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California Attorney General (AG) Rob Bonta has joined a growing list of Democratic leaders vowing to resist President-elect Donald Trump and border czar Tom Homan’s plans for mass deportations.

Last week, Bonta issued new guidance to courthouses, healthcare facilities, universities, schools, labor agencies, public libraries and shelters, requiring state-run agencies to adopt policies to resist Trump’s “draconian” and “inhumane” immigration enforcement actions.

“My office will continue to use the full force of the law and every tool at our disposal to protect the rights of California’s immigrants – and we need staff at these critical locations to do the same,” Bonta said. “We cannot let the Trump deportation machine create a culture of fear and mistrust that prevents immigrants from accessing vital public services.” 

BLUE STATE FACES SPIKE IN MIGRANT SEX CRIMES AS TOP CITY PLEDGES RESISTANCE TO TRUMP DEPORTATIONS

California Attorney General Rob Bonta. (Loren Elliott/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

According to California’s AG office, the guidance lays out model policies and recommendations that “guide public institutions in complying with California law limiting state and local participation in immigration enforcement activities.”

“In California, we believe our public resources, like libraries, hospitals, courthouses and schools should be available for all without fear of civil immigration enforcement,” Bonta said during a press event announcing the guidance. “The model policies we’re issuing to public facilities … provide policy recommendations that may mitigate disruptions from immigration enforcement actions at public institutions.”

The guidance refers state agencies to a 2017 law called the “California Values Act” that the AG office said, “prohibits state and local law enforcement agencies from assisting with immigration enforcement, with limited exceptions.”

BLUE STATE GOVERNORS SCORNED AFTER SENDING WARNINGS TO TRUMP: ‘THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE DONE WITH’ THIS

Migrants are processed by the U.S. Border Patrol near the Jacumba Hot Springs after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border on June 13, 2024 in San Diego. (Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images)

Bonta’s guidance includes prohibiting the “unauthorized” collection or disclosure of information that “might indicate an individual’s or family’s citizenship or immigration status,” as well as instituting a policy of always referring federal law enforcement officials to a designated person who will “have the authority to respond to immigration enforcement-related requests.”

“I want to emphasize that the California DOJ is here to protect immigrants’ safety, immigrants’ freedoms and immigrants’ rights,” said Bonta. “Let me be clear, President-elect Trump’s immigration agenda is draconian and his rhetoric, xenophobic.”

Bonta, who immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines with his parents at 2 months old, also said that Trump’s deportation plan is “fiscally irresponsible.” He called immigrants “the backbone of our nation.”

1.4 MILLION ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN US HAVE BEEN ORDERED DEPORTED, BUT HAVE YET TO BE REMOVED: OFFICIAL

A group of adult and child migrants are smuggled across the Tijuana-San Diego border as they climb the wall to seek asylum to the United States in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, on June 7, 2024. (Carlos Moreno/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Kevin McCarthy, former speaker of the House and congressman from California, told Fox News that California politicians like Bonta and Gov. Gavin Newsom are costing California taxpayers huge sums by making the state a “magnet” for illegal immigrants.

“He’ll give them free healthcare, I mean, he denies California citizens certain things but not to those who come illegally that’s why we attract so many and it’s costing a great deal, we have a huge deficit in California,” said McCarthy.

McCarthy said that Bonta’s actions are an attempt to “make a name for himself” in Democratic politics despite concerns over illegal immigration and violent crime by illegal migrants playing a major role in Trump’s retaking of the White House in 2024.

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a press conference where he signed legislation related to oversight of oil and gas wells, and community protections on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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“These attorneys general should take a deep breath, listen to what the American public said and understand that immigration was one of the major reasons why Donald Trump won, and it wasn’t a Republican issue, [it was] Republican and Democrat too,” he said.

He pointed to the election of Nathan Hochman as Los Angeles County District Attorney, who he said was “overwhelmingly elected because we watched the crime go rampant.”

“As attorney general, your job is to protect your citizens. Why wouldn’t you want these gang members, I mean these are ruthless gang members and these have been running the drugs of fentanyl that have been killing your children, why wouldn’t you want them out? I would think that would be your job without having the president do it,” said McCarthy. “People want to see something else happen, especially from this attorney general.”

The Pentagon unveiled a new counter-drone strategy after a spate of incursions near U.S. bases prompted concerns over a lack of an action plan for the increasing threat of unmanned aerial vehicles. 

Though much of the strategy remains classified, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will implement a new counter-drone office within the Pentagon – Joint Counter-Small UAS Office – and a new Warfighter Senior Integration Group, according to a new memo. 

The Pentagon will also begin work on a second Replicator initiative, but it will be up to the incoming Trump administration to decide whether to fund this plan. The first Replicator initiative worked to field inexpensive, dispensable drones to thwart drone attacks by adversarial groups across the Middle East and elsewhere.  

The memo warned that the increased use of unmanned systems must reshape U.S. tactics, as they make it easier for adversaries to “surveil, disrupt and attack our forces … potentially without attribution.” 

A drone is launched during a military exercise in an undisclosed location in Iran. (/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY)

US SCRAMBLES AS DRONES SHAPE THE LANDSCAPE OF WAR: ‘THE FUTURE IS HERE’

The plan outlines a five-pronged approach: deepening understanding of enemy drones, launching offensive campaigns to thwart their ability to build such systems, improving “active and passive” defenses to such attacks, rapid increase of production of counter-drone systems and making counter-drone focus a top priority for future force development. 

For the past year, Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been using small, one-way unmanned aerial systems to strike western shipping routes in the Red Sea. 

That has led to perilous waters along a trade route that typically sees some $1 trillion in goods pass through it, as well as shipments of aid to war-torn Sudan and the Yemeni people. 

Some experts have deemed the U.S. response inadequate in deterring the Houthis from inflicting billions of dollars worth of damage to the global economy. 

Additionally, the cost of U.S. response to such attacks is disproportionate. While the Houthi drones are estimated to cost around $2,000 each, the naval missiles the U.S. fires back can run around $2 million a shot. 

In September, Houthis took out two U.S. Reaper drones in a week, machinery that costs around $30 million a piece. 

Deadly drone strikes have also been launched by both sides in Russia’s war on Ukraine. 

“Unmanned systems pose both an urgent and enduring threat to U.S. personnel, facilities, and assets overseas,” the Pentagon said in a statement on Thursday announcing the strategy. 

“By producing a singular Strategy for Countering Unmanned Systems, the Secretary and the Department are orienting around a common understanding of the challenge and a shared approach to addressing it.”

A UJ-22 Airborne (UkrJet) reconnaissance drone, bought in the frame of the program “The Army of Drones,” readies to land during a test flight in the Kyiv region. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images)

Three U.S. service members were killed in a drone strike in January in Jordan. Experts warned the U.S. lacks a clear counter-drone procedure after 17 unmanned vehicles traipsed into restricted airspace over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia last December. 

IRAN HIDING MISSILE, DRONE PROGRAMS UNDER GUISE OF COMMERCIAL FRONT TO EVADE SANCTIONS

The mystery drones swarmed for more than two weeks. Lack of a standard protocol for such incursions left Langley officials unsure of what to do – other than allow the 20-foot-long drones to hover near their classified facilities. 

Houthis have shot down U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones, like the one pictured here. (Isaac Brekken/Getty Images)

Langley is home to some of the nation’s most vital top secret facilities and the F-22 Raptor stealth fighters. 

Two months prior to Langley, in October 2023, five drones flew over the Energy Department’s Nevada National Security Site, used for nuclear weapons experiments. U.S. authorities were not sure who was behind those drones either. 

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A Chinese surveillance balloon traversed over the U.S. for a week last year before the Air Force shot it down off the coast.

The Air Force’s Plant 42 in California, home to highly classified aerospace development, has also seen a slew of unidentified drone incursions in 2024, prompting flight restrictions around the facility.

Progressive Democrats are frustrated with how President Biden is handling his lame duck era, with President-elect Donald Trump dominating the news cycle with Cabinet nominations and meetings with world leaders.

Biden has remained relatively quiet in the weeks since Trump won re-election and has allowed Trump to steal the show at several notable events. Biden sent his wife, first lady Jill Biden, to attend the re-opening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, giving Trump an opportunity to greet French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in front of the cameras.

“This is one of the lamest of lame ducks we’ve seen with a Democratic administration. A massive missed opportunity,” Usamah Andrabi, spokesman for the progressive group Justice Democrats, told the Wall Street Journal.

Democrats also feel that Biden and the White House have not been critical enough of Trump’s Cabinet nominees. Trump has already had one nominee withdraw, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee for defense secretary and a former Fox News host, has also drawn criticism.

HUNTER BIDEN: A LOOK AT HOW THE SAGA SPANNING OVER SIX YEARS UNFOLDED

President Biden wears at “Trump 2024” ballcap. (X screenshot)

“We should be less hobbled and more spurred. We should be vocal, pushing back against these nominees who are nothing but a disaster in the making,” Washington Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee told the Journal.

“Most voters don’t know Kash Patel or even who Matt Gaetz or Tulsi Gabbard are,” Waleed Shahid, a progressive Democratic strategist, told the outlet. “But many more Americans would know if President Biden spoke about them… The only way to win the war of attention is by going to the voters and explaining things to them, which President Biden has consistently avoided doing.”

