DOGE reps launch meetings with federal staffers in effort to cut government waste: report
Aides for Tesla and Space X CEO Elon Musk and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are starting to interview staffers with the federal government for the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), according to a new report. Representatives for DOGE have had conversations with staffers from more than a dozen federal agencies — including the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service, as well as the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services, The Washington Post reported Friday. Musk and Ramaswamy are leading DOGE, a blue-ribbon committee separate from the federal government that seeks to address issues concerning government spending, waste, efficiency and operations. They are expected to suggest executive actions for the Trump administration and partner with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to initiate reforms. Altogether, the committee aims to cut $2 trillion from the federal government budget through efforts to slash spending, government programs and the federal workforce. AMERICA’S NEWEST GOVERNOR TAKES PAGE FROM TRUMP WITH DOGE-LIKE COMMISSION However, Musk recently cast doubt on the likelihood of eliminating $2 trillion from the federal budget and said there was a better chance at cutting $1 trillion. “I think we’ll try for $2 trillion. I think that’s like the best-case outcome,” Musk said during tech trade show CES on Wednesday in Las Vegas, the Post reported. “But I do think that you kind of have to have some overage. I think if we try for $2 trillion, we’ve got a good shot at getting $1 [trillion].” Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have voiced support for working with DOGE, and Reps. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., and Pete Sessions, R-Texas, announced the creation of the Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus last year. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT DOGE AND ITS QUEST TO SLASH GOVERNMENT WASTE, SPENDING “Our national debt has surpassed a staggering $36 trillion and should be a wakeup call for all Americans,” House DOGE Caucus Co-Chair Bean said in a statement in November. “We must take action to avoid diving headfirst off the cliff of fiscal ruin. I’m thrilled with President-elect Trump’s appointment of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead DOGE, but taking on Crazy Town will be no easy task — they will need partners.” Likewise, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is slated to oversee the Senate DOGE Caucus. “The tables are finally turning, the knives are out, and waste is on the chopping block,” Ernst said in a November statement. Currently, DOGE boasts a staff of approximately 50 people who are working from SpaceX’s offices in Washington, D.C., and it is aiming to roughly double that number when President-elect Trump is sworn into office on Jan. 20, according to the Post. A representative for Ramaswamy declined to provide comment to Fox News Digital. DOGE appears to be the source of inspiration for other similar initiatives at the state level. For example, Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte of swing state New Hampshire on Thursday announced the creation of the Commission on Government Efficiency, known as 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,” Ayotte said in her inaugural address.
Tulsi Gabbard changes tune on controversial intelligence tool following GOP lobbying
Tulsi Gabbard, who is President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be Director of National Intelligence (DNI) in his next administration, has reversed course on a controversial item after lobbying from Republican senators. Gabbard revealed on Friday that she believes section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) “is crucial for gathering foreign intelligence on non-U.S. persons abroad.” She previously opposed FISA section 702 re-authorization while serving as a Democrat in the House of Representatives. ‘DELAYING AND OBSTRUCTING’: TOP SENATE REPUBLICAN HITS BACK AS DEM CALLS FOUL ON TRUMP CONFIRMATION HEARINGS “We have a very important responsibility to strike a balance between national security to keep the American people safe, while also protecting