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House GOP leaders appear to be searching for a backup plan after an initial bipartisan deal to avoid a partial government shutdown on Friday was buried in an avalanche of conservative opposition.

The legislation angered conservatives in both the House and Senate – as well as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to co-chair his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk.

As Musk called for lawmakers who supported the bill to lose their seats, Trump’s presidential transition team released an official joint statement by Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance opposing the initial iteration of the deal.

The bill was expected to get a vote sometime on Wednesday afternoon, but a planned round of late afternoon votes was canceled. Instead, senior Republicans are huddling in the speaker’s office to chart a path forward – less than 24 hours after the legislation was unveiled.

DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL 

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., told reporters while leaving Johnson’s office in the early evening, “There will be a new CR likely tomorrow. They are negotiating right now. But there will be no votes this evening.”

Speaker Mike Johnson, left, and Elon Musk are at odds over a government spending bill. (Jean Catuffe/GC Images/Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., told reporters a short while later that he anticipated a “skinny” CR without disaster aid or agricultural subsidies.

It came after GOP critics of the spending bill spent much of the day attacking Johnson’s handling of the issue.

The 1,547-page bill is a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2024 government funding levels, aimed at giving lawmakers more time to agree on funding the rest of FY 2025 by the Friday deadline.

It’s the second such extension, called a continuing resolution (CR), since FY 2024 ended on Sept. 30.

In addition to funding the government through March 14, the bill also has more than $100 billion in disaster aid to help Americans affected by Hurricanes Milton and Helene. It also includes an added $10 billion in economic relief for farmers, as well as health care reform measures and a provision aimed at revitalizing Washington, D.C.’s RFK stadium and its surrounding campus.

Members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus said they felt blindsided by what they saw as unrelated policy riders being added to the bill in last-minute negotiations.

Several GOP lawmakers granted anonymity to speak freely said Johnson would see challenges to his speakership bid in early January over the matter.

But Johnson defended the deal on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday morning.

President-elect Trump is against the bill (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“When we start the new Congress in January, when Republicans are in control…we’re going to be able to scale back the size and scope of government. But before we get to that point, remember right now, we only control one half of one third of the federal government. Remember, Democrats are still in charge of the Senate and the White House. So what we’ve done is the conservative play call here,” he said.

REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE DUO

Opponents of the legislation include Elon Musk, who posted on X, “Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!”

He later called on Republicans to leverage a partial government shutdown, “‘Shutting down’ the government (which doesn’t actually shut down critical functions btw) is infinitely better than passing a horrible bill.”

Meanwhile Trump and Vance called for Republicans to reject the deal and instead opt for a CR paired with an increase in the U.S. debt limit – which was suspended until January 2025.

“Increasing the debt ceiling is not great but we’d rather do it on Biden’s watch. If Democrats won’t cooperate on the debt ceiling now, what makes anyone think they would do it in June during our administration? Let’s have this debate now. And we should pass a streamlined spending bill that doesn’t give Chuck Schumer and the Democrats everything they want,” the statement said.

But simply bowing to his right flank may not get Johnson out of the woods, with Democrats warning him to not renege on their deal.

Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is warning Johnson not to renege on their deal. (Getty Images)

“House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government.And hurt the working class Americans they claim to support.You break the bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences that follow,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, R-N.Y., wrote on X.

Johnson was always likely to need Democratic help to pass a CR, given his slim margins in the House and widespread opposition to short-term funding extensions within the GOP.

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But it’s not clear if the number of Democrats willing to break ranks will offset that Republican opposition. 

House leaders will also have to decide whether to put the bill through regular order – which will include a House Rules Committee vote followed by a House-wide procedural vote before lawmakers can weigh on the measure itself – or bypass that and rush the bill onto the House floor in exchange for raising the threshold for passage to two-thirds rather than a simple majority.

All the while, the clock is ticking until the partial government shutdown deadline at the end of Friday.

President-elect Trump said Wednesday he is “totally against” the continuing resolution (CR) being debated by the House to keep the government from shutting down through March.

Trump spoke with “Fox & Friends” co-host Lawrence Jones on Wednesday, telling him the “fight starts now.”

“I just spoke with President-elect [Trump], and he is ‘totally against’ the proposed CR,” Jones wrote in a post on X. 

In another post, the morning show co-host wrote, “The President-elect [Trump] believes that the ‘fight starts now,’ rather than waiting until he is sworn in.

‘WE’RE GOING TO GUT THE FISH’: REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE’S MUSK, RAMASWAMY

Jones later wrote, “The President-elect [Trump] acknowledged [House Speaker Mike Johnson’s] challenging situation but emphasized that this approach is not the appropriate course of action.”

Congressional leaders in Washington, D.C., released the text of their 1,547-page CR on Tuesday evening after last-minute negotiations delayed its original planned release Sunday. A source familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital more specifically that the deal was largely struck between the top two Democrats and Republicans in each chamber.

Since its release, the CR has seen strong opposition from conservatives and House GOP hardliners, many of whom are frustrated with unrelenting policy riders attached to the legislation, rather than a “clean” extension of government funding.

KEY TRUMP ALLY COMES OUT AGAINST MASSIVE EMERGENCY SPENDING PLAN: ‘THIS BILL SHOULD NOT PASS’

The report looked at various numbers such as veterans, active-duty military, volunteers and more.  (iStock)

While the bill would avert a partial government shutdown through March 14 if passed, it also includes provisions on health care and ethanol fuel, along with $100 billion in disaster aid funding and measures to fund the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The bill also includes the first pay raise for lawmakers since 2009.

Republican congressional leaders have defended their plan for a stopgap spending bill, arguing it would allow Trump to have a greater influence on spending when the question comes up again in the spring.

Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance released a statement on the spending bill on Wednesday.

DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER

“The most foolish and inept thing ever done by Congressional Republicans was allowing our country to hit the debt ceiling in 2025. It was a mistake and is now something that must be addressed,” they wrote. “Increasing the debt ceiling is not great but we’d rather do it on Biden’s watch. If Democrats won’t cooperate on the debt ceiling now, what makes anyone think they would do it in June during our administration? Let’s have this debate now. And we should pass a streamlined spending bill that doesn’t give Chuck Schumer and the Democrats everything they want.

The two continued, Republicans want to support farmers and pay for disaster relief while setting the country up for success in 2025.

“The only way to do that is with a temporary funding bill WITHOUT DEMOCRAT GIVEAWAYS combined with an increase in the debt ceiling. Anything else is a betrayal of our country,” they said. “Republicans must GET SMART and TOUGH. If Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, then CALL THEIR BLUFF. It is Schumer and Biden who are holding up aid to our farmers and disaster relief. THIS CHAOS WOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IF WE HAD A REAL PRESIDENT. WE WILL IN 32 DAYS!”

GOP SENATORS ‘VERY IMPRESSED’ WITH MUSK, RAMASWAMY DOGE FRAMEWORK AMID MEETINGS ON CAPITOL HILL

WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 30: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill on April 30, 2024 in Washington, DC. Johnson, who took questions on a variety of topics including the protests at Columbia University, has just gained support to stay on as Speaker from House Democrats who’s leadership has announced that they would move to prevent a potential motion to vacate, a simmering threat from some conservative Republicans. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk – who was appointed as a co-chair to Trump’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – also came out in opposition to Johnson’s proposed bill to keep the government funded on Wednesday.

Musk turned to his social media platform X to argue that the 1,547-page document is full of “pork.”

“This bill should not pass,” he wrote.

MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN AFTER TRUMP ENDORSEMENT

Elon Musk, Co-Chair of the newly announced Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), arrives on Capitol Hill on Dec. 5, 2024 in Washington, D.C.; Vivek Ramaswamy, chairman and co-founder of Strive Asset Management, arrives to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024.  (Left: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Right: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The other co-chair of DOGE, Vivek Ramaswamy, expressed skepticism of the bill on Tuesday, though he did not outright oppose Johnson’s solution.

