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Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s time as the face of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has come to an end following the expiration of his time as a special government employee. 

Since January, Musk has been heading up DOGE, which was tasked with cutting $2 trillion from the federal government’s budget through efforts to slash spending, government programs and the federal workforce.

But how will the Trump administration look at DOGE now that Musk is gone?

So far, there are no signs that DOGE is being dismantled or that its efforts will be reversed, and former DOGE employees are infiltrating other areas of the Trump administration. Plus, President Donald Trump signaled that Musk could return in some capacity, although he did not dive into specifics. 

“Elon’s really not leaving,” Trump said Friday in the Oval Office. “He’s going to be back and forth … it’s his baby. And I think he’s going to be doing a lot of things. But Elon’s service to America has been without comparison in modern history.”

MUSK CONFIDENT DOGE WILL SAVE $1 TRILLION AS GOVERNMENT COST CUTTING CONTINUES

Elon Musk holds the key to the White House, a gift received from President Donald Trump, at a press conference in the Oval Office at the White House, in Washington, D.C., on May 30, 2025. (Nathan Howard/Reuters)

DOGE’s efforts to cut waste have led to roughly $175 billion in savings due to asset sales, contract cancellations, fraudulent payment cuts, in addition to other steps to eliminate costs, according to a May 26 update from DOGE’s website. That translates to roughly $1,086.96 in savings per taxpayer, according to the website. 

Meanwhile, Musk signaled that despite his departure as a special employee, DOGE would only continue to pick up steam and that DOGE is now an essential aspect of the federal government. 

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“This is not … the end of DOGE, but really the beginning. My time as a special government appointee necessarily had to end,” Musk said Friday in the Oval Office. “The DOGE team will only grow stronger over time. The DOGE influence will only grow stronger. I liken it to a sort of person of Buddhism. It’s like a way of life, so it is permeating throughout the government. And I’m confident that over time, we’ll see $1 trillion of savings, and a reduction in $1 trillion of waste, fraud reduction.” 

UNFINISHED BUSINESS: THE BUDGET CUTS MUSK COULDN’T COMPLETE AND WHAT’S NEXT FOR DOGE

Elon Musk, left, receives a golden key from President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 30, 2025. (Nathan Howard/Reuters)

The White House has said that DOGE leadership following Musk’s departure will continue through members of Trump’s Cabinet. 

“The DOGE leaders are each and every member of the president’s Cabinet and the president himself, who is wholeheartedly committed to cutting waste, fraud and abuse from our government,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday at a White House press briefing. 

“The entire Cabinet understands the need to cut government waste, fraud and abuse,” Leavitt said. “And each Cabinet secretary at their respective agencies is committed to that. That’s why they were working hand in hand with Elon Musk. And they’ll continue to work with their respective DOGE employees who have onboarded as political appointees at all of these agencies. So surely the mission of DOGE will continue, and many DOGE employees are now political appointees and employees of our government.”

DOGE STAFFING SHAKEUP AS ELON MUSK HANGS UP HIS HAT, WHITE HOUSE CONFIRMS

President Donald Trump, right, is joined by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, and his son, X Musk, during an executive order signing in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 11, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

A senior White House official previously told Fox News Digital that DOGE is now part of the “DNA” of the federal government, and that the agency will continue to function as it has done so far. 

“The DOGE employees at their respective agency or department will be reporting to and executing the agenda of the president through the leadership of each agency or department head,” the official said.

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report. 

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., slammed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s move to give the green light to Moderna’s mNEXSPIKE COVID-19 vaccine.

“Not MAHA at all!!!,” the congresswoman wrote in a post on X, using the acronym for the phrase “Make America Healthy Again,” calling the move “Unreal.”

“MNEXSPIKE is approved for use in individuals who have been previously vaccinated with any COVID-19 vaccine and are 65 years of age and older, or 12 years through 64 years of age with at least one underlying condition that puts them at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19,” an FDA letter to Moderna notes.

GREENE CALLS FOR YANKING FDA APPROVAL OF COVID-19 VACCINES: ‘CAUSING PERMANENT HARM AND DEATHS’

Chair of the Subcommittee on Delivering On Government Efficiency (DOGE) U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., presides over a hearing of the House Oversight Subcommittee in the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 26, 2025 in Washington, D.C.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

According to a Moderna press release, CEO Stéphane Bancel said that “COVID-19 remains a serious public health threat, with more than 47,000 Americans dying from the virus last year alone.”

The company describes itself as “a leader in the creation of the field of mRNA medicine.”

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE AIRS FRUSTRATIONS, WARNS THAT SHE REPRESENTS A ‘NOT HAPPY’ REPUBLICAN BASE

Greene has previously spoken out against COVID-19 vaccines, saying their FDA approval should be nixed.

“COVID-19 vaccines should have never received approval and they’ve known the entire time how bad the side effects are and deaths caused by them. It’s time to do the right thing. Stop the COVID-19 vaccines,” she declared in part of a tweet in March.

TRUMP ALLY MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE SAYS SHE WON’T RUN FOR SENATE WHILE BLASTING DEMS AND FELLOW REPUBLICANS

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The congresswoman is currently serving her third term in the House of Representatives.

Nearly 1,000 people gathered at Main Beach in Santa Cruz, California, on Saturday for a Pride Month protest aimed squarely at President Donald Trump.

Participants formed a massive human banner that spelled out “Resist!” in rainbow colors as part of a demonstration organized by Indivisible Santa Cruz County. 

The 220-foot-wide display, with letters reaching 70 feet high, was designed by longtime left-wing activist Brad Newsham.

Organizers described the event as a peaceful act of resistance and a show of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.

SEATTLE MAYOR ACCUSED OF LYING AFTER BLAMING CHRISTIAN RALLY FOR PARK VIOLENCE

Left: Protesters hold signs reading “Peace,” “Love,” and “Freedom.”
Right: Beachgoers gather near coastal homes along the cliffs at Main Beach in Santa Cruz, California. The area was the site of a large-scale protest against President Donald Trump organized as part of the city’s Pride celebration. (iStock and Getty Images)

“It’s very important, the more people [who] can show our neighbors, our politicians in the world, that nonviolent resistance is the way to express our dissatisfaction with the way our country’s going,” said event organizer Becca Moeller to Lookout Santa Cruz.

But just above the colorful banner was a very different kind of message: “86 47,” a phrase many interpreted as a call to “get rid of” the 47th President of the United States.

In slang, “86” typically means to cancel, eliminate, or even destroy. Combined with “47,” the number now associated with President Trump’s second term, the phrase has raised alarms among critics who say it crossed a line.

Earlier this month, former FBI Chief James Comey posted a similar message in the sand, but instead of kelp, they were shells. He has since removed the post after widespread criticism and action by law enforcement.

SEATTLE MAYOR BLAMES CHRISTIAN RALLY FOR INSPIRING VIOLENT ‘ANARCHISTS’ WHO ‘INFILTRATED’ COUNTER-PROTEST

Beachgoers enjoying a sunny day with tents and umbrellas along the coastline, houses situated on the cliff in the background, Santa Cruz, California, June 22, 2024.  (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

“We don’t need a king. We want to go back to the way we were. We want to make America kind again,” said protester Beth Basilius to Lookout Santa Cruz.

While the event promoted “kindness” and inclusivity, the imagery told a more conflicted story.

“They claim they want to make America ‘kind’ again, but then they spell out ‘86 47’ in the sand. That’s not kindness — that’s a coded call to eliminate someone they disagree with. It’s hypocritical,” said Mike LeLieur, chair of the Santa Cruz County Republican Party to Fox News Digital.

LeLieur said local conservatives face growing hostility from the political left.

“We’ve had vehicles vandalized, tires slashed, and windows broken. I was forced off the road and attacked just for having a Trump sticker. At our State of the Union watch party, we were swarmed by angry protesters. It’s been nonstop hostility — and these are the same people who call themselves the ‘Party of Peace.’”

Aerial view of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk with various amusement rides and beachgoers on a sunny day, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, California, June 22, 2024. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

Just 8.5% of voters in the city of Santa Cruz are registered Republicans, according to the most recent data from the California Secretary of State.

Despite the message written in the sand, some participants insisted the demonstration was rooted in compassion.

“We want to go back to the way we were. We want to make America kind again,” said protester Beth Basilius to Lookout Santa Cruz.

Supporters of the protest claimed that “86 47” was a symbolic rejection of Trump’s agenda, not a literal threat. But critics say that argument falls flat in a political climate where coded language carries real-world consequences.

“In California — and especially in Santa Cruz County — the left is creating a political environment of non-acceptance and persecution,” said Daniel Enriquez, a representative of the California Republican Assembly. “It’s consistent with the goals of socialist movements throughout history.”

Jenny Evans, co-leader of Indivisible Santa Cruz County, defended the event.

“When a great number of people come out to do something like this, it just is one more thing to show that we’re not all saying, ‘Fine, fine. We’ll go along with whatever you want,’” she said to Lookout Santa Cruz.

