Donald Trump Poll News

FIRST ON FOX: Vivek Ramaswamy, who was recently tapped by President-Elect Trump to head the nascent Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside tech billionaire Elon Musk, said there are several “low-hanging fruit” to weed out “a lot of waste” through executive action when Trump takes office.

“One of the low-hanging fruit areas is to look at areas under the executive branch, through executive action that we can actually put an end to a lot of the money that hasn’t been authorized by Congress, but it’s still being spent, a lot of the waste, fraud and abuse, even in entitlement programs that are resulting in a lot of frictional cost, and ultimately tame the administrative state itself back down to the size that would make our Founding Fathers proud,” Ramaswamy said on “Unmuted,” Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn‘s podcast.

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Last week, both Musk and Ramaswamy took to X, formerly Twitter, to say they’ll also focus on defense spending cuts while heading up the DOGE advisory panel. 

“We need to strengthen our military by focusing on the *effectiveness* of our defense spending, rather than just reflexively increasing the magnitude,” Ramaswamy wrote.

DOGE will expire in July 2026, he noted, on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. 

“I think it was Reagan who famously said there’s no such thing as a government program that doesn’t live, it’s the best evidence we have for eternal life,” Ramaswamy said. “And you know, I don’t think it has to be that way.” 

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Blackburn added that she has introduced legislation to halt federal salary increases and hiring until recommendations from DOGE are implemented, as well as a bill to reform the federal workforce, advocating for a shift from tenure-based promotions to a merit-based system.

“And those are things that need to be enacted,” Blackburn said. “We are just so pleased that President Trump has said now’s the time. We’re so pleased that he has said that you and Elon are the people to make this happen.”

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When announcing the Department of Government Efficiency, Trump said the panel would help his administration “slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.”

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., recently announced a new subcommittee for the 119th Congress to correspond with the Department of Government Efficiency.

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House Republicans are also jumping on the bandwagon to slash spending. Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., introduced a new bill last week – the “Decreasing Overlapping Grants Efficiently (DOGE) Act” – that would establish a system for cutting down on redundant government grants across multiple departments.

“It’s a big undertaking,” Ramaswamy said. “But I do think that if we bring the public along and even allow the public to participate in airing areas where they’re encountering government waste or bureaucracy and surface that we’re able to make this something that isn’t just top down, but also bottom up.”

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report. 

President Biden pardoned this year’s national Thanksgiving turkeys “Peach” and “Blossom” on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday – the last time he will partake in the tradition in office. 

Biden thanked John Zimmerman, chair of the National Turkey Federation, and Zimmerman’s son Grant for participating in the annual White House tradition.

The national turkey lobby first presented a turkey to President Truman in the 1940s for Thanksgiving, and President George H.W. Bush began the annual tradition of pardoning turkeys, Biden said. 

Zimmerman has raised more than 4 million turkeys over his 35-year career, Biden noted. In the last four years, Biden has pardoned other national Thanksgiving turkeys, named “Peanut Butter” and “Jelly,” “Chocolate” and “Chip,” and “Liberty” and “Bell.” 

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In his remarks, Biden said Zimmerman’s family was from Northfield, Minnesota, which the president and his Agriculture Secretary Tim Vilsack visited last year with “our great friend, the Minnesota governor Tim Walz, talking about transforming rural America back in Minnesota.” Walz ran unsuccessfully for the White House as vice president on the ticket with Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Harris, who was notably absent from Monday’s turkey pardoning ceremony. 

Biden did not mention Harris, who is reportedly keeping a low profile with close aides and family in Hawaii following her defeat by President-elect Trump. 

The 82-year-old president did take the opportunity to give thanks for his term in office.

HARRIS DISAPPEARS FROM SPOTLIGHT, VACATIONS IN HAWAII AFTER ELECTION LOSS

“This event marks the official start of the holiday season here in Washington. It’s also my last time to speak here as your president during the season,” Biden said. “And give thanks and gratitude. So let me say to you, it’s been the honor of my life. I’m forever grateful that today my wife, Jill, and I will travel to Staten Island, New York, for a Friendsgiving with members of the Coast Guard and their families to demonstrate our gratitude for their service and sacrifice – like my son. We’re also keeping our hearts to those who have lost so much who will have an empty seat at the Thanksgiving dinner table tonight, or excuse me, Thursday night.”

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“May we use this moment to take time from our busy lives, and focus on what matters most. Our families,” Biden added. “In America, we never give up. We keep going. We keep the faith. Just remember who we are. We’re the United States of America. There’s nothing, nothing, nothing beyond our capacity if we do it together. So happy Thanksgiving, America. God bless you all. And may God protect our troops.” 

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., referred to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul as “the new Joe Biden,” warning that Democrats could lose the 2026 gubernatorial election just like they lost the 2024 presidential contest.

“Kathy Hochul is the new Joe Biden. She may be in denial about the depth of her vulnerabilities as a Democratic nominee. A Democratic incumbent who is less popular in New York than Donald Trump is in grave danger of losing to a Republican in 2026 – an outcome not seen in 30 years,” the congressman said in a post on X.

“Waiting until it’s too late gave us a Republican President in 2024 and could give us a Republican Governor in 2026. Let’s avoid repeating history and avoid sleepwalking toward impending disaster and defeat,” he suggested.

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Fox News Digital reached out to request comment from the offices of Hochul and Torres, but neither immediately responded.

Torres told Spectrum News NY 1 that he is considering a gubernatorial bid, and noted that he plans to do a “listening tour” beginning in December and January.

The congressman, who won re-election to the House of Representatives earlier this month, said in “mid-2025” he will make his “final decision.” 

NEW YORK DEM WARNS ‘VILIFYING VOTERS OF COLOR AS WHITE SUPREMACISTS’ PUSHES ‘THEM FURTHER INTO TRUMP’S CAMP’

The lawmaker has accused the “far left” of turning people off from the Democratic Party.

“Donald Trump has no greater friend than the far left, which has managed to alienate historic numbers of Latinos, Blacks, Asians, and Jews from the Democratic Party with absurdities like ‘Defund the Police’ or ‘From the River to the Sea’ or ‘Latinx,’” the congressman opined in a post on X earlier this month.

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“There is more to lose than there is to gain politically from pandering to a far left that is more representative of Twitter, Twitch, and TikTok than it is of the real world. The working class is not buying the ivory-towered nonsense that the far left is selling,” he added.

New research from the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) and Rutgers University reveals that some diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training methods may cause psychological harm.

The study, released on Monday, shows significant increases in hostility and punitive attitudes among participants exposed to DEI pedagogy covering subjects like race, religion and caste.

This hostile attribution bias may contribute to increased intergroup hostility and authoritarian behavior in the long run, according to study co-author and NCRI Chief Science Officer Joel Finkelstein.

“What we did was we took a lot of these ideas that were found to still be very prominent in a lot of these DEI lectures and interventions and training,” said Finkelstein in an interview with Fox News Digital. “And we said, ‘Well, how is this going to affect people?’ What we found is that when people are exposed to this ideology, what happens is they become hostile without any indication that anything racist has happened.”

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A Pew Research Center study from 2023 found that 52% of American workers have DEI training events or meetings at work and, according to Professor Iris Bohnet with the Harvard Kennedy School, $8 billion is spent annually on such programs.

As DEI programs have become a major area of investment in recent years, their actual effectiveness remains a topic of debate, with NCRI’s study suggesting they may exacerbate tensions rather than alleviate them. The study measured “explicit bias, social distancing, demonization, and authoritarian tendencies” with both the DEI materials and control materials.

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Their study included sharing anti-racist DEI materials from thought leaders like Ibram X. Kendi and “White Fragility” author Robin DiAngelo with participants involved. Specifically, the NCRI focused on materials which emphasized awareness of and opposition to “systemic oppression,” popularized by texts such as Kendi’s “How to Be an Antiracist.”

Those exposed to anti-racist materials were linked to heightened perceptions of racial bias in the study. Participants were also more likely to support punitive measures against perceived offenders of so-called “microaggressions,” even in the absence of evidence.

