “And Winsome is a commonsense conservative leader. We have been partners literally from day one. We campaigned together. We were elected together. We have governed together. And I look forward to seeing Virginians embrace her as the next governor of Virginia.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

As for his own political future, Youngkin was less revealing about any future runs for elective office.

Asked about a possible but unlikely run for the Senate in 2026 against longtime Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Waner, or a future White House campaign, Youngkin quickly pivoted to his day job as governor.

“I have a huge year and a few months ahead of me and that’s where my focus is, and I need to finish strong, so Virginia can really continue to soar. And that’s what I’m going to spend my time on.”

After that, he said “we’ll see what’s next.”

Facing a follow-up question, Youngkin stayed on script, saying “we’ll see what happens down the road, but right now my sights are set on finishing strong.”

David French, the conservative New York Times contributor and longtime anti-Trumper, has a provocative take on why the president-elect won.

It’s the economy and the border, stupid.

“I can’t help but think that if the withdrawal from Afghanistan hadn’t been a bloody mess (that’s when President Biden’s approval rating went underwater, and it never came back), if inflation hadn’t spiked and if migration hadn’t surged at the border, then we’d be having a different conversation.

“I know that the Harris campaign had answers for all these criticisms. The American people wanted to end the Afghan war, and Biden was saddled with Trump’s terrible deal with the Taliban. Inflation was a global phenomenon, and it was unfair to entirely blame Biden when, by 2023, America had the lowest inflation rate among the Group of 7 countries. The Biden administration had finally cracked down on the border and had endorsed a tough new border bill.” 

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

FILE – Then-Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Mint Hill, N.C.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

He adds that “they also rightly argued that Trump nostalgia was misplaced. It was wrong to give the former president a pass for the pandemic or for the chaos and murder spikes of 2020. His term did not end in 2019, with peace and prosperity. It ended near the beginning of 2021 with disease, violence and cultural decay. Even the memories of the time before Covid are idealized.”

So it was really Joe Biden who lost the election by letting inflation spiral – he was, in fairness, digging out of the pandemic – and turning the border into a free-for-all zone. He was also a terrible salesman for a series of bipartisan victories.

When his mental decline became obvious at the debate, and he stepped aside for Kamala Harris, she had to run on that record – and famously told “The View” that she couldn’t think of a single thing where she differed with the president.

So the powerless Democrats may be more screwed than you think.

THE PODCAST CAMPAIGN: IS IT CURTAINS FOR MAINSTREAM MEDIA?

Given the party’s evolution from champion of the working class to representing the highly educated coastal elites in politics, academia and journalism, the Dems are left without a winning coalition they once took for granted.

In a Times news story, Jennifer Medina writes:

“The working-class voters Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign needed were not moved by talk of joy. They were too angry about feeling broke.

Vice President Kamala Harris thanks and speaks with supporters after conceding to former President Donald Trump at The Yard at Howard University in Washington, DC on November 6, 2024.   (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

“The losses up and down the ballot leave Democrats in crisis. Voters without a college degree make up a solid majority of the electorate. Without them, the White House could be out of reach. And for a party that stands for and takes pride in its diversity, the erosion of support from voters of color calls its identity into question.”

What’s more, in interviewing hundreds of working-class minority voters, Medina found that “for many, hope had already hardened into cynicism. Promises about affordable housing fell flat and promoting accomplishments on insulin prices failed to break through. Simply put, their trust in the Democratic Party was gone.”

MEDIA LIBERALS SAVAGE KAMALA AS TRUMP PICKS EXPERIENCED HARD-LINERS

Now that brings us to Donald Trump’s self-proclaimed mandate, even if CNN was happy to report that Trump’s vote share had dropped slightly below 50% (Who cares? He’s the 47th president.)

Now comes news, first reported by ABC, that an unidentified hacker has obtained the sworn testimony of Matt Gaetz accusers from the House ethics probe and apparently plans to make it public.

The hacker accessed the file through a law firm involved in a civil suit against Joel Greenberg, a former Gaetz pal now serving an 11-year prison term for sex trafficking. The file includes testimony under oath by a woman who says she had sex with Gaetz when she was 17, back in 2017, and from another woman saying she witnessed the sexual encounter.

