Trump transition team asks 3 State Department officials to resign: report
Trump’s transition team has reportedly asked three senior career diplomats to step down from their roles, according to Reuters. Dereck Hogan, Marcia Bernicat and Alaina Teplitz, the career diplomats who were allegedly asked to leave their roles, oversee the State Department’s workforce and internal coordination. This request could signal the Trump team’s desire to implement major changes within the department. “There’s a little bit of a concern that this might be setting the stage for something worse,” a U.S. official familiar with the matter told Reuters. All three of the career diplomats named in the report have worked under Democratic and Republican administrations, Reuters noted. Unlike political appointees, diplomats do not typically resign when a president leaves office. RUBIO TO PITCH FOREIGN POLICY CREDENTIALS TO SENATE AS HE VIES TO BECOME AMERICA’S TOP DIPLOMAT Throughout his political career, Trump has gone after the “deep state,” and this move could be seen as part of his efforts to fundamentally change the government on a bureaucratic level. “It is entirely appropriate for the transition to seek officials who share President Trump’s vision for putting our nation and America’s working men and women first. We have a lot of failures to fix and that requires a committed team focused on the same goals,” Trump’s team told Reuters in response to a request for comment. WHO IS DONALD TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST ENVOY STEVE WITKOFF? This report comes as the world sees itself in the middle of a chaotic period with wars between Ukraine and Russia, and Israel and Hamas raging. While there are those who are skeptical at best when it comes to Trump’s foreign policy plans, others see shifts on the world stage as early signs of success. JOHN KIRBY SAYS BIDEN, TRUMP WORKED AS ‘ONE TEAM’ IN SECURING CEASE-FIRE DEAL One of the hallmark foreign policy moves of Trump’s first term was the Abraham Accords, which saw peace break out in the Middle East. After more than a year of fighting, Israel and Hamas have come close to ending their war. In fact, Biden White House national security communications adviser John Kirby recognized Trump’s incoming Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff as a key figure in brokering the potential deal. “The president made it clear to us on the national security team that we needed to make sure that the Trump team, in particular Mr. Witkoff, were part and parcel and fully invested in everything we were doing because they were going to own it when we left office,” Kirby told “Your World” on Wednesday. A spokesperson for the Trump transition team did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Blackmailed by uncle over private photos, 24-year-old techie dies by suicide at Bengaluru hotel
A 24-year-old techie died by suicide after setting herself ablaze in a hotel room based in Karnataka’s Bengaluru, NDTV reported.
145 House Dems vote against bill to deport migrants who commit sexual assault
More than 140 Democrats voted against a House bill to deport illegal immigrants convicted of sex crimes on Thursday. The legislation passed along bipartisan lines in a 274 to 145 vote. All present Republicans supported the bill, while the opposition was all made up of Democratic lawmakers. The bill was first introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., in the 118th Congress but was not taken up by the formerly Democrat-controlled Senate. At the time, 158 Democrats voted against the bill. “Our country has been ravaged by a horror of illegal immigrants…violently raping American women and girls,” Mace said during debate on the bill. “I know the lifelong scars, the irreversible scars, these heinous crimes leave behind.” Elon Musk has notably been among the bill’s most ardent supporters, even calling for lawmakers who voted against it to lose their House seats. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON TRUMP’S RETURN TO THE WHITE HOUSE “There is no excuse. Please post the list of people who opposed this law and want to keep illegals who are convicted sex offenders in America,” Musk wrote on X in response to a conservative influencer discussing the bill. “They all need to be voted out of office. Every one of them.” In addition to deporting immigrants convicted of sex crimes, the legislation would also deem illegal immigrants who admit to domestic violence or sex-related charges — or are convicted of them — to be inadmissible in the U.S. However, Democrats argued the bill would harm domestic abuse victims who fight back against their partners and broaden the definition of domestic violence to the detriment of survivors. GOP REVIVES ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT DETENTION BILL NAMED AFTER 12-YEAR-OLD MURDER VICTIM During debate on the bill Thursday morning, progressive Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said the bill “does absolutely nothing to address the needs of the American people” and “widens the highway to Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans.” Jayapal said it would “create a chilling effect for reporting future crimes” and “empower abusers to go after immigrant women and children.” Mace wrote on X during debate on the bill, “The Left justifying why they are against deporting r*pists, p*deophiles, and m*rderers who are here ILLEGALLY, never ceases to amaze me.” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., the No. 3 House Republican, also criticized Democrats who voted against the bill. “House Democrats’ votes against H.R. 30 should be seen for what they are: Prioritizing criminal illegal immigrants over the safety and well-being of their constituents. It’s unconscionable that we have to pass legislation like this, much less have members oppose it,” Emmer told Fox News Digital. Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, one of the Republicans who voted for the bill, argued the Biden administration’s border policies made the bill necessary and said the legislation would “ensure that any illegal immigrant who commits a sex crime or domestic violence offense is swiftly detained and deported.”
