Fox News Politics Newsletter: Fast start to Trump’s second term leaves fed workers shocked
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… –You’re hired! Here’s who passed Congress’ Trump cabinet test and how stormy their hearings were -Drone footage shows possible cartel on cartel activity near U.S. southern border –Bondi sworn in as attorney general with mission to end ‘weaponization’ of Justice Department Staffers and contractors who work with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were stunned and angered after President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – the government accountability unit headed by billionaire Elon Musk – effectively shut down the $40 billion agency on Monday. One USAID staffer who wished to remain anonymous told Fox News Digital that 80% of staff across its bureaus learned they lost access to the agency’s systems on Monday morning, including travel, communications, classified information and databases – leading to questions about how to repatriate American citizens in some of the most dangerous places in the world should the need arise. Staffers also feel they were “left high and dry” and “have no idea what to do or where to turn” after being “abandoned by Congress and the government,” the source said, adding they felt the agency was “hostilely taken over by DOGE.”…Read more ‘OBSTRUCTION’: USAID has ‘demonstrated pattern of obstructionism,’ claims top DOGE Republican in letter to Rubio…Read more ‘BIG MONEY FRAUD’: DOGE targets Medicare agency, looking for fraud…Read more DOGE HOUSE: White House calls Democrat criticism of DOGE ‘unacceptable’ and ‘incredibly alarming’…Read more ‘DOGE FEVER’: States from NJ to TX draft similar initiatives as federal leaders celebrate…Read more GAZA DEPLOYMENTS?: Trump not committing to putting US troops in Gaza…Read more CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Authorities nab White House fence climber just two weeks into Trump’s new term…Read more STRATEGY SESSION: Trump to holding Oval Office meeting with Texas Gov. Abbott over ‘securing the southern border’…Read more EO BLOCKED: Second federal judge blocks Trump birthright citizenship order…Read more ‘DASTARDLY DEEDS’: Texas Dem launches first Trump impeachment articles over Gaza…Read more DEPORTED: Washington sends first group of Indian migrants with US military plane to home country…Read more ‘WAKE UP CALL’: Foreign policy experts split on whether Trump will follow through with Gaza takeover: ‘It’s a wakeup call’…Read more FILLING THE CABINET: Trump’s commerce pick with crypto ties advances to Senate floor…Read more HOUSE OF CARDS: GOP rebels push for $2.5 trillion cuts in Trump budget bill during tense closed-door meeting…Read more SNOOZE YOU LOSE: Senators set to leapfrog House Republicans with anticipated budget plan…Read more VOUGHT ADVANCES: Senate tees up Trump budget chief pick Russell Vought for final confirmation vote…Read more MCCONNELL FALLS: Former GOP leader McConnell falls while exiting Senate chamber after Turner confirmation vote…Read more THE COMING ‘RECKONING’: Trans lawsuit lobbed against Trump admin based on ‘faulty interpretations’: Legal expert…Read more ‘LOSING THEIR MINDS’: Dem lawmakers face backlash for invoking ‘unhinged’ violent rhetoric against Musk…Read more ‘RESTORING PEACE’: Johnson says Trump’s Gaza takeover proposal could be ‘bold step’ in restoring peace…Read more ‘POLITICALLY MOTIVATED’: Dems’ ‘delay tactic’ to ‘malign’ Patel and stall FBI confirmation dismissed as ‘baseless’ by top Senate leader…Read more CLIMATE CHANGES: Trump’s executive order forces NJ to cancel its first offshore wind farm…Read more ENERGIZED PRIORITIES: Energy Sec. Wright outlines ‘Day 1’ priorities: Refilling SPR, promoting ‘energy addition, not subtraction’…Read more LACK OF ‘SELF-WORTH’: New York Democrat eyeing Stefanik’s seat ripped Border Patrol, corrections officers in resurfaced interview…Read more GOVERNOR HARRIS?: Major California Democrat predicts Kamala Harris would be ‘field-clearing’ if former VP runs for governor…Read more TOUCHDOWN: Former NFL player Scott Turner confirmed to lead Housing and Urban Development…Read more ‘SORELY NEEDED’: Nassau County executive on police officers assisting with immigration enforcement…Read more Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Join us Feb. 18 for a conversation with tech leaders on Texas investing in quantum computing
We’ll learn more about the technology and why Texas should be an international player in the field.