Matt Gaetz speaks at the Republican Party of Florida Freedom Summit, Nov. 4, 2023, in Kissimmee, Fla.  (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Asked for comment, Trump transition spokesman Alex Pfeiffer said: “Matt Gaetz will be the next attorney general. He’s the right man for the job and will end the weaponization of our justice system. 

“These are baseless allegations intended to derail the second Trump administration. The Biden Justice Department investigated Gaetz for years and cleared him of wrongdoing. The only people who went to prison over these allegations were those lying about Matt Gaetz.”

Trump is making calls on behalf of Gaetz, and J.D. Vance is escorting him and other nominees around the Hill. 

The Times reports that Trump realizes that Gaetz may not be confirmed. This is a matter of simple math, since most GOP senators have not committed to supporting him. Yet the president-elect will not back off or force Gaetz to withdraw the nomination.

But if Gaetz falls short, it would be hard for the Senate to reject a replacement nominee, who might have the same views on disrupting and perhaps politicizing the DOJ, but without the ex-congressman’s baggage. 

The House ethics panel, while stymied by Gaetz’s abrupt resignation, is meeting today on the report.   

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

One new disclosure that could hurt him: Gaetz used his adopted son’s PayPal account to pay one of the women, who was not a minor. Doesn’t that sound like someone with something embarrassing to hide? 

The Democrats have some influence in this process, as they’d only have to pick off four of the 53 GOP senators to block Matt Gaetz. But they are also consumed by their election shellacking and will have a hard time defeating Trump on just about anything.

Los Angeles city lawmakers voted Tuesday to formally adopt a sanctuary city ordinance, weeks after President-elect Trump’s victory, amid promises to carry out mass deportation raids.  

The 13-0 vote will prohibit Los Angeles from providing any city resources or personnel to be used to help federal enforcement of immigration laws.

City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, along with Mayor Karen Bass, released the draft ordinance last week that was written with help from immigration groups.

‘NOW’S THE TIME’: TRUMP VICTORY HAS BIDEN ADMIN BRACING FOR MIGRANT SURGE AT SOUTHERN BORDER

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detain a suspect as they conduct a targeted enforcement operation in Los Angeles, California, U.S. in February 2017. The agency’s Boston office said Wednesday that two men were taken into custody after it alerted the public about them through a flyer. (Courtesy Charles Reed/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via Reuters) (Courtesy Charles Reed/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via Reuters)

Council members Hugo Soto-Martinez and Monica Rodriguez, who chair the council’s Civil Rights and Public Safety committees, respectively, waived the matter from their jurisdictions to expedite a vote on the matter. 

California has been a sanctuary state since 2017 with the passage of SB 54, which prohibits local law enforcement agencies from using resources to investigate, detain, report or arrest people for immigration violations.

During a debate Tuesday, many public speakers pushed for the sanctuary ordinance, saying immigrant communities should be protected from “unimaginable cruelty” of raids that could separate families and target migrants who come to the U.S. to work. 

Others raised concerns about the depletion of resources given to help illegal immigrants, given that the city is contending with mass homelessness and a housing crisis. 

Sanctuary cities typically don’t cooperate with federal immigration authorities, refusing to honor detainer requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which are used to take custody of criminal illegal immigrants for deportation. 

Many times, such jurisdictions will release the suspects back onto the street without informing ICE. Some have gone on to reoffend, sometimes violently, before being apprehended again. 

HAITIAN MIGRANTS REPORTEDLY FLEE SPRINGFIELD, OHIO

LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 02: A view of Los Angeles City Hall. Twin Towers Correctional Facility on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023 in Los Angeles, CA. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

The vote will come two weeks after President-elect Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris, following a campaign in which he promised to tighten the southern border and carry out mass deportations of millions of illegal immigrants, targeting criminals who’ve committed a variety of crimes after illegally entering the United States. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Trump representatives. 

Tom Homan, who previously served as acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and has been tapped by Trump to serve as his “border czar,” previously suggested mass deportations are necessary in the wake of the “historic illegal immigration crisis.”

“President Trump has made it clear we will prioritize public safety threats and national security threats first. And that’s what the focus should be,” he told Fox News host Sean Hannity last week.

Former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued an executive directive in 2019 that offered protections to immigrants. Los Angeles has followed sanctuary city guidelines but an ordinance was never codified into law. Additionally, the Los Angeles Police Department mandates that its officers not inquire about immigration status or make arrests related to a migrant’s legal status.