our constitutionally protected freedoms,” she said on the House floor in 2018. “Let us make this critical choice. Vote to keep our country safe. Vote to uphold our constitutional rights that so many have fought and died to protect.” In her statement, provided by a Trump transition spokesperson, Gabbard said, “This unique capability cannot be replicated and must be safeguarded to protect our nation while ensuring the civil liberties of Americans.” “My prior concerns about FISA were based on insufficient protections for civil liberties, particularly regarding the FBI’s misuse of warrantless search powers on American citizens. Significant FISA reforms have been enacted since my time in Congress to address these issues. If confirmed as DNI, I will uphold Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights while maintaining vital national security tools like Section 702 to ensure the safety and freedom of the American people,” she said. The change in Gabbard’s beliefs on the key national security issue was first reported by Punchbowl News. It comes after multiple Republican senators made the case to her of the importance of FISA’s section 702. REPUBLICANS BLAST ‘JOKE’ SENTENCING OF TRUMP 10 DAYS BEFORE SWEARING IN Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, told Fox News Digital in a statement: “Tulsi Gabbard has assured me in our conversations that she supports Section 702 as recently amended and that she will follow the law and support its reauthorization as DNI.” One GOP aide shared that during his meeting with Gabbard, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., emphasized how important the authority granted by section 702 is, and how important her navigation of it would be. In a podcast appearance earlier this week, Lankford told the Wall Street Journal’s Kim Strassel that there were some issues “that people aren’t talking about” as it relates to Trump’s picks. One of them, he said, was Gabbard and her stance on section 702. “She has voted against what’s called 702 authority every time that she was in Congress and voted against it. Well, now she’s going to be the spokesman for 702 authority. It’s a legitimate question just to say, ‘Okay, how are you going to handle this?’” he asked. LAKEN RILEY ACT OVERCOMES FILIBUSTER IN SENATE AS DEMS GIVE GOP HELPING HAND Lankford suggested that this is something that matters to other Republican senators. “I don’t hear anyone really coming up publicly and saying, ‘I’m adamantly opposed’” to Trump’s nominees, he explained. But, “What I hear is a lot of people saying, ‘Hey, I want to give a fair hearing. I want people to be able to answer questions publicly.’” While most GOP senators are supportive of FISA, some have been vocal critics. “Voting to reauthorize FISA 702 without a warrant requirement is difficult to defend. So are those casting such votes—especially if they purport to care about the Fourth Amendment,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, wrote on X ahead of the most recent FISA re-authorization. Another top critic, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said in 2023, “Using 702, Americans’ communications content and metadata is inevitably swept up and kept in government databases without a warrant. Law enforcement agencies then access Americans’ communications without a warrant.” NEW GOP SENATOR TEARS INTO DEMS ‘SEEKING TO DELAY’ PETE HEGSETH DOD CONFIRMATION These Republicans may not be as happy about Gabbard’s change of heart. However, there isn’t any indication that it would harm their support for her as of yet. One Republican senate source cast doubt on Gabbard’s new stance, noting that she has been “a life-long skeptic of intelligence gathering.” They suggested it is unlikely that she has “completely changed her mind.” A GOP Senate source confirmed to Fox News Digital that conservative senators are encouraged by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and his apparent desire to confirm Trump nominees on the day he is sworn into office. The group is eager to have all national security nominees confirmed on Trump’s first day, they added.
TribCast: Previewing the 2025 legislative session
The Texas Tribune’s politics podcast returns with a look at the race for House speaker, the future of school vouchers and other major legislative issues this year.
