NationalWatch

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

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

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

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

Mayor Michelle Wu speaks about the regulations for outside dining in the North End at City Hall on March 29, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts.   (Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)

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

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

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

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

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

June 2, 2022: ICE agents conduct an enforcement operation in the U.S. interior. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

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

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

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

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

U.S. Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) fires a missile into the East Sea during a South Korea-U.S. joint missile drill. (South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty Images)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Biden authorized using ATACMS in Russia  (South Korea Defense Ministry via AP)

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pleading for long-range missile authorization for months. (Micah Garen/Getty Images)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.

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

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

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

Republicans slammed Democrats for unilaterally moving forward a ‘partisan’ Homeland Security bill. (Reuters)

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

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

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

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

U.S. Senator Patty Murray speaks after the weekly Senate Democratic policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on Feb. 15, 2022.  (REUTERS/Jon Cherry)

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

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

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

Border Patrol picks up a group of asylum seekers from an aid camp at the US-Mexico border near Sasabe, Arizona, on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (Justin Hamel/Getty Images)

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

“Americans rejected open borders, yet Senate Democrats propose: 

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

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

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks during a news conference following a Senate Democratic policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol building on March 20, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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

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

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

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

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

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

“The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin, giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail. He will deliver,” Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump transition team, told Fox News Digital.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ICE officers look to arrest an undocumented immigrant during an operation in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn on April 11, 2018, in New York City. (John Moore/Getty Images)

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

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

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

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

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

In this undated photo, Texas National Guardsmen fortify razor wire in El Paso, Texas. (Gov. Greg Abbotts office)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rep.-elect Brandon Gill is on the forefront of a new wave of young voters supporting Republicans. (Getty Images)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fox News voter analysis shows Vice President Harris did worse than President Biden with young voters. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

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

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

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

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

Gill is replacing retiring House Rules Committee Chairman Michael Burgess. (Getty Images)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

President Biden signs a proclamation designating Nov. 17 as International Conservation Day during a tour of the Amazon rainforest in Manaus, Brazil, on Nov. 17, 2024.

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

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

FEDERAL COURT UPENDS DECADES OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS

President Biden tours the Museu da Amazonia with his daughter, Ashley Biden, right, and granddaughter Natalie Biden, third right, in Manaus, Brazil, on Nov. 17, 2024. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

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

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

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

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

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

President Biden meets with President-elect Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on Nov. 13, 2024. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

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

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

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

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

“TRUE!!” Trump posted.

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

Former President Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Nov. 6, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Migrants reach for food being handed out while being recorded by a woman outside the Roosevelt Hotel, where dozens of recently arrived migrants have been camping out as they try to secure temporary housing on Aug. 2, 2023 in New York City. (Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the transition team told Fox News Digital, “The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin, giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail. He will deliver.” 

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

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

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

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

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

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

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

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

Fox News’ Kristine Parks contributed to this report.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

Trump said the meeting was “extremely cordial.” 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Nov. 6, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fetterman spurned the report.

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

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks during a rally to kick off the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, Democratic nominee for president, and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pa., on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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

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

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

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

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., during a campaign event with Vice President Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota and Democratic vice-presidential nominee, not pictured, in Philadelphia, Pa., on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024.  (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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

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

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

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., reacts to a question from members of the media on March 22, 2024 in Washington, D.C.  (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

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

Republicans hold a slim majority in the House of Representatives, though the size of that narrow margin will not be known until the final five undecided races are called.

The five House races that remain uncalled as of Monday morning are in Alaska, California, Iowa and Ohio. The balance of power currently sits at 218 seats for Republicans, and 212 for the Democrats.

Alaska

At-large district

Democratic incumbent Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola is in a tight race in Alaska’s at-large congressional district, where she is trailing Republican entrepreneur Nick Begich.

As of Monday morning, Begich holds a nearly 3-point lead at 48.7% of the vote compared to Peltola’s 46.1%. The vote count sits at 155,120 to 146,782 with roughly 98% of the vote counted.

WHAT TRUMP’S TRIFECTA IN HIS FIRST ADMINISTRATION ACCOMPLISHED, AND WHERE THEY FAILED: FLASHBACK

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., will preside with a slim Republican majority. (Allison Robbert/Pool via AP, File)

California

13th Congressional District

Republican Rep. John Duarte is leading former Democratic state assembly member Adam Gray in California’s 13th Congressional District, but the highly contested race remains uncalled as of Monday morning.

