‘Malign influence’: Top Biden official faces backlash ahead of address at forum with deep ties to CCP
The Biden administration is facing backlash after it was revealed on social media that a top official would be participating in a two-day forum hosted by a group with deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns will be a keynote speaker at the 5th US-China Hong Kong Forum starting Friday, which is being hosted by the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF), according to the group’s website. Burns’ decision to speak there has sparked criticism from China experts, including one expert who told Fox News Digital that Burns is “legitimizing Beijing’s malign influence.” “Both Mao Zedong and Xi Jinping have called the united front a ‘magic weapon.’ It’s highly deceptive because it allows the Chinese Communist Party to advance its interests in America with American voices,” said Michael Sobolik, author of “Countering China’s Great Game: A Strategy for American Dominance.” CHINESE OFFICIAL WHO PRAISED CCP, DENIED UYGHUR GENOCIDE VISITS WITH THREE MORE TOP UNIVERSITIES “If you want to understand Beijing’s long game, look no further. They cultivate relationships with strategically placed Americans to parrot CCP propaganda under the guise of free speech,” Sobolik, a Senior Fellow in Indo-Pacific Studies at the American Foreign Policy Council, added. “By attending this conference, Amb. Burns is legitimizing Beijing’s malign influence. He should be calling it out and blunting it.” “Especially bad decision on the eve of the Hong Kong 47 pro democracy activists scheduled for sentencing,” U.S. Director of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Jonathan Stivers posted on X. “State Dept. should be sanctioning HK officials not joining their conference.” FOREIGN POLICY EXPERT REVEALS 2 KEY OFFENSIVE STRATEGIES US MUST ‘SEIZE’ ON TO WIN ‘COLD WAR’ WITH CHINA Fox News Digital has previously reported on CUSEF’s ties to the CCP and its president, James Chau, who “joined CUSEF in 2018” and was “working with its founder The Hon. Tung Chee-hwa” before he became the group’s president in 2023, according to his CUSEF bio. Fox News Digital has extensively reported on Tung Chee-hwa, who served as a vice chair of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a key part of the CCP’s united front system, which operates to advance the CCP’s interests at home and abroad. One report details how Julia Wilson, a Black public relations consultant, was paid over $1 million by Chee-hwa’s CUSEF to help the Chinese government learn about Black Americans and gain influence with historically black colleges and universities and Black leaders. “In 2009, the former chief executive of Hong Kong [Tung Chee-hwa] visited me in my office with his staff from the China-United States Exchange Foundation, and they wanted to know how we got a Black president,” Wilson, whose office is across the street from the White House, told college students during a 2017 presentation. “They were saying, ‘We don’t know anything about Black people. So can you write us a white paper and share it with us? How did Black people get enough power to vote a Black man into office?’ So they really needed an overview of our history. Who are we? Who are African Americans?” CUSEF’s most recent annual report, which was published in July, reveals how the “independent, non-profit and non-governmental foundation” is heavily influenced by the CCP, ranging from advisers and partners to donors. One of the top partners of CUSEF is the People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, which was previously labeled as a “Beijing-based organization tasked with co-opting subnational governments” and seeking to “directly and malignly influence state and local leaders to promote the PRC’s global agenda,” according to a 2022 report from the Biden administration’s Director of National Intelligence (DNI). Another partner on CUSEF’s annual report is the China Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an instrumental part of the CCP’s apparatus that regularly coordinates with top CCP branches and leaders, according to its website. Other partners include top Chinese and American universities like Princeton, Georgetown, Harvard and Columbia. Sidwell Friends School, the elite private school where former President Obama’s daughters and President Biden’s grandchildren attended, was also on the list. In addition to Burns, several other former U.S. officials are scheduled to participate in the forum, including former President Obama’s ambassador to China, Max Baucus, and Rick Waters, who served as the top China policy official in Biden’s State Department. Baucus, a longtime friend and former Senate colleague of Biden, has extensive ties to China through his institute, which Fox News Digital previously reported was funded by a Chinese company whose founder has deep ties to the CCP and was recognized as the party’s “National Outstanding Communist Party Member” in 2021. His institute’s China study-abroad program is also almost fully funded by CUSEF, according to its website. Baucus also met with Hunter Biden, who boasted that he had a “very good relationship” with Baucus, and his Chinese business associates on multiple occasions, according to emails previously reported by Fox News Digital. Several of CUSEF’s donors, who include Chinese billionaires, also have CCP ties. Wang Jianlin, the billionaire chair of the Wanda Group, is a CCP member and served in the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. He is also a longtime member of the CPPCC. Bernard Chan, another donor listed in CUSEF’s annual report, appears to be the same Bernard Chan who served as the Hong Kong Deputy to the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China, the highest organ of state power in the CCP, for 15 years. Multiple members of CUSEF’s governing board also have CCP ties, including Peter Woo, who is currently a member of the Standing Committee of the 11th CPPCC. Liu Changle, the founder of the Chinese state-owned Phoenix Satellite Television, also has several CCP ties, according to CUSEF’s website. The White House, State Department and CUSEF did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. Fox News’ Jessica Chasmar contributed reporting.