‘No better dealmaker’: Trump reportedly considering executive order to ‘save’ TikTok
President-elect Trump is seeking to “save” the popular Chinese-owned social media app TikTok, according to his transition team – even if the Supreme Court looks to enforce a federal law that could essentially outlaw it in the U.S. When questioned on Wednesday about a Washington Post report claiming that Trump might issue an executive order to prevent TikTok from being banned, Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., Trump’s pick for national security adviser, suggested that Trump could consider the move. “If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the law, President Trump has been very clear. First, TikTok is a widely used platform by many Americans and has been instrumental in his campaign and in spreading his message,” Waltz told Fox News’ Bret Baier. “But number two, he’s going to protect their data. He’s a dealmaker. I don’t want to get ahead of our executive orders, but we’re going to create this space to put that deal in place.” SUPREME COURT APPEARS SKEPTICAL OF BLOCKING US BAN ON TIKTOK: WHAT TO KNOW Karoline Leavitt, the Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman, echoed that sentiment on Thursday. “President Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to save TikTok, and there’s no better dealmaker than Donald Trump,” Leavitt told Fox News Digital. A recent law giving the company nine months to either divest from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or be removed from U.S.-based app stores and hosting services was the subject of oral arguments heard by the Supreme Court in January. Trump’s attorneys filed an amicus brief in the case in December, urging the Supreme Court to delay a potential ban until Trump takes office. TENNESSEE AG OPTIMISTIC ABOUT SCOTUS CASE AFTER ‘RADICAL GENDER IDEOLOGY’ REVERSAL IN LOWER COURT The Supreme Court’s decision on the fast-tracked case will determine whether the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act – a law signed by President Biden that passed Congress in April with bipartisan approval – would be enforced and restrict U.S. access to the app. There are roughly 170 million active American users on the social media app, data shows. While Trump tried to ban the app from U.S. access during his first administration, he credited TikTok for reaching young voters during the 2024 presidential campaign. Fox News Digital reached out to TikTok for comment and did not receive a response by time of publication. Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
DeSantis announces choice for Senate appointment after Rubio’s expected resignation
Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., revealed on Thursday who he plans to appoint to the Senate once Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., resigns, as he is expected to be confirmed to be President-elect Donald Trump’s Secretary of State after his inauguration. The governor selected Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to be the next senator. CONFIRMATION DELAYS STACK UP FOR TRUMP NOMINEES AS PAPERWORK LAGS IN FEDERAL OFFICES Moody has been a key ally of DeSantis in the state and worked in tandem with him to facilitate his agenda as governor. During his Thursday announcement, DeSantis said “So this is something that I thought about long and hard. We did a lot of research. We got a number of great candidates throughout the state of Florida, and many of them, I think, could have done a good job. But the final criteria I used was because you can say all those things and say you stand for it—I wanted somebody with a demonstrated record of delivering results on those important issues. Talk is cheap.” “We need people that have demonstrated fidelity to these principles with their actions. So that is why today I’m proud to announce that I am selecting our Attorney General, Ashley Moody, to serve as our next U.S. Senator,” he told attendees. Moody accepted the challenge and thanked the governor for choosing her. “Thank you so much. I will bring the same persistence and passion and tenacity as a United States Senator that I have brought as Florida’s Attorney General,” she said. DEM SENATOR WHO BASHED HEGSETH’S QUALIFICATIONS STANDS BY DOD SEC WHO OVERSAW BOTCHED AFGHAN WITHDRAWAL “If you have worked with me and fought with me over the last six years, you know, I don’t think of this as a job. I think of it as a calling,” she explained. When asked about potentially taking on the role on “Fox and Friends First” in November, Moody previously said, “I have my hands full here as attorney general, and I’m incredibly focused on this job, working on behalf of Floridians, making sure I’m protecting the autonomy of the state and pushing Washington out of our business and holding them accountable. Of course, I love … being in leadership, working with President Trump, working with Governor DeSantis. And I hope to continue working on behalf of Floridians.” Initially, Trump and Sens. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., endorsed Trump’s daughter-in-law and former RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump to succeed Rubio. However, she later withdrew her name from consideration. TRUMP ATTORNEY GENERAL NOMINEE PAM BONDI TO TESTIFY BEFORE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE “After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate,” she wrote on X. Following Thursday’s announcement, Scott congratulated Moody on X. “I welcome @AGAshleyMoody to the United States Senate! Ashley has done an incredible job fighting for Floridians and keeping our communities safe as Attorney General. I have no doubt she will do an incredible job as senator!” he said. DeSantis added on Thursday that he expects to appoint Moody to the Senate the afternoon of January 20, after Trump is sworn in to office. “We anticipate Senator Rubio to get confirmed very quickly after the inauguration of the 47th president, President Trump,” he said. He further thanked Rubio for his service as a senator. “I want to thank Senator Rubio for his service in the United States Senate. I think he will serve the country ably as Secretary of State and, we need it because, the last four years has been a total disaster, under the Biden-Harris administration,” the governor said.
