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‘Ultra-right’: Trump budget chief pick Russell Vought faces fire from Dem senators

‘Ultra-right’: Trump budget chief pick Russell Vought faces fire from Dem senators

Democratic lawmakers grilled President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on a series of issues Wednesday, ranging from abortion to the constitutionality of the Impoundment Control Act.  While Republicans argue that Russell Vought is qualified for the role because he served as Trump’s OMB director during the president’s first term, Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have labeled Vought an “ultra-right” ideologue.  Vought appeared before the Senate Budget Committee on Wednesday for a confirmation hearing and defended his previous statements that the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional — an issue Democrats claim should disqualify him from leading the Office of Management and Budget. TRUMP’S TREASURY NOMINEE TURNS THE TABLES ON SANDERS IN TESTY EXCHANGE ABOUT BIDEN’S ‘OLIGARCHY’ COMMENTS  The law, adopted in 1974, stipulates that Congress may oversee the executive branch’s withholding of budget authority, and affirmed that Congress holds the power of the purse. Ultimately, the law bars the executive branch from circumventing Congress and withholding appropriated funds. The first Trump administration and Vought have come under fire after the Office of Management and Budget held up $214 million in military aid for Ukraine in 2019, a decision that ultimately led to Trump’s first impeachment. “You’re quite comfortable assuming that the law doesn’t matter and that you’ll just treat the money for a program as a ceiling… rather than a required amount,” Senate Budget Committee ranking member Jeff Merkley said. “Well, the courts have found otherwise.” TRUMP TREASURY PICK: EXTENDING TRUMP TAX CUTS ‘SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ECONOMIC ISSUE’ Additionally, the Supreme Court also ruled in 1975 that the executive branch cannot impound funds without congressional oversight.  In that case, Train v. City of New York, the Supreme Court determined the Environmental Protection Agency must use full funding included in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, even though then-President Richard Nixon issued orders not to use all the funding.  Lawmakers have pointed to this case in Vought’s confirmation hearings as further evidence that the executive branch cannot tie up funding Congress has approved.  Even so, Vought told lawmakers in multiple exchanges he believes the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional, because presidents historically could spend less than what Congress had approved prior to the Impoundment Control Act, and that Trump campaigned on that position. Democrats aren’t the only ones worried about Vought’s views on the Impoundment Control Act. Senate Budget Committee chair Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he also shared some concerns and would disclose them at a markup hearing for Vought’s nomination.  Vought also faced questioning on his views regarding abortion, given his connection as an author of Project 2025, a political initiative The Heritage Foundation released in 2023 that called for policy changes, including instituting a national ban on abortion medication.  Other proposals included in Project 2025 include eliminating the Department of Education, cutting DEI programs, and reducing funding for Medicare and Medicaid.  “You have said that you don’t believe in exceptions for rape, for incest, or the life of the mother,” said Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington. “Is that your position?” “Senator, my views are not important. I’m here on behalf of the president,” Vought said.  GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP’S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR? Trump has repeatedly stated that he backs abortion in certain instances, and stated that “powerful exceptions” for abortion would remain in place under his administration. Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., pressed Vought on whether healthcare is a “human right.” Sanders has previously introduced legislation called the Medicare for All Act that would establish a federal, national health insurance program.  “Do you think we should join every other major country on Earth and say, ‘You know what? Whether you’re poor, you’re rich, you’re young, you’re old, healthcare is a human right,’” Sanders said. “We have the richest country in the history of the world. Do you think we should do what every other major country on Earth does?” Vought declined to disclose specifics, but said that he believed it’s critical to provide “legitimate, evidence-based outcomes for people within the healthcare system, and to make sure that we tailor all of the dollars that are spent toward that.”  After serving as director of the Office of Management and Budget under the first Trump administration, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America in 2021. The organization claims its mission is to “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God,” according to its website. Vought also served as the vice president of Heritage Action for America.  Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. said his meeting with Vought only exacerbated his concerns about the nomination.  “I walked out of the meeting even more deeply troubled,” Schumer said on the Senate floor on Wednesday. “Of all the extremists President Trump could have picked for OMB, he picked the godfather of the ultra-right.” Vought has repeatedly told lawmakers that he would uphold the law and that his personal views aren’t important — carrying out Trump’s vision is what matters.  The OMB is responsible for developing and executing the president’s budget, as well as overseeing and coordinating legislative proposals and priorities aligned with the executive branch.  The Associated Press contributed to this report.