Newly appointed Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell has said the department won’t participate in immigration enforcement. 

TRUMP SELECTS SOUTH DAKOTA GOV KRISTI NOEM TO RUN DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Demonstrators advocate for Los Angeles city leaders to adopt a sanctuary city ordinance on Tuesday.   (Fox Los Angeles )

The Los Angeles County Republican Party criticized the ordinance, saying sanctuary protection would shield criminals who have entered the United States illegally. 

“A country without secure borders isn’t a country at all. So-called ‘sanctuary’ cities and states sound warm and fuzzy, but the protections they offer aren’t for abuelas (grandmothers) getting ice cream, they’re for people who’ve entered the country illegally and committed additional crimes,” LACGOP Communications Director Rozanne Hodge told Fox News Digital. “Whether drunk driving, robbery, sexual violence, assault or murder, none of those should go unpunished. Perpetrators should definitely not be protected by the largesse taken from hard-working taxpayers.”

If the City of Los Angeles would like to have thriving, safe, clean streets and businesses in time for the Olympics, maybe they could accept the will of the people who just tossed George Gascon out on his ear and focus on public safety for everyone,” she added. 

Trump’s victory has spurred officials in various parts of the country to vow to push back on deportations. 

President Donald Trump visits the US-Mexico border fence in Otay Mesa, Calif. on Sept. 18, 2019. (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

On Sunday, Boston’s Democrat Mayor Michelle Wu said her city won’t cooperate with any deportation operation from ther incoming Trump administration, despite her region seeing a number of illegal immigrants being charged with crimes and released back onto the streets. 

Arizona’s Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs said her state, which voted for Trump, will not be aiding the incoming administration with its “misguided” plan to launch a mass deportation operation.

Following California Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed to fight the incoming Trump administration.

“Whether it be our fundamental civil rights, reproductive freedom, or climate action — we refuse to turn back the clock and allow our values and laws to be attacked,” he said. 

The Biden administration is expected to announce a $275 million weapons package for Ukraine this week, a U.S. official tells Fox News.

The package is from the presidential drawdown authority (PDA) money, meaning the weapons will come from U.S. stockpiles and will be delivered to Ukraine quicker than a Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) package.

The weapons package will include the High Mobility Artillery Rocket (HIMAR) system, but not HIMAR ammunition, and 155 mm artillery shells, drones and Javelin surface-to-air missiles, the official said.

Once the announcement on the weapons package is made, the U.S. will have a remaining $6.9 billion in PDA funding and $2.21 billion in USAI funding for Ukraine.

UKRAINE FIRES FIRST BARRAGE OF US-MADE LONG-RANGE MISSILES INTO RUSSIA, KREMLIN SAYS

A Ukrainian soldier fires a howitzer near Chasiv Yar in Ukraine on Monday. (Handout via Reuters)

Last month, the U.S. provided Ukraine with an additional $425 million in supplies and weapons using PDA money to help Ukraine meet its most urgent needs at the time in terms of air defense, air-to-ground weapons, rocket systems, artillery munitions, armored vehicles and anti-tank weapons.

The latest package comes in a timely fashion as just two days ago President Biden approved Ukraine to use American long-range missiles on Russian soil. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously indicated that any such act would be considered an act of war.

On Tuesday, Moscow said Ukrainian forces took advantage of Biden’s green light and launched six U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile Systems, or simply ATACMS, into Russian territory.

TRUMP’S FIRST CABINET PICKS DECIDEDLY NOT ISOLATIONISTS: UKRAINE, ISRAEL BREATHE SIGH OF RELIEF

A Yars intercontinental ballistic missile is test-fired from the Plesetsk launch pad in northwestern Russia. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP/File)

Russia claims it shot down five of the missiles while damaging a sixth. It added that debris landed in the area of a Russian military facility and that there were no casualties or damage beyond a small fire.

Fox News received confirmation of the overnight strike from a U.S. official.

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters during a briefing on Tuesday that Russia escalated the war with Ukraine by bringing in more than 11,000 soldiers from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), or North Korea, to fight alongside Russian soldiers in the Kursk region.

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

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (Kremlin Pool Photo via AP/File)

She also said the Biden administration has a commitment to continue arming Ukraine with what it needs on the battlefield.

