Fired NLRB commissioner asks federal judge for reinstatement
Federal Judge Beryl Howell is considering whether President Donald Trump‘s firing of National Labor Relations Board member Gwynne Wilcox was illegal. This case is similar to those of Merit Systems Protection Board Chairperson Cathy Harris and Hampton Dellinger, who heads the Office of the Special Counsel. FEDERAL JUDGE RULES TRUMP’S FIRING OF HEAD OF SPECIAL COUNSEL WAS UNLAWFUL, WILL MAINTAIN HIS JOB Howell acknowledged that this case seems destined for higher courts, maybe even the highest. “I realize for both sides this court is merely a speedbump to get to the Supreme Court.” Lawyers for Wilcox maintain that congressional statute dictates that appointed NLRB board members can only be removed from office for neglect of duty or malfeasance, and that Trump attempted to remove her without cause. According to the plaintiffs, Trump is the first president to attempt to remove an NLRB member. Howell pointed out that the president has broad powers under Article II to make personnel decisions within the executive branch, asking lawyers for Wilcox whether it was within the powers of a federal judge to step in and block those powers. LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS “Congress is elected too,” said Deepak Gupta, arguing for Wilcox, “We don’t have an elected king. Congress makes the law. The president enforces those laws.” DOJ lawyer Harry Graver argued for the government and agreed that the president did not attempt to fire Wilcox for malfeasance or neglect, but that the president has the power to hire and fire within the administration. Howell seemed to bristle at Graver’s view of presidential power. “Anybody in the executive branch is subject to removal by the president? That is the most extreme version of the unitary executive theory I have ever heard.” Howell took the arguments and briefings under advisement and is expected to make a ruling in the coming days. For now, Gwynne Wilcox remains out of her job, and the NLRB remains without a quorum, so it cannot resolve any labor disputes.
Trump Treasury confirms it’s eyeing IRS for ‘streamlining’ shake-up as tax season heats up
The Trump administration’s Treasury Department is in the midst of weighing a “wide range” of possibilities to streamline the Internal Revenue Service amid reports up to half of the IRS staff could be terminated, Fox News Digital learned Wednesday. “In line with the Trump administration’s focus on efficiency and deficit reduction, the Treasury Department is considering a wide range of possible streamlining initiatives,” a Treasury spokesperson told Fox News Digital Wednesday afternoon. “While no plan has been approved to date, modernization is necessary to keep up with the process by which Americans file their taxes, including the reality that over 90% of individual tax returns are filed electronically,” the spokesperson continued. “These changes are aimed at improving taxpayer customer service and ensuring a smooth and successful filing season.” TRUMP FLOATS GUTTING THE IRS, MOVING AGENTS TO THE BORDER ARMED WITH GUNS The Treasury Department spokesperson spoke to Fox News Digital amid reports that up to half of the IRS’ roughly 90,000-person staff could be terminated. The nation’s tax agency was drafting plans for the terminations as part of the Department of Government Efficiency’s mission to audit federal agencies and remove government overspending, mismanagement and fraud, the Associated Press reported Tuesday. Thousands of employees across various agencies – including the Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Department of Energy – have been terminated as the Trump administration works to slim down the federal government and realign its agencies with Trump’s “America First” policies. Agencies notably have terminated probationary employees who have not yet achieved full-time employment with the federal government as they are recent hires or were just reassigned to a new role within the government. So far, the IRS has already terminated roughly 7,000 probationary employees. In addition to more terminations, the Trump administration is reportedly planning to reassign some IRS agents to assist the Department of Homeland Security with immigration enforcement, the Associated Press reported. President Donald Trump floated sending IRS agents to the border in January following his inauguration. TRUMP VOWS TO DELIVER ON ‘NO TAX ON TIPS’ CAMPAIGN PROMISE DURING LAS VEGAS SPEECH: ‘100% YOURS’ “On day one, I immediately halted the hiring of any new IRS agents,” Trump said during a rally at Circa Resort & Casino Las Vegas in January. “They hired, or tried to hire, 88,000 new workers to go after you. And we’re in the process of developing a plan to either terminate all of them or maybe we’ll move them to the border. And I think