Senate Dems race to confirm Biden judges ahead of Trump’s presidency
Senate Democrats are rushing to confirm as many of President Biden’s judicial picks as possible ahead of a Trump presidency, according to reports. Several of the nominees have previously come under fire by Republicans. Democrats so far have confirmed 215 of Biden’s judicial picks, and the Senate most recently confirmed Jonathan E. Hawley as a U.S. District Judge for the Central District of Illinois Wednesday. He was confirmed in a 50-46 vote. DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE CHAIR POURS COLD WATER ON REPLACING SOTOMAYOR BEFORE TRUMP TAKES OFFICE However, Biden’s confirmation numbers continue to trail President-elect Trump’s 234 confirmations during his first term, including three to the U.S. Supreme Court. Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have been vocal in recent days about prioritizing judicial confirmations during the lame-duck session, tweeting Wednesday, “We’re going to confirm every possible federal judge in the lame-duck session.” Along with Hawley’s confirmation this week, the Senate also confirmed April M. Perry to be a U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, while Democrats also moved Embry Kidd’s nomination process forward to serve as a circuit court judge for the 11th Circuit. Several of Biden’s nominees, however, have come under Republican fire during hearings. Kidd, a district judge in the Middle District of Florida, made headlines this summer after he failed to disclose on his questionnaire at least two child sex-related cases he ruled on and later had his rulings reversed, according to a report by the Washington Examiner. DEMOCRATIC SENATOR REACTS TO GAETZ NOMINATION: ‘RED ALERT MOMENT’ Anthony J. Brindisi, a former Democratic representative who serves on the New York State Court of Claims in Utica, New York, and was tapped by Biden in July, was the target of various lines of questioning in which he attempted to frame himself as a jurist versus a politician. “On the bench, are you a politician or a judge?” Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn asked him during the hearing. “I’m a judge, senator,” Brindisi responded. Despite Democrats’ efforts to kick judicial confirmations into high gear, Senate Democrats have expressed concern over Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin’s ability to block Trump’s judicial agenda once he takes over the Oval Office in January, according to a recent report by Axios. The report said multiple Democrats cited Durbin’s age as a major factor. Durbin is 79 years old. “Sen. Durbin has successfully led the Judiciary Committee for the past four years as chair — leading to 215, and counting, lifetime judges confirmed during the Biden administration,” Durbin’s office told Fox News Digital in a statement. “And as a senior Democratic member of the committee during the first Trump administration, Sen. Durbin served as a crucial voice pushing back against the unqualified Trump judicial nominees. Simply put, he’s been an outstanding chair and stands ready to continue to lead his colleagues as ranking member in the 119th Congress.” JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’ Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., who will be the new Republican Senate leader after he won in a secret ballot Wednesday, will serve a crucial role in advancing Trump’s judicial agenda in the Senate. Thune wrote in an op-ed earlier this week that Senate Republicans will work with the president-elect to confirm his nominees and pass “our shared agenda.” “As Congress returns to Washington, we must prepare the Senate to advance that agenda legislatively and ensure that the president-elect can hit the ground running with his appointees confirmed as soon as possible,” Thune wrote. Trump took to social media Sunday to voice his opinion on the matter, writing, “Additionally, no Judges should be approved during this period of time because the Democrats are looking to ram through their Judges as the Republicans fight over Leadership. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THANK YOU!” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “In his first term, President Trump appointed constitutionalist judges who interpret the law as written. He will do so again,” Brian Hughes, Trump-Vance transition spokesperson, told Fox News Digital in a statement.
