Linda McMahon sworn in to run agency Trump wants to abolish
Linda McMahon, the former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) CEO, was offically sworn in to serve as the next Secretary of Education under President Donald Trump, who seeks to “immediately” close the department during his term. The Senate confirmed McMahon to head the Department of Education on Monday evening 51-45, along party lines, the final hurdle of her confirmation process. McMahon was sworn in shortly after the vote and will begin her official duties on Tuesday morning. “I am deeply grateful to President Trump for his trust in me to serve in his Cabinet as Secretary of Education. I am prepared to lead the Department in this transformational time and embrace the challenge to improve the education system for the more than 100 million children and college students who deserve better,” McMahon said in a statement after being confirmed. DEPT OF ED SPENDING SOARED 749% DESPITE DOWNSIZING, NEW DOGE-INSPIRED INITIATIVE REVEALS “Education is the issue that determines our national success and prepares American workers to win the future. Every decision made at the Department will be driven by a commitment to support meaningful learning and empower our most important stakeholders: students, families, and teachers,” McMahon added. “We will empower states and districts to have more say in what is working on the ground for students instead of bureaucratic edicts from Washington, D.C.” Trump has said he wants to close the Education Department, and McMahon, in a letter to Democratic lawmakers, said she supports his position on the issue. “President Trump believes that the bureaucracy in Washington should be abolished so that we can return education to the states, where it belongs. I wholeheartedly support and agree with this mission,” McMahon wrote to members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) in February. McMahon served as the former head of WWE, which she founded with her husband, Vince McMahon. The former WWE mogul launched two separate Senate bids in Connecticut in 2010 and 2012 but lost both general elections to Democratic nominees. The secretary also served as the administrator of the Small Business Association (SBA) during Trump’s first term.
Senate bid to prevent boys from playing girls’ sports gets stuck on filibuster
A Republican-led Senate bill to prevent boys from participating in girls’ sports failed to overcome the legislative filibuster on Monday night after it did not reach the necessary 60-vote threshold to advance. The bill failed to clear the key procedural hurdle by a vote of 51-45, along party lines. All Democratic senators voted against the motion to proceed, with the exception of absent Sens. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., who were absent. The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act would require Title IX to treat gender as “recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth,” and would disallow any adjustment for it to apply to gender identity. The bill was introduced by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-AL, and has over 40 cosponsors in the Senate. It would also codify one of Trump’s many recent executive orders, giving the policy better longevity. WHO IS ELISSA SLOTKIN, AND WHY DID DEMS CHOOSE HER FOR THE PARTY’S REBUTTAL TO TRUMP SPEECH? Last month, Trump issued an executive order titled, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” “It shall also be the policy of the United States to oppose male competitive participation in women’s sports more broadly, as a matter of safety, fairness, dignity, and truth,” it read. In a statement shared by Tuberville’s office prior to the Monday vote, the White House said, “The Administration strongly supports passage of S. 9, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025.” “Through an amendment to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, this bill would expressly recognize what is already federal law—that it is an illegal act of discrimination for a man to participate in a federally funded athletic program or activity designated for women or girls,” the statement said. “This bill also recognizes that ‘sex,’ as used in the statutory scheme, is based solely on reproductive biology and genetics,” it continued. “Men participating in women’s sports not only is demeaning and dangerous to women and girls, but it erodes the integrity of our Nation’s civil rights laws. Congress’s affirmative vote on this bill would complement both federal court rulings and President Trump’s February 5, 2025, Executive Order, ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.’” Tuberville’s effort to advance the bill has been years in the making, with the senator first introducing it during President Joe Biden’s administration, during which there were no such executive orders. Like the executive order, the measure would ban federal funding from going toward sports programs that allow biological men to participate in women’s and girls’ sports. FLASHBACK: DEM SENATOR EMBROILED IN CONFLICT OF INTEREST ROW TARGETED SCOTUS IN ETHICS CRUSADE “Female athletes who work extremely hard should not have their future in athletics hindered because they are forced to compete against biological males. Instead of standing up for women and girls, Democrats voted to cosign Joe Biden’s attempted assault on Title IX,” said Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., in a statement. “I will continue working with President Trump and my Republican colleagues to preserve Title IX, ensuring every woman and girl has the chance to succeed.” The bill and executive order come amid growing concerns about biological men and boys who identify as transgender participating in and winning in events and leagues for women and girls. “President Trump ran on the issue of saving women’s sports and won in a landslide,” Tuberville said in a statement to Fox News Digital in January when he reintroduced the bill for the 119th Congress. “70% of Americans agree—men don’t belong in women’s sports or locker rooms. I have said many times that I think Title IX is one of the best things to come out of Washington. But in the last few years, it has been destroyed.” “While I’m glad that the Biden administration ultimately rescinded the proposed rule, Congress has to ensure this never happens again. I am welcoming my first granddaughter this spring and won’t stop fighting until her rights to fairly compete are protected. I hope every one of my colleagues will join me in standing up for our daughters, nieces, and granddaughters by voting for this critical bill.” ‘UTTER DISASTER’: LINDSEY GRAHAM CALLS FOR ZELENSKYY RESIGNATION AFTER WHITE HOUSE THROWDOWN At the time, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., had signaled his plan to move forward with Tuberville’s bill, foreshadowing the early March vote. The Senate’s consideration of the bill comes as the Democratic Party faces an identity crisis, with many pointing to candidates’ unpopular position in favor of transgender participation in women’s sports as an example. SEE THE STAR-STUDDED LIST OF TRUMP ALLIES DESCENDING ON DC TO CHART FURTHER 100-DAY WINS Last year, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-MA, received backlash from the party after saying in an interview, “Democrats spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone rather than being brutally honest about the challenges many Americans face.” “I have two little girls. I don’t want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat I’m supposed to be afraid to say that,” he told the New York Times. Soon after the comments, his campaign manager resigned and Moulton faced protests.
WWE legend to lead Education Department after clinching final match in the Senate
The Senate has confirmed former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) CEO Linda McMahon to serve as President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Education, heading the department that he intends to close “immediately.” The Senate held a full floor vote on Monday evening, confirming McMahon 51-45, along party lines. McMahon, who co-founded WWE with her husband, Vince McMahon, served as the administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) during Trump’s first term but exited her post early to return to the private sector in 2019. JUDGE BLOCKS DOGE FROM ACCESSING EDUCATION DEPARTMENT RECORDS In November, the president tapped McMahon to serve in another top post during his second term. But this time, he said he wanted her to “put herself out of a job.” REPUBLICANS BARREL TOWARD SHOWDOWN OVER TRUMP TAX CUTS AFTER DRAMATIC HOUSE BUDGET VOTE “It’s a big con job,” the president said of the Education Department. “They ranked the top countries in the world. We’re ranked No. 40, but we’re ranked No. 1 in one department: cost per pupil. So, we spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, but we’re ranked No. 40.” In a letter to Democratic members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), McMahon said that she “wholeheartedly” agreed with Trump’s plan to abolish the department. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LAUNCHES ‘ENDDEI’ PORTAL FOR PARENTS, STUDENTS, TEACHERS TO REPORT DISCRIMINATION “President Trump believes that the bureaucracy in Washington should be abolished so that we can return education to the states, where it belongs. I wholeheartedly support and agree with this mission,” McMahon wrote. In the opening remarks of her confirmation hearing, McMahon said that “many Americans today are experiencing a system in decline,” but that “the opportunity before us these next four years is momentous.” “If I am confirmed, the department will not stand idly by while Jewish students are attacked and discriminated against,” McMahon said in her opening remarks, shared first with Fox News Digital. “It will stop forcing schools to let boys and men into female sports and spaces. And it will protect the rights of parents to direct the moral education of their children.”