NY lawmakers demand subway chief’s ouster after comment dismissive of crime issue: ‘In people’s heads’
New York lawmakers called for the governor-appointed chairman of the New York City transit system to be fired amid accusations he downplayed a rash of subway crime to praise new Manhattan tolls that are aimed at driving commuters underground. In comments on a Bloomberg podcast, MTA Chairman Janno Lieber argued that crime on the MTA has declined and that the recent viral incidents are giving an impression of a system-wide safety crisis. “The overall stats are positive. Last year, we [had] actually 12.5% less crime than 2019 . . . , ” he said. “But there’s no question that some of these high-profile incidents; terrible attacks, have gotten in people’s heads and made the whole system feel less safe.” SUBWAY MAYHEM SPURS CUOMO TO URGE HALT TO NEW NYC DRIVING TAX Rep. Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., shared a clip of Lieber ceremonially unveiling one of the new “Congestion Pricing” setups near Lincoln Center and said the agency “needs an enema; starting with Janno Lieber.” “Imagine being such an a–hole as to celebrate screwing New Yorkers out of their hard-earned money just for the privilege to drive to work,” Lawler wrote, adding that Hochul “needs to be defeated in 2026.” Lieber ripped Lawler in response, telling MSNBC that the Rockland County lawmaker was dabbling in “grievance politics.” Lieber claimed that a plurality of Lawler’s constituents – in bedroom communities 30 miles north of the city – already rely on mass transit and that only “one percent” make the daily drive down the Palisades to the “congestion-pricing” zone. HOCHUL CHRISTMASTIME BOAST OF SAFER SUBWAYS CAME AMID STRING OF ALARMING VIOLENT ATTACKS New York’s new $9 toll to enter any part of Manhattan below Central Park has enraged commuters, as well as residents within its bounds. Commuters from Long Island found themselves bottlenecked in trying to access the last unaffected entry to Manhattan – the Upper Level of the Queensboro Bridge. One East Side luxury building’s exit also unintentionally forced residents through a toll gantry, even if they are trying to go uptown; away from the zone, while outer neighborhoods braced for a deluge of suburbanites looking for parking to avoid the toll. New York Senate Deputy Minority Leader Andrew Lanza, R-Staten Island, torched Lieber: “Janno: pull your head out of your piles of statistics, get out from behind your computer, and walk a mile in your riders’ shoes before you ignore, dismiss and insult them,” Lanza said. “The people of this state and city deserve the truth and real solutions, not eggheads trying to convince themselves they’re doing a good job.” Sen. Bill Weber of Valley Cottage added: “Albany Democrats claim congestion pricing is to reduce traffic congestion, but at what cost? It punishes everyday people—working parents, firefighters, seniors going to doctor’s appointments, and those who already struggle to make ends meet.” “For them, this isn’t just a toll; it’s another obstacle in their daily lives. Tell me, how is that progressive?” he asked. Sen. Steve Rhoads of Nassau previously quipped that the MTA’s acronym stands for “Money Thrown Away” and said this week that his constituents who rely on trains like the LIRR have grown distrustful of the agency. “[Lieber] has no idea what it is to be a working-class New Yorker,” Rhoads said. “While affordability and safety are huge concerns for real people, they are abstract concepts for him.” CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Lieber was previously an executive at Silverstein Properties — recently overseeing a World Trade Center project — a transportation adviser to President Bill Clinton and Mayor Ed Koch, and a journalist for the New Republic. He was also the MTA’s capital development officer under Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo, who still strongly supports the congestion pricing plan, recently told Fox News Digital through a spokesman that he, however, has reservations about whether now is the right time to activate the tolls – given the lack of confidence in subway safety and changes in the city since the COVID-19 pandemic. “It is undeniable that New York is in a dramatically different place today than it was in 2019, and without a study forecasting its consequences based on facts, not politics, it could do more harm than good to New York City’s recovery,” Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said last week. State Sen. Alexis Weik, R-Suffolk, called the video of Lieber’s Broadway sign-reveal “a despicable show of glee and greed” and called for a financial review board to scrutinize the transit agency’s books. In response to the slew of calls for Lieber’s ouster, MTA Chief of Policy & External Relations John J. McCarthy defended the transit boss. “Under Chair Lieber’s leadership, the MTA has added service, opened new terminals and provided record on-time performance for their constituents on Long Island and the Hudson Valley, while delivering the most reliable subway service in a dozen years,” McCarthy said. “But apparently, none of that prevents out-of-touch politicians from bloviating.”
