Energy Sec. Wright outlines Day 1 priorities: Refilling SPR, promoting ‘energy addition, not subtraction’
Energy Secretary Chris Wright has outlined eight “Day 1 Priorities” he aims to accomplish, several of which he laid out in his inaugural address at the Energy Department headquarters Wednesday. Wright, the CEO of Colorado oilfield services company Liberty Energy, said he will prioritize refilling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), modernizing the U.S. nuclear stockpile, streamlining federal permitting for energy development, and abiding by the mantra: “Advance energy addition, not subtraction.” In his remarks at the department’s building near Pierre L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., Wright spoke about his childhood love of science and how that focus led him to pursue work in the field. Wright said he met President Donald Trump about a year ago, and the two businessmen connected over their support for unleashing American energy prowess and highlighting how U.S. energy dominance positively affects many other aspects of life. CHRIS WRIGHT CONFIRMED SECRETARY OF ENERGY Wright said Trump had a “simple vision” that “energy is good and that we need more” of it, particularly domestically-sourced. “So we just connected. And he asked me, ‘Would you be secretary of energy?’ And I said, ‘Boy, if I’m asked to serve my country, I don’t have to think about that one.’” He called the Energy Department the gem of the American government and said he has long been entranced by contemporary advancements in the field, from German chemist Otto Hahn splitting the atom in 1938 to Adm. Hyman Rickover creating the first nuclear-powered machines in submarines. “I want to better energize our country, strengthen our country, advance science… and get the politics out of all of this.” “Energy is not political: it is the basic infrastructure that allows us to live great lives, to allow whatever our dream is, whatever our vision is,” he said. TOP SENATE REPUBLICAN HITS BACK AS DEM CALLS FOUL ON TRUMP CONFIRMATION HEARINGS Wright added that there is no such thing as clean or dirty energy, and that in reality, there is “no free lunch” when it comes to the byproducts of the production process: “It’s about tradeoffs.” Other “day one” priorities Wright has outlined include a return to “regular order” on liquefied natural gas exports. Wright has been a longtime advocate of hydraulic fracturing – famously going as far as drinking fracking fluid to prove environmentalist critics wrong about its effect on nature. Pennsylvania and North Dakota are epicenters of fracking, while New York retains the subterranean resources to do so but is under a statewide ban. Wright has also pledged to strengthen the power grid’s reliability and security. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP There have been blackouts occasionally in recent years from overtaxed grid areas, notably in California around 2001. There have also been security threats to energy transmission, including from a Catonsville, Maryland, woman who conspired to destroy the region’s power grid. Then-FBI Director Christopher Wray said Sarah Beth Clendaniel “plotted to disable the power grid around the entire Baltimore region” in 2018, after becoming acquainted with a Florida man who espoused White supremacist “accelerationist” ideologies. Under Wright’s tenure, the Energy Department also plans to promote home appliance affordability and choice – a break from the Biden administration’s efforts to restrict usage of gas stoves. Former President Joe Biden also spent part of the nation’s SPR in what critics called a bid to assuage energy price spikes for political purposes. Wright said he would promote the refilling of the SPR, as well as modernize the U.S. nuclear stockpile, Fox News has learned.
