This longtime Republican governor will not seek re-election in 2026
Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds will not seek re-election in 2026 after nearly 10 years serving in the state’s highest office, teeing up what may be a competitive Republican gubernatorial primary in 2026. In a video announcement released on Friday, Reynolds thanked Iowans for their support throughout her political career and said she will not campaign for another term as governor to focus on her family. “Today, I want to share a personal decision with you; one that was not made lightly, but comes with a full heart and a deep sense of gratitude. After a lot of thought, prayer, and conversations with my family, I have decided that I will not seek re-election in 2026,” she said. Reynolds began her political career in the Clarke County treasurer’s office, before winning election as a state senator and later as the state’s lieutenant governor. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON IOWA She has served as governor since 2017, when then-Gov. Terry Branstad was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as ambassador to China during President Donald Trump’s first term in office. Reynolds was elected to a full term as governor in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. “This wasn’t an easy decision, because I love this state and I love serving you,” Reynolds said in a video posted on social media. “But, when my term ends, I will have had the privilege of serving as your governor for almost 10 years.” Reynolds said the work isn’t over yet and is committed to “working hard for you every single day until my term ends,” referring to her time as governor as the “greatest honor of my life.” “This public service has been an incredible journey — one I wouldn’t trade for anything, but as Iowans know, family is everything,” she said. “Through the years, my parents and my husband Kevin, our daughters, and our grandchildren have stood by my side, supporting me through every challenge and every victory. Now, it’s time for me to be there for them.” IOWA GOVERNOR SIGNS BILL REMOVING TRANSGENDER PROTECTIONS FROM CIVIL RIGHTS CODE Seasoned Iowa-based Republican strategist Jimmy Centers, who served in the Reynolds administration, said “her governorship is historic” for more than being the first female elected Iowa governor. “It’s more than just her agenda; it’s about what she accomplished as governor. She was bold. She went out and sold her vision and she got it passed,” Centers told Fox News. Nicole Schlinger, a longtime Iowa and Washington D.C.-based conservative strategist who is well-connected with evangelical groups, said that Reynolds “has been a transformation governor.” But Schlinger told Fox News that “Kim Reynolds has put a lot of things in her life on hold for the state of Iowa and if you’re going to decide what you’re doing for re-election in 2026, now is the time you’re going to be making that decision.” The Republican Governors Association (RGA) praised Reynolds for “her bold vision and conservative leadership” and said she “delivered transformational results for Iowa.” Iowa, which was once a key general election battleground state, has turned red over the past decade, and RGA communications director Courtney Alexander said “we are confident that Iowa will continue to remain in Republican control.” But the rival Democratic Governors Association (DGA), pointing to Trump’s sweeping and controversial agenda during his first three months back in the White House, said that “even former RGA Chair Governor Kim Reynolds knows she can’t defend her party’s destruction of the economy and extreme, unpopular agenda for the next two years.” DGA communications director Sam Newton argued that “in addition to leaving behind a failed record of corruption, gutting public education, and banning abortion, Gov. Reynolds has thrown the wide-open GOP field for governor into complete chaos. We look forward to holding Iowa Republicans accountable as this competitive race ramps up.” Following Reynolds’ announcement, there was instant speculation that Iowa attorney general Brenna Bird, who was a top surrogate for now-President Donald Trump during the 2024 campaign and who spoke at last summer’s Republican National Convention, may make a bid to succeed the governor. Bird, in a statement posted to social media, praised Reynolds but added that she and her husband will “consider what this decision means for our future.” “I appreciate the calls of encouragement I’ve already received. I am committed to continuing my work on behalf of Iowans and to support President Trump,” she added. Among the Republicans who may also have an interest in potentially running in 2026 to succeed Reynolds in the governor’s office in Des Moines are longtime