Roughly 86% of the vote has been counted, and Duarte holds a 50.6% to 49.4% lead. The pair is separated by just over 2,000 votes.

45th Congressional District

Democratic challenger Derek Tran has taken the lead over Republican incumbent Rep. Michelle Steel in the 45th District. Steel had been in the lead by a few hundred votes late last week, but Tran now has a razor-thin 36-vote lead.

President-elect Trump will begin his second term with control of both the House and the Senate. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Roughly 94% of the vote has been counted for the district.

Iowa

1st Congressional District

Republican incumbent Rep. Mariannet Miller-Meeks holds a less than 1% lead over challenger Christina Bohannan with 99% of the vote counted. Miller-Meeks’ lead sits at just under 1,000 votes.

DEMOCRATS PRIVATELY GRIPE ABOUT PELOSI’S ‘DAMAGING’ POST-ELECTION COMMENTS: ‘SHE NEEDS TO TAKE A SEAT’

Bohannan has requested a recount in her bid to unseat Miller-Meeks. The Associated Press has not yet called the race because the margin was close enough that it could prompt a recount. Miller-Meeks has declared victory and said she was confident in her lead.

Ohio

9th Congressional District

Democratic incumbent Marcy Kaptur leads her Republican challenger, Derek Merrin, by less than 1 point with 99% of the votes counted. Kaptur’s lead sits at just over 1,000 votes as of Monday morning.

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Races with a margin of 0.5% or less trigger an automatic recount in Ohio.

Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom, Chris Pandolfo and Jasmine Baehr and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Republicans are already making big plans for the 119th Congress, many of which center on using a legislative maneuver called reconciliation. 

GOP leaders have suggested they are planning a mammoth-sized bill to implement President-elect Trump’s tax policies, lower the federal deficit and enact conservative policies early next year.

Reconciliation is a way to fast-track legislation on issues like taxes, the debt limit and federal spending by bypassing the Senate’s 60-vote threshold for passage, instead lowering it to a simple 51-vote majority.

Republicans also accuse Democrats of pushing the boundaries of what’s acceptable in a reconciliation bill, and have signaled they may take a similar path in pushing for stricter border security measures while loosening restrictions on American energy production.

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

Congress is set to grapple with a large fiscal policy bill next year. (Getty Images)

“Though there are Senate rules limiting what we can fit in budget reconciliation, I want us to be bold and creative so we can include as many reforms in this package as possible,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., wrote to House Republicans earlier this month.

“Democrats expanded what is traditionally allowed in reconciliation, and we intend to do the same. Now is the time to go big to advance conservative policies that will make our country prosperous and secure again.”

Generally, reconciliation is only used once per year, and lawmakers usually reserve it for instances where they hold both houses of Congress. 

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

In recent history, most reconciliation bills have been started in the House of Representatives, where the Constitution dictates tax policy must originate. 

House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, whose committee will be at the forefront of crafting the reconciliation bill, told Fox News Digital he is already working with House GOP leaders and his Senate counterparts on the legislation.

“We’re going to push the outer limits to include as much pro-growth strategy as we can. One of those would be regulatory reform,” Arrington said. “Another one will be border security and immigration reform.”

House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington’s panel will be at the forefront of reconciliation bill talks. (Getty Images)

The third goal Arrington raised was “to unravel the chokehold on domestic energy production.”

“We have H.R. 2, and then we have H.R. 1, the two big legislative priorities for our conference – secure the border and unleash American energy,” he said.

“I think the things in there that can be included in reconciliation and pass the Byrd rule. We’re going to be aggressively advancing those policies.”

The “Byrd rule” refers to the Senate parliamentarian weighing a reconciliation bill for what measures are relevant to budgetary and tax policy, and what must be removed.

Democrats wanted to use reconciliation in 2021 to pass progressive immigration policies that would have included granting citizenship to millions of people, including those brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

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

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise also signaled big plans for reconciliation. (Reuters/Mike Segar)

They also attempted to include a federal $15 minimum wage in a reconciliation bill – a charge led by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

But the parliamentarian ruled against both of those proposals.