French President Emmanuel Macron, right, shakes hands as he welcomes President-elect Donald Trump before a meeting at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on Dec. 7, 2024. (Mustafa Yalcin)

However, the White House pushed back on the criticism, arguing that Biden has been busy on foreign trips.

“President Biden is making every day of this term count as he accelerates the implementation of an unprecedented agenda that will benefit hardworking Americans for generations,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates told the Journal.

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

Top Democratic governors have been far more vocal in criticizing the incoming administration. California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared an effort to “Trump-proof” California last month. Part of that plan includes spending $25 million on potential legal battles with the Trump administration.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed to “Trump-proof” California before President-elect Donald Trump can take office.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy also said he is prepared to “fight like hell” against the Trump administration, but he acknowledged the need to have a working relationship with the White House.

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“If your values are being attacked, or you’ve got communities or people who are being attacked that don’t deserve it, you’ve got to fight like hell,” said Murphy. “And then over here, you’ve got to have a relationship with the guy.”

First on Fox: Hundreds of veterans across the nation are offering their unequivocal support to former Democrat Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence under President-elect Donald Trump’s second administration, Fox News Digital has learned. 

“President Donald Trump’s selection of Tulsi Gabbard reflects a profound recognition of her steadfast dedication to our nation and her unwavering commitment to safeguarding the American people. While most Americans know Tulsi as a fearless and principled Congresswoman who stood up to entrenched political systems, we know her as a fellow veteran—one whose worldview was forged through the crucible of serving in combat zones and a lifelong devotion to service,” reads a letter, “American Veterans for Tulsi Gabbard,” which was published Monday and obtained by Fox News Digital. 

More than 250 veterans signed the letter, including high-profile and nationally known names such as retired Gen. Michael Flynn, former acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller, Arizona Rep. Rep. Eli Crane, Florida Rep. Brian Mast and political commentator Jack Posobiec. 

“Because of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks, Tulsi answered the call of duty, enlisted in the Army, and stepped away from her position as a Hawaii State Representative when she volunteered to deploy to Iraq with her unit. Instead of using her political status to avoid deployment, Tulsi volunteered to serve in a medical unit in Iraq, directly facing the harsh realities, costs, and traumas of war,” the letter continues.

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

Tulsi Gabbard (Steven Ferdman/Getty Images/File)

“Her commitment to service did not end there,” it added, before pointing to Gabbard’s 22 years of standing “shoulder-to-shoulder with her fellow servicemembers,” including when she served in the House. 

TULSI GABBARD SAYS TRUMP ‘LISTENS’ AND ‘RECOGNIZES’ CHALLENGES AMERICANS FACE

“As a Member of Congress and as a civilian, Tulsi has been a stalwart advocate for veterans’ health concerning toxic exposures and cancer care as a result of our fellow veterans’ military service. Tulsi’s life exemplifies a rare blend of selflessness, courage, and leadership—qualities desperately needed to reform and strengthen our intelligence community,” the letter says. 

President-elect Donald Trump greets former Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who endorsed Trump, at the National Guard Association of the United States’ 146th General Conference, Aug. 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Nearly 70% of the veterans who signed the letter worked in special operations and/or intelligence, while about 54% of the signatories are retired service members, and the vast majority of signers overall saw combat while in the military, Fox News Digital learned. 

Trump nominated Gabbard just days after his election win over Democrat Vice President Harris last month, arguing Gabbard will bring a “fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength.” The director of national intelligence leads the U.S. intelligence community, which includes overseeing the National Intelligence Program and advising the president on security matters. 

TULSI GABBARD ‘GRATEFUL AND HONORED’ TO BE OFFERED DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE POSITION

Gabbard has served as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves since 2021, after previously serving in the Hawaii Army National Guard for about 17 years. 

She was elected to the U.S. House representing Hawaii during the 2012 election cycle, serving as a Democrat until 2021. She did not seek re-election to that office after throwing her hat in the 2020 White House race. 

Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022, registering as an independent, before becoming a member of the GOP this year and offering her full endorsement of Trump amid his presidential campaign. 

She is anticipated to head to Capitol Hill this week to speak with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee and GOP leadership to rally support for her confirmation proceedings. Critics have attempted to paint Gabbard as a national security risk who is sympathetic to U.S. adversaries, a narrative the veterans combated in the letter. 

“The U.S. intelligence community has identified her as having troubling relationships with America’s foes, and so my worry is that she couldn’t pass a background check,” Democrat Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, for example, recently said of Gabbard. 

DEMOCRATS TRASH TULSI GABBARD AFTER TRUMP TAPS HER FOR DNI POST

U.S. military personnel walk on the tarmac at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition in Seongnam, South Korea, on Oct. 18, 2021. (ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images)

The veterans hit back at such critics, saying they are spreading “baseless lies” because they are “unable and unwilling to challenge the substance of her views.”

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ SPARKS BACKLASH FOR CLAIMING TULSI GABBARD IS A RUSSIAN ASSET

“We are appalled by the baseless attacks questioning Tulsi’s loyalty to our great nation. For over 20 years and across multiple combat deployments, Tulsi has risked her life to defend the safety, security and freedom of the American people. These attacks insult not only her, but every one of us Veterans who have served our country,” the letter reads. 

“Tulsi’s patriotism, shaped on the battlefield, mirrors the values and aspirations of the American people far more than the failed policies of so called ‘experts’ in Washington, who have been part of the problem for too long.”

Gabbard has been outspoken against creating new wars, declaring in her speech in October during Trump’s historic Madison Square Garden rally that a vote for Harris was a vote for “war.”

“I’ve served now for over 21 years. I’ve deployed to different war zones three times over that period, and I’ve seen the cost of war for my brothers and sisters who paid the ultimate price. I carry their memories and their sacrifice in my heart every day. So, this choice that we have before us as Americans is critical. It’s important to us. It’s important to those of us who serve, who have volunteered to put our lives on the line for the safety, security and freedom of our country and our people,” she said.

GOV KRISTI NOEM REFLECTS ON TRUMP WIN, SAYS DEMOCRATS ‘TRY TO PUT WOMEN IN A BOX’

Tulsi Gabbard (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images/File)

“A vote for Kamala Harris is a vote for Dick Cheney. And it’s a vote for war, more war, likely World War III and nuclear war. A vote for Donald Trump is a vote for a man who wants to end wars, not start them, and who has demonstrated already that he has the courage and strength to stand up and fight for peace,” she continued.

DEMOCRATS ‘CARE SO LITTLE FOR OUR DEMOCRACY,’ SAYS TULSI GABBARD

The veterans in their letter celebrated that Trump and his upcoming administration have “a clear mandate to enhance national security without engaging in needless wars or infringing on civil liberties” and that Gabbard will “carry out that mandate” if confirmed. 

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“We are deeply grateful to President Trump for appointing Tulsi Gabbard to this critical role and proud to stand beside her – a leader whose courage and convictions we know firsthand. A warrior whose vote cannot be bought, and whose integrity cannot be folded. We are honored to call her one of our own,” they wrote.

Democratic Senator-elect Andy Kim was appointed to the upper chamber of Congress early on Sunday following his election win last month.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a fellow Democrat, announced on Sunday that he appointed Kim to the U.S. Senate following the official certification of the 2024 election results by the state board of canvassers and Sen. George Helmy’s resignation on Thursday. Helmy, a former chief of staff to Murphy, was sworn into the Senate in September after Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., was convicted in a federal corruption trial and resigned from the Senate a month prior.

Kim defeated GOP businessman Curtis Bashaw by nearly 10 percentage points in November’s election. 

“Today, I am appointing Senator-elect Andy Kim to the United States Senate so he can begin his term in office before the new year begins,” Murphy said in a statement. “Taking this step will allow Senator Kim to embark on the smoothest possible transition into his new role so he can hit the ground running serving the people of New Jersey.”

INCOMING GOP SENATE MAJORITY LEADER UNVEILS LEGISLATIVE AGENDA FOR TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S 1ST 30 DAYS

Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., speaks to delegates in Paramus, N.J., March 4, 2024.  (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Murphy congratulated Kim “for making history as the first Asian American Senator from New Jersey and as the first Korean American Senator in the nation.” 

“His election represents a proud milestone –  not just for our great state, but for our entire country,” Murphy said. “I look forward to working with Senator Kim to continue lowering costs for New Jerseyans, defending our fundamental freedoms, and building a stronger and fairer state for every family.”

Kim, who will be sworn in on Monday, said it is an honor “to get to represent the state that gave my family a chance at the American Dream in the U.S. Senate.” 

“It’s a dream that remains out of reach for too many of our neighbors, and one that I’m ready on day one to fight for,” Kim, who represented New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District in the House, said. “I want to thank Governor Murphy and Senator Helmy for ensuring that New Jersey was well represented during this transition, and look forward to getting to work for the people.”

Senate Majority Leade Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., meets with newly elected Democratic senators, including Sen.-elect Andy Kim on Nov. 12, 2024.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

LARA TRUMP ANNOUNCES SHE IS STEPPING DOWN AS RNC CO-CHAIR AMIDST TALK SHE MAY BE UP FOR FLORIDA SENATE SEAT

In a statement announcing his resignation Thursday, Helmy said he and Kim “have worked closely since his being elected to ensure a seamless transition and I have made myself readily available over the coming weeks to support this process.” 