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“And when people are supposed to see anti-racist material in the ideology, it looks like what happens is that they become more likely to punish for any evidence of wrongdoing,” said Finkelstein. “That includes protesting people, calling for dismissal, demanding public apologies, receiving people calling for their relocation. These punitive measures are, in some cases, costing people their jobs.”

DEI programming psychological harms go beyond race according to NCRI’s study, spanning to religious identities as well. According to the study, anti-Islamophobia training led participants to detect bias against Muslims in neutral scenarios.

The NCRI used materials from the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), which “provides objective research and education about American Muslims to support well-informed dialogue and decision-making,” according to its website.

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These results suggest that anti-Islamophobia training inspired by ISPU materials may cause individuals to assume unfair treatment of Muslim people, even when no evidence of bias or unfairness is present. This effect highlights a broader issue: DEI narratives that focus heavily on victimization and systemic oppression can foster unwarranted distrust and suspicions of institutions and alter subjective assessments of events.

One key takeaway from Finkelstein in the NCRI study is that the authoritarianism that comes from hostile attribution bias looks different in the 21st century. 

According to Finkelstein, those who are likely to carry hostilities are “people who are higher in what’s called left-wing authoritarianism. This is now a steady phenomenon. We the people have been studying right-wing authoritarianism since World War II. It’s really only in the past 10 or 15 years that people have started saying, ‘Wait a minute, this is on the left, too.”

Across all groupings, instead of DEI materials reducing bias, the study discovered they engendered a hostile attribution bias amplifying perceptions of prejudicial hostility where none was present.

“They’re bad ideas, because they’re hurting people; and that appears from research and appears to be far more prevalent and is shockingly public, these harms can be extremely widespread,” said Finkelstein. “So I think that is grounds to believe that from this research, and it suggests that we need to be focused on this data, and we need more data like it. [But we can] start evaluating what’s happening here, and I don’t think this is about speech. I certainly think it’s about people’s civil rights.”

Representatives DiAngelo did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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When reached for comment, Kendi slammed both Fox News and the study, calling it “pseudoscience.” 

“It comes as no surprise that Fox News would broadcast this pseudoscience that isn’t peer-reviewed, misrepresents my work, and is based on anchoring bias,” Kendi said. “This so-called study will end up in the historic landfill of pseudoscience alongside other attempts to bring scientific legitimacy to racist propaganda that anti-slavery and civil rights then, and DEI and antiracism now have been harmful.”

Fox News’ Bradford Betz contributed to this report.

President-elect Donald Trump urged Florida state Sen. Randy Fine to run for Congress, pledging to endorse the Sunshine State lawmaker if he opts to throw his hat into the ring.

“I am hearing that America First Patriot Randy Fine is considering launching his Campaign for Congress in Florida’s 6th Congressional District!” Trump said in a Truth Social post. 

“Should he decide to enter this Race, Randy Fine has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, RANDY, RUN!” Trump urged.

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In a post on X, Fine shared a screenshot of Trump’s Truth Social post and said it would be an honor to help him carry out his agenda.

“Mr. President, G-d saved you on that day in Butler so that you could save the world. It would be the honor of my life to be one of your footsoldiers. Your confidence is overwhelming and I will have news to share soon!” Fine posted.

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Earlier this month, Trump tapped another Floridian, Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., to serve as national security adviser.

Waltz just won re-election to Congress this month.

After he resigns from Congress to take on his new role in the Trump administration, there will be a special election held to fill the vacancy.

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Fine won election to the Florida state Senate this month after previously serving in the state House of Representatives.

The end to President-elect Donald Trump’s legal troubles may be on the horizon as the start of his second term nears. 

Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith is already aiming to close both the 2020 election interference case and the classified documents case before Trump takes office. Smith is also expected to resign before Trump is inaugurated in January, according to the New York Times. 

Trump’s state cases, however, are on more questionable ground. 

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Days after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg sent Judge Juan Merchan a letter requesting a stay on the criminal charges involving alleged hush money payments until 2029, Merchan granted Trump’s request to file a motion to dismiss charges and removed his sentencing date from the schedule. 

“I think Judge Merchan will make a decision about whether or not he’s going to accept this as his opportunity to be done with the case,” criminal defense attorney Philip Holloway told Fox News Digital shortly after the news broke. 

“This is a political system in New York that is masquerading as a legal system. So I think politics has certainly factored into it,” Holloway said. “But sometimes judges also rule with an eye towards being tactical, and so he’s basically said, ‘Look, I’m going to give you an opportunity to give me an opportunity to get out of this case.'”

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Syracuse University College of Law professor Gregory Germain countered Holloway’s argument, telling Fox News Digital that the ruling does not signal how Merchan will ultimately rule on the motion. 

“You can’t read anything into a court allowing someone to file a motion,” Germain said. “Allowing Trump to file a motion to dismiss does not signal how the court will rule on the motion.”

Palm Beach County state attorney Dave Aronberg echoed Germain’s sentiments, saying the Friday ruling was Merchan “giving the defense every opportunity to make their case.”

He told Fox News Digital he predicts the sentencing will ultimately get delayed until January, with Merchan agreeing to put off the sentencing but not going as far as to dismiss the case altogether. 

“I think the case will continue because the case has already concluded. There’s just a matter of sentencing,” Aronberg said. 

Despite conflicting takes on where Trump’s hush money case stands, both Germain and Holloway were in agreement that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ case against Trump on alleged election interference would likely be dismissed. 

Trump’s team and other defendants had previously asked the Georgia Court of Appeals to hold oral arguments to determine whether Willis could continue to prosecute the case. The Court of Appeals canceled arguments on Monday, which were initially scheduled for early December. 

“The Court of Appeals did not give any explanation for canceling the oral argument. So those of us who are trying to read the tea leaves think that that might mean that Willis is about to lose,” Holloway said. “I think it’s unlikely that the Court of Appeals would cancel the oral argument if they were going to rule against the appellants.”

Aronberg, on the other hand, said he expects Willis to stay on the case and see it through. 

“I think there’s a better-than-even chance that she’s allowed to stay on,” Aronberg said. “I think that she probably is allowed to stay on because the issue is there was a conflict, and the conflict has now been resolved.”

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Germain noted that the case itself has yet to go to trial and that prosecution of the case cannot continue through Trump’s presidency, “so the best they could do is to stay it.” Germain said, however, that of the two state cases, the Georgia case is “the most likely case to be dismissed by the courts.”

“Even without Trump’s election, I think the Fulton County case would have been years away from any resolution,” Aronberg said. 

Rep. Mike Carey, R-Ohio, is among a crowded list of contenders vying to replace Vice President-elect JD Vance when he formally resigns from the U.S. Senate. 

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Carey, a former coal lobbyist and combat veteran who won Ohio’s 15th congressional district for the third time, touted his experience working with President-elect Trump in the private sector. Carey argued that whomever Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine chooses to replace Vance will need to be ready on “day one” to help implement the new administration’s agenda. Vance has yet to formally resign.

With three endorsements from Trump under his belt, Carey said the president-elect “needs somebody in the Senate that will make sure that we get his agenda through.”

“I think that’s the most important thing, because I want the president to be successful. I think the American people want the president to be successful,” Carey told Fox News Digital. “And I think that’s what we need from a senator from the state of Ohio. And so I’d be honored to help him move his agenda forward in the U.S. Senate.” 

“I think you need to have somebody that’s able to start on Day One, hit the ground running as a U.S. senator,” Carey, who serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and Committee on House Administration, said. “You don’t want to have somebody coming in from the great state of Ohio who has to be on the job training. And so we’ve had a track record of success here in the, you know, in the 15th Congressional District. I can easily parlay that into the Senate.” 

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Through his work on the House Committee on Administration, Carey said he helped secure bipartisan support for and ultimately President Biden’s signature on the bill that launched the Congressional Election Observer program. That program deploys congressional poll watchers to hotly contested House races. 

