Trump and his tariffs find unlikely ally in auto union boss, who blasted Dems and ‘corporate greed’
President Donald Trump’s major tariffs on foreign-made automobiles and parts found a surprising ally in a longtime political foe, United Autoworkers (UAW) President Shawn Fain. While he slammed Trump’s order to end collective bargaining for federal workers during a CBS interview Sunday, he heaped praise on the president at an appearance at a Detroit university. “Yes, I disagree with Donald Trump on virtually everything, but [tariffs are] one thing I don’t disagree on,” Fain said at Wayne State University, according to the Detroit Free Press. “We’ve begged Democrats, politicians for years, to do something to get these companies in line.” BIDEN’S UAW STRIKE VISIT LAMBASTED AS ‘SELF-DEFEATING’ AMID EV ‘FANTASY’ Fain – who famously wore a shirt to a former Vice President Kamala Harris rally that read, “Trump is a scab; vote Harris,” and who Trump said should be fired during his convention speech – called the president the first in his lifetime to eliminate problematic trade deals like NAFTA. “I’m not going to sit here now and say that since he’s a Republican or because he’s Donald Trump, I’m going to say, ‘screw you.’ That’s not how we do things. It’s having integrity,” he said, according to the paper. Fox News Digital reached out to Fain via the UAW for further comment. Trump instituted 25% tariffs on outsourced cars and auto parts last week, which is primed to hit domestic brands like Chevrolet – which now produces vehicles in Mexico like the popular Equinox, and shuttered its major Lordstown, Ohio, assembly plant in 2020. Other manufacturers like Mack Trucks still make their vehicles in the U.S., with the Bulldog-branded manufacturing rigs at their longtime main plant in Macungie, Pennsylvania, and their powertrain facility in Hagerstown, Maryland. AUTOWORKERS FOR TRUMP LEADER SAYS THOUSANDS OF VOTERS POISED TO BREAK FROM DEMS While Fain reportedly said automakers cannot essentially wave a wand and reboot domestic production, he also said there is no reason U.S. automakers need to raise prices to withstand the financial hit. He called out “corporate greed” in that regard while adding Dodge had produced its Ram trucks in Warren, Michigan, for decades and does not need to suddenly move Ram “overflow” south of the border either. “In fairness to the companies, they can’t just close a factory and open a brand new factory overnight… But there are a lot of opportunities right now.” Fain alleged automakers used the COVID-19 price spike to “price-gouge” up to 40% “for no reason.” “They’ve made massive profits for a decade, and all they see here is an opportunity… it’s a choice.” “They could shift that work back to Warren tomorrow and produce trucks there. Those are the things that can happen immediately.” A White House spokesman said the administration welcomes Fain on board when it comes to tariffs. “We’re glad that UAW leadership has finally recognized what’s long been clear to UAW members: President Trump backs America’s blue-collar workers, and America’s blue-collar workers back President Trump,” said spokesman Kush Desai. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP When asked about potential price hikes and cases of U.S. automakers making vehicles abroad that could be hurt by said tariffs, Desai said “iconic automakers like Stellantis and Hyundai have already responded to President Trump’s America First economic agenda of tariffs, deregulation, tax cuts, and the unleashing of American energy with tens of billions in historic Made-In-America investment commitments.” Desai added that Trump’s push for Americans to be able to deduct taxes on U.S.-made cars will drive the onshoring of manufacturing and job growth without systemic inflation. “Just as President Trump’s policies did during his first term,” he said.
