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President Donald Trump teased a possible meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday, amid what he called his “serious discussions” with Vladimir Putin about ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. 

President Donald Trump teased a possible meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Feb. 24, 2025, from the Oval Office. (Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images)

The president, from the Oval Office Monday, hinted at a potential meeting with Zelenskyy to finalize an agreement for rights to access its natural resources in exchange for the United States’ billions of dollars in support for the country’s war against Russia.

TRUMP SAYS DEAL WITH UKRAINE FOR US ACCESS TO ITS RARE EARTH MINERALS IS ‘PRETTY CLOSE’

“In fact, he may come in this week or next week to sign the agreement, which would be nice, I’d love to meet him. Would meet at the Oval Office,” Trump said. “The agreement is being worked on now.” 

“They are very close to a final deal,” the president said. 

“In fact, he may come in this week or next week to sign the agreement, which would be nice, I’d love to meet him. Would meet at the Oval Office,” President Donald Trump said of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (Bonnie Cash/Getty Images)

The Trump administration is seeking to recoup the cost of aid sent to the war-torn country by gaining access to rare earth minerals like titanium, iron and uranium. 

“It’ll be a deal with rare earths and various other things. And, he would like to come. As I understand it, here, to sign it. And that would be great with me,” Trump said. “I think they then have to get it approved by their council or whoever might approve it, but I’m sure that will happen.” 

Trump said the deal is “very beneficial to their economy,” while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added it is “very close.” 

“One-yard line,” Bessent said. 

Trump’s comments come just after he posted on Truth Social that he was in “serious discussions” with Putin about ending the Russia-Ukraine war. 

The post came after French President Emmanuel Macron of France joined him in the Oval Office to speak to the G-7 Summit. 

“The meeting was convened by Governor Justin Trudeau of Canada, the current chair of the G7, to acknowledge the Third Anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine War—Which would have never started if I was president,” Trump posted on his Truth Social.  

TRUMP SET TO MEET WITH WORLD LEADERS IN DC DURING BUSY WEEK AS RUSSIA-UKRAINE PEACE TALKS CONTINUE

“Everyone expressed their goal of seeing the War end, and I emphasized the importance of the vital ‘Critical Minerals and Rare-Earths Deal’ between the United States and Ukraine, which we hope will be signed very soon!” Trump continued, adding that the deal is an “economic partnership” would “ensure the American people recoup the tens of billions of dollars an military equipment sent to Ukraine, while also helping Ukraine’s economy grow as this brutal and savage war comes to an end.” 

President Donald Trump said he was “in serious discussions with President Vladimir Putin of Russia concerning the ending of the War” with Ukraine. (Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Pool)

The president said, though, “at the same time,” he was “in serious discussions with President Vladimir Putin of Russia concerning the ending of the War, and also major Economic Development transactions which will take place between the United States and Russia.” 

“Talks are proceeding very well!” he added. 

The president Monday also predicted that the Russia-Ukraine war could end within weeks. 

“I think the war could end soon,” Trump told reporters. 

When asked if it could be “within weeks,” Trump said: “Yeah, I think so, right? Don’t you think so? I’d like to ask, have you, I think we could end it within weeks. If we’re smart.” 

“If we’re not smart, it’ll keep going and we’ll keep losing young, beautiful people that we shouldn’t be dying. And we don’t want that,” Trump said. “And remember what I said? This could escalate into a third world war, and we don’t want that either.” 

Trump administration officials, including White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, recently with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Yuri Ushakov to hash out ways to end the conflict. 

TRUMP OFFICIAL SAYS UKRAINE MINERAL DEAL IS ‘WIN-WIN’ FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR US TAXPAYERS, UKRAINIANS

Ukraine was absent from the negotiations in Saudi Arabia. 

Ukraine’s lack of involvement sparked Zelenskyy to double down on the stance that his nation will not accept a peace deal unless it is a part of the negotiation process. 

Zelenskyy told reporters Tuesday in Turkey that “nobody decides anything behind our back,” after stressing in recent days that Kyiv will not agree to a peace negotiation without Ukraine’s input.

Trump recently amplified his rhetoric against Zelenskyy, including arguing Zelenskyy was a poor negotiator and that he’s “sick of it.” 

“I’ve been watching this man for years now as his cities get demolished, as his people get killed, as his soldiers get decimated,” Trump told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade.

“I’ve been watching him negotiate with no cards. He has no cards, and you get sick of it,” he continued. “You just get sick of it, and I’ve had it.”

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“I get tired of listening to it,” Trump said. “I’ve seen it enough, and then he complains that he’s not at a meeting that we’re having with Saudi Arabia trying to intermediate peace. Well, he’s been at meetings for three years with a… president who didn’t know what the hell he was doing. He’s been at the meetings for three years and nothing got done, so I don’t think he’s very important to be at meetings, to be honest with you. He’s been there for three years. He’s he makes it very hard to make deals.”

Meanwhile, the president said Monday he would be “certainly” willing to go to Moscow. 

“At the appropriate time, I would go to Moscow,” Trump said.

Irish leaders will skip St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the U.S. this year to protest President Donald Trump calling for the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are an opportunity for Irish leaders to reinforce diplomatic relations abroad, particularly in the U.S., where the annual trip to Washington, D.C., commemorates the historic and cultural ties between the countries. This year, the Irish prime minister, known as Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, will represent Ireland without Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill.

“I followed with growing concern what’s happening on the ground in Gaza and the West Bank, and like many other Irish people, have listened in horror to calls from the President of the United States for the mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from their homes and the permanent seizure of Palestinian lands,” McDonald said.

“Such an approach is a fundamental breach of international law, is deeply destabilizing in the Middle East, and a dangerous departure from the U.N. position of peace and security for both Palestinians and Israelis, and the right of Palestinians to self-determination.”

TRUMP’S GAZA RELOCATION PROPOSAL SPARKS HEATED DEBATE AMONG PALESTINIANS: ‘NO LIFE LEFT HERE’

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, right, and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill are boycotting St. Patrick’s Day at the White House. (Getty/Trump-Vance Transition Team)

While acknowledging the important opportunity to reinforce the U.S. and Ireland’s relationship, McDonald said she decided not to attend the White House events this year “as a principled stance against the call for the mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from Gaza.”

O’Neill echoed McDonald’s comments, vowing to maintain diplomatic relationships with the U.S. while taking a stance against Trump’s comments. 

JOURNALISTS SOUND ALARM OVER TRUMP’S ‘PREPOSTEROUS’ GAZA COMMENTS, WARN OF ‘ETHNIC CLEANSING’

“I have taken the decision as First Minister not to attend events at the White House this year,” O’Neill announced in a post. “We have all witnessed the heartbreak and devastation and the suffering in Palestine, and the recent comments by the U.S. president around the mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from Gaza is something which I cannot ignore.”

O’Neill said she is standing “firmly on the side of humanity” by protesting Trump and supporting the Palestinian people. 

“I will continue to engage with the U.S., both politically and economically, to better people’s lives. But people rightly look to leaders to stand against injustice. And in the future, when our children and our grandchildren ask us what we did when the Palestinian people endured unimaginable suffering, I will say I stood firmly on the side of humanity.”

McDonald said she supported Martin’s standing St. Patrick’s Day visit to Washington, D.C., because the prime minister would have more access and an expected audience with Trump. She urged Martin to use the “opportunity to reflect the view of the Irish people in relation to Palestine, in support of international law, and to reject threats for the mass expulsion of Palestinian people and seizures of their land.”

When asked about the boycott, Martin told reporters, “Sinn Féin does what it always does – it engages in politics. I have a responsibility to the country.”

Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) called the boycott “reckless” and “short-sighted.”

“The United States is a key economic partner for Northern Ireland,” said DUP Leader Rt. Hon. Gavin Robinson. “Turning away from that relationship, particularly at a time when we need continued international support, is a reckless move that does nothing to advance the interests of people and businesses in Northern Ireland.”

Trump said during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month that the U.S. would “take over the Gaza Strip.” Trump also suggested relocating Palestinians to rebuild Gaza as the “Riviera of the Middle East.” Trump’s comments sparked international backlash. 

President Donald Trump, accompanied by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, speaks during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 4, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Ireland is a long-time supporter of Palestinian independence, as many Irish draw parallels with the British occupation of Ireland. Ireland has advocated for full Palestinian statehood and a two-state solution throughout the war in Gaza. Irish citizens have vocally opposed the war in Gaza and consistently protested in support of Palestinians since the war began. 