Major California Democrat predicts Kamala Harris would be ‘field-clearing’ if former VP runs for governor
California Attorney General Rob Bonta says he will support former Vice President Kamala Harris if she decides to run for Golden State governor in 2026. Bonta, a former state lawmaker who has served as California attorney general since 2021, says he will run for re-election next year rather than launch a gubernatorial campaign, putting to rest speculation about his next political moves. “Kamala Harris would be a great governor,” Bonta said in an interview with Politico. THESE DEMOCRATS MAY RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2028 “I would support her if she ran. I’ve always supported her in everything she’s done. She would be field-clearing,” he said as he added that he had not spoken directly with Harris about any potential run for governor. WHY CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM IS MEETING WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP AT THE WHITE HOUSE Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is term-limited and cannot run for re-election again in 2026. Harris served as San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general and represented the Golden State in the U.S. Senate before becoming vice president. There has been plenty of speculation since her election defeat last November to President Donald Trump regarding Harris’ next political move, with the two potential options likely being launching a 2026 gubernatorial run in her home state or seeking the presidency again, in 2028. VANCE IN ‘CATBIRD SEAT,’ BUT HERE ARE THE OTHER REPUBLICANS WHO MAY ALSO RUN IN 2028 Sources in the former vice president’s political orbit say no decisions have been made about any next steps. However, Harris, in a video message to the Democratic National Committee, as it huddled for its winter meeting last weekend, pledged to be with the party “every step of the way,” which appeared to be a signal she still has political ambitions. The Democrats’ field for governor in the heavily blue-leaning state is already crowded. Among the more than half-dozen candidates already running for governor are Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis – a Harris ally – and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Former Rep. Katie Porter, who unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic Senate nomination last year, has expressed interest in launching a campaign. Additionally, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who served in Congress and as California attorney general before joining the Biden administration, is also seen as a potential contender.
Former GOP leader McConnell falls while exiting Senate chamber after Turner confirmation vote
Former Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., fell on a small set of stairs on Wednesday as he was exiting the Senate chamber after a confirmation vote for Housing and Urban Development secretary nominee Scott Turner. McConnell, who is 82 years old and a survivor of childhood Polio, fell down the stairs and was quickly assisted by Sens. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla. It is not clear whether he suffered any injuries, but Fox News was told the former leader appears to be OK. McConnell’s office did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital.
Trump’s Small Business Administration nominee advances to Senate floor
The Senate’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee voted Wednesday by a 12–7 margin to advance the nomination of President Donald Trump’s pick for the Small Business Administration (SBA) administrator to the Senate floor. Kelly Loeffler, a prominent business executive and philanthropist who served as a senator from Georgia for two years, appeared before the committee on Jan. 28 and pledged to donate her annual $207,500 salary to charity. Loeffler and her husband, Jeff, created a Fortune 500 financial services and technology company together. “Like President Trump, Senator Loeffler left behind a successful career in the private sector to advance the America First agenda,” Loeffler spokeswoman Caitlin O’Dea told Fox News Jan. 28. “Should she be confirmed, she will continue the practice of donating her federal salary to charities and nonprofits across the country — and put her full focus on working to make the Small Business Administration a gateway to the American Dream for entrepreneurs across the country.” TRUMP CABINET NOMINEE LOEFFLER PLEDGED TO DONATE SALARY IF CONFIRMED Loeffler, whose net worth is estimated at roughly $1 billion, previously donated her annual Senate salary of $174,000 between 2019 and 2021 to more than 40 Georgia charities and nonprofits. Those organizations included food banks, faith groups and organizations opposed to abortion, foster care/adoption groups as well as organizations promoting health care, agriculture, education, law enforcement and disaster relief. Loeffler also sparred with Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass, during her confirmation hearing over the Trump