NJ lawsuit claiming oil companies cause climate change dealt massive blow in court
The climate change movement was issued a massive blow on Wednesday after a trial judge permanently closed a Democrat-charged lawsuit claiming that big oil was to blame for climate-caused damages in the state. In 2022, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin filed a lawsuit against the country’s largest oil companies, ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, Shell, as well as the American Petroleum Institute, claiming that the fossil fuel industry was worsening the effects of climate change, and therefore, causing damage to the state. However, the case was tossed out on Wednesday by New Jersey Superior Court Judge Douglas Hurd, who ruled that lawful oil companies could not be held liable for worldwide emissions. The case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be reopened. “Plaintiffs seek to regulate the nationwide—and even worldwide—marketing and distribution of lawful products on which billions of people outside of New Jersey rely to heat their homes, power their hospitals and schools, produce and transport their food, and manufacture countless items essential to the safety, wellbeing, and advancement of modern society,” said Hurd, who issued the ruling. ENERGY SECRETARY WARNS AGAINST TREATING CLIMATE CHANGE AS ‘POLITICAL FOOTBALL’: SLOW-MOVING PROBLEM’ Hurd said that the plaintiffs could not justly claim damages caused by nationwide emissions. ENERGY SEC. WRIGHT OUTLINES DAY 1 PRIORITIES: REFILLING SPR, PROMPTING ‘ENERGY ADDITION, NOT SUBTRACTION’ “Because Plaintiffs seek damages for alleged harms caused by interstate and international emissions and global warming, their claims cannot be governed by state law. Under our federal constitutional system, states cannot use their laws to resolve claims seeking redress for injuries allegedly caused by out-of-state and worldwide emissions,” Hurd said in the decision. Energy experts told Fox News Digital that the dismissal sends a clear message that “energy policy should be set by elected officials, not litigated into existence by activist lawyers.” “This ruling is a major victory for common sense and the rule of law. Climate activists have been using the courts to push their radical agenda, but judges are increasingly rejecting these baseless lawsuits that threaten energy security and economic stability,” Jason Isaac, CEO of the American Energy Institute and former Texas representative, said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. Steve Milloy, senior fellow at the Energy & Environment Legal Institute and former Trump EPA transition team member, said that similar lawsuits could face the same fate because “the climate controversy is a political, not a legal one.” “Although Democrats don’t really understand this, political issues are on the ballot box, not the courtroom,” Milloy said. Fox News Digital reached out to Platkin’s office for comment.
West Point disbands gender-based, race clubs in Trump’s DEI sweep
West Point has disbanded a number of identity-based clubs at the military academy to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive orders and new Pentagon guidance, Fox News has confirmed. Some of the clubs no longer sanctioned by the university include the Asian-Pacific Forum, the Korean-American relations seminar, the Latin Cultural Club, the National Society of Black Engineers Club and the Society of Women Engineers Club. The U.S. Military Academy communications office said the clubs had been dissolved because they were affiliated with the DEI office. “In accordance with recent guidance, the U.S. Military Academy is reviewing programs and activities affiliated with our former office of diversity, equity and inclusion,” the office told Fox News Digital in a statement. “The clubs disbanded yesterday were sponsored by that office.” ‘INCOMPETENCE’: REP BANKS RIPS WEST POINT AS SCHOOL APOLOGIZES FOR ‘ERROR’ SAYING HEGSETH WASN’T ACCEPTED Trump has instituted sweeping policies to eradicate DEI across the federal government since taking office. A dozen clubs were disbanded, according to the memo, while other clubs have had their activities paused until the directorate of cadet activities can review and revalidate their status. WEST POINT MILITARY ACADEMY DROPS ‘DUTY, HONOR, COUNTRY’ FROM MISSION STATEMENT “More than one hundred clubs remain at the U.S. Military Academy, and our leadership will continue to provide opportunities for cadets to pursue their academic, military, and physical fitness interests while following Army policy, directives, and guidance.” The memo, circulated around the university and verified by Fox News Digital, says such clubs are no longer permitted to “use government time, resources or facilities.” Last year, the Supreme Court eliminated race- and gender-based admissions policies at universities but left a carve-out for military institutions like West Point. It later rejected a challenge to the exceptions for military academies, allowing their affirmative action programs to move forward. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote late last month in a memo that DEI practices are “incompatible” with the values of DOD and instructed the Pentagon to stop celebrating “identity” months like Black History Month and Pride Month.