“Currently reading the 1,547-page bill to fund the government through mid-March. Expecting every U.S. Congressman & Senator to do the same,” Ramaswamy wrote on X.

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The GOP currently holds just a one-seat majority in the House, meaning Johnson will likely have to rely on Democratic votes to pass the bill. The legislation must also pass the Senate by the Friday deadline to avoid a shutdown.

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

Police in Aurora, Colorado, have detained five more migrants in an armed home invasion and kidnapping that occurred early Tuesday morning.

This brings to 19 the number of migrants detained in the incident, which involved two victims being beaten, bound and kidnapped in a Denver suburb

A spokesperson for ICE told Fox News Digital 16 of those in custody have been identified as Venezuelan nationals in the U.S. without authorization and “are suspected of being members or associates of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.”

Tren de Aragua, or TdA, is a violent international criminal group that has been terrorizing Aurora residents for over a year.

TREN DE ARAGUA ARE IDEOLOGICAL TERRORISTS DISGUISED AS A STREET GANG WARNS FORMER MILITARY OFFICER

This compilation shows suspected Tren de Aragua members and the southern border. (Fox News/Border Patrol)

The ICE official said the 16 suspects “will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings or hearings before an immigration judge.”

Aurora Police Department Chief Todd Chamberlain said Tuesday the home invasion was “without question a gang incident.”

However, Joe Moylan, a representative for the Aurora Police Department, told Fox News Digital police are still working to identify the suspects and have not yet been able to officially confirm whether the incident was gang-related.

Police were called to an Aurora housing complex, The Edge at Lowry Apartments, just before 2:30 a.m. Tuesday in response to a reported armed home invasion in which victims were assaulted and taken to another apartment in the same complex.

COLORADO VIDEO SHOWS TREN DE ARAGUA GANG BEATING APARTMENT COMPLEX WORKER IN EXTORTION BID, COMPANY SAYS

Police officers in the Gang Unit search for evidence in apartment buildings at 12th and Dallas in Aurora, Colo., Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. The dwellings were the target of a reported home invasion overnight. (Fox News Digital)

One of the victims, a man, sustained a stab wound but is expected to survive. Both victims are still at a hospital for treatment. 

Moylan said Aurora police served an additional warrant at the apartment complex late Tuesday afternoon, resulting in their taking in the five additional migrants for questioning. He said police are working in conjunction with federal authorities, including Homeland Security Investigators who are helping to identify everyone involved.

Moylan said the Aurora police chief will likely address the incident further in another press conference once more details are confirmed.

BLUE STATE FACES SPIKE IN MIGRANT SEX CRIMES AS TOP CITY PLEDGES RESISTANCE TO TRUMP DEPORTATIONS

Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain speaks to the media during a press conference in Aurora, Colo., Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024.  (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

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Roger Hudson, a city council member in nearby Castle Pines, Colorado, who has had contact with the apartment owner, told Fox News Digital most people in the area believe Tren de Aragua is behind the incident. In recent months, the gang has only become “more powerful, more dangerous and more desperate,” he said. 

Hudson bashed the sanctuary policies passed by Colorado and the City of Denver, which he said have made it more difficult for state and local law enforcement to protect Coloradans from the likes of TdA.

“These policies make all of our communities less safe,” he said. “This is lawlessness in the West, and you can’t have that. That’s not who we are as a country. That’s not who we are as a state.”

Multiple Missouri lawmakers are reportedly preparing legislation to name several highways after President-elect Trump in the new year.

The most expansive reported bill would bestow Trump’s name on carriageways of the Missouri state highway system not yet designated otherwise before next August, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

That bill, from state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold, however, exempts roadways in counties encompassing St. Louis, Columbia and Kansas City, the paper reported.

Coleman previously floated a bill to rename a portion of Interstate 55 in her district the “Donald J. Trump Highway” in 2021, but the effort failed in the Republican-majority legislature.

TRUMP PICKS BILLY LONG TO LEAD IRS

A caravan of vehicles for Donald Trump drive along the freeway near Encinitas, California. (Reuters)

Under both the defunct and current proposals, MoDOT would erect and maintain the commemorative signage, but private donations would foot the bill for the signs.

A separate proposal from state Sen. Nick Schroer, R-St. Charles, would designate a portion of MO Route D west of St. Louis the “President Donald J. Trump Highway.”

“It’s time to Make Missouri Roads Great Again,” Schroer said in a social media post announcing his bill.

The post included an inset of Trump doing his viral “Y.M.C.A.” dance on the shoulder of a freeway beside a “President Donald J. Trump Highway” sign.

Attempts to reach both Schroer and Coleman for further comment were unsuccessful.

FLASHBACK: TRUMP SPEAKS TO SUPPORTERS IN MISSOURI

Fox News Digital also reached out to Missouri Senate President Pro-Tempore Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia.

In announcing her 2021 bill, Coleman said Trump deserved the honor for “strengthening Missouri’s economy, defending our values, and making America great again during his historic first term.”

Missouri lawmakers have also tried to commemorate other national conservatives, including the late radio host Rush Limbaugh – who was born and raised in Cape Girardeau.

Language to commemorate Jan. 12 as “Rush Limbaugh Day” did not make it to the final text of a 2021 designations bill, according to the Columbia Missourian.

Trump’s name has made it onto a handful of highways outside the Show-Me State, including in some politically-unfriendly areas.

In 2019, a man “adopted” portions of Burke Lake Road and Fairfax County Rte. 620 in the deep-blue Washington, D.C., suburb of Springfield, Virginia, in Trump’s name.

The man also successfully had the incoming president’s name festooned on VDOT adopt-a-highway signage on heavily-trafficked Ox Road in nearby Lorton, according to the Washingtonian.

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The Gateway Arch is seen in the skyline of St Louis. (Reuters/Tom Gannam)

In 2021, Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt signed legislation designating a 20-mile stretch of U.S. 287 in the state’s panhandle after Trump.

Meanwhile, Hialeah, Florida, Mayor Esteban Bovo joined Trump at a 2023 rally in the Miami suburb and offered him a commemorative sign after an avenue near a casino in the city was renamed Donald J. Trump Avenue.

In Trump’s home state, a controversial 430-acre tract of parkland also bears his name. Donald J. Trump State Park in Putnam Valley came into being in 2006 after he donated the parcel to New York state.

After Trump was unable to successfully develop a golf course on the site due to town permit roadblocks and the like, he passed the land on to Albany after originally purchasing it in two pieces in 1998 for about $2.5 million.

Donald J. Trump State Park soon fell into disrepair and remains largely unmaintained. New York Democrats have attempted to pass legislation stripping Trump’s name from the park, including a 2019 bid to rename it after the woman killed during the 2017 Charlottesville riot.

After Trump’s May conviction in his hush-money trial, New York state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal told The New York Times he hopes it “primes the pump” to restart talks to rename the park.

Hoylman-Sigal, a Democrat, indicated he has visited the park and has seen “some improvements” since Trump gifted it to the Pataki administration.

EXCLUSIVE: House GOP critics of how Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is handling government funding talks are already beginning to float names of possible challengers, people told Fox News Digital.

Two GOP lawmakers told Fox News Digital that House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., were all mentioned in early talks about alternatives.

A source close to Donalds told Fox News Digital in response, “At this time, the Congressman has not made any statements regarding the future of House leadership.”

A spokesperson for Emmer told Fox News Digital, “Whip Emmer supports Speaker Johnson and is focused on doing the job he was elected to do.”

Fox News Digital also reached out to Donalds, Jordan and Johnson’s offices for comment.

MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN AFTER TRUMP ENDORSEMENT

Left to right: Speaker Mike Johnson’s critics are floating names like Majority Whip Tom Emmer, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan and Rep. Byron Donalds as possible replacements. (Getty Images)

One of the lawmakers said they had not heard from any of the three, adding, “That would be suicidal.” 

But discussions about potential rivals to Johnson in the Jan. 3, 2025 House-wide speaker vote represent the latest warning shot from Republican lawmakers who are vehemently opposed to the short-term spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR).