Carey also said the next senator has to be cognizant of the diverse nature of the state. 

“I’ve spent a lifetime in Ohio. Born and raised in Ohio. But I think the senator has to understand we are a unique state,” Carey said. “There is a reason why Columbus, Ohio, is the test market for any product as it relates to food services, because we are a microcosm of the United States, and that is really Ohio.”

Similarly, Carey said that his district, which has an approximately 22% minority population and stretches from urban Columbus west across suburban areas and smaller towns and rural farmland, “is really a microcosm of the state of Ohio.” Carey said he outperformed Republican Sen.-elect Bernie Moreno in his district by over 18,000 votes. 

Moreno, a Trump-backed Cleveland businessman, garnered 50.18% of the vote, defeating incumbent Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown in a significant flip earlier this month. Carey, meanwhile, secured re-election in the House, receiving 56.52% of the vote. 

“In an R-5 district, we won by 13 points. So, you know, I think I have a track record. And I also think, you know, if people look at my voting record and the things that I have done, I brought back over $60 million in three years. I mean, I’ve only been in office for three years,” Carey said. “I was in the private sector before that. So I’m not a career politician. But the opportunity to serve the state that I love, you know, I grew up in Cincinnati and Sabina and served in the military up at Camp Perry. My family’s from Cleveland and spent my career in Appalachia. So there’s nobody that knows the state any better than me. An opportunity to serve all the people of Ohio would be the honor of my life.” 

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On the campaign trail, Trump highlighted two issues Carey said he worked on personally: tax credits for caregivers and in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Most of the 27 bills Carey introduced in the House have had at least one Democratic co-sponsor, the congressman said, including the Credit for Caring Act, which provides aa $3,000 tax credit for home health care providers who want to stay at home to take care of their loved ones. 

Over the past several months, Carey said he has also been working on a tax credit for Americans “who simply just can’t afford IVF.” 

“If somebody wants to have a child, we should do everything possible to give them the opportunity to have a child,” Carey told Fox News Digital. “So, again, both very, I think, bipartisan ideas that the president has pushed forward. I’d be honored to work on those in the Senate and, you know, honored to work on them now in the House.”

DeWine indicated that his selection must be well positioned to stave off Democrats’ chances of reclaiming a spot in the Ohio Senate delegation in November 2026, when a special election will be held for the remaining two years of the six-year term. 

Besides Carey, other members in Ohio’s congressional delegation vying to replace Vance include Reps. Jim Jordan, David Joyce and Warren Davidson. But choosing a member of the House would temper the GOP’s already slim majority in the lower chamber, and DeWine could weigh how House vacancies take months to fill under Ohio’s election protocols.  

The vast number of GOP candidates who competed in Ohio primaries in 2022 and 2024 makes for an even wider field of potential replacements for Vance. 

Contenders include former Ohio Republican Chair Jane Timken; two-term Secretary of State Frank LaRose; and state Sen. Matt Dolan, whose family owns baseball’s Cleveland Guardians. Two-term Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague and Republican attorney and strategist Mehek Cooke, a frequent guest on Fox News, are also reported to be under consideration.

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“The governor is somebody who I’ve admired since I was in grade school. He was a state senator. He was a congressman. He went to the Senate. He understands the nature of the body politic,” Carey said. “But he also understands that we need to have somebody that understands Ohio. I mean, there’s nobody that loves Ohio more than, I’d say more than me, as would be Mike DeWine.… And I think he wants to get somebody in office that loves the state just as much as he does. And I think I meet that measure of the mark.”

FIRST ON FOX: Fighter pilot and decorated combat veteran Jeff Witt announced Monday he is entering the race to fill former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s seat representing Florida’s 1st congressional district as a Republican who vows to “fight to get inflation under control, secure our borders, and strengthen our military,” while working with fellow GOP lawmakers to pass President Trump’s “America First” agenda, Fox News Digital has learned.

Witt, 38, is a two-time graduate of Harvard University, a businessman, decorated Afghanistan War veteran, F-35 fighter pilot and instructor with more than a dozen years of military service. Witt flew 82 combat missions in Operation Enduring Freedom. 

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Witt is currently serving as a policy advisor on the Trump-Vance Presidential Transition Team. 

“I have served my country in uniform for 14 years, and my dedication to service extends to the community in which my family and I live,” Witt told Fox News Digital. “I am excited to meet voters from all across the district in this campaign, and prove to them that they can trust me to be a leader in Congress who represents them with conviction, hard work, and integrity.” 

Witt told Fox News Digital that he will “fight to get inflation under control, secure our borders, and strengthen our military.” 

“I will listen to the needs of my constituents, and I will work on their behalf to make Florida’s 1st District the finest place in America for veterans, businesses, and families,” he said. 

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Witt and his wife Courtney are parents of four young children, Joan, 6; Kirby, 5; Grace, 3; and Charlie, 8 months old. The Witt family resides in Niceville, Fla., where he is an active member of his church and teaches his children’s Sunday school. 

Witt attended Harvard University for his undergraduate studies and was a Harvard football quarterback. He also received his Master of Business Administration from Harvard University. 

A 2024 Club for Growth fellow, Witt has already been endorsed by top former Trump administration officials, including former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie. 

“Jeff Witt is a patriot and a staunch supporter of President Trump and his America First agenda,” Wilkie told Fox News Digital. “As the former Secretary of Veterans Affairs under President Trump, I know that Jeff’s mission will always be to put warriors first. I am honored to give Jeff my full endorsement.” 

Wilkie told Fox News Digital that Witt “stands for the right things—family and freedom.”  

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“There will be no one better than Jeff Witt to represent Florida’s 1st Congressional District,” former director of the Air National Guard Lt. Gen. (ret.) Stanley Clarke told Fox News Digital. 

Witt served under Clarke, who praised him as “an amazing father, husband, and officer who has dedicated his life to serving this great country.” 

“A true American patriot who will serve Americans with honor and distinction,” Clarke said of Witt. 

Witt’s campaign comes after Trump tapped Gaetz as his attorney general to lead the Justice Department in his second term.

Gaetz had represented Florida’s 1st congressional district from January 2017 until earlier this month, when he resigned from his post upon receiving the nomination for attorney general.

Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration for attorney general on Thursday, saying his confirmation process was “unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump-Vance transition.” 

Gaetz resigned from his seat representing Florida’s 1st Congressional District earlier this month when President Trump nominated him to serve as attorney general. Gaetz has since withdrawn his name from consideration to lead the Justice Department, but said Friday he would not attempt to return to Congress. 

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Witt joins a growing Republican primary field of candidates vying for the seat, including Florida State Sen. Michelle Salzman, Dr. Joel Rudman; Keith Gross and John Frankman; Bernadette Pittman; and former federal government official and teacher Kevin Gaffney. 

The date for the special election has yet to be set. 

Witt is the brother of Patrick Witt, a member of the Trump Transition team who ran for statewide office in Georgia in 2022 with the endorsement of President Trump. Patrick Witt also served in the first Trump administration as deputy chief of staff in the Office of Personnel Management.

Being a federal official in any country would naturally open oneself up to the possibility of foreign threats. Threats against heads of state generally get the most attention, but even being a member of Congress has its risks – for some more than others.

“The FBI came in and gave me a defensive briefing, and told me that there were just a couple members that were going to be targets in a disinformation campaign,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. “And, you know, to sort of be aware of it.”

That threat was specifically coming from China, which had been watching McCaul since he was a federal prosecutor in 1997, according to the Texas Republican. China sanctioned him in 2023 after his first visit to Taiwan during the 118th Congress.

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The New York Times reported last month that several lawmakers, including McCaul, Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., and Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., were targeted by a disinformation campaign over their anti-China policies.

“I think every one of us, certainly on the China committee, is aware of the fact that China knows exactly who we are. And they don’t like the committee,” Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., a member of the House select committee on countering the Chinese Communist Party, told Fox News Digital. “It’s something that’s an example of something that we have to be careful of.”

