How Trump took credit for the Gaza ceasefire – and then let it unravel
Washington, DC – Images of Palestinian children killed by Israeli bombardment are back in the news after a brief reprieve that only lasted a few weeks. Nearly two months after United States President Donald Trump took office, the ceasefire that had halted Israel’s war in Gaza has shattered, and the region is once again at war. That comes despite Trump’s own pledge to pursue peace in the Middle East and across the world. Trump took credit for the truce earlier this year, but he is now backing Israel’s renewed assaults in a conflict that he once promised to end. Analysts say Trump – a staunch Israel supporter – was more interested in generating headlines about helping to secure the ceasefire than actually ending the war. He also floated plans to ethnically cleanse Gaza, by removing its residents to make way for a riviera-style resort. “We could see evidence of Trump’s insincerity in the ceasefire almost immediately after he took office – when he started calling for the forced displacement and ethnic cleansing of all Palestinians from Gaza on a permanent basis,” said Josh Ruebner, a lecturer at Georgetown University’s Program on Justice and Peace. Advertisement “So, it’s not at all a surprise to see the Trump administration greenlight the resumption of massive Israeli violence against Palestinians in Gaza.” Early signs In the weeks leading up to the latest bombardment, there were signs that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu never intended on fully honouring the ceasefire – and that Trump was not invested in upholding the deal, either. Early in February, Trump said he has “no guarantees that the peace is going to hold” in Gaza. Even before the ceasefire went into effect in January, Netanyahu claimed that the deal was “temporary” and that both Joe Biden – who was in the final days of his presidency – and Trump have given “their full backing to Israel’s right to return to fighting”. Moreover, Israel has repeatedly violated the deal by firing at Palestinians almost daily and blocking the entry of mobile homes into the territory, where many buildings have been levelled or rendered unsafe. Then, on March 2, Israel imposed a total blockade on humanitarian aid destined for Gaza. The ceasefire agreement was supposed to include three phases. The first stage, which expired early in March, saw the release of about 30 Israeli captives and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners as the guns fell silent. But Israel did not agree to move to the second phase of the deal that would see a permanent end to the war. A third stage would have eventually focused on reconstruction in the territory. Instead, Netanyahu and the Trump administration insisted on extending the first part of the ceasefire deal. But the Palestinian group Hamas has been clear in its position: There is no need for new initiatives because there is an internationally backed pact in place that all the parties have already agreed to. Advertisement Truce ‘served its purpose’ for Trump Ruebner said Trump only wanted a temporary ceasefire to free more Israeli captives without pressuring Israel to commit to ending the war. In a joint appearance with Netanyahu in February, Trump also expressed his desire for the US to “own” Gaza and turn it into a “Riviera of the Middle East”. But since Trump’s proposal was met with overwhelming international rejection, the US president allowed Israel to “resume this frightening scale of violence” against Palestinians, Ruebner said. In the days since Israel renewed its assault on Gaza, hundreds of Palestinian civilians, including children, have been killed with the support of the US president, who had promised in his inauguration speech to leave the legacy of a “peacemaker”. Annelle Sheline, a research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said she was surprised that the truce lasted for weeks even after it “served its purpose” for Trump. “Trump’s motivation in pushing for the ceasefire was to show that he could achieve what Biden could not, and he did so before even reentering the White House,” said Sheline. “At the time the ceasefire was enacted, there was a lot of scepticism that it would reach phase two, as this would involve negotiations around a more permanent cessation of hostilities, which Israel and specifically Netanyahu had no interest in agreeing to.” The Center for International Policy (CIP), a US-based think tank, also said Trump “bears considerable responsibility” for the collapse of the ceasefire. Advertisement “While Trump’s team had an early success in assisting the administration of former President Joe Biden in negotiating the hostage release and ceasefire, he has since enabled this massive failure in his own diplomacy through a series of brazen missteps,” Dylan Williams, CIP’s vice president for government affairs, said in a statement. A ‘showman’ Williams cited Trump’s “obscene proposal” to force Palestinians out of Gaza, as well as the president’s backing of Netanyahu’s push to re-write the ceasefire deal, as decisions that make him a “full partner in this bloodshed”. Despite the civilian death toll, the Trump administration has voiced unqualified support for Israel and its military campaign in Gaza. YL Al-Sheikh, a Palestinian American writer and organiser for the Democratic Socialists of America, described Trump