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The Environmental Protection Agency is terminating $20 billion in grants awarded by the Biden administration for climate and clean-energy projects, Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Tuesday.

In a video posted to X, Zeldin said $20 billion in U.S. tax dollars were “parked at an outside financial institution in a deliberate effort to limit government oversight, doling out your money through just eight pass-through, politically connected, unqualified, and in some cases brand-new NGOs.”

The money has since been frozen, he said, noting that the Department of Justice and FBI are investigating.

STACEY ABRAMS SLAMMED AFTER DEFENDING $2 BILLION IN BIDEN-ERA EPA FUNDS TO BUY GREEN ENERGY APPLIANCES

The EPA is terminating $20 billion in grants awarded by the Biden administration for climate and clean-energy projects, Administrator Lee Zeldin announced. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

The program, approved by Congress under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, was formerly known as the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund but is more commonly referred to as the green bank. Two initiatives, worth $14 billion and $6 billion, respectively, aimed to offer grants to nonprofits, community development banks and other groups for projects focusing on disadvantaged communities.

The eight nonprofits that were awarded the money included the Coalition for Green Capital, Climate United Fund, Power Forward Communities, Opportunity Finance Network, Inclusiv and the Justice Climate Fund. These organizations have partnered with various groups, including Rewiring America, Habitat for Humanity and the Community Preservation Corporation.

The EPA “just notified 8 recipients of $20 BILLION in Biden EPA ‘gold bars’ that their grants have been TERMINATED!” Zeldin wrote on X.

LEE ZELDIN LIKENS BIDEN ENERGY ‘SCHEME’ CONNECTED TO STACEY ABRAMS TO ‘THROWING GOLD BARS OFF THE TITANIC’

Eight nonprofits that were awarded the money were informed that the grants have been terminated, Zeldin said. (Getty Images)

In his video, Zeldin cited reports that Power Forward Communities, a group linked to Democrat Stacey Abrams, received $2 billion after reporting just $100 in total revenue the year before.

He also said the founding director of the EPA’s program allocated $5 billion to his former employer after working on the legislation that created the program from his role in the White House.

“These two examples have only been the tip of the iceberg,” Zeldin said. “I’m here to report back to the American people that, as of today, I have officially terminated these grant agreements entirely. Not only does the EPA have full authority to take this action, but frankly, we were left with no other option.”

BIDEN SENT $2 BILLION TO STACEY ABRAMS-LINKED GROUP IN GREEN ENERGY ‘SCHEME,’ EPA SAYS

FILE: Former Congressman Lee Zeldin speaks on the 3rd day of the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) Washington, DC conference at Gaylord National Harbor Resort & Convention Center.  (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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“This termination is based on substantial concerns regarding program integrity, objections to the award process, programmatic fraud, waste and abuse and misalignment with the agency’s priorities, which collectively undermine the fundamental goals and statutory objectives of the awards,” he continued.

Zeldin said the “only way” to reduce waste, increase oversight and meet the intent of the law as it was written is by terminating the grants. He said it is his “unwavering commitment” to President Donald Trump, Congress and the American people.

“The EPA will once again be an exceptional steward of your tax dollars. I will have it no other way,” Zeldin said.

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown is suing a county sheriff’s office in his state for “illegally collaborating” with federal officials and the Trump administration to enforce immigration law.

Brown’s lawsuit, which was filed in Spokane County Superior Court, claims that the Adams County Sheriff’s Office’s holding of illegal immigrants in custody based on their immigration status, helping federal agents question people in custody and “routinely” sharing personal confidential information of Washington residents with federal officials “expressly violates state law.”

The suit cites a 2019 law called the Keep Washington Working Act, which prohibits law enforcement in the state from providing aid in immigration enforcement. Brown is asking the court to force the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff Dale Wagner, to comply with the Keep Washington Working Act.

“Washington has the right and the responsibility to decide for itself how to use its own resources to keep residents safe and the economy strong,” the lawsuit says. “The State cannot stand by when elected officials publicly boast that they are breaking state law and putting their own communities at risk.”

MASSIVE ICE OPERATION NABS NEARLY 650 ILLEGAL ALIENS IN TEXAS, OVER 80% WITH CRIMINAL CHARGES OR CONVICTIONS

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown; federal immigration officials make an arrest. (United States Department of Justice)

In a statement released by Brown’s office on Monday, the office said that almost all the sheriffs’ departments in the state are complying with the Keep Washington Working Act, except for a very select few.

“The Adams County Sheriff’s Office is illegally collaborating with federal immigration officials and aiding the Trump administration’s efforts to enlist local officials for federal civil immigration work,” the office said. “The lawsuit is to enforce the Keep Washington Working Act. The act is based on a simple premise that it is not the job of state law enforcement, county sheriffs, or local police departments in Washington to enforce federal immigration law.”

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Brown claimed in the statement that “late last year Adams County was engaged in good faith settlement negotiations with our office,” but “after the inauguration of Donald Trump, the county and its Sheriff’s Office suddenly hardened their stance, broke off settlement talks, and aligned themselves with an organization founded by a top Trump aide who is among the most virulent anti-immigrant voices in the administration.”

YOUNG FATHER KILLED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HIGHLIGHTS ‘BETRAYAL’ OF SANCTUARY CITIES, SAYS REPUBLICAN

Progressive lawmakers want to redesign the Washington state flag and reportedly remove George Washington from its design. (Getty Images)

Said organization – a group called “America First Legal” – is a conservative law firm founded by Stephen Miller, a senior adviser to President Donald Trump during his first term.

In a Feb. 26 statement released by America First Legal, the law firm said it was “taking action to defend Adams County, Washington, against the unlawful and abusive effort by Washington state officials to enforce illegal and dangerous sanctuary laws and policies and compel Adams County to violate federal immigration laws.”

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“Federal law is clear: it is a crime to conceal, harbor, or shield illegal aliens, and it is a crime to prevent federal officials from discharging their duties. It is also against federal law to prevent local officials from communicating with DHS about the immigration status of individuals,” said America First Legal Senior Counsel James Rogers.

“Our nation’s immigration laws reflect the democratic will of the people, and it is outrageous that the State of Washington has been working to subvert it while at the same time facilitating the invasion of our country,” he went on. “It is even more disgraceful that the State of Washington would target one of its own counties because the officials there have the courage to follow the law and have been cooperating with ICE to help keep our country safe.” 

An illegal immigrant from Lebanon who admitted to being a member of the Hezbollah terror group network is slated to be deported a year after being caught and released into the country under former President Joe Biden’s watch.

Basel Bassel Ebbadi, 22, was captured by border agents in El Paso, Texas, on March 9, 2024 and immediately held in federal custody. He reportedly told investigators he was going to travel to New York and make a bomb and that his training with the Iran-backed terror network was focused on “jihad” and “killing people that was not Muslim.”

Ebbadi apparently told investigators he had an interest in leaving the group because he “didn’t want to kill people,” though he added that “once you’re in, you can never get out.”

NOEM SENDS MESSAGE TO THOSE CONSIDERING ENTERING US ILLEGALLY: ‘DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT’

Basel Bassel Ebbadi, 22, allegedly admitted to being a member of Hezbollah when he was caught entering the United States illegally.  (CBP)

Nevertheless, Ebbadi was placed in isolation and referred to the Tactical Terrorism Response Team (TTRT) after allegedly making “terroristic threats to personnel.”

“If an individual poses a potential threat to national security or public safety, we deny admission, detain, remove, or refer them to other federal agencies for further vetting, investigation and/or prosecution as appropriate,” a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol spokesperson told Fox News Digital at the time. 

After illegally entering the United States, Ebbadi was convicted of entering the country illegally and sentenced to five months in federal prison on April 26, the New York Post reported. 

DHS SECRETARY NOEM APPEARS TO ACCUSE ‘CORRUPT’ FBI OF LEAKING LA ICE RAIDS

Under the Biden administration, border authorities released 400 suspected terrorists crossing into the U.S. illegally through the southern border. (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

He was finally ordered deported by an immigration judge on Jan. 13 after serving his sentence. Upon entering the U.S., he claimed his documents were stolen somewhere in Costa Rica. 

Under the Biden administration, border authorities released 400 suspected terrorists crossing into the U.S. illegally through the southern border, according to the Post. In January 2024, ICE arrested a member of the Somali al-Shabaab terrorist group.

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The unidentified suspect entered the U.S. illegally before being caught and released by border authorities in California. The person lived free for nearly a year before being caught in Minnesota. 

Among the measures implemented to strengthen the border, the Trump administration has halted the catch-and-release policy that allowed millions of illegal immigrants into the country under Biden’s watch. 