Sinn Féin is an Irish Republican party with historic connections to the Irish Republican Army that has grown in popularity and power in Ireland and Northern Ireland over the past few years. Sinn Féin believes in Irish reunification by returning the British-controlled counties of Northern Ireland to Irish rule. 

Just as the U.S. has played a critical role in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, the U.S. was a key negotiator in the Good Friday Agreement between the United Kingdom and Ireland in 1998, which ended decades of conflict and brought peace to the region. 

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The U.S. is home to the largest Irish diaspora. The U.S. and Ireland have maintained close diplomatic relations, and traditional St. Patrick’s Day events at the White House have become an opportunity to celebrate and develop that relationship. Former President Joe Biden visited Ireland and Northern Ireland as president in 2023 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is teaming up with Elon Musk’s cost-cutting department to draw back environmental grants issued by the former Democratic administration. 

The EPA and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), President Donald Trump’s newly formed department aimed at cutting federal spending, recently revealed that the Biden administration earmarked $77.1 million in “environmental justice” grants to 20 recipients.

DOGE, as part of its sweep of government “waste,” revealed that they are canceling $67.4 million of the unspent funds, the EPA confirmed to Fox News Digital.

“Good work,” DOGE wrote in a post on X regarding the recent spending cut.

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

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency, appears before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Capitol Hill on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Mark Schiefelbein)

The new developments, first reported by the New York Post, revealed that one recipient, the San Diego State University Foundation, would stand to lose $4.2 million in funding for bringing “environmental justice” to “tribal, indigenous and Pacific Island communities.”

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., reacted to the cost-cutting decision, writing on social media that “Biden’s EPA” equals “Embezzling Public Assets.”

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, right, has been working with Elon Musk’s DOGE to cut costs. (Getty Images/iStock)

CAESARS PALACE, MLB STADIUM, AN ICE CREAM TRUCK: DOGE REVEALS HOW SCHOOLS SPENT BILLIONS IN COVID-RELIEF FUNDS

The EPA has been clawing back millions in environmental grants issued under the Biden administration, recently revealing that the Biden administration was allowing just eight entities to distribute $20 billion of taxpayer dollars “at their discretion.” 

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel And Convention Center on Feb. 20, 2025 in Oxon Hill, Maryland. (Andrew Harnik)

The agency found that part of the funds were $2 billion to a climate group linked to high-profile Democrat Stacey Abrams in what was described by the administration as a “scheme” of “wasteful” spending.

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The grant was given to Power Forward Communities, an Abrams-tied nonprofit that sought to “reduce our impact on the climate” by financing the replacement of household appliances in lower-income communities with green alternatives.

EXCLUSIVE: A new DOGE-centric bill will be introduced Monday targeting overpayments by the federal government, which the lawmaker sponsoring it says have added up to the trillions since the George W. Bush era.

The Payment Integrity Information Reform Act (PIIA) will go “hand-in-hand” with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to root out waste, fraud and abuse within the federal government, according to Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa.

Meuser, chairman of the oversight panel of the House Financial Services Committee and a member of the House DOGE Caucus, said Monday that the “DOGE team” writ-large has uncovered $55 billion in waste in only one month and that the PIIA Reform Act would dig even deeper.

“The federal government expended $236 billion last year in improper payments—money sent out improperly due to fraud, bureaucratic errors, and agencies failing to maintain eligibility integrity. “This is a gross failure of accountability that hardworking American taxpayers should not tolerate,” he said.

BILL WOULD PROHIBIT US FINANCIAL AID TO AFGHANISTAN UNTIL ALL WRONGFULLY DETAINED AMERICANS RELEASED

The Congressional DOGE Caucus now has over 100 members. (House of Representatives/Getty)

If passed, the bill could account for nearly one-quarter of the $1 trillion that DOGE writ-large has expressed the goal of exposing, recouping or saving on taxpayers’ behalf.

The act would look to improve payment integrity laws and particularly target overpayments for social safety net programs, which have been in the news lately for similar issues.

In 2023, federal agencies estimated $236 billion in improper payments were disbursed, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). That sum accounted for funds from 71 different government programs.

More than $44 billion of that year’s share was also categorized as “unknown payments.”

“The Payment Information Integrity Reform Act will put an end to this careless mismanagement at federal agencies by strengthening oversight, enforcing tougher penalties for noncompliance, and demanding accountability at every level,” Meuser said.

DEMOCRATS LOVED IDEA OF DOGE BEFORE TRUMP, WHITE HOUSE QUIPS

Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa. (CQ-Getty)

“The American people deserve government agencies that manage their money more responsibly and the House GOP remains committed to working with President Trump and DOGE to rein in spending and ensure tax dollars are spent as intended.”

The GAO further reported that improper 2023 Medicaid and Medicare payments accounted for $50 billion each, with COVID-19 unemployment assistance accounting for $43 billion.

While down $11 billion from 2022, that $236 billion was parcel to about $2.7 billion collectively disbursed incorrectly or erroneously since 2003.

Meuser said the improper payment calculations are likely conservative estimates and that the total figure is unknown, given agencies’ systemic noncompliance with such payment integrity laws.

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Last week, both DOGE leader Elon Musk and President Donald Trump remarked that some Social Security beneficiaries are listed as being older than the oldest known humans on the planet.

“According to the Social Security database, these are the numbers of people in each age bucket with the death field set to FALSE!,” Musk wrote on X. “Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security.”

Per Musk, there are 20 million beneficiaries with a listed age of older than 100 years, with about 1 million who were still alive during Reconstruction.

Fox News Digital also reached out to House DOGE Chairman Aaron Bean, R-Fla., for comment.

The policy agenda of President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans is keeping Democrats up at night.

Literally.

If you snooze, you lose.

Or at least you might have missed the recent nocturnal front mounted by Democrats to oppose the GOP’s budget package.

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

A focus group reacted to President Trump’s pledge to deliver tax cuts and eliminate wasteful government spending. (Fox News/Getty Images)

It was the second overnight session in three weeks for the Senate. 

While you were sleeping last Thursday night – drifting into Friday – Democrats hoped their resistance to the president wasn’t a legislative lullaby.

In the overnight Senate session, Democrats forced two dozen votes over nearly nine hours on every subject under the moon.

“The right to IVF,” was an amendment offered by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill. 

“Deficits and debt,” came the proposal from Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., the top Democrat on the Budget Committee.

MILLIONS MORE FOOD STAMP RECIPIENTS REQUIRED TO WORK UNDER NEW HOUSE GOP PROPOSAL 

The chamber of the U.S. Senate on April 7, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Senate Television via AP)

“Public lands,” was the focus for Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo.

“Deadly and devastating wildfires,” caught the attention of Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. 

“The cost of housing,” was the issue for Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va. 

“Tax cuts,” declared Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.

“The FAA,” said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the leading Democrat on the Appropriations panel.

However, Republicans threw a shuteye shutout.

The GOP-controlled Senate rejected every Democratic proposal all night long. 

US Capitol Building at sunset on Jan. 30, 2025. (Fox News Digital)

Marathon voting sessions – often called “vote-a-ramas” in the Senate – present an opportunity for the party out of power to engineer challenging votes for the other side. They like to put the majority on the spot with tough votes. Some amendments are even drafted with a specific senator in mind. Especially someone who might face a competitive bid for re-election in the next cycle.

Democrats tried to trip up Republicans with votes on tax cuts. They even compelled Republicans to weigh in on their support – or lack thereof – for Ukraine.

“This amendment ensures continued support for the government of Ukraine to stand firm against Russian aggression. For three years, Ukraine has fought tooth and nail for its very survival heroically,” said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee. 

Reed’s plan scored a brushback from Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss.

“There’s no greater supporter of Ukraine in this Senate than I am. But this is not the right vehicle,” argued Wicker on the floor at 12:34 a.m. ET Friday. “Passage of this amendment – though members might wish to – will make it harder to pass this very valuable budget.”

But it was lights out for Democrats as Republicans passed their budget framework just before dawn Friday.

The vote was 52-48. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the lone GOP nay.

FOLLOWING KEY WINS, TRUMP POSED FOR CABINET COMPLETION IN RECORD TIME

Sen. Rand Paul listens during a Senate hearing on Capitol Hill on Jan. 11, 2022. (Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images)

“We’re going to vote all night long to set up a bill to increase spending by $340 billion,” argued Paul in a floor speech Thursday. “Senate Republicans are coming forward today to pass a budget to allow them to raise federal spending.”

Paul asserted that senators should vote on his amendment to cut spending rather than greenlight an outline to actually spend more on the military and border security. He also reminded his colleagues that the budget plan wasn’t binding. It was just an aspiration with no real money or spending reductions.