we’re going to move them to the border.” “Where they’re allowed to carry guns, you know, they’re so strong on guns, but these people are allowed to carry guns, so we’ll probably move them to the border,” he continued. Certain special IRS agents are permitted to carry firearms as part of their duties, according to IRS Code, 26 U.S. Code § 7608. MAJOR TRUMP TARIFF MOVE LIKELY TO BENEFIT THIS HEARTLAND AMERICAN CITY The Department of Homeland Security sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in February requesting that the IRS provide agents to be used for immigration enforcement efforts by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. TRUMP’S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY LOOKING TO DEPUTIZE IRS AGENTS FOR IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who signed the letter, said Trump directed her agency to “take all appropriate action to supplement available personnel to secure the southern border and enforce the immigration laws of the United States,” even through use of the agency’s authority to deputize federal employees to perform immigration functions. The Treasury Department’s efforts to streamline the IRS come amid tax season, with the federal government expecting Americans’ individual income tax returns to be submitted by April 15. Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
Musk’s DOGE terminates lease at Obama Presidential Library site
The Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has terminated the lease at the Obama Presidential Library site, although it is unlikely to impact operations there since it is due to shutter later this year and move to a new location. The library is located at the Hoffman Estates in the northwest of Chicago and is separate to the sprawling 19.3-acre Obama Presidential Center near Jackson Park in the southside of Chicago which is under construction and is expected to be completed next year. The site at the Hoffman Estates is run by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), as are all presidential libraries, while the Obama Presidential Center is a private venture being overseen by the Obama Foundation. OBAMA CENTER SUBCONTRACTOR FILES $40M DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT AGAINST ENGINEERING FIRM FOR OVERRUNS DOGE this week updated its list of nearly 750 federal lease terminations, totaling around 9.6 million square feet in size, which included the Hoffman Estates site. The agency, which has been tasked by President Donald Trump to cut wasteful federal spending, said the terminations will save the taxpayer $468 million in lease savings. The DOGE website did not provide a timetable for the closures, although a NARA spokesperson told Fox News Digital the Hoffman Estates library was scheduled to close in late Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 and move to College Park in Maryland. The government’s FY 2025 runs through Sept. 30, 2025. There are about 25 million unclassified paper documents at the Hoffman Estate building, according to NARA’s estimate, and they are currently being digitized and will be available in digital format at the Obama Presidential Center when it opens. Under the 1978 Presidential Records Act, NARA gets custody of all presidential records and artifacts when a president leaves office. CHICAGO SOUTH SIDE RESIDENTS SAY THEY’RE BEING DISPLACED BY OBAMA CENTER: CAUSING ‘HARM TO BLACK FAMILIES’ Currently at the Hoffman Estates are also 35,000 physical artifacts, including gifts given to the Obamas. The library, a converted former furniture showroom, also houses former President Barack Obama’s silver BlackBerry, the draft of Obama’s first inaugural speech he wrote on a paper pad, a signed Pittsburgh Steelers football, a jeweled sword from Saudi Arabia and dresses worn by former first lady Michelle Obama. Those artifacts will also be sent to Maryland and occasionally lent to the Obama Presidential Center, the Chicago Tribune reports. NARA began leasing the building in 2016, paying $1.4 million each year in rent, according to the Chicago Tribune, citing the General Services Administration, which runs the government’s real estate portfolio. The building is owned by Hoffman Estates Medical Development LLC, who bought it in 2011 and transformed it into a fortified, climate-controlled facility. The Obama Presidential Library is expected to open some time next year and has been plagued by delays and cost overruns. It was initially expected to cost $350 million but that figure ballooned to $830 million in 2021. It is unclear what the total costs will be. It will consist of a 235-foot tower museum, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, conference facilities, a gymnasium and a regulation-sized NBA court. It will also house the nonprofit Obama Foundation, which is overseeing the center’s development.