EXCLUSIVE: Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears released the first ad directly confronting her Democratic opponent, former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, Tuesday.

The ad intends to link Spanberger, who formerly represented Washington exurbs around Fredericksburg, Culpeper and King George, to an uptick in violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants in an otherwise safe region.

The ad opens with TV news clips reporting the arrest of a Honduran national charged with “abduction with intent to defile and rape,” after he allegedly robbed and assaulted a woman on the popular W&OD Rail Trail near John Foster Dulles International Airport.

“He was found guilty of a separate sex crime just days earlier, but he was released 25 days early,” one reporter is heard saying.

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The ad then plays a montage of clips and commentary on similar incidents in Loudoun, Fairfax and Arlington counties from reporters, including Fox News’ Laura Ingraham.

The ad then shifts to focusing on Spanberger, depicting former President Joe Biden, whom Republicans accuse of engineering a lax border policy, calling her “a friend.”

A clip of CNN Capitol Hill reporter Manu Raju appears, with the reporter saying Spanberger “seems to be to the left of Joe Biden.”

“I consider myself to be a progressive,” Spanberger says in a clip.

“No, I do not support the border wall,” she says in another.

Earle-Sears said Spanberger “voted for open borders, voted for sanctuary cities, voted our schools to be turned into shelters for these illegal criminal elements, and we’re not having that.”

Winsome Earle-Sears and Abigail Spanberger (Getty)

A Spanberger spokesperson called the ad a “distraction attempt” that is coming from a “campaign facing a heated, messy Republican primary.”

Earle-Sears faces former state Del. David LaRock of Berryville and former state Sen. Amanda Chase of Colonial Heights in the GOP primary.

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“Abigail is a former CIA case officer and federal law enforcement officer who has defended our country from terrorism, tracked cartels and arrested criminals,” the spokesperson said. 

“And as a member of Congress, she led bipartisan bills that were signed into law by both President Trump and President Biden to disrupt fentanyl trafficking at our ports of entry, combat Mexican cartels and secure our borders,” the spokesperson added. “She understands the security threats facing Virginia families. And as the next governor of Virginia, she will use her experience to help keep Virginians safe and crack down on violent offenders.”

Peyton Vogel, a spokesperson for Earle-Sears, countered that Spanberger supported “reckless immigration policies that have made Virginia less safe.”

“She voted against deporting illegal immigrants convicted of violent crimes, putting politics ahead of public safety. The consequences of her decisions are devastating — real families, real victims and real tragedies that could have been prevented,” Vogel said.

A pollster recently interviewed by the Washington Examiner about what is one of only two governors races this year — the other being New Jersey — indicated Earle-Sears is faring better among Republicans than Spanberger is among Democrats.

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The pollster, Brett Buchanan of Cygnal, also told the outlet President Donald Trump’s return to office is influencing the race.

Since Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s unexpected victory over former Gov. Terry McAuliffe in 2021, Virginia voters have consistently favored Democrats in every major race.

The left now narrowly controls the Richmond legislature by a two-vote margin in each chamber, and Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine soundly defeated Republican challenger Hung Cao in November statewide.

Trump also lost Virginia by about six points, but supporters have said he successfully narrowed the typical gap in both “blue” 2025 gubernatorial contest states, a purported sign of GOP resurgence.

Virginia State Capitol (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Youngkin’s win was influenced by the public safety issue, especially in the Northern Virginia counties Earle-Sears highlighted in her ad. 

Youngkin also spent a lot of time campaigning 400 to 500 miles on the other side of the commonwealth in its southwestern counties, like Lee, Dickenson and Wise, which are sparsely populated but heavily Republican.

California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed that his office had never used the term “Latinx” during a recent interview, but a Fox News Digital review found this claim to be false.

“By the way, not one person ever in my office has ever used the word Latinx,” Newsom said in his viral podcast episode with Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. 

“I just didn’t even know where it came from. What are people talking about?” he added.

But posts from the governor and official documentation from his office pour cold water on this claim.

DYLAN MULVANEY REACTS TO GAVIN NEWSOM’S REMARKS ON TRANS ATHLETES PARTICIPATING IN WOMEN’S SPORTS

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has gone viral for comments made in a conversation with conservative activist Charlie Kirk.  (Screenshots/This is Gavin Newsom | Getty Images)

In an X post from 2019, Newsom tweeted the term in reference to a study on childhood poverty on his official government account.

On his personal account, the California Democrat used the term when discussing the COVID-19 pandemic.

“#COVID19 disproportionately impacts the Latinx community,” he tweeted. “Rising rates in the Central Valley are concerning. CA is making $52M available to increase testing, contact tracing and quarantine efforts, and sending strike teams to 4 counties with increased cases and hospitalizations.”

In 2023, he said that the Republican Party has “politicians that are banning not assault rifles, but the word Latinx.”

Brooks Allen, Education Policy Advisor to the Governor, used “Latinx” in a 2023 letter about the state’s Ethnic Studies model.

“The model is grounded in the foundational curricular areas of the ethnic studies tradition – African American Studies, Native American Studies, Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies, and Latinx American Studies,” he wrote at the time.

NEWSOM CHANGES TONE ON TRUMP FROM CAMPAIGN RHETORIC WITH FEDERAL WILDFIRE RECOVERY FUNDS AT STAKE

Newsom and Trump face off (Pool)

The term has also come up in official press releases and documentation from Newsom’s office. In Oct. 2020, it was used to promote a conversation the governor had with singer Becky G about the “youth vote” that was posted to the official governor’s office website. 

A month prior, it was used in a news release on bills related to small businesses in the midst of the pandemic.

“Minority-owned businesses are disproportionately impacted: the number of active businesses owned by African-Americans dropped by 41%, Latinx by 32%, Asians by 25%, and immigrants by 36%,” the release stated.

The term was used again in 2021 when it came to addressing learning gaps related to pandemic school closures.

“The campaign will reach out to parents in areas hardest hit by the pandemic – especially Latinx, African American, Asian American and Pacific Islander parents of school-aged children – with $25 million from AB 86 to support the safe opening of schools during the next fiscal year,” it stated.

NEWSOM’S ‘UNFAIR’ REMARK ON GIRLS’ SPORTS BELIES RECORD AS GOVERNOR: ‘ABSOLUTE BULLS—‘

Newsom’s upcoming podcast will be the second one he is involved with.  (Getty Images)

It’s also used on the governor’s web page for First Partner Jennifer Seibel Newsom’s “Farm to School” effort.

“Today, over 2 million children in California do not have access to healthy, whole foods, with Black and Latinx children reporting food insecurity twice that of children in white households,” the website states.

On the Governor’s Council for Career Education website, it uses the term on its “Research Findings Summary” page. A former education policy associate for Newsom, who currently serves as his assistant deputy cabinet secretary, said “Latinx” in a 2021 X post.

“Economic recovery with higher education that is more equitable, resilient and coordinated to improve outcomes for Black, Latinx, API, Indigenous and Adult learner students who disproportionately are denied access and impacted by the pandemic,” Michael Wiafe said.

A spokesperson for Newsom’s office told Fox News Digital that “Latinx” is “not a term that is widely used in his Administration. Some staff have used it from time to time.”

Turning Point USA leader Charlie Kirk (right) is the guest on California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (left) inaugural edition of his “This is Gavin Newsom” podcast. (Gavin Newsom/X)

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The term is considered widely unpopular among Latinos and Hispanics and even offensive in some cases, according to NBC News. 

A Pew Research Center study from 2024 determined that 51% of Hispanic American adults were unfamiliar with the term “Latinx” and only 4% actually say the term, which proponents say is meant to be a gender-neutral alternative to Latino.

President Donald Trump announced his nomination of Michael George DeSombre to serve as the next U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific.

Trump made the announcement on Tuesday, posting on Truth Social that DeSombre served during the president’s first term as the ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand.

DeSombre is a partner at Sullivan Cromwell, where he leads mergers and acquisitions in Asia.

He also graduated from Harvard Law School. Additionally, DeSombre attended Stanford University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in quantitative economics, and master’s degree in East Asian Studies.

NORTH KOREA FIRES MISSILES AS US, SOUTH KOREA BEGIN THEIR 1ST JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE OF TRUMP’S 2ND TERM

Michael George DeSombre was picked by President Donald Trump to serve as the next U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific. (U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Thailand)

“I know Michael will work incredibly hard for our country,” Trump wrote.

The president also announced that he has tapped Paolo Zampolli to serve as special envoy for global partnerships.

