Jackpot withheld, $83 million winner “caught in crossfire” amid lottery courier investigations
The winning ticket, purchased online through the courier Jackpocket, is being scrutinized by lawmakers concerned about the legality of third-party services.
Disgraced ex-Congressman Weiner receives campaign donation from unexpected New Yorker in new race
FIRST ON FOX: Former Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner received surprising donations to his campaign for City Council of New York City from ex-wife Huma Abedin and her sister, Heba Abedin, despite his ex-wife saying in 2021 that Weiner’s sex scandals “almost killed her.” Huma Abedin donated $175 to Weiner’s campaign March 13, and her sister, Heba Abedin, donated $150 Dec. 29, 2024, a Fox News Digital review of New York City campaign finance reports revealed. Weiner launched his latest campaign for NYC City Council, a position he held from 1992 to 1998 before controversy derailed his political career, in December 2024. Weiner was elected to represent New York’s 9th Congressional District in 1998 and resigned in 2011 after he posted a photo of himself in his underwear on social media. The incident was followed by years of sexual scandals, and Weiner was charged with transferring obscene material to a minor in May 2017 after sexting a 15-year-old girl. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison. FORMER DEMOCRATIC REP. ANTHONY WEINER, CONVICTED OF ILLICIT CONTACT WITH MINOR, FILES TO RUN FOR NYC COUNCIL Huma Abedin, the longtime Hillary Clinton aide, told CBS “Sunday Morning” in 2021 that anger over her husband’s sex scandals almost killed her. ANTHONY WEINER SPOTTED DINING WITH ESTRANGED WIFE HUMA ABEDIN “I can’t live in that space anymore. I tried that. It almost killed me,” Abedin told Norah O’Donnell. Abedin said she filed for divorce on the same day Weiner pleaded guilty and was sentenced to prison. The former couple, who co-parent their son, were spotted in 2023 attending the Inner Circle charity show at Ziegfeld Theater in Midtown Manhattan. By July 2024, Abedin announced on social media she was engaged to Alex Soros, chairman of Open Society Foundations and son of billionaire megadonor George Soros. They are expected to get married this summer. After resigning from Congress in 2011, Weiner continued sexting under the pseudonym “Carlos Danger.” The main recipient, Sydney Leathers, who was 22 at the time, claimed the former lawmaker referred to himself as “an argumentative, perpetually horny middle-aged man.” Weiner attempted his first political comeback in 2013 with a mayoral run, but his reputation was damaged by new revelations of explicit photos Weiner had sent under the pseudonym. Weiner was caught in another sexting scandal in 2016, which led to his indictment. In one image Weiner sent, he was lying in bed with his young son. More claims surfaced that year that Weiner had sexted a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina, and his laptop was seized. Investigators found emails relevant to Clinton’s classified documents scandal that dominated the 2016 election. Weiner later checked himself into rehab for sex addiction. In 2017, his federal indictment ruined another bid for mayor. He was released in 2019 and was ordered to register as a sex offender. Abedin and Weiner did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment by the deadline of this article.
Texas AG Ken Paxton accuses Coppell ISD of violating Texas’ “critical race theory” ban
The attorney general office’s lawsuit is based on an undercover video published in February by a conservative activist group.