Dems eerily silent on Trump sentencing as they prepare for Republican trifecta in Washington
Democratic lawmakers were noticeably silent following the sentencing of President-elect Donald Trump despite previously commenting on the cases against him, as Washington prepares for a Republican trifecta in Congress. Trump was sentenced on Friday after being found guilty on 34 charges related to falsifying business records in May. The incoming president was sentenced to unconditional discharge, which means that he will not receive any jail time, fine or probation time. The sentence also preserves Trump’s ability to appeal the conviction. After Trump was found guilty in criminal court in May, Democratic members of Congress put out a flurry of reactions on social media but appeared mum after the sentencing on Friday, which comes just days before he will be sworn into office on Jan. 20. TRUMP SAYS HE RESPECTS SUPREME COURT’S DECISION TO DENY HIS REQUEST TO STOP SENTENCING, VOWS TO APPEAL House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., in May, wrote in a post on X, fomerly Twitter, that “the jury has spoken and carefully rendered a decision. Responsible leadership requires the verdict to be respected,” while Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said that “nobody is above the law.” However, Democrats appeared less reactive to Friday’s sentencing, which left Trump free of any penalty. One Democratic congresswoman put out a statement following the unconditional discharge sentence, claiming that “our system of justice is not just.” “There is a two-tiered system of justice in this country, and Donald Trump lives on the tier where he gets to walk into the White House without spending a single day in jail or being put on probation after being convicted of 34 felonies. On the other tier are the clients I represented as a public defender in Texas, like the seventeen-year-old boy who was held on felony probation for taking some candy from his school’s concession stand,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said in a post on X. REPUBLICANS BLAST ‘JOKE’ SENTENCING OF TRUMP 10 DAYS BEFORE SWEARING IN “The scales are not equal,” she added. On the flip side, Republicans were very vocal following the sentencing. “I have no respect for the process being used in New York. I find the judge and prosecutor’s motives to be dripping with politics,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in a statement. “This is a sad day for America.” Trump, ahead of the sentencing, said that he would appeal the decision. Trump filed an emergency petition to the Supreme Court on Wednesday in an effort to prevent his Jan. 10 sentencing, but the high court ultimately denied his emergency petition to block his sentencing. Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Mayorkas extends deportation shield for eye-popping number of immigrants ahead of Trump admin
The Biden administration on Friday announced the extension of deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals from a slew of countries, just weeks before the incoming Trump administration is expected to launch a historic deportation operation. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it is extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador, Venezuela, Sudan and Ukraine for an additional 18 months beyond their current expirations. TPS grants protection from deportation and work permits for nationals living in the U.S. from countries deemed unsafe for them to be returned. DHS cited environmental disasters in El Salvador, including storms and heavy rainfall, that it said resulted in a “substantial, but temporary” disruption of living conditions. It also cited the political and economic crises in Venezuela, political instability in Sudan and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine with Russia. DEMS URGE BIDEN TO EXTEND CONTROVERSIAL IMMIGRANT PROGRAM; TRUMP SAYS HE’LL CUT IT The moves do not redesignate countries for the status, meaning only those currently protected by TPS are eligible for an extension and no new applications can be received. Venezuela’s extension will apply to approximately 600,000 nationals; El Salvador’s will apply to 232,000; Ukraine’s will apply to approximately 103,000; and Sudan will affect about 1,900 nationals. Venezuela’s extension will run until October 2026, and El Salvador’s will run until September 2026, with both having been scheduled to end in the spring of 2025. The moves, particularly for El Salvador and Venezuela, could complicate efforts by the Trump administration to deport illegal immigrants from those countries. Venezuelan nationals have been a particular focus, given the rise of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, while El Salvador is where the MS-13 gang originated. The agency noted that individuals for TPS are vetted and are barred from TPS eligibility if they have a felony conviction or multiple misdemeanors. The Biden administration has faced a number of calls from Senate Democrats and immigration activists to extend TPS ahead of the incoming Trump administration, which has promised to crack down on illegal immigration and drastically ramp up deportations. ‘LEGAL AUTHORITY’: SENATE DEMS DEMAND BIDEN EXTEND PROTECTIONS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AHEAD OF TRUMP ADMIN “We write now because the window to secure and finalize your administration’s policies is closing rapidly. We urge you to act decisively between now and the inauguration of the President-elect to complete the important work of the past four years and protect immigrant families,” Democrats led by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told Biden in a letter this month. The first Trump administration moved to cut down on the number of countries designated for TPS, but the Biden administration has used it broadly, designating or redesignating a number of countries, including Venezuela, Afghanistan and Haiti. There are currently 17 countries designated for TPS. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS Both President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance have indicated they want to cut back on TPS once in office, specifically for Haiti. Republicans have also made moves to restrict the program in Congress. Sen.-elect Jim Banks, R-Ind., introduced a bill last year that would require Congress to approve them for 12-month terms and to make additional moves to extend them.