‘Totally prepared’: Trump allies say he’s better positioned than ever to enact agenda

‘Totally prepared’: Trump allies say he’s better positioned than ever to enact agenda

President Donald Trump’s Republican allies in the House say he is better positioned than ever to enact his legislative agenda, entering the White House armed with nearly a decade’s worth of knowledge about Washington. “The first time, he was a great businessman, but he didn’t know Washington. He’s got it down now,” said Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., a close ally of Trump’s who switched parties to better align with him during his first term. “He’s totally prepared for this. Last time he was learning. He’s learned. He’s ready to go.” Multiple House GOP lawmakers who served in Congress during Trump’s first term described a man who is returning to D.C. both with a triumphant electoral victory and a sharp understanding of how Capitol Hill and the wider D.C. network works. Several said the changes are manifesting in his and his team’s near-constant communication with Republican lawmakers and in the people he’s hiring for his team. REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS MEET WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP, VP VANCE TO ADVANCE AGENDA “He knows now that Washington is generally going to push back, and they’re going to do what they want to do — whether you call it the deep state or the establishment or the uniparty. I think he’s very aware, and I think he’s comporting his actions to address those issues,” said Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa. “He understands that personnel is policy, so he’s trying to get the right people in place, not because they’re loyal to him, but because they’re loyal to the agenda that the people want.” Within hours of being sworn in Monday, Trump held public events where he signed dozens of executive orders to enact promises he made on the campaign trail. All the while, he’s stayed in close contact with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., as well as summoning a flurry of House Republicans to Mar-a-Lago earlier this month to discuss the GOP agenda. Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., a former founding member of the House Freedom Caucus who served in the House from 2010 to 2017 and who is back for another term, noticed a marked difference from former Speaker Paul Ryan’s era. “It didn’t seem he and Speaker Ryan were on the same page coming into Congress. I saw them have discussions about the election and rallies, and they just had different perspectives, which I think is unfortunate because it was a real missed opportunity for a lot of things to be done,” Stutzman said. “This time, he knows Washington, he has a great team he’s pulling together and I think his team will be that much more disciplined and focused on the four-year window to get as much done as possible.” Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., a former member of House GOP leadership, also remarked on Trump’s focus on Congress. “His first term was clearly a populist campaign. He had really smart people, but they didn’t have any congressional experience,” Palmer said. “That’s not happening now. They’ve worked very closely with us. I feel like we’re all on the same page about what needs to be done.” WHITE HOUSE OPM ORDERS ALL DEI OFFICES TO BEGIN CLOSING BY END OF DAY WEDNESDAY Freshman Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colo., who had been a talk radio host before his political career, noted that the media environment Trump walked into had been a more receptive one compared to 2016. “He sort of broke the media complex. He seemed like – the media folks who in 2016 were resisting him, now they’ve realized, ‘Well, maybe this was censorship that we were doing, and that’s maybe not the best thing for our business model,’” Crank said. “But, whatever it is, they’ve sort of joined up with him, right, in a lot of ways.” A significant part of Trump’s D.C. education came during the four years he was out of office, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., a longtime ally, said. But he and others agreed that, at his core, Trump has not changed. “There’s no question that he is better than had he raced into a second term. He is the same man, though. He knows what he believes,” Issa said.

Marco Rubio heading to Panama on first trip as secretary of state: ‘We won’t continue to ignore the region’

Marco Rubio heading to Panama on first trip as secretary of state: ‘We won’t continue to ignore the region’

Newly sworn-in Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Panama for his first international trip as the nation’s top diplomat, Fox News has learned.  Though details are still being worked out, the visit could come as early as next week.  The planned trip comes after repeated vows by President Donald Trump – who returned to the White House on Monday – to take back the Panama Canal. Trump mentioned the Panama Canal again during his inaugural address on Monday, claiming that it was now in the hands of China and vowing to take it back.  MARCO RUBIO CLASHES WITH NBC ‘TODAY’ HOST WHEN PRESSED ON TRUMP’S JAN. 6 PARDONS “China is operating the Panama Canal. And we didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back,” Trump said.  Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino responded forcefully to Trump’s comments on Wednesday saying, “we reject in its entirety everything that Mr. Trump has said. First, because it is false and second, because the Panama Canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong to Panama.”   The U.S. built the canal in the early 1900s under then President Theodore Roosevelt as it looked for ways to facilitate the transit of commercial and military vessels between its coasts. Washington relinquished control of the waterway to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 by then President Jimmy Carter.  TRUMP WARNS FEMA FACES A RECKONING AFTER BIDEN ADMIN: ‘NOT DONE THEIR JOB’ News of Rubio’s trip was first reported by Politico and could include other Central American countries like Guatemala and El Salvador, where Rubio is expected to address a top priority of curbing mass migration that he outlined earlier this week.  State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce tells Fox News that “Secretary Rubio is prioritizing the region because it’s where we live,” adding “we won’t continue to ignore the region as other administrations have.”  She added: “Engaging with our neighbors is a vital element in addressing migration, supply chains, and economic growth, which are key to Secretary Rubio’s pursuit of foreign policy focused on making America strong, prosperous, and safe.” Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Trump warns FEMA faces a reckoning after Biden admin: ‘Not done their job’