“The talk of the savings is ephemeral. It isn’t real. Until Congress has the courage to vote on it, it has to be certified by a vote. If Congress doesn’t vote, it sort of wishes and washes around in the ether. And it may or may not wind up being savings,” said Paul.

Democrats claimed they shined a spotlight on Republican political vulnerabilities via the overnight exercise. 

“One amendment at a time, Democrats exposed Republicans’ true colors here on the Senate floor,” bragged Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks with reporters about President Donald Trump’s agenda at the Capitol, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

But in the middle of the night. 

Did anyone see it?

Did anyone pay attention?

If a tree falls in the woods…

But now it’s up to the House to approve its plan. It tackles the same provisions which are in the Senate package. But it emphasizes tax cuts. It also has the support of Trump.

It will be hard to advance anything through the House.

“If we don’t do our job, everyone’s taxes are going up. And so that is absolutely going to be catastrophic to the American people,” said Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., on FOX Business.

Republicans hold a narrow majority in the House. It’s about the math. They can only lose a vote or two on any given day. And keep in mind that a key demand in this bill is to drive up military and border spending – but also reduce overall spending. Plus, renew tax cuts.

That’s why some skeptics say the only way is to tackle the entitlements. So-called “mandatory” spending. This is spending that Congress doesn’t approve for each year. Based on laws passed years ago, the money for mandatory spending just floods out the door – based on what the government owes (such as interest on the debt) and who qualifies for particular entitlements. That’s why there’s a serious hunt for the triumvirate of “waste, fraud and abuse” in federal spending. There simply isn’t enough money to trim from the “discretionary” side of the ledger. That’s the money which Congress allocates on an annual basis to run the government. Mandatory spending dwarfs discretionary spending.

The US Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 4, 2024. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

“If we cut all of that, we still won’t balance the budget. We have a deficit of $2 trillion. We have got to touch our mandatory spending,” said Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., on FOX Business.

That’s why securing an agreement to advance the package through the House is so tough. And the House and Senate must both advance the same plan to use budget reconciliation to skip over the filibuster.

If the House adopts its plan, the House and Senate could then work to sync up. The chambers could try to merge their respective plans in what’s called a conference committee. The House and Senate then must vote again to approve a blended measure, called a “conference report.” Then they can go to the actual bill. And the House and Senate must also approve the same version of that.

Or, the sides could get involved in what we call parliamentary ping-pong. The Senate has passed its resolution. So it pings it over to the House The House then OKs its version, and pongs that over to the Senate. They bounce the ball back and forth across the Capitol Dome until one body or the other finally accepts one measure – whichever one it is.

Only then can they get to the actual substance of the underlying bill.

Quite a process to achieve a solitary “big, beautiful bill” the president is pushing.

President Donald Trump arrives at the White House on Feb. 22, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images)

This enterprise is far from over.

And there’s another problem around the corner:

A bill to avoid a government shutdown is due by March 14. That’s where the real dollars can be found. Real spending can conceivably either go up, down or stay the same in that bill. A problem with government funding could disrupt the goal of the “big, beautiful bill.”

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So while the action overnight was important, this enterprise is far from over.

And while last Thursday night – bleeding into Friday – was a long night, it likely means there are dozens of other very long nights ahead over the next few months.

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., has endorsed Andrew Cuomo to run for mayor of New York City in the latest blow to incumbent Democrat first-termer, Mayor Eric Adams. 

“The two most important things we need are competence and courage,” Torres, who represents the Bronx, told the New York Post. 

“Andrew Cuomo has the competence to govern the city. He has the courage to stand up to extremist politics – both from the far left and far right,” Torres said, adding: “We don’t need a Mr. Nice Guy. We need a Mr. Tough Guy.”

Cuomo has not formally declared his candidacy for mayor but is rumored to announce soon. 

“He has my endorsement as soon as he enters the race,” Torres told the Post. 

CUOMO RESPONDS AFTER EX-NEW YORK OFFICIAL CALLS FOR HIM TO BE NYC MAYOR

New York Mayor Eric Adams listens to questions from reporters during a press conference at the NYPD’s 40th Precinct on Feb. 20, 2025 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The former governor resigned in 2021 amid scandals connected to COVID-19 nursing home deaths and sexual harassment claims. Cuomo has always denied the allegations against him.

“I predict the comeback story of the 2025 election will be the resurrection of Andrew Cuomo,” Torres told the Post. “America loves a comeback, New York loves a comeback.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Torres’ office for comment Monday and was referred to the congressman’s appearance on CNBC. 

“Andrew Cuomo is a common sense Democrat,” Torres told CNBC Monday. “For me the two most important virtues in politics are competence and courage. And Andrew Cuomo has the competence to run New York City in a moment of crisis, and he has the courage to stand up to the extremes of American politics whether it’s the far right or the far left. There’s a mayoral candidate who openly identifies with the Democratic Socialists of America, which celebrated the mass murder of Jews on Oct. 7, and so when it comes to confronting political extremism in New York, when it comes to confronting the crisis of crime, we need not a nice guy, but a tough guy like Andrew Cuomo.”

Asked whether it was an endorsement of Cuomo or an indictment of Adams, Torres said it was both, arguing that New York City is “in crisis” after four deputy mayors resigned and “the city is less safe than it should be.”

“What we now need more than ever is the kind of stable and strong and steady leadership that Governor Cuomo can provide, and the effectiveness of Andrew Cuomo as an executive need not be taken on faith. It is a fact,” Torres said. “We as New Yorkers every day live and feel the legacy of Andrew Cuomo as a great builder of New York City.

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo arrives to testify before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic at the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 10, 2024. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

Last week, Cuomo disseminated a letter from former state comptroller Carl McCall, a prominent Democrat and Black elder statesman, backing him for mayor. 

McCall endorsed Adams, who is New York City’s second Black mayor, in his 2021 campaign for the office.

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS SAYS NYC’S ROOSEVELT HOTEL MIGRANT SHELTER WILL SOON CLOSE

Adams already faces multiple challengers in June’s Democratic primary, but Cuomo is polling as the front-runner. 

A federal judge on Friday canceled a corruption trial for Adams and appointed counsel to advise the court about President Donald Trump’s Justice Department’s controversial request to drop charges against the mayor filed under the Biden administration. Adams has denied allegations of a quid pro quo agreement with the Trump administration, as the Democratic mayor cooperates with federal law enforcement on the president’s criminal illegal immigration crackdown. 

“I want a mayor who can governor independently of the far right and Donald Trump represents the far right,” Torres told CNBC. “What I found striking is Donald Trump made the decision not to pardon Eric Adams or to permanently drop the charges, but only to do so temporarily, and so the fear of a reindictment keeps Mayor Adams permanently under the thumb of Donald Trump.”

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., backed Andrew Cuomo over Eric Adams for mayor. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Judge Dale E. Ho’s written order Friday means he will not decide before mid-March whether to grant the dismissal of the case against the embattled mayor of the nation’s largest city.

Ho said he appointed Paul Clement, a former U.S. solicitor general under former President George W. Bush, to present arguments on the government’s request to drop the case.

FIRST ON FOX: Newly-confirmed Small Business Administration (SBA) administrator Kelly Loeffler is unveiling the agency’s top priorities over the next four years as she aims to work with President Trump to create a “golden era of prosperity and growth.” 

Loeffler, confirmed in the Senate by a 52–46 margin last week, issued a “Day One” memo on Monday outlining the top priorities for the agency that will be tasked with the directive to “carry out President Trump’s America First agenda and empower small businesses to thrive” and to become an “America First engine for free enterprise.”

The first priority on the list is promoting a “Made in America” agenda to boost U.S. manufacturing.

“The vast majority of America’s manufacturers are small businesses, and SBA programs have powered tens of thousands of them,” the memo states. “This agency is committed to supporting the America First agenda by rebuilding American supply chains and investing in manufacturing to strengthen our economy and national security.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP LOOKS TO BRING MANUFACTURING BACK TO US WITH TARIFFS

New Small Business Administration chief Kelly Loeffler released a memo outlining her top goals over the next four years. (Getty)

“The agency will transform its Office of International Trade into the ‘Office of Manufacturing and Trade’ – which will focus on promoting economic independence, job creation, and fair trade practices to power the next blue-collar boom. SBA will also partner across agencies to scale innovative manufacturing and technology startups that will help our nation return to ‘Made in America.’”

Since being sworn in as president for the second time, Trump has been vocal about eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) from the federal government while also tasking Tesla CEO Elon Musk with leading the effort to cut wasteful spending with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Loeffler’s memo states that the SBA intends to be an ally in both of those efforts and says it will enforce Trump’s executive orders, including “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” and “Unleashing American Energy.” 