Republican, independent voters loved pushback after Al Green disrupted Trump speech
Both Republican and independent voters reacted positively in the aftermath of Rep. Al Green’s disruption of President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress, which resulted in the Texas Democratic lawmaker being removed from the House chamber. Chants of “USA!” broke out in the House chamber as Green attempted to disrupt Trump’s speech, with Fox News voter dials showing that Republican and independent voters, represented by the red and yellow lines respectively, had a positive reaction to how the interruption was handled. Meanwhile, Democratic voters, represented by the blue line, had a mostly neutral reaction that trended slightly toward negative as the “USA!” chants continued. DEM REP. AL GREEN, BOOTED FROM TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS, DOUBLES DOWN ON IMPEACHMENT Green was removed from Trump’s speech after repeatedly disrupting the beginning of Trump’s remarks Tuesday night, shouting that Trump had “no mandate” as the president attempted to tout the GOP’s control of both the White House and both chambers of Congress. House Speaker Mike Johnson had the Texas lawmaker removed from the House chamber by the U.S. Sergeant-At-Arms, a punishment Green would later say he was okay with. SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER HOUSE DEM AL GREEN INTERRUPTED TRUMP’S ADDRESS: ‘EMBARRASSING THEMSELVES’ “I’m willing to suffer whatever punishment is available to me. I didn’t say to anyone, don’t punish me. I’ve said I’ll accept the punishment,” Green later told reporters. “But it’s worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are going to stand up against this president’s desire to cut Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.” Republicans, meanwhile, were not impressed with the opposition party’s antics throughout Tuesday’s proceedings. “What they’ve shown is ridiculous to the American people,” House GOP Policy Committee Chair Kevin Hern, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital. “I can’t see how any American would think that’s right.” That sentiment was shared by Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., who argued that there should be “consequences” for Green specifically. “The Democrats’ behavior last night was disappointing,” Carter told Fox News Digital. “There must be consequences for Rep. Al Green’s outburst, which displayed a clear lack of decorum and respect for the Office of the Presidency.” The Fox News Digital focus groups were conducted by maslansky + partners. Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Dueling Al Green censure efforts stir frustrations within GOP as Republicans demand consequences
Competing resolutions to censure Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, are causing some division within the House GOP on Wednesday. The Texas Democrat was thrown out of President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night after repeatedly attempting to interrupt the speech, minutes after it began. A resolution to punish Green over the incident is likely to pass, even with Republicans’ razor-thin majority in the House. But differing ideas over how to get there have led to some frustrations between separate House GOP factions. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., a moderate Republican, introduced his resolution to censure Green on Wednesday. It accused Green of having “repeatedly violated the rules of decorum in the House of Representatives during President Donald J. Trump’s joint address to Congress,” according to text provided to Fox News Digital. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP CONCLUDES REMARKS AFTER DECLARING ‘AMERICA’S MOMENTUM IS BACK’ Notably, Newhouse is one of two House Republicans left in Congress who voted to impeach Trump over the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot – a fact that backers of a competing censure resolution seized on. Newhouse’s introduction comes after the House Freedom Caucus announced it would be filing legislation to censure Green, led by Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz. Meanwhile, Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, began collecting signatures for a censure resolution against Green around 9 a.m. ET on Wednesday. Nehls’ bill currently has 24 Republican co-sponsors, including members of the House Freedom Caucus, a source told Fox News Digital. But two other sources familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital that Newhouse’s resolution is most likely to be taken up by House GOP leadership. A House GOP senior aide said in response, “It’s just tone-deaf to even think that leadership would run with a censure from one of the two remaining GOP members who voted to impeach President Trump.” TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS “It would be an obvious play to help shield him from another close primary challenge,” the aide said. But a second senior House GOP aide countered that, telling Fox News Digital that House GOP leadership had been aware of Newhouse’s plans on Tuesday night. Newhouse reached out to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., immediately after Trump’s address and both agreed on the need to censure Green, the second aide said. The senior aide said there was “no better individual” to lead the resolution given the level of respect afforded to Newhouse by fellow House Republicans. They also pointed out that Newhouse has already fended off tough primary challenges from his right, noting Trump likes winners, and that Newhouse praised Trump after the address on Tuesday night. Green, for his part, told the Huffington Post he was “guilty” after being read the text of Newhouse’s resolution. House GOP leaders have already signaled they would look at punishing Green for his outburst. Green remained defiant when he stopped to speak with the White House press pool on the first floor of the U.S. Capitol after being thrown out of the second floor House chamber, where Trump was speaking on Tuesday night. “I’m willing to suffer whatever punishment is available to me. I didn’t say to anyone, don’t punish me. I’ve said I’ll accept the punishment,” Green said, according to the White House press pool report. “But it’s worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are going to stand up against this president’s desire to cut Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.” Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson’s and Green’s offices for comment.