Asked what it was like living with the day-to-day knowledge that a hostile foreign power was trying to surveil him and his colleagues, Moulton said, “I’m a Marine. Feels fine.”

Other senior lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital, like Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., acknowledged they have faced foreign threats but declined to go into detail.

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But it’s not just China that’s targeting U.S. lawmakers – McCaul also recounted overt surveillance efforts from Russia during past congressional delegations. And he also mentioned another FBI defensive briefing he received, this time about threats from Iran.

“The FBI brought me in, in a classified space, and they said, ‘We just want to let you know that you’re now under indictment in Iran… we want to let you know for your own self-awareness,’” McCaul said.

The reason, McCaul said he was told, was because he had been one of the people who advised then-President Trump to move forward with his successful operation to kill top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

“It’s interesting because, you know, the discussion at that time was, ‘My God, we killed Soleimani. Just think of the blowback and the backlash.’ And it was kind of radio silence from Iran. They were just stunned,” he said.

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McCaul said living under threat from multiple foreign governments was “a little unsettling,” adding, “You’ve gotta have a little more self-awareness” in his situation.

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He also did not expect those threats to let up despite his tenure as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee ending, nor did he expect his diplomatic work to stop.

“I think if anything, you know, as I step down… I see a greater role in being a bit of an emissary, you know, just kind of going back and forth with the administration,” McCaul said.

The first openly transgender politician elected to the U.S. House, Democratic Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, claimed Sunday that the GOP’s focus on transgender issues is an “attempt to distract” voters.

“I think we are all united that attempts to attack a vulnerable community are not only mean spirited, but really an attempt to misdirect. Because every single time we hear the incoming administration or Republicans in Congress talk about any vulnerable group in this country, we have to be clear that it is an attempt to distract,” McBride, who was elected to represent Delaware earlier this month, said Sunday morning on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” 

“It is an attempt to distract from what they are actually doing. Every single time, every single time we hear them say the word ‘trans,’ ​​look what they’re doing with their right hand. Look at what they’re doing to pick the pocket of American workers, to fleece seniors by privatizing Social Security and Medicare. Look what they’re doing, undermining workers,” McBride added. 

President-elect Trump, conservative voters and members of Congress have all raised concerns regarding transgender issues, including stretching back years, most notably in the context of barring biological men from competing in women’s and girls’ sports, as well as banning men from women’s bathrooms and locker rooms. 

SPEAKER JOHNSON ANNOUNCES NEW CAPITOL BATHROOM POLICY IN RESPONSE TO CONTROVERSY OVER TRANS HOUSE MEMBER

On Capitol Hill, South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace introduced a resolution last week that moves to prohibit members, officers and employees of the House from using “single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex.” 

Mace, a rape survivor, also introduced another bill that would “ban biological men from using women’s private, protected facilities – such as bathrooms and locker rooms – on all federal property” across the nation. 

NANCY MACE FIRES BACK AT AOC, CRITICS OF TRANS BATHROOM BAN: ‘HEIGHT OF HYPOCRISY’

Democrats, including McBride, slammed Mace as a “far-right” extremist for the legislation. 

“This is a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing. We should be focused on bringing down the cost of housing, health care, and child care, not manufacturing culture wars,” McBride posted to X. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said later in the week that single-sex facilities on Capitol Hill, including bathrooms, will be used by individuals with the corresponding biological sex. 

NANCY MACE’S EFFORT TO BAN TRANSGENDER DELAWARE DEMOCRAT FROM CAPITOL WOMEN’S RESTROOMS GAINS SUPPORT

“All single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings – such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms – are reserved for individuals of that biological sex,” Johnson said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. “It is important to note that each Member office has its own private restroom, and unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol.” 

“Women deserve women’s only spaces,” he added. 

“Like all policies, it is enforceable,” Johnson later told reporters. “But we have single-sex facilities for a reason, and women deserve women’s only spaces. And we’re not anti anyone. We’re pro-women, and I think it’s an important policy for us to continue. It’s always been the, I guess, an unwritten policy, but now it’s in writing.” 

MACE FACES BACKLASH OVER EFFORT TO BAN NEW TRANSGENDER MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM WOMEN’S BATHROOMS

McBride continued during her Sunday interview that the GOP’s focus on trans issues distracts Congress from policy issues such as lowering the cost of living. 

“Here’s also what we have to be clear about, because I think the last week has been a prime example of this. Every bit of time and energy that is used to divert the attention of the federal government to go after trans people is time and energy that is not focused on addressing the cost of living for our constituents. And we have to be clear that there is a real cost for the American worker every time they focus on this,” McBride said. 

Mace joined “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Sunday, where she pushed back on Democrats criticizing her for introducing the legislation, notably New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

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“It’s sad and surprising that in 2024 I have to go on TV and on social media to explain to the radical left that men shouldn’t be allowed in women’s restrooms, that women shouldn’t be forced to undress in front of men.”

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind and Charles Creitz contributed to this report. 

Outgoing Independent West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin slammed some of the advice President Biden received during his time in office, arguing that the guidance created blindspots for the president on inflation, immigration and Afghanistan.

Appearing on CBS’s “The Takeout” podcast on Friday, Manchin recounted how he tried to convince Biden to work across the aisle on the American Rescue Plan and how he warned about the dangers of inflation if Democrats went through with plans to extend unemployment benefits through October 2021, but was ignored thanks to the advice of 17 Nobel laureates.

“I warned of that, and I got criticized, as you recall, they told me they had 17 Nobel laureates,” Manchin said, later arguing that they were “17 educated idiots” that were telling Biden “what you want to hear because you paid them.”

Manchin, who in the early days of Biden’s administration was still part of the Democratic Party, played a critical role in determining how much of the new president’s agenda would make its way through the Senate. 

JOE MANCHIN: THE AMERICAN PEOPLE PICKED TRUMP. NOW IS THE TIME TO DELIVER SOLUTIONS FOR EVERYONE

Democrats held a slim majority in the upper chamber throughout Biden’s term and depended on the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris to pass the administration’s agenda, meaning the moderate West Virginia senator’s cooperation was key in getting many items passed.

Manchin would eventually decide not to run for re-election and leave the Democratic Party altogether after a decades-long political career in the party, arguing that he had to be “true” to himself.

“To stay true to myself and remain committed to put country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America’s sensible majority,” Manchin said in a May 2024 announcement.

IN ELECTION VICTORY, TRUMP’S GAINS WENT BEYOND THE BATTLEGROUNDS

During his interview with CBS, Manchin noted that Congress had worked in a bipartisan manner with the Trump administration to send out stimulus checks in the early days of pandemic shutdowns, arguing that lawmakers had “erred” on the side of action but later came to realize that pumping so much money into the economy “was a mistake.”

Nevertheless, Manchin recalled that Biden went immediately to the budget reconciliation process to attempt to pass the American Rescue Plan through the Senate, something the then-Democratic senator resisted.

“Remember when I stopped and it shut down for about eight or 10 hours? That’s because they were extending unemployment benefits and we had a vaccine that worked. And I told him then, I said, ‘You’ve got a vaccine that’s working, you’ve got people that have got money because we sent a check to everybody,’” Manchin said, adding that he warned that after months of lockdowns and several rounds of stimulus, American spending was likely to inflate the economy.

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“You’ve got inflation coming at you hard when you do this, and now you’re still keeping people out of the workforce because you’re going to give them an extension clear up until October 2021 of unemployment benefits, and they can’t go back and can’t be threatened to lose their unemployment benefits,” Manchin said. “You’ve got a perfect storm hitting you.”

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., took aim at Secretary of State Antony Blinken after it was reported that the State Department held therapy sessions for employees who were upset by President-elect Trump’s election victory.

“I am concerned that the Department is catering to federal employees who are personally devastated by the normal functioning of American democracy through the provision of government-funded mental health counseling because Kamala Harris was not elected President of the United States,” Issa said in a letter to Blinken last week.

