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President Donald Trump has used his new powers to dismiss a slew of lawsuits filed under former President Joe Biden, including challenges to state abortion bans, allegations of racism in police and fire departments, environmental and anti-whistleblower cases, and various business-related disputes. Meanwhile, he has largely left Biden-era antitrust lawsuits untouched.

The Trump administration took steps as recently as this week to drop a lawsuit challenging Idaho’s abortion ban that only permits the procedures when necessary to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest. The Biden administration tried to circumvent the state ban with its lawsuit that argued the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) required doctors to provide abortions in cases when they are needed to prevent serious health consequences, not just the life of the mother.

“Democrats’ abortion extremism cost them the election,” said Katie Daniel, Director of Legal Affairs & Policy Counsel at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. “With President Trump and a new administration in charge, Biden’s weaponization of the federal government is over — no more lawfare. The will of the people is clear and activist judges must not interfere.”

PRO-LIFE LEADERS URGE TRUMP TO REVERSE HIS IVF STAND, SAY THE TECHNOLOGY IS ‘NOT PRO-LIFE’

Doctors join abortion rights supporters at a rally outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on April 24, 2024. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Multiple federal civil rights cases revolving around hiring discrimination have also been dropped under Trump. The Department of Justice (DOJ) said it intends to drop a 2023 case alleging anti-immigrant hiring practices at Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Additionally, several federal civil rights lawsuits accusing police and fire departments of racial discrimination based on their provision of certain physical fitness tests and other requirements like credit checks have also been dropped.

“American communities deserve firefighters and police officers to be chosen for their skill and dedication to public safety — not to meet DEI quotas,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement after dismissing the lawsuits that had been levied against multiple jurisdictions around the country.

TRUMP TO SHIFT AWAY FROM DEI VISA POLICY THAT ‘SURGED’ UNDER BIDEN, EXPERT SAYS

A sign at the U.S. Department of Justice building in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

A former DOJ civil rights attorney, Heritage Foundation Senior Legal Fellow Hans von Spakovsky said that in one of the cases against a fire department in Cobb County, Georgia, a judge refused to grant a settlement proposed by the Biden administration due to a lack of evidence proving physical fitness tests and credit report checks are racially discriminatory toward minorities. Spakovsky noted that settlements are typically approved by judges, but the one in Cobb County sought to set up racial hiring quotas that the judge likened to “a racial spoils system,” he said. 

“Here’s a direct quote from the judge: ‘The court will not approve of an agreement which may violate the rights of others without a sufficient evidentiary basis to show that such race-based action is warranted,’” Spakovsky said. 

“The broad scope of all of these dropped civil rights cases,” he concluded, “is that they are throwing out the ones — in my opinion — that call on defendants to violate federal laws against discrimination.”

TRUMP WANTS ‘ACTIVIST’ GROUPS THAT SUE THE GOVERNMENT TO PUT UP MONEY IF THEY LOSE

Two other high-profile lawsuits recently dropped by the Trump administration include a Biden-era Environmental Protection Agency case against local Louisiana regulators and the synthetic rubber manufacturer Denka, which alleged failure to adequately protect the predominantly minority community near its plant from cancer risks linked to air pollution.

Another dropped case involved a medical whistleblower, Dr. Eithan Haim, who faced prosecution from Biden’s DOJ after he leaked documents to the media revealing Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston was performing transgender medical procedures on minors, even after it said it had stopped complying with new state regulations.

Dr. Phil spoke with multiple whistleblowers who were sounding the alarm about transgender procedures’ impact on youth. Among them was Dr. Eithan Haim, who faced prosecution from former President Joe Biden’s DOJ after he leaked documents to the media revealing Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston was performing transgender medical procedures on minors, even after it said it had stopped to comply with new state regulations.

Trump has also dropped a number of consumer protection and cryptocurrency lawsuits, but has done little in the way of disrupting the Biden administration’s antitrust enforcement, something tech professionals were expecting after the last administration challenged Big Tech companies aggressively for allegedly building monopolies.   

“It’s a big plus for the crypto and fintech sector as a whole, because you just see them celebrating, like you see social posts online of a lot of these executives at those companies that just missed lawsuits who are really happy,” said Kison Patel, a financial tech entrepreneur and the host of “M&A Science,” a podcast about mergers and acquisitions. “It seems like there’s going to be less scrutiny and regulations around that sector.”

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Patel added that while mergers and acquisitions were expected to ramp up this year, he isn’t so sure anymore considering the approach Trump has signaled towards antitrust enforcement.

“I think there’s still a lot to watch in the antitrust area,” said Patel, who pointed to a new case the Federal Trade Commission has brought against a medical device company on antitrust grounds. “But, the take home is there doesn’t appear to be a big shift in position in the realm of regulations around antitrust.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the Justice Department for comment on this story, but did not hear back by press time. 

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. — who, in the wake of President Donald Trump’s address before a joint session of Congress, accused his own party of “a sad cavalcade of self owns and unhinged petulance” — issued a tweet on Friday in which he once again called out Democrats.

“#TheResistance,” he wrote, going on to list, “Snub a 13 year-old cancer survivor,” “Joint Address Protest Paddle Bonanza” and “Bizarre ‘Pick Your Fighter’ videos.”

“Hold our beer: Government Shutdown!” he continued, cautioning, “Never, never, never vote for a shutdown—ever.”

FETTERMAN DISMAYED BY DEMS DISSING ‘TOUCHING MOMENT’ AT TRUMP SPEECH

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., talks with reporters in Russell building after a senate vote on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman’s office to request a comment from the lawmaker on Friday, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Trump honored 13-year-old DJ Daniel during the address this week, noting that Daniel, who wants to become a police officer, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018. 

“I am asking our new Secret Service Director, Sean Curran, to officially make you an agent of the United States Secret Service,” Trump told the young man.

It was a “touching moment,” Fetterman told Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital earlier this week. 

‘COULDN’T CLAP FOR A 13-YEAR-OLD BOY’: GOP SLAM ‘CHILDISH’ DEM SILENCE ON SUPPORTING CANCER SURVIVOR

During the president’s speech, some lawmakers held up signs with messages including “FALSE,” “SAVE MEDICAID,” “PROTECT VETERANS” and “MUSK STEALS.”

A viral video posted this week by social media influencer Sulhee Jessica Woo features Woo and several Democratic congresswomen posing in fighting stances, like video game characters — text on screen at the beginning of the video reads, “CHOOSE YOUR FIGHTER.” 

The video has been widely mocked, including by the White House. “Democrats Not Be Cringe Challenge. Level: Impossible,” the White House’s “Rapid Response 47” X account quipped.

SOCIAL MEDIA EXPLODES AFTER ‘CRINGE’ TIKTOK VIDEO OF AOC, HOUSE DEMS GOES VIRAL: ‘COULDN’T GET ANY LAMER’

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Fetterman’s post featured a screenshot of a Politico headline that read, “Senate Democrats’ impending choice: Shutdown or surrender.” 

President Donald Trump has been advocating for using a continuing resolution to avert an approaching government shutdown. “I am working with the GREAT House Republicans on a Continuing Resolution to fund the Government until September to give us some needed time to work on our Agenda,” he noted in a Truth Social post.

Getting enough votes to move a continuing resolution through the Senate will require some Democratic support.

“I’m never going to be a part of any vote that shuts the government down,” Fetterman said, according to Politico. “The fact that anyone on our side would even rattle those sabers, that’s bulls—,” he reportedly declared. “To think I’m going to burn the village down to save it, that’s bonkers.”

The Trump Organization is suing Capital One after the bank “unjustifiably” terminated more than 300 of the company’s bank accounts and accounts belonging to numerous Trump family members in 2021. 

Eric Trump told Fox News Digital he will hold major corporations accountable for the “egregious nature of canceling based on political bias.” 

The Trump Organization filed the lawsuit against Capital One in the Circuit Court of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit for Miami-Dade County, Florida, Friday. The plaintiffs in the case are Eric Trump, the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, DJT Holdings, DJT Holdings Managing Member and DTTM Operations. 