Congressional leaders released the text of their 1,547-page CR on Tuesday evening after last-minute negotiations delayed its original planned release Sunday.

Since then, it’s seen fierce pushback from conservatives and House GOP hardliners, many of whom are frustrated at the unrelated policy riders attached to the legislation – rather than a “clean” extension of government funding.

In addition to averting a partial government shutdown through March 14, the bill also includes provisions on health care and ethanol fuel, plus more than $100 billion in disaster aid funding and measures to fund the rebuilding of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge and the first pay raise for lawmakers since 2009.

Multiple GOP lawmakers signaled Tuesday that Johnson could face a challenge to his leadership over the CR.

DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER

Johnson struck a deal with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“The speaker definitely has some ‘no’ votes and some people considering their options,” a third House Republican granted anonymity to speak candidly told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital when asked if Johnson could see blowback on Jan. 3, “There’s always consequences.”

When previously asked about any potential speakership challenges, Emmer, Jordan and Donalds have all said they back Johnson.

A source close to Jordan told Fox News Digital that the Ohio Republican is “not interested in challenging Johnson.”

But all three ran for House Speaker last year after ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted. Johnson ultimately won after a messy three-week fight.

The Louisiana Republican, who Republicans chose unanimously to be their candidate for speaker last month, is also backed by President-elect Donald Trump, which is likely to keep a significant amount of backlash at bay.

He’s also still expected to get a large share of GOP lawmakers to vote for his plan, with most in Congress in agreement that a partial government shutdown over the holidays would have a negative political and economic impact.

But his CR plan is also under attack by members of Trump’s orbit – both Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy blasted the bill on Wednesday.

Johnson is backed by President-elect Trump. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

“Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” Musk wrote on X.

Johnson himself dismissed concerns about his job as the blowback began to build on Tuesday.

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“I’m not worried about the speaker vote,” he said. “We’re governing. Everybody knows we have difficult circumstances. We’re doing the very best we can under those circumstances.”

The speaker and his allies have argued that they won the most they could while controlling one half of one third of government, and promised that Republicans would be in a better position to handle federal funding when the CR expires at the beginning of Trump’s term.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has suggested that it is his duty to meet with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees, noting that his decision about whether to vote to confirm the candidates will stem from an open mind and informed perspective.

“I believe that it’s appropriate and the responsibility of a U.S. Senator to have a conversation with President-elect Trump’s nominees. That’s why I met with Elise Stefanik and Pete Hegseth, just wrapped with Tulsi Gabbard, and look forward to my meetings with others soon,” Fetterman declared in a post on X.

“My votes will come from an open-mind and an informed opinion after having a conversation with them. That’s not controversial, it’s my job,” he continued.

FETTERMAN SLAMS LEGAL CASES AGAINST TRUMP, HUNTER BIDEN IN FIRST TRUTH SOCIAL POST: ‘CASES WERE BOTH BULLS—’

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., talks with West Point cadets in the senate subway on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Trump has tapped Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Hegseth to serve as secretary of defense, and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for the role of director of national intelligence.

While Fetterman has previously noted that he plans to support Stefanik, it is unclear whether he will ultimately back Hegseth and Gabbard for confirmation.

Fox News Digital reached out to request comment from the senator, but a spokesperson did not provide any additional insight into Fetterman’s voting plans regarding Hegseth and Gabbard.

FETTERMAN STILL ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORTIVE OF STEFANIK FOR US AMBASSADOR TO UN: ‘ALWAYS WAS A HARD YES’

Sen. John Fetterman and Rep. Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik on X)

Fetterman has been unflinching in his staunch support for Israel in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack against the U.S. ally.

“Always was a hard YES for @EliseStefanik but it was a pleasure to have a conversation. I support defunding UNRWA for its documented Hamas infiltration and fully look forward to her holding the @UN accountable for its endemic antisemitism and blatant anti-Israel views,” Fetterman declared in a post earlier this month.

He has also pledged to support Sen. Marco Rubio’s confirmation to serve as secretary of state.

FETTERMAN HAILS RUBIO AS ‘STRONG CHOICE’ FOR SECRETARY OF STATE, SAYS HE WILL VOTE TO CONFIRM HIM

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and U.S. secretary of state nominee for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is seen here at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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“Unsurprisingly, the other team’s pick will have political differences than my own,” Fetterman noted in a post on X last month. “That being said, my colleague @SenMarcoRubio is a strong choice and I look forward to voting for his confirmation.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been on Capitol Hill this week in an attempt to drum up support for his nomination to be the next leader of the Department of Health and Human Services. 

According to one senator he spoke to, Kennedy is aligning himself with President-elect Donald Trump’s stance on abortion and has signaled that he will exercise restraint when it comes to regulating the agricultural industry.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R–Ala., said following his meeting with Kennedy that his view on abortion is “whatever Trump decides” and that Kennedy will “back him 100%.” Trump has repeatedly said he wants to let the states decide the matter for themselves and is against a national abortion ban. He has also expressed support for certain limited exceptions to abortion restrictions, such as when the life of the mother is in jeopardy.  

Tuberville also said he spoke to Kennedy about not going “overboard” when it comes to regulating farmers. The senator told reporters that Kennedy is “very on board” with protecting their livelihoods and “understands our farmers are in trouble, and we want to make sure that we have farmers that can make a living.” 

RFK JR SET TO FACE ABORTION, VACCINE SCRUTINY IN SIT-DOWNS WITH SENATORS ON CAPITOL HILL

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be secretary of Health and Human Services, meets with Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), left, in the Senate Office Building on Dec. 17, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Kennedy’s nomination has drawn skepticism from both pro-life groups and those in the agriculture sector. Pro-life groups have expressed concern over Kennedy’s past statements that extol a liberal position on reproductive rights, while people in the agricultural sector have expressed concern over Kennedy’s crusade against processed foods and pesticides. The fears from those in the agriculture sector were bolstered after Trump said he wants to let Kennedy “go wild on health and dramatically shake things up.”

However, according to Tuberville, Kennedy understands the need to strike a balance when it comes to regulating the food industry, and he confirmed his views on abortion have evolved to be in line with Trump’s. 

“We talked about abortion and the big thing about abortion is he’s telling everybody, ‘Listen whatever president Trump [supports] I’m going back him 100%,'” Tuberville told reporters following his meeting with Kennedy.

Tuberville highlighted how Trump has expressed support for three main exceptions to abortion restrictions, which include instances when the life of the mother is in jeopardy, or when either rape or incest was the cause of a woman’s pregnancy.

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, endorsing former President Donald Trump set off a wave of intense reactions from the mainstream media. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

“I just asked him, ‘In the past you’ve been pro-abortion,’ and he said, well, it’s basically, he and President Trump have sat down and talked about it, and both of them came to an agreement, ‘Hey, Roe-Wade is gone, it’s gone to the states, let the people vote on it,’” Tuberville said. 

Tuberville added that he also agrees with Trump’s stance on abortion, telling reporters that while he is pro-life, he is also “glad the American citizens have a chance to vote in their state,” adding that Kennedy feels the same.

DR. MARC SIEGEL SAYS RFK JR. POLICY POSITIONS WILL ‘LEAD TO A LOT OF PUSHBACK’

While recounting his conversation with Kennedy to reporters, Tuberville also shared that the two discussed how Kennedy would approach the agriculture industry, considering his fervent belief that the American food system is deeply flawed. Republicans who hail from states where agriculture is a major industry have expressed concern about Kennedy restricting modern farming techniques. Meanwhile, a Michigan soybean and corn farmer called Kennedy’s nomination a “danger” to the agriculture industry.

An aerial view shows workers from Pinicon Farm harvesting corn on Oct. 31, 2023 near McIntire, Iowa. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Tuberville echoed the concerns of his fellow GOP lawmakers following his meeting with Kennedy, telling reporters that while his constituents are “very concerned” about food safety, they do not want regulations to be so stringent that it puts farmers out of a job. 