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It remains to be seen what Republicans will be able to include in their bill next year.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do, a lot of restoration to do on the fiscal side,” Arrington said. “It’s part pro-growth strategies, and the other is part bending the curve on spending, and especially focused on mandatory spending. And I think there are a lot of straightforward ways to do it, common sense things that the American people from both sides of the political aisle will say are long overdue.”

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for chairman of the Federal Communications Commission said early Monday morning that the agency’s focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) will end next year.

Brendan Carr, who currently serves as the senior Republican member of the FCC, posted a snippet of the agency’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2025 on X, which stated that its second-highest strategic goal is promoting DEI.

“The FCC’s most recent budget request said that promoting DEI was the agency’s second highest [sic] strategic goal. Starting next year, the FCC will end its promotion of DEI,” Carr wrote.

The only strategic goal listed before promoting DEI was pursuing a 100% broadband policy.

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

Brendan Carr, current senior Republican member of the FCC and President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for FCC chairman, said the agency will stop promoting DEI in 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The agency said in part that it wanted to “gain a deeper understanding of how [its] rules, policies, and programs may promote or inhibit advances in diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.”

The goal would be reached by pursuing “focused action and investments” to eliminate any barriers that “perpetuate disadvantaged or underserved individuals and communities,” the FCC’s FY2025 budget said.

“In addition, the FCC recognizes that it is more effective when its workforce reflects the experience, judgment, and input of individuals from many different backgrounds,” the section concluded. “Advancing equity is core to the agency’s management and policymaking processes and will benefit all Americans.”

BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN PUSHED MORE THAN 500 ‘DEI ACTIONS’ ACROSS GOVERNMENT, REPORT FINDS

The four goals listed after promoting DEI were, empower consumers, enhance public safety and national security, advance America’s global competitiveness and foster operational excellence.

In its budget request for Fiscal Year 2025, the FCC listed its second-highest strategic goal as promoting DEI. (REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo)

Carr followed up his initial post with a GIF captioned: “When it comes to the FCC’s promotion of DEI, I have just one thing to say: Afuera (get out)!” 

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Trump announced Carr as his choice for FCC chairman on Sunday, describing him as a “warrior for free speech” and someone who will “ensure that the FCC delivers for rural America.”

President-elect Trump commended Brendan Carr’s “great work” in a statement announcing him for FCC chairman on Sunday evening. (Getty Images)

Carr, who was initially appointed to the commission in 2017 under Trump’s first term and continued working for the agency under President Biden, has been confirmed unanimously by the Senate three times.

The Pentagon is bracing for sweeping policy changes under the incoming Trump administration, and some high-level officers could find their careers on the chopping block. 

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host and veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, to lead the Defense Department – an iconoclast whose pick roiled the defense industrial base.

With Hegseth, the Trump administration is expected to undo diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) accommodations and training within the military. 

“If you want to have a sex change or a social justice seminar, then you can do it somewhere else, but you’re not going to do it in the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, Space Force or the United States Marines. Sorry,” Trump said at an Aug. 21 rally in Asheboro, North Carolina. 

“The military brass that led these absurd and insulting initiatives will likewise be removed, and they will no longer be in command. They’re going to be gone, gone so fast.”

TRUMP NOMINATES PETE HEGSETH TO SERVE AS DEFENSE SECRETARY

The Pentagon is bracing for sweeping policy changes under the incoming Trump administration, and some high-level officers could find their careers on the chopping block. (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images)

‘Cleaning house’ of career DoD officials

Longtime generals and high-level officers at the Pentagon could find their jobs under threat – even those who don’t typically qualify as political appointees.

“Well, first of all, you got to fire, you know, you got to fire the chairman of the Joint Chiefs,” Hegseth said on the “Shawn Ryan Show” podcast last week. 

“Any general that was involved – general, admiral, whatever – that was involved in any of the DEI woke s**t, it’s got to go,” he added. 

Hegseth also wrote in his recent book, “The War on Warriors”: “Our generals are not ready for this moment in history. Not even close. The next President of the United States needs to radically overhaul Pentagon senior leadership to make us ready to defend our nation and defeat our enemies. Lots of people need to be fired.”

“At the Pentagon, you can fire generals. Unlike, say, the CIA or the Department of Justice, where it’s hard to fire senior officials, because they’re protected,” said former Rep. Chris Stewart, who has been consulting the transition team on Department of Defense matters. 