The event was also part of Santa Cruz’s 50th Pride celebration. Participants were instructed to dress in matching rainbow colors, coordinated with fabric laid out across the beach starting at 7 a.m.

The protest was peaceful, but critics say calling for kindness while displaying “86 47” sent a message that was anything but.

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Indivisible Santa Cruz County did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

SIMI VALLEY, CALIFORNIA – China’s rampant theft of intellectual property from American institutions and industry must be thwarted as the U.S. battles to remain the world’s economic and military leader – but America cannot completely decouple from the economic behemoth, Republican South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview.

The key, according to Rounds, is maintaining China as a key trade partner without giving them access to America’s technology, including artificial intelligence and computer chips.

“In doing so, maybe we’ll restrict their ability to actually be able to have a market that they can create their own stuff with. They’ll be using ours. And in using ours, they’ll be our standards,” Rounds told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library during the Reagan National Economic Forum on Friday in California. 

“Let’s not necessarily just totally divest. Let’s see if we can have an influence on them and the rest of the world as well when it comes to standards for AI and other technological advances in the future,” he added. 

Rounds was among the conference panelists who spoke on the threats China poses as President Donald Trump addresses the country’s chronic trade deficit with foreign nations, and his optimism for the future as the U.S. sprints to remain the world’s economic and military leader. 

SPY SURGE SPARKS TRUMP VISA CRACKDOWN ON CHINESE STUDENTS

South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds was a panelist for the inaugural Reagan National Economic Forum in California. (Getty Images)

Rounds’ remarks focused on keeping the U.S. in the driver’s seat of the world’s economy, which he explained is deeply entwined in technological advances and bucking Chinese theft of intellectual property, while also acknowledging and combating how China has advanced into a “near-peer competitor” with the U.S. from a military standpoint. 

‘NO REASON’ FOR NEW NUKES: TRUMP FLOATS DISARMAMENT TALKS WITH CHINA, RUSSIA

“We’ve got to do a better job of protecting the intellectual properties that we’ve got. The most advanced types of technologies that we have, everything we can do to slow down their connection with that, protecting against that infiltration or de-filtration of really good information that, right now, they’re stealing from us on a regular basis,” Rounds said during a panel called “China and the U.S.: When Trading Partners are also Great Power Competitors.”

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. (Fox News Digital )

He added that China has no qualms about stealing U.S. intellectual property – which is understood as intangible creations, such as patents for inventions or trade secrets such as tech algorithms. Rounds recalled a recent conversation with an ambassador to China who told him their culture does not understand “how someone can own an idea.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced last Wednesday that the U.S. will begin “aggressively” revoking visas of Chinese students, most notably those with ties to the Chinese Communist Party who are trained at U.S. schools, but return to China or feed U.S. information to China. 

China has stolen billions in intellectual property on an annual basis, Sen. Mike Rounds says. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Rounds said the country needed a pause on admitting Chinese nationals with CCP ties into elite U.S. schools until an enforceable agreement is in place protecting intellectual property and processes from Chinese capture. 

“We have Chinese students that come in here, and then they [maintain] ties back home. And even if they want to stay here, one of the challenges we have is that their family may very well be coerced into requiring them to come back home again. And if that’s the case, any of the knowledge that we’ve helped them to develop here goes back home with them,” Rounds said. 

“Until such time as we’re able to address that, and until such time as we’re able to be assured that the information that they’re getting here, the data that they are catching here, the knowledge that they gain here isn’t going to be used against our young men and women in the future, we want to slow this down a little bit. Let’s just take a break. Let’s not be bringing in these Chinese students that have ties with the Chinese Communist Party, until we have some kind of agreement in place that is enforceable,” he said. 

South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds was a panelist for the inaugural Reagan National Economic Forum in California. (Fox News Digital )

Rounds explained during the Reagan library forum that protecting U.S. intellectual property from Chinese theft has a ripple effect on U.S. efforts to remain the world’s military leader as China seeks parity with America. 

STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS IT WILL ‘AGGRESSIVELY REVOKE’ VISAS OF CHINESE STUDENTS

“[China is] a strategic challenger for us on the military side. They are a near-peer competitor. And they have an advantage over us in one particular way: They are unified in terms of when Xi Jinping wants to move, it’s not just the government that moves, but the entire rest of their economic activity is required to move the way that he wants them to move. We don’t have that here. And so for us, we have to recognize that challenge. Now, I’m not suggesting we go the direction that they go, but we have to recognize their ability to move very, very quickly,” he said. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping listens during a meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, on April 14. (AP/Minh Hoang)

The Trump administration leveled tariffs as high as 145% on Chinese goods in April, and China retaliated against the president’s “Liberation Day” policies with tariffs of its own. China and the U.S. reached a preliminary trade agreement last month, which Trump said China violated in a Truth Social post on Friday. 

TRUMP CALLS OUT PUTIN, ACCUSES CHINA OF NOT HONORING TRADE DEAL TERMS DURING 19TH WEEK IN OFFICE

“I made a FAST DEAL with China in order to save them from what I thought was going to be a very bad situation, and I didn’t want to see that happen. Because of this deal, everything quickly stabilized and China got back to business as usual. Everybody was happy! That is the good news!!! The bad news is that China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US. So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!” he wrote. 

President Donald Trump speaks during the National Prayer Breakfast, Feb. 6, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Rounds explained that the U.S. is in the midst of reaching a favorable trade deal while also acknowledging China has stolen billions of dollars in intellectual property for its own advantage. 

“We do, right now, really close to about a half a trillion dollars a year in economic activity with China today, but they steal about $600 billion in intellectual property on an annual basis. And so we have this dichotomy of trying to do good trade and at the same time recognizing that they’re stealing our property,” he said. 

Rounds said the floodgates of accepting and leveraging AI have not yet opened in the U.S., as many Americans are still hesitant to trust the technology. In mere months and years, however, he said the health industry will see massive overhauls, aided by tech that can quickly identify cancer or diagnose diabetes and Alzheimer’s. This will lead American culture to accept AI and rally the private sector’s proliferation of it, he said.

HOUSE CHINA COMMITTEE ZEROS IN ON LATEST CCP EFFORTS TO STEAL AMERICAN AGRICULTURE IP

“I think what the American people want to see is, what’s in it for them? What improves their quality of life? I think one of the most critical issues – that would really be one of the easiest to get into – is talking about health care. And I firmly believe that Americans will see AI as a benefit to them rather than as a challenge when we start to see cures for diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cancers. And those are all within reach,” Rounds told Fox Digital. 

Rounds added during the forum that when Americans personally feel how their quality of life has improved due to AI, “that’s when we’ll really see the push across the country to develop AI at a rate that you’ve never seen before by the private sector, as well.”

“That’s what’s going to keep us ahead of China,” he said. 

Red flags flutter in front of the Great Hall of the People on March 4, 2022, in Beijing, China. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

The forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, which is nestled in California’s Santa Susana Mountains and the Simi Hills, kicked off on Thursday evening, and featured more than a dozen discussions and panels focused on the economy, artificial intelligence, U.S. defense strategies, the energy sector and more across Friday. Banking leader Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin were among those who joined Rounds in addressing the nation’s economic health. 

The Reagan library’s retired Air Force One jet is showcased in a pavilion. (Fox News Digital)

“The Reagan Library does an excellent job working on defense issues, and now they’ve also opened up a seminar basically working on economic issues critical to the United States. And so to come in here and to work with other people that care about the economic well-being of our country, this is an excellent place to do it.… So it’s an opportunity for me to really learn what’s going on and what other people are thinking about our economy in general,” Rounds told Fox Digital of the forum. 

JPMORGAN’S JAMIE DIMON CALLS ON US TO STOCKPILE BULLETS, RARE EARTH INSTEAD OF BITCOIN

A statue of the former president at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

The conference comes as the Senate works to pass the Big Beautiful Bill, which is a sweeping multitrillion-dollar piece of legislation that advances Trump’s agenda on taxes, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt. Rounds said the legislation must pass or Americans will see their taxes spike. 

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“We don’t have a choice. We have to pass the bill to get the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act back in place on a permanent basis. If we don’t do that, the average American family is going to see about a $2,400 a year increase in their taxes. So we have to do something. And it’s critical that we pass this bill. We’re going to work with the House. We’re gonna get this deal done. The Senate will put their mark of approval on it, but nonetheless, we want to do everything we can as quickly as we can to take care of this so that we can get on to other things. The president has made it very clear he wants to get this done. We want to help in that regard. This is our job,” he said. 

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., criticized the Trump administration for “sowing chaos” in communities while announcing that a member of his staff was handcuffed and briefly detained at his New York City office last week.

Federal Protective Service (FPS) officers were responding Wednesday to reports that protesters were inside Nadler’s district office in Manhattan. At the time, a protest was taking place outside an immigration courthouse in the same facility as the congressman’s office. 