as a “showman” who wanted a “big thing” to brag about. But Al-Sheikh underscored that the US president has failed to get Netanyahu to permanently end the war and to get Hamas to release the remaining captives. “So he just wants to pummel on somebody,” Al-Sheikh said. Palestinians, he added, are “the natural target”. So, what happens next? Analysts fear that the Israeli offensive will intensify, leading to more death and destruction, in a campaign that leading rights groups and United Nations experts have already described as a genocide. “Trump and Netanyahu are aligned in their desire to remove Palestinians from Gaza, either by killing them or through ethnic cleansing and forced removal,” said Sheline. Advertisement Al-Sheikh also predicts that the violence will persist: “We’re going to go in this merry-go-round until either Netanyahu fails to keep
Advocates decry Trump administration effort to deport immigration activist
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has confirmed it detained and plans to deport Jeanette Vizguerra, a prominent immigration activist who has drawn attention to the plight of undocumented people in the country. Immigration advocates, lawmakers and human rights groups have decried the move, pointing to the mother of four’s deep ties to the Colorado community where she has lived for 30 years. The arrest appears to be the first time US authorities have targeted a prominent immigration activist for deportation during President Donald Trump’s second term. Supporters say Vizguerra’s detention is aimed at silencing dissent. It comes amid a wider deportation push by the Trump administration, which has rolled back enforcement protections and invoked an 18th-century law in an effort to eject undocumented people from the US. In a social media post on Wednesday, ICE’s bureau in Denver, Colorado, justified Vizguerra’s arrest by pointing to her past convictions. She has a 2009 misdemeanour for using a forged Social Security number to find work, as well as a second misdemeanour from 2013 when she briefly returned home to Mexico to visit her dying mother. She was convicted at the time of illegal entry. Advertisement “She will remain in ICE custody until her removal from the United States,” ICE said in the post. However, Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, questions whether Vizguerra’s meagre arrest record warrants such treatment. He acknowledged that she “has a few low-level offenses as a result of her being undocumented”. “But she’s no dangerous radical. That’s just ridiculous,” he wrote on the social media platform X. Instead, he pointed out that she was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2017. “She is a well-respected advocate in Colorado and nationwide,” Reichlin-Melnick said. “The literal president of the United States has a more serious criminal record.” Jeanette Vizguerra speaks after leaving a church’s sanctuary on May 12, 2017 [David Zalubowski/AP Photo] Who is Jeanette Vizguerra? Vizguerra initially came to the US from Mexico City in the 1990s with her husband, who had faced several kidnappings in Mexico. She settled in Colorado, where she began working as a janitor and became involved in labour organising. Her first brush with US law enforcement came during a traffic stop in 2009, when she was found to be carrying a document with the fake Social Security number. Her conviction kicked off a years-long battle against her deportation – and propelled her to take on more immigration advocacy work, as she endeavoured to protect other undocumented people in Colorado. She became associated with groups like Colorado’s Rights for All People and the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, and she founded the Colorado branch of the organisation Dreamer’s Mothers in Action. Advertisement But in 2017, President Trump took office for the first time, with pledges to implement a sweeping immigration crackdown. Fearing imminent deportation, Vizguerra sought refuge in two Denver-area churches, an act that catapulted her into the national spotlight. A longstanding government policy forbade immigration raids at sensitive locations like churches at the time. “I decided not to hide my battle against deportation but to fight publicly to draw attention to the unfairness of the system,” Vizguerra wrote in a 2017 op-ed published by The New York Times. “I wanted to inspire my community to step out of the shadows and raise its voices.” In May 2017, she received a temporary stay of deportation that allowed her to leave the church’s sanctuary. But she felt forced to return again in 2019 after her visa application was reportedly denied. She eventually moved out of the church in 2020. The administration of US President Joe Biden later granted her a temporary “stay of deportation”. In Time Magazine’s 2017 profile of Vizguerra, actress America Ferrera praised the activist for making the “bold and risky” decision to go public with her struggle. “The current Administration has scapegoated immigrants, scaring Americans into believing that undocumented people like Jeanette are criminals,” Ferrera wrote. “She shed blood, sweat and tears to become a business owner, striving to give her children more opportunities than she had. This is not a crime. This is the American Dream.” Vizguerra was arrested on Monday in the car park of the Target where she worked. Aura Hernandez, centre, holds her