“We don’t see that as escalatory,” Singh said. “We see that as a commitment that we set out from the very beginning of this administration.”

When asked if the Department of Defense (DOD) has reason to believe that more North Korean troops are headed to Russia, she said the DOD thinks it could certainly see more moving into the area but that there are more than 11,000 DPRK soldiers already embedded with Russian forces.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I mean, they’re moving into the … Kursk region for a very specific region, which is clearly to engage Ukrainian forces,” Singh said.

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

President-elect Trump isn’t reconsidering his nomination of Matt Gaetz to serve as his attorney general despite criticism over the pick and the uphill battle the former congressman may face during confirmation hearings next year. 

Trump was in Boca Chica, Texas, to watch SpaceX launch its Starship rocket for its sixth test flight when he was asked about Gaetz. 

“Mr. President, are you reconsidering the nomination of Matt Gaetz?” Trump was asked. 

THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO POTENTIALLY RELEASING THE ETHICS COMMITTEE REPORT ON GAETZ

President-elect Trump arrives before the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Boca Chica, Texas.  (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP)

“No,” Trump replied before walking away. 

He didn’t answer a question about how far he was willing to go to get Gaetz confirmed. 

The nomination of Gaetz has come under fire because of the yearslong investigation related to sexual misconduct and illicit drug use allegations against him. He was previously under investigation by the Justice Department, but the agency decided against pressing charges. 

The Florida Republican resigned last week, hours after he was tapped to serve as Trump’s attorney general.

The House Ethics Committee investigation into Gaetz began in 2021. The panel was slated to release a report about the allegations, but the resignation changed things. 

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

“Once the investigation is complete, then a report will be issued — assuming that, at that time, that Mr. Gaetz is still a member of Congress,” House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss, said when asked about the probe. 

“If Mr. Gaetz were to resign because he is taking a position with the administration as the attorney general, then the Ethics Committee loses jurisdiction at that point. Once we lose jurisdiction, there would not be a report that would be issued. That’s not unique to this case.”

President-elect Trump and Matt Gaetz  (Getty Images)

In an effort to assure his confirmation, Gaetz has been calling Senate Republicans. It would only take a handful of Republican votes to deny him.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Several GOP senators have expressed concerns about Gaetz, and the Senate GOP will only have a 53 to 47-seat majority next year.

President-elect Trump announced on Tuesday night that he intends to appoint Linda McMahon, former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), to lead the Department of Education.

His announcement, which was posted on Truth Social, came hours after two sources told Fox News that McMahon was likely to be picked.

“It is my great honor to announce that Linda McMahon, former Administrator of the Small Business Administration, will be the United States Secretary of Education,” Trump’s statement read.

“As Secretary of Education, Linda will fight tirelessly to expand ‘Choice’ to every State in America, and empower parents to make the best Education decisions for their families,” the press release added. “Linda served for two years on the Connecticut Board of Education, where she was one of fifteen members overseeing all Public Education in the State, including its Technical High School system.”

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

Trump is expected to pick Linda McMahon to lead the Department of Education. (Reuters)

McMahon, who served as administrator of the Small Business Administration in the first Trump administration, is the wife of Vince McMahon. The couple both co-founded WWE in 1980.

“Linda will use her decades of Leadership experience, and deep understanding of both Education and Business, to empower the next Generation of American Students and Workers, and make America Number One in Education in the World,” Trump’s statement concluded. “We will send Education BACK TO THE STATES, and Linda will spearhead that effort.”

McMahon served in the Trump administration from 2017 to 2019. When she resigned, she wrote that the role had been “immensely rewarding.”

FORMER TRUMP EDUCATION SECRETARY LAYS OUT ‘UNFINISHED BUSINESS’ FOR NEW ADMIN ON SCHOOL REFORMS

President Trump shakes hands with Linda McMahon, the outgoing administrator of the Small Business Administration, in Palm Beach, Fla., March 29, 2019. ( Reuters/Joshua Roberts)

“While it has truly been the honor of a lifetime to serve our country in this Administration, it is time for me to step down and return to the private sector,” McMahon wrote in 2019. “I wish to thank the President and I will continue to be a strong advocate for him and his policies.”

Trump has previously floated the idea of disbanding the Department of Education, which began operating in 1980. The agency’s website says that its mission is to “promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access for students of all ages.”

Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos told Fox News host Martha MacCallum last week that the Department of Education “doesn’t really add any value anywhere. DeVos advised that the opportunity for Trump to radically change the department is “wide open.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Linda McMahon, former administrator of Small Business Administration, speaks at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, July 18. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

“Take the power away from the Department of Education, block-grant those funds, continue to invest in education, but get it down to a much more local level where better decisions are made on behalf of students,” DeVos said. “The bureaucrats at the Department of Education aren’t doing the job. They haven’t done the job for more than four decades to close the achievement gaps — they’ve only widened.”

Fox News Digital’s Joshua Comins contributed to this report.

The incoming Trump administration has reinvoked chatter about the possibility of the United States purchasing Greenland, an idea floated during the president-elect’s first term in office.

In his first term, Trump tweeted an image of coastal Greenland with an edited, glossy Trump tower building superimposed on the landscape. It was captioned, “I promise not to do this to Greenland!”

In August 2019, President Trump confirmed to reporters that he was interested in purchasing Greenland, an idea that raised both curiosity and debate.

“Denmark essentially owns it,” Trump said. “We’re very good allies with Denmark, we protect Denmark like we protect large portions of the world. So the concept came up and I said, ‘Certainly I’d be.’ Strategically it’s interesting and we’d be interested but we’ll talk to them a little bit. It’s not No. 1 on the burner, I can tell you that.”

TRUMP SAYS MEDIA IS ‘VITAL’ TO MAKING AMERICA ‘GREAT AGAIN,’ VOWS TO WORK WITH ‘FREE, FAIR AND OPEN’ PRESS

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a House Republicans Conference meeting at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill on November 13, 2024 in Washington, DC.  (Allison Robbert-Pool/Getty Images)

The Wall Street Journal first reported Trump’s interest, citing sources who said he had mentioned the idea with “varying degrees of seriousness.”

The idea was shelved after Joe Biden took office in 2021, but has resurfaced online in the wake of Trump’s victory earlier this month.

Republican Congressman Mike Collins of Georgia posted what appears to be an electoral map featuring Greenland on November 7, with the territory voting GOP. It was captioned, “Project 2029.”

TRUMP NAMING CABINET OFFICIALS AT ‘WARP SPEED,’ FAR HEAD OF FIRST TERM PACE

Since then, a member of parliament in Denmark has pushed back on the idea of the United States purchasing Greenland as an American territory. According to a post from Rasmus Jarlov, the Danish parliament does not intend to offer the territory to anyone, especially the United States. 

“Greenlandic independence requires approval by the Danish parliament[sic] and a change of our constitution,” wrote Jarlov. “I can guarantee you that there is no way we would approve indepence[sic] so that you could buy Greenland. Nice fantasy but forget it.”
 

This is far from the first time that the United States has considered purchasing the strategically beneficial Arctic landmass.

After World War II, President Harry Truman offered Denmark $100 million for it in 1946, but Denmark refused.

The idea actually came up earlier in 1945, when Senator Owen Brewster, R-Maine, called Greenland a “military necessity” supported by American military leaders. 

Houses on the coastline in Nuuk, Greenland. (Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

In 1946, a State Department official noted that the Joint Chiefs of Staff believed the U.S. should aim to purchase the territory. That December, Secretary of State James Byrnes even made an offer directly to Denmark’s Foreign Minister Gustav Rasmussen, suggesting a sale might be the simplest solution.

American interest in Greenland goes back even further. In 1867, the State Department explored buying both Greenland and Iceland, recognizing their strategic importance.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

If Denmark hypothetically agrees to sell Greenland to the United States, it would be the largest expansion of American territory in history, topping 1803’s Louisiana Purchase.

Vice President-elect JD Vance will be making the rounds on Capitol Hill this week, arranging meetings between key GOP senators and Trump cabinet picks Matt Gaetz and Pete Hegseth, a source told Fox News Digital. 

“President Trump’s incoming administration is moving at an accelerated schedule in order to make good on getting key nominees confirmed in order to start delivering for the American people,” Brian Hughes, a Trump-Vance Transition spokesman, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“Rep. Collins (VA), Rep. Gaetz (DOJ), Pete Hegseth (DOD), and Rep. Stefanik (UN) will all begin their meetings this week with additional Hill visits to continue after the Thanksgiving recess.”