“Based on earlier incidents in a nearby facility, FPS officers were concerned about the safety of the federal employees in the office and went to the location to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those present,” a Homeland Security spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

TRUMP DHS ISSUES WARNING AFTER ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS ATTEMPT TO DISRUPT ARREST

Rep. Jerry Nadler criticizes Trump administration after his staff member was detained by DHS officers during protests in New York City, calling for an end to intimidation tactics. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

The officers were let inside and came upon four people, the spokesperson said. 

“Officers identified themselves and explained their intent to conduct a security check, however, one individual became verbally confrontational and physically blocked access to the office, the spokesperson added. “The officers then detained the individual in the hallway for the purpose of completing the security check. All were released without further incident.”

In a video of the arrest posted online, the officers were heard saying that Nadler’s staff were “harboring rioters” and that they were conducting a check. The staff member being arrested can be heard crying during the incident. 

In a statement released Saturday, Nadler said the DHS officers “forcefully” entered his office before handcuffing a member of his staff.

NOEM DISMISSES JEFFRIES’ WARNINGS AS DHS CONSIDERS ARRESTS OF DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS AFTER ICE FACILITY CLASH

“President Trump and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are sowing chaos in our communities, using intimidation tactics against both citizens and non-citizens in a reckless and dangerous manner,” Nadler said. 

“The decision to enter a Congressional office and detain a staff member demonstrates a deeply troubling disregard for proper legal boundaries,” he added. “If this can happen in a Member of Congress’s office, it can happen to anyone–and it is happening,” Nadler said, in part.

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., has accused President Donald Trump of “sowing chaos” after his staff member was briefly handcuffed and detained at the congressman’s office last week.  (AP)

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Nadler further called on Trump and DHS to halt “these dangerous tactics” and to abandon the expedited removal process, which he said denies due process for illegal immigrants and U.S. citizens. 

“While no arrests were made and the situation was quickly deescalated, I am alarmed by the aggressive and heavy-handed tactics DHS is employing in New York City and across the country,” he said. 

President Donald Trump shared a post on social media this weekend claiming that President Joe Biden died in 2020 and was replaced with clones.

Trump shared a link to the post from his personal account on Truth Social on Saturday. The post originated from a small account on the platform responding to discussions about Biden’s health.

“There is no Joe Biden – executed in 2020,” the post says. “Biden clones, doubles and robotic engineered soulless, mindless entities are what you see.”

“Democrats don’t know the difference,” it adds, before listing a litany of hashtags.

POLITICAL WORLD REACTS TO FORMER PRESIDENT BIDEN’S ‘AGGRESSIVE’ CANCER DIAGNOSIS: ‘INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT’

President Donald Trump shared a social media post claiming that President Joe Biden had been “executed” in 2020 and replaced with clones. (Win McNamee/Pool via REUTERS, Getty Images)

Trump added no words of his own to the post, merely sharing the link on his personal account.

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

Trump shared several links to Truth Social posts without offering his own commentary Saturday night. Most of the posts detailed Trump’s efforts to return steel manufacturing to the U.S.

JOE BIDEN DIAGNOSED WITH ‘AGGRESSIVE FORM’ OF PROSTATE CANCER WITH METASTASIS TO THE BONE

President Trump shares a post on Truth Social.

The Saturday post comes amid new controversy over Biden’s health while in office. Speculation has exploded in the days since Biden announced he has stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer, a diagnosis that typically takes years to develop.

The nature of the diagnosis has led to speculation that members of the previous administration were aware of the cancer but withheld information about it from the public, even as they attempted to run Biden for a second term.

Former President Joe Biden shared an image of he and his wife Jill after it was announced he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. (X.com/@JoeBiden)

Trump said he and first lady Melania Trump were “saddened” to learn of Biden’s diagnosis and wished him a “fast and successful recovery” in a post on social media this weekend.

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“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis,” Trump wrote. “We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”

Conservatives are mocking Sen. Cory Booker for delivering an alleged “Nazi salute” to California Democrats, while quipping the New Jersey Democrat won’t get the same scrutiny Elon Musk did when he raised his arm to MAGA supporters in January. 

“NEW: Democrat Senator Cory Booker appears to do a ‘Nazi’ salute in front of a large crowd of Democrats. I’m looking forward to the wall to wall coverage from the ‘honest’ and totally not biased media,” Trending Politics co-owner Collin Rugg posted to X, accompanied by footage of the gesture. 

“If Elon Musk is a Nazi for doing this gesture…  Cory Booker is one too. Sorry, I don’t make the rules,” X user Angela Belcamino posted. 

Booker traveled to the Los Angeles area on Saturday, where he addressed the California Democratic Party’s convention, calling on supporters to “stand up” to President Donald Trump and repeating a handful of messages he delivered during his marathon 25-hour speech on the Senate floor in March railing against Musk, the Department of Government Efficiency, and the Trump administration for its alleged attacks on “Americans’ safety, financial stability, the core foundations of our democracy.”

ELON MUSK’S MOTHER URGES HIM TO SUE CNN, OTHER NEWS OUTLETS FOR PEDDLING ‘NAZI SALUTE’ NARRATIVE

Sen. Cory Booker addressed the California Democratic convention at the Anaheim Convention Center.

“Real change does not come from Washington. It comes from communities. It comes from the streets. It comes from the people who’s standing up and have shown over and over again – against the powerful, against the elected, against the rich – that the power of the people is greater than the people in power,” Booker said on Saturday to the California Democrats. 

He capped off his roughly 15-minute speech with a gesture where he placed his right hand on his chest before raising it to the crowd. 

Musk delivered a similar gesture in January on Trump’s inauguration day, which yielded dozens of headlines from mainstream media outlets that Musk delivered a “Nazi-style salute” to Trump supporters. Liberals and critics frequently attacked Trump while he was on the campaign trail by calling him a Hitler-esque fascist, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, who compared Trump to the German dictator during a town hall in October. 

BOOKER CONCLUDES RECORD 25-HOUR SPEECH AGAINST TRUMP, MUSK, MARKING THE LONGEST EVER ON THE SENATE FLOOR

Elon Musk gestures as he speaks during the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena, in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images )

Conservatives and others pounced on the footage of Booker, asking if media outlets would accuse the New Jersey Democrat of gesturing like a Nazi. 

“Will Corey Booker be plastered all over msm with headlines claiming he’s a ‘Nazi’?” The Post Millennial’s X account posted, accompanied by footage of the gesture. 

DEM SENATOR SAYS PARTY BRAND IS ‘REALLY PROBLEMATIC’ AND LED TO THE LOSS OF TRUST OF WORKING-CLASS VOTERS

“Here’s a list of all the news networks who have not covered Cory Booker’s salute: – NYTimes – CNN – Washington Post – MSNBC – NPR – USA Today – Reuters – Axios – ABC News Every single one of them wrote stories on Elon Musk’s ‘salute’… …do you get it yet?” former government scientist Matt van Swol posted to X. 

Musk responded to van Swol: “Legacy media is one big psy op.”

Sen. Cory Booker speaks at the California Democratic convention at the Anaheim Convention Center on Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

ELON MUSK’S OFFICIAL ROLE AT TRUMP’S DOGE ENDS, BUT HIS POLITICAL IMPACT LINGERS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS

“Cory Booker is a straight up NAZI! WOW,” conservative X user Gunther Eagleman posted. 

Other X posts included direct comparison between Musk’s wave in January and Booker’s gesture on Saturday. 

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk attend a press conference in the Oval Office of the White House, May 30, 2025. (Reuters/Nathan Howard)

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“Cory Booker was obviously just waving to the crowd. Anyone who claims his wave is the same as Elon Musk’s gesture is operating in bad faith. The differences between the two are obvious to anyone without an agenda,” Booker spokesperson Maya Krishna-Rogers told Fox News Digital on Sunday when asked about the gesture. 

Booker did not appear to join fellow liberals in comparing Musk’s wave to a Nazi salute in January, although he has previously slammed Trump as “worse than a racist,” accusing him in 2019 of using “racist tropes” as “a weapon to divide our nation against itself.” 

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said on Sunday that he would support President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” if the debt ceiling hike was removed.

Paul told CBS’ “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan that he and three other Republican senators will hold out against the bill unless it is modified. 

“I think there are four of us at this point, and I would be very surprised if the bill at least is not modified in a good direction,” Paul said. 

“I want the tax cuts to be permanent. But at the same time, I don’t wanna raise the debt ceiling five trillion,” he continued, adding, “The GOP will own the debt once they vote for this.”

SENATE REPUBLICANS EYE CHANGES TO TRUMP’S MEGABILL AFTER HOUSE WIN

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., talks with reporters in the U.S. Capitol after the House passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on Thursday, May 22, 2025.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc )

Trump on Saturday warned Paul would be “playing right into the hands of the Democrats” if he votes against the bill.