“It has been the honor of a lifetime representing the people of New Jersey in the Senate, and I am eternally grateful to Governor Murphy for entrusting me with this responsibility,” Helmy said. “The voters of New Jersey made the right decision in November to elect Andy Kim to serve as their United States Senator. Having known him for nearly a decade now, I can attest to Senator Kim’s great dedication, character, and empathy towards the people of New Jersey.” 

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., leaves Manhattan federal court on July 16, 2024.  (MEGA/GC Images)

In his brief 85 days in office, Helmy touted how he introduced and co-sponsored over 30 bills, including five resolutions that passed the Senate Chamber, maintained a perfect voting record, including the confirmation of 20 federal judicial nominees, “advocated for youth mental health and supplying humanitarian aid to Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon,” and successfully nominated 48 New Jersey candidates to the four United States Military Academies.

Menendez was convicted in July on all 16 counts he faced in a federal corruption trial. Prosecutors alleged he accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes, including gold, cash, and a Mercedes-Benz, in exchange for using his influence to meddle in state and federal investigations regarding three businessmen. The now-former senator is alleged to have also helped one friend obtain a multi-million-dollar deal with a Qatari investment fund and another retain a contract to provide halal meat to Egypt.

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Menendez asked for a new trial and for his conviction to be dismissed last week, citing what he argued was improper evidence viewed by jurors during deliberations. 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a “Happy Pansexual and Panromantic Pride Day!” post on Sunday, earning backlash, with people expressing eager anticipation for the change in presidential administrations next month.

“Today on Pansexual and Panromantic Pride Day, everyone deserves to feel seen, respected and supported—no matter who they love. Create a world where everyone feels proud to be themselves!” HHS declared in the tweet.

Stephen Miller, who previously served in President-elect Donald Trump’s first administration and will serve in the upcoming administration as well, responded to the HHS post by noting, “Sanity is returning to HHS in 43 days.” 

BIDEN LEGACY INCLUDES RELENTLESS PUSH FOR TRANSGENDER AGENDA

Left: President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the latest developments in Syria from the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Dec. 8, 2024 in Washington, D.C.; Right:  President-Elect Donald Trump reacts during his meeting with Prince William, Prince of Wales at the Embassy of the United Kingdom’s Residence on Dec. 7, 2024 in Paris, France. (Left: Pete Marovich/Getty Images; Right: Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images)

Referring to the HHS post, Fox News Contributor Caitlyn Jenner replied to Miller, “Please! This is just absurd.” 

Elon Musk responded to Jenner, noting, “At this point, I’m just confused. I have no idea what they even mean.”

“DITTO,” Jenner replied.

WHITE HOUSE CONDEMNS TRANS ACTIVIST FOR GOING TOPLESS AT PRIDE MONTH EVENT: ‘INAPPROPRIATE AND DISRESPECTFUL’

Caitlyn Jenner (L) shakes hands with former U.S. President Donald Trump during the welcome party for the LIV Golf Invitational – Bedminster at Gotham Hall on July 27, 2022 in New York, N.Y. (Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty Images)

GOP lawmakers indicated that they look forward to Trump taking office on Jan. 20.

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., who will become a senator next month, tweeted, “Glad this type of bulls— will end on Jan 20! Can’t come soon enough.”

3 MONTHS AND 28 DAYS: LGBTQ EVENTS CLOG CALENDAR AS WHITE HOUSE FACES BACKLASH OVER EASTER ANNOUNCEMENT 

President Joe Biden speaks at the Pride Month celebration on the South Lawn of the White House on June 10, 2023 in Washington, D.C.  (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

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“This entire Administration is nothing but activists … not public servants. January 20 can’t get here soon enough,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., noted.

“Liberals are concerned @RobertKennedyJr might make this agency weird?” former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., posted.

President Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, ending a saga that has lasted for more than six years, with wide-ranging investigations by the Justice Department and both chambers of Congress related to his conduct and business dealings. 

Hunter Biden was found guilty of three felony firearm offenses stemming from Special Counsel David Weiss’ investigation. The first son was also charged with federal tax crimes regarding the failure to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes. Before his trial, Hunter Biden entered a surprise guilty plea. 

BIDEN PARDONS SON HUNTER BIDEN AHEAD OF EXIT FROM OVAL OFFICE

The charges carried up to 17 years behind bars. His sentencing was scheduled for Dec. 16. 

Here’s a look back at how it all began: 

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

The federal investigation into Hunter Biden began in 2018.

The probe was predicated, in part, by suspicious activity reports (SARs) regarding foreign transactions. Those SARs, according to sources familiar with the investigation, involved funds from “China and other foreign nations.”

Fox News first reported the existence of some type of federal investigation involving Hunter Biden in October 2020, ahead of the last presidential election. It became known then that in the course of an existing money laundering investigation, the FBI had subpoenaed the laptop purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden.

Stories about the laptop were widely panned by Democrats and mainstream media outlets as Russian disinformation. At the time, then-Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe confirmed that the laptop was “not part of some Russian disinformation campaign,” but that claim was rejected by Democrats and many in the media.

Social media companies like Twitter and Facebook censored and limited the circulation of stories related to Hunter Biden’s laptop before the 2020 presidential election.

Only in 2022 did media outlets verify that the laptop did belong to Hunter Biden and did hold legitimate records belonging to him.

Twitter, under the new ownership of Elon Musk, released records surrounding the company’s decisions to block the circulation of the Hunter Biden stories – even though he had been under federal investigation at that point for nearly two years.

Hunter Biden confirmed the investigation into his “tax affairs” in December 2020, after his father was elected president.

But Hunter Biden’s business dealings were also, simultaneously, being investigated by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., in 2019. Specifically, the senators were investigating Hunter Biden’s business dealings with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings. 

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is seen in the U.S. Capitol after the Senate luncheon on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Grassley and Johnson released a report in September 2020 saying that Obama administration officials “knew” that Hunter Biden’s position on the board of Burisma was “problematic” and that it interfered “in the efficient execution of policy with respect to Ukraine.”

Hunter Biden joined Burisma in April 2014 and, at the time, reportedly connected the firm with consulting firm Blue Star Strategies to help the natural gas company fight corruption charges in Ukraine. During the time Hunter Biden was on the board of the company, Joe Biden was vice president and was running U.S.-Ukraine relations and policy for the Obama administration.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Also in 2019, Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine came into the spotlight during the first impeachment of now-President-elect Donald Trump. 

House Republicans wanted to call Hunter Biden to testify in the impeachment proceedings in the fall of 2019. 

HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATORS LIMITED QUESTIONS ABOUT ‘DAD,’ ‘BIG GUY’ DESPITE FBI, IRS OBJECTIONS: WHISTLEBLOWER

Trump was acquitted in Feb. 2020 on both articles of impeachment against him — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — after being impeached by the House of Representatives in December 2019. 

Trump was impeached after a July 2019 phone call in which he pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to launch investigations into the Biden family’s actions and business dealings in Ukraine, specifically Hunter Biden’s ventures with Burisma and Joe Biden’s successful effort to have former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin ousted.

At the same time as that call, Hunter Biden was under federal investigation, prompted by his suspicious foreign transactions. 

Joe Biden, Hunter Biden and Donald Trump are pictured. (Reuters/Getty/AP Images)

Trump’s request was regarded by Democrats as a quid pro quo because millions in U.S. military aid to Ukraine had been frozen. Democrats also said Trump was meddling in the 2020 presidential election by asking a foreign leader to look into a Democrat political opponent.

Republicans had been investigating Hunter Biden’s business dealings, specifically with regard Burisma. House Republicans, who were in the minority at the time, made several requests to subpoena Hunter Biden for testimony and documents related to the impeachment of Trump and his business dealings that fell at the center of the proceedings.

Biden has acknowledged that when he was vice president, he successfully pressured Ukraine to fire Shokin. At the time, Shokin was investigating Burisma and Hunter Biden had a highly lucrative role on the board, receiving thousands of dollars per month. The then-vice president threatened to withhold $1 billion of critical U.S. aid if Shokin were not fired.

FLASHBACK: DEMOCRATS CLASH WITH REPUBLICANS OVER PROSPECT OF CALLING HUNTER BIDEN IN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL

“I said, ‘You’re not getting the billion.’ … I looked at them and said, ‘I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money,’” Biden recalled telling then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Biden recollected the conversation during an event for the Council on Foreign Relations in 2018.

Meanwhile, once President Biden took office, the House Oversight Committee led by Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., began investigating Hunter Biden’s business dealings and the business dealings of the Biden family. Comer ultimately found that the Biden family and its associates had received more than $27 million from foreign individuals or entities since 2014.

House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer speaks during a news conference.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

But it wasn’t until 2023 that whistleblowers from the IRS, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, brought allegations of politicization in the federal probe of Hunter Biden to Congress. 

The two alleged that political influence had infected prosecutorial decisions in the federal probe, which was led by Trump-appointed Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who they said had requested to become a special counsel. 

After Shapley and Ziegler testified publicly, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Weiss as special counsel to continue his investigation of the first son and, ultimately, bring federal charges against him in two separate jurisdictions — Delaware and California. 

Special Counsel David Weiss (U.S. Department of Justice)

House Republicans continued to investigate allegations of politicization brought by Ziegler and Shapley, as well as findings related to the Biden family’s business dealings from Comer’s probe. 