BIDEN GAVE AMERICANS THE BUSINESS. TRUMP IS GIVING US BUSINESSMEN 

Then-Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler speaks during a campaign event at Valdosta Regional Airport in Valdosta, Georgia, Dec. 5, 2020. (REUTERS/Dustin Chambers)

The memo says that the SBA will “continue working closely” with DOGE and “prioritize eliminating fraud and waste within the agency, to ensure American taxpayer dollars are utilized in the most productive way possible to benefit small businesses and economic growth and resilience.”

The agency will work to eliminate wasteful spending and fraud with a “zero-tolerance policy” that will involve fraud investigations across all programs and appointing a “Fraud Czar” to “identify, stop, and claw back criminally obtained funds on behalf of American taxpayers – working across agencies to prevent fraud.”

The SBA will also conduct an agency-wide financial audit.

“As fraud has risen, so too have delinquencies, defaults, and charge-offs on loan programs, exacerbated by the previous Administration’s lax loan underwriting, servicing, and collection efforts,” the memo states. “As a result, SBA has been unable to satisfactorily complete a financial audit for several consecutive years. Therefore, the agency will request an independent audit of its financials to address mismanagement, restore the credibility of financial statements, and preserve the solvency of public-private programs like the 7(a) lending program and the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program, which are designed to drive economic growth without taxpayer subsidy.”

Last month, Trump told federal employees working from home that they would need to return to the office or face termination, which is a sentiment echoed by Loeffler, who said in her memo that all non-exempt employees will report to work in person on Monday for five days a week. 

Trump’s immigration agenda will also be furthered by the SBA, according to the memo, which will ban illegal immigrants from receiving SBA assistance while also “restricting hostile foreign nationals from accessing SBA assistance.”

The memo outlines a variety of ways that the agency will work on “empowering small businesses,” including a strike force to cut regulations, improving customer service and cybersecurity, promoting fair competition, and relocating offices outside of sanctuary cities. 

Fox News Digital previously reported that the SBA has faced criticism in recent years during the Biden administration from the Republican-led Small Business Committee, which issued a subpoena and alleged that the agency failed to turn over information related to efforts to funnel resources to help register swing state voters. Republicans argued those efforts were unconstitutional, and Loeffler’s memo pledges that the registration efforts in question will be ended. 

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Former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, a Republican from Georgia, speaks during Erick Erickson’s The Gathering event in Atlanta on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. (Alyssa Pointer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“The SBA will end all taxpayer-funded voter registration activities – starting by rescinding the agency’s 2024 MOU with the Michigan Secretary of State’s office, which forced SBA district offices to conduct partisan voter registration on behalf of the previous Administration,” the memo states. “Instead, the agency will return its focus to its founding mission of empowering job creators, delivering disaster relief, and driving economic growth.”

Loeffler, who served as a senator in Georgia from 2020-2021, appeared before the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee on Jan. 28 to outline her vision and promised that Trump’s policies would “restore the small business economy” and would lead to a “golden era of prosperity and growth.” 

“Small businesses are the backbone of our nation, driving innovation, job creation, and prosperity – and there’s no stronger advocate for small business than President Trump or myself. But over the last four years, the SBA has burdened entrepreneurs with bureaucracy – with its programs becoming mired in fraud, waste, and abuse,” Loeffler told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

“That changes today. My first priority is rebuilding the SBA into an America First engine for free enterprise – by empowering small businesses and fueling economic growth.”

FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans are eyeing reforms to federal benefits that would impose work requirements on a wider swath of Americans.

Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., chair of the right-wing pragmatist Main Street Caucus, is planning to introduce the “America Works Act of 2025,” Fox News Digital has learned.

The bill would mandate that single, able-bodied Americans on the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) – colloquially known as food stamps – between the ages of 18 and 65 take on at least 20 hours per week of work or work-related education.

Adults with a dependent child under age 7 would be exempt, according to a summary provided to Fox News Digital.

SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN

A new House GOP bill would make millions more Americans eligible for SNAP work requirements. (AP/Getty/Fox News Digital illustration)

“Able-bodied people who can work should work if we want to continue to have our welfare programs be pathways out of poverty,” Johnson told Fox News Digital in an interview. “There is no reliable path out of poverty that doesn’t have work, training and education at its core.”

It comes as House Republicans get ready to negotiate on how to meet spending cut targets in their plans to move President Donald Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process.

By leveling the threshold for passage in the House and Senate at a simple majority, reconciliation allows the party in power to pass budgetary or other fiscal priorities in a massive piece of legislation with zero support from lawmakers on the opposing side. The threshold for passage in the Senate is otherwise two-thirds for most items.

NONCITIZEN VOTER CRACKDOWN LED BY GOP AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS

GOP lawmakers are looking to accomplish a wide swath of Trump policies, from more funding for the border wall and detention beds to eliminating taxes on tipped and overtime wages.

To offset the cost of that spending, the House’s reconciliation framework directs several committees to find areas for spending cuts. The House Committee on Agriculture, which oversees SNAP, must aim to cut at least $230 billion in spending.

The new bill gives the Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversees food stamps, the ability to exempt people who live in counties where the unemployment rate exceeds 10%.

Two sources familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital that Johnson’s bill closely resembles what will end up in Republicans’ reconciliation bill.

Rep. Dusty Johnson is leading the bill. (Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

When asked about cost projections, however, Johnson emphasized that his bill was motivated by social rather than fiscal change.

“It would be expected to be a major cost-savings, and while I think that’s important, my primary motivator is how much work requirements have proven to improve lives as opposed to how much money they save,” he said. “I want people to escape poverty.”

Currently, adults aged 18 to 54 can receive three months of SNAP benefits in three years at most before a requirement kicks in to work at least 80 hours per month.

Johnson’s bill would also strip present exemptions for young adults who recently aged out of foster care and for veterans. Those were included during bipartisan negotiations on raising the debt limit in 2023, as part of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

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“The concessions we had to make in the Fiscal Responsibility Act to get things done were not helpful changes,” Johnson said when asked about the change.

“It was just telling all veterans and all young adult former foster kids that the work requirements didn’t apply to them, and that’s not actually helpful to getting them to a better financial path.”

He pointed out there would still be exceptions for pregnant women, people with disabilities, people living in high-unemployment counties, and others.

“My bill would go back to the way it was before, which is the same eligibility requirements applied to veterans and foster kids are applied to everybody else,” he said.

As the Trump administration moves to slash thousands of government jobs, Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., issued a message to federal workers facing joblessness, expressing empathy for their situation while also asserting that bureaucracies have been “cannibalizing” the country.

Higgins, who has served as a House lawmaker since 2017, also declared that federal workers’ jobs were not more important than other Americans’ private sector jobs.

“I’m a compassionate man. I know loss and struggle, I understand financial hardship, I know what it is to face eviction, I know hunger, I’ve lived through despair,” Higgins noted in a post on X.

TRUMP ADMIN LAYS OUT ROLES OF ‘PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES’ AS DEMS CLAIM CRITICAL EMPLOYEES ARE BEING CUT

Impeachment manager Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., walks through the Capitol Rotunda to the Senate for the impeachment trial of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“So, to the scores of thousands of FedGov employees who are facing unemployment because your elected officials have, for decades, grown the Federal bureaucracies into corrupt, bloated, weaponized devourers of America’s treasure and oppressors of American freedom… I say to you that I feel your pain and I wish you well, but your job was no more important than the carpenter, the machinist, the welder, the cop, the trucker, the warehouse worker, the salesman, the waitress, the heavy equipment operator… every American who lives down the street from you whose job has not been insulated from the real world,” he continued.

“Our federal government bureaucracies are literally cannibalizing our nation, eating our children’s future. MAGA Republicans are going to bring our federal government back into sustainability. If you’ve lost your job, I’m sorry for your struggle. Pick yourself up, all of us will give you a hand. We’re all Americans, join us in saving our beloved Republic,” Higgins concluded.

DC FEDERAL WORKERS IN A ‘PANIC’ OVER NOVEL EXPERIENCE OF JOB INSECURITY WITH TRUMP CUTS

President Donald Trump reacts to the crowd while arriving at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel and Convention Center on Feb. 22, 2025 in Oxon Hill, Md. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The congressman’s message comes as the Trump administration seeks to slash the size of the federal bureaucracy, with billionaire business tycoon Elon Musk playing a key role in helping to uncover government waste, fraud, and abuse.

Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., commented, “The amount of waste, fraud, and ABUSE of taxpayers which is being uncovered in the federal government is absolutely shameful. Central Illinois farms, families and businesses are struggling because of inflation, driven by reckless government spending. Finally, we have a President who is reforming our government into one that works for you. Thank you President Trump!”

DOD TELLS CIVILIAN WORKFORCE TO IGNORE ELON MUSK’S REQUEST TO REPORT PRODUCTIVITY

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In another recent tweet, Higgins said, “Hey, bureaucrats… Wake up and pack up. America is pretty much done with you and your elitist attitude. You’re being daily weighed in the balances, and found wanting.”

FIRST ON FOX: A watchdog group focused on getting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) out of medicine found that the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is actively spending millions of grant dollars to boost the number of racial minorities in the cancer workforce. 

This funding, uncovered by the nonprofit watchdog Do No Harm, shows that $218 million in NCI grants for “underrepresented” groups – mainly racial minorities – is actively dispersed by the NCI. Prior to President Donald Trump taking office, during the Biden administration, around 3% of the NCI’s total grant funding every year went to institutions so that they can hire more faculty members and scientists who are minorities, according to Do No Harm.

The revelation comes as Elon Musk’s DOGE puts a slew of funds related to DEI on the chopping block amid efforts to slim down government spending. Trump and fellow Republicans have pushed hard against DEI policies throughout the government in recent weeks, making the case that public programs should instead focus on meritocracy. 

TRUMP ADMIN DIRECTS FEDERAL AGENCIES TO END DEI CONSIDERATIONS IN GOVT CONTRACTS AS DOGE’S IMPACT SPREADS

Among the NCI’s DEI grants that remain active under Trump are two totaling more than $10.5 million, awarded to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. These grants support hiring initiatives aimed at “inclusive excellence” and programs that promote advancing the careers of racial minorities.

One of the grant’s descriptions explicitly calls for the recruitment of 12 scientists from “underrepresented groups,” while the other grant’s description includes, alongside its recruitment and hiring goals, a plan to “modify the Mount Sinai Health System Task Force To Address Racism Roadmap for Change with key strategies as the basis for an Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Roadmap for Inclusive Excellence.” 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Do No Harm Chairman Dr. Stanley Goldfarb said the NCI must “stop promoting a politically motivated DEI agenda.”

GROUP OF DEI WORKERS SUE TO STOP TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS

“The National Cancer Institute has been taking advantage of taxpayers to push a DEI agenda on the medical field,” Goldfarb said. “They dole out $218 million each year for grants prioritizing ‘underrepresented’ in medicine, which has generally been defined as anyone from a racial minority group, except Asian Americans. The National Cancer Institute should not be rewarding racial discrimination with taxpayer money. Racial discrimination has no place in medicine.”

The “No Kings on Presidents Day” protest is pictured on Feb. 17, 2025, in Detroit in response to what they say are President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s undemocratic actions. Elliot Stephens carries a sign about cancer research. His teenage daughter has brain cancer and is currently part of a clinical trial. (Photo by: Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Under former President Joe Biden, the NCI’s website was filled with statements and sources about programs tied to DEI, but, following Trump’s executive order demanding an end to DEI in the federal government, much of that has come down. Fox News Digital reached out to the NCI to question whether it had any plans to terminate any of its active grants promoting DEI hiring, but did not receive a response by press time. 

Fox News Digital also inquired about the sub-agency’s Equity Council, established in 2021 under Biden, but did not receive a response. The council is a steering committee for the NCI’s equity and inclusion efforts.

DOGE claims it has already addressed hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars in DEI-related contract cuts, including $350 million at the Department of Education last week. Last month, DOGE announced that taxpayers would see just over $1 billion in savings through the elimination of 104 DEI contracts. (Getty Images)

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DOGE claims it has already addressed hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars in DEI-related contract cuts, including $350 million at the Department of Education. 

Last month, DOGE announced that taxpayers would see just over $1 billion in savings through the elimination of 104 DEI contracts.

WASHINGTON – EXCLUSIVE: Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said his state can take the lead on being the best prescription for putting America back on the right track in multiple ways, including energy dominance, job growth and reducing government debt.

In an exclusive interview Thursday with Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the National Governors Association and Republican Governors Association winter meetings, Dunleavy said he is excited to work with President Donald Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on these matters in the Last Frontier.

Burgum’s experience in North Dakota and his openness to pursue Trump’s vision of an energy-independent America based on responsible stewardship is exactly what the country needs, Dunleavy said.

“What President Trump is doing is getting us back to what the purpose of all of this was,” he said of the original intent to use federal lands not primarily for parks but for responsible stewardship of natural resources. 

IN THE ONLY US STATE BORDERING RUSSIA, GOV SAYS DEFENESE ARE STRONG

Anchorage, Alaska, skyline (Zihao Chen via Getty Images)

“And if we do that, we can eliminate a lot of ills: debt, job creation, reliance on foreign actors. The solutions are here. He knows what the solutions are and is implementing the solutions now,” Dunleavy said.

He also said he hopes to work with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on expanding hydroelectric infrastructure in the Tongass National Forest – an area on the Inland Passage between Juneau and Petersburg that the late Rep. Don Young championed.

Rollins’ role overseeing the U.S. Forest Service – rather than Interior doing so as they do the National Park Service – is another hint that wide expanses of national forests were not meant to be off limits to resource development.

Just as the Department of Agriculture works with farmers in the Lower 48 to produce food and goods, its original mission therefore includes utilizing forest resources, he said.

One area of “tremendous” potential is Ambler, an area at the foot of the Brooks Range west of the Dalton Highway – better recognized as the 800-plus-mile “Ice Road Truckers” carriageway.

AK OUTRAGED AT FEDERAL OIL LEASE SALE ‘SET-UP’ BY BIDEN: FITTING FINALE FOR FOSSIL FUEL AVERSE PRESIDENCY

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is an energy-rich area of Alaska. (Fox News Channel)

There is a 30-mile section of the line between Ambler and the Dalton Highway that crosses federal land, Dunleavy said – noting the original law gives Alaska the right to cross federal land.

“[The law says] we can’t be prevented from accessing our leases through federal lands.”

He said he expects Trump’s team to finally allow passage to take advantage of the area’s rich mineralization opportunities.

“There was no excuse [to stop passage through federal lands] – same as there was no excuse for stopping the legally-executed [oil and gas] lease sales that were part of [Trump’s] 2017 bill.”

“Two of our large national forests are larger than several states. If they were to be managed on a sustainable basis so that we could grow timber, we could mine properly, we could use the hydro resources.”

Of the ANWR-1002 oil lease President Biden was mandated to market but purportedly “set up to fail,” Dunleavy said investors recognized the January “sham” and are eager to see how Trump cures that particular ill.

BIDEN LEVIED MORE ENERGY SANCTIONS AGAINST ALASKA THAN IRAN: GOV. MIKE DUNLEAVY

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum (Reuters/Mike Segar)

Expansion of Alaska’s gas pipeline infrastructure and well-intended lease opportunities in ANWR-1002 are the right path to energy dominance on a global scale, Dunleavy said.

The governor added that the native communities on the North Slope are supportive of responsibly exploring ANWR-1002 as it has and would create jobs and opportunities for the far-flung residents.

“Our gas lines would also impact… our Asian allies; our position in the Pacific – It’s not just a gas project for Alaska. It’s a gas project for the Pacific and our allies,” he said.

Another field Trump could pursue would be harnessing what are the second-strongest tides in the world, Dunleavy has said.

In another recent Fox News Digital interview, that time from Mat-Su Borough, Alaska itself, the governor said Cook Inlet’s tides can be a “green” energy that works.

Cook Inlet, which extends south from the state’s largest city, Anchorage, down the Kenai Peninsula and into the Gulf of Alaska, has an incredibly powerful push-pull dynamic.

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Dunleavy said he is encouraging investment in harnessing Cook Inlet tides to produce a reliable energy source, particularly “green hydrogen,” while rejecting the idea that the debate over “green” vs. fossil fuels is a zero-sum game.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a White House spokesman said, “President Trump is committed to unleashing American energy and will work with state officials across the country to release our natural resources. Governor Dunleavy knows President Trump is right – unleashing our energy will boost the economy and make America energy independent once again.”

Days after he was fired by President Donald Trump, former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown took to social media to express his gratitude for his time in the military.

“I was inspired to serve by my father, who told me, ‘Four years in the military will not hurt you.’ Four years turned into four decades, surrounded by the finest service members and civilians from across our Nation,” Brown posted to LinkedIn.

Brown wrote that it was his “distinct honor” to end his military career as Joint Chiefs chairman and that he used his position to focus on warfighting, modernization and trust.