administration’s announcement that it would freeze federal funds and grants. On Jan. 27, the Office of Management and Budget released a memo ordering a pause on all federal grants and loans aiming to eradicate “wokeness” and the “weaponization of government” to improve government efficiency. LEAVITT PUSHES BACK ON MEDIA’S ‘UNCERTAINTY’ ABOUT FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE The White House pulled the memo on Jan. 29, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the move didn’t equate a “recission of the federal funding freeze.” Markey asked Loeffler whether she believed the move was lawful or not, amid concerns from members of Congress that the Trump administration attempted to circumvent Congress and withhold funds. “I fully agree with President Trump’s decision to stop wasteful spending,” Loeffler told Markey. “It resulted in a landslide victory that many Americans were waiting for relief against excessive government spending.” Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Senate tees up Trump budget chief pick Russell Vought for final confirmation vote
The Senate on Wednesday advanced President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Russell Vought, to a final confirmation vote. The cloture motion passed with a strictly party-line vote, 53-47. The entire Democratic caucus opposed Vought, as they promised to do. Republicans have backed Vought’s nomination and claim he is prepared for the role since he led the office during Trump’s first administration. But Democrats remain staunchly opposed due to Vought’s stance on the Impoundment Control Act – a 1974 law that reinforces Congress’ power of the purse. Vought told lawmakers in multiple confirmation hearings he believes the act is unconstitutional, and argued presidents historically could spend less than what Congress had approved prior to the legislation. ‘ULTRA-RIGHT’: TRUMP BUDGET CHIEF PICK RUSSELL VOUGHT FACES FIRE FROM DEM SENATORS Vought’s statements on the issue left Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., “astonished and aghast” during a confirmation hearing with the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC). “I think our colleagues should be equally aghast, because this issue goes beyond Republican or Democrat,” Blumenthal said last month. “It’s bigger than one administration or another. It’s whether the law of the land should prevail, or maybe it’s up for grabs, depending on what the president thinks.” Some Republicans have also appeared concerned with Vought’s views on impoundment. Senate Budget Committee Chair Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said last month he also shared some concerns and would disclose them at a markup hearing for Vought’s nomination. Meanwhile, other Republican lawmakers share Vought’s stance on impoundment. For example, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, introduced legislation in December 2024 that would repeal the Impoundment Control Act. Lee argued that the law’s “unconstitutional limitations” on the executive branch have “contributed to a fiscal crisis.” TRUMP’S TREASURY NOMINEE TURNS THE TABLES ON SANDERS IN TESTY EXCHANGE ABOUT BIDEN’S ‘OLIGARCHY’ COMMENTS Vought’s nomination sparked additional outrage after the OMB issued a memo late last month ordering a pause on all federal grants and loans aiming to eradicate “wokeness” and the “weaponization of government” to improve government efficiency. The White House rescinded the memo two days later, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the move didn’t equate to a “recission of the federal funding freeze” and that the executive orders mentioned in the memo still remain in effect. Democrats claimed the memo was an attempt to bypass Congress and was an overreach of power from the executive branch. “As much as Trump desires it, the president is not a king. As much as Trump desires it, a law is not a suggestion,” Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Budget Committee ranking member, told reporters. In response, Democrats urged the Senate to reject Vought’s nomination following a Budget Committee vote to advance him, cautioning that Vought would attempt to impound funds again if he’s confirmed. TRUMP TREASURY PICK: EXTENDING TRUMP TAX CUTS ‘SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ECONOMIC ISSUE’ Trump ought to pull Vought’s nomination altogether, or else he will “become baggage” for the American people and for the Trump administration, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters. “What happened this week should be a lesson to President Trump,” Schumer said. “Mr. Vought will be the architect of more losing for President Trump.” But HSGAC Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., said Vought is the person Washington needs to “say enough is enough” and cut government spending. “Mr. Vought has been a consistent advocate for fiscal sanity and has continually suggested strategies to decrease excess spending,” Paul said during a confirmation hearing before HSGAC. 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.