6 times Trump bashed Biden in address to Congress
President Donald Trump did not shy away from throwing political jabs when delivering his address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, repeatedly slamming former President Joe Biden. He even declared Biden was “the worst president in American history.” Unsurprisingly, Trump hit Biden’s border policies several times in his speech, calling them “insane and very dangerous.” Border security was one of his main focuses on the campaign trail in 2024 as well as in 2016, and last night, illegal immigration featured prominently in Trump’s address. Trump drew contrasts between himself and Biden on the issue, accusing his predecessor of allowing “terrorists,” “killers” and “criminals” into the country. This sentiment was particularly powerful as the mothers of Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray were in attendance. Both Riley and Nungaray were murdered by alleged illegal immigrants. Trump noted that the first bill he signed into law was the Laken Riley Act, and spoke about its significance. Later in the speech, he revealed an executive order renaming a wildlife refuge in Texas after Nungaray. He spoke about both of their deaths and touted his administration’s crackdown on the border. At one moment during his speech, Trump said that illegal immigrants “chose not to come” based on his words, in contrast to Biden and the Democrats insisting that legislation was needed to stop the migrant influx. “The media and our friends in the Democrat Party kept saying we needed new legislation. ‘We must have legislation to secure the border.’ But it turned out that all we really needed was a new president,” Trump said as the room erupted with applause. POLL SHOWS HOW AMERICANS FEEL AFTER WATCHING TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS After last week’s tense Oval Office kerfuffle involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump and Vice President JD Vance, how the president would address the crisis in Ukraine was at the top of lawmakers’ minds. Trump repeatedly slammed Biden for sending billions in aid to help Ukraine fight Russia, which sparked applause from the Democrats. Trump quickly responded and asked if they wanted it to continue “for another five years.” He then insulted Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., saying that she would like to see the war continue. Trump said it was unfair that the U.S., under the Biden administration, spent more than Europe did on Ukraine’s defense, despite America being an ocean away. He also slammed Biden for not trying to get Europe to “equalize” its spending to at least match U.S. contributions. In his address, Trump said that he had received a letter from Zelenskyy earlier that day indicating that Ukraine is “ready to come to the negotiating table” and “to bring lasting peace.” Trump praised Zelenskyy for the letter and doubled down on his calls for peace talks, saying, “If you want to end wars, you have to talk to both sides.” Trump said that he brought an end to the weaponization of government, referring to multiple lawsuits that were brought against him that required him to spend days in court during his 2024 campaign. He held the Biden administration responsible for those legal battles. “And we ended weaponized government where, as an example, a sitting president is allowed to viciously prosecute his political opponent like me,” Trump said. The crowd had a strong reaction to the statement, prompting Trump to turn to Democrats and ask, “How did that work out?” Trump has long claimed that the numerous legal cases open against him were politically motivated. He also called for an end to the weaponization of law enforcement against political opponents, once again using himself as an example. SOCIAL MEDIA EXPLODES AFTER DEMS DO NOT STAND FOR YOUNG CANCER PATIENT HONORED AT TRUMP’S ADDRESS Marc Fogel, a history teacher who was detained in Russia in August 2021, and his mother were guests at the joint session. Trump recalled how he promised Fogel’s 95-year-old mother, Malphine, that her son would be released just before he took the stage at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Not long after making that promise, Trump was nearly killed when a gunman opened fire at the rally. Corey Comparatore, whose family was at the joint session, was killed in the attack, while then-candidate Trump was shot in the ear and two others were injured. Trump slammed the Biden administration for not doing more to secure Fogel’s release after he was arrested and sentenced to 14 years in a penal colony. The president said the Biden administration “barely lifted a finger to help” Fogel, who was released from Russia last month. RESOLUTION PUNISHING AL GREEN CIRCULATES HOUSE AFTER DEM IS THROWN OUT OF TRUMP SPEECH The economy, one of Trump’s signature issues during the 2024 campaign, also made its way into his address. Trump criticized Biden’s economic policies and laid out his plan for combating inflation. Trump placed the blame for rising egg prices on former Biden’s policies, saying he let them “get out of control.” Trump seemed to focus on eggs for a moment while staring down Democrats, who were reportedly planning on using eggs or empty egg cartons as protest props during the speech, according to Axios. He also addressed energy prices and said the previous administration’s cutting of new oil and gas leases was a major contributor to rising prices and inflation. Trump then promised to go after the “liquid gold under our feet” and “drill, baby, drill.” In addition to eggs and energy, Trump pointed to government spending as a source of inflation. He read a long list of alleged Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) findings, saying it was just “some of the appalling waste” that was uncovered. At one point while reading the list, Trump paused and confirmed that “this is real.” Despite trying to distance himself from “the Green New Deal,” which Trump calls “the green new scam,” in 2020, Biden put a large emphasis on climate policy in his administration. In 2022, he signed the Inflation Reduction Act, which included the largest investment in climate policy in U.S. history.