The letter comes after a Free Beacon report earlier this month that detailed two alleged therapy sessions that were held at the State Department after Trump’s victory, with sources telling the outlet that one such instance amounted to an information “cry session.”

TRUMP BRINGS BACK FORMER AIDE SEBASTIAN GORKA, EX-STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ALEX WONG TO SERVE IN ADMIN

In another instance, an email went out to agency employees and touted a separate  “insightful webinar where we delve into effective stress management techniques to help you navigate these challenging times” after Trump’s victory, according to the report.

“Change is a constant in our lives, but it can often bring about stress and uncertainty,” the email said. “Join us for an insightful webinar where we delve into effective stress management techniques to help you navigate these challenging times. This session will provide tips and practical strategies for managing stress and maintaining your well being.”

In his letter to Blinken, Issa argued that the reported sessions were “disturbing” and that “nonpartisan government officials” should not be suffering a “personal meltdown over the result of a free and fair election.”

MATT GAETZ SAYS HE WILL NOT SERVE IN THE UPCOMING SESSION OF CONGRESS

While the Republican lawmaker acknowledged that the mental health of the agency’s employees was important, he questioned the use of taxpayer dollars to counsel those upset about the election, demanding answers on how many sessions have been conducted, how many more are planned, and how much the sessions are costing the department.

Issa also raised fears that the sessions could also call into question the willingness of some of the State Department’s employees to carry out Trump’s new vision for the agency.

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“The mere fact that the Department is hosting these sessions raises significant questions about the willingness of its personnel to implement the lawful policy priorities that the American people elected President Trump to pursue and implement,” the letter said. “The Trump Administration has a mandate for wholesale change in the foreign policy arena, and if foreign service officers cannot follow through on the American people’s preferences, they should resign and seek a political appointment in the next Democrat administration.”

The State Department did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., acknowledged that Democrats had a major problem when it came to border security, resulting in Republicans securing control of both chambers of Congress and the White House.

Fetterman did not pull punches in reflecting on his party during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday.”

“Well, one area where we kind of lost ourselves was the border,” the Democratic senator stated. “And I’ve been on this network, you know, months, months ago saying, ‘Hey, you know, it can’t be controversial for our party to have pro-immigration, but we need a secure border.’ And when we ask or demand people to not believe what they see, and see those kind of numbers, that that’s not a problem. It’s like, well, then you lose about that 100%,” 

“I’ve tried to describe – you have up to 300,000 people – encounters – per month. And I put that in perspective with Pennsylvania. I’m like, that’s the size of Pittsburgh showing up in one month,” Fetterman told host Gillian Turner. “It’s like, what’s going to happen for those folks? If we want them [to have] the American Dream for those people, how can we possibly deliver that? Where do they go? And we can’t pretend that that’s not a significant issue. And we got to address that.” 

Democrats have traditionally defined themselves as the anti-war party, but Fetterman seemed to suggest it lost its footing when progressives grew critical of Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists following the Oct. 7 attacks. Fetterman said Israel’s effort against Hamas and Ukraine’s fight against Russia are two “just” wars that remain ongoing.

FETTERMAN SAYS ‘F— THAT’ AMID BIPARTISAN BACKLASH OVER ARREST WARRANTS TARGETING ISRAEL’S NETANYAHU, GALLANT

In regard to Israel, Fetterman said he “never supported a cease-fire, and that was the right thing.” 

“I said I was going to follow Israel. And since they refused to have that cease-fire, they have eliminated and broken Hamas, and Hezbollah, Hezbollah was supposed to be like the ultimate bada– in the Middle East, and now they were a bunch of Keystone Cops, and Iran has just been exposed, as you know, they really can’t fight about anything. So that’s been a significant development here,” Fetterman said. 

“And with respect to Ukraine, Ukraine was invaded, and for me, for me, it’s about standing on the side of democracy,” he continued. “And I was very supportive about that aid. And I don’t understand if the other side would stop delivering that kind of aid. That’s a disagreement, but I’ve been very, very clear supporting Israel and Ukraine.” 

STEFANIK MEETS WITH SENATORS AS TRUMP’S UN AMBASSADOR NOMINEE, TOUTS ‘AMERICA FIRST PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH’\

Turner noted that President-elect Trump’s transition team has touted their foreign policy and national security team as the most pro-Israel in American history. That includes Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., tapped to become secretary of state, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., nominated for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Huckabee, chosen as U.S. ambassador to Israel, and Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., as national security adviser.  

“In terms of the incoming administration, I actually like what I see in terms of being very, very strong pro-Israel,” Fetterman said, adding that Israel has made “magnificent kinds of progress… generating longer term peace by destroying Hamas, Hezbollah, and demonstrating that Iran, really, doesn’t have the kind of capability to deliver any kinds of damage.” 

He indicated he would support Rubio, and potentially Dr. Mehmet Oz, who Fetterman defeated during a contentious Senate race. 

Fetterman said on Sunday that he knows “it got kinda ugly” in his race against Oz, but he “doesn’t have any kind of bitterness” and “is open to dialogue,” adding, “I’m not sure why that’s controversial.” 

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 “I’m not going to pre-hate. I’m not going to pre-hate a lot of these things, and I’m not going to pre-hate this,” Fetterman said. “I’m going to have an open conversation for anyone, that I’m open to having part of that conversation.”

Vice President Kamala Harris has kept a low profile since losing the election to President-elect Trump, vacationing in Hawaii with second gentleman Doug Emhoff since last week.

Harris arrived in Kalaoa, Hawaii, on Tuesday for what is expected to be a weeklong trip, a break from the rigorous campaign schedule she kept over the last couple of months but also from her duties as vice president, where she retains her tie-breaking vote as president of the Senate during the last few months of President Biden’s administration.

The timing of the vice president’s trip has generated questions, with some noting that many DNC staffers are uncertain about their futures while others had been surprised by sudden layoffs.

PRESIDENT BIDEN ADMITS PRESSURE FROM DEMOCRATS CONTRIBUTED TO DECISION TO DROP OUT

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended the Harris vacation during a Thursday briefing, arguing there was nothing “wrong” with the vice president taking a vacation.

“The vice president has taken time off to go spend time with her family. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I think she deserves some time to be with her family and to have some downtime. She has worked very hard over – for the last four years, and her taking a couple of days to be with her family, good for her. Good for her,” Jean-Pierre said.

Harris is still expected to play a critical role in helping Biden push through several judges as Democrats race against the clock to top the 234 that were confirmed during Trump’s first term, according to an NBC News report last week.

With the Democrats holding such a slim majority in the upper chamber, Harris broke the record last year for casting the most decisive votes of any vice president in history, the report notes, with Democrats expected to lean on the vice president once again in the coming weeks.

DEMOCRATS’ FUROR OVER ‘UNQUALIFIED’ TRUMP NOMINEES PUTS BIDEN’S STAFFING DECISIONS BACK IN SPOTLIGHT 

“This is something they want to clear the decks on,” a senior Harris aide told NBC News.

“She will definitely be available for any tie votes,” a second senior aide said.

“It is a big focus,” a third source told the outlet.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., also said Tuesday that she was given notice that Harris would be available, though the senator had not personally talked to Harris, according to the report.

“The goal is to fill every judicial nomination that we can,” Warren said.

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Meanwhile, a senior Harris aide told NBC News that the vice president had already delayed her trip in case she was needed in the Senate, though now many of those votes are expected to take place in December when Harris is back in Washington.

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

Videos of future first son Barron Trump speaking in a Slovenian accent as a young boy are spreading like wildfire on social media after his father’s massive electoral win earlier this month. 

“I like my suitcase,” a 4-year-old Barron Trump said with an apparent Slovene accent in 2010 during a Larry King segment.

The video shows Barron Trump in his father’s office with both of his parents as he grabs a brown suitcase and asks his mom about going to school. 

“I have to go to school now?” Barron Trump asks, again with an accent. 