Republican AGs urge Trump to crack down on obscure ‘loophole’ cartels use to flood US with fentanyl
FIRST ON FOX — Kentucky Republican Attorney General Russell Coleman is hopeful that the Trump administration will address an issue he says is a little-known “loophole” allowing shipments of fentanyl to enter the U.S. “On its face, this looks hyper technical and bureaucratic, but what it is is closing a loophole,” Coleman told Fox News Digital in an interview on Monday. “And it’s closing a loophole where we receive a massive number of shipments from overseas, particularly China, that receive under this Type 86 with little or no inspection. And that should astound people, that there’s little or no inspection in this threat environment.” Coleman is referring to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) pilot program called Entry Type 86, which was introduced to streamline the importation process for low-value shipments, particularly those associated with e-commerce. However, Coleman, along with 24 other Republican attorneys general, says the program’s “use far exceeds its original scope” and “raises serious concerns about the flood of deadly drugs coming into our country.” FEDS LIKELY EYEING ‘COVER-UPS’ TO BUST MEXICAN CARTELS ALONG BORDER: FORMER DEA AGENT “We’re looking at over a billion packages shipped through this loophole last year,” Coleman said. “That’s in an environment where, I would argue, we’re facing a threat that has never existed before, and that is this, no margin of error environment in which we’re trying to raise families and protect families, and that is an environment where as little as one pill can and is killing people can and is killing folks Kentuckians.” Coleman said they urged the Biden administration to look into the program, and now, they are hoping the Trump administration will respond to a letter they sent Monday. Most of the shipments are arriving from Mexico and China, he said. “Entry Type 86 now accounts for 75% of all de minimis goods entering the United States, with shipments increasing from 153 million in 2015 to more than 1.2 billion in 2024,” the AGs wrote to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “Any surge of this magnitude requires further study, especially when it comes to potential challenges within our customs enforcement system. It raises serious concerns about the flood of deadly drugs coming.” PROPOSED BILL IN CONGRESS TO COMBAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SQUATTING WOULD MAKE PRACTICE A DEPORTABLE OFFENSE Law enforcement and those in the shipping industry are well aware that this loophole exists, Coleman said, and it is unlikely to surprise those in Washington receiving this information, and there are ongoing dialogues about the potential dangers of parcel shipments with law enforcement agencies. “This is what drug trafficking looks like in the 21st century,” Coleman said. “It looks very different than ‘Breaking Bad.’ It looks very different than what we saw a decade ago. It’s not surreptitious.” “I’m optimistic that the administration will be responsive,” he added. MEXICAN IMMIGRATION ACTIVIST WHO HID IN COLORADO CHURCH FOR YEARS TO AVOID DEPORTATION ARRESTED BY ICE President Donald Trump has taken several steps to crack down on drug cartels since assuming office in January. Trump signed an executive order designating major Mexican drug cartels, including the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) cartels, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, allowing for actions such as freezing assets of individuals or groups supporting these cartels and enhances criminal penalties. Additionally, following significant arrests of cartel leaders, the administration authorized intelligence agencies, including the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office, to use satellite surveillance to monitor the U.S.-Mexico border. In addition to Kentucky’s Coleman, attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming joined in on the letter. Fox News Digital has reached out to CBP, the White House and the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
New poll shows where Trump stands 10 weeks into his second tour of duty in the White House
President Donald Trump took to social media on Monday, to showcase the speed at which he’s acted during the first two and a half months of his second administration. “107 executive orders signed in 67 days, more than any in American history,” the president wrote in a social media post. Trump has been expanding the powers of the presidency, as he has upended long-standing government policy and made major cuts to the federal workforce through an avalanche of executive orders and actions. While Trump repeatedly touts his performance steering the nation, the latest public opinion polling suggests Americans may not be so pleased with the job he’s doing as president. WHERE TRUMP STANDS IN THE LATEST FOX NEWS NATIONAL POLL Trump stands at 42% approval and 56% disapproval in an AP/NORC released on Monday that questioned adults nationwide March 20-24. That’s slightly lower than a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted March 21-23, which indicated the president at 45%-51% approval/disapproval. Trump’s numbers were slightly higher in the most recent Fox News national poll, which was in the field March 14-17. Americans appeared divided on the job the president was doing, with 49% approval and 51% disapproval. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING, ANALYSIS, AND OPINION ON PRESIDENT TRUMP An average of all the most recent national polls that asked the presidential approval question indicates that Trump’s approval ratings are slightly in negative territory. Trump has seen his numbers edge down slightly since the start of his second term, when an average of his polls indicated the president’s approval rating in the low 50s and his disapproval in the mid-40s. Contributing to the slide, the economy and jitters that Trump’s tariffs on America’s top trading partners will spark further inflation, which was a pressing issue that kept former President Joe Biden’s approval ratings well below water for most of his presidency. Only 40% of those questioned in the AP/NORC poll gave the president a thumbs up on the job he’s doing steering the economy, with 58% saying they disapprove. And Trump stood at 38% approval and 60% disapproval on how he’s handling trade negotiations with other countries. A slew of Trump’s proposed tariffs are expected to go into effect on Tuesday. Inflation was arguably the top issue that boosted Trump to victory in last November’s presidential election, and it remains critical to his political fortunes. “If prices remain high, he’s going to have trouble,” warned Daron Shaw, a politics professor and chair at the University of Texas who serves as a member of the Fox News Decision Team and is the Republican partner on the Fox News poll. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST INFLATION NEWS FROM FOX BUSINESS But the AP/NORC does have some good news for the president. It’s the latest survey to indicate an increase in the percentage of Americans who are optimistic about the direction of the country. Thirty-eight percent of those questioned said the country’s headed in the right direction, up from 28% in January at the end of Biden’s term in the White House. The jump is mostly fueled by a 34% surge in Republicans saying the country’s headed on the right track. According to the poll, Trump’s favorable rating is underwater at 42%-54% favorable/unfavorable. As with his approval rating, there’s a massive but expected partisan divide. But Trump’s favorable ratings are superior to Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and Tesla and Space X chief executive, and White House advisor whose controversial moves downsizing the federal government as he steers the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have grabbed tons of attention. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP According to the poll, Musk’s favorable rating stands at 36%, with 55% seeing him in an unfavorable light.
$3B LA lawsuit could ‘destroy’ gulf energy industry, critics warn, as state’s position questioned
U.S. energy interests warn that if the first of several expected lawsuits over decades of land loss — an issue widely acknowledged as a crisis — succeeds, it could threaten the future of American energy exploration. Plaquemines Parish, a coastal jurisdiction south of New Orleans — which would be called a “county” in most other states — is seeking billions in damages from Chevron due to allegations surrounding the behavior of its now-subsidiary Texaco. “Decades after Texaco ceased operations and was acquired by Chevron, the Parish and state have teamed up with private plaintiffs’ counsel to file dozens of lawsuits under a 1980 law that was never meant to apply to oil and gas activities,” said Chevron spokesman Bill Turenne. “The federal Fifth Circuit has already held that plaintiffs’ theories are without merit. The Parish and the State should cease their state court efforts to destroy the oil and gas sector in Louisiana.” GOV LANDRY: TRUMP AND MUSK ARE DOING WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE Plaquemines v. Rozel alleges Texaco released toxic pollution into bayou wetlands around the 1980s and violated permitting laws; but if Chevron/Texaco were to lose, observers said it could spell a very bad precedent as dozens of other cases against a potpourri of energy producers are primed to hit Louisiana courtrooms soon. One such case in Cameron Parish — home to Lake Charles — resulted in a “landmark settlement,” according to local press, involving BP, Shell and others. Most of the lawsuits have been filed by, or are associated with, attorney John Carmouche, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Carmouche, seen as an ally of Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, has critics asking why the governor — in the form of the state of Louisiana — appears to be countering the economic interests the oil companies represent. Climate change activists and skeptics alike in the Gulf Coast have highlighted the issue of land loss in Louisiana — as the state-centric Pelican Institute CEO Daniel Erspamer said nearly 2,000 square miles of land has been lost to coastal erosion since 1900. “It’s not just climate alarmism,” he said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “It’s a Bonafide policy problem in Louisiana — People down [in