“If Senator Rand Paul votes against our Great, Big, Beautiful Bill, he is voting for, along with the Radical Left Democrats, a 68% Tax Increase and, perhaps even more importantly, a first time ever default on U.S. Debt,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday afternoon. 

TRUMP WARNS RAND PAUL HE’S PLAYING INTO ‘HANDS OF THE DEMOCRATS’ WITH ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ OPPOSITION

President Donald Trump on Saturday warned Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., he would be “playing right into the hands of the Democrats” if he votes against Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill.”  (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“Rand will be playing right into the hands of the Democrats, and the GREAT people of Kentucky will never forgive him! The GROWTH we are experiencing, plus some cost cutting later on, will solve ALL problems. America will be greater than ever before!”

Next week, Senate Republicans will get their turn to parse through the colossal package and are eying changes that could be a hard sell for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who can only afford to lose three votes.

The US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Sunday, May 18, 2025. (Alex Wroblewski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Congressional Republicans are in a dead sprint to get the megabill — filled with Trump’s policy desires on taxes, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt — onto the president’s desk by early July.

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

New Jersey voters will choose their Democrat and Republican nominees for governor on June 10, closing out competitive primary contests that could have major implications for the Garden State. 

It’s a crowded field on both sides of the aisle as six Democrats and five Republicans are vying for the chance to replace Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy, who is term-limited this year. 

Democratic candidates include Newark mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City mayor Steve Fulop, New Jersey Education Association president Sean Spiller, former New Jersey Senate president Steve Sweeney and U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherill.

2021 Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli, radio personality Bill Spadea, New Jersey state Sen. Jon Bramnick, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac and political outsider Justin Barbera are among the Republican candidates. 

DEM LAWMAKER FUNDRAISES OFF FEDERAL ASSAULT CHARGES AFTER ICE FACILITY CONFRONTATION: ‘DOING MY JOB’

Democrat Rep. Mikie Sherrill, left, and Republican Jack Ciattarelli, right, are among the leading gubernatorial candidates ahead of the New Jersey primary.  (Getty Images)

Democrat and Republican candidates have evoked President Donald Trump’s name during their gubernatorial campaigns, as Democrats position themselves as the most anti-Trump and Republicans try to be the most pro-Trump. 

REP. MIKIE SHERRILL SUGGESTS THIRD TRUMP IMPEACHMENT AS SHE CAMPAIGNS TO BE NEXT NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR

New Jersey is one of just two gubernatorial elections in 2025, along with Virginia. Both races will be used by politicians and pundits to gauge how Americans are responding to Trump’s second term ahead of the midterm elections next year. 

Trump outperformed in the Garden State in 2024, according to Fox News Voter Analysis. 

While Vice President Kamala Harris won New Jersey in 2024 as expected, Trump gained a nearly five-point improvement from his 2020 vote share and Harris’ support dropped by about five points. He gained across New Jersey, with his largest swings in the northeast corner of the state. Hudson and Passaic counties lead the pack.

Trump arrives for his campaign rally in Wildwood Beach on May 11, 2024, in Wildwood, New Jersey. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Trump held a large “Make America Great Again” rally on the Jersey Shore during his 2024 presidential campaign as he told the crowd that New Jersey was in play, despite its reputation as a reliable blue state. 

Republican gubernatorial candidates have been eager to play up their relationships with Trump and cast their campaigns as the most aligned with Trump. But the president endorsed Ciattarelli on Truth Social earlier this month – a blow to Ciatarelli’s closest competitor, Spadea.

Ciattarelli is leading the pack of Republican candidates with 42% of New Jersey registered Republicans and Republican-leaning independent voters, according to a Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel poll conducted from April 1 to April 10. Spadea comes in a distant second, with 12%. Four percent of Republicans said they preferred Bramnick, 3% chose Barbera, and no one chose Kranjac. Four percent say they don’t prefer any of the candidates.

Ciattarelli landed Trump’s endorsement earlier this month.  (Getty Images)

This is the leading Republican’s third consecutive gubernatorial bid. Ciattarelli lost by a hair to Murphy in 2021 and has framed his candidacy as a referendum on the Democrat policies that have driven New Jersey for the past eight years. 

Meanwhile, the Democrat candidates have walked a fine line between building on Murphy’s legacy and promising to change the status quo in Trenton. Like Murphy, Democrat candidates have rejected Trump’s executive orders, crackdown on illegal immigration and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts. 

The same poll found Democrats were more split about their leading candidate. 17% of registered Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents said they prefer Sherrill and 12% said they support Fulop, which is within the margin of error. Spiller picked up 10%, Baraka had 9% and Sweeney landed 7% of the vote. Four percent didn’t prefer any of the candidates. 

Baraka speaks after exiting a courthouse on May 15, 2025, in Newark, New Jersey. (Getty)

Democratic candidates threw their support behind Baraka this month when he was arrested for trespassing at an ICE facility in Newark. The Department of Homeland Security called it a “beyond bizarre political stunt,” but Baraka has maintained that he did nothing wrong. 

As the New Jersey primary comes to a head next month, the Garden State has dominated national headlines this year. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) has experienced multiple FAA system outages, prompting concern among fliers and air traffic controllers. 

And a New Jersey transit strike created more travel mayhem when railways closed last week. Not to mention the large sinkhole that shut down Interstate 80, redirecting even more New Jersey travelers and commuters. 

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In-person early voting runs Tuesday, June 3, to Sunday, June 8. Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, and received by the county Board of Elections on or before the sixth day after the close of the polls. In-person voting on election day, Tuesday, June 10, will be from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Fox News’ Remy Numa contributed to this report.

White House Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett says he remains “very, very confident” that courts will support President Donald Trump’s tariff agenda.

Hassett made the statement during a Sunday morning appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” telling host George Stephanopoulos that the White House still expects “Plan A” to work out.

“And so we’re very thrilled. We are very confident that the judges would uphold this law. And so I think that that’s Plan A, and we’re very, very confident that Plan A is all we’re ever going to need,” Hassett said.

“But if, for some reason, some judge were to say that it’s not a national emergency when more Americans die from fentanyl than have ever died in all American wars combined, that’s not an emergency that the president has authority over – if that ludicrous statement is made by a judge somewhere, then we’ll have other alternatives that we can pursue as well to make sure that we make American trade fair again,” he added.

TWELVE STATES SUE TRUMP OVER TARIFFS, CLAIMING THEY’RE ‘ILLEGAL’ AND HARMFUL TO US ECONOMY

White House Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett defended President Donald Trump’s tariff plan on Sunday. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Hassett’s appearance comes after a federal court struck down Trump’s tariffs in a ruling last week, only for an appeals court to issue a temporary stay protecting the tariffs during litigation.

The appeals court ruling paused a decision by the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT), thus allowing Trump to continue to enact the 10% baseline tariff and the so-called “reciprocal tariffs” that he announced April 2 under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. 

The CIT had ruled unanimously to block the tariffs the day before.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS 5 TRUMP TARIFF EXECUTIVE ORDERS

President Donald Trump has used the threat of tariffs throughout his opening months in office. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Members of the three-judge panel who were appointed by Trump, former President Barack Obama and former President Ronald Reagan, ruled unanimously that Trump had overstepped his authority under IEEPA.

They noted that, as commander in chief, Trump does not have “unbounded authority” to impose tariffs under the emergency law.

President Donald Trump holds a chart as he delivers remarks on reciprocal tariffs during an event in the Rose Garden entitled Make America Wealthy Again at the White House in Washington, D.C. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

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For now, the burden of proof shifts to the government, which must convince the court it will suffer “irreparable harm” if the injunction remains in place, a high legal standard the Trump administration must meet.

Fox News’ Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report

Former President Joe Biden‘s inner circle considers first lady Jill Biden one of the most powerful first ladies in history, CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios political correspondent Alex Thompson reveal in their new book, “Original Sin.”

Jill Biden, a PhD whom White House staffers called “Dr. B” for short, was a reluctant political spouse in the early days of her husband’s political career. During his presidential campaigns and into his presidency, the first lady became his staunchest defender and a “political partner in addition to a spouse,” Thompson and Tapper wrote. 

“Dr. B was a strong, protective force in the White House. She was also, without question, one of the chief supporters of the president’s decision to run for reelection, and one of the chief deniers of his deterioration,” the authors wrote. 

President Donald Trump‘s White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that Jill Biden should have to answer for her complicity in the “cover-up” of Biden’s cognitive decline. 

JILL BIDEN SHOULD HAVE TO ANSWER FOR ‘COVER-UP’ OF FORMER PRESIDENT’S DECLINE, WHITE HOUSE SAYS

Then-President Joe Biden and then-first lady Jill Biden arrive in Marine One at East Hampton Airport on June 29, 2024 in East Hampton, New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Leavitt pointed to how Jill Biden jumped in to defend her husband during their joint interview on “The View” this month as evidence the former first lady is still covering for her husband. 