MELANIA TRUMP POSTS PHOTO OF SON BARRON, 18, VOTING FOR THE 1ST TIME IN ELECTION WITH FATHER AT TOP OF TICKET

“You have lunch, and then you go to school,” Melania Trump responds. 

“Now I’m gonna go,” Barron Trump asks again, speaking with the same accent as his mom. 

“First you will have lunch, then you will go to school,” Melania tells her young son as he holds his brown briefcase. 

Clips of the video have spread like wildfire across social media, most notably on TikTok, where users have filmed their own videos imitating Barron Trump, accompanied by the tag “sootcase,” as a play on how Barron Trump pronounced “suitcase.” 

Social media users have reacted with shock over learning the eventual first son had a slight accent as a young boy, with many calling it “adorable,” “cute” and lauding Melania Trump for her close relationship with her young son. The videos had long floated on social media, but are only going viral after Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election this month. 

One user on TikTok said, “i can’t help but giggle every time i hear or see this video his Slovenian accent is so cuteness,” and another said, “he was adorable,” and another saying Melania Trump “seems like an amazingly sweet mom.” 

MELANIA TRUMP REVEALS HOW SHE STAYS CALM, COOL, FOCUSED AND HEALTHY: ‘GUIDING PRINCIPLE’

Dozens of videos on TikTok have racked up hundreds of thousands of views each, and have even led to social media users creating song remixes of Barron Trump’s accent and social media commenters noting they never knew the first son had an accent as a young boy. 

Melania Trump, who had a successful modeling career before she became first lady, was born in Novo Mesto, Yugoslavia – now Slovenia – and explained in the interview with Larry King in 2010 that her son has an accent because he spent the majority of time with his mom. 

“He has an accent,” King noted in a live interview with Trump and his wife after footage of Barron speaking in an accent was aired. 

TRUMP TAPS INTO GEN Z’S PULSE WITH HELP FROM SON BARRON, WHO TELLS HIM ABOUT HOTTEST TRENDS

“He spends most of the time with me,” Melania Trump responded, before King asked the eventual president, “what do you think of that?”

“I think it’s great,” Donald Trump responded. “Anything he does is OK with me.”

“He speaks three languages, actually,” Melania Trump added. 

“Smart one,” Donald Trump said. 

In another clip, Donald Trump is seen telling his son to avoid drugs, alcohol and tattoos when he grows up. 

“I want all As,” Donald Trump said in the clip. “And when you get older, no drugs. No alcohol. No cigarettes. And, you know what else? No tattoos. I don’t ever want to see tattoos on you.”

Footage of Barron Trump in 2009 is also going viral, showing the roughly 3-year-old boy with his mom attending a charity event where Entertainment Tonight held a short interview with the pair. Barron Trump declared his love of playing the drums while again pronouncing his words similar to his mom’s Slovene accent. 

“I like to play drums,” he said, adding he wants drums “like on the television” for his birthday. 

Barron Trump is now 18-years-old and attends New York University. The first son overwhelmingly stays out of the public spotlight when compared to his older siblings, such as Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, who frequently conduct media interviews and joined their father on the campaign trail. 

BARRON TRUMP ‘DOING GREAT’ AT NYU, LOVES HIS CLASSES, HIS MOM MELANIA TRUMP SAYS

Barron Trump, who notably stands at about 6-foot-9 and towers over his parents, was seen on stage when his father delivered his victory speech earlier this month after his massive victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump wrapped up the election with 312 electoral votes to Harris’ 226, and won the popular vote. 

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“Every citizen, I will fight for you, for your family and your future. Every single day, I will be fighting for you. And with every breath in my body, I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America. That’s what we have to have. This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again,” Trump said in his victory speech, flanked by his family and other high-profile supporters such as tech billionaire Elon Musk and UFC CEO Dana White. 

EXCLUSIVE: Some state lawmakers and companies will be preparing to roll back major Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies that are present in nearly every major U.S. industry, including the military, according to experts and a Republican attorney general.

The DEI topic was back in the news last week due to an intense exchange between lawmakers during a markup of the “Dismantle DEI” bill in the House. Progressive firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Tex., lambasted a Republican congressman who referred to DEI policies as “oppression.”

“There has been no oppression for the white man in this country,” Crockett said. “You tell me which white men were dragged out of their homes. You tell me which one of them got dragged all the way across an ocean and told that you are gonna go work, we are gonna steal your wives, we are gonna rape your wives. That didn’t happen. That is oppression.”

DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER RANTS ABOUT ‘THE WHITE MAN’ DURING HEARING ON THE DISMANTLE DEI ACT

The incoming Trump administration will likely target many DEI initiatives. In 2020, then-President Trump issued an executive order to ban “divisive” training for federal contractors. And the House Oversight Committee held a hearing this week about dismantling DEI policies. 

“It is a multibillion-dollar industry that pushes a left-wing, far-left ideological orthodoxy in essentially every area of American life, which is why I’ve begun to call it the DEI enterprise, instead of just DEI, so that people have a sense of what I’m talking about,” Devon Westhill, constitutional and civil rights attorney, told Fox News Digital in an interview. 

Westhill, who researches DEI policies at the Center for Equal Opportunity, a Washington, D.C.-based conservative think tank, said DEI isn’t interested in “diversity of thought, true diversity,” but rather, it is “interested in racial quotas.”

Over the last four years, the Biden-Harris administration has encouraged DEI initiatives across several sectors of the federal government.

In 2021, Biden widened an executive order directing agencies to assess and “remove barriers” to equal opportunity through DEI policies. Another executive order signed that year was a government-wide initiative to embed DEI principles in federal hiring.

The Department of Education has also released reports encouraging DEI on public university campuses. The Biden-Harris administration also invested in DEI programs within the U.S. military.

Large corporations across the U.S. have also adopted DEI workplace policies, including Accenture, Johnson & Johnson, Mastercard, Marriott International, Kaiser Permanente, EY (Ernst & Young), Target, Google, Bank of America and American Express.

BRAGG CASE ‘EFFECTIVELY OVER’ IN ‘MAJOR VICTORY,’ TRUMP OFFICIALS SAY

“It wasn’t so much a dollars and cents motivation [for corporations],” Will Hild, executive director of Consumer’s Research, told Fox News Digital in an interview. “You had it coming from the federal government, where if you wouldn’t go along with under the Biden administration, with the DEI regime, they were threatening to sue you, or to claim that you’re violating civil rights of minorities. So, it was more a combination of the threat of bad press or government action against these corporations.”

Hild said he expected to see over the next year many red state attorneys general “start suing these corporations” for hiring based on racial quotas. Consumers have also suffered as a result of DEI policies, he said, arguing that it shifted companies’ focus away from the quality of goods.

TRUMP LAWYERS DEMAND BRAGG CASE BE ‘IMMEDIATELY DISMISSED,’ SAY ELECTION ‘SUPERSEDES’ POLITICAL ‘MOTIVATIONS’

The integration of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and DEI benchmarks has also influenced investment decisions and pension fund strategies. Pension funds have been increasingly incorporating ESG and DEI considerations into their investment processes over the last four years. 

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said this will be one area of focus her office will examine. 

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“We want to make sure that we are protecting people’s pensions, because no one’s retirement and life savings should be gambled for these woke ESG and DEI goals,” Bird said. “And so that means that our work with that issue will continue, whether it’s the investment managers or the proxy advisers, you know, making sure that these pensions are being invested, so that it’s there for people when they need it, and not for any kind of social engineering or other types of woke political goals.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

Senate Republicans have taken President-elect Donald Trump’s cue and are prepping to fast-track his Cabinet and lower level nominations once his second term begins in January. 

“The American people delivered President Trump a mandate, and it is crucial that Senate Republicans confirm his nominees quickly,” Republican Sen.-elect Bernie Moreno of Ohio said in a statement recently announcing his support for Trump’s selections. 

“Our Republican majority must unite and deliver a strong Cabinet so we can begin implementing the America-First agenda as soon as possible.”

