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President Donald Trump continued his successful Cabinet confirmation roll on Wednesday, with Tulsi Gabbard officially being approved by the Senate to become his director of national intelligence (DNI). 

She became his 14th Cabinet confirmation following the 52-48 Wednesday vote. The vote was party-line, with the exception of former GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who opposed Gabbard. 

Despite an uphill battle before her first hurdle in the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the former Democratic Rep. managed to come back and get key Republicans to support her in her bid to oversee the nation’s intelligence agencies. 

SENATE DOGE CHAIR SAYS SHE SPEAKS WITH ELON MUSK ‘EVERY FEW DAYS’ AS TRUMP ADMIN SLASHES SPENDING

Tulsi Gabbard’s success came despite the impassioned plea of Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., and Democrats, who all opposed Trump’s DNI pick.  (Reuters)

With the coordinated and persuasive assistance of Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Vice President JD Vance, crucial senators who had lingering concerns about Gabbard were convinced to back her in the crucial committee vote last week, including Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Todd Young, R-Ind.

Her success came despite the impassioned plea of Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., and Democrats, who all opposed Trump’s DNI pick. 

DEMOCRAT SENATOR BACKS TRUMP’S ‘COMMON SENSE MOVE’ TO FIRE THE PENNY

Tom Cotton carried out a calculated effort to get Tulsi Gabbard past the Intel committee. (Reuters/ Getty Images)

“We need leaders in the Intelligence Community and throughout government who are prepared to stand up to short-sighted attempts to attack our workforce at the expense of our national security. Unfortunately, I do not believe Ms. Gabbard is such a leader. Nor is she well-suited, by dint of experience or judgment, to serve as Director of National Intelligence,” he explained on the chamber floor on Monday. 

But Warner failed to persuade any Republicans, and Gabbard’s nomination advanced past its last obstacle on Monday evening. The vote passed by a party-line margin of 52-46. 

SCOOP: TRUMP BUDGET CHIEF VOUGHT TELLS GOP SENATORS $175B NEEDED ‘IMMEDIATELY’ FOR BORDER SECURITY

Nominee for Director of National Security, Tulsi Gabbard, left, and whistleblower Edward Snowden in Moscow, right  (AP/Getty)

Gabbard’s Senate comeback was achieved despite concerns regarding her past meeting with former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, her previous FISA Section 702 stance and her past support for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. 

Trump announced his selection of Gabbard for DNI in November shortly after being elected. “I am pleased to announce that former Congresswoman, Lieutenant Colonel Tulsi Gabbard, will serve as Director of National Intelligence (DNI),” he said in a statement at the time. 

NOEM, HEGSETH, BONDI PLEAD WITH CONGRESS FOR MORE BORDER FUNDING AMID LARGE-SCALE DEPORTATIONS

Gabbard was picked by Trump in November.  (KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

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“For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all Americans. As a former Candidate for the Democrat Presidential Nomination, she has broad support in both Parties – She is now a proud Republican! I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength. Tulsi will make us all proud!”

Gabbard notably left the Democratic Party and subsequently endorsed Trump in the 2024 election. 

EXCLUSIVE: The Republican National Committee has staffed up with new senior leadership to support President Trump’s agenda and work to elect Republican candidates “who will fight to Make America Great Again,” Fox News Digital has learned. 

RNC Chairman Michael Whatley brought on a slate of new senior staff at the GOP—all bringing campaign expertise stemming from several election cycles and experience in the private sector. 

RNC CHAIR WHATLEY VOWS TO BE ‘TIP OF THE SPEAR’ TO PROTECT TRUMP AFTER COASTING TO RE-ELECTION VICTORY

“After a historic victory in 2024, taking back the White House and securing majorities in both chambers of Congress, Republicans are just getting started delivering on promises made,” Whatley told Fox News Digital. 

“As America enters the new golden age under President Donald J. Trump’s leadership, I am thrilled to announce our extraordinary RNC team, who will work around the clock to support President Trump’s agenda and elect Republican candidates who will fight to Make America Great Again,” he said. 

Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley is interviewed by Fox News Digital, at the RNC headquarters in Washington D.C., on Dec. 12, 2024 (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

The RNC has brought on Mike Ambrosini to serve as chief of staff. Ambrosini previously served as the director of the RNC’s State Party Strategies. He also served in the first Trump administration and held roles in Congress, the private sector, and served as the executive director of the Michigan Republican Party. 

RNC officials told Fox News Digital that Ambrosini is “the perfect person to bring everyone to the table, navigate challenges, and implement a winning strategy.” 

Whatley has also brought on Rob Secaur as the new RNC political director. Secaur served as deputy political director for the 2024 Trump campaign, after serving as an RNC regional political director. 

SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE CHAIR SPELLS OUT HIS 2026 MISSION

To run messaging, Whatley tapped Zach Parkinson as RNC communications director. Parkinson served as the RNC’s research director and deputy communications director overseeing the GOP’s opposition research and rapid response efforts. 

Parkinson also provided research to the Trump 2024 campaign; served as deputy communications director for the Trump 2020 campaign; and worked in communications and research roles at the Trump White House from 2017 to 2019. 

Meanwhile, to run GOP finance, Mallory Gerndt has been elevated to finance director from her current role on the RNC finance team, where she has served since 2017. 

Gerndt was the deputy finance director for the RNC throughout the 2024 election cycle. 

RNC officials told Fox News Digital that Gerndt has a reputation for “setting and meeting fundraising goals to help deliver for President Trump’s America First agenda.” 

HOUSE GOP CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE CHAIR MAKES 2026 PREDICTION

Whatley also announced Zach Imel as RNC data director. Imel served as director of external data & voter contact for Team Trump during the 2024 campaign. Previously, Imel oversaw RNC data efforts during the 2022 and 2020 cycles. 

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Evan Vucci/AP)

Whatley also brought on Brent Brooks to serve as digital director. Brooks, according to GOP officials, has played “a key role” in raising millions of dollars and developing “VotePro,” which the RNC billed as a “crucial app that empowered millions of Republican voters to get involved, take action, cast their ballots, and win in 2024.” 

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As for RNC efforts across the nation, Whatley has tapped Tom Smithfield to serve as State Party Strategies Director. 

Smithfield served as State Party Strategies deputy director during the 2024 cycle and as deputy national field director in 2022. Smithfield also served as deputy state director for Trump Victory in Pennsylvania in 2020 and for the Pennsylvania GOP in 2018. 

Whatley told Fox News Digital that as Trump “delivers on his promises,” Republicans plan to also “look to the future.” 

“The RNC will play a pivotal role,” Whatley said. “Our team will continue to grow the party, get out the vote, secure our elections and keep on winning.” 
 

EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump’s FBI director nominee, Kash Patel, pushed back Wednesday on allegations that he played a role in the firings of bureau personnel just hours after swearing not to do so during his confirmation hearing late last month – dismissing accusations from the panel’s top Democrat as a politically motivated effort to derail his confirmation. 

Speaking to Fox News Digital Wednesday morning, a senior transition team official for Patel refuted the allegations made by the ranking Senate Judiciary Committee Democrat, Dick Durbin, that Patel had orchestrated the firings after his confirmation hearing. 

This person told Fox News that Patel had left Washington the night of his confirmation hearing to fly home to Las Vegas, where he has “been sitting there waiting for the process to play out.”

This person also refuted the notion that Patel has had anything to do with the firings of bureau personnel, as alleged by Durbin in Senate floor remarks the previous day. 

FBI AGENTS SUE TRUMP DOJ TO BLOCK ANY PUBLIC IDENTIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES WHO WORKED ON JAN. 6 INVESTIGATIONS

Senate Judiciary ranking member Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Kash Patel and Judiciary Chariman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. ( AP/Getty Images)

“Mr. Patel has been going through the confirmation process, and everything he has done since his nomination has been above board,” this person said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “And any insinuation otherwise is false.”

In addition to his trip home to Vegas, Patel has also spent time hunting away from Washington, this person said, providing photographed evidence of Patel’s activities. 

The news comes one day after Durbin’s team cited “highly credible” whistleblower reports his office had received in recent days, which they said indicated that Patel had been “personally directing the ongoing purge of FBI employees prior to his Senate confirmation for the role.”

Durbin’s staff also sent a letter Tuesday to the Justice Department’s inspector general, Michael Horowitz, requesting an investigation into these allegations. 

“I have received highly credible information from multiple sources that Kash Patel has been personally directing the ongoing purge of career civil servants at the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Durbin said in the letter to Horowitz. 

“Although Mr. Patel is President Trump’s nominee to be FBI Director, he is still a private citizen with no role in government.”

If true, Durbin has alleged that Patel’s reported actions could put him on the hook for perjury. 

Patel claimed during his Senate confirmation hearing late last month that he would use his role to protect agents against efforts to weaponize the bureau. 