Democrats unimpressed by Trump’s gesture to family of young girl killed by illegal migrants
Democrats in a Fox News Digital focus group were unimpressed by President Donald Trump’s gesture to the family of Jocelyn Nungaray during a speech to a joint session of Congress, as Republicans and independents approved of the move. Trump used the address to announce that a wildlife sanctuary would be renamed in honor of Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl sexually assaulted and murdered at the hands of Venezuelan illegal migrants last year. “One thing I have learned about Jocelyn is that she loved animals so much. She loved nature. Across Galveston Bay, from where Jocelyn lived in Houston, you will find a magnificent National Wildlife Refuge, a pristine, peaceful, 34,000-acre sanctuary for all of God’s creatures on the edge of the Gulf of America,” Trump said. TRUMP HONORS LIVES OF LAKEN RILEY, JOCELYN NUNGARAY WHILE CELEBRATING STRIDES ON SECURING BORDER He then showed an executive order renaming the refuge in honor of Jocelyn, whose mother Alexis was in the audience for the address. “Alexis, moments ago, I formally renamed that refuge in loving memory of your beautiful daughter, Jocelyn,” he said. Republicans and independents who were part of a Fox News Digital focus group, who were given dials to show their approval or disapproval of the speech, showed that they approved of the move – with Republicans registering support slightly higher than independents. Democrats, however, appeared unmoved by the gesture, with their support staying flat. The focus group was conducted by maslansky + partners. TRUMP SIGNS LAKEN RILEY ACT INTO LAW AS FIRST LEGISLATIVE VICTORY IN NEW ADMINISTRATION Trump used the address to tout his progress on combating illegal immigration and take a tough stance on Venezuelans who are part of the bloodthirsty street gang Tren de Aragua. Trump highlighted both Nungaray and Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, who was also killed by illegal immigrants during the Biden administration. “All three savages charged with Jocelyn and Laken’s murders were members of the Venezuelan prison gang, the toughest gang, they say, in the world known as Tren De Aragua. Two weeks ago, I officially designated this gang, along with MS-13 and the bloodthirsty Mexican drug cartels, as foreign terrorist organizations,” Trump said. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Snap polls reveal how speech watchers reacted to Trump’s address to Congress
Most people who watched President Donald Trump’s primetime address to a joint session of Congress had a positive opinion of what he spelled out in his speech, according to snap polls. Trump has been moving at warp speed since his Jan. 20 inauguration, and he used his speech to deliver a full-throated defense of his avalanche of activity, while repeatedly targeting former President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats. The speech, lasting more than 90 minutes, was the longest address to a joint session of Congress or a State of the Union address in 60 years. WATCH TRUMP’S FULL ADDRESS TO CONGRESS According to a CNN instant poll, nearly seven in 10 respondents viewed Trump’s speech as positive {44% said very positive and 25% said somewhat positive), while 31% offered that they had a negative reaction (15% somewhat negative and 16% very negative). There was a similar response in a snap survey conducted for CBS News. TOP FIVE MOMENTS FROM TRUMP’S PRIMETIME SPEECH Instant polls of State of the Union addresses or speeches to joint sessions of Congress are often favorable to the presidents delivering those speeches. That is because speech-watchers represent a small portion of the public, and they are usually much more likely to be from the president’s own party, which is reflected in the poll results. The CNN survey included 431 respondents who watched Trump’s speech. Forty-four percent of those questioned described themselves as Republicans, 35% as independents or members of a third party, and just 21% said they were Democrats. CNN noted that 44% who had a very positive view of Trump’s speech is lower than the 57% who felt the same way in their instant poll of Trump’s address to Congress eight years ago, near the start of his first administration. Additionally, they pointed out that it was also four points lower than the 48% who gave Biden a big thumbs up in his initial address to Congress in 2021, at the start of his single term in the White House.