Eric Trump told Fox News Digital he will hold major corporations accountable for the “egregious nature of canceling based on political bias.”  (Curtis Means -Pool/Getty Images)

HERE’S WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT DEBANKING, THE UN-AMERICAN ABUSE OF POWER BY REGULATORS

On March 8, 2021, Capital One notified Trump and the plaintiffs that hundreds of bank accounts that they controlled, were beneficiaries of and actively used would be closed June 7, 2021. According to the lawsuit, Capital One did not provide Trump and the plaintiffs any “recourse, remedy, or alternative — its decision was final.” 

The accounts affiliated with the Trump Organization held millions of dollars belonging to them and their affiliated entities. 

Trump told Fox News Digital Friday that 300 business accounts were terminated, as well as various accounts belonging to numerous Trump family members. 

The Trump Organization, according to the lawsuit, has “deposited, transacted, and leveraged hundreds of millions of dollars with Capital One to grow and scale these businesses.” The lawsuit states that “Capital One has profited from Plaintiffs’ substantial deposits, impeccable creditworthiness, and the prestige associated with having a business relationship with President Trump.”

According to the lawsuit, Capital One did not provide Trump and the plaintiffs any advance notice and “unilaterally terminated” the accounts. 

“Capital One is supposed to represent Americans fairly,” Eric Trump told Fox News Digital.  (Leigh Vogel/Polaris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Plaintiffs suffered considerable financial harm and losses caused not only by the interruption to their access to Capitol One’s banking services, but also by the devastating impact on Plaintiff’s ability to transact and access their monies,” the lawsuit states. “Plaintiffs have reason to believe that Capital One’s unilateral decision came about as a result of political and social motivations and Capital One’s unsubstantiated, ‘woke’ beliefs that it needed to distance itself from President Trump and his conservative political views.

HOUSE OVERSIGHT CHAIRMAN SAYS THERE’S EVIDENCE OF CONSERVATIVE DEBANKING, HINTS AT INVESTIGATION

“In essence, Capital One ‘de-banked’ plaintiff’s accounts because Capital One believed that the political tide at the moment favored doing so,” the lawsuit continued. “In addition to the considerable financial harm that Plaintiffs and their affiliated entities suffered, Capital One’s reckless decision is part of a growing trend by financial institutions in the United States of America to cut off a consumer’s access to banking services if their political views contradict with those of the financial institution.” 

The lawsuit added that “Capital One’s conduct is but one example of a systemic, subversive industry practice that aims to coerce the public to shift and re-align” political views. 

The entrance to Trump Tower Oct. 24, 2022, in New York City.  (Leonardo Munoz/VIEWpress)

“Plaintiffs file this action to redress the harm they and their affiliated entities have suffered and shed light on a matter of great public interest and importance,” it states. 

SENATE BANKING PANEL HEARS DEBANKING TESTIMONY: ‘EXTREMELY DISRUPTIVE’

Eric Trump spoke exclusively to Fox News Digital Friday after filing the lawsuit to describe the “damage caused by the bank,” and the “weaponization seen in corporate America and by big banks that are otherwise monopolistic.” 

“Capital One is supposed to represent Americans fairly,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “Canceling golf courses, canceling residential buildings, retail outfits that impact the livelihoods of tens of thousands of employees is egregious and damaging and wrong in the United States of America — especially after having a flawless relationship for more than a decade.” 

Eric Trump told Fox News Digital the American people are “tired of the weaponization in corporate America.”  (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Trump told Fox News Digital the American people are “tired of the weaponization in corporate America.” 

“I can’t tell you how hard it is to change more than 300 bank accounts — and for no reason whatsoever,” Trump said. “These were hotels and golf courses, residential buildings and commercial buildings, retail outlets and skating rinks and parking garages. There was no political affiliation. These were not political entities.

“The only common denominator was that they wore the Trump name.

TRUMP CONFRONTS BANK OF AMERICA CEO FOR NOT TAKING ‘CONSERVATIVE BUSINESS’

“America is sick and tired of political lawfare,” Trump added. “As a person and as a company, I won’t stand for major corporations that seek to inflict incredible harm and damage on people who might have opposing views.

“I will hold them and others accountable. This is just the beginning.” 

Sources have indicated that Chase, Bank of America and TD Bank also debanked Trump at the time and could face similar legal action in the days and weeks to come.

A Capital One spokesperson told Fox News Digital that: “Capital One has not and does not close customer accounts for political reasons.”

FIRST ON FOX: It’s not easy in today’s political climate to get Democrats and Republicans into a friendly, collaborative space together.

But that’s exactly what happened this week when Lynda Carter, star of the 1970s ABC hit “Wonder Woman,” joined a bipartisan reception on Capitol Hill aimed at getting the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum built.

“It’s often said that certain kinds of men built America. And that is not exactly the truth, because we were there,” Carter told Fox News Digital in an interview during the event. “Most people don’t know about our stories, about the women of America that helped to build our great nation. Those are the stories that I’m excited to have you hear about.”

Despite a bustling day of events Monday, a day before President Donald Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress, more than two dozen lawmakers found time to stop by a modest room on the first floor of the U.S. Capitol, where Carter was engaging with others in a bid to get the museum built.

GOP REBELS HEAD TO WHITE HOUSE FOR MEETING TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

Lynda Carter was on Capitol Hill for an event promoting a Smithsonian Women’s History Museum. (Fox News Digital)

Funding for the women’s museum was appropriated in 2020 and signed into law during Trump’s first term. 

Now, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., is leading a bill to actually give the museum a spot along the National Mall so it can finally be built.

“We’re very fortunate to be here with a bipartisan effort. And we have 80 co-sponsors of our legislation, both Democrats and Republicans,” Malliotakis told Fox News Digital. 

“It’s very important, so we can share the stories of the women who have come before us,” she added before listing famous females like Rosie the Riveter, a group of Black nurses who worked with tuberculosis patients in the 1900s, known as the Black Angels, and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

And their effort is getting recognized by the very top levels of Congress.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., briefly stopped by the event and spoke with attendees, at one point appearing cheerful during a conversation with Carter.

Lynda Carter was honored by the bipartisan Women’s caucus (From left to right: Reps. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, Lynda Carter, Reps. Emilia Sykes, D-Ohio, and Janelle Bynum, D-Ore. (U.S. House of Representatives)

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was also at the event, as were both male and female members of Congress on both sides of the aisle.

“This is the second and final step of the process,” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., who is co-leading the effort, told Fox News Digital. “Obviously, it’s an important one, because this is the site selection. The hard part was getting it authorized, that’s already done.”

Former Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., who has championed women’s rights for decades, said she had spoken with Johnson during the event and “it seemed like he was gonna look for the votes.”

“I know how effective he is,” Maloney praised. “We’re gonna get it done this time.”

Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., another Democrat leading the effort in Congress right now, affirmed: “We are going to get it done.”

VANCE TAKES VICTORY IN BORDER VISIT AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT NUMBERS PLUMMET 

Lynda Carter is best known for playing “Wonder Woman.”

Dingell did not hesitate when asked whether she was confident about whether the project could be completed despite the current political environment. 

“It has to,” she said.

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It was an evening of bipartisanship for Carter as well, a noted Democrat who campaigned for former Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 campaign.

She credited both Republicans and Democrats, however, for coming together on the issue of the museum. 

The event culminated with the co-chairs of the bipartisan Women’s caucus – Malliotakis, along with Reps. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, Emilia Sykes, D-Ohio, and Janelle Bynum, D-Ore. – presenting Carter with a frame memorializing her contributions to women in the Congressional Record.

The two most vulnerable Democratic senators voted against advancing a bill this week to prevent biological males from participating in women’s and girls’ sports, despite popular public support for such a policy. Now, they’re justifying why they did it. 

“I listened to what I heard in New Hampshire, and what we heard from people who were keeping track of how many — Charlie Baker, for example, who heads the NCAA, who said that it only applies to one person,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., told Fox News Digital. 

“I don’t think we need legislation to do that. I think we can police it through the organizations,” she said.

SENATE BID TO PREVENT BOYS FROM PLAYING GIRLS’ SPORTS GETS STUCK ON FILIBUSTER

Sens. Ossoff and Shaheen explained why they voted with all Democrats to block a bill to bar males from women’s sports. (Getty Images)

“This bill was overreach,” Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a statement. 