Trump, Vance official portraits released ahead of inauguration
The Trump-Vance Transition Team unveiled on Thursday the administration’s official portraits of President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance. “In just four days, Donald J. Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States and JD Vance as the 50th Vice President of the United States — and their official portraits are here,” the team said in a statement. “Official Portraits Released — And They Go Hard,” the statement added. In the new portrait, Trump is seen with no expression, compared to his first official portrait in which he was smiling. Both Trump and Vance will be sworn-in to office on Monday, Jan. 20, in Washington, D.C.
5 Dem-supporting billionaires Biden didn’t mention while calling out political ‘oligarchy’
President Biden is warning Americans of an “ultra-wealthy” “oligarchy” taking shape that is presenting a danger to the country, but did not mention in his farewell speech Wednesday night the numerous billionaires that have supported his campaigns in recent years. Biden spoke about the “dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few, ultra-wealthy people” and said “an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights, freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead.” Here are five billionaires who have recently supported President Biden: George Soros, a left-wing billionaire, investor and philanthropist, sent $250,000 to the Biden Victory Fund in September 2023, filings reviewed by Fox News Digital show. BIDEN WARNS OF ‘ULTRA-WEALTHY’ ‘OLIGARCHY’ DESPITE ACCEPTING DONATIONS FROM DEMOCRAT MEGA-DONORS Soros’ check followed a maxed-out contribution directly to Biden’s campaign that summer. Soros and his son Alex, who recently took control of the Open Society Foundations network that funnels large amounts of money to left-wing nonprofits and causes, both pushed $6,600 to Biden’s campaign on June 30. During the last presidential election, George provided $500,000 to the Biden Victory Fund while sending millions more to super PACs backing him. Alex added $721,300 to the Biden Victory Fund in 2020. On Thursday morning, Alex Soros shared an Instagram story with a caption of Biden and the message “Joe Biden warns an ‘oligarchy’ is emerging in America in his final White House address.” LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman donated $699,600.00 on April 26, 2023, to the Biden Victory Fund, the campaign’s joint fundraising vehicle, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records. Biden attended a fundraiser that Hoffman hosted on behalf of the super PAC at the private residence of Shannon Hunt-Scott and Kevin Scott in Los Gatos, California, in June 2023. Former New York City mayor, billionaire entrepreneur and media magnate Michael Bloomberg contributed nearly $20 million to help boost President Biden in his 2024 election rematch with former President Trump, sources confirmed to Fox News last year. Bloomberg, a one-time Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat, wrote a massive $19 million check to the Future Forward PAC, known as the FF PAC, which was the leading super PAC supporting Biden’s bid for a second term in the White House. Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz announced in 2020 that he would be voting for Biden that year and would be contributing to the former vice president’s campaign. BIDEN TAKENS SOLE CREDIT FOR ISRAEL-HAMAS DEAL, WARNS OF ‘OLIGARCHY’ IN FAREWELL SPEECH “In my view, our choice this November is not just for one candidate over another,” Schultz wrote in a letter to supporters at the time. “We are choosing to vote for the future of our republic.” Schultz went on to say, “What is at risk is democracy itself: Checks and balances. Rigorous debate. A free press. An acceptance of facts, not ‘alternate facts.’ Belief in science. Trust in the rule of law. A strong judicial system. Unity in preserving all of our rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” In 2020, Biden reportedly brought in $4 million during a virtual fundraiser hosted by a small group of billionaires and other Silicon Valley donors. The virtual event was held by Climate Leaders for Biden, a group of environmental activists that includes billionaire and former Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer, according to an invitation.