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“I can understand that,” Tuberville said of his constituents’ concerns, “and he’s very on board. He understands our farmers are in trouble, and we want to make sure that we have farmers that can make a living, and we don’t lose our our family farms.”

Fox News Digital reached out to spokespeople for the potential future HHS secretary but did not receive a response by press time. 

The Biden administration has officially granted California permission to ban new gas car sales in the state by 2035. 

California set a strict emissions standard that would ban new gas cars in the state by 2035, but officials needed to obtain a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in order to proceed with the mandate.

The EPA announced on Wednesday that they would be approving two waivers, under the Clean Air Act, that grant California permission to phase out gas cars in the state – one of President Joe Biden’s final acts pushing the auto industry into the green energy sector. 

One waiver grants California’s near future request to mandate that 35% of new cars and light-duty trucks sales be zero emissions by 2026 and achieve 90% below current emissions by 2027.

BIDEN EPA MAKES FIRST-EVER CLIMATE CHANGE ARREST

President Joe Biden talks after driving Jeep Wrangler 4xe Rubicon on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021, during an event on clean cars and trucks.  (Susan Walsh)

The other EPA waiver allows California officials to mandate that all new car sales be zero-emission within the decade – the most strict EV mandate in the country.

However, the waivers could soon be revoked by President-elect Donald Trump, who is reportedly planning to rescind both federal EV requirements and any waiver issued for California by the Biden administration.

“Fresh off imposing his insane, job-killing electric vehicle mandate at the federal level, Crooked Joe Biden is preparing to slaughter the remnants of the U.S. auto-industry by approving California’s waiver request outlawing the sale of all gasoline-powered automobiles,” incoming Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital during the campaign.

FIVE WAYS TRUMP COULD DISMANTLE BIDEN’S CLIMATE AGENDA

EPA Administrator Michael Regan said that the waivers will “protect its [California] residents from dangerous air pollution coming from mobile sources like cars and trucks.”

Brand new Tesla cars sit in a parking lot at a Tesla showroom on June 27, 2022 in Corte Madera, California.  (Justin Sullivan)

However, American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) President and CEO Chet Thompson described the mandate as “unlawful.”

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“Contrary to claims on the campaign trail that they would never tell Americans what kinds of cars we have to drive, the Biden-Harris EPA just did exactly that by greenlighting California’s ban on sales of all new gas and traditional hybrid vehicles,” Thompson said in a statement. “These policies will harm consumers—millions of whom don’t even live in California—by taking away their ability to buy new gas cars in their home states and raising vehicle and transportation costs.”

The House Ethics Committee has decided to release its report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.

Lawmakers on the secretive panel voted to make the report public after the final votes of this year – which are slated for Thursday.

The House Ethics Committee’s multi-year investigation into Gaetz, involving allegations of sex with a minor and illicit drug use, came to an abrupt halt last month after he resigned from Congress hours after President-elect Donald Trump tapped him to be his attorney general.

JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz resigned from Congress last month. (Aaron Schwartz/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Gaetz dropped out of consideration amid quiet but steady GOP opposition, but the committee nevertheless lost jurisdiction over the probe when Gaetz left the House of Representatives.

Gaetz has consistently denied any accusations of wrongdoing, and an earlier federal investigation into the allegations ended without charges against him.

His resignation came just before the committee was expected to meet to consider releasing the report.

That meeting, delayed by a few days, ended in a dramatic fashion after House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., told reporters that no agreement had been reached on releasing the report.

DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER

Rep. Susan Wild is the top Democrat on the House Ethics Committee (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

It prompted Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., the top Democrat on the committee, to return after leaving the meeting room without comment to criticize her Republican colleague.

Wild said Guest “betrayed the process by disclosing our deliberations within moments after walking out of the committee, and he has implied that there was an agreement of the committee not to disclose the report.”

She said that conclusion was “untrue.”

“I’d say that a vote was taken. As many of you know, this committee is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, five Dems, five Republicans, which means that in order to affirmatively move something forward, somebody has to cross party lines and vote with the other side – which happens a lot, by the way, and we often vote unanimously. That did not happen in today’s vote,” Wild said.

President-elect Donald Trump previously tapped Gaetz to be attorney general. (AP/Evan Vucci)

The latest decision to release the report indicates at least one Republican lawmaker crossed the aisle and voted with Democrats.

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It is rare – but not unheard of – for the House Ethics Committee to release a report into a lawmaker after they left Congress.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters last month he was opposed to letting the Gaetz ethics report go public, arguing, “It doesn’t follow our rules and traditions and there is a reason for that. That would open up Pandora’s box and I don’t think that’s a healthy thing for the institution, so that’s my position.”

With one month left in office, President Biden’s approval rating is hitting a new low.

Biden stands at 34% approval and 66% disapproval in a Marquette Law School national poll conducted Dec. 2-11 and released on Wednesday.

That is down four percentage points from October and the lowest approval for Biden in Marquette Law School polling since the president took over in the White House four years ago.

The president’s approval stands in the mid-30s to low-40s in the latest national surveys, including the most recent Fox News national poll, where Biden stands at 41% approval.

WHERE TRUMP AND BIDEN STAND IN THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLL 

President Biden attends a holiday party at the White House on Dec. 16, 2024 in Washington D.C. (AP )

Biden’s approval rating hovered in the low to mid 50s during his first six months in the White House. However, the president’s numbers started sagging in August 2021 in the wake of Biden’s much-criticized handling of the turbulent U.S. exit from Afghanistan and following a surge in COVID-19 cases that summer, mainly among unvaccinated people.

The plunge in the president’s approval was also fueled by soaring inflation – which started spiking in the summer of 2021 and remains to date a major pocketbook concern with Americans – and the surge of migrants trying to cross into the U.S. along the southern border with Mexico. 

TRUMP MOVES ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS FORMALLY BECOMING PRESIDENT

President-elect Donald Trump ended his first term in office at 47% approval, according to Fox News polling from four years ago.

The new Marquette survey indicates that 53% of adults nationwide say they approve of the way Trump handled his job during his first term in the White House (2017-2021), a three point increase from their October poll. 

“This is Trump’s highest approval rating since March, when this question of retrospective approval was first asked in the Marquette Law School Poll’s national surveys,” the survey’s release highlights.

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP/Evan Vucci)

The survey also indicates the public’s divided on Trump’s Cabinet appointments for his second administration, some of which have sparked controversy.

Forty-nine percent of respondents approved of Trump’s handling of cabinet appointments, with 51% disapproving.

According to the Fox News poll, which was conducted Dec. 6-9, 47% approved of the job Trump is doing on picking his cabinet, with 50% giving a thumbs down.

Trump’s favorable rating stands at 49% favorable and 50% unfavorable in the Marquette survey, his highest in his post-first administration period.

New polling gives insight into how Americans view President Biden, left, and President-elect Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson and Evan Vucci)

The president stands at 37% favorable and 62% unfavorable.

Vice President Kamala Harris has a favorable rating of 41% and an unfavorable rating of 57% in the new poll. That is a decline from 45% favorable and 51% unfavorable in the October poll, when Harris was the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.

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Vice President-elect Sen. JD Vance has 35% favorable and 47% unfavorable rating in the new survey.

The Marquette Law School poll has an overall sampling error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.

President-elect Donald Trump has a new game plan for Herschel Walker, his longtime friend, ally and former football star.

Three years after Trump handpicked Walker to run for the Senate in his home state of Georgia in a crucial, combative, expensive and high-profile Senate race, the president-elect is now selecting his friend to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the Caribbean nation of the Bahamas.

“Herschel has spent decades serving as an ambassador to our nation’s youth, our men and women in the military, and athletes at home and abroad,” Trump said in a statement Tuesday night on social media, as he pointed to Walker’s resume, which includes serving as co-chair of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition during Trump’s first term in the White House.