You’re hired! Here’s who passed Congress’ Trump cabinet test and how stormy their hearings were
As of Wednesday, 11 of President Donald Trump‘s cabinet nominees have been successfully confirmed to their posts. While some, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, sailed through, while others, like Attorney General Pam Bondi, saw their confirmation process marred with pointed confrontations and deep dives into their personal lives, as was the case for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. MARCO RUBIO: STATE Rubio, a longtime Florida senator from Miami, and the son of Cuban immigrants, enjoyed a relatively calm confirmation hearing when it came to interactions with lawmakers. However, several Code Pink protesters, angry over what their shirts denoted as the “killing of children in Gaza,” had to be removed from the room due to outbursts. The final protester shouted at Rubio in Spanish, to which the now-secretary remarked that his protesters are at-times bilingual. KASH PATEL ENRAGES ADAM SCHIFF IN CLINTONIAN BATTLE OVER WORD ‘WE’; JAN 6 SONG Rubio was confirmed unanimously 99-0. At the time, Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, was still lieutenant governor and had not been seated in Vice President JD Vance’s place. PETE HEGSETH: DEFENSE A veteran and former Fox News host, Hegseth laid a more contentious path through the confirmation process. Hegseth earned two Bronze Stars and several other medals while serving in the Army National Guard. He joined Fox News Channel in 2014 and resigned upon his Pentagon nomination. Questions arose about allegations he drank heavily at times and was abusive towards women. Several people in Hegseth’s orbit, including fellow Fox News personalities, rebuffed the claims against him. While Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., offered praise for Hegseth’s confirmation – later telling reporters he clearly answered every question put to him – other lawmakers did not view the nominee the same way. When protesters disrupted the hearing, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said they appeared to be from the “Chinese Communist [Party] front-group” Code Pink and upset about Hegseth’s support for Israel. “I support Israel’s existential war in Gaza. I assume, like me and President Trump, you support that war as well,” Cotton said. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., also grilled Hegseth about his qualifications to lead America’s troops. ZELDIN GRILLED IN CONFIRMATION HEARING “I do not believe that you can tell this committee or the people of America that you are qualified to lead them. I would support you as a spokesperson for the Pentagon,” he said. Critics, including Fox News contributor Joe Concha, claimed irony in the lawmaker’s grilling – as Trump previously dubbed Blumenthal “Da Nang Dick” after claims surfaced that Blumenthal had misrepresented his own military service during the Vietnam War. In the end, a 50-50 split, brought on by GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joining all Democrats in opposition, led to Vance having to cast his first tie-breaking vote of the congressional session to confirm Hegseth. DOUG BURGUM: INTERIOR Interior Secretary Doug Burgum received substantive Democratic support in his final confirmation vote of 80-17 last week. Three Democrats did not vote. His confirmation hearing’s tenor was also mixed, with fellow North Dakotan, Sen. John Hoeven, calling him the right man for the job. Some Democrats, including Sens. Catherine Cortez-Masto and Mazie Hirono, however, offered pointed questions about environmental issues and other concerns during the hearing. When Cortez-Masto asked about the Trump administration repealing electric vehicle credits, Burgum said he “support[s] economics and markets” and highlighted the comparatively high costs of electric vehicles. Burgum grew up in eastern North Dakota, near a grain elevator his grandfather operated. He reportedly met future Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer in college and later “bet the farm” to invest a quarter million dollars in 1983 in a tech startup called Great Plains Software. He eventually became president of the company, which was purchased by Microsoft around the turn of the century. He served as North Dakota’s governor in recent years, briefly mounting a 2024 presidential bid before dropping out to endorse Trump. SCOTT BESSENT: TREASURY South Carolina billionaire Scott Bessent was confirmed as Trump’s second-term Treasury secretary on Jan. 28. With the confirmation, Bessent became the highest ranking openly gay cabinet official in U.S. history. Bessent was born in Conway, South Carolina, just inland from the famous “Calabash” seafood area in North Carolina and the resort city of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He previously worked for several global investment management companies for decades, notably including a stint as chief investment officer for Soros Fund Management, led by left-wing Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros. His