Trump said Zampolli’s extensive experience working with the United Nations, Kennedy Center, and various international initiatives will help the Trump administration advance America’s interests on the global stage.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES US AMBASSADOR NOMINATIONS THAT INCLUDE MAYOR OF MICHIGAN CITY

Paolo Zampolli at the 2022 Moonlight Gala benefiting CARE – Children With Special Needs – in New York City. (Craig Barritt/Getty Images for CARE)

Trump announced that he has chosen Dearborn Heights, Michigan, Mayor Bill Bazzi to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia, as well.

Bazzi, Trump wrote, is a decorated U.S. Marine who served the country for 21 years.

He also worked as a quality manager at Boeing and a product development engineer at Ford Motor Company.

NEW BOOK DETAILS SECURITY LAPSES AHEAD OF TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: ‘CLEAR THERE WAS A PROBLEM’

Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi speaks during a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee President Donald Trump, Oct. 26, 2024, in Novi, Mich.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

After working at Ford for 22 years, Bazzi took an early retirement to serve as the mayor of Dearborn Heights.

“Bazzi worked hard during the 2024 Presidential Election to help us secure our Historic Victory, and I look forward to seeing the great things he will accomplish for our Nation,” Trump wrote on Truth. “Congratulations Bill!”

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In one more post, Trump announced that Dr. Anji Sinha is his pick to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Singapore, calling her “a highly respected entrepreneur with an incredible family.”

“The United States’ relationship with Singapore is vital, and I have no doubt that Anji will strongly represent our Nation’s Interests, and put America First,” the president wrote on Truth. “Congratulations Anji!”

Democratic New York Rep. Tom Suozzi said Tuesday that there is a catastrophe brewing for the country’s aging population, and he wants to do something about it.

Alongside Republican Rep. John Moolenaar, Suozzi introduced the “Well-Being Insurance for Seniors to be at Home Act” on Tuesday, which seeks to help more of the country’s increasingly older population obtain long-term home care insurance.

“Currently, 10,000 Americans every day are turning 65-years-old,” Suozzi told reporters during a press call on Tuesday, and, in five years, 6,000 Americans will turn 85 every day. Suozzi also noted that right now, only about 4% of seniors are covered by long-term care insurance.

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“One of the main causes of people becoming homeless — new homeless people — is turning 80 years old, because a lot of people are becoming destitute as they get old, and they face what are called, ‘Their inability to conduct daily activities of living,'” Suozzi said. “And right now, very few people have long-term care insurance, and people will end up going into nursing homes. And not only can the nursing homes not handle this volume of people, but the Medicaid system will go bust, and two thirds of the people in America that are in nursing homes are paid for with Medicaid.”

(Democratic New York Rep. Tom Suozzi said Tuesday that there is a catastrophe brewing for the country’s aging population, and he wants to do something about it.)

In addition to the increasingly growing senior population in the U.S., Suozzi also cited societal factors that are making it harder for aging and disabled seniors to receive the at-home care they need. One is the fact that Americans are having fewer kids, so there will be fewer of them to take care of their aging or disabled parents. Another was the fact that kids are increasingly moving to other parts of the country away from their parents, again increasing the burden for seniors to figure things out on their own.

“There’s a lot of people becoming senior citizens right now because the baby boomers, there’s less kids available to take care of them, and the kids that are alive don’t necessarily live where their parents live. So we’ve got this big perfect storm brewing, and Medicaid will never be able to solve this problem,” according to Suozzi. “And nursing homes — there’s just not enough nursing homes. There’s not enough money to pay for the nursing homes for all these people. So my legislation is designed to try and encourage the private sector to create long-term care insurance that is affordable.”

DEMS WEAPONIZE MEDICAID ANXIETY IN BID TO TAKE DOWN TRUMP-BACKED FEDERAL FUNDING PLAN

In five years, 6,000 Americans will turn 85 every day. (iStock)

Known by its acronym, WISH, Suozzi and Moolenaar’s new bill seeks to create a federal “Catastrophic Care Fund” that will help cover some of the cost-burden of long-term care. The goal is to encourage private insurers to develop and market affordable and accessible long-term care insurance, which, overtime, they have ceased providing more broadly. The reason, Suozzi said, is it was just not profitable enough for them, as most seniors with long-term care insurance were outliving their expected life terms and costing insurance companies a lot of money as a result.

Suozzi likened his new plan to Medicare Part B, another similar cost-sharing program that has pushed insurers to incentivize customers to enroll. Seniors would be able to benefit from the newly created fund on a tiered basis, according to each person’s income level.

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The Democrat lawmaker pointed out how the WISH Act will help reduce the cost burden of federal healthcare programs like Medicare and Medicaid, which can help pay for the fund. He also suggested a payment plan involving an increased income tax shared by both employees and employers, but Suozzi noted that plan was unlikely to get the GOP support necessary. Another potential payment option for the new long-term care fund could stem from reforms to Social Security, the congressman added.

Suozzi introduced the “Well-Being Insurance for Seniors to be at Home Act” on Tuesday, which seeks to help more of the country’s increasingly older population obtain long-term home care insurance. (Mary Altaffer/AP Photo)

Besides the “perfect storm” that is brewing for seniors, a second storm is also brewing on Capitol Hill right now in regard to how to fund the federal government. Republicans are ramping up reconciliation efforts and, as part of that framework, they are looking for roughly $800 billion in Medicaid cuts. While the Wish Act could help lower the amount of necessary cuts during reconciliation, Suozzi said he feared it was too tight of a window to get enough lawmakers on board. 

“I guess there’s an argument that it could go in there, if we could demonstrate between now and then that it’ll be a big savings in Medicaid,” Suozzi told reporters. “I see this is taking the full term of getting people educated about the issue, getting more people interested in the issue, and getting senior advocacy groups and private insurers to advocate on behalf of this idea. So it’s not going to happen on its own. It will have to be part of something bigger, but not, I think, until we’ve educated people about the seriousness of the issue.”

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FIRST ON FOX: The House Freedom Caucus could force a vote on a bill to strip Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, of his committee assignments if Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., does not announce a punishment for the Democrat that conservatives see as sufficient.

“He will see what he deems appropriate, and then if that’s adequate, that’s fine,” House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, D-Md., told Fox News Digital. “If not, then we likely will file our privileged resolution to strip him of his committees.”

Freedom Caucus members told Fox News Digital that the group was in touch with Johnson’s office about the issue.

The conservative caucus threatened to file a resolution to remove Green from all committees last week after his disruption during President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress. 

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House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris is pressing Speaker Mike Johnson to further punish Rep. Al Green for speaking out during Trump’s speech (Reuters/Getty)

The protest got the Texas Democrat thrown out of the House chamber minutes after the address began.

“We’re gonna ask what Mike Johnson wants to do moving forward. We talked about a lot of things, but different people had different thoughts. But I guess what weighed on our minds is, he said he’s going to do it again,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital. “My one thing, that kind of action needs consequences.”

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., said, “There’s all sorts of options, and I don’t think any of them have been decided upon yet.”

Green was censured in a 224 to 198 vote on Thursday morning after repeatedly disrupting the beginning of Trump’s primetime speech.

He shouted, “You have no mandate to cut Medicaid!” at Trump and shook his cane in the air as the president touted Republican victories in the House, Senate and White House. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., after giving a warning, had Green removed from the chamber

The 77-year-old Democrat was unrepentant, posting on X on Thursday afternoon, “Today, the House GOP censured me for speaking out for the American people against [Trump’s] plan to cut Medicaid. I accept the consequences of my actions, but I refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice.”

President Donald Trump during a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

But members of the House Freedom Caucus want to go further, floating everything from fining Green to making good on their resolution threat.

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital he didn’t want to give the Green issue “any more oxygen” but suggested a suitable punishment would be stripping the Texas lawmaker of any seniority privileges. 

“No seniority on offices, no seniority on parking spots, on committees – all of that,” Burlison described.

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS

Meanwhile, Green’s House Democratic allies briefly plunged the House floor into chaos after the censure vote. They crowded Green as he stood ready for Johnson to read out the censure, another formal part of the process, and sang “We shall overcome.”

Johnson was forced to pause House floor proceedings after trying and failing multiple times to call the Democrats to order.,

Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., another Freedom Caucus member, filed a resolution in response to strip all the offending Democrats from their committees.

Harris and Clyde signaled the current discussions with leadership were focused on Green alone, however.

U.S. Rep. Al Green (D-TX) is removed from the chamber as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Image)

“No one [else] waved a cane at the president and didn’t accept…having a censure resolution read without interruption,” Harris said.

Clyde added, “And nobody else had to be thrown out.”