“The Joint Force’s commitment to our security has never been more critical. I’m confident you will continue to stand resolute in defense of our Nation,” Brown wrote, in part.

TRUMP GOES ON ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ PENTAGON FIRING SPREE: REPORT

Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown took to social media to express his gratitude for his military career after President Donald Trump relieved him from his position as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

Brown was the second Black general to serve as Joint Chiefs chairman, following the now late Gen. Colin Powell’s term from 1989 to 1993.  He served in the position for 16 months before Trump’s decision to relieve him.

“I want to thank General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family,” Trump posted on social media.

OBAMA FIRED TOP MILITARY OFFICERS TO ALIGN PENTAGON WITH HIS POLICY VISION, NOW TRUMP SET TO DO THE SAME

President Donald Trump described Gen. C.Q. Brown as a “fine gentleman and an outstanding leader” after relieving him of the position.  (Getty Images)

Trump has said he will be nominating retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to be the next chairman.

Caine is an F-16 pilot who served on active duty and in the National Guard. He has also served most recently as the associate director for military affairs at the CIA, as stated by his military biography.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General C.Q. Brown, was the second Black general to serve in the position, following Colin Powell’s nomination in 1989. (Joint Chiefs of Staff)

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The move to nominate Caine has been controversial as he has not held the key assignments identified by law as prerequisites for the job, although that requirement can be waived if the “president determines such action is necessary in the national interest,” according to U.S. Code.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth denied rumors that he drafted a list of senior military leaders he allegedly planned to purge after the rumor tore through the Pentagon last week and reportedly kept flag officers on their toes. 

“I gotta ask you about this rumored list of people that you allegedly put together that we’re all going to be cleaned out. Is there a list? Is there anybody left on the list if it exists?” “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream asked Hegseth in an exclusive interview on Sunday morning. 

“There’s no list, Shannon,” Hegseth responded. “I’ve heard that, seen that very rumor, although we have a very keen eye toward military leadership and their willingness to follow lawful orders.”

Republican lawmakers on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees said Thursday that they had heard about such a list of senior military officials facing the chopping block, but had not been presented anything.

OFFICIALS PUSH BACK ON CLAIMS OF ‘LIST’ OF GENERALS HEGSETH PLANS TO FIRE AT PENTAGON

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth joins Fox News Sunday.

The rumors flew through the Pentagon Thursday, creating fear among top-ranked officers, as reports that thousands of probationary DOD employees, including many military veterans, could be affected by the federal workforce reductions ordered by the White House, Fox News Digital reported last week. 

The list allegedly contained a “handful of names.”

“I may have heard a rumor, but I’m not going to speculate on rumors,” Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told Fox News. “No one has approached me about such a list other than people asking me questions.”  

HEGSETH ORDERS PENTAGON TO MAKE PLANS FOR MAJOR BUDGET CUTS TO ALIGN WITH TRUMP’S PRIORITIES

President Donald Trump speaks as Tulsi Gabbard is sworn in as the director of national intelligence in the Oval Office of the White House, on Feb. 12. (AP/Alex Brandon)

Concerns over an alleged list mounted on Friday when Hegseth was slated to travel to Guatanomo Bay in Cuba to hold a media availability, but the trip was postponed until later this week. Some officials viewed the postponement as a signal the firings would be imminent, Fox Digital reported. 

TRUMP ADMIN EXPECTED TO ENACT LAYOFF AT DEFENSE DEPARTMENT AMID DOGE ARRIVAL: REPORT

The Trump administration on Friday did fire six Pentagon officials, including Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Adm. Lisa Franchetti, who was the first woman to serve as chief of naval operations. 

Gen. C.Q. Brown, Joint Chiefs chairman, speaks during a press briefing, April 26, 2024, at the Pentagon. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

“This is all about defending the Constitution,” Hegseth continued in his remarks to Bream after denying the existence of any “list.” “Joe Biden gave lawful orders. A lot of them are really bad, and it’s unfortunate how they eroded our military, ideological, COVID mandates. President Trump has given another set of lawful orders, and they will be followed.”

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth talks to the media during his visit to the headquarters of U.S. European Command and Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

“And all these orders are in keeping with the Constitution, and norms inside the military. If they’re not followed, then those officers will find the door. And that’s not a tough calculation. We feel really good about the direction the Pentagon is headed under President Trump. We’re going to focus on war fighting and lethality and accountability, and be the most transparent Pentagon that folks have seen in a long time,” he added. 

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Earlier in the interview, Hegseth added that the former Joint Chiefs chairman, Gen. Brown, is an “honorable man, not the right man for the moment.”

 Fox News’ Louis Casiano, Alexandra Koch and Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is defending the state’s congestion pricing program in New York City and pushing back against President Donald Trump’s “king” remark after his administration moved to block the scheme.

Hochul appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday and was asked about her one-on-one Oval Office meeting with Trump at the White House last week. The governor said she wanted to use the meeting with Trump to make a case for the toll program “because our city is paralyzed with gridlock, and we had a path forward to be able to make the city move again, and it’s working.”

“It wasn’t an adversarial meeting,” the Democrat said, “but I was very clear, especially after I found that the Trump administration had ended a program that was put in place, congestion pricing, by the duly elected members of our legislature representing the voice of the people, and with a tweet, he claims that he is the king, and therefore he has the power to destroy it.”

The Trump administration on Wednesday ordered a stop to the program, which launched Jan. 5 with the goals of thinning traffic and funding mass transit by imposing a $9 toll on most vehicles entering Manhattan’s core south of Central Park.

TRUMP ADMIN MOVES TO BLOCK NYC CONGESTION TOLL PROGRAM

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul revealed the details of her one-on-one meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on Sunday. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)

Trump declared victory on Truth Social after the announcement, writing, “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”

Trump celebrated his administration’s move to block the congestion pricing toll in New York City last week. (Scott Olson/Getty Images, File)

Hochul immediately fired back on Wednesday, criticizing the remark. She reiterated her stance Sunday.

“And I have a problem with that characterization, because we labored under a king 250 years ago, and as I said, we’re not going back there,” Hochul said.

NY GOV HOCHUL DECIDES NYC MAYOR ADAMS’ FATE; RAMPS UP OVERSIGHT OF CITY’S TOP OFFICIAL

Despite the federal order, the tolls are remaining in place for now because of a federal lawsuit aiming to keep them alive that was filed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a state agency that runs public transit in New York City. 

The congestion tolling has been divisive in New York, with most opposition coming from suburban commuters or from those living in areas not well-served by the subway system. Advocates say it is an innovative way to speed up traffic and reduce air pollution.

Hochul said that while her meeting with Trump may not have persuaded the president to rethink his move to block the program, she will continue to fight for it.

“The people in my state need to know I’m willing to take the fight wherever I have to,” she said.

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Hochul said that she believes the state’s case will be won in the courts and that the congestion pricing toll program will continue.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Editor’s note: This article has been corrected to reflect that Gov. Kathy Hochul said her meeting with President Donald Trump wasn’t adversarial.

Department of Government Efficiency chair Elon Musk announced that federal employees must report their accomplishments from the last week or face losing their jobs, which has roiled the federal workforce as some Democratic lawmakers and unions call on employees to flout the directive. 

“This is a good opportunity for mass civil disobedience. Musk has no authority to do this. Encourage all federal employees to report to work, prepare GFY letters and continue to demonstrate the public service and patriotism he lacks,” Illinois Democratic Rep. Sean Casten posted to X on Saturday evening. 

The acronym GFY is internet slang typically meaning “go f— yourself.”

“It takes a remarkable combination of arrogance and stupidity to think that this is the best use of time for our intelligence officers, VA workers, air traffic controllers, and everyone else we depend on to do their job well,” he continued. 

Congressman Casten wasn’t the only lawmaker to offer a vulgar reaction to musk’s directive with senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) raging on X, “This is the ultimate d–k boss move from Musk – except he isn’t even the boss, he’s just a d—,” 

Smith continued her post writing, “I bet a lot of people have had an experience like this with a bad boss — there’s an email in your inbox on Saturday night saying, ‘Prove to me your worthiness by Monday or else.’ I’m on the side of the workers, not the billionaire —hole bosses.”

Musk said on Saturday that federal employees would receive an email directing them to list their accomplishments from the week prior, with the DOGE leader adding later that day that the assignment should take less than five minutes to accomplish. Employees have until 11:59 pm on Monday to send the list or lose their employment, according to emails regarding Musk’s directive that were sent by the Office of Personnel Management.