The transition team is considering a draft executive order that establishes a “warrior board” of retired senior military personnel who would have the power to review three- and four-star officers and recommend removal of any who are unfit for leadership, the Wall Street Journal first reported. 

TRUMP’S PICKS SO FAR: HERE’S WHO WILL BE ADVISING THE NEW PRESIDENT

Host Pete Hegseth during “FOX & Friends” at Fox News Channel Studios on May 27, 2022, in New York City.  (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

Transgender ban

Trump may quickly score favor with social conservatives and defense hawks by rolling back an executive order President Joe Biden signed that lifted a ban on transgender people from serving in the military. 

Transgender people were allowed to begin openly serving in the military in 2016 under an executive order of the Obama administration. But in 2017, Trump announced he would reimpose that ban. 

“Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail,” Trump said in a social media post at the time. 

Trump’s ban ordered the discharge of anyone diagnosed with gender dysphoria, and prompted a flurry of lawsuits. 

Soldiers in camouflage uniforms aiming their rifles ready to fire during military night operation. (iStock)

Abortion travel 

The Trump Pentagon is also expected to roll back a Biden-era policy allowing troops to obtain leave and reimbursement if they need to leave the state where they are stationed to seek an abortion. 

The policy is rarely ever taken advantage of – the Department of Defense found that only 12 people used it over the course of six months from August to December 2023. 

Conservatives have pushed to block the policy since Biden adopted it after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. 

DEI provisions 

The Pentagon requested funding to the tune of $114 million for DEI initiatives in 2024. That money was to be used for “programs and initiatives aimed at furthering DEIA, and incorporating DEIA values, objectives, and considerations in how we do business and execute our missions.” Expect a major undoing of diversity initiatives. 

“DEI amplifies differences, creates grievances, and excludes anyone who won’t bow down to the cultural Marxist revolution ripping through the Pentagon. Forget DEI — the acronym should be DIE or IED. It will kill our military worse than any IED ever could,” Hegseth wrote in Chapter 8.

“The Left isn’t just interested in purging Trump supporters. Their ideology is based on marginalizing whatever’s normal, because they think ‘normal’ is always oppressive. By their logic, the military runs on the most normal and most oppressive thing of all: strong men. Just being a guy who hits the gym means you’re oppressing everyone around you,” he wrote. 

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“A big reason for fewer training accidents is – less training. More time than ever is being spent on social justice PowerPoint moralizing – and meeting those metrics in today’s military is the most important standard to meet,” he wrote. “Every unit knows that social justice, trans, gender, woke training is the top priority. Not doing this training, or not doing it properly, will get a commander or junior leader fired. Not doing real field training becomes secondary.”

President-elect Trump announced on Sunday that he has picked Brendan Carr to serve as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) starting in January.

Carr, who is currently the senior Republican member of the FCC, was first nominated to the commission by Trump in 2017. In a statement released on Sunday night, Trump commended Carr and noted that he had “been confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate three times.”

“His current term runs through 2029 and, because of his great work, I will now be designating him as permanent Chairman,” Trump wrote.

The Republican leader went on to call Carr “a warrior for Free Speech” who has “fought against the regulatory Lawfare that has stifled Americans’ Freedoms, and held back our Economy.”

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

Trump commended Brendan Carr’s “great work” in a statement on Sunday evening. (Getty Images)

“He will end the regulatory onslaught that has been crippling America’s Job Creators and Innovators, and ensure that the FCC delivers for rural America,” Trump added.

“Congratulations to Chairman Brendan Carr on a job well done,” the president-elect’s statement concluded. “Lead us into a great future, Brendan!”

In an X post on Sunday, Carr thanked Trump and wrote that he is “humbled and honored to serve as Chairman of the FCC.”

Carr recently made national headlines after he ripped the “Saturday Night Live” cast for platforming Kamala Harris as a guest without inviting Trump, which violates FCC rules.

HERE ARE THE MOST TALKED-ABOUT CANDIDATES FOR TOP POSTS IN TRUMP’S ADMINISTRATION

Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission Brendan Carr speaks during the 2024 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, United States on February 24, 2024. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“NBC has structured this in a way that’s plainly designed to evade the FCC’s rules,” the official said shortly after the episode aired. “We’re talking 50 hours before Election Day starts, without any notice to other candidates, as far as I can tell.”

Carr later told Fox News Digital that the Harris appearance “[made] clear that [“SNL”] wanted to weigh-in in favor of one candidate before the election.”