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Johnson, for his part, confirmed in an interview on Fox News on Friday that he was in talks with the House Freedom Caucus on a punishment for Green.

“I talked to Freedom Caucus members and other Republicans who are deeply concerned about this,” Johnson told “Outnumbered.” “They say we have to restore control one way or the other and there need to be real consequences, and it’s something that we’ll be looking at early next week.”

Green currently serves on the House Financial Services Committee, where he is the top Democrat on the subcommittee for oversight.

Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Johnson and Green for comment but did not immediately hear back.

Protesters against Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency rallied outside the Department of Education Tuesday and held a moment of appreciation and applause for the federal agency, which is rumored to be next on the chopping block.

The protesters, many of them former Education Department officials, chanted, “This is what democracy looks like” and held signs saying, “Boycott Tesla!,” “Elon don’t rob kids” and “No DOGE no kings.”  

After the protest, FOX Business Senior Correspondent Charles Gasparino posted on X that he had reviewed an email from education department officials telling employees they would have to vacate the agency’s offices by 6 p.m. Tuesday and that the offices would remain closed Wednesday. 

He also reported that “employees have been receiving multiple emails alerting them of massive cuts in the workforce and opportunities to tap into buyouts and severance.”

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Rally speakers railed against the Trump administration’s planned cuts to the department and instead called for more funding. At one point, organizers had attendees turn to face the department building and clap for the federal workers inside.

President Donald Trump is expected to issue an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Education Department” based on “the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law,” according to a draft of the order reported by The Wall Street Journal.

DOGE protesters outside the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., March 11, 2025. 

The draft order says the “the experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars — and the unaccountable bureaucrats those programs and dollars support — has failed our children, our teachers, and our families.”

Trump has long talked about dismantling the Department of Education, saying it has failed America’s students. 

“It’s a big con job,” the president said in November. “They ranked the top countries in the world. We’re ranked No. 40, but we’re ranked No. 1 in one department, cost per pupil. So, we spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, but we’re ranked No. 40.”

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President Donald Trump and DOGE head Elon Musk  (Fox News)

However, the protesters, who stood outside the Education Department headquarters in Washington, D.C., claimed dismantling the agency “will lead to children and families being hurt.”

“This cut in funding is the opposite of what we should be doing. We should be providing more federal funding for these services for these kids, not less,” one protester, a former Education Department employee, told Fox News Digital.

She said her biggest worry was that DOGE cuts would make students “suffer” and also affect after-school programs such as special programs and English courses for immigrant children. 

“We’re going to be going back to the 1800s, the early 1900s, when special ed kids can’t get services, when English learners can’t learn English. This is an outrage,” she said.

LOUISIANA SURGES 11 SPOTS ON NATION’S REPORT CARD FOR GAINS IN READING, MATH SCORES

The U.S. Department of Education building Aug. 21, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images)

Another former federal employee at the rally told Fox News Digital that “seeing all these employees laid off right now breaks our heart,” and “we really have to speak up for what’s been done to the federal government.”

One of the rally speakers, Rebecca Pringle, president of the National Education Association, pointed out that, on its own, the Trump administration does not have the authority to close the Education Department. Fully abolishing the department would require 60 votes in the Senate, requiring cooperation from Democrats.

Pringle told Fox News Digital her group is organizing a series of national walk-in protests for March 19 to hold Congress members “accountable.”

HOUSE EDUCATION CHAIR BACKS TRUMP MOVE TO ABOLISH FEDERAL AGENCY

Rebecca Pringle, president of the National Education Association, speaks with Fox News Digital outside the Education Department March 11, 2025. (Peter Pinedo/Fox News Digital)

“Educators all over this country are rising up, and they’re saying, no. … We will not stand by while this administration focuses on giving tax cuts to billionaires who already have more, when we know our students need more,” said Pringle. 

Speaking directly to Trump and Musk, Katie Gates, an activist with the political activism group Voters of Tomorrow, told Fox News Digital her message to the administration is, “Please stop. Just don’t do it.”

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“You might think that you’re making government more efficient, or you’re getting rid of the deep state or whatever. But, like I said, this has far-ranging impacts on kids, on parents, on communities, on schools,” she said. “Sometimes efficiency isn’t the highest value. Sometimes it’s support. Sometimes it’s learning.”

Fox News Digital reporter Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio reserves the right to revoke former Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil’s green card or visa.

Leavitt said that under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the secretary of state has the right to revoke a green card or a visa for individuals who are “adversarial to the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States of America.” 

“And Mahmoud Khalil was an individual who was given the privilege of coming to this country to study at one of our nation’s finest universities and colleges, and he took advantage of that opportunity, of that privilege, by siding with terrorists, Hamas terrorists, who have killed innocent men, women and children,” Leavitt said at the White House press briefing. “This is an individual who organized group protests that not only disrupted college campus classes and harassed Jewish American students and made them feel unsafe on their own college campus, but also distributed pro-Hamas propaganda fliers with the logo of Hamas. That is the behavior and activity that this individual engaged in.”

Leavitt said the Department of Homeland Security provided her with those fliers, which she says were distributed with the help of Khalil on the Columbia University campus and are now on her desk.

TRUMP VOWS ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVIST MAHMOUD KHALIL WAS ‘FIRST ARREST OF MANY TO COME’

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Tuesday, March 11, 2025.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

She said she considered bringing them to the briefing but decided against it because she “didn’t think it was worth the dignity of this room to bring that pro-Hamas propaganda.” 

“This administration is not going to tolerate individuals having the privilege of studying in our country and then siding with pro-terrorist organizations that have killed Americans,” Leavitt said. “We have a zero-tolerance policy for siding with terrorists. Period.” 

A senior State Department official told Fox News that Rubio found Khalil’s “presence and activities in the U.S. would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States and would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest, rendering him deportable under Section 237 (a)(4)(C) of the INA [Immigration & Nationality Act].” 

The official said Section 237 of the Immigration and Nationality Act broadly contains grounds for which an alien who is in the U.S. after having been admitted or having had his or her status adjusted to that of lawful permanent resident may be removed. 

Protesters gather in Foley Square and march through the streets of Lower Manhattan in protest of the detention of Mahmoud Khalil by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 10, 2025.  (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Fox News is told that Section 237 (a)(4)(C) is a rarely used provision of the law that gives the secretary of state the power to seek to deport “[a]n alien whose presence or activities in the United States the Secretary of State has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States…”

The senior State Department official stressed this is about national security, not free speech. 

Khalil, who was a graduate student at Columbia until December, was taken into custody Saturday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at his university-owned apartment in New York and transported to a detention center in Louisiana. 

Khalil was born in Syria to Palestinian parents and entered the U.S. to attend Columbia in 2022. He subsequently got married to an American citizen, who is now eight months pregnant, according to the Associated Press.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was asked at his own media availability earlier Tuesday about Khalil’s “due process,” but the Democrat said he wishes his own due process was considered when the Biden Justice Department brought a corruption case against him. “What I’m finding surprising is the level of support you’re all displaying. But I didn’t see that support for me,” Adams told reporters. “Even after we saw the emails and text messages that there’s a potential [that] this is politically motivated.” 

ICE AGENTS ARREST ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVIST WHO LED PROTESTS ON COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CAMPUS FOR MONTHS

Adams told reporters, “Don’t be inconsistent in your call for justice, cover those text messages.” “That shows that it was potentially politically motivated,” Adams said of his own case, which the Trump DOJ asked a judge to drop. “The same enthusiasm I’m getting for you, we should be enthusiastic for everyone. And again, the federal government does immigration and they’re doing the investigations, and we need to make sure that it is done in a fair way. That is done.” 

A federal judge in New York City on Monday blocked Khalil’s deportation. A hearing is set for Wednesday to weigh motions from his lawyers claiming ICE violated his constitutional rights and asking for him to be moved back to New York. 

Trump applauded Khalil’s apprehension, saying it is “the first arrest of many to come,” while some Democrats are criticizing the move. “We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country — never to return again.”

Student negotiator Mahmoud Khalil is on the Columbia University campus in New York at an anti-Israel protest encampment on April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, file)

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, led by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the second-highest ranking Democrat in the chamber, called Khalil’s detention “straight-up authoritarianism.” 

Hundreds of protesters demonstrated in New York City on Monday night demanding Khalil’s release and calling for a nationwide walkout of classes is set for noon Tuesday to protest what they deem “genocide” against the Palestinian people and the Trump administration’s plan to cut federal funding to colleges that permit “illegal” protests. 