TRUMP RATTLES OFF ‘FLAGRANT SCAMS’ UNCOVERED BY DOGE, TAKES AIM AT FORT KNOX IN CPAC SPEECH

Elon Musk walks to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building near the White House on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (Getty Images)

“Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week,” Musk wrote on X. “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”

“To be clear, the bar is very low here. An email with some bullet points that make any sense at all is acceptable! Should take less than 5 mins to write,” Musk added. 

Musk’s message followed President Donald Trump remarking that he’s been pleased with Musk and DOGE’s work investigating various federal agencies for government overspending, fraud and mismanagement, but that he would like to see Musk “get more aggressive.” 

Musk responded on X: “Will do, Mr. President!”

CPAC STRAW POLL REVEALS WHO CONSERVATIVES BELIEVE WILL BE 2028 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE

Demonstrators gather for a protest against Elon Musk on Feb. 22, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (David Ryder/Getty Images)

Unions lambasted Musk’s directive that federal employees detail their work accomplishments to DOGE, with a chapter of the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents FDA employees, telling members they “strongly” encourage them to flout the order. 

“We work for HHS/FDA, not OPM: OPM directives that have not been formally adopted or communicated by our employer, the FDA, do not create an obligation for you to respond,” the NTEU chapter’s guidance stated. The chapter’s website states in bolded, all-capitalized letters: “NTEU ADVISES YOU NOT TO SIGN THAT EMAIL… UNTIL WE GET MORE INFO.” 

ELON MUSK SAYS ‘BAR IS VERY LOW’ AFTER ORDERING FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TO FILL OUT PRODUCTIVITY REPORTS OR RESIGN

The chapter noted in a comment to Fox News Digital that it is only one chapter of hundreds under the national NTEU’s umbrella, and only represents FDA employees in five states, as well as Washington, D.C. Fox Digital reached out to the national NTEU’s press office on Sunday morning, but did not immediately receive a reply. 

Demonstrators gather for the “No Kings on President’s Day” protest in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 17, 2025. (Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)

The national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, Everett Kelley, also released a statement on Saturday evening, arguing that Musk and the Trump administration were showing “their utter disdain for federal employees and the critical services they provide to the American people.”

“It is cruel and disrespectful to hundreds of thousands of veterans who are wearing their second uniform in the civil service to be forced to justify their job duties to this out-of-touch, privileged, unelected billionaire who has never performed one single hour of honest public service in his life,” Kelley said in a statement. 

“AFGE will challenge any unlawful terminations of our members and federal employees across the country.”

ELON MUSK SAYS FEDERAL EMPLOYEES MUST FILL OUT PRODUCTIVITY REPORTS OR RESIGN

Elon Musk speaks during an event in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump at the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Images/Alex Brandon)

Trump joined the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday afternoon, where he took a victory lap for the breakneck pace of work his administration has accomplished in his first month back in the Oval Office, while lauding Musk for his DOGE efforts. 

“I signed an order creating the Department of Government Efficiency – you probably haven’t heard of it – which is now waging war on government waste, fraud and abuse. And Elon is doing a great job,” Trump said at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center Saturday in Oxon Hill, Maryland, just outside the nation’s capital. “He’s doing a great job.”

WHITE HOUSE OUTLINES WHERE DOGE SAVINGS COULD GO AFTER TRUMP FLOATS RETURNING 20% TO AMERICANS

President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Feb. 22, 2025. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)

Trump also touted that his administration is gutting the government of “corrupt” and “incompetent” federal employees. 

“We have a very corrupt group of people in this country, and we’re finding them out,” Trump said during his speech. “We’re removing all of the unnecessary, incompetent and corrupt bureaucrats from the federal workforce.”

The Senate confirmed Kash Patel as the new director of the FBI last week, and he reportedly told staffers on Saturday that his office will handle reviewing their productivity. 

“FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information,” Patel reportedly told employees. “The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures. When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses.”

The State Department also reportedly issued a similar message to employees on Saturday, informing them that department officials “will respond on behalf of the Department,” according to a message sent by Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy, who serves as acting under secretary of state for management. 

The NSA told its employees that “NSA and CYBERCOM are awaiting further guidance” from the Defense Department, the Washington Post reported. 

Musk doubled down on X on Sunday that the initiative is important due to an alleged swath of government employees who accomplish such little work that they are not even checking their government email accounts. 

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“The reason this matters is that a significant number of people who are supposed to be working for the government are doing so little work that they are not checking their email at all! In some cases, we believe non-existent people or the identities of dead people are being used to collect paychecks. In other words, there is outright fraud,” Musk posted to X on Sunday. 

President Donald Trump announced that Dan Bongino will serve as the next deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“Great news for Law Enforcement and American Justice,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Sunday night. “Dan Bongino, a man of incredible love and passion for our Country, has just been named the next DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE FBI, by the man who will be the best ever Director, Kash Patel.”

The president said Bongino has a Master’s Degree in Psychology from the City University of New York and an MBA from Penn State.

“He was a member of the New York Police Department (New York’s Finest!), a highly respected Special Agent with the United States Secret Service, and is now one of the most successful Podcasters in the Country, something he is willing and prepared to give up in order to serve,” Trump wrote. “Working with our great new United States Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and Director Patel, Fairness, Justice, Law and Order will be brought back to America, and quickly. Congratulations Dan!

NEW FBI LEADER KASH PATEL TAPPED TO RUN ATF AS ACTING DIRECTOR

Dan Bongino as US Open winner Gary Woodland visits “FOX & Friends” at Fox News Channel Studios on June 18, 2019 in New York City.  (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

“Another aspect of the life of Dan Bongino that I think is very important. He has a great wife, Paula, and two wonderful daughters who truly love their dad,” Trump later wrote. “What an incredible job Dan will do!!!”

Dan Bongino, a conservative commentator, is photographed in Stuart, Florida on Thursday, March 18, 2021.  (Calla Kessler for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Bongino is also a former Fox News host.

Shortly after the announcement, Bongino responded on X, saying, “Thank you Mr. President, Attorney General Bondi, and Director Patel.”

Patel was sworn in to serve as the ninth FBI director on Friday, after a narrow senate vote of 51-49.

Patel, a vociferous opponent of the investigations into Trump and one who served at the forefront of Trump’s 2020 election fraud claims, vowed during his confirmation hearing last month that he would not engage in political retribution against agents who worked on the classified documents case against Trump and other politically sensitive matters.

But his confirmation comes at a time when the FBI’s activities, leadership and personnel decisions are being closely scrutinized for signs of politicization or retaliation.

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Patel held a number of national security roles during Trump’s first administration — chief of staff to acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, senior advisor to the acting director of national intelligence and National Security Council official. 

A member of the Boston City Council called out Border Czar Tom Homan in a post on social media, calling his promises to enforce President Donald Trump’s border policy “laughable.”

Councilwoman Sharon Durkan posted her response on X after Homan said he would “bring hell” to Beantown after Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox recently doubled down on the city’s sanctuary policies.

“You said you doubled down on not helping the law enforcement officers of ICE. I’m coming to Boston, and I’m bringing hell with me,” Homan said at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday. “I looked at the numbers this morning… I stopped counting at nine. Nine child rapists that were in jail in Massachusetts, but rather than honoring an ICE detainer, you released them back into the street.”

“You’re not a police commissioner,” Homan continued. “Take that badge off your chest. Put it in the desk drawer. Because you became a politician. You forgot what it’s like to be a cop.”

TRUMP’S ICE RACKS UP HUNDREDS OF ARRESTS, INCLUDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED FOR HORROR CRIMES

Sharon Durkin  called out Tom Homan in an X post over the weekend. (Getty Images)

Durkan responded by mocking Homan for briefly serving as a police officer in the village of West Carthage, New York, in the 1980s. He became a Border Patrol agent soon after, and has since worked for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the Obama administration, as well as the first Trump administration.

“Laughable that someone who spent their career policing a town smaller than a Fenway Park crowd thinks they can lecture Boston on public safety,” Durkan’s post read.

“Commissioner Michael Cox serves with distinction and earns trust with integrity,” the city official continued. “Tom Homan should know, we don’t scare easy.”

‘PROMPT REMOVAL’: TRUMP DHS EXPANDS EXPEDITED DEPORTATION POWERS AS OPERATIONS RAMP UP

Sharon Durkan as a Boston City Council District 8 candidate. (Photo by Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

In a recent interview, Cox said that Boston “doesn’t enforce detainers” that are filed by ICE, per Massachusetts law.

“We just don’t do that,” Cox said on a segment of WCVB’s “On the Record” show. “We don’t enforce civil detainers regarding federal immigration law. It’s defined here in the state, and that’s just how it works.”