‘Too aggressive militarily’: Trump talks Hegseth’s role pardoning service members accused of war crimes
President Donald Trump touted his record pardoning several service members accused of war crimes during his first term as president, and shared details about how now-Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth played a role securing those pardons. Trump told The Spectator in a Thursday interview that Hegseth would call him to advocate on behalf of service members facing war crime charges who “did what they were trained to do” during his first administration. “What he wanted to talk about was military,” Trump said of Hegseth. “In fact, whenever he called me, it was always to get somebody that was in trouble because he was too aggressive militarily out of a jail. You know, I got numerous soldiers out of jails because they did what they were trained to do.” SECDEF HEGSETH RESPONDS TO RUMORS HE DRAFTED ‘LIST’ OF MILITARY OFFICIALS HE WILL PURGE In November 2019, during his first administration, Trump issued pardons to Army 1st Lt. Clint Lorance, Army Maj. Mathew Golsteyn and Navy Special Warfare Operator Chief Eddie Gallagher. Lorance was serving a 19-year sentence in prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, for murder for ordering his soldiers to open fire on unarmed Afghan civilians in 2012 when Trump issued the pardon. Golsteyn also faced charges for murdering an alleged Taliban bomb maker in 2010 and then burning the remains in a pit. Gallagher also faced murder charges for stabbing an Islamic State prisoner in 2017, and was acquitted in July 2019. However, he was convicted for posing in a photo next to the corpse and subsequently was demoted one rank. Trump’s pardon restored him to his previous rank. “The liberals within the military put them in jails,” Trump told The Spectator. “They teach him to be a soldier. They teach him to kill bad people, and when they kill bad people, they want to put them in jail for thirty years. And Pete was really into that.” Hegseth, a former host with Fox News and member of the U.S. Army National Guard, was vocal about these cases ahead of their pardoning, and previously said Lorance, Golsteyn and Gallagher were not “war criminals, they’re warriors” during a 2019 segment with “Fox & Friends.” Hegseth also interviewed Golsteyn in May 2019 on “Fox & Friends.” DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH ARRIVES AT GUANTAMO BAY, CALLS IT THE ‘FRONT LINES OF THE WAR’ ON SOUTHERN BORDER The Department of Defense referred Fox News Digital to the White House for comment. The White House did not provide additional comment, and it’s unclear if the Trump administration is considering pardons for other service members accused of war crimes. During Hegseth’s confirmation hearing for Secretary of Defense in January, Hegseth told lawmakers on the Senate Armed Services Committee he wanted to ensure lawyers “aren’t the ones getting in the way” of service members serving on the frontlines from having “opportunity to destroy… the enemy.” “We follow rules, but we don’t need burdensome rules of engagement that make it impossible for us to win these wars,” Hegseth said. Lawmakers cited Hegseth’s comments on the cases during his confirmation hearing, and Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jack Reed, D-R.I., noted that fellow service members who served alongside Lorance and Gallagher spoke out against them and reported their actions. “They did their duty as soldiers to report war crimes,” Reed said in January. “Your definition of lethality seems to embrace those people who do commit war crimes, rather than those who stand up and say, ‘This is not right.’” Hegseth served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army National Guard, completing deployments to Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan and Iraq. He earned two Bronze Star Medals, awarded to those who displayed heroic achievement or service in a combat zone.
‘AmerExit’? Republicans push for US to leave NATO amid stalled Ukraine peace negotiations
Momentum is building among some Republicans and SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk to withdraw the U.S. from NATO amid stalled negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. While President Donald Trump reportedly privately floated pulling the U.S. from the alliance during his first term, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has publicly backed such efforts in recent weeks and said it’s “time to leave” the alliance after NATO countries held an emergency meeting with Ukraine in London without the U.S. Lee said in an X post on Sunday that if “NATO is moving on without the U.S.,” the U.S. should “move on from NATO.” Lee also suggested various names for the movement on Monday. “What should we call the movement to get America out of NATO? AmerExit? NATexit?” Lee said in an X post on Monday, referencing Brexit, the term used to describe the U.K.’s withdrawal from the European Union. “It’s a good thing our NATO allies give us such favorable trade terms based on the fact that we provide a disproportionate share of their security needs Oh wait ….They don’t,” Lee said in another Monday post on X. EUROPEAN LEADERS ON EDGE AS PROSPECT LOOMS OF TRUMP PULLING 20K TROOPS FROM CONTINENT Lee isn’t the only lawmaker expressing such sentiments. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said Sunday in a post on X that “NATO is a Cold War relic that needs to be relegated to a talking kiosk at the Smithsonian.” The lawmakers’ comments also come after Musk, who is heading up the Trump administration’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), also shared support for withdrawing from NATO Saturday. Musk said “I agree” in a post on X, in response to another post claiming it’s time for the U.S. to detach itself from NATO and the United Nations. The push to pull out of NATO coincides with stalled negotiations to end the war in Ukraine as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sought for Ukraine to become a NATO member after Russia invaded his country in 2022. But Trump kicked Zelenskyy out of the White House on Friday after meeting to secure a deal, saying Zelenskyy was welcome back when he was ready for peace. Pulling the U.S. from NATO would require Congressional approval. A bipartisan provision included in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Bill requires that the executive branch would need support from 60 senators, or passage of legislation in Congress, to pull out of the alliance. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and then-Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who is now Trump’s Secretary of State, spearheaded the provision. WORLD LEADERS BACK ZELENSKYY FOLLOWING TRUMP, VANCE OVAL OFFICE SPAT Scott Anderson, a fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution think tank, said the provision paves the way for a legal battle should the executive branch attempt to unilaterally withdraw the U.S. from the alliance. “The logic is, essentially, you’re teeing up a fight if the president tries to do this without Congress … it specifically does enact exactly that sort of prohibition and says, essentially, we’re going to litigate this out and take it to the Supreme Court if you try and do this, which is the most Congress can do,” Anderson told Fox News Digital. Even so, Anderson noted that it’s not completely clear who would have legal standing to challenge an effort to withdraw from NATO, although Anderson said service members or people who own property in NATO countries are some who could arguably have standing and challenge the move. Most Americans maintain a favorable opinion of NATO, although support has dropped slightly in recent years. Fifty-eight percent of Americans hold a favorable view of the military alliance, according to a survey the Pew Research Center released in May 2024. However, that’s four percentage points from the previous year, the survey said. Meanwhile, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth urged NATO allies to beef up defense contributions to the alliance in February. “NATO should pursue these goals as well,” Hegseth told NATO members in Brussels in February. “NATO is a great alliance, the most successful defense alliance in history, but to endure for the future, our partners must do far more for Europe’s defense.” “We must make NATO great again,” he said. JD VANCE STEPS INTO SPOTLIGHT DEFENDING TRUMP’S FOREIGN POLICY IN OVAL OFFICE DUSTUP WITH ZELENSKYY As of 2023, the U.S. spent 3.3% of its GDP on defense spending, amounting to $880 billion, according to the nonpartisan Washington, D.C.-based Peterson Institute for International Economics. More than 50% of NATO funding comes from the U.S., while other allies, like the United Kingdom, France and Germany, have contributed between 4% and 8% to NATO funding in recent years. Hegseth urged European allies to bolster defense spending from 2% to 5% of gross domestic product, as Trump has long advocated. NATO comprises more than 30 countries and was originally formed in 1949 to halt the spread of the Soviet Union.
Trump amends executive order raising China tariffs to 20% over ‘failure to address’ fentanyl crisis