politics, however, appear to greatly differ from those of Soros himself – as Bessent once called Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act “‘single most important economic issue of the day.” During his confirmation process, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., was a noted foil. Warren reportedly sent Bessent more than 100 written questions on subjects spanning from housing to financial oversight ahead of his testimony, according to PBS. He was confirmed by a relatively bipartisan 68-29, with one Republican and two Democrats not voting. SEAN DUFFY: TRANSPORTATION Former Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., was confirmed in a comparatively more peaceful process than other nominees. Duffy enjoyed a relatively cordial hearing before Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and the Senate Commerce Committee. However, 22 Democrats still voted against his confirmation, with Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., not voting. Within a day of his confirmation, Duffy was faced with a catastrophic midair collision over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., involving a military helicopter and an American Airlines-sanctioned passenger flight from Kansas to Reagan National Airport. All of those aboard both aircraft died as the fuselage crashed into the shallow but frigid Potomac, just yards shy of the Arlington, Virginia, airport’s runway. Soon after, Duffy had to simultaneously handle the fallout from a medical plane crashing near the junction of US-1 and PA-73 in northeast Philadelphia. The doomed plane spewed jet fuel as it crashed, setting a row of homes on Cottman Avenue ablaze. Six Mexican nationals on board and one Pennsylvanian on the ground was killed, according to news reports. CHRIS WRIGHT: ENERGY Energy
Trans lawsuit lobbed against Trump admin based on ‘faulty interpretations’: Legal expert
As LGBT advocates and medical organizations challenge the Trump administration’s ban on transgender treatments for minors, legal expert Sarah Marshall Perry of the Heritage Foundation warns that this lawsuit is just the “tip of the iceberg,” driven by “faulty interpretations,” with more legal battles expected in the coming months. “This is a $5 billion a year industry,” Perry said. “I would not expect what I like to call the gender ghouls to go quietly into that good night, they are going to suddenly be faced with a devastating reckoning on exactly where their bottom line lies.” “If they want to fight for private insurance coverage through Cigna or Blue Cross Blue Shield, that’s entirely their prerogative,” Perry said, adding that these companies have “very big lobbying presences” to pursue coverage through private insurers. LGBTQ+ ADVOCATES, FAMILIES SUE TRUMP ADMIN FOR ENDING FUNDING OF TRANSGENDER HEALTHCARE UNDER 19 “There is a reason that this type of so-called medical care proliferated, and that’s because they had governmental cover,” she said. The lawsuit was filed in Baltimore federal court and seeks an immediate injunction to delay the implementation of President Donald Trump’s executive order from last week. “Over the past week, hospitals across the country have abruptly halted medical care for transgender people under nineteen, canceling appointments and turning away some patients who have waited years to receive medically necessary care for gender dysphoria,” the lawsuit reads. “This sudden shutdown in care was the direct and immediate result of an Executive Order that President Trump issued on January 28, 2025 — Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation — directing all federal agencies to ‘immediately take appropriate steps to ensure that institutions receiving Federal research or education grants end gender-affirming medical care for people under nineteen (the ‘Denial of Care Order’).” The group of plaintiffs claims executive orders are unlawful and unconstitutional, saying the Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse. TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDERS BANNING ‘RADICAL GENDER IDEOLOGY,’ DEI INITIATIVES IN THE MILITARY However, Perry argued that existing federal coverage for gender-related procedures for minors stems from a misinterpretation of the Supreme Court’s 2020 ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, a decision that several federal courts have since ruled does not support such policies. “Remember that we’re dealing with the vestiges of an administration that was all in on gender identitarianism and was manipulating federal case law to be able to push through policies that have already been struck down,” Perry said. “I think the President is acting wisely in an anticipatory stance to make sure that the federal funding cap is turned off, while we can get some of these challenges through court and determine whether or not, first, if there is a parental right to these particularly controversial procedures.” She said that a federal judge already ruled against former President Joe Biden’s re-interpretation of Title IX, referring to U.S. District Court Chief Judge Danny