Trump warns FEMA faces a reckoning after Biden admin: ‘Not done their job’

President Donald Trump warned late Wednesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is set to face a reckoning following four years under the Biden administration, arguing the emergency agency has “not done their job.”  “FEMA has not done their job for the last four years. You know, I had FEMA working really well. We had hurricanes in Florida. We had Alabama tornadoes. But unless you have certain types of leadership, it’s really, it gets in the way. And FEMA is going to be a whole big discussion very shortly, because I’d rather see the states take care of their own problems,” Trump said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, his first White House interview since his inauguration.  Trump then turned his attention to the state of Oklahoma, touting that he won all 77 of the state’s counties in the 2024 election, and arguing that if the Sooner State is hit by a tornado, state leaders should take the lead on emergency response before the federal government steps in for additional assistance.  “I love Oklahoma, but you know what? If they get hit with a tornado or something, let Oklahoma fix it. … And then the federal government can help them out with the money. FEMA is getting in the way of everything, and the Democrats actually use FEMA not to help North Carolina,” Trump continued.  TRUMP, GOP LEADERS MEET AT WHITE HOUSE AS PRESIDENT PLANS VISIT TO NC, DEFENDS EXECUTIVE ORDERS FEMA came under the nation’s microscope last year when Hurricane Helene ripped through North Carolina, devastating residents as it wiped out homes and businesses and killed more than 100 people. FEMA and the Biden administration faced fierce backlash for its handling of the emergency, while Trump accused the agency of obstructing relief efforts in Republican areas.  “The Democrats don’t care about North Carolina. What they’ve done with FEMA is so bad. FEMA is a whole ‘nother discussion, because all it does is complicate everything,” he said.  TRUMP SAYS NEWSOM IS TO ‘BLAME’ FOR ‘APOCALYPTIC’ WILDFIRES “So I’m stopping on Friday. I’m stopping in North Carolina, first stop, because those people were treated very badly by Democrats. And I’m stopping there. We’re going to get that thing straightened out because they’re still suffering from a hurricane from months ago,” Trump said.  Trump will visit North Carolina on Friday, his first trip as president, where he is expected to tour and meet with residents who were left devastated by the hurricane in September. He will also visit California that same day, where wildfires have ripped through the Los Angeles area this month.  The trip is set to highlight what Trump has described as emergency response failures at the hands of Democratic leaders.  FAST-MOVING HUGHES FIRE ERUPTS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY AS CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS ORDER EVACUATIONS “And then I’m going to then I’m going to go to California,” he said, before criticizing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s handling of wildfire prevention and response. Trump has long criticized the Democratic governor for prioritizing environmental policies, such as protecting the dwindling smelt and Chinook salmon populations, and not tapping water sources in the northern part of the state that he argued would allow better fire response.  “There is massive amounts of water, rain water and mountain water, that comes to with the snow, comes down, as it melts, there’s so much water they’re releasing it into the Pacific Ocean,” he said.

Hannity reveals what he told Trump after 2020 election loss: ‘Winston Churchill’ return

Hannity reveals what he told Trump after 2020 election loss: ‘Winston Churchill’ return