“School districts and athletic associations can ensure fair, safe competition without subjecting the bodies of adolescent student athletes — children — to intrusive investigation by the federal government,” he said. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Ossoff’s office but did not hear back in time for publication. 

In a recent New York Times/Ipsos survey, the vast majority of Americans said men and boys who identify as transgender women and girls “should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports.” 

However, in a Senate procedural vote on Monday, every single voting Democrat blocked the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act from moving on to a final vote on passage. 

All voting Republicans voted in favor of limiting debate on the measure. If the bill had received enough favorable votes on the motion, it would have overcome the legislative filibuster, which is what the 60-vote threshold on Senate cloture motions is often called. 

TRUMP FDA NOMINEE TURNS VACCINE QUESTION ON DEM, RECALLING CONTROVERSIAL BIDEN DECISION

President Donald Trump signs an executive order barring transgender female athletes from competing in women’s or girls’ sporting events, in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in Washington.  (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Because the vote was only 51 to 45, the bill won’t move forward to a final vote at this time. 

Among Democrats in the NYT/Ipsos poll, 67% agreed with Republicans that biological males shouldn’t be allowed to participate in female sports. 

The bill, introduced by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., would require Title IX to treat gender as “recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth” and would not allow for it to be applied to a differing gender identity. 

“This past week showed us how evil the Democrat party truly is. Every single senator voted to strip away the rights of women and girls everywhere,” Tuberville said in a statement. 

“Both Sen. Jon Ossoff and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen pretend to care about women, but they clearly don’t give a rip about their privacy, safety, or right to fair competition. They think protecting female athletes is an ‘overreach,’ but are perfectly okay with forcing women to share locker rooms and shower with fully intact males. One thing is clear: Jon Ossoff and Jeanne Shaheen are completely out of touch with their voters.”

After their votes, the National Republican Senatorial Committee took a shot at its top Senate targets. “Jon Ossoff could have joined the overwhelming majority of Georgians in the fight for common sense and keeping men out of women’s sports,” NRSC Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia said in a statement. “Instead, he told parents and their daughters that Democrats believe they must play sports and share locker rooms and bathrooms with biological males.”

TRUMP’S BIPARTISAN-BACKED LABOR PICK CLEARS LAST HURDLE BEFORE CABINET CONFIRMATION

Demonstrators protest in support of rights for transgender youth. (Fox News )

Both Shaheen and Ossoff are up for re-election in 2026 in New Hampshire and Georgia. While Ossoff has been gearing up for a tough Senate battle for months, Shaheen has yet to announce whether she will be running. 

She is expected to announce her decision at some point this month, sources in New Hampshire confirmed to Fox News Digital. 

Shaheen is the only remaining Senate Democrat in a competitive seat who has not yet publicly revealed her re-election plans. 

Gov. Brian Kemp, R-Ga., is the GOP favorite to take on Ossoff for the southern state’s Senate seat, but he has not said whether he will launch a bid. He said he has “really got a lot on my plate right now,” in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.

INSIDE ELON MUSK’S HUDDLE WITH GOP SENATORS: DOGE HEAD TOUTS $4M SAVINGS PER DAY

Kemp hasn’t said whether he will run for Senate. (Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images.)

“I’m in the middle of my legislative session. We’ve got a big tort reform fight going on. I’m chairing the Republican Governors Association. I made a commitment on that.” 

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“I know I can’t keep holding out forever, so we’ll have something to say on that down the road,” he added. 

Nonpartisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report has rated the Georgia Senate race as a “Toss Up,” while the New Hampshire seat is considered “Lean Democratic.” 

The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors Friday voted to close its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) office after President Trump’s executive orders against DEI efforts in the federal government. 

“DEI is done at UVA,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin wrote on X Friday. “Today, the University of Virginia Board of Visitors voted for commonsense saying NO to illegal discrimination and YES to merit-based opportunity. Students at Mr. Jefferson’s University—and across America—deserve unlimited intellectual freedom, not ideological gatekeeping.”

The university’s Board of Visitors is made up of 17 voting members appointed by the governor.

“This is a huge step to restoring the values of Mr. Jefferson, who founded the university, who understood that we are all created equal, and that’s exactly what this is about — ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity,” Youngkin said on the “Ingraham Angle” Friday. 

TRUMP TO SHIFT AWAY FROM DEI VISA POLICY THAT ‘SURGED’ UNDER BIDEN, EXPERT SAYS

The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors on Friday voted to close its diversity, equity and inclusion office.  (Daxia Rojas/AFP via Getty Images)

He said the university’s resolution also eliminates “any program that violates the Constitution, the Civil Rights Act or, of course, President Trump’s executive order that laid all of this out and prohibits moving these programs someplace else where they would be hidden or using third-party contractors.” 

Youngkin said his administration has been working against DEI efforts in the state since his election.

“We, of course, embrace the idea that we come from a diverse society, diverse experiences, and, of course, diverse views, and that, of course, is one of our strengths as a nation, but we have to eliminate illegal discrimination,” he explained. 

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin applauded the resolution.  (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

“And now we’re in a moment where we have our flagship university make a very clear statement that DEI is done at the University of Virginia,” he added. 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CLARIFIES DEI GUIDELINES, SAYING BLACK HISTORY MONTH DOESN’T VIOLATE ORDER

The resolution said the “University’s Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Partnerships is hereby dissolved,” adding the school “shall immediately transfer permissible programs to a new organizational home.” 

The resolution didn’t specify what would count as a “permissible” program. 

The resolution added that the university’s president would update the board on compliance within 30 days. 

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The board cited the university’s mission statement, which “includes a commitment to [developing] the full potential of talented students from all walks of life” in its resolution.

It continued by saying that the board “highly values diversity, including diversity of thought and experience, and fosters an inclusive environment, encouraging a culture of opportunity for all, which immensely enriches our Grounds, and is committed to providing every student an education that is free from discrimination and grounded in merit.”

President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social Friday that he had appointed a number of new ambassadors.

Trump announced Amer Ghalib will serve as the U.S. ambassador to Kuwait. 

“As the Mayor of the City of Hamtramck, Michigan, Amer worked hard to help us secure a Historic Victory in Michigan,” Trump wrote.

Hamtramck, Mich., Mayor Amer Ghalib will serve as the U.S. ambassador to Kuwait.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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

Ghalib earned a medical degree from the Ross University School of Medicine and continues to serve his community as a proud healthcare professional. 

“I know he will make our Country proud in this new role. Congratulations Amer,” Trump wrote.

Trump then announced Duke Buchan III would serve as U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco. 

Duke Buchan III will serve as the U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco. (Europa Press Entertainment/Europa Press via Getty Images)

SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR CURRAN ‘CONFIDENT’ THE AGENCY WILL SOLVE FAILED TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS

“Duke will play a pivotal role as we strengthen Peace, Freedom, and Prosperity for both of our Countries,” Trump wrote. “Congratulations to Duke and his wonderful family!”

Trump named Lynda Blanchard the next U.S. ambassador to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome, Italy. 

“During my First Term, Lynda did a great job as U.S. Ambassador to Slovenia,” the president wrote. “She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Science from Auburn University and, alongside her husband, she helped build a very successful Real Estate company. I know she will work incredibly hard for our Nation. Congratulations Lynda!”

Lynda Blanchard will serve as the next U.S. ambassador to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome, Italy.  (Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The final announcement named Michel Issa as U.S. ambassador to Lebanon. 

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“Michel is an outstanding businessman, a financial expert, and a leader with a remarkable career in Banking, Entrepreneurship, and International Trade,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social Friday night. “I have no doubt that he will serve our Country with Honor and Distinction. Congratulations Michel!”

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content.

Here’s what’s happening…

-New report reveals illegal immigrant population hit new high during Biden-era crisis

-House education chair backs Trump move to abolish federal agency

–Kamala Harris reveals timetable for making major political decision in deep Blue state

Something’s going to happen 

President Donald Trump signaled that a nuclear deal with Iran could emerge in the near future, just over a month after his administration reinstated a “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran. 