“That’s exactly why, for decades, we’ve had an equal time rule on the book, is to prevent that,” the Republican explained. “Because remember, broadcasters are placed in a special position of trust. They’re not just like any other person with a soapbox on the corner. They have a license from the federal government that obligates them to operate in the public interest.”

Brendan Carr, commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), speaks during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. (Alex Wong/Getty Images/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Earlier in November, the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) urged Trump to appoint Carr as the next FCC chairman, calling him a “great partner to the men and women in law enforcement.”

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“Commissioner Carr has more than 20 years of private and public sector expertise in communications and technology policy as well as a deep institutional knowledge of the FCC,” Patrick Yoes, national president of the FOP, wrote in a letter. “He would make an outstanding FCC Chairman who will ensure the United States continues to lead the world in telecommunications advancements and innovations.”

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

A new report revealed Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign paid more than double what was previously reported for the Oprah Winfrey town hall event.

FEC filings, first reported by the Washington Examiner, show the Harris campaign made two $500,000 payments to Winfrey’s Harpo Productions on Oct. 15, a month after Winfrey’s town hall with Harris and weeks before the pair appeared at a Harris Philadelphia rally. Now, two sources have told The New York Times the full price of the event with Winfrey was closer to $2.5 million.

Harris’ campaign spent $1.5 billion, or $100 million per week during her 15-week presidential run, according to the Times. Democrat donors say they are still being bombarded with requests, and the Democratic Party is reportedly $20 million in debt from the failed campaign. 

Some of the reported spending included nearly $9,000 in ice cream from high-end shops like Sweet Lucy’s Ice Cream and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE CRITICIZES HARRIS CAMPAIGN FOR PAYING MASSIVE SUMS TO OPRAH WINFREY, OTHER CELEBS

VP Kamala Harris (L) joins Oprah Winfrey at a ‘Unite for America’ live streaming rally in Farmington Hills, Michigan, on September 19, 2024. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Harris’ campaign reportedly used almost $15,000 on food delivery services such as Uber Eats and DoorDash from July through the end of the race in early November, the Times reported.

HARRIS PAID OPRAH $1 MILLION IN FAILED BID TO HELP CAMPAIGN: REPORT

Oprah Winfrey hugs Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris during a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 4, 2024.  (REUTERS/Rachel Wisniewski)

During a two-week period in October, Harris’ campaign reportedly spent $2.6 million on travel aboard private jets. 

The campaign also spent $900,000 to reserve ad space on Las Vegas’ Sphere in the final week of the election, although she still lost Nevada by three points.

The bulk of the extravagant spending reportedly went to celebrity appearances and performances and influencer partnerships meant to boost campaign events. 

TIKTOK CREATOR ROASTS OPRAH, HARRIS FOR FEATURING HER IN TOWN HALL INTERVIEW: ‘I DO NOT SUPPORT HARRIS’

Winfrey, a billionaire, insisted she was “paid nothing” when confronted by TMZ.

Oprah Winfrey (L) holds up VP Kamala Harris’ hand as she arrives onstage during a campaign rally on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia, on November 4, 2024. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

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A Harpo Productions spokesperson acknowledged to Variety that the company took money from the campaign but claimed it was for “production costs.”

“Oprah Winfrey was at no point during the campaign paid a personal fee, nor did she receive a fee from Harpo,” the spokesperson said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

Fox News Digital’s Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report. 

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., may be done with Congress. But Congress is not done with him. And as President-elect Trump’s pick to serve as Attorney General, Gaetz is apparently not done with Congress, either.

Gaetz negotiated with Mr. Trump to become Attorney General on a flight to Florida – just hours after the incoming President spoke to House Republicans in Washington last week. Mr. Trump then made Gaetz his pick and the Florida Republican resigned.

What wasn’t known at the time was that the House Ethics Committee was on the precipice of releasing a report investigating allegations of “sexual misconduct” and “illicit drug use” by Gaetz. Gaetz stopped cooperating with the House investigation over the summer. The FBI probed Gaetz for years – but dropped its inquiry in February.

The Ethics Committee dashed a planned meeting where it likely would have published information about its inquest regarding Gaetz on Friday. But since Gaetz is no longer a Member of Congress, the committee supposedly is powerless to act.