Judge denies embattled government-funded agency’s restraining order request against DOGE
A federal judge ruled in favor of the Trump administration on Wednesday, after a government-funded nonprofit organization filed a lawsuit protecting itself from “ongoing destruction” from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The U.S. Institute for Peace (USIP) filed a request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) on Tuesday, claiming that DOGE had committed “literal trespass and takeover by force…of the Institute’s headquarters building on Constitution Avenue.” The organization also accused the anti-waste initiative of “ongoing destruction of the Institute’s physical and electronic property.” “Defendants have been and are at this minute engaged in conduct that will cause the Institute irreparable harm that will prevent the Institute from performing any of its lawful functions and is likely to utterly destroy it,” the lawsuit stated. WHITE HOUSE UNLEASHES ON ‘ROGUE BUREAUCRATS’ AFTER AGENCY HEAD REFUSES DOGE ENTRY TO HEADQUARTERS In a decision on Wednesday, Judge Beryl Howell motioned to deny the USIP’s request for a TRO. “I think there is confusion in the complaint that make me uncomfortable,” Howell said. “I would say I am very offended by how DOGE has operated in the Institute in treating American citizens…. but that concern about how this has gone down is not one that can sway me in the consideration of factors for TRO, which is emergency relief, which is exceptional,” she continued. Howell, who was appointed as a senior judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in 2024, also said she was “particularly concerned about plaintiffs’ likelihood of success.” “Two of the most important tests, likely to succeed on the merits and likely to suffer irreparable harm, are just a stretch here,” Howell added. THE UNELECTED POWER IS THE ROGUE BUREAUCRACY, STEPHEN MILLER SAYS USIP, an independent institution funded by Congress, was established in 1984 under the Reagan administration. Its goal is to “[protect] U.S. interests by helping to prevent violent conflicts and broker peace deals abroad,” according to its website. “Our work helps keep America safe, reducing the risk that the United States will be drawn into costly foreign wars that drive terrorism, criminal gangs and migration,” the agency’s website reads. “We help make America stronger by projecting U.S. influence and bolstering partner countries in regions destabilized by China and other U.S. adversaries.” USIP had infamously not complied with President Donald Trump‘s February executive order to pull back the “scope of federal bureaucracy,” refusing to reduce its size to the statutory minimum listed in the order. As such, the Trump administration fired 11 of its 14 board members last week, leaving only Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and National Defense University President Peter Garvin. Howell’s decision came shortly after the White House told Fox News Digital that the Trump administration had gutted USIP of “rogue bureaucrats.” “Rogue bureaucrats will not be allowed to hold agencies hostage,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a Tuesday statement. “The Trump administration will enforce the president’s executive authority and ensure his agencies remain accountable to the American people.” Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Trump to sign executive order to abolish the Department of Education
President Donald Trump is moving forward with plans to abolish the Department of Education. Trump is expected to sign an executive order following through on a campaign promise to disband the department, claiming on the campaign trail that the department was full of “radicals, zealots and Marxists.” A White House fact sheet states that the move will “turn over education to families instead of bureaucracies. Trump and proponents of eliminating the department have long said the agency has failed American students. “NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) scores reveal a national crisis—our children are falling behind,” Harrison Fields, the White House principal deputy press secretary, told Fox News. “Over the past four years, Democrats have allowed millions of illegal minors into the country, straining school resources and diverting focus from American students.” AFT PRESIDENT RANDI WEINGARTEN SOUNDS ALARM ABOUT LEGALITY OF TRUMP ELIMINATING EDUCATION DEPARTMENT “Coupled with the rise of anti-American CRT and DEI indoctrination, this is harming our most vulnerable,” he added. “President Trump’s executive order to expand educational opportunities will empower parents, states, and communities to take control and improve outcomes for all students.” The directive comes after the Senate voted to confirm Linda McMahon, former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), to lead the agency on March 3. McMahon issued a memo later that day outlining her support for the Trump administration’s plans for the department and that she would oversee a “new era of accountability” in the agency’s final days. “The reality of our education system is stark, and the American people have elected President Trump to make significant changes in Washington,” McMahon said in the March 3 memo. “Our job is to respect the will of the American people and the President they elected, who has tasked us with accomplishing the elimination of bureaucratic bloat here at the Department of Education — a momentous final mission — quickly and responsibly.” Following reports that Trump planned to sign the executive order, the American Federation of Teachers issued a statement imploring Congress to oppose the executive order and will not “abdicate its responsibility to all children, students and working families, who deserve a future full of promise and possibility, not diminished dreams.” The teacher’s union pointed to an NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll conducted in February that found more than 60% of Americans “strongly oppose” eradicating the agency. “The Department of Education, and the laws it is supposed to execute, has one major purpose: to level the playing field and fill opportunity gaps to help every child in America succeed,” the American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said in a statement March 5. “Trying to abolish it — which, by the way, only Congress can do — sends a message that the president doesn’t care about opportunity for all kids. Maybe he cares about it for his own kids or his friends’ kids or his donors’ kids — but not all kids.” Despite spending billions of dollars on education, student outcomes haven’t fared any better. The White House cited 13 Baltimore, Md., high schools in which no students tested proficient in mathematics in 2023, as well as money spent to teach “radical ideologies.” “The Trump Administration recently canceled $226 million in grants under the Comprehensive Centers Program that forced radical agendas onto states and systems, including race-based discrimination and gender identity ideology,” the fact sheet states. Under the Biden administration, schools have been forced to redirect resources to comply with “ideological initiatives,” social experiments and obsolete programs, the White House said. In addition, Trump has supported bringing education back to the states and a rethinking of schools. “I want every parent in America to be empowered to send their child to public, private, charter, or faith-based school of their choice,” he said. “The time for universal school choice has come. As we return education to the states, I will use every power I have to give parents this right.” Despite Trump’s order, the president needs Congress to sign off on eradicating the agency, under Article II of the U.S. Constitution. Such a measure would require 60 votes to pass in the Senate, and there are only 53 Republicans currently. Still, there is some appetite in Congress to eliminate the department. For example, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., introduced a measure Jan. 31 to nix the Department of Education by December 2026. WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY ON REPORTS THAT TRUMP WILL DISBAND EDUCATION DEPARTMENT: ‘EXPECT HIM TO DELIVER’ “Unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. should not be in charge of our children’s intellectual and moral development,” Massie said in a Jan. 31 statement. “States and local communities are best positioned to shape curricula that meet the needs of their students. Schools should be accountable.” Trump told reporters Feb. 4 that even though he’d nominated McMahon to lead the Department of Education, he eventually wanted her to lose her job. “What I want to do is let the states run schools,” Trump said Feb. 4. “I believe strongly in school choice. But in addition to that, I want the states to run schools, and I want Linda to put herself out of a job.” TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDERS STRIPPING FEDERAL FUNDING FROM SCHOOLS THAT TEACH CRT, SUPPORTING SCHOOL CHOICE White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also signaled that the American people could count on Trump to move forward with such plans to disband the department. “President Trump campaigned on that promise, and I think the American people can expect him to deliver on it,” Leavitt told Stuart Varney on “Varney & Co.” Feb. 4. The Department of Education, established in 1980, seeks to improve coordination of federal education programs and support state and local school systems, according to its website. The agency received a budget of $79.1 billion in fiscal year 2024. Trump said at a rally in September 2024 that he wanted to reduce the “government education swamp and stop the abuse of your taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate America’s youth with all sorts of things that you don’t want to
Faith leaders gather around Trump to pray in Oval Office: ‘incredible day’
Faith leaders from across the country visited President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday where they prayed with the commander-in-chief. The White House posted an image of the leaders gathered in prayer around Trump as he sat at his desk. William Wolfe, the executive director of the Center for Baptist Leadership, posted the same image. POPE FRANCIS SEEN FOR FIRST TIME SINCE BEING ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL: PHOTO “It was a huge honor to represent @BaptistLeaders and meet @realDonaldTrump today along with other Christian leaders and pray for him in the Oval Office,” Wolfe wrote on X. “It’s been an incredible day—been keeping this under wraps until it happened, but can’t wait to share more!!” Robert Jeffries, the pastor at the First Baptist Dallas church, also remarked on the visit. “Honored to lead a prayer today for our great president @realDonaldTrump!” he wrote on X. EVEN IF TRUMP SECURES UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL, CAN PUTIN BE TRUSTED? WallBuilders founder David Barton, who was with the faith leaders, said it was “an honor” to pray for Trump. In a video, Barton said Trump was supportive of faith-based programs and policies that are “reflective of family and faith and values.” WallBuilders aims to educate the public on how the Bible has played a pivotal role in the founding of the nation. In February, Trump signed an executive order to establish the White House Faith Office as part of the Domestic Policy Council. The order states the new office will consult with faith leaders on various topics, including “defending religious liberty.” On Wednesday evening, Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, will host the Catholics for Catholics Gala. Speakers at that event will include retired U.S. Army Gen. Michael Flynn and veteran political consultant Roger Stone.