“All FBI employees will be protected against political retribution,” Patel told Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., during that hearing. 

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have sought to discredit Patel’s confirmation in the days and weeks ahead of his confirmation – which they reiterated last week in a press conference, after announcing they would delay his committee confirmation vote by a full week. 

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Durbin told Fox News last week that their aim in delaying the hearing is to raise more public awareness about Patel’s previous actions, in hopes that doing so will shore up new opposition from some Republicans in the chamber.

Ultimately, lawmakers noted they can only delay Patel’s committee vote through next week. Beyond that, they said, it is up to Republicans.

This is a breaking news story. Check back shortly for updates.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told allies at NATO headquarters Wednesday that “returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective” as President Donald Trump is working to bring an end to the war. 

Hegseth, speaking to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Belgium, also said “stark strategic realities prevent the United States from being primarily focused on the security of Europe” because the U.S. is focusing on “securing our own borders” and “deterring war with China in the Pacific.” 

“President Trump has been clear with the American people — and with many of your leaders — that stopping the fighting and reaching an enduring peace is a top priority,” Hegseth said about Ukraine, noting that the war is approaching its third anniversary. 

“He intends to end this war by diplomacy and bringing both Russia and Ukraine to the table.  And the U.S. Department of Defense will help achieve this goal,” Hegseth continued. “We want a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering.” 

JD VANCE, TREASURY SECRETARY SCOTT BESSENT TO MEET WITH ZELENSKYY AS TRUMP TEAM SETS SIGHTS ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR 

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivers remarks during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Pentagon on Feb. 5 in Arlington, Va.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

In early 2014, Russia first invaded Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula before annexing the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin then launched a larger military conflict with Ukraine in 2022, which remains ongoing. 

“A durable peace for Ukraine must include robust security guarantees to ensure that the war will not begin again,” Hegseth said Wednesday. “The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement. Instead, any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops.”

“If these troops are deployed as peacekeepers to Ukraine at any point, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission and not covered under Article 5. There also must be robust international oversight of the line of contact,” he continued. “To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine.” 

ZELENSKYY CALLS TRUMP’S TERMS ACCEPTABLE FOR SECURITY PARTNERSHIP 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with then-U.S. president-elect Donald Trump at the Élysée Presidential Palace in Paris, France on Dec. 7, 2024.  (Ukrainian Presidency/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Trump, during an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier on “Special Report,” said “tremendous progress” has been made over the last week when it comes to a Ukraine-Russia peace deal. 

“They have tremendously valuable land in terms of rare earth, in terms of oil and gas, in terms of other things. I want to have our money secured because we’re spending hundreds of billions of dollars,” Trump said about Ukraine. “And, you know, they may make a deal. They may not make a deal. They may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday.”

“I told them that I want the equivalent, like $500 billion worth of rare earth. And they’ve essentially agreed to do that. So at least we don’t feel stupid. Otherwise, we’re stupid,” Trump added. “I said to them, we have to, we have to get something. We can’t continue to pay this money, you know. 

In an interview this week with The Guardian, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said “There are voices which say that Europe could offer security guarantees without the Americans, and I always say no” and that “Security guarantees without America are not real security guarantees.”

Hegseth also said he is in Brussels today to “directly and unambiguously express that stark strategic realities prevent the United States from being primarily focused on the security of Europe.  

“The United States faces consequential threats to our homeland. We must — and we are — focusing on securing our own borders,” he said. “We also face a peer competitor in China with the capability and intent to threaten our homeland and core national interests in the Indo-Pacific.”  

United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, left, walks with Britain’s Defense Secretary John Healey prior to a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a NATO defense ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, on Wednesday, Feb. 12. (Johanna Geron/Pool Photo via AP)

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“The U.S. is prioritizing deterring war with China in the Pacific, recognizing the reality of scarcity, and making the resourcing tradeoffs to ensure deterrence does not fail,” Hegseth added. “As the United States shifts its attention to these threats, European allies must lead from the front.” 

Sparks are expected to fly at Congress’ first Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) subcommittee meeting Wednesday, according to one Democratic lawmaker in the House of Representatives.

Democrats have blasted billionaire Elon Musk, who President Donald Trump tapped to lead DOGE, over the past week for trying to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in federal spending and trim the more than 2-million-person federal workforce.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, told Axios that she plans to use the hearing to “clarify for the American people” why DOGE’s actions are “illegal” and why “Elon Musk has no official role to do this.” 

“I think it’s going to be a sh–show. I don’t really anticipate anything productive coming out of this,” Crockett said. “I don’t anticipate that it’s going to be nice. I anticipate full-on combat, because DOGE is clearly the devil right now.”

DOGE SLASHES OVER $100M IN DEI FUNDING AT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT: ‘WIN FOR EVERY STUDENT’

Rep. Jasmine Crockett speaks during the We Choose To Fight: Nobody Elected Elon rally at the U.S. Department of the Treasury on Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for MoveOn)

DOGE subcommittee chair Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., told the outlet she has “high hopes” that Republicans and Democrats will engage productively during the hearing, which she said will focus on “Medicaid improper payments.”

“We’re going to be talking about solutions, there are going to be big savings,” she said, adding that she feels the issue is bipartisan.

‘THIS HAS TO STOP’: HOUSE DEM FACES BACKLASH FOR ‘PROMOTING PHYSICAL VIOLENCE’ AT DOGE PROTEST

On Tuesday, Musk appeared with Trump in the Oval Office as the president prepared to sign an executive order concerning the billionaire’s work leading DOGE.

Musk, in some of his first public comments on leading DOGE, told reporters that there are some good people in the federal bureaucracy, but that they need to be accountable, and the budget deficit needs to be addressed.

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters as Elon Musk listens in the Oval Office at the White House on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington. (Photo/Alex Brandon)

He also pushed back against critics who have accused him of mounting a hostile takeover of the government, saying he wants to add “common-sense controls” to federal spending and that cutting government waste is not “draconian.”

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“The people voted for major government reform, and that’s what the people are going to get,” Musk said. “That’s what democracy is all about.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Pope Francis on Tuesday issued a major rebuke of the Trump administration’s plans for the mass deportations of migrants, stressing that the forceful removal of people simply for their immigration status deprives them of their inherent dignity and “will end badly.”

Francis wrote a letter to U.S. bishops, in which he appeared to criticize Vice President JD Vance’s religious argument in defense of the deportation policies.

U.S. border czar Tom Homan responded to the pope, saying that the Vatican is a city-state surrounded by walls and that Francis should leave immigration enforcement to him. Homan, a Catholic, also said Francis should focus on fixing the Catholic Church rather than U.S. immigration policies.

“He wants to attack us for securing our border. He’s got a wall around the Vatican, does he not?” Homan told reporters. “So he’s got a wall around that protects his people and himself, but we can’t have a wall around the United States.”

DOZENS OF RELIGIOUS GROUPS SUE TO STOP TRUMP ADMIN FROM ARRESTING MIGRANTS IN PLACES OF WORSHIP

Pope Francis presides over a mass for the jubilee of the armed forces in St. Peter’s Square at The Vatican on Sunday Feb. 9, 2025. (AP)

As the first Latin American pope, Francis has long held the position of caring for immigrants, pointing to the biblical command to “welcome the stranger” in calling on countries to welcome, protect, promote and integrate people fleeing conflicts, poverty and climate disasters.

Francis and President Donald Trump have long butted heads over the issue of immigration, including prior to Trump’s first term, when Francis said in 2016 that anyone who builds a wall to keep migrants out was “not a Christian.”

In his letter, Francis acknowledged that governments have the right to defend their countries and keep their communities safe from criminals, but he added the deportation of people who fled their countries due to various difficult circumstances damages their dignity.

“That said, the act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness,” he wrote.

Pointing to the Book of Exodus in the Bible and Jesus Christ’s experience, Francis emphasized the right of people to seek shelter and safety in other lands and said the Trump administration’s deportation plan was a “major crisis.”

Anyone educated in Christianity, he said, “cannot fail to make a critical judgment and express its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality.”

“What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly,” he continued.

POPE FRANCIS CALLS TRUMP’S DEPORTATION PLAN A ‘DISGRACE’

Pope Francis at his weekly audience in the Vatican on Feb. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, thanked the pope for his letter.

“With you, we pray that the U.S. government keep its prior commitments to help those in desperate need,” Broglio wrote. “Boldly I ask for your continued prayers so that we may find the courage as a nation to build a more humane system of immigration, one that protects our communities while safeguarding the dignity of all.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said last week that more than 8,000 people had been arrested since Trump took office Jan. 20 as part of the president’s plan to detain and deport immigrants in the country illegally, although hundreds of those arrested have since been released back into the U.S. Others have been deported, are being held in federal prisons or are being held at the Guantánamo Bay Cuba, detention camp.

