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Trump flanked by top allies, cabinet picks at UFC 309: ‘USA, USA’

Trump flanked by top allies, cabinet picks at UFC 309: ‘USA, USA’

President-elect Trump was flanked by cabinet picks and elected officials during his appearance cageside at the UFC pay-per-view card in New York City on Saturday night. Trump was joined by top supporters turned cabinet picks as he entered Madison Square Garden to raucous cheers and chants of “USA, USA.” Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who were both picked by Trump to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, and Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s choice for director of national intelligence, joined the president-elect. He was also joined by his pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert Kennedy Jr. Along with cabinet picks, the president-elect was joined by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. DONALD TRUMP ARRIVES AT UFC 309 AT MSG; CROWD ROARS FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT WEEKS AFTER HISTORIC RALLY Trump was also accompanied by UFC President Dana White – a longtime fan of the president-elect from before his political aspirations. DONALD TRUMP HEADS TO UFC 309, EXPECTED TO RECEIVE RAUCOUS CHEERS AFTER ELECTION WIN White, who has frequented campaign events with Trump, hosted a 2001 UFC battle at Trump Taj Mahal, a former casino-hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  Trump has attended UFC matches since – including during his 2024 campaign. The stop at the historic Madison Square Garden comes after Trump made rapid-fire choices to fill his cabinet in the weeks after winning the Presidential Election on Nov. 5. On Saturday, President-elect Trump announced that Chris Wright, the CEO and founder of Liberty Energy, will lead the Department of Energy in his new administration. “I am thrilled to announce that Chris Wright will be joining my Administration as both United States Secretary of Energy, and Member of the newly formed Council of National Energy,” Trump said in a statement released Saturday. WATCH: Trump’s nominees and administration picks during his second administration are being publicly announced at a much faster pace than during his first administration in 2016, which the transition team attributed to Trump’s commitment to putting “America first.” “The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin, giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail, and his Cabinet picks reflect his priority to put America First. President Trump will continue to appoint highly qualified men and women who have the talent, experience and necessary skill sets to Make America Great Again,” Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital when asked about Trump’s speedy rollout of Cabinet picks.  Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.

Debt-ridden Harris campaign spent $2.6 million on private flights for staff in October: FEC documents

Debt-ridden Harris campaign spent .6 million on private flights for staff in October: FEC documents

Vice President Harris’ debt-ridden presidential campaign spent $2.6 million on private flights in the last few weeks of the election season, documents show. The release of the findings comes as the debt-saddled campaign, which spent $1 billion on the trail, is being scrutinized for the financial decisions it made before losing the Nov. 5 election to President-elect Trump. The campaign is believed to be $20 million in debt. The eyebrow-raising expenses were listed in a Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing obtained by Fox News Digital. According to the FEC filing, in the month of October alone, the Harris campaign spent $2,626,110 on private flights.  The costs ranged from $3,500 to $940,000 per disbursement, with $2.2 million going to a company named Private Jet Services Group, while $430,000 went to Advanced Aviation Team, a charter flight broker. TRUMP APPOINTS TULSI GABBARD AS DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: ‘FEARLESS SPIRIT’ In September, campaign staff spent $3.1 million on private flights, which brings the flight-related expense total to more than $10 million since July. The expenditures are just a few of several financial decisions for which the campaign has been intensely scrutinized. For example, Harris’ team paid Oprah Winfrey’s production company $1 million after the TV star spoke at a rally Oct. 15.  Harris staffers also gave $4 million to Village Marketing Agency, a company that connects clients with social media influencers. Additionally, FEC records show the campaign spent at least $15 million on “event production.” HERE ARE THE MOST TALKED-ABOUT CANDIDATES FOR TOP POSTS IN TRUMP’S ADMINISTRATION The campaign’s use of private jets has been criticized in recent weeks for both financial and environmental reasons. Private jets emit more greenhouse gases per passenger than commercial flights do, and Harris previously said climate change was an “existential threat.” “There’s no question we have to be practical. But being practical also recognizes that climate change is an existential threat to us as human beings,” Harris told CNN in 2019. “Being practical recognizes that greenhouse gas emissions are threatening our air and threatening the planet and that it is well within our capacity as human beings to change our behaviors in a way that we can reduce its effects.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment. Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller and Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.

Gov. JB Pritzker vows Illinois will boost sex changes after decisive Trump victory

Gov. JB Pritzker vows Illinois will boost sex changes after decisive Trump victory

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker pledged Saturday to keep his state open to transgender treatment after the issue, particularly regarding minors, became a bone of partisan contention during the presidential election. The billionaire governor, whose family is deeply involved in the transgender movement, posted the tweet to mark Transgender Awareness Week. “This Transgender Awareness Week, I want you to know that I see you and have your back as governor,” wrote Pritzker. “Illinois has enshrined protections for gender-affirming care to meet this moment — and because of that, you will have a home here always.” OHIO SENATE PASSES BILL THAT WOULD RESTRICT TRANSGENDER STUDENT ACCESS TO SCHOOL BATHROOMS His state is one of several, including Minnesota and California, critics say foster a climate that encourages some children to seek so-called “gender-affirming care.”  Pritzker’s cousin, Jennifer, was born a male but now identifies as a female and is an outspoken proponent of transgender treatment. Jennifer (née James) Pritzker was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army National Guard and is a father of three.  Jennifer Pritzker also leads the Chicago-based Tawani Foundation, which awards grants to organizations that support “gender and human sexuality,” according to its website. The Pritzker family fortune was made in Hyatt Hotels. “Continuing my family’s tradition of putting personal philanthropy into service for the public good, the Tawani Foundation strives to make grants that empower the organizations we support to realize and build on their missions,” Jennifer wrote on the foundation’s website. TRUMP HHS COULD REVERSE BIDEN-HARRIS POLICIES ON GENDER TREATMENTS FOR MINORS Illinois is one of the most progressive states in the nation when it comes to minors who identify as the opposite sex. Gov. Pritzker enacted guidance through the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHR) in December 2021 about non-discrimination protections for “transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming students” under the Illinois Human Rights Act of 1979. “Ensuring every Illinois student has access to a safe, validating learning environment where they can be their true self is a top priority for my administration,” Pritzker said in a release. “This guidance from the Illinois Department of Human Rights will provide students, caregivers, and educators another tool to ensure classrooms are welcoming, affirming, and inclusive for all students.” In Illinois, biological males can compete with females under Pritzker’s guidance in school or club sports. Additionally, “use of restrooms, locker rooms and changing rooms may not be restricted based upon a student’s physical anatomy or chromosomal sex. A student must be permitted to access restrooms or bathrooms, locker rooms and changing rooms that align with their gender-related identity and without having to provide documentation or other proof of gender,” according to the IDHR. Pritzker’s policy clarifies that “discomfort or privacy concerns of other students, teachers, or parents” are “not valid reasons to deny or limit the full and equal use of facilities based on a student’s gender-related identity.” The 2024 presidential election’s nationwide GOP mandate is giving Democrats who publicly supported “gender-affirming” policies for minors pause. In a February 2023 video, President-elect Trump said, “I will then ask Congress to permanently stop federal taxpayer dollars from being used to promote or pay for these procedures and pass a law prohibiting child sexual mutilation in all 50 states.” In Illinois, Medicaid can cover gender transition surgeries and drugs for those who are 21 years or older under Gov. Pritzker. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Pritzker’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.