Michigan Dem who refused to back Harris due to Israel support now blasting Trump Gaza proposal
A Michigan Democratic congresswoman who refused to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential run due to the Biden-Harris administration’s stand on Israel is now lashing out against the Republican who defeated her, citing his proposal on ending the Gaza conflict. Rep. Rashida Tlaib blasted President Donald Trump for his comments on the war in Gaza and urged her allies to ramp up a push for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. “This president can only spew this fanatical bulls— because of bipartisan support in Congress for funding genocide and ethnic cleansing,” Tlaib said on Twitter Tuesday. “It’s time for my two-state solution colleagues to speak.” Tlaib’s comments came after Trump proposed a U.S. takeover of war-torn Gaza following the war, saying that Palestinians could be resettled to other countries. SAUDI ARABIA CONTRADICTS TRUMP, VOWS NO TIES WITH ISRAEL WITHOUT CREATION OF PALESTINIAN STATE But Tlaib’s calls for other lawmakers to “speak up” comes after she declined to take a stance on last year’s presidential election. Tlaib’s decision not to endorse a candidate in the presidential race came during a time of severe backlash against the Biden administration’s policies in Gaza by many constituents in her district, with some Muslim leaders going so far as to endorse Trump despite their traditional support for Democratic candidates. One such leader, Bishara Bahbah, chaired a group known as Arab Americans for Trump. But Bahbah announced on Wednesday that he was changing the name of the group, according to a report from the Associated Press, citing Trump’s comments on Gaza. THE HISTORY OF GAZA AMID TRUMP’S PLAN TO REBUILD ENCLAVE “The talk about what the president wants to do with Gaza, obviously we’re completely opposed to the idea of the transfer of Palestinians from anywhere in historic Palestine,” he said in a statement announcing the group’s name would be changed to Arab Americans for Peace. “And so we did not want to be behind the curve in terms of pushing for peace, because that has been our objective from the very beginning.” But the sudden outcry in reaction to Trump’s comments wasn’t well received by all Democrats, with Democratic strategist Julian Epstein telling Fox News Digital that Trump’s proposal was a lot more positive than anything Tlaib appears to be offering as a solution. “Whether you agree or disagree with Trump’s proposal, at least he is proposing something that could lead to a bright future for Gaza,” Epstein said. “Tlaib, on the other hand, has advocated for policies that would keep the neo-Nazi, terrorist, race-hating Hamas in power while mimicking their rhetoric rom ‘river to sea,’ for which she was sanctioned by the House, including with Democratic support.”