That student walkout failed to materialize as of early Tuesday afternoon, but a small group of protesters were seen on the steps of Columbia’s campus chanting in favor of Khalil’s release. 

The U.S. Department of Education, meanwhile, sent letters to 60 colleges and universities on Monday saying they were under investigation for alleged “antisemitic discrimination” and could lose funding. 

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The Trump administration recently canceled $400 million in grant funding for Columbia. “Cutting funding to @Columbia’s cancer research doesn’t fight antisemitism, but it does advance Trump’s fight to control higher education in the United States,” House Judiciary Democrat Rep. Jerry Nadler, of New York, wrote on X. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Democratic former Rep. Katie Porter announced her bid for governor of California on Tuesday via an Instagram video saying the Golden State needs “a little bit of hope and a whole lot of grit, fresh blood and new ideas [and] leaders with the backbone to fight for what’s right.”

Porter, 51, served three terms in Congress – winning her Orange County seat by upsetting GOP Rep. Mimi Walters in 2018. She ran unsuccessfully for the Senate seat now held by Sen. Adam Schiff, D–Calif. – and her district is now represented by Dave Min, a Democrat. 

The former congresswoman was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and grew up on a farm before moving to the Pacific coast.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is term-limited, though all eyes in California are on whether former Vice President Kamala Harris also jumps into the race.

PORTER DENIES FIRING STAFFER FOR CATCHING COVID-19 AS TEXT MESSAGES SURFACE AND GO VIRAL

Katie Porter and Adam Schiff participate in a senatorial debate. (Getty)

Porter told the Los Angeles Times that a Harris bid could clear the left flank of those assembled thus far.

“If Vice President Harris were to choose to run, I am certain that that would have a near field-clearing effect on the Democratic side,” Porter said.

Harris is said to be seriously considering a run in Sacramento after losing the 2024 sweeps. A source close to Harris previously told Fox News Digital the ex-veep has told allies she will decide by the end of summer on whether to launch a gubernatorial campaign.

The Times also described Porter as a prolific fundraiser, while the former lawmaker’s gregarious nature was projected to make inroads among Californians upset at President Donald Trump’s election.

In her announcement, Porter referenced Trump and alleged he would seek to enrich himself and his circle while in the White House.

California has a unique “jungle primary” system where the two top vote-getters, regardless of party, will face off in the general. Sometimes that results in two Democrats competing in November. In Schiff’s case, former MLB star Steve Garvey gained enough Republican support to challenge the Burbank Democrat—only to strike out in the end.

Porter’s entry also brings with it her colorful history in the House of Representatives. 

Sasha Georgiades, a Wounded Warrior fellow who had worked in Porter’s office, alleged she had made rude and racist comments to staff and “ridiculed people for reporting sexual harassment.”

KATIE PORTER USED ‘RACIST LANGUAGE’, RIDICULED PEOPLE FOR REPORTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT, EX-STAFFER CLAIMS

Georgiades also said that Porter ridiculed people after they had reported sexual harassment in her office as well as “made fun of individuals whose parents passed away from COVID.”

“Basically told the individual to grow up,” Georgiades said regarding the case of a staffer who had reported sexual harassment in Porter’s office.

Reports also surfaced in late 2022 that Porter “made multiple staffers cry” and that one staffer was allegedly fired after she and the lawmaker caught COVID-19. 

“Sasha— I cannot allow you back in the office, given your failure to follow office policies,” Porter wrote the next day on July 9, in texts shared on a “Dear White Staffers” X page and previously reported by Fox News Digital. 

“Cody will be in touch about having your personal effects shipped or delivered to your home, and will lay out your remote work schedule and responsibilities for your last few weeks.”

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Porter reportedly denied the allegations at the time.

Porter also wore a “Batgirl” costume to the House of Representatives while lawmakers were voting on Trump’s first impeachment on Oct. 31, 2019 – Halloween.

Other top names include Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on the Democratic side and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco as the first major Republican — amid a dozen or so candidates total.

When reached for comment, the Porter campaign directed Fox News Digital to its previous statements on the matter.

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., during a stop on his “Fighting Oligarchy” Tour in Altoona, Wisconsin, on Friday night, targeted Elon Musk for donating to the conservative candidate for Wisconsin Supreme Court, Brad Schimel. 

Schimel called out the hypocrisy in an exclusive interview with Fox News on Monday. 

“Well, it’s funny that Bernie’s in Wisconsin trying to influence this election and complaining that somebody else might be having interest in this election,” Schimel said. 

However, a Sanders spokesperson drew a stark contrast with Musk, telling Fox News Digital in a statement that Sanders is “mobilizing people” while Musk mobilizes money. 

“Bernie is mobilizing people; Musk has mobilized over 6 million in ad expenditures. Sen. Sanders is focused on creating a political system based on the democratic principles of one person-one vote, and ending a corrupt system which allows billionaires to buy elections. Mr. Musk is focused on using his money and power to install elected officials who answer to him, instead of their constituents,” Sanders’ communications director Anna Bahr said. 

SOCIAL MEDIA EXPLODES AT SANDERS FOR HOSTING TRANS MUSICIAN WHO SANG ‘PURE EVIL’ SONG AT ANTI-TRUMP RALLY

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., left, said Elon Musk “cannot buy an election here in Wisconsin” after Musk donated to conservative candidate for Wisconsin Supreme Court, Brad Schimel.

Momentum at the Blue Wall rallies solidified Sanders’ ability to organize and lead opposition to President Donald Trump, as the Democratic Party continues to grapple with its November losses. Speaking to thousands of supporters at rallies in Kenosha and Altoona this weekend, Sanders urged Wisconsinites to get out the vote on April 1 and took aim at Musk’s growing political influence. 

JUDGE RULES DOGE LIKELY SUBJECT TO PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS, SAYS DEPARTMENT OPERATING IN ‘UNUSUAL SECRECY’

“Musk spent some $270 million to help Trump get elected, and his reward is that he was made the most powerful person in the U.S. government,” Sanders told the crowd in Kenosha on Friday. “But it goes beyond that. As bad as that is, the situation is so absurd that Musk is so arrogant that he is even intervening in a Supreme Court election right here in the state of Wisconsin against a candidate who has the very, very extreme idea that maybe women should be able to control their own bodies, not the government.”

The race between Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford and Waukesha County Circuit Judge Brad Schimel is one of the first major elections in a battleground state since the 2024 presidential election. Trump won battleground Wisconsin by less than a percentage point in 2024. 

Voters make selections at their voting booths inside a voting site. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)

The April 1 election will decide the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s balance of power. While the Supreme Court race is technically nonpartisan, Schimel has been backed by Republicans, and Crawford has the support of Democrats. It is on track to be the most expensive judicial election in Wisconsin’s history. 

Musk’s Building America’s Future and America PAC have already spent millions on Schimel’s campaign, according to campaign finance reports. The Wisconsin Democratic Party responded with a $2 million donation to Crawford, which included a $1 million donation from George Soros. 

“Whatever your view may be on this Supreme Court election, I think everybody, no matter what your position should be, should make it clear to the wealthiest person on Earth that he cannot buy an election here in Wisconsin,” Sanders said on Friday. 

Sanders warned the Altoona crowd about the ramifications of billionaire influence on elections, calling for public funding of elections. 

Elon Musk speaks during an event in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump at the White House on Feb. 11. (AP Images)

“I want you to think about what that means. If this guy can intervene in a Supreme Court election in one state. You tell me what mayor’s race? What governor’s race? What Senate race he cannot buy?” Sanders asked. “We have got to deal with this corrupt campaign finance system. We’ve got to overturn Citizens United. And we’ve got to move to public funding of elections. And again, no matter what your political view may be – you’re conservative, you’re progressive. Nobody I know thinks that billionaires should be able to buy elections.”

Sanders continued his pitch for campaign finance reform to Wisconsinites at a rally in Altoona on Sunday, pointing to “Democratic billionaires as well.”

“Does anybody in America believe that it is appropriate for somebody like Musk to contribute $270 million to Trump’s campaign and then you get rewarded by becoming the most important man in government?” Sander asked. “But I got to tell you it is not just Musk and Republicans, it is Democratic billionaires as well. We are not going to make progress on the issues facing working families unless we have campaign finance reform.”

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks to a capacity crowd during an event at UW-Parkside on March 7, 2025 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The event is the first of three Midwest speaking engagements billed as “Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here.” (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) echoed Sander’s comments in a statement released on Monday, emphasizing that Wisconsin voters do not want Musk “buying elections.”