Vance, a Catholic convert, has defended the administration’s deportation plans by citing a concept from medieval Catholic theology known in Latin as “ordo amoris,” which he has said describes a hierarchy of care: prioritizing the family first, then the neighbor, community, fellow citizens and lastly those from other regions.

However, Francis sought to fact-check Vance’s understanding of the concept.

“Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups,” Francis wrote in his letter. “The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan,’ that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.”

Then-Sen. JD Vance walks into the Senate Chamber on Capitol Hill on April 23, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

As Homan referenced, the Vatican is a walled-in, 108-acre city-state inside Rome, and it recently increased sanctions for anyone who enters illegally. The law, approved in December, calls for people to face up to four years in prison and a fine of up to 25,000 euros, or $25,873, if they enter with “violence, threat or deception,” including by evading security checkpoints.

The U.S. bishops conference had already released a statement condemning Trump’s immigration policies after his first executive orders.

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Anyone “focused on the treatment of immigrants and refugees, foreign aid, expansion of the death penalty, and the environment, are deeply troubling and will have negative consequences, many of which will harm the most vulnerable among us,” the statement said.

Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago praised Francis’ letter, telling Vatican Media that it showed the pope viewed “the protection and advocacy for the dignity of migrants as the preeminent urgency at this moment.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: Retired New York Giants safety Jack Brewer and his global ministry are on the ground in Guatemala City this week, helping officials receive migrant families deported from the U.S., providing food, support and prayer as they essentially start life anew.

Brewer and his Jack Brewer Foundation have years of experience working in impoverished areas of the world like Haiti, Malawi and Central America, which Brewer said has allowed him to work closer than most and interact with the returning families.

While it is President Donald Trump and border czar Tom Homan enforcing U.S. law and deporting illegal immigrants, Brewer said it is clear former President Joe Biden’s “broken” policies are truly to blame for the heartache and hardship. 

“Three years ago, I started to follow the fatherlessness crisis that is happening right here in Guatemala, where a lot of men were leaving their households and coming to Joe Biden’s open borders – and just seeing it literally devastate families.”

CHARITY LEADERS SLAM BIDEN ADMIN RESPONSE TO US PLANES SHOT IN HAITI AMID CHAOS

Jack Brewer on the Giants’ sideline in 2004. (Getty)

Brewer said Guatemala was losing much of its workforce and that a lot of those poor families trying to get to the U.S. actually did not know a “legal” immigration route existed, and they instead took the cartels and others at their word and paid thousands of dollars to be trafficked north.

“They’ve been told by coyotes and different people that you can just come [to the U.S.], and if you come here, if you bring your child, they’ll just let you in,” Brewer said.

“And so, you know, there’s a huge education gap there on the ground.”

Brewer also met with Raul Berrios from CONAMIGUA – the National Council for Attention to Migrants of Guatemala – as well as Sergio Samuel Vela-Lopez, head of the Guatemala Penitentiary Department.

Berrios, Lopez and others are trying to create an effective system for welcoming the migrants and processing those who are innocent families versus those who may have criminal records or other issues requiring government attention, according to Brewer.

FORMER NFL SAFETY JACK BREWER TORCHES CA’S COSTLY REPARATIONS PUSH

Former NFL safety Jack Brewer hands out food and supplies to deported migrants in Guatemala. (Jack Brewer Foundation)

Many families returning to the capital city live hundreds of miles into the countryside and have no established way of getting there. Some buses, however, have been hired to take migrants closer to home, and Brewer visited one of them and spoke to its driver.

“It’s really a unique perspective, I think, and just some of the things that we’ve witnessed since we’ve been here,” he said, adding stories ranged from familial hardships to reports that more than a dozen people have been burnt alive by Mexican cartels for failing to pay for passage.

“It’s just pretty tough to see and witness and watch.”

When a U.S. military plane arrived carrying migrants, Brewer was on the tarmac.

HEGSETH, HOMAN TOUR BORDER

Guatemalan families and children arrive in Guatemala City. (Jack Brewer Foundation)

“We were able to provide them with food and, most importantly, with Bibles, and we preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Brewer said the Guatemalan Migration Authority is focusing its efforts on children ages 8 and under. Many of these children have been “lied to,” Brewer said.

“They’re told it’s their life’s mission to migrate to the U.S. illegally,” he said, recounting stories told by some returning migrants of children on the backs of cartel coyotes and others drowning in rivers.

Then-Vice President Kamala Harris made her own trip to Guatemala City in March 2024, seeking to understand the “root causes” of illegal migration.

Jack Brewer visits a command center in Guatemala. (Jack Brewer Foundation)

“When you look at the root causes, we’re also looking at issues of corruption. Again, we’re looking at the issue of climate resiliency and then the concern about a lack of economic opportunity,” Harris said in 2021.

Brewer rejected that Harris’ work made any difference, saying she and her then-boss’s policies “empowered human traffickers” and that half of Guatemala still lives in extreme poverty with little education.

Jack Brewer meets deportation flights holding Guatemalan migrants (Jack Brewer Foundation)

He said the former leadership at the State Department “misguided resources” through USAID, a practice that Trump is now aggressively cutting back on.

“We need to first put our resources into addressing the issues that are fueling a multibillion-dollar human trafficking industry. Walls, deportations and enforcement are a must, but educating indigenous populations on the truths of coyotes will deliver a devastating blow to the modern human slave trade,” Brewer said.

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Jack Brewer meets with Raul Berrios of the National Council for Attention to Migrants of Guatemala. (Jack Brewer foundation)

“Guatemala is not enforcing their migration issue in the country. Haitians and Venezuelans are warned of the dangers of migrating, but there is no enforcement at the time.”

“There needs to be arrest and enforcement, but they require resources. Guatemala prisons are already overcrowded, and they don’t have immigration beds available for enforcement,” added Brewer, who said he also visited those prisons and saw conditions for himself.

A coalition of 27 Christian and Jewish groups representing millions of Americans filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging a Trump administration action allowing federal immigration enforcement to make arrests in places of worship.

The federal lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, was brought on behalf of a range of religious groups, including the Episcopal Church, the Union for Reform Judaism, the Mennonites and Unitarian Universalists.

The lawsuit challenges an order by President Donald Trump that reversed a Biden administration policy barring agents from arresting illegal migrants in sensitive places like churches, schools and hospitals.

According to the lawsuit, Trump’s new policy has sparked fear of raids, which has led to lower attendance at worship services and other church programs. Because of this impact on attendance, the lawsuit argues the policy infringes on the groups’ religious freedom, particularly their ability to minister to migrants, including those in the U.S. illegally.

‘SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES’: TED CRUZ DELIVERS STRONG WARNING TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FLEEING BORDER PATROL

Fatima Guzman prays during a church service at the Centro Cristiano El Pan de Vida, a mid-size Church of God of Prophecy congregation in Kissimmee, Florida, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. (AP)

“We have immigrants, refugees, people who are documented and undocumented,” the Most Rev. Sean Rowe, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, told The Associated Press.

“We cannot worship freely if some of us are living in fear,” he added. “By joining this lawsuit, we’re seeking the ability to gather and fully practice our faith, to follow Jesus’ command to love our neighbors as ourselves.”

A similar lawsuit was filed Jan. 27 by five Quaker congregations that was later joined by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and a Sikh temple. That case is currently pending in U.S. District Court in Maryland.

The new lawsuit names the Department of Homeland Security and its immigration enforcement agencies as defendants.

“We are protecting our schools, places of worship, and Americans who attend, by preventing criminal aliens and gang members from exploiting these locations and take safe haven there because these criminals knew that under the previous Administration that law enforcement couldn’t go inside,” DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, Tricia McLaughlin, said in a statement.

“DHS’s directive gives our law enforcement the ability to do their jobs,” she said.

A memorandum filed Friday by the Department of Justice, opposing the argument in the Quaker lawsuit, could also apply to the new lawsuit.

The DOJ claims that the plaintiffs’ request to block the new immigration enforcement policy is based on speculation of hypothetical future harm, which the department says makes for insufficient grounds for the courts to side with the Quakers and issue an injunction.

In the memo, the DOJ said that immigration enforcement affecting places of worship had been allowed for decades and that the new policy announced last month stated that field agents should use “common sense” and “discretion” but could now carry out immigration enforcement operations in houses of worship without pre-approval from a supervisor.

One part of that memo may not apply to the new lawsuit, as it argued the Quakers and their fellow plaintiffs have no basis for seeking a nationwide injunction to protect all religious groups against the new policy.

NOEM, HEGSETH, BONDI PLEAD WITH CONGRESS FOR MORE BORDER FUNDING AMID LARGE-SCALE DEPORTATIONS

A congregant kneels in prayer at the Centro Cristiano El Pan de Vida, a mid-size Church of God of Prophecy congregation, in Kissimmee, Florida, Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. (AP)

“Any relief in this case should be tailored solely to the named plaintiffs,” the DOJ memo said, arguing that any injunction should not apply to other religious organizations.