Dems, family of Officer Sicknick push for resolution condemning Trump over J6 pardons: ‘We do feel powerless’
House Democrats and the family of a U.S. Capitol Police officer who died a day after confronting rioters during the Jan. 6 insurrection scolded President Donald Trump Wednesday over his actions related to the unrest since taking office. U.S. Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and the family of Brian Sicknick gathered in front of the U.S. Capitol to push for a resolution condemning Trump over the blanket pardons for the Jan. 6 defendants and the firing of federal prosecutors on those cases. “They pardon criminals for violently assaulting cops, and they fire FBI agents and prosecutors for doing their jobs,” Raskin said. “That’s where we are in America today.” FBI AGENTS GROUP TELLS CONGRESS TO TAKE URGENT ACTION TO PROTECT AGAINST POLITICIZATION He added that Trump initially denounced the actions of the rioters before the “process of trying to redefine the meaning of the events of January 6th, to whitewash the atrocities that took place that day, to cover up and to shroud in doubt the violent assaults that took place on the police officers to make people believe that it wasn’t Donald Trump’s mega mob that attacked us.” Last month, Trump granted clemency to those charged in the riot, even those accused of violently assaulting police officers. In an interview with Fox News, he said the prison sentences for the defendants were excessive. “These people have served, horribly, a long time,” he said. Thompson said the prosecutors who worked on the Jan. 6 cases were being scapegoated by the Trump administration. “The people who did the hard work of tracking these 1,500 people down are now being told you didn’t do your job,” he said. “Now these people either pleaded guilty or they were found guilty, and so many of them assaulted law enforcement people and for now they are being rewarded and the people who are being patriots are being punished.” Ken Sicknick, brother of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, said Trump’s pardons reopened wounds from his brother’s death. FBI AGENTS DETAIL J6 ROLE IN EXHAUSTIVE QUESTIONNAIRE EMPLOYEES ‘WERE INSTRUCTED TO FILL OUT’ “On January 20th, 2025, a convicted felon and twice-impeached politician pardoned approximately 1,600 criminals responsible for the destruction of property and the destruction of the lives of law enforcement and their families, such as mine,” Sicknick said. “They were all convicted through due process. The investigations were thorough. The rule of law that the POTUS and the Republican cronies will tell you they stand for was smashed apart. “It was smashed apart by the very same person who claimed that he is a friend of the police more than any president who’s ever been in office.” Brian Sicknick, 42, suffered two strokes and died of natural causes the day after he confronted rioters during the riot. A medical examiner’s report showed that Sicknick was sprayed with a chemical substance around 2:20 p.m. on Jan. 6 and collapsed at the Capitol around 10 p.m. that evening. He died around 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 7, according to the examiner’s office. Ken Sicknick noted that most of the defendants released have shown no remorse for their actions. “We do feel powerless in a lot of cases,” he said. “What are we going to do? It’s a tiny blue-collar family going against the president of the United States.” Coleman said a purge of Justice Department veteran prosecutors only benefits criminal groups that engage in drug trafficking and terrorism. “If they were not suddenly the targets of a political takeover of the federal law enforcement, they would be working to stop terrorist attacks, stop drug trafficking and drug dealers, impede human traffickers and prosecute crime across this country if they were not targeted otherwise,” she said. “Now, those efforts will be weakened.”
USAID activists say stopping ‘corporate welfare’ outweighs ending funds to terror-linked groups
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Protesters rallying against the sweep of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) say that ending “corporate welfare” should be prioritized over looking at money being reportedly funneled to terror-linked groups. Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been conducting a review of “waste” identified within USAID, the government agency that handles the distribution of foreign aid. According to an analysis by the Middle East Forum, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, the USAID and State Department have funneled at least $122 million to groups aligned with designated terrorists and their supporters. A White House report also identified $15 million of taxpayer dollars being spent on condoms for the Taliban, a known terrorist group. On Wednesday, Fox News Digital asked individuals protesting the USAID cuts outside the U.S. Capitol their thoughts about the agency reportedly funding terrorist-aligned groups. ‘SWINDLED THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER’: NEW HOUSE GOP INTERNAL MEMO RIPS DEM USAID UPROAR “I don’t want to hear anything about funding until we stop corporate welfare,” one protester, who was wearing a mask, told Fox News Digital. “I think before we talk about funding that we’re sending off to other countries or devoting to poor people in this country that need help,” he added, “we need to talk about the billions in subsidies that we give to corporations like Tesla, like Space X.” Another individual, also wearing a mask, said giving money to issues that don’t prioritize helping Americans is “crazy.” “We need to be worrying about our people. We’re not out here giving money to help our people here and suffering,” they told Fox. “Any money going toward other issues is just crazy.” Asked about funding to terrorist-linked groups, Michael, a member of Veterans for Peace, said, “Funding has to be looked at, but I would suspect that that’s a very small minority of the funding that the U.S. does.” “Foreign aid is less than 1% of the U.S. budget. So it’s a very small monetary number,” he added. “And like all programs, it needs to be evaluated every so often. And I think that the small number of programs who supposedly are connected with unsavory type groups are in the minority.” WHITE HOUSE FLAGS TOP USAID BOONDOGGLES UNDER ELON MUSK’S MICROSCOPE The protesters all expressed opposition to Musk’s role in the Trump administration as he spearheads efforts to cut costs within the federal government. “If the White House would take the time to look at where the funding goes, I think they’d be more than happy with the results and the impact of U.S. taxpayer dollars to make the U.S. safer, stronger, and more prosperous,” said Mary, who is retired. Several Democratic lawmakers spoke at the rally, including Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia, Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, and Reps. John Garamendi and Lateefah Simon of California. The White House issued a report that revealed where taxpayer dollars have been funneled through the agency, such as over $400,000 to “help Indonesian coffee companies become more climate and gender friendly through USAID.” Musk said on X that he and President Donald Trump came to an agreement that the agency needed to be shut down. Fox News Digital’s Emma Woodhead contributed to this report.