state agriculture secretary Mike Naig; state House Speaker Pat Grassley, the grandson of longtime Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; and all four members of Iowa’s all-GOP congressional delegation — Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01), Ashley Hinson (IA-02), Zach Nunn (IA-03) and Randy Feenstra (IA-04). Two other names that are mentioned are Matt Whitaker, who ran statewide twice in Iowa but who is known nationally for serving as U.S. attorney general for a couple of months during the first Trump administration and who is currently serving as U.S. representative to NATO; and state Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, son of longtime Iowa GOP chair Jeff Kaufmann. RED STATE MOVES TO DEFUND COUNTY AFTER LEADER VOWS TO ‘INTERFERE AND INTERRUPT’ ICE DEPORTATIONS Longtime Republican strategist David Kochel, who has worked in Iowa politics for decades, noted that the Republicans have a “deep bench.” When it comes to the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, speculation centers on Iowa state auditor Rob Sand, who is currently the only Democratic statewide officeholder in the Hawkeye State. Reynolds, pointing to Iowa’s shift to the right in recent election cycles, said the GOP “will remain in great hands” as the next generation of Iowa Republicans build on her legacy. Reynolds saw her national profile rise in recent years, through her previous tenure as RGA chair and by welcoming Republican presidential candidates to Iowa’s first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses, which remain the lead-off contest in the race for the White House on the GOP calendar. CLICK HERE TO
Federal judge hammers DOJ on whereabouts of alleged MS-13 gang member following SCOTUS order
A Maryland federal judge lambasted government attorneys Friday during a hearing over efforts to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national and Maryland resident, from a prison in El Salvador. Abrego Garcia, 29, was deported to El Salvador last month for being an alleged MS-13 gang member. His attorneys, however, have maintained that he does not have any ties to the violent gang. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis questioned DOJ attorney Drew Ensign as to Abrego Garcia’s whereabouts after the Supreme Court upheld Xinis’ order that federal officials must coordinate his return back to Maryland. Xinis asked Ensign where Abrego Garcia was, and under “whose authority,” to which Ensign responded, “I do not have that info.” MARYLAND IMMIGRANT WRONGLY DEPORTED TO EL SALVADOR MUST RETURN TO US, SUPREME COURT RULES “I do not have that knowledge, and therefore I cannot relay that info to the court,” Ensign said. “They have not provided that confirmation before this hearing.” The judge was unsatisfied with the government’s answer. “I’m not asking for state secrets. I’m asking where one man is,” Xinis responded. “The government was prohibited from sending him to El Salvador, and now I’m asking a very simple question: ‘Where is he?’” After Ensign again said he did not have the information on hand, Xinis said, “That is extremely troubling.” In a Thursday order, the Supreme Court noted that “The United States acknowledges that Abrego Garcia was subject to a withholding order forbidding his removal to El Salvador, and that the removal to El Salvador was therefore illegal.” DOJ ASKS TO DISMISS VIRGINIA CASE AGAINST SALVADORAN ACCUSED MS-13 LEADER SET TO BE DEPORTED The high court proceeded to say that Xinis’ order “properly requires the government to ‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador.” Ensign made clear during the Friday hearing that the government intended to comply with the Supreme Court’s order. When asked what had been done thus far to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return, Ensign said it was “unclear.” “That means they haven’t done anything,” Xinis responded. Xinis and Ensign engaged in a back-and-forth over their reading of the high court’s order. Ensign said the government had understood the order to require that it must “hear what the executive branch says in a brief.” “We read the Supreme Court’s order differently,” Ensign said. “It said deference to the executive branch.” Xinis, instead, said her reading was that the government take all the necessary steps to facilitate the return as soon as possible. “I hear you and disagree,” Xinis responded. ACCUSED MS-13 LEADER NABBED BY PATEL’S FBI TO REMAIN IN CUSTODY FOR NOW, JUDGE RULES Xinis proceeded to request daily updates as the case continued “from a person with direct knowledge,” saying she would be issuing an order that delineated the request. “My message, for what it’s worth is, if you can do it, do it tomorrow. I don’t understand why it can’t be done,” Xinis said. Ensign noted that he thought the orders were “impractical” but reemphasized that the government would be complying with the Supreme Court’s order. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked to weigh in on the matter during a Friday briefing in light of El Salvador’s president visiting the White House next week. “The Supreme Court made their ruling last night very clear that it’s the administration’s responsibility to facilitate the return, not to effectuate the return,” Leavitt said. “The District Judge made clear that she’s not going to let the government continue to play games while a man’s life is at stake,” Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, counsel for Abrego Garcia, told Fox News Digital. “They need to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia home, and until then, they need to provide meaningful status updates showing their progress in doing so.” Abrego Garcia was arrested in Baltimore on March 12 after working his shift as a sheet metal apprentice. The complaint states that he had also picked up his now-five-year-old son, who has autism and other disabilities, from his grandmother’s house before his arrest. Abrego Garcia had initially fled El Salvador to escape gang violence, according to court documents. Beginning in 2006, gang members “stalked, hit, and threatened to kidnap and kill him in order to coerce his parents to succumb to their increasing demands for extortion.” He eventually entered the United States illegally in 2011 and began living in Maryland with his brother, who is an American citizen. Fox News Digital’s Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.
Pennsylvania man charged with threatening Trump, ICE agents, other officials
A Pennsylvania man has been charged with making threats against President Donald Trump, other U.S. officials and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Shawn Monper, 32, lives in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the president was shot during a campaign rally last July. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I want to applaud the outstanding and courageous investigative work of the FBI and the Butler Township Police Department, who thankfully identified and apprehended this individual before he could carry out his threats against President Trump’s life and the lives of other innocent Americans,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Rest assured that whenever and wherever threats of assassination or mass violence occur, this Department of Justice will find, arrest, and prosecute the suspect to the fullest extent of the law and seek the maximum appropriate punishment.” This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
Biden’s team hid the truth about his health all along: WH press sec
The Biden administration engaged in a “cover-up” by failing to disclose details about the health of former President Joe Biden, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. “I can tell you there was certainly a lack of transparency from the former president, from the entire former administration,” Leavitt told reporters on Friday. “And frankly, a lot of people in this room, when it came to the health in the competence of the former President of the United States, Joe Biden — there was one of the greatest cover-ups and, frankly, political scandals this nation has ever seen. It’s been unraveled in some recent books that are being written by journalists who engaged in that cover-up in scandal, which is quite ironic.” A spokesperson for Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. BIDEN AIDES ‘SCRIPTED’ EVERYTHING, ALLOWED HIS FACULTIES TO ‘ATROPHY,’ NEW BOOK CLAIMS New books out have detailed Biden’s mental and physical well-being during his time in the White House. “Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History,” published Tuesday and authored by Chris Whipple, a former producer for CBS’ “60 Minutes,” claims that the White House kept Biden from socializing with those who previously worked alongside him — a tactic that backfired and contributed to his declining mental agility. EX-BIDEN AIDE SAYS FORMER PRESIDENT WAS ‘FATIGUED, BEFUDDLED, AND DISENGAGED’ PRIOR TO JUNE DEBATE: BOOK Leavitt’s remarks come as President Donald Trump is receiving an annual physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday. The White House says it will provide a readout of the appointment. “But this president is clearly committed to transparency,” Leavitt said. “You in this room see him and hear from him on a daily basis. You in this room know from covering him. It’s hard to keep up with him. He is a machine working around the clock every single day. And the physician, after today’s physical, will provide an update on the report in the effort of transparency.”