The plaintiffs in the new lawsuit represent a significantly larger number of American worshipers, including more than 1 million followers of Reform Judaism, around 1.5 million Episcopalians, more than 1 million members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the estimated 1.5 million active members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, among others.

“The massive scale of the suit will be hard for them to ignore,” lead counsel Kelsi Corkran, who is a lawyer with the Georgetown University Law Center’s Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, told The Associated Press.

Corkran said the plaintiffs joined the lawsuit “because their scripture, teaching, and traditions offer irrefutable unanimity on their religious obligation to embrace and serve the refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants in their midst without regard to documentation or legal status.”

Before Trump’s change to federal policy, Corkran said immigration agents generally needed a judicial warrant or other special authorization to conduct operations in locations like places of worship, schools and hospitals.

“Now it’s go anywhere, any time,” she said. “Now they have broad authority to swoop in — they’ve made it very clear they’ll get every undocumented person.”

The lawsuit outlined how some of the plaintiffs’ operations may be affected. Some, including the Union for Reform Judaism and the Mennonites, said many of their synagogues and churches host on-site foodbanks, meal programs, homeless shelters and other support services for illegal migrants who may now be fearful of participating.

One plaintiff, the Latino Christian National Network, described the fear among migrants in the wake of the new Trump administration policy.

“There is deep-seated fear and distrust of our government,” the network’s president, Rev. Carlos Malavé, a pastor of two churches in Virginia, told The Associated Press. “People fear going to the store, they are avoiding going to church. … The churches are increasingly doing online services because people fear for the well-being of their families.”

Jean-Michel Gisnel cries out while praying with other congregants at the First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Sunday, January 26, 2025, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP)

One religious group that did not join the new lawsuit is the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which leads the nation’s largest denomination, although it has criticized Trump’s mass deportation plan.

On Tuesday, Pope Francis criticized the administration’s immigration policies, saying that the forceful removal of people because of their immigration status deprives them of their inherent dignity and that doing so, he argued, “will end badly.”

Many conservative faith leaders and legal experts across the country, however, share no concerns about immigration enforcement targeting places of worship to arrest migrants.

“Places of worship are for worship and are not sanctuaries for illegal activity or for harboring people engaged in illegal activity,” Mat Staver, founder of the conservative Christian legal organization Liberty Counsel, told The Associated Press.

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“Fugitives or criminals are not immune from the law merely because they enter a place of worship,” he said. “This is not a matter of religious freedom. There is no right to openly violate the law and disobey law enforcement.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is launching a new push to target illegal immigrants who flee from law enforcement — named after a Border Patrol agent killed pursuing illegal aliens.

Cruz is reintroducing the Senate version of the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act.

The bill is named after Border Patrol Agent Raul Gonzalez, who was killed in a vehicle crash in Texas in 2022 while pursuing illegal immigrants. The bill would make failure to yield to a Border Patrol agent a felony punishable by up to two years in prison.

GOP REVIVES ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT DETENTION BILL NAMED AFTER 12-YEAR-OLD MURDER VICTIM 

Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, March 8, 2022.  (Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

If a Border Patrol agent sustains injuries during a vehicle pursuit of an illegal migrant, the offender may receive a sentence ranging from a minimum of five years to a maximum of 20 years in prison. In cases where an agent loses their life during the pursuit, the bill prescribes a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, extending to a potential life sentence. Each of these offenses also may carry a fine of up to $250,000.

It further requires that the Department of Justice report to Congress about how often they are prosecuting illegal aliens for endangering Border Patrol agents.

“This legislation honors the sacrifice of Agent Raul Gonzalez, Jr., who lost his life pursuing individuals evading capture,” Cruz said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

TRUMP ADMIN MAKES AGGRESSIVE MOVE TO EXPAND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT DETENTION: ‘OUTSIDE THE BOX’ 

A U.S. Border Patrol agent stands on a cliff looking for migrants that crossed the border wall between the U.S. and Mexico near the city of Sasabe, Arizona, Sunday, January 23, 2022.  (Salwan Georges/Washington Post via Getty Images)

“It sends a clear message that if you endanger American lives, you will face serious consequences,” he said. “This bill is a critical step toward protecting our communities and ensuring criminals can no longer exploit past failures.”

The bill has been reintroduced in the House by Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz.

It’s one of a slew of bills being introduced or re-introduced in Congress now that there is GOP control of both chambers and a new mood in Washington that appears to be more receptive of stiffer consequences for illegal immigration, with the Trump administration launching a massive border security and anti-illegal immigration crackdown.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

Congress passed the Laken Riley Act in January, which mandates the federal detention of illegal immigrants accused of theft-related offenses. President Donald Trump would sign the bill later in January.

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Cruz, meanwhile, reintroduced the “Justice for Jocelyn” Act, which would require that every ICE detention bed be filled before any releases of illegal immigrants into the interior. It is named after Jocelyn Nungaray, who was allegedly murdered by two illegal immigrants.

Fox News’ Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.

An Oregon congresswoman is determined to protect federal workers from possible retaliation by introducing new legislation that focuses on “federal workers who stand up against Elon Musk’s grotesque seizure of critical government agencies.”

Representative Maxine Dexter has proposed the “Stop Musk Act” which states, “No Federal employee may be retaliated against, including any retaliation occurring on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, for resisting, circumventing, or preventing Elon Musk or individuals he oversees from taking unlawful or unconstitutional actions relating to Federal agencies.”

The bill addresses, what Dexter alleges, is Musk’s recent seizing of control of the U.S. Department of Treasury’s payment system, exposing Oregonian’s personal financial information, shuttering the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) putting the lives of millions of people at risk.

PRESIDENT TRUMP PREDICTS ELON MUSK WILL FIND ‘HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS’ IN WASTE IN NEXT DOGE DIRECTIVES

The ‘Stop Musk Act’ states federal employees who resist, circumvent, or prevent Musk’s takeover would be protected against any present or future retaliation for their efforts. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

She alleges that the billionaire has “the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) undermining our work to combat the climate crisis. This is only the beginning. Under this legislation, federal employees who resist, circumvent, or prevent Musk’s takeover would be protected against any present or future retaliation for their efforts.”

The bill comes as Musk, along with the Department of Government Efficiency, has forced leave of U.S. Agency for International Development staffers. 

“The world’s richest man should not have the power to unilaterally dismantle the federal government and the critical services it provides Oregonians. Federal employees are at the forefront of fighting Elon Musk’s power grab, and we must protect them. 

The bill comes as Musk, along with the Department of Government Efficiency, has forced leave of U.S. Agency for International Development staffers.  ( Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

TRUMP DEFENDS MUSK’S DOGE AMID DEMS’ RESISTANCE EFFORTS | FOX NEWS VIDEO

President Trump continues to defend DOGE’s work alongside Musk and has predicted that he will find billions in fraud and abuse. Meanwhile, his actions have been met with outrage from some Democrats.

“I’m going to tell him very soon… to go check the Department of Education. He’s going to find the same thing. Then I’m going to go into the military. Let’s check the military. We’re going to find billions, hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud and abuse, and the people elected me on that.”

Trump and Musk have asked federal workers to leave their jobs, and even offered a buyout to some, giving them the opportunity to quit and still get paid until Sept. 30.

The bill comes as Musk, along with the Department of Government Efficiency, has forced leave of U.S. Agency for International Development staffers.  (Fox News)

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Dexter says she is concerned as thousands of federal workers in Oregon are voicing their opinions about cuts to federal agencies.

“All week, I have heard from constituents who are demanding action. Let me be clear: we will use every legislative, judicial, and public pressure tactic to stop Musk’s takeover. This multi-front battle will be fought in the courts, the halls of Congress, and the public sphere.  

“We must stay loud. We must stand tight. We must press on.” 

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday instructing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to coordinate with federal agencies and execute massive cuts in federal government staffing numbers.  

The order will instruct DOGE and federal agencies to work together to “significantly” shrink the size of the federal government and limit hiring new employees, according to a White House fact sheet on the order. Specifically, agencies must not hire more than one employee for every four that leave their federal post. 

Agencies will also be instructed to “undertake plans for large-scale reductions in force” and evaluate ways to eliminate or combine agency functions that aren’t legally required.

DOGE Chair Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, told reporters Tuesday in the Oval Office that the American people voted for “major” government reform and that the Trump administration would deliver. 

Trump voiced similar sentiments about providing voters what they wanted – to tackle “all of this “horrible stuff going on” – and told reporters that he hoped the court system would cooperate. 

“I hope that the court system is going to allow us to do what we have to do,” Trump said, who also said he would always abide by a court’s ruling but will be prepared to appeal.