BIDEN COMMITTED ‘IMPEACHABLE CONDUCT,’ ‘DEFRAUDED UNITED STATES TO ENRICH HIS FAMILY’: HOUSE GOP REPORT

Comer, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith came together and launched an impeachment inquiry against President Biden to determine whether he had any involvement in his son’s business dealings. Biden repeatedly denied having any involvement, despite evidence placing him at meetings and on phone calls with his son and his foreign business partners.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee leaves a Republican caucus meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

In August, House lawmakers released their final report, spanning 292 pages, saying that Biden had engaged in “impeachable conduct.” They said he had “abused his office” and “defrauded the United States to enrich his family.”  

Republicans said there is “overwhelming evidence” that Biden had participated in a “conspiracy to monetize his office of public trust to enrich his family.” They alleged that the Biden family and their business associates had received tens of millions of dollars from foreign interests by “leading those interests to believe that such payments would provide them access to and influence with President Biden.” 

Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, departs a House Oversight Committee meeting on Capitol Hill. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images) (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

In the summer of 2023, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to federal gun charges as part of a plea deal that collapsed before a federal judge in Delaware. In a stunning reversal, Hunter Biden was forced to plead not guilty and sat for a trial this year. 

Before his trial for federal tax crimes, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty. 

President Biden’s pardon of his son came after months of vowing to the American people that he would not do so. 

But on Sunday, the president announced a blanket pardon that applies to any offenses against the U.S. that Hunter Biden “has committed or may have committed” from Jan. 1, 2014, to Dec. 1, 2024. 

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“From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,” Biden said. “There has been an effort to break Hunter — who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution. In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me — and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.”

Biden added, “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a president would come to this decision.” 

President-elect Trump announced plans to impose a 25% across-the-board tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico, effective his first day in office. But the move is largely “a diplomatic” one that draws on Trump’s “war chest” to leverage U.S. interests, according to one expert.

Tariffs are taxes that governments place on goods being imported or exported. They can raise the cost of imported products, making local products more attractive to buy.

“President Trump has used tariffs effectively before, and I think we can expect him to continue using them in a targeted manner, even in areas that are not directly related to trade,” Andrew Hale, Heritage Foundation’s senior policy analyst, told Fox News Digital. 

TRUMP’S PROPOSED TARIFFS ON MEXICO, CANADA, CHINA WILL INCREASE INFLATION, GOLDMAN SACHS WARNS

The scene at the southern border and President-elect Trump (Getty Images)

Hale noted that Trump’s previous use of tariffs was aimed not just at trade imbalances but also at issues like border security and drug trafficking. According to Hale, Trump has consistently applied these tariffs in areas that extend beyond trade imbalances, using them as tools of diplomacy to further “America First” policies.

“Trump continues to assert American strength on the world stage, something the Biden administration has been reluctant to do, and both allies and adversaries have taken notice of this, what I would call a resurgence of U.S. leadership with Trump’s return,” he said.

Hale suggested that if Trump’s tariff proposals were implemented, Mexico and Canada might challenge them under the USMCA, but he doubts it would reach that stage, as such measures have previously proven effective in achieving U.S. goals. Hale also speculates that Trump could use tariffs as leverage in other contexts, such as targeting countries that act against U.S. allies like Israel.

“I don’t see it going that far, because it’s effectively worked,” he said.

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

Migrants climb the wall to seek asylum in the United States from Tijuana, Mexico, on June 7, 2024. (Carlos Moreno/Anadolu via Getty Images)

During his first term, Trump renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), replacing it with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which went into effect July 2020. The USMCA aimed to modernize and address issues in the original NAFTA, particularly concerning labor rights, environmental standards and digital trade.

“I’m going to inform her [Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum] on day one, or sooner, that if they don’t stop this onslaught of criminals and drugs coming into our country, I’m going to immediately impose a 25% tariff on everything they send in to the United States of America,” Trump said during his last North Carolina campaign stop before the election.

Hale added that Trump’s success in using tariffs during the USMCA renegotiation with Canada and Mexico demonstrates their power as a diplomatic tool, as Trump has criticized the nations over trade imbalances and issues like drug trafficking as justifications for the tariffs.

TRUMP TARIFFS WILL BRING MEXICO TO THE TABLE, TEXAS DEMOCRAT SAYS

China’s President Xi Jinping attends a meeting with Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in Brasilia, Nov. 20, 2024. (Reuters/Adriano Machado)

“The Biden administration has not been implementing USMCA as they should, as Mexico has been violating it,” Hale said.

While the tariffs aim to boost U.S. manufacturing, experts and some politicians warn they could disrupt supply chains, increase costs for businesses reliant on foreign goods, and potentially lead to retaliatory tariffs from trading partners, impacting American exporters. 

On Thursday, liberal Gov. Gavin Newsom of California took aim at Trump’s proposal, calling it “one of the biggest tax increases in U.S. history.”

“You are being betrayed by these policies,” Newsom said.

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According to the Tax Foundation, the Trump administration imposed some “$80 billion worth of new taxes on Americans” in 2018 and 2019 when he slapped tariffs on $380 billion worth of products.

The Biden administration largely kept these tariffs in place and then enforced additional tax increases on $18 billion worth of Chinese goods.

Former Vice President Mike Pence came out in support of Trump’s tariffs, but urged a delicate approach to balance the country’s relationship with Beijing.

“I fervently hope his proposed tariffs will bring China back to the negotiating table as it did during our administration. I know this will be difficult and create challenges in the short-term, but it will be well worth it in the long-term,” Pence said this week. “We want better for America and China – and I believe a firm, but fair approach is the best way to get there.” 

Trump also recently suggested to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that if a tariff for failing to address trade and immigration issues would kill the neighbor to the north’s economy, maybe it should become the 51st state, sources told Fox News.

Sources say Trump became more animated when it came to the U.S. trade deficit with Canada, which he estimated to be more than $100 billion.

Fox News Digital’s Caitlin McFall, Greg Wehner and Bret Baier contributed to this report. 

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., is considering a run for New York governor – and he’s raising his national profile with a tidal wave of criticism against leaders in his own party.

Torres has been vocally opposed to the blue stronghold’s progressive criminal justice policies and has criticized how Gov. Kathy Hochul has managed the Empire State, raising eyebrows about a potentially bruising primary in 2026.

“Hochul has a history of coded stereotyping, falsely claiming that young black Bronxites have never heard of the word ‘computer.’ She knows as much about me and communities of color as she knows about governing effectively. Absolutely nothing,” he wrote on X last week.

He was also one of the first Democrats to come out and blame the progressive left for Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss to President-elect Trump, saying at the time, “Donald Trump has no greater friend than the far left, which has managed to alienate historic numbers of Latinos, Blacks, Asians, and Jews from the Democratic Party.”

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

Rep. Ritchie Torres speaks during a House Financial Services Committee hearing investigating the collapse of FTX in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 13, 2022. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

When reached for comment, Torres’ spokesperson told Fox News Digital that he is weighing a gubernatorial bid “and plans to make a final decision by mid-2025.”

The congressman himself gave insight into his thinking when he recently went after New York City Mayor Eric Adams for employing a staffer who had been accused of ripping down posters of Israelis held hostage by Hamas.

“If I were at the helm of NYS or NYC government, antisemites need not apply. Tearing down posters of the hostages is completely unacceptable and would not be tolerated,” Torres wrote on social media.

In late November, he accused both Adams and Hochul of being “complicit” in a stabbing spree that left three New Yorkers dead. 

That same month, he lambasted New York’s policies as bad for business.

DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER

Torres has been targeting Gov. Kathy Hochul with criticism. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“There are regulations in place that make it impossible to do business… and have made it impossible to build,” Torres said during a Citizens Budget Commission meeting, according to the New York Post.

Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., who chaired the New York State Republican Party for over a decade, said it was not shocking to see Torres attacking Hochul while mulling his own gubernatorial bid.

“Richie Torres is vocalizing many of the same criticisms Republicans have raised about the dysfunction in Albany. So it’s not surprising that she’s facing a challenge from her own party,” Langworthy said.

However, he dismissed Torres’ critiques of progressivism as “posturing in the face of Hochul’s failures and the undeniable success” of Trump’s platform.

REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE’S MUSK, RAMASWAMY

Rep. Nick Langworthy, the former New York State GOP chair, said Torres was echoing criticisms espoused by Republicans. (Getty Images)

Torres had been a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) until earlier this year, when he left over disagreements about Israel. 

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When asked about Torres’ criticism, Hochul said at a recent press conference that she was “a little busy” doing her job.

“Those who have government jobs who aren’t focused on their jobs, and are focused on an election almost two years off, I would think their constituents would have a problem with that,” she said.

Lara Trump announced via X that she would be stepping down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) citing that during her time the RNC had three distinct goals, and they had all been accomplished.

She started her journey as co-chair of the RNC in March 2024, but it has been widely discussed that she is considering her potential options as father-in-law, President-elect Donald Trump once again takes the reins at the White House.

“With that big win, I kind of feel like my time is up,” she said. “What I intended to do has been done.”

LARA TRUMP SAYS SHE’D ‘LOVE TO CONSIDER’ FILLING RUBIO’S SENATE SEAT IF ASKED BY DESANTIS

Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump look on during the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisc. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Trump only began her journey as co-chair in March and was pivotal in Republicans retaking control of the Senate while maintaining a narrow House majority.

There has been talk that she may be considered as a replacement for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as Trump has said he will be tapped to be the next Secretary of State.

Last month she told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that she “would love to serve the people of Florida” and “would love to consider” filling the seat if asked.