Federal court upholds Indiana ban on puberty blockers, hormones for gender-confused minors
A U.S. appeals court upheld an Indiana law barring minors from being able to access medicines to help them transition genders. On Wednesday, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals cemented the new ban in a 2-1 ruling, which a lower court had previously blocked. Those challenging the ban have argued it infringes on parents’ rights and discriminates “on the basis of sex” by prohibiting treatments based on one’s gender. “Courts have long permitted states to hold closely the power to regulate the practice of medicine. This power is strongest when the safety and effectiveness of the treatment is uncertain,” Circuit Judge Michael Brennan wrote in the court’s majority opinion. Meanwhile, Brennan also rejected the claim that the ban was discriminatory on the basis of sex, noting that the law “bars gender transition procedures regardless of whether the patient is a boy or a girl.” PUBERTY BLOCKERS COULD CAUSE LONG-TERM FERTILITY AND HEALTH ISSUES FOR BOYS, STUDY FINDS: ‘MAY BE PERMANENT’ The 7th circuit’s ruling on Wednesday overturned an earlier ruling from a lower court that blocked the new ban on transgender medical treatments. “The Seventh District Court of Appeal’s decision today is a huge win for Hoosiers and will help protect our most precious gift from God — our children,” Indiana’s Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita wrote on X following the decision. “By rejecting the injunction against our commonsense state law, dangerous and irreversible gender-transition procedures for minors will remain banned in Indiana.” STUDY SHOWING PUBERTY BLOCKERS DO NOT IMPROVE KIDS’ MENTAL HEALTH NOT PUBLISHED FOR FEAR OF BEING ‘WEAPONIZED’ The ruling that upheld the Indiana law on puberty blockers and hormones for minors comes in advance of the U.S. Supreme Court’s hearing on a challenge to a similar law in Tennessee. Currently, the use of puberty blockers and hormones to treat gender-confused minors is either banned or restricted in at least 26 states.
Trump taps RFK Jr. to lead Department of Health and Human Services
President-elect Trump selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). “I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health,” Trump said in his announcement Thursday. “The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country. Mr. Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!” Trump added. The announcement comes just over a week after Trump won back the presidency. RFK JR. CALLS FOR REMOVAL OF FLUORIDE FROM DRINKING WATER, SPARKING DEBATE RFK Jr. joined the 2024 campaign cycle as a candidate for the Oval Office. Kennedy, who is the son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, dropped out of the presidential election in August after initially running as a Democrat, before he switched to an independent run. He endorsed Trump shortly after suspending his campaign, hitting the campaign trail for the Trump-Vance ticket while touting his plans to “Make America Healthy Again” under a potential Trump presidency. TRUMP HHS COULD REVERSE BIDEN-HARRIS POLICIES ON GENDER TREATMENTS FOR MINORS He also spoke during Trump’s historic Madison Square Garden rally last month, where he unleashed on the current state of the Democratic Party. “The Democratic Party is the party of war. It’s the party of the CIA. You had Kamala Harris giving a speech at the Democratic convention that was written by neocons. It was belligerent, pugnacious. It talked about domination of the world by the United States through our weapons of war. It’s the party today that wants to divide Americans. It’s a party that is dismantling women’s sports by letting men play women’s sports,” he said. RFK JR. ASKS AMERICANS TO SUGGEST POLICIES FOR NEW TRUMP ADMINISTRATION: ‘TRANSITION TEAM BELONGS TO YOU’ “It’s the party of Wall Street. It’s the party of Bill Gates, who just gave $50 million to Harris. It’s the party, and the Harris campaign is very proud that it received the endorsement of 50 former CIA agents and officers and of John Bolton and of Dick Cheney.” Kennedy was asked about his potential role in the next White House and whether he would begin “clearing out the top level federal service workers that are currently at the FDA and the CDC.” He continued, “In some categories, their entire departments, like the nutrition department in the FDA, they have to go. They’re not doing their job. They’re not protecting our kids. Why do we have Froot Loops in this country that have 18 or 19 ingredients, and you go to Canada, and it’s got two or three?” This isn’t the first time Kennedy was considered for a Cabinet position for a presidential administration. Back in 2008, then-President-elect Barack Obama reportedly strongly considered naming Kennedy to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, Politico reported at the time. TRUMP’S PICKS SO FAR: HERE’S WHO WILL BE ADVISING THE NEW PRESIDENT Transition team spokesperson Karoline Leavitt joined Fox News earlier Thursday, where she noted more Cabinet picks would likely be announced later that afternoon, and also noted that Kennedy is a “once in a generation thought leader” who would likely be offered a position in the administration. “Certainly President Trump wants to find a place for RFK JR. He has made that very clear throughout the campaign. RFK JR. is a once in a generation thought leader. He’s an independent mind, a critical thinker. We definitely need more of that in Washington, D.C. As for his specific