‘Delaying and obstructing’: Top Senate Republican hits back as Dem calls foul on Trump confirmation hearings
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, chairman of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, is accusing Democrats of “delaying and obstructing” top energy nominees for President-elect Trump’s incoming administration. “Senate Democrats are once again showing that delaying and obstructing the incoming Trump administration are their top priorities,” Lee told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. “Both Gov. Doug Burgum and Chris Wright’s paperwork has been submitted to the Office of Government Ethics from their respective agencies. The confirmation process is moving forward as it should, and good progress has been made to ensure these nominees are thoroughly vetted and ready to serve. The Energy and Natural Resources Committee has followed every rule in noticing their confirmation hearings. REPUBLICANS BLAST ‘JOKE’ SENTENCING OF TRUMP 10 DAYS BEFORE SWEARING-IN “This is the same party that, in 2009, went ahead with hearings for President Obama’s nominees under near identical circumstances. While Democrats drag their feet, Republicans are moving forward and doing the work the American people expect us to do. It’s time for Senate Democrats to meet the moment with the seriousness it demands.” The Utah Republican was responding to claims from his Democratic counterpart on the committee, ranking member Martin Heinrich, who suggested that his scheduling of confirmation hearings for CEO and founder of Liberty Energy Chris Wright, Trump’s pick for secretary of energy, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump’s choice for secretary of the interior, breached protocol. LAKEN RILEY ACT OVERCOMES FILIBUSTER IN SENATE AS DEMS GIVE GOP HELPING HAND This week, Heinrich responded to “a breach of decades-long Senate protocol and precedent” when he said Lee set Burgum’s hearing without the consent of the committee’s minority. “I am extremely disappointed that Chairman Lee has scheduled the first Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee confirmation hearing over my objection and before basic information has been given to the committee. This is a breach of protocol and precedent, established over decades by chairs of both parties,” Heinrich said in a statement Wednesday after Burgum’s confirmation hearing was officially set by Lee for Jan. 14. He issued a second statement Thursday in response to Wright’s Jan. 15 confirmation hearing being officially scheduled. “I am extremely disappointed that Chairman Lee has noticed a second nomination hearing without having received information from nominees required by law and in adherence to committee rules, including a completed FBI background check and financial report,” the senator said. Heinrich said, “The documents that the Energy and Natural Resources Democrats do not have are not just paperwork. These are the documents, disclosures and (an) ethics agreement that are required by our committee rules and the law.” But, according to Lee, who assumed the role of chairman after Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., was elected to serve as Senate majority whip, his actions are in line with precedent in the committee. NEW GOP SENATOR TEARS INTO DEMS ‘SEEKING TO DELAY’ PETE HEGSETH DOD CONFIRMATION He further maintained that he is “in full compliance” with all rules when it comes to setting up confirmation hearings for Trump’s picks for key energy roles. While Heinrich accused Lee of going against precedent, a similar scenario played out in 2009 in former President Obama’s administration. Steven Chu and Ken Salazar, the former secretaries of Energy and the Interior, respectively, had their confirmation hearings announced by former energy Chairman Jeff Bingaman before all documents were received. In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for committee Democrats said these are the only instances of this timeline of events “despite dozens and dozens of nominees being considered by the committee. TRUMP DETAILS STRATEGY TO GET NECESSARY VOTES WITH ONE-BILL APPROACH TO BORDER, TAXES “Further, unlike the hearings Chairman Lee has noticed, the committee did receive Dr. Chu and Mr. Salazar’s disclosures only one day after the notice was issued. Days have passed since Chairman Lee noticed these hearings. But the committee has yet to receive the required documents and has no assurance that it will receive them by the time the hearings occur.” Lee’s take on the criticisms from Heinrich was that Democrats “want to conflate notice with requirements that apply generally to nominations.” “Rest assured, Republicans will continue to comply with all the committee rules,” he said.