one-year-old daughter Camila Sanchez and laughs with Jeanette Vizguerra on March 29, 2018 [Seth Wenig/AP Photo] Deportation push Vizguerra’s arrest comes amid a mass deportation push under Trump, who campaigned on promises to stop undocumented migration and surge the number of removals. Advertisement Since taking office, Trump has swiftly moved away from Biden administration policies that de-prioritised immigration actions against low-level and nonviolent offenders. Recent ICE enforcement sweeps have seen the arrests of thousands of individuals with no criminal record, despite Trump’s claim he would focus on those considered threats to public safety and national security. In January, the Trump administration also rolled back a longstanding policy that prohibited immigration enforcement in sensitive locations, including churches, schools and medical facilities. Earlier this month, it began invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to increase expulsions, although a federal judge has temporarily paused its use. That act has only been used three times prior, and only in cases of war. Critics have also accused the Trump administration of targeting foreign nationals – including legal permanent residents – for their political views. That includes the attempt to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a green-card holder who led pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University, as well as the expulsion of Brown University professor Rasha Alawieh, who was teaching in the US on a work visa. Jeanette Vizguerra speaks outside the Denver church where she has sought sanctuary on June 19, 2019 [Jim Anderson/AP Photo] What has the response been? Some of the most strident condemnations of Vizguerra’s arrest have come from local elected officials. In a widely shared video statement on Tuesday, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said her detention was not “intended to keep our country safe”. Advertisement “This is Putin-style persecution
Jackpot withheld, $83 million winner “caught in crossfire” amid lottery courier investigations
The winning ticket, purchased online through the courier Jackpocket, is being scrutinized by lawmakers concerned about the legality of third-party services.
Disgraced ex-Congressman Weiner receives campaign donation from unexpected New Yorker in new race
FIRST ON FOX: Former Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner received surprising donations to his campaign for City Council of New York City from ex-wife Huma Abedin and her sister, Heba Abedin, despite his ex-wife saying in 2021 that Weiner’s sex scandals “almost killed her.” Huma Abedin donated $175 to Weiner’s campaign March 13, and her sister, Heba Abedin, donated $150 Dec. 29, 2024, a Fox News Digital review of New York City campaign finance reports revealed. Weiner launched his latest campaign for NYC City Council, a position he held from 1992 to 1998 before controversy derailed his political career, in December 2024. Weiner was elected to represent New York’s 9th Congressional District in 1998 and resigned in 2011 after he posted a photo of himself in his underwear on social media. The incident was followed by years of sexual scandals, and Weiner was charged with transferring obscene material to a minor in May 2017 after sexting a 15-year-old girl. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison. FORMER DEMOCRATIC REP. ANTHONY WEINER, CONVICTED OF ILLICIT CONTACT WITH MINOR, FILES TO RUN FOR NYC COUNCIL Huma Abedin, the longtime Hillary Clinton aide, told CBS “Sunday Morning” in 2021 that anger over her husband’s sex scandals almost killed her. ANTHONY WEINER SPOTTED DINING WITH ESTRANGED WIFE HUMA ABEDIN “I can’t live in that space anymore. I tried that. It almost killed me,” Abedin told Norah O’Donnell. Abedin said she filed for divorce on the same day Weiner pleaded guilty and was sentenced to prison. The former couple, who co-parent their son, were spotted in 2023 attending the Inner Circle charity show at Ziegfeld Theater in Midtown Manhattan. By July 2024, Abedin announced on social media she was engaged to Alex Soros, chairman of Open Society Foundations and son of billionaire megadonor George Soros. They are expected to get married this summer. After resigning from Congress in 2011, Weiner continued sexting under the pseudonym “Carlos Danger.” The main recipient, Sydney Leathers, who was 22 at the time, claimed the former lawmaker referred to himself as “an argumentative, perpetually horny middle-aged man.” Weiner attempted his first political comeback in 2013 with a mayoral run, but his reputation was damaged by new revelations of explicit photos Weiner had sent under the pseudonym. Weiner was caught in another sexting scandal in 2016, which led to his indictment. In one image Weiner sent, he was lying in bed with his young son. More claims surfaced that year that Weiner had sexted a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina, and his laptop was seized. Investigators found emails relevant to Clinton’s classified documents scandal that dominated the 2016 election. Weiner later checked himself into rehab for sex addiction. In 2017, his federal indictment ruined another bid for mayor. He was released in 2019 and was ordered to register as a sex offender. Abedin and Weiner did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment by the deadline of this article.