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

With Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., named President-elect Trump’s unlikely pick for Attorney General, a glaring question looms ahead: what will become of the Ethics Committee’s report on alleged improprieties by the congressman? (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., said the following on Wednesday when asked about the Gaetz probe – but before the Florida Republican resigned.

“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. 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,” said Guest.

Other Ethics Committee members tried to sidestep discussion of Gaetz.

“I’m not making any comments on that. I’m on the Ethics Committee so I’m staying clear of that,” said Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla.

“Can you still release the report?” asked Rachel Scott of ABC.

“Nope. Sure can’t,” replied Rutherford, turning toward Scott.

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That is generally how the House Ethics Committee rolls when it comes to outstanding investigations involving former Members.

But it is not a hard and fast rule.

Fox has found that the Ethics Committee released the information on its probe into potential influence peddling by the late Rep. John Murtha, D-Penn., after his death in 2010.

The House Ethics Committee has reportedly released its findings on former Reps. John Murtha, D-Penn., and Bill Boner, D-Tenn., after their departures from office. (Scott J. Ferrell/Congressional Quarterly/Getty Images | CQ Roll Call via Getty Images)

The Ethics Committee also released a 699-page report on former Rep. Bill Boner, D-Tenn., after he left office in 1987. The committee found that Boner used campaign funds to travel to Hong Kong and may have used his office to influence a defense contractor.

The Ethics Committee investigated former Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., after he was caught sending inappropriate messages to House pages in 2006. Foley abruptly resigned from the House. But the ethics panel hauled in a host of bipartisan Congressional leaders for closed door depositions to determine what they may have known about Foley’s activities.

That said, there is a way on the floor to dislodge an Ethics Committee report.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE GAETZ HOUSE ETHICS REPORT?

There is a mechanism called “question of privileges of the House.” A lawmaker could take the floor under this procedure, making the argument that keeping the Gaetz ethics report under wraps impugns the dignity and integrity of the House. The House would be required to vote on such a motion. If successful on the floor, the ethics panel could be compelled to release the report.

Yours truly asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., if Democrats might try to dislodge the Gaetz report from the Ethics Committee.

Pergram: “Could you envision a scenario where Democrats try to somehow dislodge this ethics report through a parliamentary maneuver?”

I asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., if his party planned on finding a way to dislodge the Gaetz report from the Ethics Committee. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Jeffries: “The Ethics Committee is an incredibly bipartisan committee. It’s the only committee in the Congress that is evenly divided. And it has a long history of having principled individuals on it. And I defer at this moment to whatever course they decide to take. And I hope they take a course that is bipartisan.”

The Senate Judiciary Committee will study the credentials of Gaetz, run background checks and ultimately hold a confirmation hearing before voting the nomination to the floor for a vote. It could also block the nomination as well.

Senate Majority Whip and Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., formally asked the House Ethics Committee to send over the report as it reviews the fitness of Gaetz for the job.

MATT GAETZ’S NOMINATION ROCKS CAPITOL HILL

“The sequence and timing of Mr. Gaetz’s resignation from the House raises serious questions about the contents of the House Ethics Committee report,” said Durbin. “This information could be relevant to the question of Mr. Gaetz’s confirmation as the next Attorney General of the United States and our Constitutional responsibility to advise and consent.”

Democrats weren’t the only ones trying to pry loose the report.

“I think there should not be any limitation on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation, including, whatever the House Ethics Committee generated,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, seems keen to unearth the Gaetz report’s findings, saying there should “not be any limitation” on what the Senate Judiciary Committee can investigate. (Reuters)

Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., serves on the Ethics Committee. He hinted that the panel should consider dispatching the report to the Senate.

“I think the Senate certainly had a right to request it. I can’t talk about our internal deliberations. But the information that they’ve requested, I think it’s totally reasonable,” said Ivey. “In fact, I think it’s essential for them to get that kind of information before they make a decision.”

On Friday, Johnson noted that he “doesn’t control the Ethics Committee.”

THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE MEANING OF A REPUBLICAN SENATE – AND WHAT’S AHEAD FOR THE HOUSE

But Johnson went further than he had before about his views on releasing the report.

“We should stick to the tradition of not releasing a report on a former Member of the House because it would open a dangerous Pandora’s box,” said Johnson.