Republican Sen Murkowski prepared to ‘take the criticism’ over DOGE pushback
A Republican senator has vowed to remain vocal against some of the Trump administration’s actions, even if it means risking a billion-dollar opposition campaign funded by billionaire Elon Musk. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who previously claimed actions taken by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) could have “incredibly troubling” outcomes, suggested that Musk may “take the next billion dollars that he makes off of Starlink and put it directly against me” if she remains critical of the administration. “And you know what, that may happen. But I’m not giving up one minute, one opportunity to try and stand up for Alaskans,” the senator, whose term is up in 2029, said while speaking to voters in Alaska on Tuesday. “I’m gonna take the criticism that comes.” Murkowski also suggested that other lawmakers choose to “duck and cover” rather than speak out against the administration over fears of being primaried in their next elections. ELON MUSK IN ‘SHOCK’ OVER DEMS’ ALLEGED ‘HATRED AND VIOLENCE,’ LAMENTS ‘DERANGED’ ATTACKS ON TESLA PLANTS “That’s why you got everybody just zip-lipped, not saying a word, because they are afraid they’re going to be taken down, they’re gonna be primaried, they’re gonna be given names in the media,” the senator said. “You know what? We cannot be cowed into not speaking up.” BUCKING TRUMP ORDER, GOP SENS. MURKOWSKI AND SULLIVAN PUSH TO CHANGE MOUNT MCKINLEY’S NAME BACK TO DENALI Murkowski has been critical of some actions taken by the Trump administration, voting against the confirmation of the president’s pick to head the Department of Defense, Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Republican also spoke out against Trump and Vice President JD Vance following their heated meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. “This week started with administration officials refusing to acknowledge that Russia started the war in Ukraine. It ends with a tense, shocking conversation in the Oval Office and whispers from the White House that they may try to end all U.S. support for Ukraine,” Murkowski wrote in a post on X in March. “I know foreign policy is not for the faint of heart, but right now, I am sick to my stomach as the administration appears to be walking away from our allies and embracing Putin, a threat to democracy and U.S. values around the world.” Musk has suggested that he will fund primary challenges against Republican lawmakers who break with the Trump agenda. The billionaire, in response to a report posted to X making the suggestion about his potential involvement in future GOP elections, said in a November 2024 post, “How else? There is no other way.” “Until Alaskans tell me, Lisa, it’s just not working anymore, I’m gonna give you every last breath that I have, and I’m gonna try to solve every little problem, and I’m not gonna compromise my own integrity by hiding from my words when I feel they need to be spoken,” Murkowski said on Tuesday. The senator said that while she has disagreements with Trump, she is going to find “constructive” ways to work with him. Fox News Digital reached out to DOGE and Murkowski for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Fox News Poll: Voters have concerns about DOGE, even as they see need for cuts
Voters have concerns about the recent government spending cuts executed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), even as they see the need for such an effort. Most think the national debt is a crisis or major problem, and nearly 6 in 10 feel a great deal or almost all of government spending is “wasteful and inefficient,” according to a new Fox News national survey. Yet a slim 51% majority opposes substantially shrinking the number of government employees, some 56% disapprove of the job the Trump administration is doing identifying and reducing wasteful spending, and another 65% worry that not enough thought and planning has gone into the cuts. FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP IS THE MOST POPULAR HE’S EVER BEEN A sizable minority of Republicans (39%) share the concern of large numbers of Democrats (88%) and Independents (71%) about how the reductions are being implemented. Forty percent approve of the job Elon Musk is doing working with DOGE, while 58% disapprove. Fully 93% of Democrats disapprove, along with 70% of Independents and 20% of Republicans. When asked about funding for specific federal programs, majorities think the government should increase funding for Social Security (63%), Medicare and Medicaid (58%), and medical research (53%), while a large minority says the same about funding the military and national defense (44%). Sentiment is more mixed on humanitarian foreign aid, as 23% want to increase federal funding on aid, 36% would keep it at the same level as last year, and 39% want to decrease it. FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP, REPUBLICANS AT RECORD HIGH RATINGS AS DEMOCRATS FALTER Overall, one in four voters says someone in their family has been significantly affected by the government cuts, and among that group, 79% are concerned about how the cuts have been handled. Voters also have doubts about tariffs, as majorities think the measures will make products that they buy more expensive (69%) and hurt the economy (53%). Views are divided on the job front, with 35% saying tariffs help protect U.S. jobs and 39% saying they hurt. FOX NEWS POLL: OVER HALF SAY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION MADE THE ECONOMY WORSE The 53% saying tariffs hurt the economy is a new high, up from 50% in January and a low of 39% in 2024. When asked about specific tariffs, voters favor imposing them on products from China (55%), while they oppose tariffs on Mexico (56%) and Canada (61%). On the overall economy, a growing number of voters think it is in bad shape, many think inflation is out of control, and most believe a recession is at least somewhat likely. Views of the economy have soured since President Donald Trump began his second term, as 79% of voters give it negative marks, up from 70% two months ago. This increase in pessimism is largely due to a 35-point spike among Democrats plus an 18-point jump among Independents. In the same period, Republican assessment of the economy has shifted positively by 22 points. At the end of December, at the tail end of former President Joe Biden’s term, 77% held a negative view of the economy. Some 60% of voters rate their personal finances negatively, which is a touch better compared to 62% in December. And while nearly half, 47%, continue to say inflation is “not at all” under control, that’s down from 56% in early 2023 (the last time the question was asked). Seven in 10 say they expect a recession this year, including majorities of Democrats (93%) and Independents (72%), and half of Republicans (50%). Those sentiments help explain why more than 4 in 10 identify inflation (27%) or the economy generally (16%) as the most important issues facing the country. Those beat the next most commonly mentioned issues: political divisions (14%), political leadership/corruption (10%), and immigration (8%). For reference, 3% cite government spending and 2% say tariffs. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Even though partisans have adjusted their attitudes with the change in administrations, the public as a whole remains jittery about the economy,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News surveys with Democrat Chris Anderson. “The aggressiveness of Trump’s tariff policy and the pace of DOGE’s actions have spooked Democrats and many Independents. If Trump is to maintain broad public support, it’s imperative that his approach produces results.” Generally, 43% are satisfied with how things are going in the country. That’s up 12 points from 31% in December. Some 57% are unsatisfied, including 20% of Republicans. Voter dissatisfaction hit a high of 75% during Biden’s term (August 2022). In Trump’s first term, it peaked at 66% (August 2020). Again, major post-inauguration partisan shifts are driving these changing numbers. The new survey shows the share of Democrats happy with the direction of the country dropped 33 points to 9% after Biden left office. And 80% of Republicans are satisfied now, up 55 points since Trump took office. Trump started his first term with a 48% job approval rating (Feb. 2017). Today, his approval stands at a record 49%, which he also achieved once during his first term (April 2020). For comparison, Biden’s highest approval was 56% in June 2021. Currently, 92% of Democrats disapprove of Trump, while an equal number of Republicans approve (92%). Fully 97% of 2024 Trump supporters like the job he’s doing as president. Trump’s ratings are underwater by 13 points on the economy (43% approve – 56% disapprove) and by 18 points on inflation (40-58%). He receives his best marks on border security, as a 56% majority approves (43% disapprove). CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE Conducted March 14-17, 2025 under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 994 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (123) and cellphones (648) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (223). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error
Fox News Poll: Trump, Republicans at record high ratings as Democrats falter
Nearly two months into his second term, President Donald Trump’s approval rating matches his all-time high. Congressional Republicans also enjoy record ratings, while views of congressional Democrats tumble near an all-time low, according to the latest Fox News Poll. FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT DOGE, EVEN AS THEY SEE NEED FOR CUTS Half of voters, 49%, approve of the job Trump is doing as president, matching his high from April 2020. That’s also better than at the same point in his first term (43% approved in March 2017). He is at high marks among key groups, including women, Black voters, and voters under age 30. (For reference, in January, a 52% majority of voters approved of the job Trump was doing handling the presidential transition.) Nine in 10 Republicans approve of Trump, while the same number of Democrats disapprove. Six in 10 Independents disapprove of his job performance. FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP IS THE MOST POPULAR HE’S EVER BEEN Overall, 51% disapprove of the job Trump is doing, including 45% who strongly disapprove. Trump has issued more than 90 executive orders in his first 60 days in office and about 7 in 10 voters are concerned these actions may permanently alter the country’s system of checks and balances. That’s similar to how voters felt about former President Barack Obama’s use of executive actions in December 2014 (68% concerned). Predictably, a decade ago, more Republicans were concerned, while now it’s Democrats – roughly 9 in 10, respectively. Independents feel about the same as they did 10 years ago (about three-quarters concerned). FOX NEWS POLL: OVER HALF SAY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION MADE THE ECONOMY WORSE Congressional Republicans hit their highest approval rating ever this month, as 43% of voters approve and 55% disapprove. While that is upside down by 12 points, it still constitutes a significant improvement from the 36-point net negative rating in October 2023 and the 55-point low a decade ago. News across the aisle isn’t as rosy. For Democrats in Congress, 66% disapprove of the job they are doing, with only 30% approving — nearly matching their record low of 29% approval in November 2013. The current 36-point deficit represents a marked decline from the 23-point difference in October 2023, the last time the question was asked (37% approve, 60% disapprove), and the high of +10 in April 2009 (50-40%). The boost to the GOP approval is primarily attributable to more Republicans backing their party today (88%) than in October 2023 (54%). Again, the partisan contrast is striking, as only 49% of Democrats approve of their party’s lawmakers today vs. 74% in 2023. “Democrats are united in their antipathy toward Trump, but they aren’t happy with their own party either,” says Daron Shaw, a Republican who conducts the survey with Democrat Chris Anderson. “As Democratic elites argue over whether to be more confrontational or accommodating toward Trump, their voters are unhappy with what they see as an uneven, disjointed response.” Vice President JD Vance’s job rating is in negative territory by 8 points: 45% approve, 53% disapprove. Among Republicans, his approval (85%) is slightly lower than Trump’s (92%) and Congressional Republicans’ (88%). By an 18-point margin, voters disapprove of the job Elon Musk is doing at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) (40% approve, 58% disapprove). Most Republicans (78%) approve, while nearly all Democrats disapprove (93%). Secretary of State Marco Rubio breaks even with 47% both approving and disapproving. He is the only administration official who receives double-digit approval from Democrats (11%). CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE Conducted March 14-17, 2025 under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 994 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (123) and cellphones (648) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (223). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error associated with results among subgroup is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.
Newsom concedes skyrocketing healthcare costs for illegals are ‘partial’ contributor to Medicaid problem
California Gov. Gavin Newsom admitted that the high Medi-Cal spending, which is the state’s version of the Medicaid program for low-income Golden Staters, is partly due to illegal immigrants being allowed to take part in the program, but that it’s part of a larger cost issue nationwide. “That’s partial,” Newsom said when asked by a KCRA reporter about the $9.5 billion price tag for the program, which the Newsom administration is having to ask for $6.2 billion in loans to help cover. A $3.4 million loan was first requested last week, then another $2.8 million was asked for. He further told the local outlet that it was “something we previewed in the January budget.” CALIFORNIA EXPLOITING MEDICAID ‘LOOPHOLE’ TO PAY BILLIONS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS’ HEALTHCARE, STUDY SAYS “Yeah,” he said when asked by the outlet if it would be the end of requests made by the state’s Executive Branch for more funding this fiscal year. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “With tough fiscal choices ahead, Governor Newsom, jointly with Pro Tem McGuire and Speaker Rivas, will evaluate proposals to rein in long-term spending — including in Medi-Cal — while working to protect the core health and social services Californians rely on,” Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement Tuesday to Fox News Digital. Newsom and the governor’s office have argued that similar problems in Colorado, Pennsylvania and Indiana make the Golden State’s situation less unique. TRUMP SURROGATE CORRIN RANKIN PICKED TO LEAD BLUE STATE’S GOP: ‘MAKE CALIFORNIA GREAT AGAIN’ Medi-Cal is the state’s affiliate of Medicaid, which is a health insurance program for low-income residents in the Golden State. The program receives taxpayer dollars at both the state and federal levels. The $9.5 billion cost was a major increase to the $6 billion projected for the program. It has earned the criticism of numerous Republican lawmakers because of the ability to enroll when “immigration status doesn’t matter,” according to the California Department of Health Care services. “That’s a staggering $6.2 billion over budget…and the costs keep climbing with no end in sight,” California Senate Republican Minority Leader Brian Jones, said in a post on X on Monday. “Californians should not be forced to shoulder the burden of radical Democrats’ reckless financial mismanagement.” “Even Jerry Brown refused to expand Medi-Cal to all illegal immigrants because he knew it was fiscally irresponsible and unsustainable,” Jones added. “Now under Newsom, legal residents are paying the price both financially and in reduced access to healthcare. The public deserves answers: Why are the costs so much higher than what Newsom promised? What is Newsom’s plan to fix the financial disaster he created?” NEWSOM ASKS FOR NEARLY ANOTHER $3B FOR STATE HEALTH PROGRAM OVERWHELMED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS Of the 15 million people in the Medi-Cal program, an estimated 1.6 million are in the United States without proper documentation, according to the state. Fox News’ Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.