The Boston office of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) has overseen the arrest of several criminal migrants in recent weeks, including MS-13 gang members. 

Earlier this month, ERO Boston officers apprehended an illegal alien from Guatemala who was charged with multiple counts of child rape.

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Tom Homan, U.S. President Donald Trump’s border czar, speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 6, 2025.  (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

Fox News Digital reached out to Durkan for comment, but did not immediately hear back.

Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

The Department of Defense (DOD) told its civilian workforce to ignore billionaire and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Elon Musk’s request to report their productivity.

In a letter to DOD personnel, Darin S. Selnick, who is performing the duties of the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, provided guidance on how to handle Musk’s demand through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

“DoD personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information. The Department of Defense is responsible for reviewing the performance of its personnel and it will conduct any review in accordance with its own procedures,” Selnick wrote. “When and if required, the Department will coordinate responses to the email you have received from OPM. For now, please pause any response to the OPM email titled, ‘What did you do last week.’”

Musk, a senior advisor to President Donald Trump, said earlier on Saturday that employees would receive an email giving them a chance to explain how productive they were the previous week. If an employee fails to respond to the email, Musk said the government will interpret that as a resignation.

ELON MUSK SAYS ‘BAR IS VERY LOW’ AFTER ORDERING FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TO FILL OUT PRODUCTIVITY REPORTS OR RESIGN

Elon Musk told federal employees they needed to report their productivity to keep their jobs. (AP/Jose Luis Magana)

“Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week,” Musk wrote on X. “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”

Later that day, Musk said the report should take under five minutes for employees to write. The deadline for responding to the email is 11:59 p.m. on Monday.

ELON MUSK SAYS FEDERAL EMPLOYEES MUST FILL OUT PRODUCTIVITY REPORTS OR RESIGN

The Department of Defense told civilian employees to ignore Elon Musk’s request to report productivity. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

“To be clear, the bar is very low here. An email with some bullet points that make any sense at all is acceptable! Should take less than 5 mins to write,” Musk wrote on X.

A spokesperson from OPM confirmed Musk’s plans.

“As part of the Trump Administration’s commitment to an efficient and accountable federal workforce, OPM is asking employees to provide a brief summary of what they did last week by the end of Monday, CC’ing their manager,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Agencies will determine any next steps.”

WHITE HOUSE OUTLINES WHERE DOGE SAVINGS COULD GO AFTER TRUMP FLOATS RETURNING 20% TO AMERICANS

Kash Patel informed FBI staffers that his office will handle reviewing their productivity. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Also telling employees to stand down was Kash Patel, who was confirmed by the Senate last week as the new director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information,” Patel told employees, according to The Associated Press. “The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures. When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses.”

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The State Department also reportedly issued a similar message to employees on Saturday, informing them that department officials “will respond on behalf of the Department,” according to a message sent by Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy, who serves as acting under secretary of state for management. 

Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion, Andrea Margolis and Fox News’ Patrick Ward contributed to this report.

The Trump administration is eliminating over a thousand positions at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), while also placing the majority of the remaining staff members on administration leave globally, just before midnight Sunday.

The Associated Press reported that it learned from the Trump administration that 1,600 posts would be eliminated after reviewing notices that were sent to USAID workers.

“As of 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 23, 2025, all USAID direct hire personnel, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and/or specially designated programs, will be placed on administrative leave globally,” the notices read.

The Trump administration intends on leaving fewer than 300 staffers on the job, out of the current 8,000 contractors and direct hires.

USAID WORKERS SEND MESSAGE TO TRUMP ON BOXES WHILE LEAVING OFFICE FOR LAST TIME

Retired United States Agency for International Development worker Julie Hanson Swanson, left, join supporters of USAID workers outside the USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian affairs office in Washington, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (Manuel Balce Ceneta)

The less than 300 remaining staff, along with an unknown number of the 5,000 locally hired international staff members abroad, will run the few life-saving programs that the administration said it intends to keep in place for the time being.

Sacked USAID staffers left their Washington, D.C., offices for the last time on Friday, with some carrying boxes scrawled with messages that seemed to be directed at Trump, who is slashing the agency’s workforce.

“We are abandoning the world,” read one message on a box containing belongings being hauled out by a grinning staffer as she walked out of USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs office.

‘WASTEFUL AND DANGEROUS’: DOGE’S TOP FIVE MOST SHOCKING REVELATIONS

Recently fired U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) staff carry boxes with a message as they leave work and are applauded by former USAID staffers and supporters during a sendoff outside USAID offices in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 21, 2025.  (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

Another smiling staffer’s box had a more upbeat tone, with her message reading: “You can take the humanitarians out of USAID but you can’t take the humanity out of the humanitarians.”

Thousands of staffers had been notified weeks ago of their pending dismissals, and on Friday, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols lifted a temporary restraining order he had issued at the outset of a lawsuit filed by government employee unions seeking a stop to the mass layoffs. After lifting the temporary restraining order, Nichols declined to issue a longer-term order that would have kept the employees in their posts.

Trump has moved to gut the agency after imposing a 90-day pause on foreign aid. He also appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the acting director of USAID.

SECRETARY OF STATE RUBIO CONFIRMS BECOMING ACTING USAID CHIEF

A worker removes the U.S. Agency for International Development sign on their headquarters on February 7, 2025, in Washington, DC.  (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

The agency has come under fire by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for alleged wasteful spending. 

For instance, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, the Senate DOGE Caucus Chairwoman, recently published a list of projects and programs she says USAID has helped fund over the years, including $20 million to produce a Sesame Street show in Iraq. 

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Several more examples of questionable spending have been uncovered at USAID, including more than $900,000 to a “Gaza-based terror charity” called Bayader Association for Environment and Development and a $1.5 million program slated to “advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities.”

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Trump administration is eliminating thousands of positions at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), while also placing the majority of the remaining staff members on administration leave globally, just before midnight Sunday.

The Associated Press reported that it learned from the Trump administration that 1,600 posts would be eliminated, after reviewing notices that were sent to USAID workers.

“As of 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 23, 2025, all USAID direct hire personnel, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and/or specially designated programs, will be placed on administrative leave globally,” the notices read.

The Trump administration intends on leaving fewer than 300 staffers on the job, out of the current 8,000 contractors and direct hires.

USAID WORKERS SEND MESSAGE TO TRUMP ON BOXES WHILE LEAVING OFFICE FOR LAST TIME

Retired United States Agency for International Development worker Julie Hanson Swanson, left, join supporters of USAID workers outside the USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian affairs office in Washington, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (Manuel Balce Ceneta)

The less than 300 remaining staff, along with an unknown number of the 5,000 locally hired international staff members abroad, will run the few life-saving programs that the administration said it intends to keep in place for the time being.

Sacked USAID staffers left their Washington, D.C., offices for the last time on Friday, with some carrying boxes scrawled with messages that seemed to be directed at Trump, who is slashing the agency’s workforce.

“We are abandoning the world,” read one message on a box containing belongings being hauled out by a grinning staffer as she walked out of USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs office.

‘WASTEFUL AND DANGEROUS’: DOGE’S TOP FIVE MOST SHOCKING REVELATIONS

Recently fired U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) staff carry boxes with a message as they leave work and are applauded by former USAID staffers and supporters during a sendoff outside USAID offices in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 21, 2025.  (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

Another smiling staffer’s box had a more upbeat tone, with her message reading: “You can take the humanitarians out of USAID but you can’t take the humanity out of the humanitarians.”

Thousands of staffers had been notified weeks ago of their pending dismissals, and on Friday, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols lifted a temporary restraining order he had issued at the outset of a lawsuit filed by government employee unions seeking a stop to the mass layoffs. After lifting the temporary restraining order, Nichols declined to issue a longer-term order that would have kept the employees in their posts.

Trump has moved to gut the agency after imposing a 90-day pause on foreign aid. He also appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the acting director of USAID.

SECRETARY OF STATE RUBIO CONFIRMS BECOMING ACTING USAID CHIEF

A worker removes the U.S. Agency for International Development sign on their headquarters on February 7, 2025, in Washington, DC.  (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

The agency has come under fire by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for alleged wasteful spending. 

For instance, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, the Senate DOGE Caucus Chairwoman, recently published a list of projects and programs she says USAID has helped fund over the years, including $20 million to produce a Sesame Street show in Iraq. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Several more examples of questionable spending have been uncovered at USAID, including more than $900,000 to a “Gaza-based terror charity” called Bayader Association for Environment and Development and a $1.5 million program slated to “advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities.”

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.