Texas AG Ken Paxton accuses Coppell ISD of violating Texas’ “critical race theory” ban
The attorney general office’s lawsuit is based on an undercover video published in February by a conservative activist group.
Judge denies embattled government-funded agency’s restraining order request against DOGE
A federal judge ruled in favor of the Trump administration on Wednesday, after a government-funded nonprofit organization filed a lawsuit protecting itself from “ongoing destruction” from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The U.S. Institute for Peace (USIP) filed a request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) on Tuesday, claiming that DOGE had committed “literal trespass and takeover by force…of the Institute’s headquarters building on Constitution Avenue.” The organization also accused the anti-waste initiative of “ongoing destruction of the Institute’s physical and electronic property.” “Defendants have been and are at this minute engaged in conduct that will cause the Institute irreparable harm that will prevent the Institute from performing any of its lawful functions and is likely to utterly destroy it,” the lawsuit stated. WHITE HOUSE UNLEASHES ON ‘ROGUE BUREAUCRATS’ AFTER AGENCY HEAD REFUSES DOGE ENTRY TO HEADQUARTERS In a decision on Wednesday, Judge Beryl Howell motioned to deny the USIP’s request for a TRO. “I think there is confusion in the complaint that make me uncomfortable,” Howell said. “I would say I am very offended by how DOGE has operated in the Institute in treating American citizens…. but that concern about how this has gone down is not one that can sway me in the consideration of factors for TRO, which is emergency relief, which is exceptional,” she continued. Howell, who was appointed as a senior judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in 2024, also said she was “particularly concerned about plaintiffs’ likelihood of success.” “Two of the most important tests, likely to succeed on the merits and likely to suffer irreparable harm, are just a stretch here,” Howell added. THE UNELECTED POWER IS THE ROGUE BUREAUCRACY, STEPHEN MILLER SAYS USIP, an independent institution funded by Congress, was established in 1984 under the Reagan administration. Its goal is to “[protect] U.S. interests by helping to prevent violent conflicts and broker peace deals abroad,” according to its website. “Our work helps keep America safe, reducing the risk that the United States will be drawn into costly foreign wars that drive terrorism, criminal gangs and migration,” the agency’s website reads. “We help make America stronger by projecting U.S. influence and bolstering partner countries in regions destabilized by China and other U.S. adversaries.” USIP had infamously not complied with President Donald Trump‘s February executive order to pull back the “scope of federal bureaucracy,” refusing to reduce its size to the statutory minimum listed in the order. As such, the Trump administration fired 11 of its 14 board members last week, leaving only Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and National Defense University President Peter Garvin. Howell’s decision came shortly after the White House told Fox News Digital that the Trump administration had gutted USIP of “rogue bureaucrats.” “Rogue bureaucrats will not be allowed to hold agencies hostage,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a Tuesday statement. “The Trump administration will enforce the president’s executive authority and ensure his agencies remain accountable to the American people.” Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Trump to sign executive order to abolish the Department of Education
President Donald Trump is moving forward with plans to abolish the Department of Education. Trump is expected to sign an executive order following through on a campaign promise to disband the department, claiming on the campaign trail that the department was full of “radicals, zealots and Marxists.” A White House fact sheet states that the move will “turn over education to families instead of bureaucracies. Trump and proponents of eliminating the department have long said the agency has failed American students. “NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) scores reveal a national crisis—our children are falling behind,” Harrison Fields, the White House principal deputy press secretary, told Fox News. “Over the past four years, Democrats have allowed millions of illegal minors into the country, straining school resources and diverting focus from American students.” AFT PRESIDENT RANDI WEINGARTEN SOUNDS ALARM ABOUT LEGALITY OF TRUMP ELIMINATING EDUCATION DEPARTMENT “Coupled with the rise of anti-American CRT and DEI indoctrination, this is harming our most vulnerable,” he added. “President Trump’s executive order to expand educational opportunities will empower parents, states, and communities to take control and improve outcomes for all students.” The directive comes after the Senate voted to confirm Linda McMahon, former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), to lead the agency on March 3. McMahon issued a memo later that day outlining her support for the Trump administration’s plans for the department and that she would oversee a “new era of accountability” in the agency’s final days. “The reality of our education system is stark, and the American people have elected President Trump to make significant changes in Washington,” McMahon said in the March 3 memo. “Our job is to respect the will of the American people and the President they elected, who has tasked us with accomplishing the elimination of bureaucratic bloat here at the Department of Education — a momentous final mission — quickly and responsibly.” Following reports that Trump planned to sign the executive order, the American Federation of Teachers issued a statement imploring Congress to oppose the executive order and will not “abdicate its responsibility to all children, students and working families, who deserve a future full of