‘INTENSELY LOYAL’ JILL BIDEN AIDE DESPISED BY WHITE HOUSE STAFFERS, NEW BOOK CLAIMS

As Biden’s sister, Valerie “Val” Biden Owens, and his adult children, Hunter Biden and Ashley Biden, stayed away from Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, Jill Biden took on a more prominent role, the book revealed. 

“She weighed in on potential hires and reviewed many of the campaign ads before they were aired. She campaigned hard and peppered aides with questions about how many reporters would be at her events,” Tapper and Thompson said. 

Jill Biden sat for job interviews for White House aide candidates, and she “kept score” of which staffers were most loyal, with the help of her most trusted aide, Anthony Bernal, the book revealed. 

The White House began referring to Jill Biden’s “spousal programming” events on foreign trips, and her team would request talking points, which Tapper and Thompson said some national security officials found strange. 

Then-first lady Jill Biden and her senior advisor Anthony Bernal arrive at the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building on June 7, 2024 in Wilmington, Delaware. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“[Bernal] had already begun planning the first lady’s 2025 international travel schedule,” Tapper and Thompson said.

The first lady made an off-hand comment to French President Emmanuel Macron at a state dinner in 2022 about the difficult nature of campaigns and how she needed to stay in shape. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s daughter, Alexandra, overheard and found it odd, according to “Original Sin.”

“Alexandra then turned to the president and asked if they should toast to another campaign. He looked back at her like he didn’t understand. Alexandra thought her mom looked shocked. Everyone quickly gathered themselves. With Macron, they toasted to four more years,” the authors said. 

Dr. B was particularly sensitive when asked about Biden’s age and ability, according to the authors. 

After Biden’s consequential debate performance in the summer of 2024, The Associated Press reported that Jill and Hunter Biden were urging the president to continue his re-election campaign. Sources told AP the family “questioned how he was prepared for the debate by staff and wondered if they could have done something better.”

Then-President Joe Biden looks down as he participates in the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections with then-former President Donald Trump at CNN’s studios in Atlanta on June 27, 2024. (AFP via Getty Images)

“Hunter privately talked about it as being the family against the world. People sensed a more manic quality in him post-debate. He was determined to save his dad,” according to Tapper and Thompson. 

Soon after the debate, Jill Biden joined Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., on the campaign trail. After defending the president’s re-election campaign to reporters, Stabenow brought up some of her colleagues’ concerns about Biden continuing in the race. 

JILL BIDEN ACCUSED OF ‘ELDER ABUSE’ BY WASHINGTON POST COLUMNIST FOR PUSHING HUSBAND TO SEEK RE-ELECTION

“The First Lady didn’t answer the senator’s implied question, but she later fumed about it to White House staffers,” the book alleged. 

A week later, Gov. Josh Shapiro, from the pivotal battleground state of Pennsylvania, told the president, “I have some concerns.” However, before Biden could fully respond, the first lady was ushering him away. 

“Jill fumed with resentment about all the Democrats who she considered friends now pushing Biden out. She knew she had blundered in the aftermath of the debate with her belittling praise. She was only trying to help her husband in his moment of need. In the end, she told Biden: ‘This is your decision. This is for you to decide,’” according to the book. 

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Fox News Digital has written extensively dating back to the 2020 presidential campaign about Biden’s cognitive decline and his inner circle’s alleged role in covering it up.

A Biden spokesperson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

House Republicans eked out a win in May with their advancement of President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” filled with negotiations and compromises on thorny policy issues that barely passed muster in the lower chamber.

Next week, Senate Republicans will get their turn to parse through the colossal package and are eying changes that could be a hard sell for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who can only afford to lose three votes.

INSIDE THE LATE-NIGHT DRAMA THAT LED TO TRUMP’S TAX BILL PASSING BY 1 VOTE

President Donald Trump listens to a question during an event to present law enforcement officers with an award in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 19. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Congressional Republicans are in a dead sprint to get the megabill — filled with Trump’s policy desires on taxes, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt — onto the president’s desk by early July.

Trump has thrown his support behind the current product, but said during a press conference in the Oval Office on Friday that he expected the package to be “jiggered around a little bit.”

“It’s going to be negotiated with the Senate, with the House, but the end result is it extends the Trump tax cuts,” he said.

“If it doesn’t get approved, you’ll have a 68% tax increase,” the president continued. “You’re going to go up 68%. That’s a number that nobody has ever heard of before. You’ll have a massive tax increase.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has an identical margin to Johnson, and will need to cultivate support from a Senate GOP that wants to put its own fingerprints on the bill.

Senators have signaled they’d like to make changes to a litany of House proposals, including reforms to Medicaid and the timeline for phasing out green energy tax credits, among others, and have grumbled about the hike to the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap pushed for by moderate House Republicans.

SCOOP: HOUSE GOP MEMO HIGHLIGHTS REPUBLICAN WINS IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during a news conference following the Senate Republican policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 11. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Thune said many Republicans are largely in favor of the tax portion of the bill, which seeks to make Trump’s first-term tax policy permanent, and particularly the tax policies that are “stimulative, that are pro-growth, that will create greater growth in the economy.”

Much of the debate, and prospective tweaks, from the upper chamber would likely focus on whether the House’s offering has deep enough spending cuts, he said.

“When it comes to the spending side of the equation, this is a unique moment in time and in history where we have the House and the Senate and the White House and an opportunity to do something meaningful about controlled government spending,” Thune said.

The House package set a benchmark of $1.5 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade.

Some in the Senate GOP would like to see that number cranked up marginally to at least $2 trillion, largely because the tax portion of the package is expected to add nearly $4 trillion to the deficit, according to recent findings from the Joint Committee on Taxation.

“There’s just so many great things in this bill,” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Fox News Digital. “The only thing I would like to do is try to cut the spending, and I would love to take a little bit from a lot of places, rather than a lot from just one place.”

SPEAKER JOHNSON CLASHES WITH RAND PAUL OVER ‘WIMPY’ SPENDING CUTS IN TRUMP’S BILL 

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., talks with reporters in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., after the House passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on May 22. (CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Others, like Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., want to see the cuts in the package return to pre-pandemic spending levels, which would amount to roughly a $6 trillion slash in spending.

Johnson has remained unflinching in his opposition to the current bill, and warned that “no amount of pressure” from Trump could change his mind.

“President Trump made a bunch of promises,” Johnson said at an event in Wisconsin on Wednesday. “My promise has been, consistently, we have to stop mortgaging our children’s future. OK, so I think there are enough [Republicans] to slow this process down until the president, our leadership, gets serious about returning to a pre-pandemic level.”

Others are concerned over the proposed slashes to Medicaid spending, which congressional Republicans have largely pitched as reform efforts designed to root out waste, fraud and abuse in the program used by millions of Americans.

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The House package would see a roughly $700 billion cut from the program, according to a report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and some Senate Republicans have signaled that they wouldn’t support the changes if benefits were cut for their constituents.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., warned in an op-ed for The New York Times last month that cutting benefits was “both morally wrong and politically suicidal.” Meanwhile, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, raised concerns about what proposed cuts to the program would do to rural hospitals in her state. 

“I cannot support proposals that would create more duress for our hospitals and providers that are already teetering on the edge of insolvency,” she said. 

With the early moves heating up in the 2026 battle for the House majority, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s (DCCC) chair argues President Donald Trump and the Republican majorities in the House and Senate are “doing incredible damage to working families and to our country.”

And with the GOP defending a razor-thin majority in the House in next year’s midterm elections, Rep. Suzan DelBene, the DCCC chair, noted, “We only need three more seats.”

“We have 35 districts in play across the country where we have opportunities,” DelBene said in a Fox News Digital interview last week in the nation’s capital, pointing to the Republican-held seats the DCCC is targeting.

“We are on offense. We are fighting for the American people and for the important issues they care about, and Democrats are united in doing that.”

HOUSE DEMOCRATS PREDICT REPUBLICANS WILL PAY PRICE FOR PASSING TRUMP’S ‘BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks at a news conference with other members of House Republican leadership in Washington, D.C., May 6, 2025. The GOP is defending its razor-thin House majority in the 2026 midterm elections. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

While the party in power after a presidential election — currently the GOP — typically faces political headwinds and loses House seats in the following midterms, the 2026 map appears to favor Republicans.

“The battlefield is really laying out to our advantage. There are 14 Democrats who won seats also carried by Donald Trump. There are only three Republicans in seats that were carried by [former Vice President] Kamala Harris. So, that tells me we’re going to be on offense,” Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) chair, told Fox News Digital at the start of the 2026 cycle.

WHAT THE HOUSE GOP CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE CHAIR TOLD FOX NEWS ABOUT TRUMP’S ROLE IN THE MIDTERMS

DelBene countered that “the reason we have opportunities is because people are outraged, because they do want to see someone come into office who is going to fight for their communities and not just be blindly loyal to a president.”

And pointing to the small bite House Democrats took out of the GOP’s majority in the 2024 elections, she added that “those are the types of candidates that won in our districts last cycle. It’s a reason we actually gained seats in 2024 and is absolutely the reason why we’re going to take back the majority in 2026.”