Trump on Friday told reporters that the U.S. is “down to the final moments” negotiating with Iran, and that he hoped military intervention would prove unnecessary. 

“It’s an interesting time in the history of the world. But we have a situation with Iran that something is going to happen very soon, very, very soon,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “You’ll be talking about that pretty soon, I guess. Hopefully, we can have a peace deal. I’m not speaking out of strength or weakness, I’m just saying I’d rather see a peace deal than the other. But the other will solve the problem.”…Read more

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Donald Trump (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo)

White House

STEELE THE SHOW: Trump cuts off federal resources for law firm that helped fuel 2016 Russia hoax

COULD FOREIGN AID FREEZE SEE A THAW?: U.S. judge orders Trump admin to pay portion of $2B in foreign aid by Monday

GRANTS CUT: Trump cuts more than $400 million in grants to Columbia over antisemitism concerns, more to potentially come

A pro-Palestinian demonstrator holds a flag on the rooftop of Hamilton Hall at Columbia University in New York, US, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024.  (Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

World Stage

‘BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE’: Trump threatens sanctions on Russia, demands peace after major hits in Ukraine

‘MOST INTERESTED’: Zelenskyy confirms Ukraine will attend U.S. peace talks in Saudi Arabia, 1 week after Oval Office clash

MONEY TROUBLES?: UN prepping for spending cuts as DOGE roots out waste in US, internal docs show

HEALTH BATTLE: Pope Francis still getting oxygen therapy, will not read Sunday prayers

Pope Francis waves from the central loggia of St. Peter’s basilica during the Easter ‘Urbi et Orbi’ message and blessing to the City and the World as part of the Holy Week celebrations, in the Vatican on March 31, 2024. (Tiziana Fabi/Pool/AFP/Getty)

Capitol Hill

‘MADE US LOOK HEARTLESS’: Rep. Ro Khanna describes interaction with flight attendant following Trump speech

THIS LAND IS OUR LAND: Congress exposes China’s potential loophole for Trump tariffs: ‘Drawing a line in the sand’

Across America 

‘INVESTIGATE AND ENFORCE’: HHS expands Title IX probe in Maine to include state association governing athletics, embattled high school

BRAGG IS BACK: Fort Bragg is back: Army renames N.C. base to honor World War II hero

‘JUST THE BEGINNING’: Trump Organization, Eric Trump sue Capital One for ‘unjustifiable’ 2021 debanking based on ‘woke’ beliefs 

BREAKING NEWS: Bryan Kohberger case: Idaho court releases surviving housemates’ text messages from night of student murders

‘FALSE AND MISLEADING’: Noem team demands end to ‘fake news’ reports she spent $650K as governor on credit card — it was $2K

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and a cease and desist letter.  (Getty Images)

WASTING MONEY: DOGE says government paying for 11,020 Adobe Acrobat licenses with zero users, plus more ‘idle’ accounts

‘ABSOLUTELY FACTUAL’: Stranded astronaut says he believes Musk’s claims Biden refused to conduct rescue mission

COME NORTH: Top Dem governor issues order aiming to help fill ‘critical’ state jobs as DOGE cuts federal bureaucracy

‘DEEPLY UNFAIR’: Newsom calls biological men in women’s sports ‘deeply unfair’ in podcast with conservative activist

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

A 47-year-old South Carolina man faces federal charges after he allegedly threatened to kill President Donald Trump. 

Travis Keith Lang, 47, of Irmo, South Carolina, was arraigned on federal charges Friday in a Columbia courthouse after being arrested Thursday. 

He pleaded not guilty and was denied bond. 

Lang is being held at the Lexington County Detention Center, according to WLTX-TV. 

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

A 47-year-old South Carolina man faces federal charges after he allegedly threatened to kill President Trump.  (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Lang’s indictment, filed Tuesday, said he had threatened to “take the life of, to kidnap, and to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States.”

The U.S. Secret Service is investigating the allegations. 

Lang is scheduled to next appear in court for a March 14 bond hearing. 

SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR CURRAN ‘CONFIDENT’ THE AGENCY WILL SOLVE FAILED TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS

Last year, Lang filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for president as a Republican, but he was not on the Republican primary ballot in South Carolina or anywhere else, and the only donation he received was for $6,000 from himself, according to FEC filings. 

He could face up to five years in prison, the South Carolina Daily Gazette reported, citing the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Carolina.

Travis Keith Lang, 47 (Lexington County Sheriff’s Office)

Lang’s Facebook page still says “Travis Lang for President,” and his picture on his social media accounts is a split of his face and Abraham Lincoln. 

He has also been critical of former President Joe Biden, at one point in 2023 writing on Facebook that Congress should begin articles of impeachment against him. 

A U.S. attorney this week told a judge that Lang had previously made multiple threats to both Trump and Biden, the newspaper reported, adding that the Secret Service had visited him to tell him to stop making threats. 

President Trump was shot in the ear during a rally in Pennsylvania in July.  (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)

Lang referenced the Secret Service visit on his social media, claiming it was sent there because Biden got “scared” when Lang decided to run for president. 

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The threats come after Trump faced two assassination attempts last year, including when he was grazed in the ear by a bullet while speaking at an outdoor campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office and the Secret Service for comment. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.  

Former two-term Republican Gov. Paul LePage of Maine is considering a 2026 run for Congress.

A source on Friday confirmed to Fox News the conservative firebrand is mulling a bid in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District. The mostly rural district comprises roughly 80% of the state’s total land area and is the largest congressional district east of the Mississippi River.

The seat is held by Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, a Marine veteran who served combat tours in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Golden is a moderate Democrat who is often at odds with his party’s leadership.

HOUSE GOP CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE CHAIR MAKES 2026 PREDICTION

Former Republican Gov. Paul LePage of Maine sat down for an interview with Fox News Digital during his 2022 gubernatorial campaign in Westbrook, Maine, July 13, 2022 (Fox News/Paul Steinhauser)

LePage, first elected governor in 2010 and re-elected four years later, was prevented by term limits from seeking a third straight term in 2018. 

The pugnacious LePage became known both inside Maine and across the country for stirring controversy due to his off-the-cuff remarks. He also often touted that “I was Donald Trump before Donald Trump became popular.”

HOUSE DEMOCRATIC RE-ELECTION CHAIR REVEALS MIDTERMS BLUEPRINT

He made an unsuccessful comeback in 2022 against his successor, losing the gubernatorial election to Democratic Gov. Janet Mills.

Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine speaks at a news conference Nov. 1, 2022, at the State House in Augusta, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

There’s speculation that Golden, who won re-election in November by a razor-thin margin, is considering a run for governor in 2026, when Mills is term-limited.

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Maine is one of just two states, along with Nebraska, that divides its electoral votes in the presidential election by congressional district. And Trump won the single electoral vote at stake in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District by carrying the district in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections.

The GOP, when at full strength, will hold a razor-thin 220-215 majority in the House, which means the Democrats only need a three-seat gain in 2026 to win back the chamber for the first time in four years.

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And Republicans are also dealing with plenty of political history because the party in power traditionally faces electoral headwinds in the midterms.

We live in time.

We can both make time. Even double time. And we can also lose time.

But it’s Congress and Presidents who control time.

Politicians have the power to dictate time. Down to the hour and the minute of what time it is. That’s why we spring forward this weekend. And when you lose your hour of sleep, you know who to blame.

No. Not DOGE.

But Congress, of course.

This dates back more than two centuries.

TRUMP CALLS TO ‘ELIMINATE’ DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME: ‘VERY COSTLY TO OUR NATION’

Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution grants Congress the power to “fix the Standard of Weights and Measures.”

That’s listed right next to Congressional authority over bankruptcies and punishment for counterfeiters.

After all, we lose an hour this weekend like a thief in the night.

Daylight Saving Time first went into effect under the Johnson administration, following the passage of the Uniform Time Act of 1966. (Bettmann/Contributor via Getty Images)

Congress formally established Daylight Saving Time with the Uniform Time Act of 1966. It also established time zones in the 1880s to help the railroads coordinate. Before that, time hinged on whatever locals said it was. That led to 144 distinct local times in the U.S. The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul even went by different clocks, despite only being separated by the Mississippi River.