Reeves vacating the regulation in January, in which the previous administration had expanded sex discrimination protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Reeves ruled that Biden’s expansion contradicted the original intent of Title IX, stating that incorporating gender identity into the statute “eviscerates the statute and renders it largely meaningless.” CRACKING DOWN ON TRANS TROOPS: TRUMP ORDER NIXES PREFERRED PRONOUNS, RESTRICTS FACILITY USE Perry noted that various federal statutes, including the Affordable Care Act’s anti-discrimination provisions, were “manipulated” by the previous administration to advance gender identity policies and noted that courts have increasingly pushed back against these interpretations. “I think he is rightly acting in an anticipatory fashion,” Perry said of Trump. “He is the chief enforcer of the law, and he has drawn a line in the sand, saying we’re going to cut the tap off until we find a way to get clarity on this, but in the meantime, we are not going to continue to fund the things that we know have catastrophic, devastating effects on minor kids.” The lawsuit is the latest addition to those suing Trump over his gender-related executive orders. The executive orders, signed in late January, include a reinstatement of the ban on transgender troops in the military, a ban on federal funding for sex changes for minors and a directive requiring federal agencies to recognize only “two sexes,” male and female, in official standard of conduct. A White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital they do not comment on pending litigation. On the campaign trail, Trump promised to weed out “radical gender ideology” as one of his key administrative focuses. The Supreme Court will also rule on a major case this term about a Tennessee law that will determine whether gender transition procedures can be banned for minors. Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
Trump holding Oval Office meeting with Texas Gov. Abbott over ‘securing the southern border’
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott meets at the White House on Wednesday with President Donald Trump to discuss their efforts to beef up security along America’s southern border with Mexico. “Governor Abbott is meeting with President Trump to discuss their continued partnership in securing the southern border and keeping Americans safe,” Abbott press secretary Andrew Mahaleris told Fox News Digital when asked about the Oval Office get-together. Ahead of his meeting with Trump, the three-term conservative Lone Star State governor met with Tom Homan, the president’s border czar. TEXAS’ ABBOTT MAKES MAJOR MOVE IN BORDER SECURITY BATTLE “Looking forward to meeting with President Trump today. Earlier this morning, I spoke with Tom Homan about immigration enforcement strategies. Today, and the coming days, should be great for Texas,” Abbott wrote in a social media post. It would be hard to find another governor who has done more to support, and help implement and endorse, Trump’s hardline border security and immigration agenda. Texas, under Abbott’s leadership, has spent billions of dollars on border security the past couple of years under Operation Lone Star. And now the GOP-dominated legislature is proposing allocating an additional $6.5 million to implement Trump’s border and immigration agenda. And this week, Abbott, in an unprecedented move, gave Texas National Guard soldiers the power to arrest undocumented immigrants in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Trump, speaking to an overflow crowd of supporters gathered at the U.S. Capitol for his inauguration last month, praised Abbott. “He’s doing a great job. He’s doing a phenomenal job, but now you’re going to have a partner that’s going to work with you,” Trump said. And Abbott returned the compliment this past weekend, as he delivered his State of the State address. “We have a president who will partner with Texas to deny illegal entry,” Abbott said. “To support that mission, I have ordered Texas state agencies to assist the Trump administration with arresting, jailing and deporting illegal immigrants.”
‘Losing their minds’: Dem lawmakers face backlash for invoking ‘unhinged’ violent rhetoric against Musk
Several Democratic lawmakers drew the ire of conservatives on social media after showing up at a rally against Elon Musk’s DOGE efforts and riling up the crowd with disparaging comments about the Tesla CEO, including calling him a Nazi. “Elon Musk is a Nazi nepo baby, a godless lawless billionaire, who no one elected,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., said at a rally outside the Treasury Department where protesters were speaking out against DOGE. “Elon, this is the American people. This is not your trashy Cybertruck that you can just dismantle, pick apart, and sell the pieces of.” At one point during her remarks, Pressley said, “We will see you in the court, in Congress, in the streets.” MEET THE YOUNG TEAM OF SOFTWARE ENGINEERS SLASHING GOVERNMENT WASTE AT DOGE: REPORT “Elon Musk is seizing the power that belongs to the American people,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said while shaking her fist alongside Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. “We are here to fight back.” “We are gonna be in your face, we are gonna be on your a–es, and we are going to make sure you understand what democracy looks like, and this ain’t it,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said at the rally. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was also in attendance and told the crowd that Musk’s DOGE efforts are “taking away everything we have.” “God d—it shut down the Senate!” Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., said. “WE ARE AT WAR!” Conservatives on social media quickly pushed back on the comments, with some accusing Pressley of inciting violence. “These people are totally sane…,” Greg Price, Trump ’24 deputy rapid response director, sarcastically posted on X along with a supercut of clips from the rally. FEDERAL PROSECUTOR VOWS TO PROTECT DOGE STAFFERS FROM ANY ‘THREATS, CONFRONTATIONS’ TARGETING MUSK TEAM “THIS IS A CALL FOR VIOLENCE!” video journalist Nick Sortor posted on X in response to Pressley. “The DOJ MUST investigate this!” “Rep Ayanna Pressley just called on her followers to agitate in the streets,” LibsofTikTok posted on X. “Typical Democrat doing what they do best: Calling for violence and chaos.” “Democrat lawmakers are losing their minds now that their USAID scam is exposed,” conservative influencer Paul Szypula posted on X. “Pressley needs to be censured for inciting violence.” “Making Jasmine Crockett the face of your party is certainly a choice and one I highly encourage,” Red State writer Bonchie posted on X. “Rep. Jasmine Crockett is totally unhinged,” conservative commentator Ben Kew posted on X. “A screeching Elizabeth ‘Pocahontas’ Warren says Elon Musk is ‘seizing power from the American people’ by not allowing congress members to waste taxpayer money,” Collin Rugg, co-owner of Trending Politics, posted on X. “I knew Trump’s 2nd presidency would be good but didn’t realize it would be this good.” “This sounds like a call for insurrection to me,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., posted on X in response to McIver. “CC: @TheJusticeDept @FBI.” Fox News Digital reached out to the office of Reps. Pressley, Crockett and McIver. The Democrat lawmakers have come out against Musk after he was granted access to a Treasury department called the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, which disburses trillions in payments each year, including Social Security checks and federal salaries, through DOGE, which is tasked with reducing federal spending. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The @DOGE team discovered, among other things, that payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups,” Musk wrote on X in defense of his actions. “They literally never denied a payment in their entire career. Not even once.” In a letter Tuesday to federal lawmakers, a Treasury Department official said a tech executive working with Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency will have “read-only access” to the government’s payment system. Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report
Bondi’s DOJ Day 1 directives: Fight weaponization of justice, eliminate cartels, lift death penalty ban
EXCLUSIVE: Attorney General Pam Bondi will issue several major directives on her first day leading the Justice Department, including orders to combat the weaponization of the legal system; make prosecutors seek the death penalty when appropriate; and work with the Department of Homeland Security to “completely eliminate” cartels and transnational criminal organizations, Fox News Digital has learned. Bondi was confirmed by the Senate Tuesday night as attorney general and sworn in Wednesday. SENATE CONFIRMS PAM BONDI AS US ATTORNEY GENERAL Fox News Digital exclusively obtained memos outlining Bondi’s first-day directives, which will lay the groundwork for the Justice Department under her leadership. Bondi issued a directive regarding “zealous advocacy.” Bondi said DOJ attorneys’ responsibilities include “aggressively enforcing criminal laws passed by Congress, but also vigorously defending presidential policies and actions on behalf of the United States against legal challenges.” “The discretion afforded Justice Department attorneys with respect to those responsibilities does not include latitude to substitute their personal political views or judgments for those that prevailed in the election,” the memo states. DOJ DIRECTS FBI TO FIRE 8 TOP OFFICIALS, IDENTIFY EMPLOYEES INVOLVED IN JAN. 6, HAMAS CASES FOR REVIEW “When Justice Department attorneys refuse to faithfully carry out their role by, for example, refusing to advance good-faith arguments or declining to sign briefs, it undermines the constitutional order and deprives the President of the benefit of his lawyers,” the memo continues. Bondi, in the memo, states that “any Justice Department attorney who declines to sign a brief, refuses to