Texas Dem launches first Trump impeachment articles over Gaza
Democratic Rep. Al Green, the Houston, Texas, congressman who made three attempts to impeach President Donald Trump during his first term, initiated his first impeachment effort in 2025. Green rose to address the House on Wednesday and said “ethnic cleansing in Gaza is not a joke, especially when it emanates from the President of the United States.” “And [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] should be ashamed, knowing the history of his people, to stand there and allow such things to be said.” Green went on to say his formal impeachment articles are for “dastardly deeds proposed and dastardly deeds done.” REP. AL GREEN SAYS PRESIDENT IS ‘NO BETTER THAN’ KKK IN WAKE OF ‘LYNCHING’ TWEET Trump had announced Tuesday the U.S. would “take over” war-torn Gaza and allow Palestinians to relocate while it is being essentially repaired. “I also rise to say that the impeachment movement is going to be a grass up movement, not a top down… I did it before, I laid the foundation for impeachment, and it was done. Nobody knows more about it than I,” Green went on. “And I know that it time for us to lay the foundation again. On some issues, it is better to stand alone than not stand at all on this issue. I stand alone. But I stand for justice.” Other Democrats appeared lukewarm to Green’s current bid. “It’s not a focus of our caucus,” said House Democratic Caucus Chair Peter Aguilar, D-Calif. Green’s previous attempts were separate from those successful impeachments forwarded by now-California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff and others – which related to Trump’s 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the 2021 Capitol riot. One Green resolution centered on 2019 Trump tweets deriding members of the left-wing Squad, wherein the president remarked “they [should] go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.” During a House Judiciary Committee hearing at the time of one of Green’s previous impeachment attempts, Republican staff posted a banner of the Democrat’s own words: “I’m concerned that if we don’t impeach this president, he will get re-elected,” Green had said. Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins – then the panel’s ranking member – listed Green’s comments as one of several in remarks criticizing Democrats for trying to usurp the power of the voting booth through political maneuvering. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “For Democrats, it has been and will always be, to paraphrase Lewis Carroll: ‘Sentence first, verdict later,’” Collins said at the time. During the Obama administration, the late Rep. Walter Jones Jr., R-N.C., similarly repeatedly called for President Barack Obama’s impeachment over issues ranging from the use of drones to troop casualties in Syria. Fox News Digital reached out to Green’s office and was told “it is a matter of time” when the articles would be filed. Fox News’ Chad Pergram and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
‘America has DOGE fever’: States from NJ to TX draft similar initiatives as federal leaders celebrate
The spread of DOGE-centric legislation and bureaucracies has taken off like a SpaceX rocket in several states across the country since Elon Musk and lawmakers like Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., began their work this year. Bean, chair of the bipartisan DOGE Caucus, was asked about copycat initiatives popping up around the country and remarked, “America has DOGE fever.” “As elected officials, we must ensure we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars. This means we must identify, investigate and eliminate wasteful spending.” With a governor’s race in November and President Donald Trump only losing their state by a historically small margin, Garden State Republicans appeared bullish this week as they put forth a proposal to “bring DOGE to New Jersey.” ‘DOGE MEETS CONGRESS’: LAWMAKER LAUNCHES NEW PANEL ON GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY GOP Assemblymen Alex Sauickie and Christopher DePhillips recently introduced Resolution 213 to create the NJ Delegation on Government Efficiency within the Treasury Department. Sauickie quoted former President Ronald Reagan’s 1985 retort that “government is like a baby – an alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other.” “Except babies, if raised and disciplined rightly, grow into adults who usually become productive members of society. Those adopting our state budgets show