The order builds on another directive Trump signed after his inauguration implementing a federal hiring freeze, as well as an initiative from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management offering more than 2 million federal civilian employees buyouts if they leave their jobs or return to work in person. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the administration’s plan from advancing amid challenges from union groups.

Trump’s executive order aligns with DOGE’s “workforce optimization initiative” and would impose restrictions to hire only for “essential positions” as agencies brace for significant cuts to their workforce, according to the White House fact sheet. 

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

Elon Musk, the chair of DOGE, has been leading an investigation into USAID’s spending practices as the agency comes to a standstill. (Getty Images)

The executive order will leave just a few areas of the federal government unscathed, including positions affiliated with law enforcement, national security and immigration enforcement. 

DOGE is focused on eliminating wasteful government spending and streamlining efficiency and operations, and it is expected to influence White House policy on budget matters. The group has been tasked with cutting $2 trillion from the federal government budget through efforts to slash spending, government programs and the federal workforce.

The White House said on Feb. 4 that it predicted a “spike” in resignations close to the original Feb. 6 deadline for the buyout offer, which would allow employees to retain all pay and benefits and be exempt from in-person work until Sept. 30.

“The number of deferred resignations is rapidly growing, and we’re expecting the largest spike 24 to 48 hours before the deadline,” a White House official told Fox News Digital on Feb. 4.  

JUDGE EXTENDS INJUCTION ORDER TO BAN TRUMP ADMIN BUYOUT OFFER TO FEDERAL WORKERS

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order instructing the Department of Government Efficiency to coordinate with federal agencies to execute massive cuts in federal government staffing numbers. (Reuters)

So far, approximately 65,000 federal employees have accepted the buyout offer, but a federal judge has issued a pause on the deadline for when employees must submit their resignations. 

U.S. District Judge George O’Toole indefinitely extended a temporary restraining order Monday, pausing the deadline as he evaluates a preliminary injunction request stemming from cases against the buyout program filed by union groups, including the American Federation of Government Employees.

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When asked about the buyout, Trump said that there are empty office spaces and that his administration is attempting to reduce the size of government. 

“We have too many people. We have office spaces occupied by 4% – nobody showing up to work because they were told not to,” Trump said. 

DOGE has moved to slash other areas of the federal government as well. 

Other recent initiatives by DOGE have included launching an effort to shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development, a group that works to deliver aid to impoverished countries and development assistance. 

The group has come under scrutiny from DOGE amid concerns about wasteful government spending, poor leadership and questionable funding, including an Iraqi version of “Sesame Street” and reportedly millions of dollars in funding to extremist groups tied to designated terrorist organizations and their allies. 

“It’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out,” Trump told reporters on Feb. 2.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman, Emma Colton and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump’s court battles have not ended now that he’s back in the Oval Office — instead, dozens have piled up against his administration as Democrats and activists vow to fight Trump and his policies in the judicial system.

Trump faced four criminal indictments during the interim of his first and second administrations, which landed accusations of “lawfare” on the national stage as Trump maintained his innocence and slammed the cases as efforts by the Democratic Party to hurt his political chances for re-election during the 2024 cycle. Despite the left-wing efforts to ensnare Trump in a web of legal cases, Trump was re-elected president — with a resume that now includes “convicted felon” and a famous mugshot frequently displayed on pro-Trump apparel.

Upon Trump’s inauguration Jan. 20, he has issued near-daily executive orders and actions to shift the federal government to fall in line with his “America First” policies, including snuffing out government overspending and mismanagement, banning biological men from competing in women’s sports, and deporting thousands of illegal immigrants who flooded the nation under the Biden administration. 

Trump has signed more than 60 executive orders, in addition to other executive actions, as of Tuesday, which has resulted in at least 49 lawsuits against Trump and his administration, Fox News Digital has found. 

‘ANYTHING BUT ORDINARY’: LEGAL EXPERTS SHRED NY V. TRUMP AS ‘ONE OF THE WORST’ CASES IN HISTORY

New York Attorney General said she is “prepared” to ask the judge to seize former President Donald Trump’s assets if he cannot pay the $354 million judgment handed down in his civil fraud case.  (ABC News/Screenshot | Brendan McDermid-Pool/Getty Images)

The lawsuits come as Democratic elected officials fume over the second Trump administration’s policies, most notably the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is investigating various federal agencies in the search of cutting government spending fat, corruption and mismanagement of funds.

“Right now, we’re going to keep focus on the need to look out for everyday New Yorkers and everyday Americans who are under assault by an extreme MAGA Republican agenda that is trying to cut taxes for billionaires, donors and wealthy corporations and then stick New Yorkers and working-class Americans across the country with the bill,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in January. 

CLIMATE LAWFARE IS RUNNING INTO A POWERFUL FORCE LIBERALS DIDN’T EXPECT

“That’s not acceptable,” he said. “We are going to fight it legislatively. We are going to fight it in the courts. We’re going to fight it in the streets.”  

President Donald Trump has signed more than 60 executive orders, in addition to other executive actions, as of Tuesday, which has resulted in at least 49 lawsuits against Trump and his administration.  (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

“We are gonna be in your face, we are gonna be on your a–es, and we are going to make sure you understand what democracy looks like, and this ain’t it,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said at a protest over DOGE and its chair, Elon Musk, earlier in February.

With just over three weeks back in the Oval Office, at least 49 lawsuits have been filed against Trump or the federal government over Trump’s policies and executive actions. Among the list of plaintiffs are a handful of groups that brought forth suits against Trump in previous years, most notably New York Attorney General Leitita James, as well as labor unions and left-wing advocacy groups. 

James, a former city council member in New York and public defender, launched her run for New York attorney general during the 2018 cycle, while emphasizing that if she were elected she would aggressively pursue legal charges against Trump.

HOW TRUMP, AG BONDI CAN PERSUADE DEMOCRATS TO ABANDON LAWFARE

“I’m running for attorney general because I will never be afraid to challenge this illegitimate president when our fundamental rights are at stake,” James declared in September 2018. “From the Muslim ban, to efforts to deport immigrants, to denying transgender students the ability to choose whatever bathroom they want, rolling back regulations to protect our planet, colluding with foreign powers, putting profits over people, dividing us in ways we haven’t seen in generations.” 

“And what is fueling this campaign, what is fueling my soul right now, is Trump and his abuses, abuses against immigrants, against women, against our environment. We need an attorney general who will stand up to Donald Trump,” she said during a debate in August 2018. 

James won her election that year, about two years into Trump’s first administration, and took a victory lap while vowing to expose the “con man.” 

New York Attorney General Letitia James launched her run for New York attorney general during the 2018 cycle, while emphasizing that if she were elected she would aggressively pursue legal charges against President Donald Trump.  (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Congressional Black Caucus Foundation)

James brought forth a civil fraud suit against Trump, the Trump Organization and its senior leadership in 2022, frequently sitting in the courtroom throughout the proceedings, and celebrated the prosecution of Trump in the Manhattan criminal trial over the 34 counts of falsifying business records. Trump was ordered to pay a $454 million civil fraud judgment in James’ lawsuit against him, which is currently on appeal. 

All in, James said back in November 2024 that her office took nearly 100 legal actions against Trump’s first administration — vowing to restart the efforts during the second administration. 

AS DEMOCRATS REGROUP OUTSIDE DC, GOP ATTORNEYS GENERAL ADOPT NEW PLAYBOOK TO DEFEND TRUMP AGENDA

“We did not expect this result, but we are prepared to respond to this result. And my office has been preparing for several months because we’ve been here before,” James said following Trump’s election win in November 2024. “We faced this challenge before, and we used the rule of law to fight back. And we are prepared to fight back once again because, as the attorney general of this great state, it is my job to protect and defend the rights of New Yorkers and the rule of law. And I will not shrink from that responsibility.”

So far in 2025, James has spearheaded at least five legal actions against the Trump administration, including leading a coalition of state attorneys general to sue the federal government to halt DOGE’s access to the Treasury Department’s internal systems, as well as another lawsuit related to the Trump admin slashing grant funding to research institutions and universities. 

“As the richest man in the world, Elon Musk is not used to being told ‘no,’ but in our country, no one is above the law,” James said of the DOGE suit. “President Trump does not have the power to give away Americans’ private information to anyone he chooses, and he cannot cut federal payments approved by Congress. Musk and DOGE have no authority to access Americans’ private information and some of our country’s most sensitive data. I am taking action to keep our information secure, and to prevent any unconstitutional freeze on essential funding that Americans rely on every day.”

Trump slammed New York as the “most corrupt State in the Union” in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, calling on even-handed judges and elected officials to crush the “lawfare” in the Empire State. 