Plaquemines] have a level of urgency on the issue that maybe Washington Republicans may not understand.” LA GOV SIGNS RESTRICTIVE TRANSGENDER BATHROOM BILL Erspamer pointed to Landry appointing Carmouche to the board of Louisiana State University as evidence of their close relationship. A message left with a representative in Carmouche’s office was not replied to by press time, nor were calls placed with Landry. Attorney Jimmy Faircloth, representing state agencies in the suit, told the Times-Picayune that the Landry administration supports the energy industry and its positive impact on jobs. Faircloth reportedly said the case is more about Texaco’s alleged “sins of the past” and failure to enforce regulations in past decades. As energy development technology advances, its ability to operate more cleanly improves, as evidenced by allegations in Pennsylvania that natural gas firms purportedly sloppy fracking led to flammable tap water. Critics there have said the fiery effects are from mid-20th century operations, not contemporary ones. In Louisiana, a similar sentiment reigns among critics of the lawsuit. Erspamer cited a slew of natural and non-energy-development human events that have contributed to the land-loss crisis. Hurricane Katrina, the levee-ing of the Mississippi River and other phenomena have changed the mighty waterway’s course and caused a lot of the erosion being blamed on the energy firms. For its part, Texaco began operations in Louisiana in the 1930s, and by World War II, many U.S. firms, including in the oil sector, were harnessed by the government to contribute mainly or entirely to aiding the Allied efforts. Carmouche claimed in court earlier this month that the damage from Texaco’s alleged actions is comparable to the 2010 Gulf oil spill, claiming that Texaco did not properly follow the permitting process 40-plus years ago, according to the Times-Picayune. Erspamer said Landry, like bipartisan governors before him, rightly deemed land loss a “big issue,” but said the Republican “needs to be seen as being kind of a crusader.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP He said that then-Attorney General Landry had entered into a joint-prosecution agreement with Carmouche, “allowing him to handle these land loss cases on behalf of the state.” On the topic of Landry’s stated support for energy development in the state and as part of President Donald Trump’s vision of a revitalized domestic energy sector, Erspamer said if the governor were asked directly, “he would tell you this isn’t about the LNG renaissance that he’s a part of as governor, this is about the sins of the past.” Erspamer also agreed with critics warning of long-term consequences for oil and gas development in the Gulf of America if any of the suits — including Plaquemines’ — are successful. “I think right now Chevron, for example, was saying: Listen, if Louisiana is going to stick us up for a cool $3 billion and more … how can we do business in that state?” Fox News Digital also reached out to Louisiana’s two U.S. senators, John N. Kennedy and Bill Cassidy, for their takes on the suit and its potential effects on the Pelican State.
El Salvador accepts more alleged Tren de Aragua gang members from Trump admin
The U.S. military transferred a group of 17 alleged members of Tren de Aragua and MS-13 to El Salvador from Guantanamo Bay on Sunday night, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. Rubio said in a statement posted on X that the alleged gang members included murderers and rapists. “In order to keep the American people safe, @POTUS designated the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” Rubio said. “These criminals will no longer terrorize our communities and citizens.” Those transferred to El Salvador included Keivis Jesus Arrecheder Vasquez, a Venezuelan national and an alleged leader of Tren de Aragua. He has two criminal charges pending related to the intent to sell drugs. EL SALVADOR TAKES IN HUNDREDS OF VENEZUELAN GANG MEMBERS FROM US, EVEN AS JUDGE MOVES TO BLOCK DEPORTATIONS Six other alleged Tren de Aragua members were also transferred. All the individuals transferred were either citizens of Venezuela or El Salvador. Some have criminal charges pending, while most have been convicted. Senior White House officials told Fox News that these removals were done via Title 8, not the Alien Enemies Act, and they all had deportation orders or final orders of removal, meaning the Trump administration did not violate a federal judge’s order halting the deportations. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW EL SALVADOR DEPORTATION FLIGHT CASE U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg extended a restraining order on Friday against the use of the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 wartime immigration law, by the Trump administration to deport violent gang members with alleged ties to gangs. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News in a statement that the Trump administration will continue going after illegal alien criminals. “Every day, America becomes safer, thanks to the leadership of President Trump,” Leavitt said. “If you’re an illegal terrorist or criminal – the Trump administration is coming for you.”