HERSCHEL WALKER PROVES THAT IT’S NEVER TOO LATE

Former college football star Herschel Walker, right, speaks at a political rally as former President Donald Trump applauds, in Perry, Georgia, on Sept. 25, 2021. (REUTERS/Dustin Chambers)

Walker is a former professional and college football star running back who won a Heisman Trophy and helped propel the University of Georgia to a national championship.

His friendship with the former and future president goes back to his days playing for the Trump-owned New Jersey Generals USFL football team in the 1980s. Walker also was a major Trump supporter and surrogate in the 2020 presidential election.

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In August 2021, Walker launched a Republican Senate campaign in Georgia after months of support and encouragement from Trump to run for office.

Walker, a first-time politician, was dogged during his Senate run by controversial statements and damaging revelations about his personal life and business career.

Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker of Georgia holds a campaign rally on Oct. 27, 2022 in Cumming, Georgia. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

The race between Walker and Democratic incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock ended up being one of the most closely watched Senate battles in the 2022 midterms. The contest went into overtime, with Walker ending up narrowly losing to Warnock in a runoff election in December of that year.

MEET TRUMP’S CABINET AND OTHER TOP ADMINISTRATION PICKS

This year, Walker joined Trump on the campaign trail in Georgia days before Election Day, as the former president carried the key southeastern battleground state after narrowly losing it to President Biden four years ago.

Former NFL running back and former Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Herschel Walker addresses the crowd at a rally for former President Donald Trump, on Nov. 3, 2024 in Macon, Georgia. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Walker becomes the third Republican who lost a recent Senate race in Georgia to be nominated by Trump for a post in his second administration.

Former Sen. David Perdue, who lost his seat to Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff in the 2020 cycle, was selected by Trump to serve as ambassador to China, and former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who lost to Warnock in the 2020 cycle, was picked by Trump to run the Small Business Administration.

Trump’s naming of Walker as ambassador to the Bahamas is the second time this month the former football star made headlines.

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This past weekend, Walker graduated from the University of Georgia, 42 years after he last attended the school.

Billionaire and key Trump ally Elon Musk came out in opposition to House Speaker Mike Johnson’s proposed bill to keep the government funded on Wednesday.

Musk attacked the bill on social media, arguing the 1,547-page document is full of “pork.” The legislation is designed to avoid a Friday government shutdown and fund the government through March.

“This bill should not pass,” Musk wrote bluntly on X.

Republican congressional leaders have defended their plan for a stopgap spending bill, arguing it would allow President-elect Trump to have a greater influence on spending when the question comes up again in the spring.

MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN AFTER TRUMP ENDORSEMENT

Vivek Ramaswamy, another ally of Trump, expressed skepticism of the bill Tuesday night, but did not oppose it outright.

“Currently reading the 1,547-page bill to fund the government through mid-March. Expecting every U.S. Congressman & Senator to do the same,” Ramaswamy wrote on X.

Trump himself has not weighed in on the budget battle, but several GOP lawmakers had expressed skepticism of a large funding package earlier this week.

DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER

“We talked with the speaker up until this weekend, the only discussion was ‘How long is this clean CR going to be?’ And suddenly we find out – I heard rumors over the weekend – they’re negotiating with a health care package that included PBM stuff,” Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital before the bill released on Tuesday.

“PBM stuff” refers to a provision in the bill lessening the influence of pharmacy benefit managers.

SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk speaks during an America PAC town hall on Oct. 26, 2024, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Johnson has given lawmakers three days to read the bill, setting up a vote for Friday. He has argued that the bill’s massive bulk is due to natural disasters and other incidents that must be paid for but are out of the government’s control, rather than the omnibus spending plans of previous years.

REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE’S MUSK, RAMASWAMY

The bill includes $100 billion in disaster relief for Hurricanes Milton and Helene, as well as $8 billion for the rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.

Speaker Mike Johnson proposed his continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown on Tuesday. (Getty Images)

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The GOP currently holds just a one-seat majority in the House, meaning Johnson will likely have to rely on Democratic votes to pass the bill. The legislation must also pass the Senate by the Friday deadline to avoid a shutdown.

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Republicans are looking to stop welfare and other benefits from going to illegal immigrants paroled into the U.S. — and they are angling to pass it through the budget reconciliation process, bypassing the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) is introducing the “America First Act” on Wednesday, which would change the requirements outlined in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act to explicitly exclude people in the country illegally, including those granted asylum, those who are paroled into the country or people being withheld from deportation. 

FARM STATE REPUBLICANS APPEAR SKEPTICAL ABOUT RFK JR AMID HIS QUEST FOR HHS CONFIRMATION

Lee is hoping to pass the measure through budget reconciliation.  (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

These individuals would not be eligible to receive welfare benefits, including participation in programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or certain housing benefits. 

“For years, Americans have been told that illegal immigrants are barred from receiving federal benefits to distract from Washington’s complete failure to secure our borders,” said Lee in a statement. “This is a lie. Millions of illegal immigrants ‘paroled’ into the United States, many for fraudulent asylum claims, have gained the ability to access welfare and aid programs originally designed to help American families, not attract and support massive populations of foreign citizens. The America First Act pulls the plug on this criminal redistribution scheme forced upon the American people by Joe Biden and generations of dishonest politicians.”

The bill is also being introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas and Jodey Arrington, R-Texas. 

RFK JR. SAYS HE PLANS TO ALSO MEET WITH DEMS IN BID TO GET CONFIRMED AS TRUMP HHS HEAD

Border Patrol picks up a group of asylum seekers from an aid camp at the US-Mexico border near Sasabe, Arizona, US, on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (Justin Hamel/Getty Images)

Many bills have met their doom in the Senate as a result of the legislative filibuster, which can block measures that fail to reach 60 votes on a cloture motion.

However, when a policy is passed through budget reconciliation, which Republicans are set to use in the new Congress to pass key priorities of President-elect Donald Trump, it can be advanced with just a simple majority. 

ELIZABETH WARREN WANTS ANSWERS FROM TRUMP OVER ELON MUSK ‘CONFLICTS OF INTEREST’

This is how Lee, Roy and Arrington are hoping to get their legislation over the finish line. The Utah senator is currently negotiating to have the policy included in the upcoming budget reconciliation package, where it would act as a “pay-for” for other items, such as border security. 

Lee’s office pointed to the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) July report on the “Effects of the Immigration Surge on the Federal Budget and the Economy.” As the senator’s team highlighted, the CBO revealed, “The immigration surge adds $0.3 trillion to outlays for federal mandatory programs and net spending for interest on the debt over the 2024–2034 period in CBO’s projections.” 

DOGE CAUCUS FOUNDING MEMBER DEBUTS 2 BILLS TO KICK-START WASTE CUTS IN TRUMP TERM

Roy and Arrington are introducing the bill in the House.  (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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The Republican bill would additionally remove eligibility of these outlined non-citizens for various educational, healthcare and housing benefits, disaster aid or tax credits. 

The White House did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication. 

President-elect Trump continued with his trolling of Canada early Wednesday, slamming U.S. subsidies to its northern neighbor and again claiming that Canadians supposedly want to become the 51st U.S. state. 

In a post on his social media platform, Trump wrote: “No one can answer why we subsidize Canada to the tune of over $100,000,000 a year?” 

“Makes no sense! Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State. They would save massively on Taxes and military protection,” Trump wrote.

The post comes amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Canada over the incoming president’s plans to impose 25% tariffs on Canada for failing to address trade and immigration issues.  

TRUMP WEIGHS IN ON POLITICAL TURMOIL IN THE ‘GREAT STATE OF CANADA,’ TROLLS ‘GOVERNOR JUSTIN TRUDEAU’

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a campaign rally at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on October 15, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.  (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew to Mar-a-Lago in an effort to discuss the issue. Sources say that Trump became animated when it came to the U.S. trade deficit with Canada, which he estimated to be more than $100 billion. 