“​​We need great Judges and Politicians to help fix New York, and to stop the kind of Lawfare that was launched against me, from falsely valuing Mar-a-Lago at $18 Million Dollars, when it is worth, perhaps, 100 times that amount (The corrupt judge was replaced by another judge, only to be immediately put back on the case when the Democrat political leaders found out that a change of judges was made. It has become a great embarrassment for the New York Judicial System!),” he posted to Truth Social, referring to James’ civil fraud case against Trump.  

Labor unions that previously sued the first Trump administration are also back in court.  (Jabin Botsford/Pool via USA TODAY NETWORK)

“To a woman that I had no idea who she was, making a FAKE and ridiculous accusation, to a ‘case’ that was made up by a corrupt and highly conflicted Judge in order to criminally attack me for political purposes,” he continued, referring to two-year E. Jean Carroll court cases. 

Labor unions that previously sued the first Trump administration are also back in court, including the American Federation of Teachers suing over DOGE’s access to private information at the Education and Treasury departments, and the American Federation of Government Employees suing the administration in at least two cases related to DOGE and federal employment policies under the 47th president. 

“We wouldn’t bring so many lawsuits if they wouldn’t break the law so often,” Andrew Huddleston, American Federation of Government Employees’ director of communications, told Fox News Digital when asked about the lawsuits. 

TRUMP HAS HIGHER APPROVAL RATING THAN AT ANY POINT DURING FIRST TERM: POLL

While the American Civil Liberties Union — which took at least 400 legal actions against the first Trump administration — filed a lawsuit against the second Trump administration earlier in February regarding an executive order that prevents transgender and nonbinary individuals from changing their passports to reflect their gender identity and not their biological sex.  

REPUBLICAN AGS BACK TRUMP FEDERAL EMPLOYEE BUYOUT AS JUDGE DECIDES ‘FORK IN THE ROAD’ DIRECTIVE’S FATE 

Another nonprofit, the State Democracy Defenders Fund, recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of FBI agents who investigated Trump-related cases in an effort to block the DOJ from releasing their names. The State Democracy Defenders Fund previously was involved in other Trump-related cases, including filing an amicus brief in January advocating that Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan sentence Trump in the Manhattan case just days ahead of his inauguration.

President Donald Trump repeatedly seethed that “lawfare” was running amok of American politics, including, left to right, former Special Counsel Jack Smith, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis.  (Getty Images)

Ahead of taking office, Trump repeatedly seethed that “lawfare” was running amok of American politics, frequently targeting James, Merchan, as well as former special counsel Jack Smith, Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and others. 

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“They’re playing with the courts, as you know, they’ve been playing with the courts for four years,” Trump said during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago after Congress had certified his election win in January. “Probably got me more votes because I got the highest number of votes ever gotten by a Republican by far, actually, by a lot. And, you know, we had a great election, so I guess it didn’t work. But even to this day, they’re playing with the courts and their friendly judges that like to try and make everybody happy… It’s called lawfare. It’s called weaponization of justice.” 

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

Here’s what’s happening…

–House Dems organize rapid response task force and litigation group to combat Trump agenda

-$1,300 coffee cups, 8,000% overpay for soap dispensers show waste as DOGE locks in on Pentagon

-Noem, Hegseth and Bondi plead with Congress for border money amid large-scale deportations

You’re fired! 

The Department of Homeland Security told Fox News that “four employees are being fired today for circumventing leadership and unilaterally making the egregious payment for hotels for migrants in New York City.”

The firings come after Elon Musk wrote on X Monday that “The DOGE team just discovered that FEMA sent $59M LAST WEEK to luxury hotels in New York City to house illegal migrants.” 

“Firings include FEMA’s Chief Financial Officer, two program analysts and a grant specialist,” the DHS also said. “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem’s leadership, DHS will not sit idly and allow deep state activists to undermine the will and safety of the American people.”…Read more

Musk claimed that FEMA sent millions to house migrants in NYC. (Getty Images)

White House

NOT SO FAST: Judge blocks Trump order limiting ‘indirect’ NIH research costs after public outcry…Read more

GOODBYE GREEN STANDARDS: Trump reverses Biden crackdown on lightbulbs and dishwashers, returning to ‘common sense standards’…Read more

‘DEREGULATORY FLAVOR’: Here’s JD Vance’s vision for the future of AI under the Trump administration…Read more

CASE DISMISSED: Federal appeals court dismisses classified records case against former Trump co-defendants…Read more

A federal appeals court dismissed the charges brought against Waltine Nauta, Donald Trump’s valet, and Carlos De Oliveira, the property manager of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. (Getty)

REACHING NEW HIGHS: Trump has higher approval rating than at any point during first term…Read more

NO MORE PAPER: Trump signs executive order ending ‘forced use of paper straws’…Read more

DOCUMENTS DRAMA: FBI must release Mar-a-Lago probe records despite Trump’s criminal immunity: judge…Read more

‘SO WASTEFUL’: How Trump might get rid of the penny – and what could come next for your pocket change…Read more

World Stage

‘HORRIFYING’: Extremist groups raked in millions of dollars from USAID, multiyear study reveals…Read more

Anwar Al-Awlaki at Dar al Hijrah Mosque on October 4 2001 in Falls Church, VA, inserted over a USAID flag.  (Getty Images)

Capitol Hill

BINGE WATCHING: GOP lawmakers set sights on PBS, NPR amid Trump’s DOGE crackdown…Read more

‘IN GOOD SPIRITS’: Democrat lawmaker freezes on House floor after suffering adverse reaction to medication…Read more

‘TRUST PRESIDENT TRUMP’: Murkowski and Cassidy announce they’ll vote to confirm Tulsi Gabbard to Trump cabinet post…Read more

Left: Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska; Center: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be Director of National Intelligence, former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii; Right: U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA).  (Left: Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Center: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images; Right: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

LOCKING IN LABOR: Lori Chavez-DeRemer: The little-known Trump nominee who may need to rely on Dems to cross finish line…Read more

REBEL FORCE: GOP rebels mutiny against House leaders as Trump budget bill talks hit impasse…Read more

Across America 

‘NEW IDEAS’: Trump nominees debut new science journal aimed at spurring scientific discourse, increasing transparency…Read more

NO JAIL FOR BANNON: Steven Bannon pleads guilty to scheme to defraud in border wall fundraiser, avoids jail time…Read more

BACKING PATEL: More than half a million law enforcement personnel back Patel to be FBI director…Read more

‘I AM RUNNING’: Former Biden cabinet member launches New Mexico gubernatorial bid…Read more

NEW PROTOCOL: Louisiana resumes executions after 15-year pause, approves use of nitrogen gas method…Read more

‘ISN’T IT BEAUTIFUL?’: Google Maps, FAA officially acknowledges Gulf of America after Trump declaration…Read more

Google Maps has begun referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. (AP/Google Maps)

BIPARTISAN BET: Super Bowl inspires bipartisan wager as Pennsylvania senators go ‘all in for the birds’…Read more

NEW ‘PROJECT?’: Heritage president reacts to ‘Project 2025′ promptly dropping from liberals’ lips as DOGE takes ax to DC…Read more

‘WIN FOR EVERY STUDENT’: DOGE slashes over $100M in DEI funding at Education Department: ‘Win for every student’…Read more

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

Despite not being the president, Elon Musk stands accused of usurping three presidential powers through his Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) efforts to cut costs and downsize the scope of the federal government. 

U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., appeared Sunday on MSNBC’s “The Weekend,” and he was asked if Republicans have joined him and other Democrats to back the “Nobody Elected Elon Musk Act,” which was introduced to rein in DOGE, the cost-cutting agency that has targeted certain government programs. 

“At this point, they’re either out there cheerleading for Elon Musk or more and more of them are getting real quiet because they see the public does not like this,” said Raskin, who is proposing the legislation. 

“The public does not like the idea that a guy who would not even be constitutionally eligible to run for president is acting as president.

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS LIMITED DOGE ACCESS TO SENSITIVE TREASURY DEPARTMENT PAYMENT SYSTEM RECORDS

U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“A guy who, if he were president, would be impeached immediately because he’s taking billions of dollars in foreign government emoluments from all over the world,” he added. “And some have actually been talking about impeaching President Elon Musk right now on the theory that he’s usurped the powers of the presidency.”

Raskin said Musk wants to create a “techno monarchy” amid his cost-cutting through DOGE. 

“Elon Musk would really like to completely overthrow our system of government and move us into some kind of techno monarchy under the geniuses of Silicon Valley,” he said. 

HEGSETH SAYS DOGE WELCOME AT PENTAGON AS DEFENSE DEPARTMENT REVIEWS MILITARY POSTURE GLOBALLY

Musk’s role in the Trump administration has garnered praise from Republicans and drawn the ire of Democrats who worry about his access to government databases and say he is trying to take over the government in a way that’s not transparent.

“The people voted for major government reform,” Musk told reporters Tuesday from the Oval Office alongside Trump. “There should be no doubt about that. That was on the campaign. The president spoke about that at every rally. The people voted for major government reform. And that’s what people are going to get.”