promise and possibility, not diminished dreams.” The teacher’s union pointed to an NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll conducted in February that found more than 60% of Americans “strongly oppose” eradicating the agency. “The Department of Education, and the laws it is supposed to execute, has one major purpose: to level the playing field and fill opportunity gaps to help every child in America succeed,” the American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said in a statement March 5. “Trying to abolish it — which, by the way, only Congress can do — sends a message that the president doesn’t care about opportunity for all kids. Maybe he cares about it for his own kids or his friends’ kids or his donors’ kids — but not all kids.” Despite spending billions of dollars on education, student outcomes haven’t fared any better. The White House cited 13 Baltimore, Md., high schools in which no students tested proficient in mathematics in 2023, as well as money spent to teach “radical ideologies.” “The Trump Administration recently canceled $226 million in grants under the Comprehensive Centers Program that forced radical agendas onto states and systems, including race-based discrimination and gender identity ideology,” the fact sheet states. Under the Biden administration, schools have been forced to redirect resources to comply with “ideological initiatives,” social experiments and obsolete programs, the White House said. In addition, Trump has supported bringing education back to the states and a rethinking of schools. “I want every parent in America to be empowered to send their child to public, private, charter, or faith-based school of their choice,” he said. “The time for universal school choice has come. As we return education to the states, I will use every power I have to give parents this right.” Despite Trump’s order, the president needs Congress to sign off on eradicating the agency, under Article II of the U.S. Constitution. Such a measure would require 60 votes to pass in the Senate, and there are only 53 Republicans currently. Still, there is some appetite in Congress to eliminate the department. For example, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., introduced a measure Jan. 31 to nix the Department of Education by December 2026. WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY ON REPORTS THAT TRUMP WILL DISBAND EDUCATION DEPARTMENT: ‘EXPECT HIM TO DELIVER’ “Unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. should not be in charge of our children’s intellectual and moral development,” Massie said in a Jan. 31 statement. “States and local communities are best positioned to shape curricula that meet the needs of their students. Schools should be accountable.” Trump told reporters Feb. 4 that even though he’d nominated McMahon to lead the Department of Education, he eventually wanted her to lose her job. “What I want to do is let the states run schools,” Trump said Feb. 4. “I believe strongly in school choice. But in addition to that, I want the states to run schools, and I want Linda to put herself out of a job.” TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDERS STRIPPING FEDERAL FUNDING FROM SCHOOLS THAT TEACH CRT, SUPPORTING SCHOOL CHOICE White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also signaled that the American people could count on Trump to move forward with such plans to disband the department. “President Trump campaigned on that promise, and I think the American people can expect him to deliver on it,” Leavitt told Stuart Varney on “Varney & Co.” Feb. 4. The Department of Education, established in 1980, seeks to improve coordination of federal education programs and support state and local school systems, according to its website. The agency received a budget of $79.1 billion in fiscal year 2024. Trump said at a rally in September 2024 that he wanted to reduce the “government education swamp and stop the abuse of your taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate America’s youth with all sorts of things that you don’t want to
Faith leaders gather around Trump to pray in Oval Office: ‘incredible day’
Faith leaders from across the country visited President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday where they prayed with the commander-in-chief. The White House posted an image of the leaders gathered in prayer around Trump as he sat at his desk. William Wolfe, the executive director of the Center for Baptist Leadership, posted the same image. POPE FRANCIS SEEN FOR FIRST TIME SINCE BEING ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL: PHOTO “It was a huge honor to represent @BaptistLeaders and meet @realDonaldTrump today along with other Christian leaders and pray for him in the Oval Office,” Wolfe wrote on X. “It’s been an incredible day—been keeping this under wraps until it happened, but can’t wait to share more!!” Robert Jeffries, the pastor at the First Baptist Dallas church, also remarked on the visit. “Honored to lead a prayer today for our great president @realDonaldTrump!” he wrote on X. EVEN IF TRUMP SECURES UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL, CAN PUTIN BE TRUSTED? WallBuilders founder David Barton, who was with the faith leaders, said it was “an honor” to pray for Trump. In a video, Barton said Trump was supportive of faith-based programs and policies that are “reflective of family and faith and values.” WallBuilders aims to educate the public on how the Bible has played a pivotal role in the founding of the nation. In February, Trump signed an executive order to establish the White House Faith Office as part of the Domestic Policy Council. The order states the new office will consult with faith leaders on various topics, including “defending religious liberty.” On Wednesday evening, Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, will host the Catholics for Catholics Gala. Speakers at that event will include retired U.S. Army Gen. Michael Flynn and veteran political consultant Roger Stone.