But Hudson noted he has a powerful ally as he works to keep control of the House.

“The president understands that he’s got to keep the House majority in the midterm so that he has a four-year runway instead of a two-year runway to get his agenda enacted,” Hudson said. “He’s been extremely helpful to us, and we appreciate it.”

And the Democrats are facing a polling dilemma because the party’s ratings have been sinking to historic lows in a number of national surveys so far this year.

The Democrats’ ratings in a Fox News poll stood at 41% favorable and 56% unfavorable in a survey conducted April 18-21.

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That’s an all-time low for the Democrats in Fox News polling. And for the first time in a decade, the party’s standing was lower than that of the GOP, which stood at 44% favorable and 54% unfavorable.

The figures were reversed last summer, when Fox News last asked the party favorability question in one of its surveys.

But there is a silver lining for the Democrats.

The Fox News poll indicated that if the 2026 midterm elections were held today, 49% of voters would back a generic Democrat in their congressional district, with 42% supporting the generic Republican candidate.

The Democrats also have another problem — the possibility of primary challenges against longtime and older House lawmakers in safe blue districts.

Recently elected Democratic National Committee (DNC) Vice Chair David Hogg last month pledged to spend millions of dollars through his outside political group to support primary challenges against what he termed “asleep at the wheel” House Democrats who he argued have not been effective in pushing back against Trump.

The move by the 25-year-old Hogg, a survivor of the shooting seven years ago at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in South Florida, to spend money against fellow Democrats ignited a firestorm within the party.

Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg, seen here Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago, is pledging to support primary challenges against older House Democrats in blue districts. (Dominic Gwinn/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

In response, DelBene said, “Democrats across the country are united in taking back the House.”

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Asked by Fox News if the move by Hogg would force the DCCC and allied super PACs to divert money and resources from competitive districts in order to defend incumbents in safe blue districts from primary challenges, DelBene responded, “I think everyone knows how important it is that we take back the House, and folks are focused in helping make sure that we do that in districts all across the country.”

But the dispute is giving the GOP ammunition.

In response to the intra-Democratic Party feud, NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella argued, “No Democrat is safe. A political earthquake is underway, and the old guard is scrambling.”

As the Department of Government Efficiency enters a new era with the departure of Elon Musk on Friday, it has caused numerous changes in recent months on matters of immigration and border security.

“DOGE has helped to transform the Federal government by eliminating waste and bloat that has been ignored for years. DOGE is playing a key role in eliminating millions of taxpayer money being misspent, including contracts for illegal alien facilities that sat empty during the Biden Border invasion and funding for hotel rooms to house illegal gang members. DOGE’s mission to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse continues!” Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, told Fox News Digital in a statement on Friday.

In February, the Department of Homeland Security announced that they had gutted an $83 million contract for “an empty illegal alien facility during an invasion at the southern border” and the $80 million in FEMA funding to provide lodging for illegal immigrants in New York City, like the Roosevelt Hotel.  

DOGE STAFFING SHAKEUP AS ELON MUSK HANGS UP HIS HAT, WHITE HOUSE CONFIRMS

DOGE leader Elon Musk has been hit with 96% negative coverage on ABC, NBC and CBS evening newscasts, according to the Media Research Center.  (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

In March, a contract to resume wall construction along seven miles of the border was cleared by DOGE.

“Secretary Noem announced that we officially awarded the first [DOGE] approved contract to restart construction on President Trump’s border wall,” DHS posted on March 17.

DOGE also posted to X in April that it had found that many illegal immigrants who were on the FBI’s terror watchlist and those who have a criminal history were taking out public benefits. Four on the terror watchlist and 901 other “paroled aliens” were “collecting Medicaid,” 41 received unemployment benefits, 22 got student loans from the federal government and 409 got a “net” tax refund in 2024, according to the department. The cost of the tax refunds was $751,000, Medicaid cost $276,000, and the student loans totaled out to $280,000, the department said. 

TOP 5 MOST OUTRAGEOUS WAYS THE GOVERNMENT HAS WASTED YOUR TAXES, AS UNCOVERED BY ELON MUSK’S DOGE

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is sworn in during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on her nomination to be Secretary of Homeland Security, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on January 17, 2025. (Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP)  (Getty Images)

“Under the Biden administration, it was routine for Border Patrol to admit aliens into the United States with no legal status and minimal screening,” the post stated. “So far, CBP identified a subset of 6.3k individuals paroled into the United States since 2023 on the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center watchlist or with criminal records. These paroles have since been terminated with immediate effect. Despite having no other legal status, paroled aliens are able to file for work authorization and receive social security numbers.”

Outside of immigration and border security, DHS said the Coast Guard is expected to save $32.7 million by scrapping an information technology system that was deemed “ineffective.” In a video posted in May about the partnership between DOGE and DHS, it said the funds are going to “frontline operations.”

“Another win for government efficiency at DHS!” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement to Fox News Digital in April.

TRUMP, MUSK GET SUPPORT FROM FORMER NFL STAR AMID CRITICISM OVER DOGE CUTS, OTHER ISSUES

This image shows the border wall separating Mexico from the U.S. in San Diego Sector. (Fox News)

“Continuing the crucial work of DOGE, the Coast Guard eliminated an ineffective IT program, saving over $32 million and focusing its resources where they’re most needed to protect the homeland. The USCG continues to deliver on the President’s priorities, maximizing its efficiency while securing our borders and maritime approaches,” Noem added.

DHS and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also recently announced a planned crackdown on illegal immigrants’ use of public housing benefits. 

And last month, DHS announced that, in the spirit of cracking down on “waste, fraud and abuse,” it was ending FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program.

DOGE DISCOVERS THE BIDEN-MAYORKAS ILLEGAL MIGRATION FUNDING MACHINE

White House border czar Tom Homan speaks with reporters at the White House, Friday, March 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (AP )

“The BRIC program was yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program. It was more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters,” a FEMA spokesperson said in a statement at the time. “Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, we are committed to ensuring that Americans in crisis can get the help and resources they need.” 

Fox News reached out to DHS for additional comment. The changes come as President Donald Trump made major policy changes during the early days of his second term, which has led to a sharp decrease in encounters at the border and a continued crackdown on illegal immigrants with a criminal background in the U.S. interior. 

In total, DOGE has estimated it has saved $175 billion for taxpayers so far.

Fox News’ Greg Wehner and Preston Mizell contributed to this report. 

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, called on his fellow Democrats on Saturday to “be a little meaner” and stand up to President Donald Trump, who he described as a “bully.”

Walz, a 2024 vice presidential candidate, was the keynote speaker at a Democratic Party state convention in Columbia, South Carolina, where he took jabs at the Republican president and sought to energize his party’s activists.

“Maybe it’s time for us to be a little meaner, a little bit more fierce, because we have to ferociously push back on this,” Walz told the crowd in the Palmetto State.

The comment came after he said he had been accused of being “mean” when he threw criticism in recent months at Trump administration officials, including billionaire Elon Musk, who has since left his role in the federal government.

ACTING ICE DIRECTOR DEMANDS TIM WALZ APOLOGIZE FOR CALLING AGENTS ‘MODERN-DAY GESTAPO’

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called on his fellow Democrats to “be a little meaner” and “bully the s–-t out of” President Donald Trump. (AP)

“The thing that bothers a teacher more than anything is to watch a bully,” Walz, a former schoolteacher, said. “And when it’s a child, you talk to them and you tell them why bullying is wrong.”

“But when it’s an adult like Donald Trump, you bully the s–-t out of him back … This is a … cruel man,” the governor added.

The Minnesota Democrat also criticized Trump as a “wannabe dictator” and an “existential threat.”

“Donald Trump is the existential threat that we knew was coming,” Walz said, noting that, for Democrats, “it is going to be a challenging few years here.”

“We’ve got the guts and we need to have it to push back on the bullies and the greed,” he said.

Walz also appeared Friday night, along with Maryland Democrat Gov. Wes Moore, at the party’s fundraising dinner and after-party fish fry hosted by South Carolina Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn. Walz and Moore are on a long list of potential 2028 presidential candidates who have been traveling to early-voting states, although the Maryland governor said ​​he would not run for the White House in the next election cycle.

Gov. Tim Walz criticized Trump as a “wannabe dictator” and an “existential threat.” (Getty Images)

“I want to be clear: We can and we must condemn Donald Trump’s reckless actions. But we would also be foolish not to learn from his impatience,” Moore said in his remarks.

“Donald Trump doesn’t need a study to dismantle democracy or use the Constitution like a suggestion box. Donald Trump doesn’t need a white paper to start arbitrary trade wars that raise the cost of virtually everything in our lives,” he added.

The events gave the two governors the opportunity to test out their messages in front of hundreds of Democrats in the state that has long held the South’s Democratic presidential primary and, last year, kicked off the party’s nominating calendar entirely.