GOP senators say Vance, a Republican from Ohio elected to the Senate in 2022, is taking the lead in reaching out to gather support for Trump’s controversial nominees.

MATT GAETZ ‘WORKING THE PHONES,’ SPEAKING TO GOP SENATORS DESPITE DIFFICULT CONFIRMATION ODDS

JD Vance is working to whip up support for Trump’s Cabinet picks.   (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

President-elect Trump announced Gaetz as his pick for attorney general Wednesday, an unexpected selection that took many, including fellow House Republicans, by surprise.

Gaetz almost immediately resigned from Congress after Trump tapped him for the job.

If confirmed, Gaetz will head the Justice Department after Trump is sworn in for his second term in January.

TRUMP NOMINEE FOR FCC CHAIR SAYS LEGACY MEDIA ‘STATUS QUO’ NEEDS TO CHANGE

Pete Hegseth and Matt Gaetz have been picked for prominent positions in Trump’s cabinet.  (Getty Images)

Gaetz, a longtime Trump ally, had been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which subpoenaed him as recently as September for an ongoing investigation into alleged sexual misconduct with a minor. Gaetz in response told the panel he would “no longer voluntarily participate” in its probe.

It is unlikely the investigation itself would block Gaetz’s path to confirmation in the Republican-led Senate, though it could make it more difficult.

Trump also nominated former FOX personality Pete Hegseth to serve as his secretary of defense. 

NEW CANDIDATE EMERGES IN CROWDED FIELD AS POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT FOR VANCE’S OHIO SENATE SEAT

A source told Fox News Digital Vice President-elect JD Vance is planning to make rounds on Capitol Hill this week, scheduling meetings with key Republican senators and Trump Cabinet nominees Gaetz and Pete Hegseth, who was selected by the preisdent-elect to run the Department of Defense. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Hegseth, 44, an Army National Guard veteran who served tours in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, previously hosted FOX Nation’s “Patriot Awards,” which is the network’s version of a Hollywood awards show honoring heroes like first responders. 

Hegseth was nominated even though he has no senior military or national security experience.

Vance, who missed all of Monday night’s votes in addition to the first vote on Tuesday, received backlash from several senators.

The Vice President-elect initially said his reasoning for missing the meetings was to join Trump and be part of the interviews for potential candidates for the next FBI director, among other open spots. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45,” Vance wrote in a post on X. 

Vance has since backtracked and deleted the post from X. 

Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch and Louis Casiano contributed to this report. 

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

President-elect Trump is expected to choose Linda McMahon to serve as secretary of the Department of Education in his new Cabinet.

Two sources familiar with the situation confirmed the pick to Fox News on Tuesday evening.

McMahon, who served as administrator of the Small Business Administration in the first Trump administration, is the wife of Vince McMahon. The couple both co-founded World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 1980.

McMahon served in the Trump administration from 2017 to 2019. When she resigned, she wrote that the role had been “immensely rewarding.”

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

Trump is expected to pick Linda McMahon to lead the Department of Education. (Reuters)

“While it has truly been the honor of a lifetime to serve our country in this Administration, it is time for me to step down and return to the private sector,” McMahon wrote in 2019. “I wish to thank the President and I will continue to be a strong advocate for him and his policies.”

Trump has previously floated the idea of disbanding the Department of Education, which began operating in 1980. The agency’s website says that its mission is to “promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access for students of all ages.”

FORMER TRUMP EDUCATION SECRETARY LAYS OUT ‘UNFINISHED BUSINESS’ FOR NEW ADMIN ON SCHOOL REFORMS

President Trump shakes hands with Linda McMahon, the outgoing administrator of the Small Business Administration, in Palm Beach, Fla., March 29, 2019. ( Reuters/Joshua Roberts)

Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos told Fox News host Martha MacCallum last week that the department “doesn’t really add any value anywhere.”

DeVos advised that the opportunity for Trump to radically change the department is “wide open.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Linda McMahon, former administrator of Small Business Administration, speaks at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, July 18. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

“Take the power away from the Department of Education, block-grant those funds, continue to invest in education, but get it down to a much more local level where better decisions are made on behalf of students,” DeVos said. “The bureaucrats at the Department of Education aren’t doing the job. They haven’t done the job for more than four decades to close the achievement gaps — they’ve only widened.”

Fox News Digital’s Joshua Comins contributed to this report.