Republican Sen Murkowski prepared to ‘take the criticism’ over DOGE pushback
A Republican senator has vowed to remain vocal against some of the Trump administration’s actions, even if it means risking a billion-dollar opposition campaign funded by billionaire Elon Musk. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who previously claimed actions taken by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) could have “incredibly troubling” outcomes, suggested that Musk may “take the next billion dollars that he makes off of Starlink and put it directly against me” if she remains critical of the administration. “And you know what, that may happen. But I’m not giving up one minute, one opportunity to try and stand up for Alaskans,” the senator, whose term is up in 2029, said while speaking to voters in Alaska on Tuesday. “I’m gonna take the criticism that comes.” Murkowski also suggested that other lawmakers choose to “duck and cover” rather than speak out against the administration over fears of being primaried in their next elections. ELON MUSK IN ‘SHOCK’ OVER DEMS’ ALLEGED ‘HATRED AND VIOLENCE,’ LAMENTS ‘DERANGED’ ATTACKS ON TESLA PLANTS “That’s why you got everybody just zip-lipped, not saying a word, because they are afraid they’re going to be taken down, they’re gonna be primaried, they’re gonna be given names in the media,” the senator said. “You know what? We cannot be cowed into not speaking up.” BUCKING TRUMP ORDER, GOP SENS. MURKOWSKI AND SULLIVAN PUSH TO CHANGE MOUNT MCKINLEY’S NAME BACK TO DENALI Murkowski has been critical of some actions taken by the Trump administration, voting against the confirmation of the president’s pick to head the Department of Defense, Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Republican also spoke out against Trump and Vice President JD Vance following their heated meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. “This week started with administration officials refusing to acknowledge that Russia started the war in Ukraine. It ends with a tense, shocking conversation in the Oval Office and whispers from the White House that they may try to end all U.S. support for Ukraine,” Murkowski wrote in a post on X in March. “I know foreign policy is not for the faint of heart, but right now, I am sick to my stomach as the administration appears to be walking away from our allies and embracing Putin, a threat to democracy and U.S. values around the world.” Musk has suggested that he will fund primary challenges against Republican lawmakers who break with the Trump agenda. The billionaire, in response to a report posted to X making the suggestion about his potential involvement in future GOP elections, said in a November 2024 post, “How else? There is no other way.” “Until Alaskans tell me, Lisa, it’s just not working anymore, I’m gonna give you every last breath that I have, and I’m gonna try to solve every little problem, and I’m not gonna compromise my own integrity by hiding from my words when I feel they need to be spoken,” Murkowski said on Tuesday. The senator said that while she has disagreements with Trump, she is going to find “constructive” ways to work with him. Fox News Digital reached out to DOGE and Murkowski for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Fox News Poll: Voters have concerns about DOGE, even as they see need for cuts
Voters have concerns about the recent government spending cuts executed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), even as they see the need for such an effort. Most think the national debt is a crisis or major problem, and nearly 6 in 10 feel a great deal or almost all of government spending is “wasteful and inefficient,” according to a new Fox News national survey. Yet a slim 51% majority opposes substantially shrinking the number of government employees, some 56% disapprove of the job the Trump administration is doing identifying and reducing wasteful spending, and another 65% worry that not enough thought and planning has gone into the cuts. FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP IS THE MOST POPULAR HE’S EVER BEEN A sizable minority of Republicans (39%) share the concern of large numbers of Democrats (88%) and Independents (71%) about how the reductions are being implemented. Forty percent approve of the job Elon Musk is doing working with DOGE, while 58% disapprove. Fully 93% of Democrats disapprove, along with 70% of Independents and 20% of Republicans. When asked about funding for specific federal programs, majorities think the government should increase funding for Social Security (63%), Medicare and Medicaid (58%), and medical research (53%), while a large minority says the