TRUMP MAKES A BLIZZARD OF NEWS, SHOWS RESTRAINT AT PRESSER, EVEN WHILE SLAMMING MEDIA

Trump reportedly suggested to Trudeau that if tariffs on Canada would kill its economy, then perhaps Canada should become the 51st U.S. state. 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends a fireside chat with the Halifax Chamber of Commerce in Halifax Monday Dec. 9, 2024.  (Riley Smith/The Canadian Press via AP)

Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on Canadian imports, meanwhile, as unnerved Canada, which is highly integrated with the U.S. economy. 

About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports as well. 

A Canadian Customs and Fisheries officer watches over the U.S.-Canada border between Blaine, Washington and White Rock, British Columbia.

Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for.

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Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian – or $2.7 billion U.S. – worth of goods and services cross the border each day. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

The FBI field office in Newark urged New Jersey residents this week not to shoot down drones or point lasers at manned aircraft, taking to social media to warn against the dangerous — and possibly deadly — activity, which comes amid an uptick in reported drone sightings along the U.S. East Coast.

The drone sightings have prompted a collective sense of panic among residents, who have taken to social media to share photos and videos of believed drones captured in the darkened U.S. skies. The shared sense of fear-mongering has also prompted some vigilante-like responses, with some social media users documenting efforts to take matters into their own hands, including via laser beam. 

In the statement, released by the FBI and New Jersey State Police, authorities expressly warned against such activities, citing an increase in pilots of manned aircraft in the area who have been hit in the eyes with lasers after being misidentified as a drone by someone on the ground. 

‘DRONE’ SIGHTINGS IN THE NORTHEAST SPARK ‘UNFOUNDED’ PANIC, SAYS EXPERT

New Jersey State Assemblyman Paul Kanitra took a photo of what appears to be multiple drones hovering in the New Jersey sky on Thursday, Dec. 13. (Paul Kanitra / “Fox News @ Night”)

Officials said there is also a concern that people on the ground could also mistakenly fire weapons at what they believe to be an Unmanned Aircraft Systems, or UAS, but is in fact a manned aircraft.

“FBI Newark, NJSP, and dozens of other agencies and law enforcement partners have been out every night for several weeks to legally track down operators acting illegally or with nefarious intent and using every available tool and piece of equipment to find the answers the public is seeking,” the authorities said in the statement. “However, there could be dangerous and possibly deadly consequences if manned aircraft are targeted mistakenly as UAS.”

They also noted how easy it can be for an individual on the ground to mistake a manned aircraft for a UAS. 

“Misidentification often occurs when UAS are mistaken for more familiar objects such as manned aircraft, low-orbit satellites, or celestial bodies like planets or stars,” they said. 

“To improve accuracy and prevent false sightings, a variety of tools and techniques can be used to assist with the visual identification of suspected UAS. Accurate identification is critical for maintaining safety and ensuring appropriate responses to UAS activity.”

MORE THAN 20 DAYS INTO PHENOMENON, PENTAGON STILL HAS NO ANSWERS ABOUT ORIGINS OF MYSTERIOUS NJ DRONES

Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., called for FISA reforms. (House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth )

The statement from the FBI field office and state police comes as New Jersey residents and lawmakers have voiced frustrations about the uptick in drone sightings and what they view as a lack of answers they have been given by the federal government in response.

Still, U.S. officials have sought to emphasize that the aircraft in question are not, in fact, a national security threat. Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, stressed to reporters during a briefing Tuesday that the drones are any sort of government asset, and ruled out the notion that they were any part of “experimental program” being tested by the U.S.

In a joint statement Monday, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense said that, while they “recognize the concern” from the general public, there is no evidence that the drones are “anomalous” or a threat to public safety or to U.S. national security.

Separately, senior officials from the CIA, FBI, and DOD traveled to Capitol Hill Tuesday afternoon to brief lawmakers on the House Intelligence Committee on the uptick in drone sightings.

A social media user said she filmed several drones hovering over Fairfield, Connecticut on Thursday night.  (Lucy Biggers)

It is unclear, however, how far these efforts have gone to thwart the rise in public concerns.

The FBI said Monday that it has received more than 5,000 reports of alleged drone sightings in the last “few weeks” — reflecting the rise in panic from some residents, including many who have taken to social media to document their sightings on social media. 

Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, R-Conn., used an interview on “Fox News Sunday” to call on more federal agencies — including the Federal Aviation Administration — to share more information about the drone sightings with the public.

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“The FAA in particular, which is the agency of jurisdiction through the domestic skies, ought to be out Saturday morning saying, ‘Let’s show you a picture at the number of aircraft, commercial and private and military, that go over New Jersey in any 24-hour period,’” Himes said.

“Just putting information out there to fill that vacuum would be helpful,” he added.

I’m not thrilled that Donald Trump has renewed his attack on the “corrupt media.”

Fresh off his $15-million victory over ABC and George Stephanopoulos, Trump yesterday sued the Des Moines Register and gold-standard pollster Ann Selzer over a bad survey. She projected him losing by 4 points, and he won the state by 13 points. He called this “brazen election interference.”

Trump is also pursuing legal action against CBS for the “60 Minutes” blunder in substituting a crisper Kamala Harris response to a different question than was asked. But the network can argue that this was normal television editing.

Trump is unlikely to win those suits, but he doesn’t care. Just putting his perceived opponents through the ordeal and considerable expense of defending themselves is reward enough.

A KINDER, GENTLER TRUMP? PRESIDENT-ELECT TAKING A MORE MODERATE STANCE

Most legal experts say ABC could have won its suit, involving Stephanopoulos’ repeatedly saying Trump was found liable for “rape,” as opposed to “sexual abuse,” in the E. Jean Carroll suit, because of the malice standard for a public figure. Trump would have to prove the network knowingly showed reckless disregard for the truth. But ABC would have endured the embarrassment of turning over emails, texts and cell-phone records.

What surprised me, though, was that the president-elect shifted to attack mode just days after saying he had “tamed” the press and was getting better coverage. So much for the cease-fire.

But some of Trump’s more positive aspects were on display during the hourlong presser, a seriousness of purpose that I saw in our New York interview two weeks before the election.

Following his $16 million legal victory over ABC, President-elect Trump appears to once again have the so-called “corrupt media” in his crosshairs. (Getty Images)

I’ve known Donald Trump for more than three decades, interviewed him twice this year, and now that we’re done with the sometimes incendiary rhetoric of the campaign, he sounds different.

With apparently boundless energy at 78, he deliberately speaks a bit more slowly and softly, while moderating his positions on a number of divisive issues. He knows how to deflect questions he shouldn’t answer, such as “Will you retaliate against Iran.” He threw in phrases like “maybe it was my fault,” deflating any superhuman image. He recently admitted it would be hard to get grocery prices down.

The incoming president was asked whether Republican senators who oppose his nominees should be primaried. His response was carefully composed.

TRUMP THREATENS MORE LAWSUITS AGAINST MEDIA AS ABC TO PAY $15 MILLION TO SETTLE CASE

“If they are unreasonable, I’ll give you a different answer. An answer that you’ll be shocked to hear. If they’re unreasonable, if they’re opposing somebody for political reasons or stupid reasons, I would say it has nothing to do with me. I would say they probably would be primaried, but, if they’re reasonable, fair, and really disagree with something or somebody, I could see that happening.”

Of course it’s Trump who determines what’s reasonable or fair.

Asked about the parade of Silicon Valley executives who have come or are coming to Mar-a-Lago – the leaders of Meta, Amazon, Google, Apple and others – Trump noted they were “very hostile” in his first term (“and maybe that was my fault, but I don’t really think so”). It doesn’t hurt that Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos are kicking in a million bucks for his inauguration.

“One of the big differences” is that “everybody was fighting me” in the first term. Now, “everybody wants to be my friend. I don’t know, my personality changed or something.” That was tongue in cheek.

What was striking about the press conference was how much news Trump made on a wide range of subjects, some of which barely got mentioned. 