LARA TRUMP SAYS SHE WOULD ‘ABSOLUTELY’ CONSIDER BECOMING SEN. RUBIO’S REPLACEMENT: ‘WOULD BE AN HONOR’ | FOX NEWS VIDEO

Lara Trump speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at Gaylord National Resort Hotel And Convention Center on February 22, 2024, in National Harbor, Maryland. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

On Sunday, Trump discussed with Howard Kurtz how much of an honor it would be to even be considered.

“Certainly, we’ve all had the opportunity over the past nine years to fully involve ourselves in politics, to understand the American people, what they want, and we’ve all been residents of the state of Florida now for over three years,” she said. “If that’s something that’s put in front of me, it would be a true honor.”

Lara Trump, daughter-in-law to former President Donald Trump and candidate for RNC co-chair, fires up a crowd of supporters in North Charleston, South Carolina on February 21, 2024. (Brandon Gillespie/Fox News)

Maye Musk, mother of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, is one of many pushing for her to replace Rubio.

“The Senate is an old man’s club. We desperately need a smart, young, outspoken woman who will reveal their secrets,” she posted on X. Lara Trump is 42.

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Elon Musk seemingly agrees with his mother’s sentiments as he responded to her X post saying, “Lara Trump is genuinely great.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on “Hannity” that he “would be like over-the-top excited” and that Republicans “could not do better … than Lara Trump.”

Ultimately, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is reportedly being considered to replace Pete Hegseth, will choose Rubio’s replacement. 

Michael Whatley will remain RNC chairman.

Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President-elect Donald Trump has released a new fragrance line for men and women to commemorate his historic election victory, and he found an unwitting model to help sell it.

An online ad for the fragrance features a viral photo of Trump and Jill Biden, with the first lady seemingly smiling at him at the reopening ceremony of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Saturday.

“Here are my new Trump Perfumes & Colognes! I call them Fight, Fight, Fight, because they represent us WINNING,” Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social.

“A fragrance your enemies can’t resist,” reads the tagline.

TRUMP, JILL BIDEN ATTEND NOTRE DAME REOPENING IN FRANCE WITH WORLD LEADERS

President-elect Donald Trump shared an image and link to a website on his Truth Social account to promote his new fragrance line. (Truth Social/@realDonaldTrump)

Trump sat between French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, during the ceremony, which was also attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Britain’s Prince William.

The first lady and her daughter, Ashley, were also seated in the same row as Trump.

Noticeably missing from the festivities was President Biden, who declined an invitation to attend the ceremony held five years after a devastating fire wrecked the centuries-old Paris landmark. The White House cited a “scheduling conflict.”

On Election Day last month, social media erupted when the first lady was photographed wearing a red pantsuit to cast her ballot. The wardrobe selection raised eyebrows, as the color red is synonymous with the Republican Party.

Many took to X to joke that the first lady voted for Trump in the wake of speculation the Bidens were not thrilled with the way the president was forced to end his re-election bid in July.

The first lady caused another social media firestorm when many noted what seemed to be an icy reception for Vice President Harris at Arlington National Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during a remembrance ceremony on Veterans Day. Harris was Trump’s opponent in the 2024 presidential race.

As Harris took her seat for the wreath-laying ceremony, Biden appeared to look straight ahead through dark sunglasses.

“Jill Biden refused to even look at Kamala,” wrote the popular X account “End Wokeness.”

Conservative author David Harris Jr. has suggested there seems to be a “rift” within the party after Harris’ blowout loss to Trump.

On his fragrance website, the “Fight, Fight, Fight” collection is for “Patriots who never back down, like President Trump.”

SOCIAL MEDIA REACTS TO TRUMP ‘DOMINATING WORLD LEADERS’ WITH MACRON HANDSHAKE DURING MEETING IN FRANCE

First lady Jill Biden speaks with President-elect Donald Trump during a ceremony to mark the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Dec. 7, 2024. (Thibault Camus/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

“This scent is your rallying cry in a bottle,” the description reads. “This limited edition cologne embodies strength, power, and victory.”

The perfume and cologne bottles feature Trump’s image and raised fist from the July 13 assassination attempt on him at the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally that claimed the life of Corey Comperatore, 50, a firefighter and father of two daughters.

Trump was hit in the right ear, and two other men, David Dutch and James Copenhaver, were also wounded by gunfire.

TRUMP WELCOMED BY WORLD LEADERS AT NOTRE DAME REOPENING CEREMONY IN ‘PRESIDENTIAL’ FASHION

Vice President Harris and first lady Jill Biden attend a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on Nov. 11, 2024, in Arlington, Va. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

The perfume and cologne start at $199 and $298 for a buy one, get one for 50% option.

Two of the fragrances are already sold out, according to the website.

“Great Christmas gifts for the family. Go to gettrumpfragrances.com/. Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!” Trump wrote.

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This is the latest product the president-elect has sold this year. He also sold “God Bless the USA” Bibles and a line of $400 sneakers during his presidential campaign.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the first lady for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.

President Biden said during a Sunday afternoon press conference that the U.S. will support Syria’s neighboring nations and help bolster stability in the region after dictator Bashar al-Assad fled the country amid an ongoing civil war. 

“At long last, the Assad regime has fallen. This regime brutalized and tortured and killed literally hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians. A fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice. It’s a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria to build a better future for their proud country. It’s also a moment of risk and uncertainty,” Biden said Sunday during a press conference from the White House.

Biden detailed that following Assad’s departure in the face of rebel forces, the U.S. will support Syria’s neighboring countries – such as Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Israel – “should any threat arise from Syria during this period of transition.” Biden said this effort will include senior administration officials meeting with world leaders, and the president also speaking directly with leaders in the neighboring nations. 

“Second, we will help stability, ensure stability in eastern Syria. Protecting any personnel, our personnel, against any threats, and will remain our mission against ISIS will be maintained, including security of detention facilities where ISIS fighters are being held as prisoners,” Biden continued of the U.S. plan of action after the collapse of the Assad regime. “…. Third, we will engage with all Syrian groups, including within the process led by the United Nations to establish a transition away from the Assad regime toward an independent sovereign” Syria. 

ASSAD ARRIVES IN MOSCOW, IS GRANTED ASYLUM BY RUSSIA

President Biden speaks about the situation in Syria in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on Dec. 8, 2024. (Chris Kleponis/AFP via Getty Images)

Bashar al-Assad fled Syria after rebels stormed the capital city of Damascus on Saturday. Assad, whose government used chemical weapons repeatedly on its residents, reportedly fled with his wife and children. 

Biden said the U.S. did not have confirmation on Assad’s whereabouts, noting that “there’s word that he’s in Moscow.” 

Syria has been in the midst of a nearly 14-year civil war as Islamist rebels attempted to overthrow Assad and his family’s dynasty, which had ruled the country for the last 50 years. 

“The United States will do whatever we can to support [Syrians], including through humanitarian relief, to help restore Syria after more than a decade of war and generations of brutality by the Assad family,” Biden said. 

“And finally, we will remain vigilant. Make no mistake, some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human rights abuses. We’ve taken note of statements by the leaders of these rebel groups in recent days. And they’re saying the right things now, but as they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words, but their actions,” Biden continued Sunday. 

Trump and Assad (Getty Images)

The president noted that the U.S. will also continue efforts to secure American journalist Austin Tice, who has been missing in Syria for more than a decade. 

“We are mindful that there are Americans in Syria, including those who reside there, as well as Austin Tice, who was taken captive more than 12 years ago. We remain committed to returning him to his family,” Biden said. 

Ahead of reports of Assad fleeing, President-elect Trump warned that the U.S. should not get involved in the civil war. 

TRUMP RESPONDS AFTER REBELS OVERTAKE SYRIA, OUSTING LONGTIME DICTATOR: ‘ASSAD IS GONE’

“Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!” he wrote.

Trump added on Truth Social early Sunday morning: “Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer. There was no reason for Russia to be there in the first place. They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine, where close to 600,000 Russian soldiers lay wounded or dead, in a war that should never have started, and could go on forever.”

President-elect Trump warned that the U.S. should not get involved in the Syrian civil war. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

“Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success,” his post continued. “Likewise, Zelenskyy and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness. They have ridiculously lost 400,000 soldiers, and many more civilians. There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin.”

SYRIAN INSURGENTS REACH GATES OF DAMASCUS, THREATENING DECADES-LONG ASSAD REGIME

President Bashar al-Assad on May 3, 2023, in Damascus, Syria. (Borna News/Matin Ghasemi/Aksonline ATPImages/Getty Images)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu touted the fall of Assad’s regime on Sunday, saying it was a “direct result” of Israel’s attacks on Iran and Hezbollah, while noting the situation overall is “fraught with significant dangers.” Israel is in the midst of a more than year-long war after Hamas launched attacks on the nation on Oct. 7, 2023. 

TRUMP URGES US TO STAY OUT OF SYRIAN CIVIL WAR, BLAMING OBAMA FOR FAILURE AS ISLAMISTS CLOSE IN ON CAPITAL

“This is a historic day for the Middle East. The collapse of the Assad regime, the tyranny in Damascus, offers great opportunity but also is fraught with significant dangers. This collapse is the direct result of our forceful action against Hezbollah and Iran, Assad’s main supporters. It set off a chain reaction of all those who want to free themselves from this tyranny and its oppression,” Netanyahu said Sunday. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes a televised statement on Nov. 26 in Jerusalem. (Israeli Government Press Office via AP)

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“We send a hand of peace to all those beyond our border in Syria: to the Druze, to the Kurds, to the Christians, and to the Muslims who want to live in peace with Israel. We’re going to follow events very carefully. If we can establish neighborly relations and peaceful relations with the new forces emerging in Syria, that’s our desire. But if we do not, we will do whatever it takes to defend the State of Israel and the border of Israel,” Netanyahu added. 