advance good-faith arguments on behalf of the Trump administration, or otherwise delays or impedes the Justice Department’s mission will be subject to discipline and potentially termination.” Bondi is set to establish the “Weaponization Working Group,” which will review the activities of all law enforcement agencies over the past four years to identify instances of “politicized justice.” JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FIRES MORE THAN A DOZEN KEY OFFICIALS ON FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH’S TEAM The working group’s first reviews will include prosecutions against Trump led by former Special Counsel Jack Smith; Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg; and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the civil fraud case against Trump and his family. The working group will also review any potential prosecutorial abuse regarding Jan. 6, 2021; the FBI’s targeting of Catholic Americans; the Justice Department’s targeting of parents at school board meetings; and abuses of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances, or FACE, Act. FLASHBACK: FBI INTERVIEWED PRIEST, CHURCH CHOIR DIRECTOR AHEAD OF ANTI-CATHOLIC MEMO, HOUSE GOP FINDS Meanwhile, Bondi also will end the moratorium on federal executions and order that federal prosecutors at the Department of Justice, including U.S. attorney’s offices, seek the death penalty when appropriate – specifically with a focus on violent drug trafficking crimes. Bondi also ordered that the Justice Department “re-evaluate instances of the prior administration electing not to seek the death penalty.” Bondi also is expected to rescind any DOJ policies that are “not sufficiently in line with President Trump’s death penalty executive order.” The move represents a major reversal from the Justice Department’s view of the death penalty under the Biden administration. In 2021, Biden allowed the DOJ to issue a moratorium on federal executions. In December 2024, Biden commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 criminals on federal death row, which President Donald Trump, in his executive order on the death penalty, described as the “most vile and sadistic rapists, child molesters, and murderers on Federal death.” Bondi said she is now also directing the Justice Department to achieve justice for the families of the victims of the 37 murderers who had their death sentences commuted. TRUMP TAKES MORE THAN 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY ONE As for cartels, Bondi is directing the Justice Department to work closely with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal partners to “completely eliminate” the threats of cartels and transnational criminal organizations. Bondi plans to re-imagine charging priorities relating to those cases in order to ensure that law enforcement resources are focused on dismantling the foundational operational capacity of cartels, as opposed to just picking off low-level offenders. Here, the Justice Department is expected to temporarily suspend some “bureaucratic approvals and reviews” in order to prioritize speedy prosecutions and captures of those accused of severe offenses like capital crimes, terrorism, or aiding the operations of cartels. Bondi said Joint Task Force Vulcan, which was created to destroy MS-13, and Joint Task Force Alpha, which was created to fight human trafficking, would be “further empowered and elevated” to the Office of the Attorney General. Those missions are expected to expand – specifically Vulcan’s – with a new focus on destroying Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang now designated as a foreign terrorist organizaton. Also on the cartel front, Bondi is directing the DOJ Office of Legal Policy to find legislative reforms to target equipment designed to make fentanyl pills and add Xylazine, a new deadly drug, to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. And as for illegal migrants, Bondi has directed the DOJ to pause all federal funding for sanctuary cities. Bondi also has directed the DOJ to identify and evaluate all funding agreements with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that provide support to illegal aliens. She is also directing litigating components of the Justice Department to investigate instances of jurisdictions that are impeding law enforcement, and directing they be prosecuted, when necessary. ‘THIS IS ABOUT FENTANYL’: TARIFFS ARE CRUCIAL TO COMBATING ‘DRUG WAR,’ TRUMP AND CABINET OFFICIALS SAY Meanwhile, Bondi will create a new Joint Task Force focused on holding Hamas accountable for its crimes against Jews during its terror attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The task force will also “achieve justice for victims and fight terrorist-led antisemitism.” The task force will pursue criminal charges where applicable against Hamas; seek the arrest and extradition of Hamas leadership; and investigate antisemitism in the United States. Bondi is also directing the FBI to staff the joint task force with personnel “significantly experienced in investigating