So, lawmakers are kind of like “Time Lords” from Doctor Who. But while they have not waged the Last Great Time War, for some lawmakers, time has expired for the biannual time change.

“I haven’t had anybody come to me and say, ‘This is something that benefits our society.’ Why do we have it around anymore? Let’s get rid of the antiquated stuff that hold us back from advancement,” said Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga.

CENSURE RESOLUTIONS: WHEN TO DOUBLE DOWN, AND WHEN TO TURN THE PAGE

Florida lawmakers push especially hard to codify the time change in law. After all, Florida is the Sunshine State. Much of the state’s economy is based on what you can do outdoors. Sunbathe. Golf. Walk on the beach. Go to amusement parks.

“In tourism, it’s huge,” said Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla. “Instead of getting dark at 5:39, it gets dark at 6:30. It makes a big difference. A lot of times the weather’s nice (people) like to be outside eating.”

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., pushed time change legislation when he served as governor of the Sunshine State. He’s authored a bill which he believes will give all states more sunshine – by effectively freezing time.

Ending Daylight Saving Time has long been a cause célèbre for Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. (iStock | Getty Images)

“It will lock the clock. So stop going back and forth between Daylight Savings Time and Standard Time,” said Scott.

Former Sen. and now Secretary of State Marco Rubio, R-Fla., authored a bill to mandate Daylight Saving Time year-round several years ago. To everyone’s surprise, the Senate approved the bill by unanimous consent in 2022. But the bill then died in the House.

Congress approved the Standard Time Act to create the first version of Daylight Saving time in 1918 during World War I. Proponents of the legislation argued that there was “wasted light” at the beginning of the day. Shifting the clocks would reward Americans with “extra” hours of daylight in the evening.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOOK: SORTING IT OUT

“I used to think my state legislature had the foolishiest ideas in the world,” said Rep. Robert Thomas, D-Ky., of the measure at the time. “But it never tried to change the sun in its orbit.”

Farmers and residents of the west opposed the plan.

President Woodrow Wilson wanted to keep the time change. But Congress voted to repeal it. Wilson then vetoed the bill.

Congress approved the Standard Time Act, Daylight Saving Time’s first iteration, in 1918 under President Wilson. (Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

What comes next is one of the most fascinating aspects of time legislation, Congress and the presidency. There have only been 112 successful overrides of a presidential veto in American history. One of them is on a piece of time legislation. Congress overrode Wilson’s veto and gave back the hour it picked up during World War I.

Presidents have tinkered with changing the time via executive order to maximize daylight during times of crisis.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt shifted the clocks during World War II. President Richard Nixon did the same during the OPEC oil shocks of the 1970s.

THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE SENATE TRYING TO ADVANCE TRUMP’S AGENDA

It was thought that President Trump may wade into the time waters. He’s berated the seasonal time changes for years now, dating back to his first term in office. Mr. Trump posted about the time switch on Truth Social as recently as mid-December.

“The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation,” wrote the president.

But President Trump wasn’t inclined to turn back time when pressed about it by colleague Peter Doocy on Thursday.

It was originally thought that the second Trump administration might mean curtains for Daylight Saving Time – but the President doesn’t seem overly eager to take decisive action. (Chris Kleponis/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“It’s a 50/50 issue. And if something is a 50/50 issue, it’s hard to get excited about it. I assume people would like to have more light later. But some people want to have more light earlier because they don’t want to take their kids to school in the dark,” said Mr. Trump.

The problem is that most people abhor changing the clocks. But they worry about it getting dark way too early in the winter. Or the sun “rising” at absurd times in the summer.

It depends on where you live.

HOUSE MINORITY LEADER JEFFRIES DESCRIBES TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS AS ‘MOST DIVISIVE’ IN AMERICAN HISTORY

The country may harbor deep political divisions. But at least one lawmaker believes it’s time Americans rally around something.

“I’d love for us to not have to switch our clocks if that’s something that actually probably can unite Americans right now,” said Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J.

But at least once senior lawmaker hasn’t given the time of day to clock shifting efforts.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries laughed off a question about his stance on daylight savings. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“You have thoughts on daylight savings?” asked colleague Ryan Schmelz of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Jeffries chuckled.

“There’s a lot going on in the United States of America. I haven’t been able to give a thought to daylight savings,” replied Jeffries.

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Shakespeare wrote that “let every man be master of his time.” But that’s hard to do when Congress decides the time. Of course, the Bard also declared that “what is past is prologue.”

And that means that despite the legislative efforts, everyone will probably have to change the clocks again in October when we fall back.

Ryan Routh, the man accused of trying to assassinate then-candidate Donald Trump in September 2024, appeared in court as his team battled with the Justice Department over evidence. The defense team and the DOJ lobbed accusations back and forth over alleged withholding of evidence as they prepared for the Sept. 8, 2025, trial.

A major point of contention between the defense and the prosecution is the issue of firearm testing. The defense is calling for the firearm, which is in the DOJ’s position, to be tested. The defense’s reason for testing is that they believe the gun was too old to fire the distance the DOJ claims it would have. However, the prosecution maintains that firearm testing is unusual, and it could destroy evidence.

“As we told defense counsel, their request to inspect the firearm in this manner was highly unusual in the experience of the FBI, but nonetheless we made it happen,” the prosecution wrote in a court filing.

On Sept. 15, Ryan Routh allegedly hid in the bushes outside Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach with a rifle as Trump was playing. His son, Oran Routh, has pleaded guilty to a child porn charge. 

TRUMP SAYS HE’D BE WILLING TO RELEASE REPORTS ON ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS AGAINST HIM

The DOJ apparently has 90 gigabytes of bodycam footage from their search of Routh’s home in Hawaii. The search was carried out in September, weeks after the botched alleged assassination attempt. In addition to the footage, the prosecution says it has hundreds of law enforcement reports to sift through but is confident that they will turn it over in the next two weeks.

The prosecution says in a court filing it is submitting evidence as it becomes available, but that the defense has not submitted anything. The defense team maintained that they were not under any obligation to provide evidence to the DOJ. While they had ruled out using an insanity defense, Routh’s team refrained from offering any theories, saying that they needed to go over all the prosecution’s discovery.

A sketch depicting Ryan Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate then-President-elect Donald Trump in West Palm Beach last year appearing in a federal court in Fort Pierce, Florida on Friday, March 7, 2025. (Lothar Speer)

SON OF ACCUSED ATTEMPTED TRUMP ASSASSIN HAS OUTBURST IN COURT AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO SERIOUS CHARGES

Now, Routh’s defense team is calling for a full list of evidence and information on where everything is located. The defense claims that when they went to try to see the firearm in question, some items that went with the gun were not in the evidence box. However, in its court filing the prosecution claims that any remaining physical evidence as at the FBI’s facility in Miramar, Fl., or is in transit on its way there.

Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley told “America Reports” that Routh’s defense team “has not been forthcoming” in the case. Additionally, Turley says that many of Routh’s actions after being caught negate a possible insanity plea.

A letter allegedly written by Trump assassination suspect Ryan Routh was revealed in a Department of Justice detention memo on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (Martin County Sheriff’s Office/Handout via REUTERS | Department of Justice)

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Routh is accused of waiting over 12 hours on the perimeter of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, where he was hoping to assassinate then-candidate Trump while he was playing golf on Sept. 15, 2025. A Secret Service agent allegedly saw Routh before Trump came into range. Routh then allegedly targeted the agent before fleeing the scene. He was later arrested and indicted by a grand jury.

President Trump said he would be willing to release findings on the two assassination attempts made against him during the 2024 campaign. However, there are no firm details at this time.

Two people within the Department of Homeland Security have been accused of disclosing DHS operations amid the Trump administration’s mass-deportation plans, Secretary Kristi Noem said. 

In a video exclusively provided to Fox News, Noem is seen giving an update on the matter. 

“We have identified two leakers of information here at the Department of Homeland Security who have been telling individuals about our operations and putting law enforcement lives in jeopardy,” she said. “We plan to prosecute these two individuals and hold them accountable for what they’ve done.”

“We’re going to continue to do all that we can to keep America safe,” she added. 