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

Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, who fled the country Saturday as rebels closed in on the capital of Damascus, has arrived in Moscow and has been granted asylum by the Russian government, according to Russian News Agency Tass.

Speculation about where Assad might land has been widespread since the longtime dictator fled the country, with allies such as Iran and Russia being at the top of the list.

TRUMP URGES US TO STAY OUT OF SYRIAN CIVIL WAR, BLAMING OBAMA FOR FAILURE AS ISLAMISTS CLOSE IN ON CAPITAL

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visit an air base in Latakia Province, Syria, Dec, 11, 2017. (Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/via Reuters/File)

Assad was forced to flee the country after a coalition of largely radical Islamist groups led a sweeping offensive across Syria, culminating in the capture of the country’s capital city and the fall of Assad’s regime, which had seen his family rule Syria for over 50 years.

The offensive was the latest development in a bloody civil war that has ravaged Syria for almost 14 years, a war that also led to the rise of the Islamic State terrorist organization and yearslong interventions by countries such as the United States, Russia, Iran and Turkey.

Rebels In northwest Syria seized military vehicles belonging to the regime along the route toward Kweris Airport In the eastern countryside of Aleppo on Dec. 2, 2024. (Rami Alsayed/NurPhoto via APRami Alsayed/NurPhoto via AP)

ISLAMIST REBELS IN SYRIA CATCH ASSAD, PUTIN, IRAN REGIMES OFF GUARD GIVING US NEW MIDEAST HEADACHE

Assad has been a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had for more than a decade dedicated military resources to the defense of Assad’s regime and its government forces.

Assad now arrives in Russia with his family, according to an Interfax news agency report, citing a Kremlin source.

Fighters enter the Rashidin district on the outskirts of Aleppo on Nov. 29, 2024.  (Bakr Alkasem/AFP via Getty Images)

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“President Assad of Syria has arrived in Moscow. Russia has granted them (him and his family) asylum on humanitarian grounds,” the source told the outlet.

President-elect Donald Trump’s allies are expected to ramp up criticisms against Republican Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst as she stalls on offering support to Trump’s secretary of defense pick, Pete Hegseth. 

“It’s really this simple: If you oppose President Trump’s nominees, you oppose the Trump agenda and there will be a political price to pay for that. We are well aware that there are certain establishment Senators trying to tank the President’s nominees to make him look weak and damage him politically, and we’re just not going to allow that to happen,” a top Trump ally told Fox News Digital. 

​​Trump nominated Hegseth, a former National Guard officer, as secretary of defense last month, saying “with Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice — Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down.” Hegseth was a host on “Fox & Friends Weekend” before Trump’s nomination. 

Hegseth has since been on Capitol Hill meeting with Republican senators to rally support as he battles allegations of sexual misconduct and excessive drinking. Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing. 

CONSERVATIVE GROUP COMPILES LIST OF ‘WOKE’ SENIOR OFFICERS THEY WANT PETE HEGSETH TO FIRE

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 17: Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) speaks to reporters following a closed-door lunch meeting with Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol October 17, 2023 in Washington, DC. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) spoke on a range of issues including the United States support for Israel following the Hamas terrorist attacks. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) ( Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Ernst sits on the ​​Senate Armed Services Committee, which will hold the secretary of defense nominee’s confirmation hearing, and met with Hegseth last week. Ernst, however, has withheld committing to voting in favor of Hegseth.

​​”Pete Hegseth and I will continue our constructive conversations as we move forward together in this process. We plan to meet again next week. At a minimum, we agree that he deserves the opportunity to lay out his vision for our warfighters at a fair hearing,” Ernst said last week after meeting with Hegseth.

Hegseth added in his own comment on the meeting with Ernst, that he had a “substantive conversation with Senator Ernst, I appreciate her sincere commitment to defense policy, and I look forward to meeting with her again next week.”

DOZENS OF PROMINENT VETERANS SIGN ONTO LETTER SUPPORTING ‘OUTSTANDING’ HEGSETH NOMINATION AMID CONTROVERSIES

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be defense secretary, is joined by his wife Jennifer Rauchet, as they walk through the basement of the Capitol, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Reports surfaced last week alleging Trump had lost faith in his nominee as Democrats slammed the choice and some Republicans, such as Sen. Lindsey Graham, remarked the allegations against Hegseth were “disturbing.” 

Trump bucked the claims last week when he doubled down on his support of Hegseth in a Truth Social post, while Vice President-elect JD Vance also said the Trump team is “​​not abandoning this nomination.”

​​”Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday. “He will be a fantastic, high ​​energy, Secretary of Defense, one who leads with charisma and skill. Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!”

Ernst is a ​​retired Iowa National Guard lieutenant colonel,​ and spoke before the Reagan National Defense Forum on Saturday where she addressed her advocacy for survivors of military sexual assault. 

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) talks to reporters following the weekly Senate Republican policy luncheon in the U.S. Capitol on February 14, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“I am a survivor of sexual assault, so I have worked very heavily on sexual assault measures within the military, so I’d like to hear a little more about that, and I’d like to hear about the role of women in our great United States military,” Ernst said, according to Politico. 

PETE HEGSETH SAYS HE WILL BE ‘STANDING RIGHT HERE IN THIS FIGHT’ AFTER MEETING WITH SENATORS

She added that she was “excited” to meet with Hegseth, “but there will be a very thorough vetting before he moves forward.”

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, speaks with reporters following a meeting with senators on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.) (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Hegseth will head back to Capitol Hill this week to rally support for his nomination as conservatives and Trump supporters intensify their criticisms against Ernst and other colleagues who have stalled on supporting Hegseth despite voting to confirm Biden nominees nearly four years ago. 

“If you’re a GOP Senator who voted for Lloyd Austin, but criticize @PeteHegseth, then maybe you’re in the wrong political party!” Don Trump Jr. wrote on X.

“Joni Ernst sucked as a Senator long before this. The rest of the country is just now finding that out. However, defeating an incumbent US Senator takes high name ID, connections, and funding potential,” talk show host Steve Deace wrote on X. “I’m one of the few people in Iowa with all three. I don’t want to be a Senator, but I am willing to primary her for the good of the cause if I’m assured I have Trump’s support going in. Or I am willing to throw my support and network behind someone else President Trump prefers to primary Joni Ernst instead.”

A conservative nonprofit, Building America’s Future, told the Daily Caller it is spending half a million dollars in ads supporting Hegseth as SecDef, while calling on voters to rally their respective senators to support the nominee. 

“America needs a Defense Secretary who knows what it means to fight, and understands the price of freedom. Pete Hegseth is a patriot, a decorated combat veteran and a warrior who will stop at nothing to keep America safe,” the ad says. 

“The Deep State is trying to stop his nomination, but Pete isn’t backing down. Call your senator today and urge them to confirm Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense,” the ad continues. 

PETE HEGSETH RAMPS UP PENTAGON PITCH WITH BACK-TO-BACK MEETINGS ON CAPITOL HILL

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump takes the stage during a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena on August 23, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. The rally, held in partnership with Turning Point PAC and Turning Point Action, comes come two weeks after Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Vice President Harris held a rally at the same location.  (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

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Ernst has previously found herself at odds with the Republican Party and Trump, including in comments both during the first Trump administration and over the summer where she spoke favorably of transgender individuals serving in the military. Under the Trump administration in 2018, the 45th president officially authorized the Pentagon to ban transgender individuals from joining the military, with limited exceptions, after making the pledge to do so in 2017.

Fox News Digital reached out to Ernst’s press office on Sunday but did not immediately receive a response. 

Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimson contributed to this report. 

Massachusetts has seen a spike in illegal migrants arrested for sex offenses over the last several months as the state and city of Boston have pledged to resist President-elect Donald Trump’s plans for mass deportations.

Since August, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officials have arrested 26 illegal migrants in the Boston area for sex crimes against children ranging from child rape to sexual assault to distributing child pornography.

Many of these migrants were previously removed from the U.S. only to later illegally re-enter the country.

As recently as Dec. 3, an illegal migrant, Adrian Patricio Huerta-Nivelo, 25, was removed by ICE after it was discovered he was wanted for rape of a minor in his home country of Ecuador.

ICE NABS ANOTHER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IN MASS. CHARGED WITH CHILD SEX CRIME, AS GOV SNUBS TRUMP DEPORTATIONS

Flags fly above Boston City Hall on Nov. 11, 2021.  (Lane Turner/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Nivelo’s removal came just a day after the Boston City Council unanimously voted to reaffirm a 2019 measure restricting Boston police’s ability to cooperate with ICE in deporting illegal migrants. The measure seeks to protect immigrant communities from “unjust enforcement actions” and restricts Boston police’s ability to cooperate with ICE and bans police from keeping migrants in custody for possible deportation unless there is a criminal warrant.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has also vowed that state police would “absolutely not” assist Trump in the mass deportations operation.

Despite this, a spokesperson for Healey denied that Massachusetts is a “sanctuary state,” telling Fox News Digital that “as a former prosecutor and attorney general, the governor believes violent criminals should be deported.”