Red state lawmakers warned about allegedly accepting ‘DEI dollars’ from hospital association: Watchdog
FIRST ON FOX: A conservative nonprofit is warning Tennessee lawmakers about a hospital group it says is quietly pushing radical DEI policies — even as some of those lawmakers have taken the group’s donations. As institutions begin aligning their policies with President Donald Trump’s efforts to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, Consumer’s Research Group, a nonprofit conservative consumer agency, sent a letter to several Tennessee Republican lawmakers urging them to cut ties with the Tennessee Hospital Association (THA). “Tennessee representatives who accept DEI Dollars from woke institutions like the Tennessee Hospital Association are putting themselves directly at odds with President Trump,” executive director Will Hild told Fox News Digital. “The President was clear: organizations continuing to push discriminatory DEI policies should be investigated.” RED STATES GET IN LINE WITH TRUMP’S DEI BAN IN SCHOOLS AS COMPLIANCE DEADLINE NEARS The letter, sent to Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and House Speaker Cameron Sexton, both Republicans, comes after the group launched a campaign last month titled “What Is Vanderbilt University Medical Center Hiding?” after finding that the university had been not just deleting some of its references to DEI commitments and resources, but also hiding them behind password-protected web pages. The letter was also cc’d to state House Majority Leader William Lamberth, state Sens. Shane Reeves, Jack Johnson, Ed Jackson, Becky Massey, Ferrell Haile and state Reps. Gary Hicks, Sabi “Doc” Kumar and Ryan Williams. Public documents indicate the lawmakers received financial backing from the THA, which the association found still promotes DEI and “‘health equity’ through its Council on Inclusion and Health Equity.” “Our campaign asking what is Vanderbilt University Medical Center hiding exposed the health system’s frantic and futile attempts to cover its widespread DEI tracks – essentially waving a great big red flag asking to be investigated,” Hild added. TRUMP ADMIN WARNS STATES TO COMPLY WITH HOUSING PRISONERS BY THEIR BIOLOGICAL SEX OR FACE FUNDING CUTOFF From 2020 through 2024, the Tennessee Hospital Association’s political action committee (PAC) made $707,950 in contributions to candidates and PACs in the state, which includes both the House and Senate Republican caucuses. “This is why Consumers’ Research has significant concerns that your acceptance of THA’s DEI Dollars signals an organizational effort to prevent state investigations into hospitals, like VUMC, that have faced criticism for prioritizing equity over healthcare and providing irreversible gender transition procedures to minors,” the letter to lawmakers on Friday states. “This should be alarming to you and your constituents who rely on hospitals to provide exceptional care to patients, free of a political agenda.” DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DOLED OUT OVER $200M TO UNIVERSITIES TO INJECT DEI INTO COUNSELING COURSES: REPORT In a previous statement to Fox News Digital, VUMC spokesperson John Howser said that in light of Trump’s recent executive actions mandating an end to DEI programs, particularly in educational institutions, VUMC “is undertaking a thorough review” of its programs to figure out “where revisions may be required to remain in compliance, including updating information on websites and other public platforms.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trump signed the “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” order in January to eradicate all DEI programs within federal agencies and among federal contractors. It revoked previous directives that had promoted affirmative action and required contractors to implement DEI initiatives, arguing that these programs led to “preferential treatment.” Fox News Digital has reached out to VUMC, the Tennessee Hospital Association and Tennessee Republican lawmakers who received financial donations from them. Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
SCOOP: Biden-era grant program described as ‘gold bar’ scheme by Trump EPA administrator under scrutiny
FIRST ON FOX: Republicans in Congress are launching a probe into a Biden-era green energy grant program that sent billions in funding to climate groups tied to Democrats and former President Joe Biden’s allies. GOP leaders on the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent letters to the eight nonprofits awarded grants from the $20 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), seeking answers to ensure the Biden Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) followed proper ethics and conflict of interest protocols in distributing the funds. In February, the Trump administration’s EPA announced it would take steps to get the money back, citing concerns over a lack of oversight related to how the money was being disbursed. In the announcement, new EPA administrator Lee Zeldin cited comments from a former Biden EPA political appointee, who described disbursements made through GGRF as akin to “tossing gold bars off the Titanic,” because Biden officials were allegedly trying to get money out the door before Trump took over. EPA ADMINISTRATOR ROLLS BACK 31 BIDEN-ERA REGULATIONS It was also revealed that $2 billion from GGRF went to a Stacy Abrams-linked group, Power Forward Communities, which had not been established until after the Biden administration announced the GGRF application process. Meanwhile, during Power Forward’s first few months of operations – prior to receiving the funding – the group reported just $100 in revenue. Climate United, another group that received the most money from the GGRF, roughly $7 billion, currently staffs a former Biden climate advisor who worked during the last two years of the former president’s term. The same group is also run by a CEO with ties to the Obama administration and a board member who was among those invited to Biden’s signing ceremony for his multitrillion-dollar infrastructure bill in 2021. Several GGRF grant recipients have ties to Democrats and Biden advisors, and some were reportedly founded shortly before or after the Biden administration announced the program. Meanwhile, these groups, according to Zeldin, had sole discretion on how to use the funds. COMER PROBES NGOS THAT RECEIVED $20B IN BIDEN EPA GRANTS DESPITE ALMOST NO REVENUE: ‘SHADY DEAL’ House Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., alongside fellow committee members Reps. Gary Palmer of Alabama and Morgan Griffith of Virginia, both Republicans, said in a joint statement that their investigation into the GGRF recipients will be “key” to understanding whether these funds were allocated “fairly and impartially to qualified applicants,” while also helping to determine the manner in which the money has been used. “The Committee has had concerns about the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund program since its creation—including concerns about the program’s unusual structure, a potential lack of due diligence in selecting award recipients, and the recipients’ ability to manage the large influx of federal dollars they received from the EPA,” the lawmakers said in their statement. “A recent Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing that examined these concerns coupled with the speed with which money was pushed out the door by the Biden Administration’s EPA heightened the Committee’s concerns and raised additional questions about certain Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund recipients.” LEE ZELDIN STANDS FIRM ON EFFORTS TO CLAW BACK BIDEN-ERA EPA FUNDING: ‘I’M NOT GOING TO APOLOGIZE’ Several of the groups that were recipients of GGRF money sued the Trump administration in March over its attempts to rake back the funds. Subsequently, Obama-appointed Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a temporary restraining order preventing the EPA from freezing $14 billion in GGRF funds awarded to three of the climate groups.
Democrat Massachusetts lawmaker arrested for fraud, used stolen funds to purchase ‘psychic services’: feds
A Democratic lawmaker in Massachusetts was arrested and charged after he allegedly stole tens of thousands of dollars from a local trade association to fund both personal and political expenses. Massachusetts state Rep. Christopher Flanagan, 37, was indicted on five counts of wire fraud and one count of falsification of records on Friday, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Flanagan served as the executive officer of the Home Builders Association in Cape Cod and received a salary and benefits ranging from $65,800 to $81,600 from 2019 to 2024, when he was working there. Flanagan also received $97,546 and $100,945 in 2023 and 2024, from his position as a legislator. Beginning around October 2021, Flanagan was facing financial trouble and stole $36,000 in Home Builders Association funds through bank wire transfers, according to the DOJ. CONNECTICUT HOUSE OF HORRORS STEPMOM DENIES CHILD ABUSE ACCUSATIONS THAT CAME AS ‘EXTREME SHOCK’: ATTORNEY From Nov. 18, 2021 and Jan. 28, 2023, Flanagan wired anywhere from $1,500 and $10,000 on several separate occasions. The Justice Department said Flanagan used the funds to pay mortgage bills, pay down debt, and even used it to pay for personal psychic services. In an expense report, the DOJ said Flanagan claimed to have spent $159.36 on “technology services” at Best Buy and $537.26 on “Office Supplies” at 4Imprint, but records showed the money was used to buy a Bluetooth speaker and T-shirts for his political campaign. JUDGE DISMISSES CHARGES IN ALLEGED CAMPUS VIGILANTE ‘CATCH A PREDATOR’ STING TARGETING ARMY SOLDIER Another expense report shows $3,784.84 was spent on office supplies. The DOJ, however, said that $2,118.10 was used for personal expenses at Best Buy, Macy’s and Target. Federal authorities also alleged that Flanagan obstructed an investigation by the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance when he attributed the source of a campaign mailer to “Jeanne Louise,” a false persona that he allegedly created. Flanagan faces up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud charge and up to 20 years for the falsification of records charge. READ THE INDICTMENT – APP USERS, CLICK HERE: Fox News Digital reached out to Flanagan and his attorney for comment.
Trump prosecutor to investigate blue state governor, AG over reported order to ignore ICE warrants
President Donald Trump’s longtime legal counsel and appointee as U.S. attorney for New Jersey announced Thursday she will launch a probe into Gov. Phil Murphy and Attorney General Matt Platkin over reports that state police were asked to ignore new immigration warrants. Alina Habba said on “Hannity” she decided to launch the probe following a Shore News Network report that an internal memo from New Jersey State Police (NJSP) Col. Patrick Callahan revealed Murphy and Platkin ordered that officers not pursue thousands of immigration warrants recently added to the National Crime Information Center. The move was reportedly meant to be in line with former Attorney General Gurbir Grewal’s 2018 “Immigration Trust Directive,” which limited the types of voluntary assistance state and local police could offer the feds. “We know that the governor has on his website, currently, dos and don’ts for his local state of law enforcement. Those dos and don’ts instruct them not to cooperate with illegal immigrants who have administrative warrants that have been issued by the court after due process,” Habba said. NJ GOV SAYS HE’LL ‘FIGHT TO THE DEATH’ AGAINST TRUMP ACTIONS HE DEEMS ‘CONTRARY TO VALUES’ “It is instructing them to go against our federal rules, our executive orders.” She said her new probe into Murphy and Platkin should be a warning to all other state leaders that if they hinder the FBI, DEA or other federal law enforcement agencies, they will be held accountable. “[W]e are to take all criminal, violent criminals and criminals out of this country and to completely enforce federal law. And anybody who does get in the way of what we are doing – which is not political, it is simply against crime – will be charged in the state of New Jersey for obstruction, for concealment, and I will come after them hard.” Habba, whose office is based in Newark, said she met with state law enforcement on Thursday and noted they do not have the same authority as federal officers, but they can still legally notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hand off or alert them to immigration-related investigations. DEMOCRATS RAIL AGAINST ‘EGREGIOUS’ ICE RAID IN NEW JERSEY AFTER MILITARY VETERAN QUESTIONED “If anybody wants to use politics or their position to go and violate any federal law or any executive order in this state, and that includes sanctuary cities, and I’m looking at you in Paterson – I will be investigating you, and if you did commit a crime, if you ordered obstruction, if you are ordering concealment and harboring, you will be charged.” Fox News Digital reached out to Murphy, Platkin and Paterson, New Jersey, Democratic Mayor Andre Sayegh for comment. Sayegh recently made waves politically last month, when he declared Paterson the American “capital of Palestine.” The city has a large Muslim and Arabic population. Murphy recently suggested he was housing a migrant at his Monmouth County home and went on to dare Trump to do something about it. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In February, he said he and New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy were talking about “someone in our broader universe whose immigration status is not yet at the point that they are trying to get it to.” “And we said, you know what? Let’s have her live at our house above our garage,” Murphy said. “Good luck to the feds coming in to try to get her.” Fox News Digital reached out to NJSP for more information on the memo and its actions in regard to Murphy’s order. Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman and Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.
Pentagon fires Greenland US base commander who ‘undermined’ JD Vance after Pituffik visit
The Pentagon fired the commander at the U.S. Space Force base in Greenland after she distanced herself from Vice President J.D. Vance, who recently visited the headquarters. After the vice president’s visit, Col. Susannah Meyers emailed base personnel on March 31, writing, “I do not presume to understand current politics, but what I do know is the concerns of the U.S. administration discussed by Vice President Vance on Friday are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base.” She added that she had “spent the weekend thinking about Friday’s visit – the actions taken, the words spoken, and how it must have affected each of you.” The email was first reported by Military.com. The Space Force said in a public statement Meyers had been relieved of command “due to loss of confidence in her ability to lead.” US ACCUSES DENMARK OF TREATING GREENLANDERS AS ‘SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS’ DURING VANCE VISIT TO ARCTIC BASE “Commanders are expected to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, especially as it relates to remaining nonpartisan in the performance of their duties,” the statement read. Col. Shawn Lee has now assumed the command, Space Force said. “Actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump’s agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defense,” Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell posted on X. Meyers became commander of the 821st Space Base Group in July, according to a Facebook post about the change-of-command ceremony. Republican Sens. Tommy Tuberville, Ala., Eric Schmitt, Mo., and Jim Banks, Ind., all praised the firing of the commander on X. “Colonel Meyers tried to politicize the Space Force and was held accountable. Lloyd Austin isn’t SecDef anymore,” Banks wrote. ‘MIND-BOGGLING’: SPACE FORCE CHIEF FIRES OFF DIRE WARNING ABOUT CHINESE CAPABILITY TO KNOCK OUT US SATELLITES Vance, during his visit to the snow-covered island, criticized Denmark for treating Greenlanders as “second-class citizens.” “Our message to Denmark is very simple,” Vance said. “You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland. You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security of this incredible, beautiful landmass.” The vice president further accused Denmark of not keeping Greenland safe from China and Russia. Vance was the highest-ranking official to ever travel to the base in Pituffik, the White House said. The Trump administration has made acquiring Greenland a top goal. “We need Greenland for national security and international security,” Trump said on March 11. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “So, we’ll, I think, we’ll go as far as we have to go,” the president continued, speaking from the Oval Office. “We need Greenland. And the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark. Denmark has to have us have Greenland. And, you know, we’ll see what happens. But if we don’t have Greenland, we can’t have great international security.” “I view it from a security standpoint, we have to be there,” Trump added.
Trump to get annual physical, saying he’s ‘never felt better’
President Donald Trump is heading to get his annual physical Friday after declaring earlier this week that he’s “never felt better.” The 78-year-old announced the medical appointment on his Truth Social account, writing, “I am pleased to report that my long-scheduled Annual Physical Examination will be done at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Friday of this week. “I have never felt better, but nevertheless, these things must be done!” Trump added. The physical, which will take place early Friday afternoon in Bethesda, Maryland, comes less than a year after Trump survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania while on the campaign trail. TRUMP DEMANDS DO-OR-DIE NUCLEAR TALKS WITH IRAN – WHO HAS THE LEVERAGE? At the time, Trump released a letter from his former physician Ronny Jackson, who wrote that “it is an absolute miracle he wasn’t killed.” “The bullet passed, coming less than a quarter of an inch from entering his head, and struck the top of his right ear,” Jackson added. Months later, in November, Florida neurosurgeon Dr. Brett Osborn told Fox News Digital that Trump remained in good health. TRUMP THREATENS TARIFFS AND SANCTIONS ON MEXICO FOR ‘STEALING’ WATER FROM TEXAS FARMERS “The fact that he attended 120 events in seven months, often multiple rallies in a single day in different states, is proof-positive that Trump has a tremendous amount of stamina, mentally and physically,” Osborn noted. But Democrats have disputed Trump’s health in the past, and members of the medical community have demanded Trump release his medical records. In an open letter from Oct. 13, over 230 doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals asked for a record release. The physical on Friday will be the first one of Trump’s second term in office. In 2020, during his first administration, Trump was treated for COVID-19 at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Fox News’ Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.