Join us Feb. 4 for a conversation with State Sen. Charles Perry
As part of our 2025 Texas Legislature Series, we’ll discuss action on water needs and other legislative priorities
‘Anything but ordinary’: Legal experts shred NY v. Trump as ‘one of the worst’ cases in history
Attorneys and legal experts railed against New York Judge Juan Merchan sentencing President-elect Donald Trump in the NY v. Trump case just days ahead of his inauguration as president, saying the case will be remembered as “one of the worst” cases in history. “I’ll tell you how it strikes me, when you look at cases throughout history, not just in the United States, but really all over the world, this will be remembered as one of the worst. This will be remembered as an absolute injustice from the beginning,” Fox News host Mark Levin said after the sentencing. Merchan sentenced Trump on Friday morning to unconditional discharge, meaning he faces no punishment such as fines or jail time. “This is the end of the politicalization of the justice system,” said Fox News contributor Leo Terrell, a civil rights attorney whom Trump named this week as senior counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Department of Justice in his upcoming administration. DONALD TRUMP SENTENCED WITH NO PENALTY IN NEW YORK CRIMINAL TRIAL, AS JUDGE WISHES HIM ‘GODSPEED’ IN 2ND TERM “Trump’s victory in the election basically, in my opinion, neutered this case. And the attempt to stain President Trump, to tarnish him with the scarlet felon, is going to be reversed just a matter of time. And I’m telling you this with 35 years of experience, this case should have never had been tried. It was done for one reason, to stop President Trump from becoming the 47th president. I want to be very clear, it failed.” Terrell added in his comments to Fox Digital that he is “salivating to get to the Department of Justice,” where he will be “very involved in pursuing justice” surrounding the NY case and others brought against Trump. “I’m going to be involved in stopping anti-semitism and to stop going after Catholic families, parents who go to a school board meeting, and the misuse, the abuse of using the legal system for political gain. So, I’m going be involved in any investigation, and I hope I’m working there 24/7 to uncover all this nonsense,” he said, noting that documents and correspondence surrounding the Trump cases will be “exposed.” Merchan highlighted Friday ahead of sentencing that the court system handled Trump’s case as it handles every other criminal case. “After careful analysis, this court determined the only lawful sentence that permits entry of judgment of conviction is an unconditional discharge,” Merchan said Friday. “At this time, I impose that sentence to cover all 34 counts.” Merchan added, “Sir, I wish you Godspeed as you assume your second term in office.” REPUBLICANS BLAST ‘JOKE’ SENTENCING OF TRUMP 10 DAYS BEFORE SWEARING IN Fox News contributor and lawyer Trey Gowdy underscored on Friday that if Trump’s case was handled the same as any other in New York, it shows “there are a lot of bad trials going on” in the state. “Court time is precious. It is a precious resource. To waste this time on a case, where even the prosecution agrees you should not spend a minute. So if Juan Merchan says this case was not handled any differently, that just tells me there are lots of bad trials going on in New York,” Gowdy said. Legal scholar and Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley compared Merchan’s remark that Trump’s case was similar to any other in New York to Mary Shelley’s “Dr. Frankenstein.” “Merchan appears to be making the case in his own defense and insisted that this case is no different from any other case in New York. It is a case being made long after the jury has left the courthouse. This is like Dr. Frankenstein telling his creature that he is just like any other man. Stitching together this case from a dead misdemeanor and declined federal charges is anything but ordinary,” Turley said on X. Trump addressed the court ahead of sentencing that the case was a “great embarrassment to the state of New York,” while highlighting that voters “decisively” re-elected him to the White House in November. Fox News legal editor Kerri Urbahn added on Friday that as she walked into the courtroom, she noticed widespread support for Trump on the