Hegseth says he’s signing memo on combat arms standards for men and women
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo ordering the military to adopt the same standards for both men and women serving in combat roles on Sunday. Hegseth highlighted the memo in a video filmed as he returned from a trip to Japan on Sunday, saying that the U.S. military’s standards had flagged under the previous administration. “For far too long, we allowed standards to slip, and different standards for men and women in combat arms MOS’s and jobs. That’s not acceptable,” Hegseth said. “We need to have the same standards – male or female – in our combat roles to ensure our men and women who are under our leaders and in those formations have the best possible leaders and the highest possible standards that are not based at all on your sex,” he continued. HEGSETH SAYS US TO BOOST TIES WITH PHILIPPINES AS DETERRENCE AGAINST CHINA: ‘PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH’ The new memo comes after Hegseth ordered a review of military fitness and grooming standards earlier this month. Hegseth has vowed to bring back tougher standards while reversing “woke” policies that don’t align with restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding the military and reestablishing deterrence. “Our standards will be high, uncompromising, and clear,” he said in a Jan. 25 memo to service members. “The strength of our military is our unity and our shared purpose.” REPORTERS SAY THEY FOUND WALTZ, GABBARD, HEGSETH PRIVATE INFO ONLINE While in Japan, Hegseth announced a plan to upgrade the U.S. military command in the country, which he described as indispensable in combating Chinese aggression. HEGSETH SAYS US TO BOOST TIES WITH PHILIPPINES AS DETERRENCE AGAINST CHINA: ‘PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH’ “We share a warrior ethos that defines our forces,” Hegseth told Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani in Tokyo, adding that Japan is “our indispensable partner” in “deterring communist Chinese military aggression,” including across the Taiwan Strait. Hegseth said Japan is a “cornerstone of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific” and that the Trump administration would continue to work closely with the Asian country. Last year, then-President Joe Biden’s administration announced a major restructuring of the U.S. military command in Japan to deepen coordination with the country’s forces, as the two allied countries called China their “greatest strategic challenge.” The change will place a combined operational commander in Japan, who would be a counterpart to the head of a joint operations command established last week by Japan’s Self-Defense Forces. Fox News’ Louis Casiano and Landon Mion contributed to this report.
Iran-born Yale scholar fired over allegations of working with terrorist-tied ‘sham charity’
A Yale University Law School associate research scholar was terminated after failing to disclose information about her alleged ties to Samidoun Network, a Canada-based group designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. Iranian-born Helyeh Doutaghi was fired Friday, three weeks after being put on administrative leave after allegations were made that she was part of the Samidoun Network, classified as “a sham charity” by the federal government for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a U.S-designated terrorist organization. “Over the last three weeks, Yale has repeatedly requested to meet with Ms. Doutaghi and her attorney to obtain clarifying information and resolve this matter,” Yale spokesperson Alden Ferro said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “Unfortunately, she has refused to meet to provide any responses to critical questions, including whether she has ever engaged in prohibited activity with organizations or individuals that were placed on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list (‘SDN List’).” COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY YIELDS TO TRUMP ADMIN DEMANDS OVER REVOKED $400M IN FEDERAL FUNDING As such, the university terminated Doutaghi, effective immediately, over her “refusal to cooperate” with their investigation. The university, which saw its fair share of anti-Israel protests last year and a large-scale graduation walkout, noted her short-term employment was already set to expire in April. Doutaghi was appointed deputy director of the Law and Political Economy (LPE) Project at the unversity in October 2023. According to her bio on the Palestine Center for Public Policy website, her “research explores the intersections of the Third World Approaches to International Law (TWAIL), encompassing Marxian and postcolonial critiques of law, sanctions, and international political economy.” She is also an incoming post-doctoral fellow at the University of Tehran, according to the website, where her focus will be “completing her manuscript on Iranian sanctions regime and neoliberalism.” HAWLEY BLASTS ‘INSANE’ LIBERAL ATTORNEY DURING SENATE HEARING ON CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM The allegations about Doutaghi were first made by Jewish Onliner, a Substack “Empowered by A.I. capabilities,” according to its X account. “Rather than defend me, the Yale Law School moved within less than 24 hours of learning about the report to place me on leave,” Doutaghi wrote in a statement on X earlier this month. “I was given only a few hours’ notice by the administration to attend an interrogation based on far-right AI-generated allegations against me, while enduring a flood of online harassment, death threats, and abuse by Zionist trolls, exacerbating ongoing unprecedented distress and complications both at work and at home.” Doutaghi said she was “afforded no due process and no reasonable time to consult” with her attorney. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT RESIGNS AFTER MONTHS OF MOUNTING PRESSURE OVER ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS The termination of Doutaghi comes as the Trump administration has been clamping down on allegations of antisemitism across Ivy League schools. Several students holding visas or green cards have since filed lawsuits against the Trump administration, alleging First Amendment violations. “Immediate action will be taken by the Department of Justice to protect law and order, quell pro-Hamas vandalism and intimidation, and investigate and punish anti-Jewish racism in leftist, anti-American colleges and universities,” a White House fact sheet on the executive order said. Trump also vowed to deport Hamas sympathizers and revoke student visas. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Columbia University student and anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil was among the first students to face allegations from the Trump administration over his green card application, in which he was accused of omitting details about his employment history. The administration subsequently pulled $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University, citing its handling of anti-Israel protests on campus last year. The Ivy League school announced on Friday it would implement significant policy changes to comply with the administration’s demands.