ICE MAKES MAJOR MOVE ON DETAINING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN HEART OF BLUE STATE 

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on Friday said two people within DHS have been identified as those disclosing information on operations that have plagued law enforcement amid the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans.  ((Photo by Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) | (Photo by Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images) | (Fox News Digital))

The names of the two alleged leakers were not disclosed. 

DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News that they are expected to face charges. 

“We are preparing to refer these perpetrators to the DOJ for felony prosecutions,” she said. “These individuals face up to 10 years in federal prison. We will find and root out all leakers. They will face prison time, and we will get justice for the American people.”

Earlier this week, Noem said her agency wasn’t deterred by leaks after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid was leaked ahead of time. The leaks drew anger from ICE, with one official telling Fox they feared the result of an ICE agent being killed.

NEW HOUSE REPORT EXPOSES HOW CONTROVERSIAL ‘AMNESTY’ PROGRAM EXPLODED UNDER BIDEN

Immigration authorities detain an individual in New York City on Jan. 28. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images.)

Previous leaks to the news media have involved raids in Los Angeles and Aurora, Colorado.

Last month, Border czar Tom Homan said the administration was closing in on the individual responsible for the leak of the Aurora raid.

Noem had pointed the finger at the FBI.

“The FBI is so corrupt,” Noem wrote on X. “We will work with any and every agency to stop leaks and prosecute these crooked deep state agents to the fullest extent of the law.”

In February, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared on “Fox Report,” where she discussed immigration enforcement and was asked about leaks originating within the government.

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“Well, you know, if anyone leaks anything, people don’t understand that it jeopardizes the lives of our great men and women in law enforcement, and if you leaked it, we will find out who you are, and we will come after you,” Bondi said. “It’s not going to stop our mission. It’s not going to stop the president’s mission to make America safe again.”

A major agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent a memo to hospitals and medical providers in the U.S. this week reminding them of “the dangerous chemical and surgical mutilation of children, including interventions that cause sterilization,” and vowed the agency would continue aligning its policies with President Donald Trump’s executive orders. 

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which provides health coverage to more than 100 million people through Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, sent a memo Wednesday that was obtained by Fox News Digital reiterating “the program requirements of hospitals to serve all patients, especially children, with dignity and adherence to the highest standard of care that is informed by robust evidence and the utmost scientific integrity.” The memo is effective immediately.

“Other developed nations have taken decisive actions to prohibit or significantly limit these mutilation practices to ensure that children are protected from harmful, unscientific medical interventions,” the memo adds. 

TRANS SURGERIES INCREASE RISK OF MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS, SUICIDAL IDEATIONS: STUDY

A student leads a group of demonstrators in Knoxville, Tenn., in protest of the state’s 2022 transgender athlete ban.  (Saul Young/Knoxville News-Sentinel /USA Today)

The notice also said ” CMS may begin taking steps in the future to align policy, including CMS-regulated provider requirements and agreements, with the highest-quality medical evidence in the treatment of the nation’s children in order to protect children from harmful, often irreversible mutilation, including sterilization practices.

“In recent years, medical interventions for gender dysphoria in children have proliferated,” the memo adds. “Initiated with an underdeveloped body of evidence and now known to cause long-term and irreparable harm to some children, CMS may begin taking steps in the future to adjust its policies to reflect this reality and the lack of medical evidence in support of these harmful treatments.”

GENDER DYSPHORIA AND EATING DISORDERS HAVE SKYROCKETED SINCE PANDEMIC, REPORT REVEALS: ‘RIPPLE EFFECTS’

Dr. Kurt Miceli, the medical director at the conservative medical activist group Do No Harm, told Fox News Digital the memo “did a nice job” of highlighting medical data from other countries regarding “gender-affirming” care for kids. 

“And we really salute them for really looking at the data and being very clear that we need to protect children, really, from these irreversible harms that, unfortunately, we see from sex-change surgeries or hormonal therapies that are used,” Miceli said.

A transgender rights supporter takes part in a rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court as the justices hear arguments in a case on transgender health rights Dec. 4, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The notice comes as the Trump administration has been moving to weed out “radical gender ideology” across U.S. institutions and outlawed gender-transition treatments and surgeries for minors.

Many hospitals across the country are still conducting these procedures and ignoring Trump’s orders. 

NEWSOM CALLS BIOLOGICAL MEN IN WOMEN’S SPORTS ‘DEEPLY UNFAIR’ IN PODCAST WITH CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST

Lawsuits are already underway challenging Trump’s other gender-related executive orders, too, which include booting transgender troops out of the military and banning biological men from women’s sports. HHS is also undergoing sweeping staffing changes due to Elon Musk’s DOGE layoffs. 

The CMS memo said its alert “is informed by a growing body of evidence and protective policies across the world” and cited studies outlining the effects of gender-transition treatments for kids in England and Finland, as well as several from U.S. medical journals and the Mayo Clinic.

HHS memo reminds hospitals and providers about Trump’s policies forbidding child mutilation. (Getty Images)

Between 2016 and 2020, nearly 3,700 children between the ages of 12 and 18 underwent surgery, with more than 3,200 having breast or chest surgery and more than 400 undergoing genital surgery, resulting in permanent changes to their reproductive organs, the memo states. More than 120,000 children between 6 and 17, from 2016 to 2020, were diagnosed with gender dysphoria, with more than 17,000 starting treatments like puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones. 

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“In several notable instances, research used to promote these harmful procedures on children contained obvious and significant methodological flaws or demonstrated outright scientific misconduct,” the memo stated.

A California Democrat said he was “politely chased down” by a flight attendant at an airport this week who told him his colleagues looked “heartless” for not standing for Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, the 13-year-old boy with cancer who was honored during President Donald Trump’s address to Congress. 

Rep. Ro Khanna said the interaction with the flight attendant, whom he identified as Jim Barrett, unfolded in Chicago. 

“Sir, I am a Democrat but the way the party behaved was embarrassing. Made us look heartless. I don’t care who is up there, you stand for the boy with cancer,” Khanna recalled Barrett as saying. “Be more rational and get your act together.” 

“I replied that a few of us did stand and clap and we must be the party that still believes in kindness, decency, and trying to bring people together,” he added on X. 

BOY HONORED BY TRUMP SAYS CANCER WON’T SLOW HIM DOWN UNTIL ‘GOD CALLS’ HIM HOME 

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said on X he was approached by a flight attendant who identified as a Democrat who took issue with the way his party responded to President Donald Trump honoring Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, right, this week during a speech to Congress. (William B. Plowman/NBC via Getty Images/Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Daniel stole the show during Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday night when the president introduced him to the audience and officially swore him in as a member of the Secret Service. 

“Joining us in the gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our police,” Trump told the crowd. “His name is DJ Daniel [and he] is 13 years old, and he has always dreamed of becoming a police officer. But in 2018, D.J. was diagnosed with brain cancer. The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago.” 

SOCIAL MEDIA EXPLODES AFTER DEMOCRATS DO NOT STAND FOR 13-YEAR-OLD CANCER SURVIVOR 

Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel meets President Donald Trump in the White House a day after being named an honorary Secret Service agent. (Photos courtesy of the White House)

Daniel received a standing ovation from a majority of the crowd, although some Democrats were seen on camera sitting at various times while Trump was speaking about the 13-year-old. 

“Quite frankly, there were moments where I feel like anger at some of the actions that have happened over the past month-and-a-half prevented some of my colleagues from being able to stand up to support the little DJ Daniel,” Rep. Laura Gillen, a Democrat from New York, also told News12 Long Island this week. 

Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel waves as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Tuesday, March 4. (Alex Brandon/AP)

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“I stood up and applauded this little boy, who is getting over cancer, wants to be a police officer — and I was disappointed that I was not joined by any of my colleagues,” she added. 

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX: The number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. is estimated to have surged to more than 18 million after the Biden-era border crisis, according to a new research report by a hawkish immigration group, which also found an 11% increase in less than two years.

The report was produced by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which argues for lower levels of immigration overall. It estimates that, as of March 2025, there are approximately 18.6 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S.