Service members who refused the COVID ‘jab’ would get their jobs back and back pay, too, under new GOP bill
FIRST ON FOX: A pair of Republicans are introducing legislation that would offer service members who were fired over the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate a chance to get their jobs back and receive back pay. The AMERICANS Act, put forth by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and freshman Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., bans the Pentagon from instituting any additional COVID-19 vaccine mandates without congressional approval. It would offer reinstatement to any service member discharged solely for their refusal of the COVID vaccine and credit them for the time of their involuntary separation for retirement pay, TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM PETE HEGSETH’S SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING It would also restore the rank of anyone who was demoted over the vaccine mandate, offering them back pay and benefits for any compensation they lost as a result of their demotion. For those who do not want to rejoin service, it would restore their discharge to “honorable” to restore their GI Bill and health care benefits. In August 2021, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a requirement that troops take the COVID-19 jab for “readiness” purposes. That order was rescinded in January 2023 after lawmakers directed the Pentagon to do so in the annual defense policy bill Congress passed for that year. More than 8,400 troops were separated in the year and a half that the order was in effect. Thousands of others sought religious or medical exemptions. Austin’s repeal did not require the Pentagon to reinstate troops separated because of the mandate and stipulated that commanders would still have the authority to consider troops’ immunization status when making decisions on deployments or other assignments. He added that 96% of U.S. forces had taken the vaccine. “Our military is still dealing with the consequences of the Biden administration’s wrongful COVID-19 vaccine mandate,” Cruz said in a statement. “The AMERICANS Act would provide remedies for servicemembers whom the Biden Department of Defense punished for standing by their convictions. It’s the right thing to do.” DEM SENATOR WHO BASHED HEGSETH’S QUALIFICATIONS STANDS BY DOD SEC WHO OVERSAW BOTCHED AFGHAN WITHDRAWAL “The Biden Administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate wasn’t about science or readiness—it was about control,” said Harrigan. “As a Green Beret, I’ve seen the sacrifices our service members make firsthand, and I will not stand by while their honor is tarnished.” The legislation is in line with a pledge President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, made on Tuesday to re-recruit those who parted ways with the military over the vaccine. “Service members who were kicked out because of the experimental vaccine,” Hegseth told lawmakers, “they will be apologized to. They will be reinstituted with pay and rank.” Trump told supporters over the summer he would “rehire every patriot who was fired from the military” because of the mandate. Pentagon leadership considered offering back pay to troops after the vaccine mandate was rescinded in early 2023, but it never came to fruition. Republicans have long railed against the vaccine mandate and the separations it caused, arguing it was a detriment to morale at a time of major recruitment issues. Pentagon leaders argued that their forces had been required to get vaccines for years, particularly if they deployed overseas.
TikTok CEO to attend inauguration with front row seat at Trump’s invite
TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to accept an invitation from President-elect Donald Trump to attend his inauguration. Chew will be seated front and center on the dais with other VIP guests and fellow tech executives Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, according to a report from The New York Times. The inauguration on Jan. 20 will come one day after TikTok plans to shut down operations within the U.S. Trump is now considering an executive order to suspend enforcement of the law requiring TikTok to divest from Chinese-owned ByteDance or face a ban in the U.S. for 60 to 90 days, according to the Washington Post, to buy time to negotiate a sale or some other solution. Trump’s defense of TikTok marks a reversal from his position in 2020, when he tried to block the video-sharing app in the U.S. and force its sale to a U.S. company. TRUMP SAYS FATE OF TIKTOK SHOULD BE IN HIS HANDS WHEN HE RETURNS TO WHITE HOUSE “I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” Trump said last month. The incoming president has more than 14 million followers on the app. He met with the company’s executives in Mar-a-Lago last month. In wide, bipartisan fashion, Congress passed a law last year implementing the ban-or-sale policy, arguing the CCP uses the app to spy on Americans and spread propaganda, and ByteDance has long said TikTok is not for sale. Reports have emerged of U.S. billionaires like Musk and Kevin O’Leary lining up to put in offers for TikTok’s U.S. operations. TRUMP SETTING UP MEETING WITH PUTIN, IN COMMUNICATION WITH XI Last week, the Supreme Court considered a challenge to the law that will take effect on Jan. 19. It has not yet issued a decision but is expected to allow the law to go forward. If the court upholds the law — as a lower court did last month — TikTok’s days in the U.S. would be numbered. Trump could also push Congress to repeal the law, or direct his Department of Justice not to enforce it. His attorney general nominee Pam Bondi declined to say whether she would enforce the ban during a confirmation hearing this week. Trump took U.S. foreign policy watchers by surprise last month when he invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to his inauguration, though Xi is not expected to attend the inauguration. Despite chronic hacking by the Chinese, Trump seems to be coming in with a diplomatic tone toward Xi and his government, keeping them on their toes about Trump’s longtime promise to institute tariffs as high as 60% on their exports to the U.S. “We have a good relationship with China. I have a good relationship,” Trump told CNBC last month. “We’ve been talking and discussing with President Xi some things.”
Delhi assembly polls 2025: BJP announces fourth list of candidates, it includes…
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday, released their fourth list of candidates for the upcoming Delhi Assembly Elections. With this list, the party has confirmed a total of 68 candidates for the election.