Johnson reaffirmed that during an appearance on Fox News Sunday when asked about releasing the report.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., cautioned against releasing the Ethics Committee’s findings, citing precedent and the potential opening of a “dangerous Pandora’s Box.” (Getty Images)

“I think this would be a breach of protocol that could be dangerous for us going forward in the future,” said the Speaker.

It’s possible the Senate Judiciary Committee could subpoena the report from the Ethics Committee. And as suggested earlier, there is a way to dislodge the report from the panel via a vote on the House floor. Such a scenario would put a lot of Republicans in a tough spot. They may fear that voting to release the report could put them on the wrong side of incoming President Trump. That’s to say nothing of the prospective Attorney General.

But Gaetz isn’t liked by his former House colleagues. In fact, some Republicans may have more disdain for the former Florida Congressman than Democrats. That’s partly because it was Gaetz who single-handedly triggered a vote last year to remove former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. That maneuver pitched the House into three weeks of chaos.

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Gaetz is no longer a Member of the House. But that doesn’t matter. The fight over the ethics report is just getting started. And that’s spurring just as much pandemonium as if Gaetz were still a Member.

Ben Carson broke his silence around rumors of him joining the second Trump administration as the U.S. surgeon general on Sunday, but noted that he plans to speak with President-elect Donald Trump soon.

Carson, who served as the secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from 2017 to 2021 during the first Trump administration, dispelled the false reports in an X post on Sunday.

“I am excited to speak with President Trump about how I will continue to advance the America First agenda, and I am meeting with him in the near future,” the retired neurosurgeon wrote. 

“However, contrary to reports, I will not be serving as the Surgeon General.”

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Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson speaks with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention on July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Carson has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration and a staunch supporter of Trump. After the Republican leader won the Nov. 5 election in a landslide victory, Carson shared his congratulations. 

“Congratulations to my good friend and the next President of the United States, @realdonaldtrump!!” Carson’s post reads. “As I said earlier today, God is not done with our country. Let’s get to work.”

The U.S. surgeon general is not a Cabinet-level position but is still a high-ranking role that  serves as the head of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. The position is within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

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Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and former HUD Secretary Ben Carson (Scott Olson via Getty Images/File)

“The U.S. Surgeon General is the Nation’s Doctor, providing Americans with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce the risk of illness and injury,” the HHS’s website explains. “The Surgeon General oversees the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, an elite group of over 6,000 uniformed officers who are public health professionals.”

Carson’s comments come as several positions in Trump’s incoming Cabinet are still up for grabs, including secretary of transportation, secretary of commerce and secretary of the treasury.

Trump also has yet to announce his picks for HUD secretary, secretary of agriculture and secretary of education.

President Trump is shown during a Cabinet meeting along with HUD Secretary Ben Carson at the White House on Nov. 19, 2019. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

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Trump most recently announced on Saturday that Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright will join his Cabinet as secretary of energy. He called Wright “a leading technologist and entrepreneur in energy.” 

President-elect Trump and members of his inner circle shared a McDonald’s meal aboard Trump’s private plane, with Donald Trump Jr. posting a photo Sunday morning and joking that the Trump campaign’s mission to make Americans healthier will have to wait a day.

Trump and his entourage included Elon Musk, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Donald Trump Jr. and, perhaps most surprisingly, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services secretary. Kennedy, an outspoken critic of processed foods, was pictured with McDonald’s food and a Coca-Cola.

Trump Jr. captioned the photo, “Make America Healthy Again starts TOMORROW.”

The group had traveled to New York City on Saturday to attend UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, the site of Trump’s historic campaign rally last month. 

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President-elect Trump shared a McDonalds meal with Elon Musk, Donald Trump Jr., House Speaker Mike Johnson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Donald Trump Jr./X)

Kennedy has not been shy about sharing his opinions about the president-elect’s diet.

“The stuff that he eats is really, like, bad,” Kennedy told podcaster Joe Polish on Monday.

“Campaign food is always bad, but the food that goes onto that airplane is, like, just poison,” he said of the food aboard Trump’s private plane. “You have a choice between – you don’t have the choice, you’re either given KFC or Big Macs. That’s when you’re lucky, and then the rest of the stuff I consider kind of inedible.”

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Kennedy also vowed earlier this month to clear out “entire departments” within the Food and Drug Administration for “not doing their job.”