streets. “The only protesters, per se, who were here were Trump supporters. And even as I’m standing here right now, I’m looking into a square and I’m looking at people holding Trump flags, I’m looking at a person who has a sign that says, ‘Enough is enough. We voted. We don’t want this lawfare anymore.’” During Trump’s trial in the spring of last year, no cameras were permitted in the courtroom. For the sentencing, however, Merchan agreed to allow audio, which Urbahn found odd. “It is noteworthy that during the trial, there was no audio. There were no cameras, but for this particular sentencing, Judge Merchan agreed to have audio. I can’t help but think if it’s because he wants the world to hear his voice sentence Donald Trump because we were not able to have that before,” she said on Fox News. Merchan set Trump’s sentencing for Jan. 10 earlier this month, and was swiftly met with repeated attempts to delay and block the sentencing. Merchan said ahead of the sentencing that he would likely not “impose any sentence of incarceration” on Trump, and instead hand down an “unconditional discharge.” Trump’s legal team filed an appeal to block sentencing from moving forward with the New York State Court of Appeals. However, the court rejected his request. Trump also filed an emergency motion with the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that it “immediately order a stay of pending criminal proceedings in the Supreme Court of New York County, New York, pending the final resolution of President Trump’s interlocutory appeal raising questions of Presidential immunity, including in this Court if necessary.” “The Court should also enter, if necessary, a temporary administrative stay while it considers this stay application,” Trump’s filing requested. TRUMP TO BE SENTENCED IN NEW YORK
Trump’s viral ‘Gulf of America’ name-change spurs a Texas-sized suggestion: Gulf of Buc-ee’s
In the wake of President-elect Donald Trump announcing he hopes to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” a Texas congressman offered a Lone Star-sized suggestion for compromise. “Interesting compromise,” Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw posted as a caption to a map showing the Gulf of Mexico’s label replaced with the emblem of a grinning Buc-ee the Beaver in his trademark red ball cap. His post gained some traction on social media as someone commented enthusiastically: “The Gulf of Buc-ee’s!” While it has only started to increase its northward footprint, the Lake Jackson, Texas-based interstate-side gas station/meal-stop/country-store/convenience behemoth has a cult-like following in the South – as evidenced by the response to Crenshaw and others floating the idea. CRENSHAW RIPS BIDEN SPENDING BILL Known for 100-plus gas pumps dispensing at loss-leader prices that help draw in crowds, Buc-ee’s has been described as both a 7-Eleven “on steroids” and “an amusement park without the rides.” Cooks can be heard regularly calling out “Fre-e-esh brisket on the board,” as they continuously resupply visitors with Texas BBQ from a station in the middle of the store, while cheeky billboards advertise their massive, spotless bathrooms for miles. The stores are also known for their mascot’s prized “Beaver Nuggets” snacks, fresh-made fudge, “wall” of jerky; vacation needs like camp chairs, clothing and even meat smokers. On Tuesday, Trump said he would change the name of the Gulf to the “appropriate” and “beautiful” “Gulf of America.” TRUMP ANNOUNCES GULF OF MEXICO TO BECOME ‘GULF OF AMERICA’ In response, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum posted an image of herself in front of an 18th century map showing a large portion of the United States as “Mexican America” and suggested facetiously that the name should revert. Of Crenshaw’s “Gulf of Buc-ee’s” idea, social media was ablaze with support for the red hat-bedecked beaver. “I’d support that,” one X user wrote. “Gulf of Buc’ees gets my vote — that means brisket sandwich and a pitstop with hundreds of clean bathroom stalls every 3 hours…maybe picking up an iron skillet, crawfish boiler, or pair of Buc-ees pajamas too,” a second user daydreamed of the idea. Another commenter said they had yet to visit a Buc-ees but quipped, “I hope to someday be named among the blessed who have entered through the Brisket Gates. Gulf of Buc-ee’s — I can support that.”