no such discipline,” Sauickie said, adding that it is time for “grownups to take responsibility and say ‘no’” to reckless spending. Some Trenton lawmakers have painted New Jersey’s financial outlook as a “fiscal cliff,” and DePhillips blamed outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy for claiming he inherited the problem from Republican Gov. Chris Christie. “Taxpayers want accountability for how their hard-earned money is spent,” DePhillips said. He also called on Murphy to “stop fighting Trump” and lower New Jersey’s business taxes before the third-founded state in the union “loses out” on the potential upswing of the new administration. Republican state Sen. Joe Pennacchio added in a recent Fox News Digital interview that he would be forming a DOGE committee in the state legislature. “We’re mirroring what the federal government and what [Musk is] doing,” said Pennacchio. TOP DOGE LAWMAKER SAYS TRUMP ALREADY RACKING UP WINS This week, Kentucky lawmakers also prioritized government efficiency measures, with Republican state Rep. Jared Bauman forwarding a bill to establish a working group to help the state treasury modernize its tax collections and accounting. In Texas, lawmakers in both the state Senate and House are working on DOGE-centric initiatives. Senate President Pro-Tempore Brandon Creighton, a Republican, first oversaw the passage of the strongest DEI ban in the U.S. during the 2023 session, which eliminated billions in taxpayer-funded waste and refocused public universities on education over social issues. After DOGE formed at the federal level, Creighton said Texas is already a model for how a jurisdiction that prioritizes government efficiency will work. “Seeing the swift action by President Trump and Elon Musk with DOGE is a welcome and necessary new era in Washington, D.C. – and I know they are just getting started,” Creighton told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “Many have said that Washington should take notes from Texas – because the Texas economic engine is proof that when government is committed to efficiency, accountability and conservative results, taxpayers win.” Meanwhile, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, officially the president of the Senate, announced a bill late last month called “Texas DOGE – Improving Government Efficiency,” according to Bloomberg. Another reported bill by Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes would form a DOGE office in the executive branch. Meanwhile, the Texas House is considering forming a DOGE committee to analyze government efficiency through a 13-member panel. It would investigate fraud claims, inefficient use of tax dollars, and the use of AI, according to FOX-7. In Missouri, Republican state Rep. Ben Baker told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Missourians believe the state government is not as efficient or responsive as it should be. “We want to look into that,” said Baker. Baker recently announced he was named to lead the state’s new DOGE Standing Committee, adding his work will “align with federal efforts.” In New Hampshire, newly-inaugurated Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s first executive order created a 15-member Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE). “COGE will make us smarter than ever before when it comes to saving taxpayer dollars and finding better ways to serve the people of our state,” she said in her inaugural address. It will be led by former Gov. Craig Benson and businessman Andy Crews. North Carolina also sought to get in on the DOGE trend. Republican House Speaker Destin Hall unveiled the new NC Select Committee on Government Efficiency. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP State Reps. Keith Kidwell and John Torbett, both Republicans, will lead the initiative, looking into waste, duplication, mismanagement and constitutional violations. “As the new Trump administration rightfully takes aim at Washington D.C.’s wasteful spending and inefficient bureaucracy, it is time for us in Raleigh to do the same,” Kidwell said in a statement. Bean, the U.S. House’s DOGE leader, further remarked on the collective efforts: “It’s exciting to see states pick up the DOGE baton, and I applaud their efforts to improve government efficiency and stop the abuse of taxpayer dollars.” Some in Congress, however, have cast doubt on DOGE. Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., said at an anti-DOGE rally that some of the actions at the federal level are “completely illegal.”