He weighed in on the bogus Duke rape accuser, who finally admitted that she lied back in 2006, saying life would never be the same for the lacrosse players who did nothing wrong. He talked about how the Biden team was not leveling with the public about the drones. He described the “sickness” of those who positively view the alleged murderer of the UnitedHealthcare CEO. He backed the polio vaccine. He defended Pete Hegseth. He talked Venezuela and Syria and Turkey and North Korea and Bibi. He ruminated about TikTok. 

Round-the-clock Trump coverage looks like it’s making its comeback – and a month early, to boot. (Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images)

There was a sense of deja vu, a stark reminder of how Trump was a round-the-clock source of news in the first term, even when he was talking to reporters he disliked, sometimes denigrating them or counterpunching against their coverage. The contrast with the soon-to-be Former Guy, who made no news on the weekends that he usually spent in Delaware or at Camp David, could hardly be greater.

So beyond the full-throated attack on the media, long his favorite foil, the Incoming Guy actually showed restraint and nuance and was clearly enjoying himself.

Now maybe Trump has just been in a bad mood the last couple of days. After Judge Juan Merchan refused to toss out the hush money conviction on grounds that his private actions were not covered by the recent Supreme Court ruling on official acts, the incoming president yesterday posted this:

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“Merchan, who is far worse and even more corrupt than [Jack] Smith in his fight for my hopeless political opponents, just cannot let go of this charade. Is it because of his conflicts and relations that he keeps breaking the Law? This has to stop!… 

“In a completely illegal, psychotic order, the deeply conflicted, corrupt, biased, and incompetent Acting Justice Juan Merchan has completely disrespected the United States Supreme Court, and its Historic Decision on Immunity. But even without Immunity, this illegitimate case is nothing but a Rigged Hoax.”

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Now there’s the Donald we all came to know during the trial.

President-elect Trump weighed in on the political turmoil in the “great state of Canada” after the finance minister resigned from her post amid a disagreement with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over how to handle possible U.S. tariffs under the incoming Trump administration. 

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned from her post Monday. 

“The Great State of Canada is stunned as the Finance Minister resigns, or was fired, from her position by Governor Justin Trudeau,” Trump posted to his Truth Social Tuesday, trolling Trudeau, after previously suggesting Canada should become the 51st state in the USA. 

“Her behavior was totally toxic, and not at all conducive to making deals which are good for the very unhappy citizens of Canada. She will not be missed!!!” 

TRUMP SUGGESTS CANADA BECOME 51ST STATE AFTER TRUDEAU SAID TARIFF WOULD KILL ECONOMY: SOURCES

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with President-elect Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida Friday to discuss topics like the economy, illegal immigration and a proposed 25% tariff. (Justin Trudeau X)

Freeland’s resignation raises questions about Trudeau’s political future, amid concerns about inflation and immigration.

Now, Trudeau is facing calls to resign from critics. However, a no-confidence vote in the government is not imminent. 

Trudeau last month traveled to Mar-a-Lago unannounced after Trump threatened to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products. Specifically, Trump is threatening to impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico over their failures to curb the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs from those countries into the U.S.

Trump called the meeting “very productive.” The president-elect told the prime minister if Canada cannot fix the border issues and trade deficit, he will levy a 25% tariff on all Canadian goods his first day back in office.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau  (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)

Trudeau told Trump he cannot levy the tariff because it would kill the Canadian economy. Trump replied, asking something along the lines of, “So, your country can’t survive unless it’s ripping off the U.S. to the tune of $100 billion?”

TRUMP BOASTS OF ‘VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING’ WITH CANADIAN PM TRUDEAU AT MAR-A-LAGO

Trump then suggested to Trudeau that Canada become the 51st state, prompting the prime minister and others to laugh nervously, sources told Fox News.

But he continued, telling Trudeau that prime minister is a better title, though he could still be governor of the 51st state.

Sources told Fox News someone at the table chimed in and advised Trump that Canada would be a liberal state, which received even more laughter. Trump suggested Canada could become two states, a conservative and a liberal one.

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While sources say the exchange got many laughs, Trump delivered the message that he expected change by Jan. 20.

The nearly three-hour conversation continued about various other topics. By the end, the Canadian guests called the dinner “very friendly and very positive,” though no reference was made to becoming the 51st state.

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

Members of Congress are vulnerable. They’re not super men and women. They are of flesh and bone like anyone else.

A series of unconnected events in recent days spoke to the vulnerabilities of those who work on Capitol Hill as health scares impacted three well-known Congressional figures.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., fell during the weekly Senate lunch last week. DC Fire and Rescue came to the Capitol to evaluate the GOP leader after he cut his face and sprained his wrist. He was spotted later wearing a brace on his arm which stretched across his hand and thumb. He was initially “cleared to resume his schedule.” However, McConnell did not appear at the Capitol later in the week and his office said he was working from home. 

He suffered a concussion last year after falling at a hotel and was out for two months. McConnell also froze up at several news conferences – both in Washington and in Kentucky. He fell at his home in 2019, fracturing his shoulder.

DOGE CAUCUS FOUNDING MEMBER DEBUTS 2 BILLS TO KICK-START WASTE CUTS IN TRUMP TERM

Facade of the US Capitol.  (Valerie Plesch/picture alliance via Getty Images)

The 83-year-old McConnell leaves his position as the top Republican in the Senate in early January, but will remain in the chamber. McConnell is the longest-serving leader of either party in Senate history.

McConnell did not appear at what is presumably the final Senate GOP leadership news conference of the year Tuesday. He also didn’t attend a ceremony with the other top bipartisan, bicameral Congressional leaders to light the Capitol menorah for Hanukkah.

McConnell isn’t the only prominent lawmaker to stumble lately.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was hospitalized in Germany after a tumble that resulted in her hip needing to be replaced. She was there with other lawmakers for the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge.

PLANES, STARS AND HOBBYISTS: LAWMAKERS INSIST NOTHING ‘NEFARIOUS’ IS HAPPENING IN NJ SKIES

“I was right next to her,” said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas. “She likes to wear high heels. Very high. She was on one of her last steps on this marble staircase that didn’t have a railing, and she lost her footing and fell to the ground.”

 McCaul later said he spoke to Pelosi on the phone.

 “She had a lot of energy. Very spunky,” McCaul said of the former Speaker.

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi speaks during Nancy Pelosi in conversation with Katie Couric at 92NY on October 24, 2024 in New York City.  (John Lamparski/Getty Images)

FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI INJURED, HOSPITALIZED WHILE TRAVELING TO LUXEMBOURG

Retired Rear Admiral Barry Black isn’t a senator, but frankly, his commanding, rumbling bass is better known than the voice of many senators. Always sporting his signature bow tie, Black has served as Senate Chaplain since 2003. He suffered a subdural hematoma and bleeding on the brain last week and has been hospitalized.

“Chaplain Black is one of the most beloved individuals in the entire Senate. Every day we gavel into session, he is always here to start us off in prayer, delivered with his profound sense of wisdom, grace, and eloquence,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

The only thing more resonant than Black’s powerful vocal instrument are his words. Black artfully weaves friendly, pastoral counsel into his daily intercessions. He prayed that senators “not permit fatigue or cynicism to jeopardize friendships” in 2019 ahead of the first impeachment trial of President-elect Trump.

Pelosi was in Luxembourg on Friday with a bipartisan Congressional delegation “to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge,” a spokesperson said. (Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg)

During the 2013 government shutdown, Black gently chided senators who shuttered the government – even though U.S. Capitol Police remained on the job and were injured during a wild car chase and shootout which locked down the Congressional complex.

“Deliver us from the hypocrisy of attempting to sound reasonable while being unreasonable,” prayed Black.

There’s not a lot which is reasonable on Capitol Hill, and perhaps the most unreasonable thing heard over the past week came from U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger.

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While the chief was just the messenger, Manger informed a Senate committee that his department recorded a staggering 700 individual threats of violence lodged against lawmakers in November alone. More horrifically, Manger said there were a record 55 “swatting” calls made against lawmakers at their homes.