DSCC HOPEFUL GILLIBRAND SAYS DEMS SHOULD HAVE PUT IMMIGRATION FIX ON TABLE ‘2 YEARS AGO’

This sentiment has been echoed by other Republicans as they discussed various Trump picks for key roles. 

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., recently told reporters that “ideally let’s make it through the process. Let’s do our due diligence, what we have to do and get them done in a very fast and effective manner.”

GOP SENATOR DEBUTS BILL TO ABOLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT FOLLOWING TRUMP CAMPAIGN PROMISE

In the days since being elected, Trump has announced over a dozen selections for his Cabinet and various roles in his administration. 

With Republicans gaining the Senate majority in the new year, much of the confirmation process for Trump’s choices is expected to go smoothly — except for a couple of the more controversial selections. However, those nominees that may lack the votes could withdraw themselves before it becomes an issue, as former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., did. 

“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz, who was selected by Trump to be his attorney general, wrote on X. 

SENATE SHOWDOWN: GOP SECURES DEAL WITH SCHUMER TO SAVE COVETED APPELLATE JUDGES FOR TRUMP

According to Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., “Priority number one for the new Senate GOP majority is to confirm Trump’s team as quickly as possible when we take back the gavels in January.” 

Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., reiterated this in his own post to X, writing, “President Trump’s Cabinet should be confirmed quickly and without delay.” 

Not only will the Senate and White House be under Republican control, but the House will also have a GOP majority. With this in mind, Republicans are preparing to swiftly move as much of Trump’s agenda through the legislature. 

DEMOCRAT TAMMY BALDWIN DETAILS RECIPE FOR RUNNING IN A SWING STATE AFTER VICTORY IN TRUMP-WON WISCONSIN

Republicans do not have the 60 votes in the Senate to beat a cloture vote, but they are preparing to bypass the hurdle through budget reconciliation to pass much of Trump’s economic and tax plans. 

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Trump, notably, can only serve one additional term. In 2028, he is not eligible to run again. The next president could be a Democrat, or even a Republican who has differing policy goals or preferences. Republican urgency to complete Trump’s agenda could be motivated by such knowledge. 

President-elect Trump has rounded out his picks for the top 15 positions within his Cabinet, handpicking an array of establishment and unconventional officials for top posts in just three weeks.

Trump has moved at a rapid pace to shape his upcoming administration, which stands in contrast to his first run at the presidency in 2016.

The president-elect’s picks have diverse ideologies united under Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.

From Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s pro-choice stance to Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s pro-union stance and former George Soros adviser Scott Bessent, Trump’s Cabinet reflects a new era for Republican presidents.

GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP’S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR?

1. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. – Secretary of Health and Human Services

Kennedy, a former Democrat, has been open about his pro-choice stance, much to the chagrin of conservative Republicans. 

The former presidential candidate shared a video on social media this summer, writing in a post, “I support the emerging consensus that abortion should be unrestricted up until a certain point.” 

He suggested that this limit should be “when the baby is viable outside the womb.” Viability is understood to occur around 24 weeks gestation. 

Kennedy will likely be asked in his upcoming hearing the extent of his pro-choice stance. Several Republicans are wary of Trump’s pick for HHS, while others expressed confidence he would act in line with the administration.

“I would fully expect any of Trump’s nominees to be pro-life, as is President Trump,” Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital. “It does need to be addressed.”

RFK JR’S ABORTION ‘ISSUE’: SENATE GOP PLANS TO SCRUTINIZE TRUMP HHS PICK’S POSITION

“I believe what he’s going to do is do the right thing,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said of Kennedy.

Trump’s softening stance toward abortion was a notable point during his campaign. Trump has said he would leave abortion to the states after of Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Trump notably opposes a federal abortion ban but has remained opposed to late-term abortions. In July, the Republican Party abandoned its long-standing position of advocating for abortions. 

2. Lori Chavez-DeRemer – Labor Secretary 

Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination received strong support from unions, which once stood at odds with Republican ideology.

The president-elect lauded her for working “tirelessly with both Business and Labor to build America’s workforce, and support the hardworking men and women of America.” 

“I look forward to working with her to create tremendous opportunity for American Workers, to expand Training and Apprenticeships, to grow wages and improve working conditions, to bring back our Manufacturing jobs,” Trump said in an Friday announcement.

During her short stint as a House Republican, Chavez-DeRemer championed labor rights. She co-sponsored the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which increased penalties for employers who break labor law and makes it easier to unionize. She also co-sponsored the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, which would expand the powers of public sector unions.

Her candidacy for the post was backed by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union, whose president thanked Trump for the pro-labor pick.

“North America’s strongest union is ready to work with you every step of the way to expand good union jobs and rebuild our nation’s middle class,” Teamsters President Sean O’Brien wrote on X. “Let’s get to work!” 

Similarly, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler praised Chavez-DeRemer for having “built a pro-labor record in Congress.”

“But Donald Trump is the president-elect of the United States — not Rep. Chavez-DeRemer — and it remains to be seen what she will be permitted to do as secretary of labor in an administration with a dramatically anti-worker agenda,” Shuler said.

3. Scott Bessent – Treasury Secretary

President-elect Trump nominated Bessent as his top economic official to implement “Trumponomics.” 

Bessent made a name for himself at Soros Capital Management, where he worked as chief investment officer from 2011 to 2015. Following his work with Soros, he founded hedge fund Key Square Capital Management and was a key economic policy adviser and fundraiser for the Trump campaign.

He has been an advocate for economic policies like lower taxes, spending restraint and deregulation that have long made up the core of the Republican Party’s platform and has been supportive of Trump’s use of tariffs in trade negotiations.

In a statement, Consumer Bankers Association President and CEO Lindsey Johnson congratulated Bessent on the nomination.

“As an experienced and accomplished businessman, we applaud Mr. Bessent’s recent comments in which he has called for a surge in small business optimism, a smart deregulatory banking agenda and support for Main Street,” Johnson said.

“If confirmed, we look forward to working with Mr. Bessent to advocate for sound financial regulatory policy that enable banks to better support consumers, small businesses and the economy at large.”

4. Marco Rubio – Secretary of State

As America’s top diplomat, Rubio was plucked from his Senate term in Florida to serve in Trump’s upcoming administration.

Rubio, a former critic of Trump, has supported strong relations with foreign alliances, including NATO, advocating for a robust U.S. presence in the world. He has also publicly supported Israel’s war against Hamas and spoken out against continued aid to Ukraine.

“It is my Great Honor to announce that Senator Marco Rubio, of Florida, is hereby nominated to be The United States Secretary of State. Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom,” Trump said in a statement. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries.”

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In a statement, Rubio, 53, said he was “honored” by the trust Trump “has placed in me.”

“As Secretary of State, I will work every day to carry out his foreign policy agenda,” Rubio wrote on X. “Under the leadership of President Trump we will deliver peace through strength and always put the interests of Americans and America above all else.”

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5. Pete Hegseth – Secretary of Defense

A combat veteran and former Fox News host, Hegseth was picked as the senior executive in the Department of Defense, which oversees the U.S. military and Pentagon. 

Hegseth, who served as an Army infantryman in Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the Minnesota National Guard, has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s national security approach.

Hegseth has been under increased scrutiny after former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s decision to drop out following sexual misconduct allegations. Hegseth is also facing sexual misconduct allegations from a 2017 encounter. Scrutiny increased late Wednesday night after police in Monterey, California, released a report about the allegations.

“The matter was fully investigated, and I was completely cleared,” Hegseth told reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday. Through his attorney, he has also acknowledged the sexual encounter but has said it was consensual.

6. Pam Bondi – Attorney General

Following Gaetz’s removal from consideration for the nation’s top cop, Trump chose Bondi as his attorney general pick.

Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, was named by Trump hours after Gaetz withdrew. Bondi is a longtime Trump supporter who served on his legal team during his impeachment trial.

“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans – Not anymore,” Trump wrote in his announcement. “Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.

“I have known Pam for many years – She is smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!”