Frenemies: Newsom comes hat in hand to meet Trump at White House
Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump — who have very visibly traded political fire but who also have worked together — meet at the White House on Wednesday as the California governor fights to secure more money for people and businesses devastated following last month’s deadly wildfires in metropolitan Los Angeles. The trip is the first by Newsom to Washington, D.C., since Trump took over in the White House and is part of his efforts to obtain additional federal funding to aid in wildfire recovery from the horrific blazes that killed 29 people and destroyed over 12,000 homes and forced tens of thousands to evacuate. Newsom arrived in the nation’s capital on the eve of his visit to the White House, and hours ahead of the meeting he headed to Capitol Hill to hold separate meetings with members of Congress. The governor traveled east a day after California lawmakers approved $25 million in legal funding proposed by the Democratic governor to challenge actions by the Trump administration. And the legislature also allocated another $25 million for legal groups to defend undocumented immigrants facing possible deportation by new Trump administration efforts. TRUMP MEETS WITH CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, FIRE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO SEE LA WILDFIRE DAMAGE FIRST HAND Newsom came to Washington, D.C., hat in hand. Late last month, the governor approved $2.5 billion for fire recovery work, which he hopes will be reimbursed by the federal government. And the state will likely need much more help from the federal government, as the bill to cover rebuilding costs is expected to reach into the tens of billions of dollars. “The Governor’s trip is focused on securing critical disaster aid for the survivors of the Los Angeles fires and ensuring impacted families who lost their homes and livelihoods have the support they need to rebuild and recover,” spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement. After the outbreak of the fires early last month, Trump repeatedly criticized Newsom’s handling of the immense crisis. He has accused the governor of mismanaging forestry and water policy and, pointing to intense backlash over a perceived lack of preparation, called on Newsom to step down. “Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!” Trump charged in a social media post on Jan. 8, as he repeated a derogatory name he often labels the governor. Trump also placed blame for the deadly wildfires on Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, another Democrat, and the policies approved by state lawmakers in heavily blue California. In an executive order issued last month, he described management of the state’s land and water resources as “disastrous.” Newsom — the governor of the nation’s most populous state, one of the Democratic Party’s leaders in the resistance against the returning president and a potential White House contender in 2028 — pushed back against Trump, as the two larger-than-life politicians traded fire. Disputing Trump, the governor noted that reservoirs in the southern part of California were full when the fires first sparked, and has argued that no amount of water could tackle fires fueled by winds of up to 100 miles per hour. Newsom also charged Trump had spread “hurricane-force winds of mis- and disinformation.” NEWSOM CALLS TRUMP’S CLAIMS ‘PURE FICTION’ AFTER HE POINTED FINGER OVER CALIFORNIA FIRE TRAGEDY Trump met with Newsom as he arrived in Los Angeles late last month — just four days after his inauguration as president — to survey the fire damage. Trump had threatened to withhold wildfire aid until certain stipulations were met in California, including changes to water policy and requiring an ID to vote, but now appears willing to work with Newsom. “Thank you first for being here. It means a great deal to all of us,” Newsom told Trump as he greeted the president upon his arrival in Los Angeles last month. “We’re going to need your support. We’re going to need your help.” The president declared that “we’re looking to get something completed. And the way you get it completed is to work together.” The wildfires are far from the first time Newsom and Trump took aim at each other. Their animosity dated back to before Trump was elected president the first time in 2016, when Newsom was California’s lieutenant governor. The verbal fireworks continued over the past two years, as Newsom served as a top surrogate on the campaign trail for former President Joe Biden and then former Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced Biden as the Democrats’ 2024 standard-bearer last summer. Following Trump’s convincing election victory over Harris in November, Newsom moved to “Trump-proof” his heavily blue state. “He is using the term ‘Trump-Proof’ as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again,’ but I just overwhelmingly won the Election,” Trump responded. Since their meeting in Los Angeles, Newsom has appeared to be more restrained in his criticism of Trump. Following Trump’s orders, the US Army Corps of Engineers last week opened two dams in Central California, letting roughly 2.2 billion gallons of water flow out of reservoirs. Trump celebrated the move in posts to Truth Social post on Friday and Sunday, declaring, “the water is flowing in California,” and adding the water was “heading to farmers throughout the State, and to Los Angeles.” But water experts argue that the newly released water won’t flow to Los Angeles, and it is being wasted by being released during California’s normally wet winter season. Newsom, apparently aiming to rebuild the working relationship he had with Trump during the president’s first term in the White House, didn’t raise any objections to the water release. Fox News’ Christina Shaw, Elizabeth Pritchett, Pat Ward, and Lee Ross contributed to this story.