House Republicans brush off Stefanik’s Trump admin upheaval amid high-stakes Florida race
House Republicans are brushing off reports of anxiety over three historically red congressional seats, as the special election for two of them looms just a day away. “Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine are exactly who House Republicans need to join our team,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital last week, referring to candidates running in Florida’s special election Tuesday. Patronis is running for Florida’s 1st Congressional District, which was vacated by former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Fine is running for Florida 6th District, previously held by former Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., who now serves as U.S. national security advisor. Republicans have conceded they have been far outraised in those districts, and despite their likely victory, Democrats’ over-performance has reportedly raised concerns about the GOP’s fate in other areas of the country. ELISE STEFANIK DETAILS ‘TEAM PLAYER’ DECISION TO REMAIN IN CONGRESS AFTER TRUMP REQUEST TO PULL UN NOMINATION It comes after suggestions that GOP discord in a Republican-favored district in upstate New York made some people nervous about Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., ascending to President Donald Trump‘s nomination as ambassador to the United Nations. Stefanik withdrew her nomination on Friday in a decision that blindsided even lower levels of House GOP leadership, sources told Fox News Digital. Democrats immediately seized on the news as evidence that Republicans were worried about losing her seat in New York’s 21st District – something Republicans flatly denied, while blaming the state’s progressive governor for signaling she would slow-walk the special election to replace Stefanik. “It was a combination of the New York corruption that we’re seeing under Kathy Hochul, special elections and the House margin,” Stefanik said on “Hannity” Friday. “I’ve been in the House. It’s tough to count these votes every day. And we are going to continue to defy the political prognosticators and deliver, deliver victory on behalf of President Trump and, importantly, the voters across this country.” TRUMP ASKS STEFANIK TO WITHDRAW FROM UN AMBASSADOR CONTENTION OVER RAZOR-THIN HOUSE MAJORITY Meanwhile, National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole told Fox News Digital, “We’d win this seat in a special election, and we’ll win it in a general election.” Trump won the district by 20% in 2024, and Stefanik won every county during that same election cycle. He told reporters at the White House last week, “We cannot take a chance. We have a slim margin,” and said he did not know who would be running to replace her. But the president has also been busy at work in Florida, where he held tele-town halls for both Patronis and Fine over the weekend. While the Democrats are the underdogs in both races, they’re winning the fundraising battle. Democrat Gay Valimont hauled in over $6 million from Jan. 9 through March 12, compared to just $1.1 million for Patronis in Florida’s 1st District. Orlando teacher Josh Weil grabbed plenty of national attention in recent weeks by raising $9.3 million compared to roughly $600,000 for Republican state lawmaker Fine in the Sunshine State’s 6th District. The cash discrepancy in the 6th District race spurred GOP-aligned outside groups to make last-minute contributions in support of Fine in the closing days of the campaign, with conservative super PACs launching ads spotlighting Trump’s support of Fine. They have no predictions of success, however, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., telling reporters earlier this month, “These districts are so Republican, there would ordinarily be no reason to believe that the races will be close, but what I can say, almost guaranteed, is that the Democratic candidate in both of these Florida special elections will significantly overperform.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP But it has not alarmed the GOP’s core fundraising machines. Sources familiar told Fox News Digital that neither the NRCC nor the Congressional Leadership Fund – the top super PAC supporting House Republicans – are putting any resources into either race. “I would have preferred if our candidate had raised money at a faster rate and gotten on TV quicker,” NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson, R-N.C., told reporters earlier this month. But Hudson added that Fine is “doing what he needs to do. He’s on TV now,” and emphasized, “we’re going to win the seat. I’m not concerned at all.”
Conservative backlash erupts after Trump’s Graham endorsement: ‘I am not with Trump at all with this one’
President Donald Trump earned a wave of backlash from the political right after endorsing Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. for re-election last week. A torrent of replies flooded Trump’s Truth Social post as people disagreed with the president’s move, including retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who very briefly served as national security advisor during Trump’s first term. “Not someone I can get behind. I’ll go to the gates with you but I won’t take one step forward with him,” Flynn wrote. Trump declared in the Truth Social post that Graham has his “Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election” and that the senator “WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN.” Negative sentiment about the senator and Trump’s endorsement also appeared on X. TRUMP ENDORSES SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM FOR RE-ELECTION: ‘HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN’ “Sorry… I am not with Trump at all with this one. Not one bit,” conservative commentator and crack Trump impressionist Shawn Farash tweeted. “Just say NO to Lindsey Graham,” conservative commentator Chad Prather wrote. Townhall columnist Scott Morefield opined, “Trump endorsing Lindsey Graham, in a state where an eggplant with an R beside their name would win, with the promise that he ‘will not let us down’ no less, while at the same time castigating real, non-RINO conservatives like Chip Roy, Bob Good & Thomas Massie, just shows that, while we should appreciate how he’s running the country, his ‘endorsements’ should be taken with a heavy grain of salt.” Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., hauled in hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign donations this month after Trump trashed him on Truth Social for opposing a government-funding measure to avert a partial government shutdown. “HE SHOULD BE PRIMARIED, and I will lead the charge against him,” Trump vowed. “He reminds me of Liz Chaney [sic] before her historic, record breaking fall (loss!)” In a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday, Massie likened Graham to former Rep. Liz Cheney. “I don’t begrudge anyone for an endorsement, but Senator Graham is objectively the ideological twin of Liz Cheney,” Massie said in the statement. Graham’s campaign manager Mark Knoop said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Friday, “Senator Graham shares President Trump’s frustration with Rep. Massie. Rep. Massie has become the most reliable vote for Democrats on critical issues opposing President Trump’s agenda.” TRUMP PLEDGES TO ‘LEAD THE CHARGE’ AGAINST REP. MASSIE, LIKENS HIM TO LIZ CHENEY Trump attacked conservative House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, last year, declaring in a Truth Social post, “The very unpopular ‘Congressman’ from Texas, Chip Roy, is getting in the way, as usual, of having yet another Great Republican Victory – All for the sake of some cheap publicity for himself.” While Trump wanted the debt ceiling raised, Roy indicated in a December tweet, “Currently, I’m against raising the debt ceiling without major spending cuts/reform. Congress needs to feel the pain of their actions and confront reality.” Fox News Digital reached out to request a comment from the congressman, but no comment was provided by his office. The White House also declined to provide comment on the president’s endorsement of Graham. “There’s no bigger endorsement than President Trump’s and Senator Graham is honored to have his support. He has earned it. Senator Graham looks forward to playing golf this weekend with Trey Gowdy and President Trump. When it comes to conservative organizations endorsing Senator Graham, stay tuned,” Knoop said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Friday. Figures from pro-life groups are slated to appear at a press conference on Monday as the groups back Graham’s re-election bid, according to a campaign press release provided to Fox News Digital. IF PLUG IS PULLED ON UKRAINE IT WILL BE ‘WORSE THAN AFGHANISTAN,’ SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM SAYS CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Graham, who thanked Trump for the endorsement in a post on X, has also shared another post with a video highlighting the president’s support. “President Trump is on team Graham,” a voiceover declares during the video, describing Graham as “a conservative leader, trusted by Trump, endorsed by Trump.” But while Trump, who previously endorsed Graham in 2020, is on the senator’s side, time will tell whether voters share the same sentiments. While Graham decisively won his 2020 primary with more than 67% of the vote, he was met with a chorus of boos when he spoke at a Trump rally in his own state of South Carolina in 2023. The lawmaker, who has served in the Senate for more than two decades, is up for re-election in 2026.
Trump admin breaking modern presidential staffing records, hiring ‘thousands of America First warriors’
The Trump administration is breaking all modern presidential staffing records since taking office in January, bringing in “thousands of America First warriors” to fight for President Donald Trump’s agenda, the head of presidential personnel told Fox News Digital. “My Administration is breaking all modern Presidential Staffing Records since taking Office on January 20th,” Trump posted Friday on his Truth Social. “The Presidential Personnel Office has made over 2,200 offers, all accepted, to exceptionally qualified Candidates, who are helping us MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.” TRUMP ORDERS CABINET SECRETARIES TO WORK WITH DOGE ON STAFFING, USE A ‘SCALPEL’ ON PERSONNEL DECISIONS Trump added, “We have sent more Nominations to the Senate than anyone ever before, and will continue to hire America First Patriots as we work together to unleash our Nation’s, Golden Age!” The Trump administration has sent more nominations to the Senate by Trump’s 65th day in office, 277 and counting, than the previous record-holder, former President Barack Obama, sent by his 150th day in office, Sergio Gor, the director of the Presidential Personnel Office, told Fox News Digital. Trump officials have made more than 2,300 offers to “exceptionally qualified and aligned candidates across the Trump administration,” Gor said. Gor also said 1,800 appointees are already at work — and almost every agency is more than half-filled, with many over two-thirds full. “Every day we are focused on finding thousands of America First warriors to join this administration and fight for the agenda President Trump ran and won on,” Gor told Fox News Digital. “We have made incredible, record-breaking progress by not only hiring the right people, but also keeping the Washington Swamp out of this administration.” Gor added, “With President Trump’s historic leadership, this is the team that will usher in the new Golden Age of America.” Trump’s Cabinet was confirmed in record time, with officials noting that none of his Cabinet-level nominees failed in committee or on the Senate floor for confirmation. MUSK TELLS CABINET THAT DOGE EMAIL WAS ‘PULSE CHECK’ FOR WORKERS, WARNS US WILL ‘GO BANKRUPT’ WITHOUT ACTION On day 67 of the Trump administration, 41 total Trump nominees have been confirmed, including 21 of the 22 Cabinet level positions and 20 sub-Cabinet positions. By comparison, on the 67th day of the Biden administration, 13 Cabinet-level nominees had been confirmed. By Friday, March 28, a total of 238 Trump administration nominations had been sent to the Senate. By March 28, 2021, 150 Biden nominees had been sent to the Senate for confirmation. Officials say that they have not only maximized the speed of their personnel selection process, but are also recruiting “the most talented bench of nominees in Republican presidential history.” The record-breaking hiring comes while the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, is also shrinking the size of the federal workforce, to slash government spending and eliminate bureaucrats working against the Trump agenda. Earlier in March, the president directed his Cabinet secretaries to work with DOGE and to use a “scalpel” when deciding which workers will remain in their jobs. ELON MUSK, DOGE TEAM OFFER UNPRECEDENTED PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN OF TRUMP’S COST-CUTTING DEPARTMENT “As the Secretaries learn about, and understand, the people working for the various Departments, they can be very precise as to who will remain, and who will go. We say the ‘scalpel’ rather than the ‘hatchet,’” Trump posted on Truth Social in early March. However, the Trump administration is touting the “incredible America First slate of candidates” that have been confirmed to their posts, pointing specifically to FBI Director Kash Patel, who officials say is a “fierce advocate for American law enforcement and a critic of Washington corruption,” border czar Tom Homan, whom officials call “the most respected immigration law enforcement official in modern history” and National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, whom officials call a “widely respected physician and healthcare reformer.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Just as important as hiring the right people is keeping the wrong people out of this administration,” a personnel official told Fox News Digital. “With the mandate President Trump has given this Presidential Personnel Office we are only hiring aligned and capable supporters of the president and his agenda in these critical roles.”