“In three weeks, Wisconsin voters will have the opportunity to stand against Trump and MAGA Republicans’ attacks on Wisconsinites and the programs they rely on. Wisconsin voters don’t like Elon Musk running our federal government and they don’t want him buying elections in Wisconsin either. It’s time to elect proven leaders like Susan Crawford and Jill Underly who will move Wisconsin forward and serve Badger Staters’ – not billionaires’ – best interests. Democrats are working tirelessly to keep Elon Musk and his billions from corrupting Wisconsin’s elections,” DNC Deputy Executive Director Libby Schneider said in a statement. 

Schimel countered the DNC’s statement in an exclusive interview with Fox News, calling judicial liberals “activists.”

Wisconsin state capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin. (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

“Frankly, the difference between a judicial conservative and a judicial liberal is judicial conservatives, they apply the law the way it’s written. Judicial liberals, they’re activists. They make the law. That’s what they want out of my opponent. I’m here to bring stability to Wisconsin by having a Supreme Court that follows the law.”

Schimel said liberal justices are the ones “checking off boxes to return favors to their big donors” and vowed to “restore objectivity to the court.” However, Schimel said accepting donations is necessary to compete in the race. 

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“I’ll take all legal and ethical contributions because I’ve got to compete. If I’m going to get my message out to the voters, I can’t be outspent 20 to 1, like the conservative in 2023 was. So I’m in this, and I’ve got to make sure I get my message out to Wisconsin voters… The money is helping, of course,” Schimel said.

Crawford did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment by the deadline of this article. 

Fox News’ Kellianne Jones and Svein Schwab contributed to this report.

Vice President JD Vance told House Republicans that putting a government funding bill up for a vote today was critical to President Donald Trump keeping the lights on for his border security goals and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Two lawmakers present at the closed-door meeting on Tuesday morning said DOGE and the border were part of Vance’s pitch to Republicans who were still undecided about the bill.

One lawmaker said Vance also signaled that future federal spending cuts could be on the table at a later date, a similar pitch House Freedom Caucus leaders have been making to fellow fiscal conservatives.

“Vance basically said this is what we need to keep DOGE and border operations going,” the lawmaker said. “And we will have much more flexibility for DOGE cuts once we’ve had more time to identify and quantify them.”

TOP CONSERVATIVE GROUP VOWS TO WORK CLOSELY WITH PRESIDENT AFTER PAST CLASHES WITH TRUMP

Speaker Mike Johnson, left, welcomed Vice President JD Vance to House Republicans’ conference meeting Tuesday. (Getty/AP)

The House and Senate must pass a federal funding bill and send it to Trump’s desk by the end of Friday to avert a partial government shutdown.

Trump has endorsed a House Republican-led measure, a rough extension of fiscal year (FY) 2024 funding levels called a continuing resolution (CR), that will keep government spending largely flat for FY 2025, until the beginning of FY 2026 on Oct. 1 – something House GOP leaders claim as a victory.

“Pass the bill,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who declined to elaborate further on the meeting.

House Republicans are largely expected to shoulder the burden of passing the bill themselves, despite Democrats historically voting in droves to avoid government shutdowns. 

However, House Democratic leaders have accused Republicans of trying to use the legislation to allow Elon Musk and Trump to continue upending the federal bureaucracy – a point that is not dissimilar to what conservatives support about the bill.

Vice President JD Vance also suggested Elon Musk’s DOGE efforts could be upended by a shutdown. (AP/Alex Brandon)

A senior source involved in negotiations on the CR told Fox News Digital they were optimistic about where it was going.

“There were people who would say ‘I don’t like CRs, but I trust the administration, so I think I can move forward on this one,'” the source said of the House Republicans’ conference meeting.

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., a fiscal hawk who is generally opposed to CRs, said as much in a brief back-and-forth with Fox News on Tuesday morning, after announcing he would “barely” support the bill.

“The ‘barely’ is Donald Trump,” Burlison said. “He is the difference maker. I would never support this language, but I do trust Donald Trump.”

RON AND CASEY DESANTIS TEE OFF WITH TRUMP AS FLORIDA GOVERNOR’S RACE HEATS UP

President Donald Trump supports the bill. (Evan Vucci/AP)

The vote is expected to take place late Tuesday afternoon.

Trump and his allies spent Monday calling potential holdouts and are expected to do so again on Tuesday.

At least one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., is staunchly opposed to the bill.

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In a sign of confidence, House GOP leaders announced they would send lawmakers back to their districts early, canceling a planned day of votes on Wednesday.

Fox News Digital reached out to Vance’s office for comment but did not hear back.

EXCLUSIVE – A leading conservative organization that has long been a major player in GOP primary battles is putting its weight behind the candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump in the race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida.

The Club for Growth PAC, a political arm of the Club for Growth public advocacy organization, on Tuesday endorsed Rep. Byron Donalds in Florida’s 2026 gubernatorial race. The development was shared first with Fox News.

Donalds, a conservative former state lawmaker who has represented Florida’s 19th Congressional District in the southwest part of the state, is currently the only major Republican to launch a campaign. 

The staunch Trump supporter and House ally announced his candidacy during an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity” late last month, days after landing the president’s endorsement.

TOP CONSERVATIVE GROUP VOWS TO WORK CLOSELY WITH PRESIDENT AFTER PAST CLASHES WITH TRUMP

Rep. Byron Donalds during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, on Feb. 21, 2025. (Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Donalds was backed by the Club when he first won the congressional seat in 2020. The Club notes that it spent $2.5 million to help Donalds narrowly emerge from a nine-way Republican primary contest en route to his general election victory.

And Donalds enjoys a 100% lifetime rating by the group, which tracks how members of Congress vote on economic issues. The Club promotes a fiscally conservative agenda, including a focus on tax cuts and other economic issues. 

“Rep. Byron Donalds is a proven constitutional conservative who has consistently demonstrated his commitment to pro-growth economic policies, school freedom, and limited government principles,” Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Club for Growth PAC is proud to have supported Rep. Donalds since his first election to Congress in 2020, and we look forward to electing him as Florida’s next Governor.”

The Club for Growth PAC is affiliated with Club for Growth Action, which describes itself as “America’s largest independent conservative Super PAC.” The Club notes that in the 2024 cycle, candidates endorsed by the PAC won 73% of their races. 

Florida’s first lady, Casey DeSantis, is considering a 2026 gubernatorial run in the race to succeed her husband. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The endorsement of Donalds comes as Florida first lady Casey DeSantis has acknowledged she is considering a 2026 gubernatorial run to succeed her husband in Tallahassee.

Trump and Florida’s first couple had breakfast together a week and a half ago at the president’s West Palm Beach golf course, and also played a round of golf. The governor shared a photo of his wife and Trump from the golf outing on social media.

RON AND CASEY DESANTIS TEE OFF WITH TRUMP AS FLORIDA GOVERNOR’S RACE HEATS UP

A Republican source in Florida confirmed to Fox News that the governor and first lady used their face-to-face time with Trump, in part, to appeal to the president to not further engage in the gubernatorial race beyond his initial endorsement of Donalds.

The president, who moved his primary residence to Florida in 2019, took to social media last month to write that Donalds – who was a major surrogate for Trump on the 2024 campaign trail – “would be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida.”

Trump added that Donalds, “should he decide to run, will have my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, BYRON, RUN!”

Byron Donalds speaks inside the Capital One arena on Inauguration Day in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025. (Reuters/Mike Segar)

An internal poll conducted for Donalds’ campaign indicated the congressman edging Casey DeSantis by single digits in a hypothetical GOP primary showdown. But the survey suggested that Donalds’ lead surged to more than 20 points when respondents were informed that he is supported by Trump, whose sway over the GOP is stronger than ever.

WHAT BYRON DONALDS TOLD FOX NEWS’ LARA TRUMP 

The Club’s endorsement of Donalds is their first effort this cycle to align with Trump in high-profile primaries.

Former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Club for Growth President David McIntosh, as Trump speaks at the group’s annual donor retreat, at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida, on March 1, 2024. (Club for Growth)

McIntosh and the Club have had an up-and-down relationship with Trump. They opposed him as he ran for the White House in 2016 before embracing him as an ally. In the 2022 cycle, Trump and the Club teamed up in some high-profile GOP primaries but clashed over combustible Senate nomination battles in Alabama, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

TRUMP, CLUB FOR GROWTH, MAKE PEACE AHEAD OF 2024 ELECTIONS

Additionally, the Club was on the outs with Trump as the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race got underway. Trump repeatedly criticized McIntosh and the Club, referring to them as “The Club for NO Growth,” and claimed they were “an assemblage of political misfits, globalists, and losers.”