That is 11% higher than an estimate the group published in June 2023, when it found that there were 16.8 million illegal immigrants. Overall, it estimates that the population has grown by 4.1 million or 28.2% since December 2020.

VANCE TAKES VICTORY LAP IN BORDER VISIT AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT NUMBERS PLUMMET 

“As of 2025, American population growth comes almost entirely from unsustainably high levels of immigration, both legal and illegal,” the report says.

President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

FAIR estimates that there were around 11.7 million illegal immigrants in 2013.

The group includes, as an illegal immigrant, anyone who does not have legal status like a visa or permanent residency, and notably also includes those who may be in the country illegally but given a lawful presence, like Temporary Protected Status or humanitarian parole.

The Biden administration dramatically expanded the use of humanitarian parole as a way to curb skyrocketing illegal border crossings. It allowed migrants to cross the border after scheduling an appointment on the CBP One app for parole, and had parole programs where migrants could fly in having obtained travel authorization.

FAIR argues that even though they are described as having a “lawful presence,” they do not have legal status and therefore cannot be counted as being in the country legally.

TRUMP HONORS LIVES OF LAKEN RILEY, JOCELYN NUNGARAY WHILE CELEBRATING STRIDES ON SECURING BORDER

“Counting individuals in these situations as ‘legal immigrants’ or ‘lawful residents’ would be both incorrect and a biased mischaracterization of immigration law,” the group argues.

Former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas led the department during the 2021-2024 border crisis. (Getty Images)

The report estimates the total number of illegal immigrants by using Census Data and compensating for what it argues is a history of undercounting those who arrive illegally, calculating an undercount of around 40%.

The report also concedes that “estimating the size, distribution, and characteristics of the illegal alien population is an inexact science.”

“In truth, we do not know exactly how many people cross the border illegally and evade immigration authorities, nor can anyone accurately quantify overstays or gotaways. We can only estimate these figures based on annual and monthly census data,” the report says.

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It argues that key factors driving the surge in numbers were Biden-era policies, including at the border, the release of migrants into the U.S. and what it claims was an “abuse” of parole authority.

The Trump administration, which took office in January, has reversed a number of Biden policies and has shut down the parole policies and the use of the CBP One app. It has also launched a mass deportation campaign in the interior, while also deploying the military to the border and declaring a national emergency.

The administration has since been touting a sharp drop in numbers at the border.

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In February, there were just 8,326 southern border encounters, down from 189,913 in February 2024. The administration has so far removed more than 55,000 illegal immigrants from the U.S.

“Within hours of taking the oath of office, I declared a national emergency on our southern border and I deployed the U.S. military and Border Patrol to repel the invasion of our country. And what a job they’ve done. As a result, illegal border crossings last month were by far the lowest ever recorded, ever,” President Donald Trump said on Tuesday.

“They heard my words, and they chose not to come.”

FIRST ON FOX: The U.S. is continuing to share some defensive intelligence with Ukraine to protect against incoming Russian strikes, despite an announced pause in intel sharing that raised alarm bells, Fox News Digital has learned.

Three sources familiar with the decision confirmed that intelligence related to force protection and incoming threats would continue. Federal intelligence, the work of the CIA, FBI and human intelligence, has ceased, as has data that helps with offensive Ukrainian strikes against Russians. 

Another intelligence source said to expect the pause to be “very temporary in nature,” and that the sharing of all data could resume in the coming days. 

The intelligence pause had prompted confusion and alarm from Ukraine and its allies, its parameters weren’t entirely clear. But U.S. intelligence has been a lifeline for Ukraine’s forces: defense experts say that ceasing all data-sharing would be a bigger blow for Ukrainian forces than losing military aid from the U.S. 

TRUMP THREATENS SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA, DEMANDS PEACE AFTER MAJOR HITS IN UKRAINE

Russian strikes on Ukraine, like the aftermaths shown abovein Kharkiv on Friday, have ramped up in recent weeks.  (EUTERS/Vitalii Hnidyi     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

“Ukraine had one single advantage on Russia: information superiority. With that gone, Kyiv would be in trouble,” said Can Kasapoglu, a defense fellow at the Hudson Institute. 

“Europe does not have enough strategic enablers capacity to fill in the vacuum,” said Kasapoglu. 

The National Security Council declined to comment on what military intelligence was still being shared, as did the Pentagon. 

A pause in offensive military intelligence means “The selective sharing of intelligence creates a strategic imbalance, forcing Ukraine into a primarily defensive posture.” former military intelligence officer Matthew Shoemaker said. 

“Even if Ukraine would still receive intelligence for incoming threats, the lack of offensive intel limits their ability to preemptively neutralize potential threats. This puts Ukraine in a more reactive posture, potentially increasing their vulnerability to Russian attacks,” he continued.  

“It restricts their capacity to disrupt Russian supply lines, command centers, and staging areas behind enemy lines.”

But if intelligence sharing resumes quickly, it was likely a tactic to put pressure on Ukrainians at the negotiating table. “It suggests that it was more a signal to Ukrainian policymakers that the U.S. can turn off assistance at will.” 

A resident smokes near his apartment building damaged by Russian military strikes, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in the frontline town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk region, Ukraine Mar. 6, 2025 (REUTERS/Inna Varenytsia     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Ratcliffe said Wednesday that President Donald Trump had asked for the pause on intelligence sharing, but said it could be lifted as soon as Ukraine signaled it was ready for a ceasefire. 

“I think if we can nail down these negotiations and move toward these negotiations and, in fact, put some confidence-building measures on the table, then the president will take a hard look at lifting this pause,” Waltz said.

U.S. intelligence is believed to be used to track Russian movements and identify targets, as well as for operating U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and US Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACAMS).

France and the United Kingdom have said they would step in to fill the gaps where U.S. intelligence has ceased, but The U.K. said it would not share data that originated with the U.S. but is shared through the Five Eyes alliance. 

ZELENSKYY CONFIRMS UKRAINE WILL ATTEND US PEACE TALKS IN SAUDI ARABIA, 1 WEEK AFTER OVAL OFFICE CLASH

Trump threatened Russian President Vladimir Putin with new sanctions on Friday.  (Contributor/Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

After a blow-up fight in the Oval Office last week between Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. officials have agreed to meet with a Ukrainian team in Saudi Arabia next week. 

Trump also teased possible new sanctions on Russia on Friday, his first public threat against the Kremlin since taking office. The president has grown increasingly frustrated with Russia ramping up its strikes on Ukraine at the same time he’s been pushing for a ceasefire. 

“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED. To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!” Trump posted on Truth Social.

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But the president seemed optimistic about the prospects for peace on Thursday. 

“I think what’s going to happen is Ukraine wants to make a deal, because I don’t think they have a choice,” he said. “I also think that Russia wants to make a deal, because in a certain, different way, a different way that only I know, only I know, they have no choice either.”

President Donald Trump threatened to impose “large scale” sanctions against Russia after the country carried out a massive attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. In a post on Truth Social, President Trump said he was “strongly considering” sanctions and tariffs “until a ceasefire and final settlement agreement on peace is reached.”

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told reporters that Trump is ready to use carrots or sticks” to bring both Russia and Ukraine to the table. When asked by Fox News Channel Senior White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich for more details on what could be sanctioned, Hassett simply said there are “a heck of a lot of things.”

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he was “strongly considering” imposing sanctions on Russia. (Truth Social)

In the overnight attack, Russia reportedly fired 67 missiles and 194 drones in an overnight attack that hit Ukraine’s energy and gas infrastructure, Reuters reported, citing Ukraine’s air force. According to reports, at least 10 people were injured in Russia’s attack, including a child.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are pictured in a three-split photo. (Sputnik/Alexei Danichev/Pool via REUTERS/Leah Millis/Alina Smutko)

ZELENSKYY CONFIRMS UKRAINE WILL ATTEND AMERICA-LED PEACE TALKS DAYS AFTER OVAL OFFICE CLASH

“Russia continues its energy terror,” Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko wrote on Facebook. “Again energy and gas infrastructure in various regions of Ukraine has come under massive missile and drone fire.”

Russia has attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure multiple times throughout the three-year war. In April 2024, Russia destroyed one of Ukraine’s largest power plants, and in December 2024, Russia pummeled Ukraine’s power grid.