Trump tapped Kennedy as his secretary of Health and Human Services after winning the 2024 presidential election. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images, File)

Kennedy endorsed Trump after suspending his own presidential campaign, becoming one of Trump’s most prominent surrogates and incorporating the “MAHA” (Make America Healthy Again) movement into his closing argument to voters. 

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Kennedy has already begun asking ordinary Americans to make suggestions about what policies and people should be put in place as HHS secretary, launching a website called “Policies for the People” that allows people to nominate, suggest and vote for the leaders and policies they want to see coming from the Trump White House.

Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn and Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.

Chinese President Xi Jinping told President Biden on Saturday that he will work with the incoming administration of President-elect Trump, as the two current leaders spoke on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Lima, Peru.

The meeting between Biden and Xi marked the first time in seven months the two had spoken, Reuters reported, and may be the last time the two meet on conflicts from cybercrime to trade, Taiwan, the South China Sea and Russia before Trump returns to the Oval Office in January 2025.

Xi told Biden, “China’s goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship remains unchanged,” acknowledging the “ups and downs” between the two countries.

“China is ready to work with the new U.S. administration to maintain communication, expand cooperation and manage differences,” Xi said.

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President Biden shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping before a bilateral meeting, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Lima, Peru. (Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP)

Biden told Xi that maintaining leader-to-leader talks will be vital after Biden leaves office, according to national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who was seen sitting next to Biden during the meeting.

He also acknowledged to the Chinese leader that while the two of them may not have always agreed, their discussions have been “frank” and “candid.”

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President Biden meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Lima. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

China and other members of the G-20 will likely brace for a reboot of Trump’s “America First” policy, placing a heavy emphasis on higher tariffs. Trump famously launched a trade war with China in his first term in 2018, raising tariffs up to 25% on steel, aluminum and other Chinese-made products. China responded with reciprocal tariffs against the U.S. Trump promised to raise tariffs up to 60% on Chinese imports while running for president, although it’s unclear if he would actually go that high.

Biden has aimed to lessen tensions with China, but during his meeting with Xi on Saturday, there appeared to be few signs of breakthroughs on the major issues.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping told Biden, “China’s goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship remains unchanged,” (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Still, the two agreed that humans, not artificial intelligence, should make the ultimate decisions when it comes to the use of nuclear weapons, the White House noted, marking the first time the two countries have raised the issue.

Biden and Xi also talked about China’s ally, North Korea, which is deepening ties with Russia and even deployed troops in Moscow’s war with Ukraine. The move has raised concerns not just with Washington, but also with European capitals and Beijing.

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“President Biden pointed out that the (People’s Republic of China’s) publicly stated position with respect to the war in Ukraine is there should be no escalation, no broadening the conflict, and the introduction of (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) troops runs foursquare against that,” Sullivan said. “He also pointed out that the PRC does have influence and capacity, and should use it to try to prevent a further escalation or further expansion of the conflict with the introduction of even more DPRK forces.”

Reuters contributed to this report.

President Biden has authorized Ukraine’s military to use U.S.-provided long-range missiles on targets inside Russian territory, the New York Times reported Sunday, citing unnamed U.S. officials.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously said that such an escalation would constitute an act of war. He has yet to react to Biden’s announcement Sunday.

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

The announcement came after Great Britain and France authorized Ukraine to launch SCALP/Storm Shadow missile strikes, Le Figaro reported on Saturday.

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President Biden has approved Ukraine to use American long-range missiles on targets in Russia.

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

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

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

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“If this decision is made, it will mean nothing less than the direct participation of NATO countries, the United States, and European countries, in the war in Ukraine,” he added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during Russian-Mongolian talks on September 3, 2024, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.  (Getty Images)

Meanwhile, President-elect Trump’s transition team is expected to soon announce a peace envoy to assist in negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Trump argued on the campaign trail that he could solve the conflict before entering office.

Trump has been rolling out appointee names of those he wants to fill his Cabinet and advise him on top issues at a lightning-quick pace.

President-elect Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Russia-Ukraine war. (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)

Some advisers are reportedly encouraging Trump to push Kyiv to agree to terms that would freeze the frontlines by creating an 800-mile-long demilitarized zone and allow Russia to keep the land it has illegally seized, which amounts to roughly 20% of Ukraine.

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It has also been suggested that Kyiv should agree not to pursue NATO membership for 20 years, a stipulation that critics of this plan argue kowtows to Putin.

This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.