position, I’ll let President Trump announce that. But RFK Jr will focus in the Trump administration on making America healthy again. That’s another promise that President Trump made on the campaign trail and with an appointment of RFK JR. to whatever position President Trump decides. That promise will be delivered upon,” Leavitt said. Earlier this week, Kennedy called on ordinary Americans to make suggestions about what policies and people should be put in place under Trump’s second administration, with Kennedy allies launching a website called “Policies for the People” to facilitate the suggestions from voters. RFK JR URGES CATHOLICS TO VOTE FOR TRUMP IN NEW AD The website says that the suggestions will help fill the over 4,000 appointments across the entire executive branch. “President Trump has asked Bobby [Kennedy] to help ‘drain the swamp’ by giving him an influential leadership role on his transition team,” a post on the website says. “But Bobby cannot do this alone, so he is now turning to the wisdom and expertise of his supporters – and the larger community.” The website is similar to what tech billionaire Elon Musk has said about “maximum transparency” related to his upcoming role co-leading the Department of Government Efficiency. Known as “DOGE,” the task force will “dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies,” Trump said earlier this week. “All actions of the Department of Government Efficiency will be posted online for maximum transparency. Anytime the public thinks we are cutting something important or not cutting something wasteful, just let us know! We will also have a leaderboard for most insanely dumb spending of your tax dollars. This will be both extremely tragic and extremely entertaining,” Musk posted to X of how DOGE will operate. Fox News Digital’s Jamie Joseph and Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.
RFK Jr. expected to be tapped to lead Department of Health and Human Services
President-elect Trump is expected to choose Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). A single source from the transition team who asked to be identified as “familiar to the matter” confirmed via phone call that Trump will name RFK Jr. to HHS. The announcement comes just over a week after Trump won back the presidency. Kennedy, who has been a key figure in the Trump campaign since endorsing him, was asked about his potential role in the next White House and whether he would begin “clearing out the top level federal service workers that are currently at the FDA and the CDC.” He continued, “In some categories, their entire departments, like the nutrition department in the FDA, they have to go. They’re not doing their job. They’re not protecting our kids. Why do we have Froot Loops in this country that have 18 or 19 ingredients, and you go to Canada, and it’s got two or three?” This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Federal court upends decades of environmental regulations
A federal appeals court determined that the White House does not have the authority to issue binding environmental regulations under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), upending several decades of the practice. NEPA is a federal law that requires federal agencies to conduct a review of environmental impacts before making any decisions and then issue a “detailed statement” of the environmental review. In a divided decision Tuesday, the D.C. District Court of Appeals ruled that the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), established to instruct agencies on NEPA compliance, does not have the power to issue regulations on other federal agencies as it has been for more than 40 years. Then-President Carter signed an executive order in 1977 allowing CEQ to begin issuing “regulations” rather than “guidelines” to federal agencies. However, the federal court challenged Carter’s executive order by ruling that CEQ is not granted authority under NEPA to issue binding regulations. TRUMP TO INSTALL ‘ENERGY CZAR’ TO DISMANTLE BIDEN CLIMATE RULES: REPORT The decision stemmed from the Marin Audubon Society v. Federal Aviation Administration case, which challenged the Federal Aviation Administration’s compliance with NEPA after the agency allowed tourist flights over national parks without environmental review. However, the CEQ’s role in the environmental regulation process is what stole the court’s attention. “Here, CEQ’s authority to issue regulations on the basis of an Executive Order raises what is essentially a “separation of powers” issue,” the ruling reads. LEAVE THE OIL TO ME: TRUMP VOWS TO UNLEASH US ENERGY, UNDO KEY BIDEN RULES IN 2ND TERM “The separation of powers and statutory interpretation issue that CEQ’s regulations present is thus unremarkable,” the court continued. “What is quite remarkable is that this issue has remained largely undetected and undecided for so many years in so many cases.” The court ruled that “the Constitution does not permit the President to seize for himself the ‘law-making power of Congress’ by issuing an order that, ’like a statute, authorizes a government official to promulgate rules and regulations.” The CEQ has carried out major rules over the years, such as ensuring that agencies consider climate change when conducting environmental analysis and integrating “environmental justice” into federal administrative law. However, the new ruling suggests that CEQ has not had the authority all these years to implement any regulations. It could face appeal and a final decision by the entire D.C. Circuit bench.