State party chair Christale Spain has said she will renew the argument to keep the state’s number one position in the next cycle, although national party organizations have not settled their 2028 calendars yet and party officials in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada are also looking to go first.

MINNESOTA REPUBLICAN ANNOUNCES CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR, VOWS TO ‘FIX’ WHAT TIM WALZ ‘BROKE’

Gov. Tim Walz took jabs at Trump and sought to energize Democratic Party activists. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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Just as he did on Friday night, Walz praised his fellow Democrats in his speech on Saturday for having the “courage” to keep fighting in a largely Republican state, where Democrats have not won a statewide election in about two decades and only hold one congressional seat.

“Damnit, we should be able to have some fun and be joyful,” Walz said. “We’ve got the guts and we need to have it to push back on the bullies and the greed.”

Walz has not officially said if he will seek a third term as governor in 2026, but acknowledges he is considering it. He has also given mixed signals on a potential 2028 presidential run.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump on Saturday warned Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., he would be “playing right into the hands of the Democrats” if he votes against Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill.” 

“If Senator Rand Paul votes against our Great, Big, Beautiful Bill, he is voting for, along with the Radical Left Democrats, a 68% Tax Increase and, perhaps even more importantly, a first time ever default on U.S. Debt,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday afternoon. 

“Rand will be playing right into the hands of the Democrats, and the GREAT people of Kentucky will never forgive him! The GROWTH we are experiencing, plus some cost cutting later on, will solve ALL problems. America will be greater than ever before!”

Paul told “Fox News Sunday” last weekend he supports the tax and spending cuts in the bill, which he still slammed as “wimpy and anemic, but I still would support the bill, even with wimpy and anemic cuts if they weren’t going to explode the debt. The problem is the math doesn’t add up. They’re going to explode the debt by, the House says, $4 trillion. The Senate’s actually been talking about exploding the debt $5 trillion.” 

INSIDE THE LATE-NIGHT DRAMA THAT LED TO TRUMP’S TAX BILL PASSING BY 1 VOTE

President Donald Trump on Saturday warned Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., he would be “playing right into the hands of the Democrats” if he votes against the president’s “Big, Beautiful Bill.”  (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The bill narrowly passed the House May 22 and will soon be voted on in the Senate, where Republicans can only afford to lose three votes. 

Others, like Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., have also expressed concerns about the bill. 

TRUMP SLAMS REPUBLICAN ‘GRANDSTANDERS’ OPPOSING BUDGET BILL, PREDICTS MASSIVE US TAX INCREASES IF IT FAILS

Last weekend, Trump told reporters he was open to changes in the bill.

“I want the Senate and the senators to make the changes they want,” he said. “It will go back to the House, and we’ll see if we can get them. In some cases, the changes may be something I’d agree with, to be honest.” 

Along with tax cuts, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act also includes stricter requirements for accessing Medicaid, changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program and no taxes on overtime or tips. 

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., talks with reporters in the U.S. Capitol after the House passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act May 22. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Democrats have slammed the Medicaid reform section of the bill, mentioning possible cuts as a driving issue ahead of competitive midterm elections in 2026. 

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a nonpartisan analyst for the U.S. Congress, estimates that 8.6 million people in the United States will lose health insurance by 2034 through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s Medicaid reform. 

“The Democrats have been focusing on this specific line of attack that 13.7 million Americans are going to lose their health care, and that’s just blatantly false,” Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview this week. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans celebrated passing Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” earlier this month.  (Getty Images)

“Five million of those people are receiving a tax credit under the Affordable Care Act that was passed by the Democrats with a sunset date that was implemented by the Democrats. We’re simply allowing the sunset date to expire as the Democrats originally intended,” Houchin said. 

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CBO estimates that 13.7 million Americans will lose coverage by 2034, which also includes the 5 million Americans who were already about to lose coverage. A number of Democrats have already deployed the figure in campaign messages rejecting Trump’s bill passing in the House.

“I don’t trust the CBO score, nor should the American people, because it’s been proven again and again to be wildly off,” added Houchin, who served on three major committees leading budget markup, including the House Rules, Budget and Energy and Commerce committees. 

Fox News’ Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.

There was no mistake when the beloved but forlorn accountant Norm Peterson chugged his way into the fictional TV bar “Cheers.”

“Norm!!!” hollered the regulars in unison, ranging from mail carrier Cliff Clavin to “Mayday” Sam Malone, the former Major League pitcher-turned barkeep.

If only former House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, or late Rep. Buz Lukens, R-Ohio, had been as recognizable to George Wendt, the actor who played Norm on the sitcom.

REMEMBERING REP. CHARLIE RANGEL — AND A VOICEMAIL I’LL NEVER FORGET

Wendt died last week at age 76. The portly, everyman, “Willy Loman” character Wendt created was one of the most iconic in the history of comedic television. Wendt’s portrayal of Norm earned him six consecutive Emmy nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a primetime series.

But during Boehner’s first race for Congress in 1990, Wendt inadvertently manufactured a bizarre and permanent connection to the future Speaker of the House.

In 1989, Lukens represented Ohio’s 8th Congressional District. But WSYX-TV in Columbus, Ohio, secretly recorded Lukens at a McDonald’s speaking with the mother of a teenage girl. Lukens talked to the woman about getting her a government job. He hoped to keep her quiet about his sexual activities with her daughter.

During Boehner’s first race for Congress in 1990, Wendt inadvertently manufactured a bizarre and permanent connection to the future Speaker of the House. (Reuters/Yuri Gripas)

Lukens denied any wrongdoing in public. He was charged and later convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The House Ethics Committee launched an investigation. But Lukens declined to step aside. That teed up a three-way Republican primary between Lukens, the former congressman who represented the district, the late Rep. Tom Kindness, R-Ohio, and Boehner. 

Boehner was a state legislator at the time. The scandal embroiling Lukens created a rare opportunity to head to Washington.

As strange as it seems now, Boehner was the least-known of the three Republican candidates in what turned out to be a brutal primary. But Boehner’s innate political acumen shone through – decades before he would ascend to the Speaker’s suite. 

Despite the scandal, Lukens remained popular in the district. He had served as the congressman decades earlier and returned to the House when Kindness ran unsuccessfully for the Senate against late-Sen. John Glenn, D-Ohio, in 1986. So with the Lukens scandal, Kindness wanted his job back. And Boehner hoped to capitalize on the opportunity.

BY DAWN’S EARLY LIGHT: BATTLES TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ WILL FACE IN THE SENATE

Can you top a name like that? “Congressman Kindness.” No wonder it was such a challenge for the upstart, future Speaker with the unpronounceable, Teutonic surname.

But Boehner won. And even though he felled Lukens and Kindness, it was not a done deal that Boehner would win the general election.

Boehner ran against Democrat Greg Jolivette, the mayor of Hamilton, Ohio, the biggest city in the 8th Congressional District. Jolivette was best known for changing the name of “Hamilton,” to “Hamilton!” in the 1980s. He also ran Jolly’s Drive-Ins in Hamilton. Imagine 1970s hamburger joints where you can order from your car, bedecked in orange.

But we’re talking about “Cheers” here. Not “Happy Days.”

Wendt was at the height of his popularity during the summer of 1990 as Boehner and Jolivette barreled toward a general election faceoff. So Wendt appeared on late-night TV on “The Arsenio Hall Show.”

Look him up, kids.

Hall’s syndicated show was never going to beat NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” in the ratings. But the program scored major headlines in 1992, when future President Bill Clinton played saxophone on the show in an effort to appeal to a younger demographic, which gravitated to Hall rather than Carson.

Wendt’s portrayal of Norm earned him six consecutive Emmy nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a primetime series. (Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images )

Clinton’s appearance was a seminal moment in American politics and may have helped him win the election. Certainly the most important political event on Hall’s show. Wendt’s appearance proved to be the second-most important.

Jolivette was Wendt’s brother-in-law. He periodically parachuted into Ohio’s 8th District to campaign for Jolivette and against Boehner. So Hall asked him about Wendt’s political involvement and Jolivette.

Wendt proceeded to essentially libel Boehner on the air. Wendt never mentioned Boehner by name. But Wendt mixed up Lukens and his sex scandal with Boehner. On national TV, no less.

“The guy he’s running against had some problems a while back,” said Wendt, referring to Jolivette’s opponent, but mixing Boehner up with Lukens. “The guy from the 8th District had some convictions, some felony or a misdemeanor or something. So I think it’s time for a change. One thing’s for sure, I know, Greg’s not going to be a criminal.”

TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ FACES CRUCIAL HOURS AS JOHNSON COURTS FREEDOM CAUCUS

Hall is an Ohio native. But he was apparently not versed in the Lukens scandal – even though it was a national story and commanded daily headlines. He didn’t inquire further or correct Wendt. After all, this was a late-night comedy and variety show. Not “Meet the Press.”

A publicist for Hall blamed the issue entirely on Wendt, saying the host has no control over “what (guests are) going to say.”