“Swatting” is where someone phones in a fake distress call. Police then dispatch the “SWAT” team to the address, generally rattling the intended targets.

“It used to be that if you know when you went home, you might be able to relax a little bit while,” Manger testified to the Senate Rules Committee. “Those days are gone.”

Threats were called in on Thanksgiving Day to the entire Connecticut House and Senate delegation.

Some lawmakers face more problems than others.

“I’m sadly the record holder possibly for swatting calls,” lamented Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.

And these faux threats sometimes result in utter calamity for innocent bystanders.

Rome, Ga., bomb squad member David Metroka was racing to join the rest of his team at Greene’s house when he crashed into a car driven by Tammie Pickelsimer. She later died at a hospital.

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U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., speaks ahead of the arrival of Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump during a campaign rally at the Johnny Mercer Theatre on September 24, 2024 in Savannah, Ga. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

In fact, the threat to Greene’s residence wasn’t even unfolding in real time. It was emailed to local police and wound up in a junk email folder. Officers found the message several days later and dispatched the bomb squad.

How do lawmakers protect themselves in such a supercharged environment?

“I’m a gun owner,” said Greene. “It’s extremely important to be able to defend myself if need be.”

Lawmakers have long faced threats. Some of the most tragic, chaotic moments in recent Congressional history have involved violence. January 6. The shooting of former Reps. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and Ron Barber, D-Ariz. The Congressional baseball practice shooting, which nearly killed House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.

And then there is something else which spooked everyone who works on Capitol Hill, especially lawmakers who have been targeted before: A recent cold-blooded assassination in Midtown Manhattan.

“I find it troubling that there have been public figures who either have been silent or have come dangerously close to rationalizing the assassination of (UnitedHealthcare CEO) Brian Thompson,” said Rep. Richie Torres, D-N.Y. “If we as a society accept the notion that political differences can be resolved by violence, then that’s the end of our civilization.”

 “I think the worst part of that is when you saw the reaction where people are supporting the murderer,” added Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Ohio.

At some point, the threats may be too much for lawmakers.

“We’re not here to put ourselves or our families in danger,” said Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt.

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Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., has served in Congress since 1997.

“The level of contempt, the level of hatred has risen,” said Smith. “When I arrived as a freshman, I would have never for a second thought that I was in any greater physical danger because I was a member of Congress than anybody else walking in the street.”

 But that’s the reality of Congress.

 And everyone is vulnerable.

EXCLUSIVE – Ahead of President-elect Trump’s inauguration, conservatives in the most populous red state in America are launching a new Texas Republican Leadership Fund (TRLF) to elect “true” conservatives to crucial leadership roles.

Despite being led by a strongly conservative Republican governor and having a commanding majority in the legislature, the last four Texas House speakers have been elected through the support of Democrats. The result has been Democrats exercising an outsized level of power and influence in the largest Republican state in the nation. An inside track with the Texas speaker also gives Democrats significant control over some of the most important issues affecting the nation, such as enforcement of Texas’ more than 1,250 miles of border.

Alex Fairly, the TRLF’s principal donor, told Fox News Digital it is time for that to change.

TRLF, which is officially registering with the Texas Ethics Commission Tuesday and launching with $20 million of initial funding, has the support of many of Texas’ most influential leaders who are intent on making the state the definitive leader in conservative politics.

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A Texas flag attached to a bike waves in downtown Austin with the state Capitol dome in the background. (Reuters)

While he hopes that all Republicans in the Texas House will stand with the caucus to elect a conservative leader, Fairly said the $20 million will be available for use in the primaries and upcoming 2026 general election to hold elected officials “accountable” if they side with a Democratic-backed speaker.

According to Fairly, Texas conservatives are fed up with lukewarm Republicans cutting backroom deals with Democrats in the state legislature. And as Trump prepares to return to the White House in January, he said it will be more important than ever for Texas to support the new administration’s agenda through strong conservative leadership at the state level.

“Texas leads the way on many of the biggest conservative issues,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any question that having a Republican majority in the House… has a massive impact on what happens across the country and supporting President Trump and his agenda.”

This comes amid an ongoing battle in the Texas legislature over who will be the next speaker of the House. The most recent speaker, Rep. Dade Phelan, who came to power in 2021, dropped out from consideration after facing intense criticism from Republicans for failing to pass key conservative priorities such as school choice and for his role in the unsuccessful impeachment effort against vocal Trump ally Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

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Speaker Dade Phelan presides over the House, Aug. 26, 2021, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Now, the Texas House of Representatives is set to elect a new speaker on Jan. 14. There are two frontrunners: Phelan ally Rep. Dustin Burrows and Rep. David Cook, who is backed by more hardline conservatives.

After going to the Democratic side of the aisle to help him secure the necessary 76 votes to win the speakership, Burrows declared the race over.  

However, Burrows’ attempt to bargain with Democrats has caused outrage from many conservatives, even including Donald Trump Jr., who said the move was not in line with voters’ election night “mandate” to Republicans. 

“It’s unbelievable what is happening in Texas right now,” he said on X. “There is a group of so-called Republicans cutting a deal with liberal Democrats to elect a speaker instead of uniting behind the Republican nominee, @DavidCookTexas! Unbelievable! Republicans have a mandate!”

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Fairly said that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott “carried the load for most of the nation” on the border security issue during the “darker years” of the Biden administration. (Shelby Tauber/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Fairly, who is an entrepreneur and health care executive who has been a vocal supporter of school choice, says the race for the speakership is not set in stone. This time, he believes there is strong resolve among Texas Republicans to stop moderates from handing over control to the Democrats.

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“In spite of the progress made in this past election cycle toward… conservative priorities, there may still be work to do in the next primary cycle,” he said. “These funds will be available to help expand a true Republican majority.”

“Democrats don’t give their votes away for free, they want things in return,” he went on. “So, we end up with a House that’s not really run by the majority, it’s co-run by Democrats and a minority of Republicans. It just puts Texas in just such a weak position to accomplish what we could if we really were led by a majority of Republicans.”

“This time we’re bringing this out into the light.”  

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told Fox News Digital he plans to meet with Senate Democrats, in addition to Republicans, as he looks to shore up support for confirmation as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in President-elect Trump’s incoming administration. 

Asked by Fox News Digital whether he would be meeting with Democrats on the Hill as well, Kennedy, a former Democrat himself, said, “Oh yeah.” 

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks to reporters at the Nassau County Supreme Court in Mineola, New York, on Aug. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah, Pool)

However, the former independent presidential candidate didn’t say which Senate Democrats he would meet. 

“I don’t know,” he said when asked by reporters. 

Kennedy kicked off his Capitol Hill meetings for his HHS bid on Monday, meeting with several Republicans. No Democratic senators were included in a list of dozens of lawmakers that he was set to meet with at the beginning of the week. 

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Former President Trump shakes hands with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a campaign rally at the Desert Diamond Arena, Aug. 23, 2024, in Glendale, Arizona. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Last month, Trump announced Kennedy as his HHS pick. The two were initially running against each other in the 2024 election before Kennedy dropped out and endorsed Trump. 

Kennedy’s confirmation could face several obstacles, particularly when it comes to vaccines, agriculture and abortion. 

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services building in Washington on July 13, 2020. (Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

He has been an outspoken skeptic of vaccinations, which some Republican and Democrat senators have pointed to as a concern. 

Kennedy is also pro abortion rights and has supported abortion access throughout his life, which has left some Republicans with questions, as HHS has some authority over regulations that apply to abortion and those who provide them. 

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RFK Jr has been a top vaccine critic. (iStock)

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His critiques of the food industry and farming have given him some appeal with Democrats, but at the same time, Republicans representing agricultural states have stressed that they want to protect farmers and ranchers from certain burdensome policies and regulations.  

It’s unclear what exactly the coalition supporting Kennedy will look like in the Senate, whether he will have the support of all Republicans or if some Democrats will be needed to get him over the finish line.