Hochul spurs bipartisan outrage over massive toll reboot, as Dems worry Trump will block it
New York state leaders signaled they’re ready to revisit a costly “congestion pricing” program for Midtown and Lower Manhattan that originally would have charged drivers $15 per entry-day, reportedly in order to implement it before President-elect Trump takes office. Gov. Kathy Hochul halted her long-held plan after initial backlash against state Democrats — but now some in the Empire State are warning Trump may quickly kill their revenue stream dream. A group of New York Republicans wrote a letter to Trump asking him to use the power of the federal government to reverse what they called a wrongly-accelerated process by the Biden administration. “Congestion pricing has only moved forward due to the MTA [Metropolitan Transportation Authority] and Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) manipulation of the FHWA’s Value Pricing Pilot Program (VPPP), a pilot program initially authorized by Congress over three decades ago in 1991,” the letter read. HOMAN SCOFFS AT HOCHUL’S SUDDEN OUTRAGE OVER VIOLENT MIGRANTS “The Biden Administration even conspired to allow an abbreviated environmental review in order for the program to skip the normal process.” Rep. Sam Graves, R–Mo., chair of the House Transportation Committee, said Trump has made his opposition clear and that the “rush to institute it before he can take office is a blatantly political move.” “Just before it was scheduled to begin this summer, and prior to the election, the governor acted unilaterally to ‘indefinitely pause’ the congestion pricing proposal because of its unpopularity. Now it’s conveniently being resurrected barely a week after the polls closed,” he said. State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, D-Bay Ridge, conversely told the Albany Times-Union a congestion pricing plan must be started “immediately — before Trump can block it,” as the Republicans asked. Congestion pricing would institute a video-enforced toll at newly-built gantries surrounding the city’s core. Traffic moving below 60th Street and Central Park, and entering from New Jersey, Brooklyn or Queens — except for via the RFK Triboro Bridge and George Washington Bridge — would be subject to the toll. The lawmakers, including Rep. Michael Lawler of Rockland County, Nicole Malliotakis of Staten Island, and Andrew Garbarino, Nick LaLota and Anthony D’Esposito of Long Island, called on Trump to respond. “Congestion pricing, the latest in a long string of tyrannical taxes, has been pressed forward through consistent opposition about the burden on New York families and workers, the timing of the effort, areas lacking adequate transit, the fiscal responsibility of the move, the negative impact that congestion pricing will have on residents of some of the lowest-income neighborhoods in New York City and more,” they wrote. AFTER LEE ZELDIN ATTACK, HOCHUL CRITICIZED OVER LAX BAIL LAWS “Governor Hochul recently announced that she would pursue an almost immediate implementation of the congestion pricing cash grab, despite cynically ‘pausing’ it earlier this year in an effort to win back the House.” The lawmakers claimed Hochul is acting now because the move failed to engender goodwill to elected Democrats this past election, adding that the MTA — which falls under state auspices — is running a massive deficit in part due to fare evasion and internal waste and fraud. Democratic-majority New Jersey joined with Republican-majority Long Island lawmakers in bipartisan opposition to the plan, with the Garden State at one point pursuing legal action. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday he remains “firmly opposed to any attempt to force through a congestion pricing proposal in the final months of the Biden Administration.” “All of us need to listen to the message that voters across America sent last Tuesday, which is that the vast majority of Americans are experiencing severe economic strains and still feeling the effects of inflation. There could not be a worse time to impose a new $9 toll on individuals who are traveling into downtown Manhattan for work, school, or leisure,” he said. Murphy said New York never meaningfully consulted New Jersey in crafting a plan that would have great repercussions on their neighbor. Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., agreed with Murphy, calling the program a commuter “cash grab.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “[T] this effort has always simply been a way to take money from the pockets of New Jersey residents to bail out the MTA from a mountain of debt,” he said. MTA Chairman Janno Lieber on Thursday said a problematic transit system that includes “buses that are slower than walking” and increased car accidents is “not the New York that we all want to live in.” As for critics of congestion pricing, Lieber suggested that if first responders were stuck in Manhattanesque gridlock in any given town, their residents and local officials would clamor for a fix. Hochul previously said she would like to see a slightly lower price point than the original $15, instead around $9, citing inflation, and Lieber suggested on Thursday he was open to seeing whether a lower toll could achieve the same revenue goals. The news arrives as Democratic New York City Comptroller Bradford Lander announced that Trump’s presidency comes with “grave risks for New York City [including in] education, housing, health care and transit… to the mass deportation of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers.” Fox News Digital reached out to Team Trump for its response and to Hochul for additional comment.