President Trump also included a message to both Ukraine and Russia in his Truth Social post: “Get to the table right now, before it is too late.”

A view shows a site of an apartment building hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 7, 2025.  (REUTERS/Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy)

SECRETARY OF STATE RUBIO VOWS DIPLOMACY ATTEMPTS WILL CONTINUE IN EFFORT TO END RUSSIA’S WAR IN UKRAINE

Friday’s attack seemed to be in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirming that his team would participate in peace talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia next week. While Zelenskyy himself will not be at the meeting, his team will sit with their American counterparts to discuss ending the war.

In his announcement of Ukraine’s participation in the talks, Zelenskyy said his country is “most interested in peace.” The issue of peace caused friction between Trump and Zelenskyy, after the president said his Ukrainian counterpart was “not ready for peace” following their Oval Office spat. 

Vice President JD Vance, right, speaks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, as President Donald Trump listens in the Oval Office at the White House, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Washington, D.C.  (AP Photo/ Mystyslav Chernov)

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“He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for peace,” Trump wrote on Truth Social last week after the heated meeting.

However, things seemed to have smoothed over between the two leaders, with Trump reading a letter from Zelenskyy during his address to a joint session of Congress. Trump said he appreciated Zelenskyy’s letter and that he wants to see the “savage conflict” end.

Fox News Channel’s Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has been squandering money on thousands of unused software licenses, an audit found, according to DOGE.

For example, there were “11,020 Acrobat licenses with zero users,” DOGE noted in the post on X.

The list also included other examples.

TRUMP ORDERS CABINET SECRETARIES TO WORK WITH DOGE ON STAFFING, USE A ‘SCALPEL’ ON PERSONNEL DECISIONS

White House Senior Advisor to the President and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk departs the U.S. Capitol Building on March 5, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

DOGE’s “initial findings on paid software licenses” also included, “35,855 ServiceNow licenses on three products; only using 84,” “1,776 Cognos licenses; only using 325,” “800 WestLaw Classic licenses; only using 216” and “10,000 Java licenses; only using 400.”

“All are being fixed,” the tweet concluded.

Fox News Digital reached out to HUD and the White House on Friday, but did not receive comments by the time of publication.

“There are vast numbers of unused software licenses in every part of the government. Your tax dollars are being wasted,” Elon Musk wrote when commenting on the DOGE post.

DOGE INITIAL FINDINGS ON DEFENSE DEPARTMENT DEI SPENDING COULD SAVE $80M, AGENCY SAYS

DOGE has previously made similar announcements regarding the General Services Administration, Department of Labor, Small Business Administration, and Social Security Administration.

“Agencies often have more software licenses than employees, and the licenses are often idle (i.e. paid for, but not installed on any computer),” the DOGE X account noted in a tweet. 

“For example, at GSA, with 13,000 employees, there are,” the post listed, “37,000 WinZip licenses,” “19,000 training software subscriptions (and multiple parallel training software platforms),” “7,500 project management software seats for a division with 5,500 employees,” “3 different ticketing systems running in parallel.” 

The tweet concluded by noting, “Fixes are actively in work.”

The DOGE GSA X account swiftly replied, indicating that cuts were on the way: 

“Not for long…” a tweet read, with a scissor emoji added in an apparent signal that cuts were coming. “We will report back with progress shortly!”

INSIDE ELON MUSK’S HUDDLE WITH GOP SENATORS: DOGE HEAD TOUTS $4M SAVINGS PER DAY

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GSA Acting Administrator and Deputy Administrator Stephen Ehikian replied, “Hope we didn’t make you wait too long…  within 3 hours of @DOGE post, @USGSA is taking immediate action to reduce $5.5M of IT spend & working to identify additional reductions across all categories—ensuring strong stewardship of your tax dollars.”

Several days later another DOGE post reported that GSA had made significant progress.

“Since this post, @USGSA took immediate action to reduce IT spend by deleting 114,163 unused software licenses & 15 underutilized / redundant software products — for a total annual savings of $9.6M,” DOGE noted.

A GSA spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital, “In support of the administration’s priorities, efficiency and good stewardship, GSA is currently undertaking a review of its contracts and resources, including IT resources, to ensure our staff can perform their mission in support of American taxpayers. GSA has taken immediate action to fully implement all current executive orders and is committed to taking swift action to implement any new executive orders.” 

A Colorado district attorney is arguing that those who are trying to dismiss the issue of Venezuelan gangs in the state have been taking an “ignorance-is-bliss approach to the law.”

“There were the two extreme positions. One was, ‘Hey, they’d taken over the city’… then you’d have the people on the far left in the mainstream media saying ‘there’s no such thing as a country of Venezuela. Venezuelans don’t exist. It’s all made up. It’s a figment of your imagination,’” Colorado’s 23rd Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler told Fox News Digital. 

“The truth is, Venezuelan gangs did take over the running of about 2 to 3 different apartment complexes… so to suggest that this isn’t an issue is fake. It is a giant issue. It is a growing issue. And this sort of ignorance is bliss approach to the law.”

The comments come as Colorado has recently entered the national spotlight as a result of the state’s sanctuary laws, which have limited local jurisdictions from being able to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

DENVER MAYOR GRILLED OVER AREA’S TREN DE ARAGUA PROBLEM AS GOP LAWMAKER SAYS POLICIES TO BLAME

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston testifies during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing with sanctuary city mayors at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Graeme Sloan for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The issue became even more controversial in the last few months after reports of the spread of the violent Venezuelan immigrant gang Tren de Aragua, which had taken over multiple apartment complexes in the Colorado city of Aurora.

The state was further highlighted in Wednesday’s House Oversight Committee hearing, when Denver Mayor Mike Johnston was grilled by lawmakers over his city’s lack of cooperation with federal authorities.

“The illegal immigrant gang Tren de Aragua targeted Denver to be their American HQ because of weak immigration laws,” Republican Colorado Rep. Gabe Evans told Fox News Digital after the hearing.

For his part, Brauchler argued that Johnston’s answers during the hearing were just an attempt to “deflect” the conversation from the overall issue.

“My sense of those answers, though, were intended to deflect from the underlying and key question here. And that is, can a city, should a state stick itself between illegal aliens and the federal law? And the answer is a very obvious and easy no,” he told Fox News Digital.

Alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang have overtaken an apartment building in Aurora, Colorado, charging rent in exchange for “protection,” previous reports say. (Edward Romero)

DENVER MAYOR SAYS HE’S PREPARED TO GO TO JAIL OVER OPPOSITION TO TRUMP DEPORTATIONS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Despite that “obvious answer,” Brauchler told Fox News Digital that Colorado’s Democratic-controlled government has doubled down on sanctuary policies.

“Starting in 2018, Colorado became awash in blue, and the legislature and the governorship have been controlled by the Democrats since then, and they have done everything they can to make Colorado a sanctuary state,” he said. “One of the laws that our state legislature passed fully embraced by Denver is to make our courthouses sanctuaries for illegal immigrants. They ban the enforcement of any immigration laws inside those courthouses.”

Brauchler said similar legislation is currently in the works, this time banning immigration enforcement on the way to and from the courthouse as well.

“Can you imagine any city or state creating barriers that say, ‘I’m sorry, local law enforcement, you can’t communicate with the FBI about a fugitive you can’t communicate with.’ Heck, the IRS about a tax cheat…. you can’t communicate with the DEA about known drug dealers? It is only with illegal immigrants that there seems to be this sense of creating these municipal and statewide barriers to law enforcement,” he said.

An Aurora Police Officer loads up a tear gas gun as investigators search for evidence in apartment buildings at 12th and Dallas in Aurora, Colorado on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. The dwellings were the scene of a reported home invasion overnight. (Fox News Digital)

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Nevertheless, Brauchler said he is committed to fighting back against the policies in order to make residents of the state safer.

“If you’re an illegal immigrant, and you’re here in this jurisdiction, get legal. If you can’t or won’t get legal, then be on your best behavior,” he said. “Because once you violate our laws, do not expect me to come to your rescue and figure out a way to keep you at a place that says you shouldn’t be here to begin with.”