Boston officials have been largely silent on the series of sex crimes against residents in the city. Mayor Michelle Wu, a Democrat, and the Boston City Council did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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

In this undated photo, ICE agents arrest an illegal immigrant. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE))

November

Boston ICE officials arrested six illegal migrants for sex crimes against children in November.

One of the most recent arrests, announced by ICE on Dec. 5, involved a 46-year-old Honduran national named Salvador Castro Garcia, who is charged with indecent assault and battery of a child under 14.

Garcia was previously deported in 2001 but then re-entered the country at an unknown location and time. ICE took Garcia into custody on Nov. 21 after he was released on bail by the Brockton District Court.

In addition to Garcia, Boston ICE ERO officials arrested Felix Meletz Guarcas, a 45-year-old Guatemalan national, on Nov. 20 after he was charged with multiple counts of sexual assault of a minor.

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

Felix Meletz Guarcas, 45, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, is charged with sexually assaulting a child in Rhode Island.  (ICE)

According to an ICE statement, the Rhode Island Department of Corrections refused ICE’s request to hold Guarcas in custody, forcing agents to make a dangerous arrest in a public parking lot. ICE is currently holding Guarcas in custody pending a hearing before an immigration judge.

On Nov. 18, Boston ICE officials arrested Belardis Tapia Gonzalez, a Dominican national charged with second-degree child molestation-sexual assault, and Alexandre Romao De Oliveira, who was charged with rape of a child in his home country of Brazil.

Billy Erney Buitrago-Bustos, a 42-year-old Colombian migrant, was arrested by ICE in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on Nov. 15 after being charged with rape of a child by force, statutory rape, and aggravated rape against a minor.  

On Nov. 12, ICE arrested Guatemalan illegal migrant Mynor Stiven De Paz-Munoz, 21, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, after he was charged in Massachusetts with rape of child by force, rape of a child and indecent assault and battery against a minor.

ICE arrested three illegal immigrants in Massachusetts this week for alleged forcible rape of children. (ICE)

October

Boston ICE ERO arrested three illegal migrants for child sex crimes in October.

Officials arrested Andre Tiago Lucas, 36, from Brazil, on Oct. 31. Lucas fled his native country after being convicted of the rape of a 13-year-old child.

Two more migrants – Colombian national Mateo Hincapie Cardona, 28, and 20-year-old Guatemalan national Selvin Alex Galvez-Mejia – were arrested by Boston ICE ERO on Oct. 29 and Oct. 18, respectively.

Cardona is charged with enticing a child under 16, distribution of obscene matter, and lascivious posing and exhibiting a child in the nude. Mejia is charged with rape and indecent assault and battery against a minor.

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

September

Boston ICE officials arrested nine illegal migrants charged with sex crimes against children in September.

Maynor Francisco Hernandez-Rodas, a 38-year-old Guatemalan national, was arrested by Boston ICE ERO on Sept. 20. He was charged with forcibly raping a Massachusetts minor.

Within a single week, seven illegal migrants – Abraham Malpica, Sept. 13, Angel Gabriel Deras-Mejia, Sept. 12, Enrique Alberto Ortiz-Brito, Sept. 12, Felix Alberto Perez-Gomez, Sept. 11, Gean Do Amaral Belafronte, Sept. 11, Jefferson Jerome, Sept. 11, Bryan Daniel Aldana-Arevalo, Sept. 10, Elmer Sola, Sept. 10 – were arrested by Boston ICE officials for sex crimes.

On Aug. 1 Jorge Luis Castro-Alvarado, 28, Guatemala, was arrested after raping a Massachusetts resident.

Mayor Michelle Wu on February 14, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts  (Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)

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August

In August, six illegal migrants – Akim Marc Desire, 18, Haiti, Warley Neto, 24, Brazil, Elmer Perez, 49, Guatemala, Cory Bernard Alvarez, 26, Haiti, Marc Kervens Beauvais, 34, Haiti, Jackson Bento-Pinheiro, 35, Brazil – were arrested by Boston ICE for sex crimes against children.

Before President Biden was inaugurated as the nation’s 46th president, he and his administration put its staunch support of transgender issues at the forefront of its policies. 

In the waning days of the Biden administration, Fox News Digital revisited the Biden administration’s support of transgender issues, including a handful of controversies that elicited backlash from conservatives. 

“The president’s belief is that trans rights are human rights,” former White House press secretary Jen Psaki said within the administration’s first month in office during a press conference. 

One day before Biden was inaugurated, he announced the nomination of a person who would become the first known transgender woman to hold an office that required Senate confirmation: Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine. The announcement was soon followed by Biden, in his official capacity as president, rolling back Trump-era trans policies, celebrating holidays championing the trans and LGBTQ communities at large, and pledging support to transgender individuals during each of his State of the Union addresses. 

BIDEN OFFICIAL RACHEL LEVINE SAYS EARLY MEMORIES WERE OF TRANSGENDERISM, QUESTIONING BIOLOGICAL SEX

Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Rachel Levine (Joe Hermitt/The Patriot-News via AP, File)

Following Biden’s successful nomination of Levine to the Department of Health and Human Services, a job Levine still holds, Biden again underscored his administration’s explicitly pro-trans stance when he rolled back the first Trump administration’s ban on trans members of the military. 

Under the Trump administration in 2018, the 45th president officially authorized the Pentagon to ban transgender individuals from joining the military, with limited exceptions, after making the pledge to do so in 2017.

Biden bucked the policy on his fifth day in office through an executive order, saying it was “the right thing to do” and in the “national interest” of the country. 

President Biden gestures after signing an executive order on advancing equality for LGBTQI+ individuals and handing the signing pen to Javier Gomez of Florida during a pride event at the White House June 15, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

“President Biden believes that gender identity should not be a bar to military service, and that America’s strength is found in its diversity,” the White House said in January 2021. “This question of how to enable all qualified Americans to serve in the military is easily answered by recognizing our core values.”

The White House said at the time that America “is stronger, at home and around the world, when it is inclusive,” adding that “the military is no exception.”

3 MONTHS AND 28 DAYS: LGBTQ EVENTS CLOG CALENDAR AS WHITE HOUSE FACES BACKLASH OVER EASTER ANNOUNCEMENT

The Biden administration has also elevated trans and LGBTQ holidays across the last four years, including issuing messages of support of “Transgender Day of Visibility” each year.  

“Transgender rights are human rights – and I’m calling on every American to join me in uplifting the worth and dignity of transgender Americans. Together, we can stamp out discrimination and deliver on our nation’s promise of freedom and equality for all,” he posted to his X account in March 2021. 

First lady Jill Biden walks onstage during a Pride celebration on the South Lawn of the White House on June 26, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

International Transgender Day of Visibility was created by activists more than 10 years ago and is celebrated each year on March 31. The holiday came under fierce fire earlier this year, however, as it fell on the same day as Easter Sunday – t​​he most holy holiday for Christians. Conservatives, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., ripped the White House’s decision to recognize Transgender Day of Visibility on Easter, calling it an attack on Christianity.

“We call on Joe Biden’s failing campaign and White House to issue an apology to the millions of Catholics and Christians across America who believe tomorrow is for one celebration only – the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” Karoline Leavitt, who served as the Trump campaign’s press secretary before being named as Trump’s White House press secretary, said at the time. 

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told Fox News Digital at the time that Biden, as a Christian, was working to bring “people together” with the event.

“As a Christian who celebrates Easter with family, President Biden stands for bringing people together and upholding the dignity and freedoms of every American,” Bates said. 

BIDEN SAYS HE ‘DIDN’T DO THAT’ WHEN ASKED ABOUT EASTER BEING ‘TRANS VISIBILITY DAY,’ DESPITE PROCLAMATION

Fox News Digital previously reported that the White House has celebrated or commemorated seven other holidays focused on LGBT issues, including National Coming Out Day in October; Lesbian Day of Visibility in April; International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia in May; Pride Month in June; Spirit Day in October; Intersex Awareness Day in October; and Transgender Day of Remembrance in November. 

Sam Brinton, who worked as a Department of Energy deputy assistant secretary, speaks onstage during a Trevor Project event on June 11, 2018, in New York City. (Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for The Trevor Project)

The Biden administration came under fire in 2022 when one of the U.S. government’s first “non-binary” officials was accused of stealing airport luggage on multiple occasions. Non-binary is understood as an individual who does not exclusively identify as male or female. 

EMBATTLED FORMER BIDEN OFFICIAL ACCUSED IN MULTIPLE AIRPORT THEFTS ENDS 2023 FREE

Sam Brinton, a biological male, worked as the Department of Energy deputy assistant secretary, but made national headlines in 2022 when accused of stealing luggage at airports. Brinton was charged with stealing a woman’s suitcase at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport in September and another at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas in July. The DOE said, amid outrage over the case, that Brinton was no longer employed by the department. 

Las Vegas police booked Sam Brinton at a Clark County, Nevada, detention center. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)

Biden also hosted what was billed as the White House’s largest Pride celebration in its history in 2023. During that event, a transgender model and activist, Rose Montoya, came under fire for going topless and cupping their bare breasts while standing on the South Lawn of the White House. The incident was slammed by conservatives as an “international embarrassment” and Montoya was subsequently banned from visiting the White House. 