However, Trump and McIntosh made peace about a year ago, with Trump saying in March 2024, as he was wrapping up the GOP presidential nomination, that they were “back in love” after the protracted falling out.

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“I think you’ll see Club for Growth PACs work closely with President Trump, his political team,” McIntosh told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview last month. “We’re definitely going to be working closely with his policy team to get the tax bill through. A lot of the legislation that we both agree is really important for turning things around in the country.”

Romania’s right-wing presidential frontrunner was barred from the race under criminal charges he compares to those President Donald Trump faced.

“We are faced with a communist regime as well,” Călin Georgescu, told Fox News Digital just before a Romanian electoral bureau barred him from running in a May presidential election rerun. Prosecutors opened a criminal case against him two weeks prior. 

Chaos broke out in the streets of Romania’s capital, Bucharest, after the bureau announced its decision to bar the right-wing populist from the ballot. Georgescu was the top vote-getter in the results of the first election, which were annulled. 

ROMANIA BLOCKS FRONTRUNNER FROM POSTPONED PRESIDENTIAL RACE

Supporters of Călin Georgescu confront riot police outside Romania’s central electoral bureau, after the rejection of his candidacy for the May presidential ballot re-run, in Bucharest, March 9, 2025. (Inquam Photos/George Calin via Reuters)

The charges against him stemmed from “communication of false information,” involvement with a fascist organization and “incitement to actions against the constitutional order.” 

“They are trying to destroy democracy,” Georgescu claimed. “They could not accept to lose the power and access to the money.” 

He claimed Romanian authorities are trying to “censor all the online sites.” 

Before emerging as a conservative political figure, Georgescu’s background was in sustainable development, and he worked on environmental issues at the United Nations. 

Georgescu is now appealing the ban on his candidacy, which prompted U.S. leaders to comment on the drama. The Constitutional Court is expected to weigh in on his appeal by Wednesday. 

 “How can a judge end democracy in Romania?” Elon Musk asked in an X post on Monday. 

ROMANIAN FAR-RIGHT PRESIDENTIAL FRONTRUNNER TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AFTER JD VANCE’S REBUKE OF EUROPEAN ELECTIONS

Călin Georgescu, the independent candidate for president who won the first election round, speaks after an interview with the Associated Press in Izvorani, Romania, Dec. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

The results of the first election were thrown out over accusations that Russia had launched a TikTok campaign to benefit Georgescu. 

The turmoil earned Romania a shoutout from Vice President JD Vance in his speech at the Munich Security Conference. 

“You can believe it’s wrong for Russia to buy social media advertisements to influence your elections. We certainly do. You can condemn it on the world stage, even. But if your democracy can be destroyed with a few hundred thousand dollars of digital advertising from a foreign country, then it wasn’t very strong to begin with.”

Georgescu thanked U.S. leaders for weighing in on his behalf, though he said he has not had contact with American government officials behind the scenes. 

Georgescu denied that Russia was at play in the first election, and claimed he was not the “pro-Russian” candidate. 

“I’m pro-Romanian. I have nothing to do with Russia,” he said. Nevertheless, Russia has said any election without Georgescu would be “illegitimate.”

ROMANIA ANNULS FIRST ROUND OF PRESIDENTIAL VOTE WON BY FAR-RIGHT CANDIDATE

A police officer extinguishes a fire as supporters of far-right candidate Călin Georgescu clash with riot police outside Romania’s central electoral bureau. ( Inquam Photos/George Calin via Reuters)

“It has nothing to do with [Russia]. It’s just a copy paste of the accusations made against Donald Trump. It’s just they changed the name Trump.” 

The politician has taken heat for describing Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “man who loves his country.” But he claims that critics twist his words advocating “peaceful settlement” in the war on Ukraine because they are “allergic to the word peace.” 

Georgescu has been critical of NATO and the European Union, and enthusiastically said he would cut off all aid to Ukraine if he took high office. 

Supporters of far-right candidate Călin Georgescu talk to riot police during a protest outside the Constitutional Court of Romania, where Georgescu is appealing the ban on his candidacy. (Reuters/Andreea Campeanu)

“We shall stop totally all the contributions related with Ukraine,” he said. 

Georgescu, who was little-known until a social media campaign for his candidacy took off last year, is also charged with obscuring the origins of campaign financing. 

Asked how he raised money for his campaign, Georgescu said: “The situation was very, very easy. I made the best of what I had… we established a strategy sent by social media and I said to the people, be free to do everything you want.” 

“The people in the moment when they realize they [can be] free… we won this point, because it’s a moment when the people are free, they can do miracles.”

“They accuse me for different things, they are very strange and awkward, no evidence in any situation,” said Georgescu, adding that he believes he is under investigation because “the oligarch system was exposed.”

Last week, Romania also expelled two military attachés with the Russian embassy. Their reason for expulsion was listed vaguely as taking part in actions that ran afoul of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. 

Asked if Russian influence was an issue in his country, Georgescu said: “I don’t know anything about that. The only thing which I know, I know that we have to have very good relationships with our neighbors, extremely good relationships with the neighbors, and very good relationships with all the big countries, particularly, of course, with, with Russia, with the United States, with China.”

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“Of course, we cannot allow [anybody] to intervene in our country. This is all. But we have to have very good relationships with everybody.”

He declined to say whether he would pull Romania out of NATO. 

“The United States is the first partner,” he said. “So whatever I have to do, whatever I wish to do, this is the main part which I recognize. The United States as a principle flag of democracy and freedom. And this is the principle partner which I’m looking for.”

A federal judge on Monday ordered the Trump administration to pay the remainder of foreign aid owed to contractors for completed work, noting in a new court ruling that the administration likely violated the separation of powers doctrine by “unlawfully impounding” nearly $2 billion in funds appropriated by Congress.

U.S. District Court Judge Amir Ali, a Biden appointee, said in the ruling that the Trump administration likely exceeded its Constitutional authorities in attempting to block the payments owed by the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to grant recipients and foreign aid contractors.

“Here, the executive has unilaterally deemed that funds Congress appropriated for foreign aid will not be spent,” Ali said.

“The executive not only claims his constitutional authority to determine how to spend appropriated funds, but usurps Congress’s exclusive authority to dictate whether the funds should be spent in the first place.”

SCOTUS RULES ON NEARLY $2 BILLION IN FROZEN USAID PAYMENTS

A worker removes the U.S. Agency for International Development sign on their headquarters on Feb. 07, 2025 in Washington, DC.  (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

Ali said the limits of the case, which focuses solely on projects completed before Feb. 13, prevent him from ordering the administration to make payments on other work, or ordering the reinstatement of other contracts. 

As of last Friday, that amount owed by the government stood at around $671 million. It is unclear whether additional payments have been made, though Ali ordered the plaintiffs to file a joint status report by March 14 appraising the court of the Trump administration’s compliance with the order. 

President Donald Trump attempted to freeze USAID payments after billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) flagged foreign aid spending as highly wasteful and fraudulent. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Plaintiffs were also told to propose a schedule for next steps in this matter. “The Court is prepared to hold a prompt hearing at the request of the parties to address any feasibility concerns,” Ali said in the 48-page opinion.

Ali also dedicated a large portion of the 48-page ruling to arguments that the Trump administration likely usurped its executive authority under the Constitution in ordering a blanket freeze on nearly all foreign aid payments in a Jan. 20 executive order, and a memo just four days later that curtailed foreign aid funding and restructured existing contracts. 

LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS

Volunteers at the Zanzalima Camp for Internally Displaced People unload 50 kilogram saks of Wheat flour that were a part of an aid delivery from USAID on December 17, 2021 in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.  (J. Countess/Getty Images)

Ali had previously ordered the Trump administration to pay all owed foreign aid funds for previously completed work, totaling $1.9 billion, by Feb. 26 at 11:59 p.m. 

The Supreme Court took up the case for emergency review last week, but ruled 5-4 to reject the administration’s request to extend the freeze. Instead, the court remanded the case back to the D.C. federal court, and Ali to hash out the specifics of what must be paid, and when.

But the bulk of last week’s hearing in D.C. federal court, which stretched on for more than four hours, focused largely on the government’s role and review of all foreign aid contractors and grants, which Trump administration lawyers told Ali they had already completed and made final decisions for.

Lawyers were also pressed over whether the Trump administration can legally move to terminate projects whose funds are allocated and appropriated by Congress – something Ali referenced specifically in his ruling.

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“The provision and administration of foreign aid has been a joint enterprise between our two political branches,” he said. “That partnership is built not out of convenience, but of constitutional necessity.”

These arguments – and the ruling from Ali – could eventually kick the issue back up to the Supreme Court, should the government move to appeal any part of the memo or the allegations. 