Trump privately backed John Thune in tight leader race, Sen Steve Daines suggested
National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman and top Trump ally Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., suggested to senators ahead of the Wednesday Republican leader election that President-elect Donald Trump was supporting Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., to win, despite choosing not to endorse publicly. Daines, who gave one of Thune’s two nominating speeches before voting began, insinuated that Trump was backing Thune in the race against Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, two sources told Fox News Digital, including one senator in the room. TOP GOP SENATORS WARN DOJ TO PRESERVE JACK SMITH DOCS IN TRUMP CASES, CITING ‘PAST DESTRUCTION’ OF RECORDS Daines’ office confirmed to Fox News Digital that he had told his colleagues, “Trump likes Thune” before ballots were cast. Scott had notably received several public endorsements from Trump-aligned individuals, including billionaire X owner Elon Musk. He also had the support of several Trump-ally Senate colleagues. However, he was knocked out on the first secret ballot, receiving only 13 votes. THUNE SAYS TRUMP’S BORDER PLAN IS 1ST UP IN RIGOROUS PRIORITY LIST FOR NEW CONGRESS: ‘REAL WORK BEGINS’ Whether Trump would be content with a Thune win was speculated prior to the race, considering the fractured relationship the two men had during and after his first term as president. Since then, Thune and Trump have been in contact and have apparently repaired their relationship, according to Daines’ remarks. MATT GAETZ FACES GOP SENATE OPPOSITION AFTER TRUMP SELECTION FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL Thune won the leader’s race on the second secret ballot, receiving 29 votes, which was two more than the necessary 27-vote majority. Cornyn got 24 votes. The South Dakota Republican had received early backing from another top Trump ally, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., who revealed his support for him soon after he announced his bid. Following his win on Wednesday, Trump congratulated Thune in a post on Truth Social. “Congratulations to Senator John Thune, the Newly Elected Senate Majority Leader. He moves quickly, and will do an outstanding job,” he said. THUNE WINS SECRET BALLOT TO BECOME NEW SENATE GOP LEADER, SUCCEEDING MCCONNELL Trump’s private support for Thune, as Daines suggested, came despite the South Dakota senator’s hedging on committing to allow recess appointments after Trump publicly requested that the leader candidates agree. Thune simply said that everything was on the table when it came to confirming Trump’s selections for his administration, without committing to letting him confirm them unilaterally during recess. Trump’s transition team and Thune’s office did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital.