The White House announced Monday that China will face increased tariffs, citing the ongoing fentanyl crisis in the U.S. as the main reason for the decision. In a post on X, the Rapid Response 47 account shared the text of an executive order (EO) signed by President Donald Trump on Monday. The Chinese government will now face 20% tariffs “over their failure to address the fentanyl pouring into our country,” the EO stated. The tariffs against China, which were originally only 10%, will go into effect on Tuesday. In Monday’s order, Trump said that the Chinese government has failed “to blunt the sustained influx of synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, flowing from [their country],” and that such failure constitutes an “unusual and extraordinary threat.” Trump also said that the crisis jeopardizes the “national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.” MEXICO, CANADA TARIFFS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED DUE TO ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ DRUG FLOW, TRUMP SAYS “I have determined that the [People’s Republic of China] has not taken adequate steps to alleviate the illicit drug crisis through cooperative enforcement actions, and that the crisis described in Executive Order 14195 has not abated,” the order read. “In recognition of the fact that the PRC has not taken adequate steps to alleviate the illicit drug crisis, section 2(a) of Executive Order 14195 is hereby amended by striking the words ‘10 percent’ and inserting in lieu thereof the words ‘20 percent’.” The Trump administration is already imposing 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods, which were announced last month and will also go into effect on Tuesday. On Monday, Peter Navarro, the White House senior counselor on trade and manufacturing, defended the tariffs to CNBC and argued that the issue “starts in communist China with the precursor chemicals.” MIKE ROWE SAYS TRUMP POLICIES WILL LEAD TO SHORT-TERM PAIN, BUT LONG-TERM GAIN “It comes into Mexico, and they make the fentanyl. But they also have these pill presses. So they do the counterfeits,” Navarro explained. “And they’re using Canada as a transit hub and secondary point to manufacture as well. So this is a Canada-Mexico-China thing.” The Chinese government has opposed the tariffs since they were announced. In a Feb. 1 statement, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that China is “one of the world’s toughest countries on counternarcotics both in terms of policy and its implementation.” “Additional tariffs are not constructive and bound to affect and harm the counternarcotics cooperation between the two sides in the future,” the statement read. “China calls on the U.S. to correct its wrongdoings, maintain the hard-won positive dynamics in the counternarcotics cooperation, and promote the steady, sound and sustainable development of China-U.S. relationship.” Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Failed VP candidate Tim Walz skewered after hinting at potential 2028 presidential run
Failed 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate and current Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz recently floated a potential 2028 presidential run, garnering mockery online as critics sarcastically implored him to throw his hat in the ring. Laughing emojis and comments such as “Need a morning chuckle” or “Yes please” were splashed across conservative social media accounts after Walz floated a potential 2028 presidential run during a recent conversation with the New Yorker. Walz ran alongside former Vice President Kamala Harris on the Democrats’ 2024 ticket in the waning months of the election cycle after former President Joe Biden dropped out of the race amid mounting concern over his mental acuity and age. Walz demurred at first when asked if he would run for president during the New Yorker interview published Sunday, before saying he would run if the opportunity presented itself. TIM WALZ SAYS LOSING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS ‘PURE HELL,’ ADMITS DEMS ARE ‘FATIGUED’ IN MSNBC INTERVIEW “Well, I had a friend tell me, ‘Never turn down a job you haven’t been offered,’” Walz said when asked if he would run for president. “If I think I could offer something … I would certainly consider that,” he said. “I’m also, though, not arrogant enough to believe there’s a lot of people that can do this.” He said that under the correct circumstances and if he has the right “skill set” for the 2028 race, “I’ll do it.” “You might do it?” the New Yorker asked. “I’ll do whatever it takes,” Walz said. “I certainly wouldn’t be arrogant enough to think that it needs to be me.” TIM WALZ ADMITS HE WAS SURPRISED BY ELECTION DEFEAT: ‘THOUGHT THE COUNTRY WAS READY’ “I’ve always said this: I didn’t prepare my life to be in these jobs, but my life prepared me well,” he said. “And, if this experience I’ve had and what we’re going through right now prepares me for that, then I would. But I worry about people who have ambition for elected office. I don’t think you should have ambition. I think you should have a desire to do it if you’re asked to serve. And that’s kind of where I’m at.” Social media critics had a field day on X over the remarks, resurrecting the “Tampon Tim” moniker, mocking the prospect of a Walz presidency, while encouraging him to make a run official. “Tampon Tim” was a nickname used by conservatives during the election cycle that mocked Walz’ Minnesota policies that provide menstrual products “to all menstruating students in restrooms regularly used by students,” as opposed to stating the products were intended for female students. TIM WALZ THOUGHT HIS LACK OF WEALTH WAS ‘REAL FLEX’ AGAINST TRUMP: ‘HOW… DID WE LOSE TO A BILLIONAIRE?’ ‘DOOMED’: EXPERTS SAY THIS CRUCIAL CAMPAIGN DECISION LED TO VP HARRIS’ ‘DISASTROUS’ DEFEAT After Biden’s exit from the 2024 race in July, Harris simultaneously launched her campaign as well as her search for a running mate, combing through a list of high-profile Democrats and lesser-known allies before choosing Walz. Following the Democratic ticket’s loss, political strategists and insiders launched post-mortems on the campaign, with a handful pointing to Harris’ selection of Walz as her running mate as opposed to another candidate, such as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is popular in the key battleground state that ultimately voted for President Donald Trump. Walz added in his conversation with the New Yorker that he and Harris ended the campaign cycle on good terms, but that he has only spoken to the former vice president a handful of times since November 2024. “I’m doing my job, and she’s doing her job, and she’s out in California, I believe, living, and I’m here in beautiful Minnesota, where the weather’s always great,” he said. DEM PARTY BLAME GAME: ACCUSATIONS FLY AS TO WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HARRIS’ LOSS TO TRUMP “Well, maybe she doesn’t want to talk to me after we got this thing done,” Walz said while laughing when asked why they don’t speak more frequently. “No, I think it’s just there’ll be a time and a place. But we left good, and my family misses her. My daughter, especially.” Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s office for any additional comment on a potential presidential run or response to social media critics, but did not immediately receive a reply.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Kamala Harris Protégé to Deliver Trump Response
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… –Illegal immigrant health care spending sparks investigative border state legislation -Dems hit Medicaid, Elon Musk fears in expensive campaign targeting 23 House Republicans -New polls reveal where Trump stands on eve of his first major address to Congress A left-wing political party tapped Democratic California Rep. Lateefah Simon, a longtime friend and mentee of former Vice President Kamala Harris, to deliver its response to President Donald Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday. “I’m honored to speak on behalf of the Working Families Party,” Simon said in a statement last week. “We need a government that is run by and for working people, not billionaires—and that’s what the WFP is fighting for. When I see what’s happening in our country right now, it’s essential that we—as Members of Congress—are showing up for our communities and reminding people that it doesn’t have to be this way.” The Working Families Party, which is a small left-wing political party, has featured Rep. Ayanna Pressley, former Rep. Jamaal Bowman, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib to deliver its response to a president’s joint address to Congress in previous years…Read more ‘WORST STATEMENT’: Trump hits Zelenskyy for ‘worst statement’ on war with Russia, says US ‘will not put up with it’ much longer DOUBLE STANDARDS: Tump’s row with Zelenskyy recalls Obama, Biden humiliations of Netanyahu KREMLIN’S COFFERS: European Union spent more on Russian gas than Ukraine aid in 2024 TRUMP RETORT: Who is Elissa Slotkin, and why did Dems choose her for the party’s rebuttal to Trump speech? ‘DELIVERING ACCOUNTABILITY’: GOP reps launch judicial task force to expose ‘judicial activism’ MELANIA ON THE HILL: Melania Trump to speak for the first time on Capitol Hill in roundtable focused on punishing revenge porn FLASHBACK: Dem senator embroiled in conflict of interest row targeted SCOTUS in ethics crusade ‘DEFENDER OF THE SILENCED’: Former Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, brother of sitting congressman, dead at 70 ‘DE FACTO AMNESTY’: House report exposes how controversial ‘de facto amnesty’ program exploded under Biden ‘STEW IN HIS OWN JUICE’: Nancy Pelosi has advice for Dems on handling Trump speech ‘MESSAGES OF HATE’: Anti-Israel protesters who wave flags linked to terror groups could be jailed if NY law passes FAILING MARK: 13 American universities handed ‘F’ grade on campus antisemitism ‘INCOMPATIBLE’: Trans airmen, Space Force personnel have until March 26 to resign under Trump order: Memo ‘WIPE THEM OUT’: Time to ‘take the fight to the cartels,’ says Texas leader after U.S. citizen killed by cartel explosive Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com. Editor’s Note: There will be no newsletter on Tuesday, March 4. Be sure to tune in to Fox News Channel tomorrow evening for coverage of President Donald Trump’s address to Congress.