FIRST ON FOX: Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is putting pressure on House Democrats hours before a critical vote on a bill to avert a partial government shutdown before the end of this week.

The clip, which runs just under two minutes, is a supercut of top Democratic lawmakers emphasizing that their party does not support government shutdowns nor the office closures and mass furloughs that come with them.

“House Democrats have long warned about the consequences of a government shutdown,” the text on the screen begins.

The message is immediately followed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., stating during a press conference, “We believe in governance. We want to keep government open. A shutdown is very serious.”

MASSIE SAYS HE’S A ‘NO’ ON TRUMP-ENDORSED GOVERNMENT FUNDING MEASURE

House Speaker Mike Johnson is using Democrats’ own past words on shutdowns against them in a new pressure campaign. (Getty Images)

“It is not normal to hold 800,000 workers’ paychecks hostage. It is not normal to shut down the government when we don’t get what we want,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., says on the House floor in another clip.

The video ends with white text on a black screen that reads, “What’s changed? Now Democrats want to shut down the government to try to stop President Trump.”

“Democrats have railed against government shutdowns. But now they’re supporting one,” Johnson told Fox News Digital in a written statement. “They’re willing to do anything to stop President Trump from implementing his agenda.”

It’s a marked escalation in the war of words between Democrats and Republicans over a plan President Donald Trump and GOP leaders are pushing to avert a partial shutdown.

The 99-page bill released by House GOP leaders over the weekend would keep the government funded through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2025, on Sept. 30. 

The bill is backed by President Donald Trump. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

It would do so by extending FY 2024 government funding levels, which Republican leaders have celebrated as a victory in that it roughly keeps federal spending levels for another year, rather than the expected increases that come with the annual full-year congressional appropriations bills.

The bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), is expected to get a House-wide vote on Tuesday afternoon.

Democrats have strongly condemned the bill after not receiving assurances from Republicans that it would include constraints on Trump’s authority, particularly related to government spending.

“The partisan House Republican funding bill recklessly cuts healthcare, nutritional assistance, and $23 billion in veterans benefits,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a joint statement with other Democratic leaders. “Equally troublesome, the legislation does nothing to protect Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid, while exposing the American people to further pain throughout this fiscal year. We are voting No.”

TRUMP-BACKED PLAN TO AVERT SHUTDOWN HEADS FOR HOUSE VOTE

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House GOP leadership aides said over the weekend that the bill included an additional $6 billion for veterans healthcare, and Republicans have pushed back on accusations that the bill touches Medicare and Medicaid – mandatory government programs that cannot significantly be cut into in the congressional appropriations process.

But passing the bill with little to no Democratic support will be an uphill battle for Republican leaders. At least half a dozen Republicans are undecided about or opposed to the bill as of Tuesday morning.

But GOP leaders were confident it would pass throughout Monday. “We’re going to plan to move it tomorrow,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said on Monday night.

House Democrats have launched an effort to bar President Donald Trump from unilaterally moving to “invade or seize territory” from Greenland, Canada and Panama. 

The measure, known as the No Invading Allies Act and spearheaded by Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., bars funding from going toward the armed forces to engage in operations seeking to take over Greenland, Canada and Panama. 

Magaziner said Trump’s “reckless” rhetoric about obtaining territory from the three countries makes the president untrustworthy with the war powers granted to him. 

“Americans do not support sending troops unnecessary wars, especially with allies of the United States who pose no threat to our country,” Magaziner said in a Monday statement to Fox News Digital. “Unfortunately, President Trump has recklessly refused to rule out taking the territory of other nations by force. Under the Constitution it is Congress, not the President, who has the power to declare war. It is time for Congress to reclaim that constitutional power and ensure that the President adheres to the will of the American people.” 

TRUMP SAYS US WOULD WELCOME GREENLAND DURING JOINT ADDRESS TO CONGRESS

President Donald Trump has made comments recently about acquiring territory from Panama, as well as Greenland and Canada. (Jim WATSON / AFP, left, ARNULFO FRANCO / AFP, right.)

While the U.S. Constitution dictates that Congress has the authority to approve declaring an act of war, Congress last formally declared war in 1942, and modern presidents have entered conflicts without securing explicit or formal congressional approval, according to the National Constitution Center. 

Furthermore, the War Powers Resolution of 1973 requires the executive branch to notify Congress within 48 hours of military action and bars troops from remaining engaged for more than 60 days without congressional approval. However, the legislation does not define “hostilities,” and previous administrations have asserted their actions engaging military forces did not qualify as hostilities and, therefore, congressional approval was not required, according to the Project on Government Oversight. 

Other Democratic lawmakers who have co-sponsored the measure include Reps. Eric Swallwell of California and Pramila Jayapal of Washington. The legislation has been referred to both the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees. 

Trump has discussed acquiring Greenland, Canada and Panama for months – and has regularly referred to Canada as the 51st state in the U.S. Additionally, Trump asserted in a joint address to Congress on Tuesday that the U.S. would reclaim the Panama Canal for security reasons and acquire Greenland. 

“And I also have a message tonight for the incredible people of Greenland,” Trump said. “We strongly support your right to determine your own future, and if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America.” 

Trump has discussed the possibility of expanding American territory for months and said in a post in December 2024 on Truth Social that “the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.” 

GREENLAND, PANAMA FIERCELY REJECT TRUMP’S AMBITIONS IN ADDRESS TO CONGRESS

President Donald Trump discussed the matter of taking territory from Panama and Greenland on March 4 during a joint address to Congress. (Win McNamee/Getty Images/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, leaders from Greenland, which is a territory of Denmark, and Panama pushed back on Trump’s comments to Congress. 

“We do not want to be Americans, nor Danes, we are Kalaallit (Greenlanders),” Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede said in a post on Facebook translated by Reuters. “The Americans and their leader must understand that.” 

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“I reject, on behalf of Panama and all Panamanians, this new affront to the truth and to our dignity as a nation,” Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said in a post on X on Wednesday. 

Meanwhile, Republicans have cast doubt on whether Trump would actually launch a military conflict against countries like Greenland. For example, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said in an interview with NBC in January that the U.S. would not “invade another country.” 

“Quite frankly, the president’s been very clear,” Lankford said. “He is the president that kept American troops out of war. He is not looking to be able to go start a war, to go expand American troops, but he does want to be able to protect America’s national security, and part of that is our economic security and our future.”

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would purchase a Tesla car to support his senior advisor Elon Musk amid nationwide protests against the electric automaker.

Trump said “Radical Left Lunatics” are attempting to boycott Tesla, which he called Musk’s “baby.”

“To Republicans, Conservatives, and all great Americans, Elon Musk is ‘putting it on the line’ in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!” Trump wrote on Truth Social shortly after midnight on Tuesday. “But the Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World’s great automakers, and Elon’s ‘baby,’ in order to attack and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for.”

MUSK CLAIMS GEORGE SOROS, LINKEDIN CO-FOUNDER REID HOFFMAN ARE FUNDING ‘PROTESTS’ AGAINST TESLA

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would purchase a Tesla car to support Elon Musk amid protests against the automaker. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

“They tried to do it to me at the 2024 Presidential Ballot Box, but how did that work out?” Trump continued.

The president explained that he was going to purchase a car from Tesla to show his support for Musk.

“In any event, I’m going to buy a brand new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American,” Trump wrote. “Why should he be punished for putting his tremendous skills to work in order to help MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN???”

“Thank you, President @realDonaldTrump!” Musk responded on X.

Trump said “Radical Left Lunatics” are attempting to boycott Elon Musk’s Tesla in an attempt “to attack and do harm to Elon.” (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Tesla car owners, dealerships and charging stations have been targeted nationwide by protesters and vandals over Musk’s involvement with the Trump administration’s newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Protesters rallied outside Tesla dealerships on Saturday, holding signs denouncing Musk and DOGE, and cars and windows at an Oregon Tesla dealership were damaged by gunshots fired by protesters last week.

A man was also arrested after Molotov cocktails were thrown at a Tesla dealership in Salem, Oregon.

TESLA VEHICLES, CHARGING STATIONS TARGETED AS PROTESTERS DENOUNCE DOGE, ELON MUSK

Tesla car owners, dealerships and charging stations have been targeted nationwide by protesters and vandals over Musk’s involvement with DOGE. (Brandon Bell/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo)

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Additionally, several Tesla charging stations have been set on fire in Massachusetts, and the U.S. attorney’s office in Colorado charged a suspect after police say they found a number of explosives and concerning messages at a Tesla dealership.

Fox News’ Stepheny Price contributed to this report.