Things then turned nasty when Boehner’s team put out a statement.

“We, like a lot of viewers, are confused about the conversation last night. We don’t know if they were talking about Congressman Lukens’ problems or perhaps the theft complaint filed with the Hamilton (Ohio) Police against Greg Jolivette,” said the Boehner campaign.

American comedian and talk show host Arsenio Hall poses for a portrait sitting in his chair in Los Angeles, circa 1991.  (Bonnie Schiffman/Getty Images)

Jolivette’s campaign argued this was an old allegation and it wasn’t true. They then demanded that Boehner fire Barry Jackson, Boehner’s campaign manager. Jackson called the episode “cheap gutter politics.”

Boehner himself pinned the case of mistaken identity on Wendt. He believed the actor should have been more responsible for what he said on national TV.

Boehner didn’t fire Jackson. Jackson worked with Boehner for years and later served as his chief of staff when he became House speaker.

Wendt’s gaffe was not fatal for Boehner. Even though there were nearly as many Democrats as Republicans registered in the 8th District in those days, it had elected Republicans for years. And Boehner vanquished Jolivette 61-39 percent in the general election.

The rest is history for Boehner.

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Fast-forward to today. Boehner took to X after the actor’s death. The former Speaker explained how Wendt was the brother-in-law of his opponent and “went on a late-night TV show and said some tough things.” 

Boehner said that Wendt was “confusing me with someone else. He called later to apologize and we had a great conversation. Raising a glass tonight to the man America will always remember as Norm.”

Or, as they might say on the show, “Cheers.”

Elon Musk confirmed on Saturday he is not taking ketamine, an anesthetic drug, after suspicious reports from news outlets and a bizarre video of Musk playing with a spoon at dinner resurfaced online.

The video, filmed in March, appears to show the 53-year-old tech mogul balancing spoons at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.

“Watch the video—even the Secret Service looks embarrassed,” the account wrote in the post.

“I’m not on ketamine ffs,” Musk replied.

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk attend a press conference in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Friday. (Reuters/Nathan Howard)

TRUMP SMACKS DOWN NBC REPORTER’S SUGGESTION OF A RUBIO-MUSK CLASH, CALLS HIM A ‘TROUBLEMAKER’

The public response comes days after a New York Times report claimed Musk “juggled drugs and family drama” while on the campaign trail.

NYT reporters alleged Musk overused ketamine, leading to bladder issues. 

The report also cited erratic behavior, which supporters have attributed to his Asperger’s diagnosis.

Elon Musk denied using ketamine in a X reply Saturday. (REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo)

MUSK OPENS UP ABOUT DINNER PARTY THAT SOURED WHEN TRUMP’S NAME WAS INVOKED: ‘LIKE METHAMPHETAMINE AND RABIES’

In a White House news conference on Friday, Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked Musk in the Oval Office about the scathing report.

Before Doocy could finish asking his question, Musk sarcastically shot back, “Oh, wait, wait, wait. Is the New York Times… is that the same publication that got a Pulitzer Prize for false reporting on Russiagate? Is it the same organization?”

Elon Musk holds the key to the White House, a gift received from U.S. President Donald Trump, at a news conference in the Oval Office at the White House on Friday. (Reuters/Nathan Howard)

ELON MUSK OPENS UP ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE WITH ‘TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME’ DURING ‘HANNITY’ EXCLUSIVE

Doocy replied, “I’ve got to check my Pulitzer counter.”

Musk interjected, “it is,” and President Donald Trump, sitting beside Musk, agreed.

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“I think the judge has ruled against New York Times for their lies about the Russiagate hoax, and that they might have to give back that Pulitzer Prize,” Musk countered. “That New York Times? Let’s move on.”

Musk could not immediately be reached by Fox News Digital for comment.

The White House on Saturday said it is in Iran’s “best interest to accept” its proposal on a nuclear deal following a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency saying the country is swiftly increasing its stockpile of near weapons-grade enriched uranium. 

“President Trump has made it clear that Iran can never obtain a nuclear bomb,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “Special Envoy [Steve] Witkoff has sent a detailed and acceptable proposal to the Iranian regime, and it’s in their best interest to accept it. Out of respect for the ongoing deal, the administration will not comment on details of the proposal to the media.” 

The IAEA’s report said Iran had increased its stockpile to 900.8 pounds of uranium enriched by up to 60% as of May 17, a nearly 50% increase since the agency’s last report in February, which put the stockpile at 605.8 pounds. 

The report said Iran is “the only non-nuclear-weapon state to produce such material,” which is a “serious concern.”

IRAN CONDEMNS AUSTRIA OVER REPORT ON ADVANCED NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM

The White House on Saturday said it is in Iran’s “best interest to accept” its proposal on a nuclear deal after a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency said the country is increasing its stockpile of near weapons-grade enriched uranium.  (Getty Images)

The IAEA added that just 92 pounds of 60% enriched uranium is enough to produce an atomic bomb if it is enriched to 90%. 

Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but U.S. intelligence agencies say the country has “undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said in a joint statement that the report was based on “unreliable and differing information sources,” claiming that it was biased and unprofessional. 

The statement added, “The Islamic Republic of Iran expresses its disappointment about the report, which was prepared by imposing pressure on the agency for political purposes, and expresses its obvious objection about its content.”

Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi and International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi in front of the gate of the Fordow nuclear enrichment plant in Fordow near the city of Qom last November.  (Atomic Energy Organization of Iran/AFP via Getty Images)

On Thursday, Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that he was unsure a U.S.-Iran nuclear deal could be imminently reached.

“Iran is sincere about a diplomatic solution that will serve the interests of all sides. But getting there requires an agreement that will fully terminate all sanctions and uphold Iran’s nuclear rights — including enrichment,” he wrote. 

IRAN FOREIGN MINISTER VOWS NUCLEAR ENRICHMENT WILL CONTINUE ‘WITH OR WITHOUT A DEAL’

Oman Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi presented the Trump administration’s first formal proposal in Tehran Saturday, which calls for Iran to cease all uranium enrichment and for a regional consortium that includes Iran, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states and the U.S. for producing nuclear power, The New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the document. 

An Iranian newspaper addresses the U.S.-Iran nuclear deal.  (Alborz Irani/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office also put out a rare statement on a Saturday about the IAEA’s report, calling it “grave.”

“The agency presents a stark picture that serves as a clear warning sign: Despite countless warnings by the international community, Iran is totally determined to complete its nuclear weapons program,” Netanyahu’s office said. 

“The report strongly reinforces what Israel has been saying for years — the purpose of Iran’s nuclear program is not peaceful. This is evident from the alarming scope of Iran’s uranium enrichment activity. Such a level of enrichment exists only in countries actively pursuing nuclear weapons and has no civilian justification whatsoever.

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“The report clearly indicates that Iran remains in non-compliance of its fundamental commitments and obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and continues to withhold cooperation from IAEA inspectors. The international community must act now to stop Iran.”

The Trump administration recently pulled Jared Isaacman’s nomination to be NASA administrator, alluding that he was not in “complete alignment” with the president’s agenda.

“The Administrator of NASA will help lead humanity into space and execute President [Donald] Trump’s bold mission of planting the American flag on the planet Mars,” White House Assistant Press Secretary Liz Huston told Fox News Digital on Saturday.

Huston added it is “essential” that the next leader of NASA “is in complete alignment” with President Trump’s “America First” agenda.

A replacement will be announced directly by Trump “soon,” according to the White House.

Jared Isaacman, former nominee to be NASA administrator, testified during his Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., April 9. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

ASTRONAUTS TO STAND WITH NASA ADMINISTRATOR NOMINEE JARED ISAACMAN AT SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING

Isaacman is the billionaire founder and CEO of Shift4 payments, a credit card payment processing company.

He reportedly dropped out of high school as a teen, using a $10,000 check from his grandfather to form his tech business.

Jared Isaacman, who was selected to be the nominee for Administrator of NASA, was booted by the White House on Saturday. (om Brenner for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

SPACEFLIGHT FIRST PRIVATE SPACEX POLAR MISSION SPLASHES DOWN NEAR CALIFORNIA

Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., who introduced Isaacman to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, described him as “a successful innovator, entrepreneur, pilot, and astronaut.”

“Jared believes in NASA’s core mission,” Sheehy told Fox. “He has the experience and skillset to ensure we continue to lead in the greatest frontier ever known, and I look forward to adding NASA administrator to his already remarkable resume.”

A new NASA administrator nomination will be announced shortly, the White House says. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

RESCUED NASA ASTRONAUTS DELIVER MESSAGE TO TRUMP, MUSK AFTER ‘INCREDIBLE’ NINE MONTHS IN SPACE

“For nearly 70 years, the United States has been at the forefront of space exploration,” he continued. “President Trump knows how critical it is to reinvigorate NASA so we can once again lead the world to new heights, and that’s why he chose exactly the right man for the job: Jared Isaacman.”

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The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.