Since President Donald Trump has taken office, DOGE has set its sights on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Treasury Department. 

A judge recently issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Musk-led department and political appointees from accessing sensitive Treasury Department data. Trump has also directed DOGE to probe the Education and Defense departments for wasteful spending.

“Billions and billions of dollars in waste, fraud and abuse,” Trump said Tuesday. “And I think it’s very important. And that’s one of the reasons I got elected.”

Musk defended DOGE, saying the group is targeting bureaucracies that don’t provide anything in return to taxpayers, as well as targeting America’s debt. 

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“What we have is this unelected, fourth unconstitutional branch of government, which is the bureaucracy, which has, in a lot of ways, currently more power than any elected representative,” Musk said. “And this is not something that people want. It does not match the will of the people. So, it’s just something we’ve got we’ve got to fix.

“So, what I really would say is it’s not optional for us to reduce the federal expense,” he added. “It’s essential.”

FIRST ON FOX: Three leaders at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) were placed on administrative leave Tuesday, Fox News Digital confirmed. 

The Office of Management and Budget’s Chief Legal Officer Mark Paoletta placed Lorelei Salas, the CFPB’s supervision director, and Eric Halperin, the agency’s enforcement chief, and Zixta Martinez, the agency’s deputy director, on administrative leave, a CFPB spokesperson told Fox News Digital Tuesday. 

The resignations come after acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought, told employees of CFPB on Monday to not report to work and to “get approval in writing before performing any work tasks.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent briefly served as acting CFPB director before Vought earlier in February, and had also told staffers to halt their work “unless expressly approved by the Acting Director or required by law.”

The CFPB spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Halperin defied Bessent’s order and resigned in response to being placed on leave Tuesday. Halperin was made aware of his leave via an email and responded six minutes later that he was resigning, the New York Post reported earlier Tuesday. 

RUSS VOUGHT, TAPPED AS CFPB’S ACTING DIRECTOR, DIRECTS BUREAU TO ISSUE NO NEW RULES, STOP NEW INVESTIGATIONS

A view of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) headquarters building in Washington, DC, on Feb. 10, 2025.   (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

“I write to provide notice of my resignation… Since the building is closed, please provide instructions on how to return my equipment,” Halperin reportedly responded to the email. “Thank you for the opportunity to serve. It was an honor.”

Salas also “sent out an email blast” in response to the notification she also was placed on leave, but did not officially file her resignation, the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

RUSSELL VOUGHT CONFIRMED TO HEAD GOVERNMENT’S LEADING BUDGET OFFICE AFTER DEMS HOLD 30-HOUR PROTEST

The pair is claiming to reporters that they resigned, as opposed to being placed on leave, to “try and save face,” the spox added. 

When approached for comment, a spokesperson for Salas and Halperin told Fox Digital that the Trump administration was working to “sideline” government employees. 

“As we’ve seen many times already, Trump and Musk are trying to sideline dedicated public servants who won’t go along with their plans to break the law,” the spokesperson said. “CFPB staff have a responsibility to protect consumers, and that includes upholding longstanding laws on the books.” 

Three leaders at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) were placed on administrative leave Tuesday, Fox News Digital confirmed.  (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Both Halperin and Salas have ties to left-wing billionaire George Soros’ nonprofit, the Open Society Foundation, a CFPB press release from 2021 shows. Halperin served as a senior advisor to Open Society Foundations’ U.S. Program, his biography in a CFPB press release states, while Salas received a government fellowship from the Open Society Foundations. 

FEDERAL WORKERS’ UNION FILES LAWSUITS TO STOP VOUGHT, DOGE ACTIVITY AT CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU

The CFPB is an independent government agency charged with protecting consumers from unfair financial practices in the private sector. It was created in 2010 under the Obama administration following the financial crash in 2008. 

Elon Musk is leading the Department of Government Efficiency. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, has been investigating various federal agencies in February in search of finding and eliminating government overspending, fraud and corruption.

On Friday, Musk posted a message on X, reading, “CFPB RIP,” building anticipation that the agency was the next to face investigation. 

Protests have since been staged outside of the of CFPB headquarters in Washington, including Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who originally proposed the agency, declaring on the streets, “We are here to fight back.”

Protests have since been staged outside of the of CFPB headquarters in Washington, including Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who originally proposed the agency, declaring on the streets, “We are here to fight back.” (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for MoveOn)

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“This is like a bank robber trying to fire the cops and turn off the alarm just before he strolls into the lobby,” Warren told the crowd on Monday. 

“The financial cops, the CFPB, are there to make sure that Elon’s new project can’t scam you or steal your sensitive personal data,” Warren said. “So Elon’s solution, get rid of the cops, kill the CFPB.”

The White House has fired the inspector general of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Fox News has learned.

USAID Inspector General Paul Martin was fired Tuesday, though rather than coming from USAID acting administrator and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the firing reportedly came from the White House Office of Presidential Personnel.

The dismissal comes days after the USAID inspector general published a report that was critical of the Trump administration’s pause on aid.

It also comes a day after USAID warned that the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID had made it all but impossible to monitor $8.2 billion in humanitarian funds.

DESIGNATED TERRORISTS, EXTREMIST GROUPS RAKED IN MILLIONS FROM USAID, MULTIYEAR STUDY REVEALS

A United States Agency for International Development (USAID) flag in front of the agency’s offices in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

USAID is under fire from the Trump administration as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its chair, Elon Musk, investigate the agency’s spending practices and prepare to revamp and potentially shutter the agency. 

The agency announced on its website Feb. 4, that nearly all personnel would be placed on leave by Friday, making a few exceptions for those in roles related to “mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs.” 

Its overseas missions reportedly had also been told to shut down.

USAID EMPLOYEE SAYS STAFFERS HID PRIDE FLAGS, ‘INCRIMINATING’ BOOKS WHEN DOGE ARRIVED

The Trump administration fired USAID’s inspector general on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File/Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Lawmakers, news outlets and think tanks have dug into past reports related to USAID spending amid the apparent dismantling of the agency, finding countless examples of money channeled to questionable organizations or programs, such as creating a version of “Sesame Street” in Iraq, or funding pottery classes in Morocco.

This week, it was discovered that USAID provided millions of dollars in funding to extremist groups tied to designated terrorist organizations and their allies, according to a report published by Middle East Forum, a U.S. think tank.

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USAID was established in 1961 under the Kennedy administration, operating as an independent agency that works closely with the State Department to allocate civilian foreign aid. 

Under Rubio, the agency could be abolished after its reorganization over the coming days, he said in a letter to bipartisan lawmakers on Feb. 3.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump has found an ally in the Senate, at least on his plan to stop creating new pennies.

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., came out in support of Trump’s latest proposal on Tuesday, calling it a “common sense move.” 

The Democrat represents a battleground state that both she and Trump won in 2024. 

SCOOP: TRUMP BUDGET CHIEF VOUGHT TELLS GOP SENATORS $175B NEEDED ‘IMMEDIATELY’ FOR BORDER SECURITY

Trump received some unlikely support for his new penny plan. (Reuters | Getty Images)

Over the weekend, Trump announced that he “instructed my Secretary of the US Treasury to stop producing new pennies.”

“For far too long, the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents,” the president wrote on Truth Social. 

“Let’s rip the waste out of our great nation’s budget, even if it’s a penny at a time.”

NOEM, HEGSETH, BONDI PLEAD WITH CONGRESS FOR MORE BORDER FUNDING AMID LARGE-SCALE DEPORTATIONS

Rosen took to X on Tuesday, writing, “I’m not afraid to embrace a good idea when it comes from the other side of the aisle, and I agree with President Trump on this.”

“Eliminating the penny is a common sense move that’ll save taxpayer dollars,” she said. 

She isn’t the only Democrat who has come out in support of Trump’s idea. 

LORI CHAVEZ-DEREMER: THE LITTLE-KNOWN TRUMP NOMINEE WHO MAY NEED TO RELY ON DEMS

Polis also backed the idea. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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“As well as saving taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, there are major environmental benefits to eliminating the penny. This is a great move,” Gov. Jared Polis, D-Colo., said of the president’s plan. 

Trump’s unlikely Democratic backers come as much of the party has revolted amid his Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to aggressively audit and slash spending at executive branch agencies and departments. 

Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., has thrown his support behind President Donald Trump’s quest to acquire Greenland — and has taken a step in Americanizing the country’s name.

Carter introduced a bill on Tuesday proposing that Greenland’s name be changed to Red, White and Blueland. In a press release, the Georgia congressman wrote that “America is back and will soon be bigger than ever” with the addition of the Nordic country.

“President Trump has correctly identified the purchase of what is now Greenland as a national security priority, and we will proudly welcome its people to join the freest nation to ever exist when our Negotiator-in-Chief inks this monumental deal,” Carter added.