“This behavior is inappropriate and disrespectful for any event at the White House. It is not reflective of the event we hosted to celebrate LGBTQI+ families or the other hundreds of guests who were in attendance,” the White House said in response to the controversy. “Individuals in the video will not be invited to future events.”

WHITE HOUSE CONDEMNS TRANS ACTIVIST FOR GOING TOPLESS AT PRIDE MONTH EVENT: ‘INAPPROPRIATE AND DISRESPECTFUL’

Rose Montoya attends The TransLatin Coalition’s 10th Annual GARRAS Fashion Show Fundraiser at Pacific Design Center on Nov. 16, 2024, in West Hollywood, California. (JC Olivera/Getty Images)

The administration has also invited notable transgender individuals to the White House over the last few years, including hosting “Jeopardy!” champion Amy Schneider in 2022, and held a sit-down discussion with transgender internet influencer Dylan Mulvaney – who was embroiled in the Bud Light commercial controversy in 2023. The Biden admin also saw the elevation of transgender retired Navy officer and activist Shawn Skelly as assistant secretary of defense for readiness in 2021, a role Skelly still holds. 

Shawn Skelly attends Out Magazine’s #OUT100 Event on Nov, 9, 2017, in New York City. (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for OUT Magazine)

The White House celebrated the progress of the trans community under Biden’s administration in a comment to Fox Digital. 

“President Biden is proud to stand up for the dignity of every single American, and to have achieved historic progress for the following values that Fox Corporation shares and includes in their employee handbook: transgender Americans deserve an ‘environment free of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation, and without fear of consequences or transphobia for living openly,” Bates said. 

BUD LIGHT HASN’T FULLY REBOUNDED AS ONE-YEAR MARK OF DYLAN MULVANEY FIASCO APPROACHES: ‘VERY STUBBORN BOYCOTT’

Jeopardy champion Amy Schneider speaks in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on March 31, 2022. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden has also supported the transgender community each year during his State of the Union addresses, vowing in his first year that the “president has your back.” 

“To all transgender Americans watching at home, especially young people who are so brave, I want you to know your president has your back,” Biden declared during his first State of the Union address in 2021.

In 2022, he said: “The onslaught of state laws targeting transgender Americans and their families is wrong. As I said last year, especially to our younger transgender Americans, I will always have your back as your president, so you can be yourself and reach your God-given potential.”

Dylan Mulvaney accepts the Streamy Award for Breakout Creator onstage at The Streamy Awards on Aug. 27, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Rich Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images)

“Let’s also pass the bipartisan Equality Act to ensure LGBTQ Americans, especially transgender young people, can live with safety and dignity. Our strength is not just the example of our power, but the power of our example. Let’s remember the world is watching,” Biden said in his 2023 State of the Union address. 

The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, which is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, also showed their support for the LGBT community under the Biden administration by flying the pride flag during June each year. 

US RAISES PRIDE FLAG AT EMBASSY TO THE HOLY SEE

Trump’s second administration is expected to be a departure from Biden’s unequivocal support of promoting transgender issues. The president-elect vowed on the campaign trail that he will ban biological males from women’s sports, as well as vowing to remove “woke” ideology from the military – though no decision has been made if that policy will include removing trans individuals from the military. 

“On Day One, I will revoke Joe Biden’s cruel policies on so-called ‘gender affirming care’ – ridiculous – a process that includes giving kids puberty blockers, mutating their physical appearance, and ultimately performing surgery on minor children. Can you believe this?” Trump said in a campaign video last year of his plan to “protect children from left-wing gender insanity.” 

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“I will sign a new executive order instructing every federal agency to cease all programs that promote the concept of sex and gender transition at any age. I will then ask Congress to permanently stop federal taxpayer dollars from being used to promote or pay for these procedures, and pass a law prohibiting child sexual mutilation in all 50 states. It’ll go very quickly.”

FIRST ON FOX: A new 16-page House GOP memo shows Republican lawmakers are claiming victory on issues like Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), border security, and green energy in Congress’ annual defense policy bill.

The 1,800-page bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), was released on Saturday evening and details how $895.2 billion allocated toward defense and national security will be spent.

“The [fiscal year 2025] NDAA builds upon the gains made in the FY24 NDAA to end the radical woke ideology being forced on our servicemen and women and restores the focus of our military on lethality,” a page of the House Armed Services Committee’s memo on the bill said.

The document, obtained by Fox News Digital, touts key wins that GOP negotiators believe they scored in the bipartisan talks.

DOZENS OF PROMINENT VETERANS SIGN ONTO LETTER SUPPORTING ‘OUTSTANDING’ HEGSETH NOMINATION AMID CONTROVERSIES

Speaker Mike Johnson is expected to hold a vote on the NDAA this week. (Getty Images)

The page pushing back on “woke ideology” said the NDAA “guts DEI bureaucracy” by extending a Pentagon hiring freeze on DEI-related roles and stopping all such recruitment until “an investigation of the Pentagon’s DEI programs” can be completed.

It also bans the Defense Department from contracting with advertising companies “that blacklist conservative news sources,” according to the memo.

The memo said the NDAA also guts funding for the Biden administration’s “Countering Extremist Activity Working Group” dedicated to rooting out extremism in the military’s ranks.

The annual defense policy bill also does not authorize “any climate change programs,” and prohibits the Pentagon from issuing climate impact-based guidance on weapons systems.

On border security, a cornerstone issue for Republicans, the memo touted the NDAA’s support for “deployment of National Guard troops” to support Border Patrol at the southwest border.

TRUMP FLOATS DESANTIS AS POTENTIAL DEFENSE SECRETARY REPLACEMENT IF HEGSETH FALTERS

The House Armed Services Committee, led by Rep. Mike Rogers, is out with a new talking points memo on the NDAA. (Getty Images)

A significant portion of the document stressed quality of life improvements for U.S. service members secured in the NDAA, a focus of much bipartisan discussion over the last year. That includes a 14.5% pay increase for junior enlisted troops and increasing access to child care for service members, while also providing job support to military spouses.

All the while, the memo emphasized that the $895 billion in spending the NDAA directs only represents a 1% increase over fiscal year 2024 levels.

The memo gives insight into Republican plans for national security in the new year, when the GOP will control all the major levers of power in Washington, D.C., after commanding victories in the 2024 election.

Measures highlighted by the memo on countering China and Iran are likely to get wide bipartisan support. The NDAA itself normally passes with a healthy margin of both Republicans and Democrats, save for progressives and conservatives traditionally critical of the military industrial base.

But a provision touted by Republicans in the memo – one that bans funding for transgender medical treatments for children of service members – has sparked partisan frustrations.

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, cited the measures when he told Politico that he did not know if he could support the NDAA.

GOP TENNESSEE AG REACTS TO ORAL ARGUMENTS IN SUPREME COURT TRANSGENDER RIGHTS CASE: ‘FEEL REALLY GOOD’

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“It’s the Republicans taking advantage of a partisan wedge issue,” he told the outlet.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., praised the limitations on progressive policies in the NDAA.

“We remain determined to confront increasingly hostile threats from Communist China, Russia, and Iran, and this legislation provides our military with the tools they need to deter our enemies,” Johnson said in a statement.

“This legislation includes House-passed provisions to restore our focus on military lethality and to end the radical woke ideology being imposed on our military by permanently banning transgender medical treatment for minors and countering antisemitism.”

The bill is expected for a vote sometime this week.

President-elect Trump reacted Sunday morning to the news that Syrian dictator Bashar Assad had fled Syria after rebels stormed the capital city of Damascus.

“Assad is gone,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. “He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer. There was no reason for Russia to be there in the first place. They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine, where close to 600,000 Russian soldiers lay wounded or dead, in a war that should never have started, and could go on forever.”

“Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success,” his post continued. “Likewise, Zelenskyy and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness. They have ridiculously lost 400,000 soldiers, and many more civilians. There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin.”

SYRIAN DICTATOR BASHAR ASSAD FLEES INTO EXILE AS ISLAMIST REBELS CONQUER COUNTRY

President-elect Trump reacted Sunday morning to the news that Syrian dictator Bashar Assad had fled Syria. (Getty Images)

Trump added: “Too many lives are being so needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed, and if it keeps going, it can turn into something much bigger, and far worse. I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The World is waiting!”

Assad, who used chemical weapons multiple times on his population, and his British-born wife, Asma al-Assad, fled with their three children, according to Syrian television reports, although it was not known where they were headed.

A video statement from a group of men on Syrian state TV said that Assad had been overthrown and that all prisoners had been released.

“Assad is gone. He has fled his country,” Trump wrote. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

The man who read a statement said the Operations Room to Conquer Damascus is calling on all opposition fighters and citizens to preserve state institutions of “the free Syrian state.”

“Long live the free Syrian state that is to all Syrians and all” their sects and ethnic groups, the statement said.

Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said early Sunday he did not know where Assad was.

ISLAMIST REBELS IN SYRIA CATCH ASSAD, PUTIN, IRAN REGIMES OFF GUARD GIVING US NEW MIDEAST HEADACHE

Portraits of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, left, and his late father and predecessor, Hafez, hang on the wall of a destroyed apartment in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, August 17, 2006.  (PATRICK BAZ/AFP via Getty Images)

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Crowds of Syrians gathered in the central squares of Damascus to celebrate Assad’s departure.

Syria has been embroiled in a bloody, nearly 14-year civil war as Islamist rebels sought to overthrow Assad and end more than 50 years of Assad family rule over the Syrian Arabian Republic.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.