House committee calls on FEMA for transparency after official tells workers to avoid homes with Trump signs
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is demanding that the Federal Emergency Management Agency provide documentation after an employee was terminated for instructing hurricane relief workers in Florida to avoid homes with Trump flags. In a letter Thursday to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, Committee Chair Sam Graves, R-Mo., demanded accountability for the incident that came as Florida residents faced Hurricane Milton. “As the FEMA Administrator, you are responsible for leading the Nation’s efforts to prepare for, protect against, and respond to natural disasters,” the letter reads. “The Committee is troubled that under your leadership FEMA failed to aid all Americans, regardless of party affiliation.” The letter came after FEMA confirmed to Fox News Digital that an employee had instructed aid workers to deny relief to residents who had Trump campaign signs at their homes. The Daily Wire was the first to report it. The outlet said approximately 20 homes in Lake Placid, Florida, were passed over and not given government assistance after the devastating hurricane. Hurricane Helene hit Florida nearly two weeks earlier. HOUSE OVERSIGHT CALLS ON FEMA DIRECTOR TO TESTIFY AFTER OFFICIAL TELLS WORKERS TO AVOID HOME WITH TRUMP SIGNS Criswell said in a statement to Fox News Digital that the employee was “terminated,” saying “we take our mission to help everyone before, during and after disasters seriously.” FEMA OFFICIAL DIRECTED HURRICANE RELIEF WORKERS TO AVOID HOMES WITH TRUMP SIGNS AS AGENCY CONDUCTS CLEANUP “We take our mission to help everyone before, during and after disasters seriously. This employee has been terminated, and we have referred the matter to the Office of Special Counsel,” Criswell said. “I will continue to do everything I can to make sure this never happens again.” The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure argued that FEMA’s No. 1 priority is “focused on equity.” “Yet, under the Biden Administration, FEMA’s number one strategic goal, per its Strategic Plan, is focused on equity, while preparedness and readiness were relegated to FEMA’s third goal, after climate change,” the letter reads. Marn’i Washington, the fired FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance worker who led a crew in Florida after Hurricane Milton, told Roland Martin, a longtime media commentator, on his YouTube show that the agency provides clear guidance to disengage from “politically hostile” communities. FEMA OFFICIAL FIRED FOR DIRECTING HURRICANE RELIEF AWAY FROM TRUMP SUPPORTERS’ HOMES “Your inability to ensure that FEMA provides relief to all Americans affected by disasters, free of discrimination, represents a substantial failure of leadership,” the letter reads. “The blatant disregard of President-elect Trump supporters directly contradicts FEMA’s core mission and values.” The agency requested that FEMA provide the following documentation: Including Graves and subcommittee Chair Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., 35 Republican committee members signed the letter. Criswell is expected to attend a hearing at 10 a.m. on Nov. 19. Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.
Incoming Trump admin eyes massive expansion of immigration detention: ‘He will deliver’
The incoming Trump administration is already preparing to dramatically increase its capacity to detain illegal immigrants as part of the massive deportation operation it has pledged to launch in January, Fox News Digital has confirmed — the latest sign that it plans to deliver on that promise. President-elect Trump said during the campaign that he intends to launch a historic mass-deportation campaign in the wake of the historic migrant crisis at the southern border. It is a promise that he and top officials have repeated since his election victory last week. Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the transition team told Fox News Digital: “The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin, giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail. He will deliver.” DEM GOVERNOR THREATENS TO USE ‘EVERY TOOL’ TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST TRUMP-ERA DEPORTATIONS NBC News reported this week that the Trump administration is considering locations where it can expand immigration detention centers and that the transition team is looking at how many migrants can be held in regions across the country and talking to private prison companies about expansion. A source familiar with the plans confirmed the report. NBC reported that the plan is to double the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) beds allocated by Congress, but the source said that the intention is to significantly increase the number of beds, and that a doubling of capacity was too specific. Locations are expected to be expanded near areas where there have been significant numbers of illegal immigrants. “Sanctuary” cities like New York City, Washington D.C., and Chicago have been overwhelmed by a surge of migrants into their jurisdictions, some of whom have been bused in by Texas, so detention centers could be set up, expanded or re-opened in those areas. ‘LIBERATION DAY’: WHAT TO EXPECT FROM PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP ON BORDER SECURITY, IMMIGRATION There are currently a number of ICE facilities that are not at full capacity, or that could have capacity expanded. Some cases are unique, like a facility in Adelanto, Calif., that has been largely shuttered due to a COVID-era court order. Republicans have repeatedly hammered the Biden administration for a lower level of deportations, even amid a historic surge of migrants into the U.S. interior. Critics of the Trump plan have claimed that the cost would be too high, but immigration hawks have said that it is cheaper than allowing them to stay. The administration may face significant pushback from Democratic governors. Mass Gov. Maura Healey said last week that “every tool in the tool box has got to be used to protect our citizens, to protect our residents and protect our states and to hold the line on democracy and the rule of law as a basic principle.” “No. Absolutely not,” she said when asked whether state police would help with deportations. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS Trump announced three major immigration-related staffing moves this week. On Monday, he announced that former acting ICE Director Tom Homan will be the “border czar” and will be in charge of border security and overseeing the deportation operation. On Tuesday, Trump announced that Kristi Noem was his pick to lead the department of Homeland Security. “With Donald Trump, we will secure the border and restore safety to American communities so that families will again have the opportunity to pursue the American dream,” she said in a statement. On Wednesday, Trump announced that Stephen Miller, who spearheaded many immigration policies in Trump’s first term, will serve as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser.