Swing state rep announces run for GOP conference chair after Stefanik tapped for UN ambassador
Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., is running to lead the Republican conference in the next congress, officially announcing after the current chair was tapped for a top Trump administration role. “The modern Republican Party personifies my home state of Michigan and delivered Republicans the White House, Senate, and House majority,” McClain said in a statement shared first with Fox News Digital. “From my humble beginnings working on a horse farm to building a company with billions of assets under management, our modern Republican Party needs someone who has lived the American dream and can effectively communicate President Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda with the American people. That’s why today, I announce my candidacy to lead the House Republican Conference as Chairwoman.” The announcement comes just hours after President-elect Trump nominated the current chair, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to be ambassador to the United Nations in his upcoming administration. “It’s been an honor to serve our Conference as Secretary for the past two years alongside Chairwoman Stefanik. Elise has done a tremendous job during her tenure, and I fully intend to build upon the successes she has brought to our Conference as we work with President Trump to Make America Great Again,” McClain added. TRUMP NAMES STEFANIK UN AMBASSADOR The conference chair, the fourth-ranking position in the chamber, will preside over conference meetings and day-to-day operations for Republican members of the House. HOUSE MAJORITY HINGES ON 18 UNCALLED RACES, WITH REPUBLICANS JUST 4 SEATS AWAY With Stefanik, who has held the position since replacing former Rep. Liz Cheney in 2021, stepping into the Trump administration, a race for the chair position remains wide open. Also reportedly running for the position is Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., and Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind. In a Dear Colleague letter, shared first with Fox News Digital on Monday, McClain made her case for the position. “First, I am the right person to effectively communicate our policies to the American people, and defend the Conference from the expected onslaught of attacks that will come our way,” she wrote. McClain also noted her ability to maintain her seat in a blue state. “Second, I hail from a blue state, one of the most critical battlegrounds for the presidency and our House majority. I understand what it takes to win tough races. As a proud surrogate for President Trump, I helped deliver Macomb County, a political bellwether, by directly appealing to and earning the trust of a large and diverse coalition of voters,” McClain wrote to her colleagues. “It is precisely this approach that we will need the next two years to ensure we retain and even grow our Conference, as we did for our great teammates.”
GOP wins first Philadelphia state Senate seat in 28 years, as red gains in blue areas continue
Neither President-elect Donald Trump nor Sen.-elect David McCormick came close to winning Philadelphia County in Tuesday’s election, but the GOP still notched a historic win in the blue bastion, mirroring Republicans’ overperformance nationwide. In northeast Philadelphia, the most moderate area of the liberal city, Joe Picozzi defeated Democratic state Sen. Jimmy Dillon 50.5% to 49.5% in the 5th district. The win signaled the Republicans’ first at the state Senate level citywide in nearly 30 years. Of the seven state Senate districts in Philadelphia, the 5th was also the most recent to go red, with former state Sen. Frank Salvatore’s last re-election in 1996. Salvatore was defeated in 2000 by future Lt. Gov. Mike Stack. The longest dearth is in Democratic state Sen. Vincent Hughes’ seat in northwest Philadelphia, which has not hosted a Republican since state Sen. Augustus F. Daix Jr. in 1932. Picozzi, of Tacony, is the son of a Philadelphia firefighter and was previously a member of the Philadelphia Youth Commission. He was considered a political newcomer and was backed by state Republicans but reportedly not the PhillyGOP. PHILLY STAKES: TRUMP APPEARS TO OVERPERFORM IN SURPRISING PENNSYLVANIAN PLACES The Penn Capital-Star and other outlets reported as much, while the state Senate’s GOP campaign arm and state Senate leader Kim Ward offered their full support. In a Facebook post after Picozzi’s win, the PhillyGOP “applauded [him] for his relentless work to defeat an incumbent and well entrenched State Senator.” “Joe Picozzi soundly defeated his opponent to give Philadelphia a [R]epublican voice in the Pennsylvania Senate,” the post added, followed by replies from users who criticized the non-endorsement. Ward told the Capital-Star that Picozzi “went 24/7” and “all-out” in the uphill battle to flip the seat. “I don’t know that you win that seat with just a candidate who isn’t going to work like that,” she said. Dillon conceded to Picozzi on Sunday, saying he wished him “every success in delivering for our neighbors” and “making Northeast Philly stronger and safer for all who call it home,” according to WCAU. An “elected Democrat” in the area told the Inquirer that Dillon’s loss was the “most embarrassing” piece of the election and that Picozzi was not taken as seriously as he should have been. Democrats spent $254,000 on the race, but most of those funds went out in the closing weeks, according to the paper. PENNSYLVANIA SEN-ELECT MCCORMICK THANKS CASEY FAMILY FOR ‘DECADES OF SERVICE’ AS DEMOCRAT REFUSES TO CONCEDE Picozzi made crime a top issue in his campaign. Philadelphia has been wracked by looting, flash mobs and wild, unsanctioned “car meets” in the middle of the night in Center City. During 2020 protests following a police-involved shooting of a Black man, a Walmart not far from Picozzi’s district on Aramingo Avenue was ransacked. The district includes residential areas like Mayfair, Rhawnhurst, Somerton and Torresdale. It is notably just inside the city line from the Trevose McDonald’s where Trump cooked french fries and served drive-thru customers during a campaign stop. “Over the last year, I talked to thousands of people who have touched my heart profoundly and eternally. I am grateful for the trust you have placed in me to serve you as your next State Senator,” Picozzi said in a statement on social media. “I want to thank Senator Dillon for his service to our home. It’s time for all of us to come together as one community to find common sense solutions to restore and secure Northeast Philadelphia.” While considered a political newcomer campaign wise, he worked briefly as a staffer for then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., while attending Georgetown University. A Democratic community leader from Fox Chase, along the city line with Montgomery County, was asked about the race by the Philadelphia Inquirer prior to Election Day. He compared northeast Philadelphia to Bucks County – the “swing” bellwether that was subject to nationwide media attention in the closing days of the 2024 election. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Voters in that part of the city tend to cast their ballot based on issues rather than candidates, no matter the partisan registration bent, Brian Eddis told the paper. After recent redistricting, which saw metro areas like Allentown and Harrisburg host districts more favorable to Democrats, Republicans needed a key win to preserve their 6-seat majority there. Democrats currently control the 203-seat state House by one vote and Gov. Josh Shapiro is a Democrat. Ward pointed out in the Harrisburg example that Democrat Patty Kim won the longtime Republican open-seat of retiring state Sen. John DiSanto, in that Picozzi’s win preserves their statewide margins. Trump lost Philadelphia 79%-20% and Sen.-elect David McCormick by a similar 78%-19%. Fox News Digital reached out to the PhillyGOP and Republican Party of Pennsylvania for comment.
Border Patrol agents’ morale soars after Trump’s re-election: ‘Through the roof’
Morale among Border Patrol agents is “through the roof” after the victory of President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday, and some agents planning on retiring have already reversed their decisions, the union’s president tells Fox News Digital. “The morale is through the roof,” National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez said in an interview. “We’ve received hundreds of calls, texts, emails, just saying how happy the agents are.” “There are a lot of agents that had originally said that they would retire if President Trump did not win. And now those same agents are saying they’re going to hold back on their retirement because they want to serve under this administration again, because they know exactly how it was during this first administration, and they know this one’s going to be even better,” he said. ‘NOW’S THE TIME’: TRUMP VICTORY HAS BIDEN ADMIN BRACING FOR MIGRANT SURGE AT SOUTHERN BORDER Trump won the backing of the union for his presidential bid, with many agents intensely supportive of his efforts to secure the border. Agents had frequently opposed the Biden administration’s change in policies, and tension between agents and officials often spilled over. Agents were furious when the administration fueled false claims that agents on horseback whipped migrants in Del Rio, Texas, in 2021. Now, with Trump heading back to the White House, Perez says he believes that his election will help with recruiting. ‘LIBERATION DAY’: WHAT TO EXPECT FROM PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP ON BORDER SECURITY, IMMIGRATION “We’ve always had a recruiting problem. And so right now, with President Trump coming into office, a lot of people are going to want to do this job. A lot of people have shown interest previously, but they were hesitant to apply and work for the previous administration,” he said. “So under Trump, we’re going to have a good amount of recruits to choose from.” He said that under the Trump administration, agents receive greater job satisfaction because they know that the people they catch will be removed “instead of allowing them to abuse our asylum system.” Perez said agents were enthused by a number of policies, including the potential return of Remain in Mexico, which kept migrants in Mexico as they waited for their asylum claims to be adjudicated. “Remain in Mexico, the end of catch release, obviously, that’s a big one as well. But Remain in Mexico will probably turn the magnet off. It will allow us to secure the border even better,” he said. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS Perez also said that, while the union backed a bipartisan border security bill backed by the Biden administration last year, now they are hoping for something more muscular — similar to the House GOP border bill, known as HR 2. “I’m not looking at the past. I’m not looking at the bipartisan border security bill. At the time, that was probably what our guys were looking for at the time, hoping that it would be brought to the floor, amended and made and strengthened. But what I’m looking for, what I personally want to see, is H.R. 2, a strong security bill like H.R.2.” Ultimately, however, Perez said he believes that Trump’s return will send a message to the cartels and also give a voice to those victims of illegal immigrant crime. “He’s going to give them a voice, and he is going to take care of their families from the horrific crimes that were committed against them by people that should have never been in the country to begin with. So we’re looking very much forward to President Trump taking over and making this country safe again,” he said.
Eric Schmitt withdraws from Trump attorney general consideration to remain in Senate
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., has requested that President-elect Trump’s transition team withdraw his name from consideration for attorney general, he announced Monday. Schmitt won election to the U.S. Senate in 2022, and he says he wishes to remain there to represent the interests of Missouri voters. His announcement comes as Trump’s transition team is tasked with preparing to fill thousands of roles in the federal government. “I ran for the U.S. Senate to represent the people of the Show Me State and I’m just getting started. The American people have given President Trump a mandate. A mandate to secure our border, make America energy dominant and fight for the forgotten men and women of this country,” Schmitt wrote on X. “We need America First fighters who don’t just say they support the agenda but who are willing to stand in the breach and actually fight for it and for the hopes and dreams of the American people. I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and be a champion for President Trump in the Senate,” he added. TRUMP TO APPOINT FORMER ICE DIRECTOR TOM HOMAN AS NEXT ‘BORDER CZAR’: NOBODY BETTER AT POLICING OUR BORDERS’ Schmitt had previously served as the attorney general of Missouri. Trump has made few staffing announcements since securing his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris last week. He announced that Susie Wiles will serve as the White House chief of staff. Tom Homan will also serve as Trump’s border czar. EX-ACTING ICE DIRECTOR SAYS MASS DEPORTATION POSSIBLE WITHOUT FAMILY SEPARATION IF THEY’RE ‘DEPORTED TOGETHER’ Trump has also selected Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and he has announced Stephen Miller as the White House deputy chief of staff for policy. STEFANIK SLAMS DEMOCRATS’ ‘SCARE TACTICS’ ON TRUMP’S RECORD WITH WOMEN ON IVF, ABORTION Stefanik, the fourth-highest ranking House Republican, is a frequent figure on television where she advocates for the GOP side on a number of issues, including Israel and what she refers to as the “Biden Crime Family.” Stefanik, who was elected to her sixth term in the House last week, made national headlines for grilling the presidents of Ivy League universities about the rising antisemitism on college campuses in the wake of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel. “The work ahead is immense as we see antisemitism skyrocketing coupled with four years of catastrophically weak U.S. leadership that significantly weakened our national security and diminished our standing in the eyes of both allies and adversaries,” Stefanik added in her statement to the Post. “I stand ready to advance President Donald J. Trump’s restoration of America First peace through strength leadership on the world stage on Day One at the United Nations. “
Vance congratulates Miller on new Trump administration position
President-elect Trump is expected to pick Stephen Miller as deputy chief of staff for policy in his administration. Vice President-elect JD Vance posted a message of congratulations to Miller on X Monday morning. “This is another fantastic pick by the president,” Vance wrote, following a CNN report about Trump’s pick. FORMER ICE DIRECTOR TOM HOMAN ‘HONORED’ TO BE APPOINTED TRUMP’S BORDER CZAR: ‘WE HAVE TO FIX IT’ Miller was a senior adviser in Trump’s first term. He helped craft many of Trump’s hard-line speeches and plans on immigration. Since Trump left office, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization of former Trump advisers fashioned as a conservative version of the American Civil Liberties Union, challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as freedom of speech and religion and national security. The Associated Press contributed to this report. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
‘Get her in here’: Joe Rogan reveals Harris team wanted ‘restrictions’ on potential interview
Popular podcast host Joe Rogan revealed more details about how his attempt to interview Vice President Kamala Harris before the election never materialized. “There were a few restrictions of things they didn’t want to talk about, but I said, ‘I don’t give a f—, get her in here.’ Like, whatever you want to talk about,” Rogan said on a Friday episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience.” The comments come after Rogan made waves by endorsing President-elect Donald Trump the day before the election, a rare nod to a political candidate by a podcast host who has earned a legion of loyal followers. TRUMP VICTORY PROVES IMPORTANCE OF CANDID, LONGFORM PODCASTS AS PLATFORM SHOWED ‘HUMAN SIDE’ OF ONE CANDIDATE Rogan’s endorsement of Trump after he appeared for an interview on the podcast in late October, talking to Rogan for nearly three hours. Rogan would later go on to interview billionaire Elon Musk, who became a key Trump ally down the stretch run of the campaign. However, similar attempts to get Harris on his show did not bear fruit for the podcast star, who revealed Friday that he would have talked about anything in an attempt to get to know the Democratic presidential candidate. “I bet there’s a person in there. I bet I can get to that person,” Rogan said. “I would love to talk to her about all kinds of s—.” JOE ROGAN SAYS HARRIS SITDOWN WAS SCRAPPED AFTER CAMPAIGN TOLD HIM SHE ‘ONLY WANTED TO DO AN HOUR’ Rogan had previously revealed that there was hope of a last minute chance to sit down with Harris before Election Day, but those plans were scrapped when her team asked Rogan to travel to her for only a one-hour interview. “Also, for the record, the Harris campaign has not passed on doing the podcast,” Rogan said the day before the election. “They offered a date for Tuesday, but I would have had to travel to her, and they only wanted to do an hour. I strongly feel the best way to do it is in the studio in Austin.” “My sincere wish is to just have a nice conversation and get to know her as a human being. I really hope we can make it happen,” Rogan added. Rogan also revealed he was asked by Harris’ team if the show would be edited, something Rogan said he would not do. “They want to know if I edit. I was like, there’s not going to be any editing, there’s no editing. We’re not going to edit,” Rogan said. Rogan, who boasts 14.5 million followers on Spotify and 17.6 million followers on YouTube, said that at the end of the day, he was just hoping for a conversation with Harris, arguing you can find out a lot about a person over the course of a few hours. “I just wanted to talk. I feel like you give someone a couple of hours and you start talking about anything, I’m going to see the pattern of the way you think, I’m going to see the way you process ideas, I’m going to see whether or not you’re calculated or whether you’re just free,” Rogan said. The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
What Stefanik’s House tenure reveals about what type of UN ambassador she may be
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, who hammered elite university leaders for their handling of anti-Israel agitators who stormed college campuses in the last year, will be nominated to serve as President-elect Donald Trump’s ambassador to the U.N. “I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,” Trump said in comment provided to Fox News Digital. A person with direct knowledge of the matter additionally confirmed to Fox News Digital that Trump has chosen the New York Republican for the role. Stefanik is a longtime Trump ally who has chaired the House Republican Conference since 2021, serving as the fourth-most powerful Republican in the House. She was first elected to the House in blue New York in 2014 at the age of 30, making her the youngest woman elected to the House at the time. In the last year alone, Stefanik has been a conservative firebrand who grilled “morally bankrupt” college leaders over their handling of antisemitism on campus following Hamas attacking Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. “Northwestern, Rutgers and UCLA negotiated with pro-Hamas terrorist encampments, bent the knee to the radical antisemitic mob and surrendered their campuses to illegal antisemitic encampments while repeatedly ignoring the harassment and violence against Jewish students and faculty,” Stefanik told Fox News Digital back in May as she was set to grill another group of college leaders. TRUMP NAMES STEFANIK UN AMBASSADOR “House Republicans will use every tool at our disposal to ensure accountability from campus leadership for allowing self-proclaimed terrorists to turn once acclaimed American colleges into dens of antisemitic hate.” During last year’s college school year, agitators and student protesters flooded college campuses nationwide to protest the war in Israel, which also included spiking instances of antisemitism and Jewish students publicly speaking out that they do not feel safe on some campuses. STEFANIK SPARS WITH HEAD OF TOP SCHOOL OVER FAILING GRADE ON ANTISEMITISM, STUNNING WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIM Radicals on Columbia University’s campus, for example, took over the school’s Hamilton Hall building, while schools such as UCLA, Harvard and Yale worked to clear spiraling student encampments where protesters demanded their elite schools completely divest from Israel. Terrorist organization Hamas launched a war in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which initially fanned the flames of antisemitism on campuses in the form of protests, menacing graffiti and students reporting that they felt as if it was “open season for Jews on our campuses.” The protests then heightened to the point Jewish students at some schools, including Columbia, were warned to leave campus for their own safety. NEW BATCH OF ‘MORALLY BANKRUPT’ COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS TO BE GRILLED OVER CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM BY HOUSE Stefanik has served as a leading voice against antisemitism, including taking victory laps when University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned from their positions amid widespread backlash for waffling in their answers to Stefanik during a House hearing last year. Stefanik grilled Magill and Gay in December regarding whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” violates the respective school’s codes of conduct. The pair were both unable to provide direct answers. STEFANIK GRILLS HARVARD PRESIDENT OVER STUDENTS CALLING FOR ‘INTIFADA,’ RAMPANT ANTISEMITISM ON CAMPUS “It can be, depending on the context,” Gay responded. “Antisemitic speech when it crosses into conduct that amounts to bullying, harassment, intimidation – that is actionable conduct, and we do take action,” Gay said when pressed to answer “yes” or “no” if calls for the genocide of Jews breaks school rules. “So the answer is yes, that calling for the genocide of Jews violates Harvard code of conduct, correct?” Stefanik asked. “Again, it depends on the context,” Gay said. “It does not depend on the context. The answer is yes and this is why you should resign,” Stefanik responded. “These are unacceptable answers across the board.” Magill answered similarly during the hearing, with both issuing apologies following outrage from Jewish groups, the public and lawmakers that the school presidents could not unequivocally answer Stefanik’s questions. The pair subsequently resigned from their Ivy League jobs as outrage mounted. CAMPUS ‘OCCUPATION GUIDE’ TAPS INTO AGITATORS’ ‘RAGE,’ INSTRUCTS HOW TO ‘ESCALATE’ CHAOS “One down. Two to go,” Stefanik posted after their resignations. “This is only the very beginning of addressing the pervasive rot of antisemitism that has destroyed the most ‘prestigious’ higher education institutions in America. This forced resignation of the president of @Penn is the bare minimum of what is required. These universities can anticipate a robust and comprehensive Congressional investigation of all facets of their institutions negligent perpetration of antisemitism including administrative, faculty, funding, and overall leadership and governance.” Stefanik continued grilling college administrators in other hearings, and has also publicly lambasted anti-Israel protests that have cropped up, including when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the United States in July and Vice President Kamala Harris skipping his address to Congress. STEFANIK FILES ETHICS COMPLAINT AGAINST TRUMP TRIAL JUDGE ALLEGING HARRIS CAMPAIGN PAID HIS DAUGHTER’S COMPANY “Kamala Harris’ embarrassing snub of @netanyahu’s Joint Address to Congress was a stunt to appease the pro-Hamas base of the Democrat Party that just burned American flags, clashed with police, and spread dangerous pro-terror chaos and violence. Why won’t Kamala disavow these antisemitic terrorist sympathizers?” Stefanik posted to her X account of Harris. The vice president ultimately did condemn the protests in July during Netanyahu’s visit to the U.S., and met with Netanyahu one-on-one after skipping his address to Congress. Stefanik also supported Trump amid his Manhattan criminal trial, where he was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree in May. Trump has maintained his innocence in the case, calling the trial a “witch hunt” and “scam” promoted by Democrats to hamper his campaign for the White House. “Today’s verdict shows how corrupt, rigged, and unAmerican the weaponized justice system has become under Joe Biden and Democrats. I fully support President Trump
California voters shoot down proposed ban on forced prison labor
California voters shut down a ballot effort that would have banned the use of forced labor as a punishment for crime in the state. The measure, known as Proposition 6, would have amended the state’s constitution to ban forced labor in all circumstances. The state’s constitution currently allows for an exception for forced labor bans in the case of punishment for crimes. The measure was part of a wider movement among far-left Democrats in California who want the state to atone for past racism against Black residents. Activists previously failed to push through reparations bills in September. A representative for Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., who supported the measure, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. NATHAN HOCHMAN OUSTS EMBATTLED LIBERAL PROSECUTOR GEORGE GASCON AS LA COUNTY DA AMID CRIME CONCERNS Democratic assembly member Lori Wilson, who helped push the ballot measure, addressed the failure in a statement. “While it’s disappointing that our measure to remove slavery from California’s constitution was not approved by the voters, this setback does not end the fight,” Wilson wrote in a statement. “Together, we will continue pushing forward to ensure that our state’s constitution reflects the values of equality and freedom that all Californians deserve.” The measure’s failure comes months after a pair of reparations-related bills for the descendants of enslaved Black Americans failed to pass in the California legislature in early September. Authored by Democrat state Sen. Steven Bradford of Inglewood, Senate Bill 1331 would have created a new state fund for reparations, while Senate Bill 1403 would have established a state agency to oversee these efforts and determine who would be eligible. PELOSI PRAISES CA BILL GIVING ILLEGAL MIGRANTS MONEY TO BUY HOMES: ‘AMERICAN DREAM’ ‘AVAILABLE TO MORE PEOPLE’ These measures were considered key components of some lawmakers’ ambitious efforts to pass legislation aimed at atoning for what they said was a legacy of racist policies that drove disparities for Black people, from housing to education to health. Bradford said the bills didn’t move forward out of fear that Gov. Gavin Newsom would veto them. “We’re at the finish line, and we, as the Black Caucus, owe it to the descendants of chattel slavery, to Black Californians and Black Americans, to move this legislation forward,” Bradford said, urging his colleagues to reconsider Saturday afternoon.
Trump to install ‘energy czar’ to dismantle Biden climate rules: report
President-elect Donald Trump reportedly plans to install an “energy czar” to scale back energy and climate regulations implemented under the Biden administration. Six sources familiar with Trump’s transition team told the New York Times that a series of executive orders and presidential proclamations have been drafted related to climate and energy, aimed at rolling back Biden-era clean energy regulations that some critics argue have hurt the economy. Other plans Trump and his transition team are reportedly discussing include installing an “energy czar” to help cut regulations on domestic energy production and potentially moving the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) headquarters outside of Washington, D.C. “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,” Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital when asked to confirm the details about Trump’s reported plans. “He will deliver.” News of the policy plans from Trump and his transition team comes amid speculation over who will staff his various agencies, including those governing environmental policies. The Times suggested that former Republican presidential candidate and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum was being floated as a potential candidate to be Trump’s “energy czar.” The outlet also pointed to Dan Brouillette, who served as Trump’s energy secretary during his first tenure as president. US TO TIGHTEN RESTRICTIONS ON ENERGY DEVELOPMENT TO PROTECT STRUGGLING SAGE GROUSE “President-elect Trump will begin making decisions on who will serve in his second administration soon,” Leavitt told the Times when it reached out to confirm details about the new post. “Those decisions will be announced when they are made.” Besides plans to install an “energy czar” and potentially move the EPA’s headquarters out of Washington, the potential executive actions reportedly drafted by Trump’s transition team would pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement, expand drilling and mining on federal lands, and would loosen regulations around fossil fuel pollution. BIDEN-HARRIS EPA FUNDING ‘RADICAL, LEFT-LEANING’ ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS CALLING TO END FOSSIL FUELS: REPORT Prior to the Times’ report on Trump’s potential energy policy plans, the president-elect said while running his campaign that he would peel back Biden administration regulations intended to cut carbon emissions, and has also said he would stymie green energy initiatives within Biden’s signature climate legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act. “The green agenda is an elitist agenda,” Trump transition team co-chairman Howard Lutnick told Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo. “Who is the strongest? Where? The Ivy League on the East Coast. Right? They’re the ones that are [pushing] climate change.” Lutnick added that “real” Americans are “not talking climate change” but are focused on kitchen-table issues impacting their pocketbooks.
Trump’s ‘border czar’ warns Dem govs rejecting Trump deportation plan: ‘Get the hell out of the way’
Thomas Homan, who President-elect Donald Trump appointed as “border czar” on Sunday night, has a clear message for any Democratic governors who oppose the planned mass deportation operation. “If they’re not willing to help, then get the hell out of the way because [Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)] is going to do their job,” Homan, who was acting ICE director during the first Trump administration, told Fox News Digital in an interview on Friday. Trump announced on Sunday that Homan will be appointed “border czar” and would be in charge of the borders and “all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their country of origin” in the new administration. DEM GOVERNOR THREATENS TO USE ‘EVERY TOOL’ TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST TRUMP-ERA DEPORTATIONS Before that announcement, Fox News asked Homan about comments by Democratic governors who have indicated they will not work with the administration on the mass deportation of illegal immigrants. 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 last week when asked if state police would help with deportations. Homan, a Fox News contributor, suspects some “sanctuary” jurisdictions will work with the administration. “They’re not going to say it, but with all the alien crime and the young women being sexually assaulted and murdered, some sheriffs have been coming forward and working with us behind the scenes,” he said. However, while he said it would be useful to have the “force multiplier” of assistance from state and local governments, and for agents to have access to county jails where serious illegal immigrant criminals are locked up, he said that a lack of that aid would not stop the operations. “If you don’t want to work with us, then get the hell out all the way, we’re going to do it. What it means is, rather than send 100 people to Boston, we’re going to send 200 agents to Boston. We’re going to get the job done,” he said. “We have a mandate. I think the American people just gave President Trump a mandate. That’s why he’s elected — to secure the border, save lives and deport people, especially national security threats and public safety threats. So if you’re not going to help us, step aside, but don’t get in our way, because there will be consequences.” Homan said that the immediate focus will be on those illegal immigrants with criminal convictions or charges, as had been the focus under the first Trump administration. ‘LIBERATION DAY’: WHAT TO EXPECT FROM PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP ON BORDER SECURITY, IMMIGRATION “It’s not going to be a massive sweep of neighborhoods, it’s not going to be massive raids. It’s going to be a targeted enforcement operation,” he said. However, he warned that it does not mean anyone is off the table. “If you’re in a country illegally, you’ve got a problem.” Homan argues that with millions of people having entered illegally across the southern border under the Biden administration, there has to be consequences for those who are found not to have a valid asylum claim, or else there is no true due process. “There will be a massive deportation operation because we had massive never seen before illegal immigration where 90% will be ordered removed. It’s common sense,” he said. He also said that many illegal immigrants will likely leave by themselves when incentives to cross the border are ended. As for how many can be removed, he says that will depend on the resources made available. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS “It depends on resources, depends on the money. But I guarantee you that President Trump means what he says and there will be a green light to enforce our laws and secure that border. And that’s going to require a mass deportation operation,” he said. Homan, a former New York police officer, Border Patrol agent and ICE chief, had been widely expected to play a key role in the mass deportation operation. A Washington Post article in 2016 said that Homan “deports people. And he’s really good at it.” Homan said Friday of his potential role in the administration, “Here’s what I’ll say. I have not asked for a position. I have certainly not asked for a cabinet position. President Trump knows that if he needs me to do a deportation operation, if he needs me to secure the border. I stand ready to help any way I can. And he’ll decide what he wants me to do or if he wants me to do it.” Instead, he emphasized the threat posed at the border and the determination in the upcoming administration to solve it. “The southern border is the biggest national security vulnerability I’ve seen in my lifetime. It should be a nonpartisan issue. People shouldn’t be making death threats against me, hating on me. Securing the border should be a nonpartisan issue,” he said. “And we’re going to do it …I don’t care what people’s opinions are, we’re going to get it done.”