Fox News host Sean Hannity revealed he told President Donald Trump after the 2020 election loss that a return to the White House four years after the Biden administration would be “bigger” than a consecutive win, comparing it to Winston Churchill’s return as prime minister following World War II. “Maybe I shouldn’t disclose this, but I will, and it was after the 2020 election, and you asked me a question. And we’ve known each other for 30 years, so we have a friendship and we have a professional relationship,” Hannity said in his exclusive interview with Trump on Wednesday.  “And the question you asked me, ‘maybe in the end, it will be better that if I came back in four years.’ And we talked about history. After World War Two, Winston Churchill was thrown out, but they brought him back. Grover Cleveland, the only other American president that did not serve consecutive terms,” he continued.  TRUMP DETAILS HOW HE FELT WALKING BACK INTO THE OVAL OFFICE IN EXCLUSIVE ‘HANNITY’ INTERVIEW Churchill served as prime minister twice, from 1940-1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. Trump is the second U.S. president to serve two, non-consecutive terms behind President Grover Cleveland, the nation’s 22nd and 24th president.  ACLU LAWYER CALLS FEMALES ‘NON-TRANSGENDER WOMEN’ IN RANT ABOUT TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER Hannity explained that he believed “it would be bigger if you came back.” Trump agreed that it’s already shaping up that way after three days in office.  “It’s turning out to be bigger. And I think one thing is happening is people are learning that they can’t govern and that their policies are terrible. I mean, they don’t want to see a woman get pummeled by a man in a boxing ring?” he said.  Trump sat down for his first interview in the White House on Wednesday after he was sworn in as the 47th president on Monday.  BREAKING DOWN THE SENATE HEARINGS FOR TRUMP’S CABINET NOMINEES “They don’t want to see men in women’s sports … They don’t want to have transgender for everyone. They don’t want a child leave home as a boy and come back two days later as a girl. A parent doesn’t want to see that, and there are states where that can happen. They don’t want to see taxes go through the roof like this,” he continued. 

Department of Justice freezes all civil rights division cases: report

Department of Justice freezes all civil rights division cases: report

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) sent a memo to its civil rights division, ordering a freeze to all ongoing litigation originating from the Biden administration and halting the pursuit of any new cases or settlements, according to reports. The Washington Post first reported that a memo sent to Kathleen Wolfe, the temporary head of the division appointed by the Trump administration, instructed her to make sure attorneys do not file “any new complaints, motions to intervene, agree-upon remands, amicus briefs, or statements of interest.” As to how long the freeze will last, the memo does not say, though it practically ceases the division until President Donald Trump’s nomination to lead the department, Harmeet Dhillon, is confirmed by the Senate. The publication also reported the freeze was “consistent with the Department’s goal of ensuring that the Federal Government speaks with one voice in its view of the law and to ensure that the President’s appointees or designees have the opportunity to decide whether to initiate any new cases.” DOJ RACING THE CLOCK TO ENSHRINE ‘WOKE’ POLICING RULES, LAWYER SAYS, AS JUDGE HEARS BREONNA TAYLOR REFORM CASE A source familiar with the memo confirmed its contents to Fox News. The DOJ had no comment on the matter. Wolfe was also told in another memo that the division must tell the chief of staff of the DOJ about any consent decrees finalized by the division over the past 90 days. WATCHDOG SEEKS HALT TO 11TH HOUR BIDEN DOJ EFFORT TO ‘HANDCUFF’ KY POLICE OVER BREONNA TAYLOR INCIDENT Earlier this month, a Kentucky judge declined to immediately sign a police reform consent decree forged by the DOJ and the city of Louisville during a hearing one courtroom participant described as a hasty attempt by the Biden administration to hamstring incoming President Trump. But federal Judge Benjamin Beaton refused to be a “rubber stamp” for a 240-page reform plan prompted by the 2020 police-involved shooting of Breonna Taylor, according to Oversight Project counsel Kyle Brosnan. Taylor was killed in a hail of police gunfire after Louisville officers sought to serve a drug warrant at her boyfriend Kenneth Walker’s house. Walker fired a “warning shot” through the door and struck Officer Jonathan Mattingly in the leg. PROPOSED CHICAGO POLICE RESOURCE CUTS COULD LAND CITY IN COURT UNDER CONSENT DECREE, OFFICIALS WARN A consent decree, Brosnan noted, is different from other legal agreements in that it cannot simply be reversed by presidential order or a change of heart by one of the parties involved. The consent decree alleged a pattern or practice of racial bias in Louisville policing, including in traffic stops, sexual assault probes or use of force. There are at least two other police reform consent decrees going through the legal process, one in Maryland and one in Minnesota. On Jan. 6, the DOJ reached an agreement with Minneapolis, which still requires court approval, to reform the department’s “unconstitutional and unlawful practices” allegedly counter to the Americans With Disabilities Act and 14th Amendment. In October 2024, the feds sued the Maryland Department of State Police alleging Civil Rights Act violations. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The United States claims MDSP violated Title VII when it used a certain physical fitness test and a certain written test to hire entry-level Troopers because the tests disqualified more female and African-American applicants than others and were not job related,” a court document states.  Maryland police dispute the allegations. Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.