same about funding the military and national defense (44%). Sentiment is more mixed on humanitarian foreign aid, as 23% want to increase federal funding on aid, 36% would keep it at the same level as last year, and 39% want to decrease it. FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP, REPUBLICANS AT RECORD HIGH RATINGS AS DEMOCRATS FALTER Overall, one in four voters says someone in their family has been significantly affected by the government cuts, and among that group, 79% are concerned about how the cuts have been handled. Voters also have doubts about tariffs, as majorities think the measures will make products that they buy more expensive (69%) and hurt the economy (53%). Views are divided on the job front, with 35% saying tariffs help protect U.S. jobs and 39% saying they hurt. FOX NEWS POLL: OVER HALF SAY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION MADE THE ECONOMY WORSE The 53% saying tariffs hurt the economy is a new high, up from 50% in January and a low of 39% in 2024. When asked about specific tariffs, voters favor imposing them on products from China (55%), while they oppose tariffs on Mexico (56%) and Canada (61%). On the overall economy, a growing number of voters think it is in bad shape, many think inflation is out of control, and most believe a recession is at least somewhat likely. Views of the economy have soured since President Donald Trump began his second term, as 79% of voters give it negative marks, up from 70% two months ago. This increase in pessimism is largely due to a 35-point spike among Democrats plus an 18-point jump among Independents. In the same period, Republican assessment of the economy has shifted positively by 22 points. At the end of December, at the tail end of former President Joe Biden’s term, 77% held a negative view of the economy. Some 60% of voters rate their personal finances negatively, which is a touch better compared to 62% in December. And while nearly half, 47%, continue to say inflation is “not at all” under control, that’s down from 56% in early 2023 (the last time the question was asked). Seven in 10 say they expect a recession this year, including majorities of Democrats (93%) and Independents (72%), and half of Republicans (50%). Those sentiments help explain why more than 4 in 10 identify inflation (27%) or the economy generally (16%) as the most important issues facing the country. Those beat the next most commonly mentioned issues: political divisions (14%), political leadership/corruption (10%), and immigration (8%). For reference, 3% cite government spending and 2% say tariffs. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Even though partisans have adjusted their attitudes with the change in administrations, the public as a whole remains jittery about the economy,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News surveys with Democrat Chris Anderson. “The aggressiveness of Trump’s tariff policy and the pace of DOGE’s actions have spooked Democrats and many Independents. If Trump is to maintain broad public support, it’s imperative that his approach produces results.” Generally, 43% are satisfied with how things are going in the country. That’s up 12 points from 31% in December. Some 57% are unsatisfied, including 20% of Republicans. Voter dissatisfaction hit a high of 75% during Biden’s term (August 2022). In Trump’s first term, it peaked at 66% (August 2020). Again, major post-inauguration partisan shifts are driving these changing numbers. The new survey shows the share of Democrats happy with the direction of the country dropped 33 points to 9% after Biden left office. And 80% of Republicans are satisfied now, up 55 points since Trump took office. Trump started his first term with a 48% job approval rating (Feb. 2017). Today, his approval stands at a record 49%, which he also achieved once during his first term (April 2020). For comparison, Biden’s highest approval was 56% in June 2021. Currently, 92% of Democrats disapprove of Trump, while an equal number of Republicans approve (92%). Fully 97% of 2024 Trump supporters like the job he’s doing as president. Trump’s ratings are underwater by 13 points on the economy (43% approve – 56% disapprove) and by 18 points on inflation (40-58%). He receives his best marks on border security, as a 56% majority approves (43% disapprove). CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE Conducted March 14-17, 2025 under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 994 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (123) and cellphones (648) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (223). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error