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7. Doug Burgum – Secretary of the Interior

North Dakota Gov. Burgum, a staunch advocate of expanded fossil fuel production, was picked as Trump’s secretary of the interior. Trump also named him to the newly created “energy czar” position.

Burgum has been an ally of Trump since he suspended his own presidential campaign. Burgum made energy and natural resources a key part of his campaign for the GOP nomination.

The president-elect said in a statement the newly formed National Energy Council “will oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the Economy, and by focusing on INNOVATION over longstanding, but totally unnecessary, regulation.”

8. Brooke Rollins – Agriculture Secretary 

Rollins, who grew up on a farm in Glen Rose, Texas, was a surprise pick for the position. Others, including former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., were floated as top contenders.

Rollins served as director of the Office of American Innovation and acting director of the Domestic Policy Council during the first Trump administration. Since her time in the Trump White House, Rollins co-founded the pro-Trump America First Policy Institute think tank.

“A proud Graduate of Texas A&M University, Brooke earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Agriculture Development, and J.D., with Honors,” the announcement said. “From her upbringing in the small and Agriculture-centered town of Glen Rose, Texas, to her years of leadership involvement with Future Farmers of America and 4H, to her generational Family Farming background, to guiding her four kids in their show cattle careers, Brooke has a practitioner’s experience, along with deep Policy credentials in both Nonprofit and Government leadership at the State and National levels.”

9. Howard Lutnick – Commerce Secretary 

Lutnick, 63, has served as the co-chair of Trump’s transition team and was a key fundraiser for Trump’s 2020 and 2024 campaigns.

“I am thrilled to announce that Howard Lutnick, Chairman & CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, will join my Administration as the United States Secretary of Commerce,” Trump said in a statement. “He will lead our Tariff and Trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative.”

The Commerce Department plays a key role in regulating international trade with the U.S. as well as promoting economic growth domestically.

There are several notable bureaus within the Commerce Department, including the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Bureau of Industry and Security, which work on issues related to national security and sensitive technologies by enforcing export controls and promoting the health of the U.S. defense industrial base.

10. Scott Turner – Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development

Turner, 52, Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is a former NFL player. 

He served in Trump’s first administration as executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council.

“Scott is an NFL Veteran, who, during my First Term, served as the First Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council (WHORC), helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities,” Trump said in a statement Friday.

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11. Sean Duffy – Secretary of Transportation

Duffy is a former Wisconsin congressman and former Fox News contributor and FOX Business co-host.

“Sean has been a tremendous and well-liked public servant, starting his career as a District Attorney for Ashland, Wisconsin, and later elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District,” Trump said in his announcement Monday. 

“Sean will use his experience and the relationships he has built over many years in Congress to maintain and rebuild our Nation’s Infrastructure, and fulfill our Mission of ushering in The Golden Age of Travel, focusing on Safety, Efficiency, and Innovation. Importantly, he will greatly elevate the Travel Experience for all Americans!”

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Shortly after the announcement, a spokesperson for Fox News Media released the following statement: “Sean Duffy provided valuable insights and analysis in co-hosting the FOX Business Network program ‘The Bottom Line.’ As Duffy departs FOX News Media effective today, we wish him the best of luck in his return to Washington. Moving forward, ‘The Bottom Line’ will continue with Dagen McDowell joined by rotating co-hosts.”

12. Chris Wright – Secretary of Energy

Wright, the CEO and founder of Liberty Energy, will lead the Department of Energy.

“I am thrilled to announce that Chris Wright will be joining my Administration as both United States Secretary of Energy, and Member of the newly formed Council of National Energy,” Trump said in a statement. 

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According to Liberty Energy’s website, Wright graduated from MIT with a degree in mechanical engineering. He also completed graduate work in electrical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley and MIT.

“[Wright] is a self-described tech nerd turned entrepreneur and a dedicated humanitarian on a mission to better human lives by expanding access to abundant, affordable, and reliable energy,” the company’s website says.

The key Cabinet position announcement comes after Trump made energy independence and bolstering oil and gas production a cornerstone of his campaign.

13. Linda McMahon – Secretary of Education

McMahon serves as co-chair of Trump’s transition team and is a major GOP donor and a retired World Wrestling Entertainment executive.

Clips of McMahon’s body slams have resurfaced across social media in the days since the announcement of her appointment. 

McMahon served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009. She told lawmakers at the time she had a lifelong interest in education and once planned to become a teacher. She attempted two runs at the Senate as a Connecticut Republican, losing the 2010 race to Richard Blumenthal and the 2012 race to Chris Murphy. 

McMahon then provided $6 million to help Trump’s candidacy after he secured the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. She served as administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2019.

14. Douglas Collins – Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Former Rep. Collins, R-Ga., is an Air Force Reserve chaplain.

Collins, 58, last ran for office in 2020 when he vied for a Georgia Senate seat and served two years as a Navy chaplain before joining the Air Force as a chaplain after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Trump praised Collins in the appointment announcement, saying he would be a “great advocate for active-duty service members, veterans and military families to ensure they have the support they need.”

“We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform,” Trump said. “Thank you, Doug, for your willingness to serve our country in this important role.”

15. Kristi Noem – Homeland Secretary 

Noem, who has served as South Dakota’s governor since 2019, has been a staunch Trump ally throughout his campaigns.

The Department of Homeland Security oversees U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

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If selected, Noem would work with Tom Homan, who was announced as Trump’s “border czar,” and Stephen Miller, who was announced as the White House deputy of staff for policy.

President-elect Trump tapped Brooke Rollins as his agriculture secretary.

In a statement on Saturday, Trump lauded Rollins’ “commitment to support the American Farmer, defense of American Food Self-Sufficiency, and the restoration of Agriculture-dependent American Small Towns.”

“A proud Graduate of Texas A&M University, Brooke earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Agriculture Development, and J.D., with Honors,” the announcement said. “From her upbringing in the small and Agriculture-centered town of Glen Rose, Texas, to her years of leadership involvement with Future Farmers of America and 4H, to her generational Family Farming background, to guiding her four kids in their show cattle careers, Brooke has a practitioner’s experience, along with deep Policy credentials in both Nonprofit and Government leadership at the State and National levels.”

Rollins served as director of the Office of American Innovation and acting director of the Domestic Policy Council during the first Trump administration. 

Since her time in the Trump White House, Rollins has co-founded the America First Policy Institute think tank.

Richard “Ric” Grenell, the former acting director of National Intelligence in President-elect Trump’s first administration, is reportedly under consideration to be special envoy for the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Currently, there is no special envoy responsible for bringing an end to the war in Eastern Europe. Trump is strongly considering whether to create the role, Reuters reported, citing four sources familiar with the president’s deliberations.

If he does create the new position, Grenell is said to be a leading candidate, though Trump may select someone else, the sources told Reuters. There is also no guarantee that Grenell would accept the position if it were offered to him, the sources reportedly said. 

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Fox News Digital was previously told Grenell was under consideration to be U.S. Secretary of State. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was instead named to lead the State Department.

Neither Grenell nor the Trump transition team responded to requests for comment. 

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Trump repeatedly made campaign promises to quickly resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, if elected, although he has never laid out a specific plan to end the war.

Grenell, an outspoken Trump loyalist, has made statements in the past that may be of concern to Ukrainian leadership.

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During a Bloomberg round table in July, he advocated for the creation of “autonomous zones” as a means of settling the conflict, which began after Russia invaded Ukrainian sovereign territory. He also suggested he would not be in favor of Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the immediate future, a position he shares with many Trump allies.

Grenell’s supporters note he has had a long diplomatic career and has a deep knowledge of European affairs. In addition to serving as ambassador to Germany, Grenell was also a special presidential envoy for Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations.

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Prior to working for the first Trump administration, Grenell was a U.S. State Department spokesman to the United Nations under President George W. Bush. He has advised various Republican candidates and was a foreign policy spokesman for Mitt Romney during the 2012 presidential campaign.

Grenell was previously a Fox News contributor. 

Reuters contributed to this report.