Carter also published the text of the bill, which is named the “Red, White, and Blueland Act of 2025.”

SECRETARY OF STATE RUBIO CONFIRMS BECOMING ACTING USAID CHIEF

Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., has thrown his support behind President Donald Trump’s plans to acquire Greenland. (Getty Images)

“Greenland shall be known as ‘Red, White, and Blueland,'” the text states. “Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to Greenland shall be deemed to be a reference to ‘Red, White, and Blueland.'”

Carter has not spoken to Trump about the bill, which had no cosponsors as of Tuesday evening, Carter’s office told Fox News Digital.

Trump has signaled interest in acquiring Greenland since 2019, calling it a potentially “large real estate deal,” toward the end of his first term. In December, he ramped up calls for the U.S. to acquire the Danish territory and called it a national security issue.

“[F]or purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” the then-president-elect wrote in a Truth Social post at the time.

US FLIES JOINT PATROL WITH THE PHILIPPINES NEAR SHOAL REGION GUARDED BY CHINA

Buddy Carter attends a House Energy and Commerce Environment Subcommittee hearing in 2018. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images)

At the beginning of February, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen affirmed that Greenland is “not for sale,” but said she was open to the U.S. increasing its footprint in the Arctic region.

“I totally agree with the Americans that the High North, that the Arctic region is becoming more and more important when we are talking about defense and security and deterrence,” Frederiksen said, referencing Chinese and Russian activity in the region. “And it is possible to find a way to ensure stronger footprints in Greenland. They [the U.S.] are already there, and they can have more possibilities.”

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President-elect Trump first proposed purchasing Greenland in 2019 during his first term. (Getty Images)

“And at the same time, we are willing to scale up from the Kingdom of Denmark. And I think NATO is the same. So if this is about securing our part of the world, we can find a way forward.”

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

The Trump administration’s decision to slash overhead costs linked to federally funded research has sparked an immense backlash. But some doctors are praising the move, suggesting it will help “optimize” how taxpayer dollars are used when it comes to scientific research.

A new rule from the Trump administration that went into effect Monday, capped facilities and administrative costs, also known as “indirect costs,” at 15% for federally funded research grants provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). When a grant is awarded to a scientist by the NIH, an additional percentage, on top of the allocated research funding, goes to the facility housing their work to cover these “indirect costs.”

According to an announcement about the new funding cap from the Trump administration, that percentage has historically been around 27% to 28% for each grant. But in some cases, negotiated rates can be as high as 70 to 90%, according to doctors who spoke with Fox News Digital.

UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR HAILS THAT SCIENCE ‘THRIVED’ UNDER HITLER IN ATTACK ON TRUMP’S NIH CUTS

“If that money is cut to 15%, what that means is there’s actually going to be more grants given out to do science. You get more money back to the NIH to give out more science,” said Dr. Vinay Prasad, a hematologist-oncologist and professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco.

“It’s about time,” said Dr. Erika Schwartz, the founder of Evolved Science, which is a concierge medical practice in New York City with more than 1,500 active patients. 

“While infrastructure support is necessary, there’s room for more efficient cost management. A reformed funding model could redirect more resources to direct research activities while maintaining essential support services. This could potentially increase the number of funded research projects and accelerate medical breakthroughs, ultimately benefiting patients more directly.”

HHS WILL REEVALUATE PROGRAMS, REGULATIONS TO ENSURE TAXPAYER FUNDS ARE NOT PAYING FOR ELECTIVE ABORTIONS

Dr. Erika Schwartz is the founder of a New York City-based practice, Evolved Science, which utilizes new therapies to improve patient results.

Prasad posited that universities and research institutions have negotiated “sweetheart deals” that allow them to rake in funds that sometimes aren’t even necessary to the research at hand. To demonstrate his point, he explained the numbers for a research institution that has negotiated a 57% rate for indirect costs:

“Let’s say I get $100,000 [for a research project] and I need a laboratory… I get $100,000, and then they still get the $57,000 to the university that goes to the administrators, and presumably the fact that I have a lab bench, and the lights, etc. But now let’s say I do the same $100,000 project, but my project is we’re going to analyze genomic sequences from an online repository. So, I just have a laptop… but they still get the $57,000 even though there’s literally no space being given to this person. There’s no bench, there’s no desk, there’s nothing.”

Prasad added that another “fundamental problem” with these negotiated rates is that the money is not formally budgeted, so “the American people don’t know where that money is going.”

DOGE CANCELS FUNDING FOR FAUCI MUSEUM EXHIBIT

“A famous researcher once said to me, an NIH dollar is more valuable than any other dollar because they can use it for whatever purpose they want. Although, nominally, they’re supposed to use it to keep the lights on and, you know, make the buildings run, but that’s not always the case,” he said.

Dr. Vinay Prasad is a hematologist-oncologist and professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco.

David Whelan, a former healthcare writer for Forbes who has spent time working in hospitals and now works in the healthcare consulting space, echoed this concern in a post on X that claimed universities have used indirect research grant payments “to pocket money.” 

“Indirects are just ways for wealthy academic hospitals to pocket money that their investigators won and then create slush for those who are incapable of getting funded on their own,” Whelan wrote. “It’s a huge grift and great place for cuts.”

‘LOST ALL CRTEDIBILITY’: NONPROFIT CEO DELIVERS DEMAND TO TRUMP HHS AMID ‘FAILED’ HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE

The Trump administration’s cap on indirect funding associated with NIH research grants was immediately challenged in court with lawsuits from 22 Democratic state attorneys general and a cohort of universities, which argued the move will “devastate critical public health research at universities and research institutions in the United States.”

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a $9 billion spending cut in response to a new mandate from the Trump administration. (Alamy/Getty Images)

“Once again, President Trump and Elon Musk are acting in direct violation of the law. In this case, they are causing irreparable damage to ongoing research to develop cures and treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, ALS, Diabetes, Mental Health disorders, opioid abuse, genetic diseases, rare diseases, and other diseases and conditions affecting American families,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee. “The Trump Administration is attempting to steal critical funds promised to scientific research institutions funded by the NIH, despite an explicit legal prohibition against this action.”  

In response to the lawsuit from Democratic state attorneys general, a federal judge imposed a temporary restraining order prohibiting NIH agencies from taking any steps to implement, apply or enforce the new rule. 

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The judge’s order also required Trump administration agencies that are impacted by the new rule to file reports within 24 hours to confirm the steps they are taking to comply with the ruling. Meanwhile, an in-person hearing date on the matter has been scheduled for Feb. 21.

President Donald Trump has nominated a Virginia state official to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in his new administration.

In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump wrote that he nominated Terry Cole to become the next administrator of the DEA. Cole is currently the secretary of public safety and homeland security for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

According to the Virginia government’s website, Cole was previously the chief of staff and executive officer at the DEA’s Department of Justice Special Operations Division, and also served as the DEA’s representative to the National Security Council. The website also notes that Cole worked for the DEA for 22 years, though Trump wrote that he was employed by the DEA for 21 years.

In a social media post, Trump said that he was “pleased” to announce Cole, who will need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, as his nominee.

NOEM, HEGSETH, BONDI PLEAD WITH CONGRESS FOR MORE BORDER FUNDING AMID LARGE-SCALE DEPORTATIONS

Trump has nominated Terry Cole to become the next administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration.  (AP | Virginia.gov)

“Terry is a DEA Veteran of 21 years, with tours in Colombia, Afghanistan, and Mexico City, who currently serves as Virginia’s Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, leading 11 State Public Safety Agencies, with more than 19,000 employees,” Trump’s post read.

Trump also added that Cole holds a degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology, as well as certificates from the University of Virginia and the University of Notre Dame.

“Together, we will save lives, and MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN. Congratulations Terry!” the president’s post concluded.

TRUMP NOMINEE TULSI GABBARD CLEARS LAST HURDLE, HEADS FOR FINAL CONFIRMATION VOTE

Terry Cole has 22 years of experience working for the DEA. (Virginia.gov)

Trump originally named Florida sheriff Chad Chronister as his first pick to lead the DEA, but Chronister, who serves as the sheriff of Hillsborough County, later withdrew his name from consideration in December.

“To have been nominated by President-Elect @realDonaldTrump to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration is the honor of a lifetime,” Chronister wrote in a post on X at the time.

“Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration. There is more work to be done for the citizens of Hillsborough County and a lot of initiatives I am committed to fulfilling.”

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A logo reading DEA Special Agent is pictured in the Office of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). (JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images)

The DEA is expected to work with the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to fulfill Trump’s campaign promises of restoring safety at the Southern border. At the end of January, federal agents conducted nationwide roundups of more than 1,200 illegal immigrants accused of committing crimes in the U.S.

Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.