Boston’s Mayor Wu responds after condolences to attempted stabbing suspect killed by off-duty officer draw ire
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu responded to critics who accused her of being excessively sympathetic to a would-be stabber who was killed by the police, accusing them of “politicizing” the situation. The suspect, who was identified as 32-year-old Lmark Jaramillo, was killed by an off-duty police officer after he allegedly tried to stab at least two people in a Chick-fil-A restaurant near Boylston Street. The officer identified himself and instructed Jaramillo to drop his weapon before pulling the trigger, police said. On Monday, Wu said it was “unfortunate to politicize being at the scene of a tragic incident.” “Our officers are in extremely difficult and dangerous situations every single day keeping our residents safe,” the politician, who took office in 2021, said. “I expressed condolences, along with our police commissioner and district attorney, because every loss of life is a horrible tragedy.” BOSTON COUNCILWOMAN SOUNDS OFF AFTER TOM HOMAN’S CPAC PROMISE TO ‘BRING HELL’: ‘WE DON’T SCARE EASY’ Wu also said she is grateful “every hour of every day for the work of our Boston police officers.” “In this case, we had an off-duty officer who saw something happening, his training kicked in, and took action and surely saved even more lives,” she added. Wu was responding to a question about criticism from Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., over her condolences. “Condolences from the mayor of Boston – wait for it – to a knife-wielding man trying to kill people!” the South Carolina congresswoman previously wrote. “Thankfully this guy was stopped in his tracks by a brave law enforcement officer.” At Saturday’s press conference, Wu notably did not reference the victims of the attempted stabbing. Instead, she said she was thinking of those “impacted” by the incident, which transpired in “one of the busier parts” of Beantown. “My condolences, and all of our thoughts, are with the family of the individual whose life has been lost,” Wu said. “And I’m also thinking of all the people who were impacted here today in one of the busier parts of the city with this tragedy.” BOSTON COUNCILWOMAN BACKS OFF AFTER RIDICULING TOM HOMAN’S EMPLOYMENT HISTORY IN FIERY POST: ‘I UNDERSTAND’ “I’m glad that the officer is safe and very grateful for a quick response from all of our first responders here again,” she continued. It wasn’t just Mace – conservatives across the country slammed Wu for appearing regretful over the death of the suspect. One of Wu’s many online critics was conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who suggested that the 40-year-old leave office. “Boston, I’m going to say this as simply as I can: You desperately need a new mayor. Trust me,” Kirk wrote. Fox News contributor Joe Concha, a former Boston resident, also expressed disbelief at Wu’s response. “How exactly did Boston vote for this again?” Concha wrote. “I lived in the Back Bay area. It was one of the safest parts of the city. And she’s offering condolences????” Wu will head to Washington, D.C., this week, where she is slated to testify before Congress on Boston’s sanctuary city policies. She is one of four Democratic mayors planning to speak. Fox News Digital reached out to Wu for comment on Monday, but did not immediately hear back. Fox News’ Andrew Fone contributed to this report.
Theme of Trump’s address to Congress revealed
FIRST ON FOX: The “Renewal of the American Dream” is the theme of President Donald Trump’s first address of his second term to a joint session of Congress, Fox News Digital has learned. White House officials exclusively told Fox News Digital that the speech, themed “The Renewal of the American Dream,” will feature four main sections: accomplishments from Trump’s second term thus far at home and abroad; what the Trump administration has done for the economy; the president’s renewed push for Congress to pass additional funding for border security; and the president’s plans for peace around the globe. HOW TO WATCH AND WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT TRUMP’S TUESDAY ADDRESS TO A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS Trump’s joint address “will be must-see TV,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital. “President Trump has accomplished more in one month than any president in four years — and the renewal of the American Dream is well underway,” Leavitt told Fox News Digital. “In his Joint Address to Congress, President Trump will celebrate his extraordinarily successful first month in office while outlining his bold, ambitious and common-sense vision for the future.” The president will review his administration’s “accomplishments from his extraordinarily successful first month in office, both here at home and abroad,” White House officials told Fox News Digital. Officials said the president also will discuss what his administration has done and continues to do to “fix the economic mess created by the Biden administration and end inflation for all Americans.” TRUMP SET TO CONTINUE UNPRECEDENTED LEVEL OF ACTIONS, ADDRESS CONGRESS IN 7TH WEEK BACK IN OFFICE The president is expected to highlight the more than $1.7 trillion in investments made since he took the Oath of Office to bring manufacturing back to the United States, including increases in energy production; investments in the private sector on AI; and more. Also in the address, the president will push Congress to pass more border security funding to fund deportations and the continued construction of the border wall along the U.S. southern Border. On foreign policy, the president is expected to outline his plans “to restore peace around the world.” A White House official told Fox News Digital that he will lay out his plans to end the war in Ukraine. He also will focus on the work of his administration to ensure the release of all hostages from Gaza. The president posted on his Truth Social account Monday morning teasing his address, saying: “Tomorrow night will be big. I will tell it like it is!” When asked for comment on the president’s post, a White House official told Fox News Digital: “As always, President Trump will keep it real and speak the truth.” The president is scheduled to speak before all members of Congress on Tuesday at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The speech is not officially called the State of the Union, as Trump has not been in office for a full year, though it operates in a similar fashion. The yearly presidential address is intended to showcase the administration’s achievements and policies.