Internal State Dept memo reveals top brass question if feds should be ‘in the business of philanthropy’
FIRST ON FOX: Top brass at the Department of State are questioning if the U.S. government’s role should include working “in the philanthropy business” as the Trump administration uncovers a trove of mismanagement and overspending in recent years. “No one will argue with the philanthropic nature of foreign assistance,” Pete Marocco, the director of the Office of Foreign Assistance — which sits under the State Department’s federal umbrella — said to a group of faith-based organizations Friday. “So, this leads to another question I put before you today. Is it the proper role of government to be in the business of philanthropy?” “If U.S. foreign aid is only reaching 10% of its intended target, and the private sector is reaching the right people 87% of the time, this is a fundamental, age-old question we must return to and take seriously,” he continued. “It’s imperative for foreign assistance to land in the right hands of the right people for the right reasons.” Marocco’s comments were detailed in an internal State Department memo obtained by Fox News Digital that recapped a meeting between government officials and a group of roughly 25 faith-based organizations, which worked to engage the organizations in a “candid discussion about how their work supports and enhances U.S. foreign assistance goals under the America First framework.” The “listening session” meeting was invitation-only and moderated by Albert T. Gombis, acting under secretary for civilian security, democracy and human rights, and director of global criminal justice, Fox Digital learned. WASTEFUL AND DANGEROUS’: DOGE’S TOP FIVE MOST SHOCKING REVELATIONS Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Chair Elon Musk and the Trump administration have been on a warpath in recent weeks against the United States Agency for International Development’s history of reported overspending and mismanagement. USAID is an independent U.S. agency that was established under the Kennedy administration to administer economic aid to foreign nations. Musk has characterized the agency as “a viper’s nest of radical-left marxists who hate America.” ELON MUSK DESCRIBES LIMESTONE MINE USED FOR PROCESSING FEDERAL WORKERS’ RETIREMENT PAPERS: ‘LIKE A TIME WARP’ In January, President Donald Trump issued a near-total freeze on foreign aid through the agency and has since terminated thousands of employees and appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the agency’s acting director, moves that have received staunch pushback from Democrats and federal employees. The freeze on payments was hit with lawsuits, with the Supreme Court Wednesday dealing a blow to the administration when it denied its request to block a lower court’s ruling for the administration to pay nearly $2 billion in foreign aid money. In a 5–4 ruling, the justices said a Feb. 26 deadline imposed by a lower court for the Trump administration to pay the funds already had expired, and directed the case back to the district court to clarify any additional details on payment. The internal State Department memo continued that Marocco explained to the group of faith-based organizations that the Trump administration is “intentionally disrupting the system to identify and root out significant problems” with its foreign aid programs. “As you know, we’re in the midst of conducting a review of U.S. foreign aid programs,” the memo said of the director’s opening remarks. “It’s challenging because we’re taking a very different approach from other reviews. Our review is starting from zero – a zero-based methodology. That means we are intentionally disrupting the system to identify and root out significant problems. Yes, this is causing unintended consequences for some programs, and those issues are being addressed separate from this forum.” ‘VIPER’S NEST’: USAID ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION, MISMANAGEMENT LONG BEFORE TRUMP ADMIN TOOK AIM “The truth is: the American people have lost faith in foreign assistance. They’ve lost faith in how we carry out this work. Nevertheless, today you’re here to think big and tell us how foreign assistance can be optimally effective,” he added. Trump went to Capitol Hill Tuesday evening to deliver his first address to a joint session of Congress since returning to the White House in January. In the speech, Trump celebrated his administration’s immediate pause to foreign aid. “Every day my administration is fighting to deliver the change America needs to bring a future that America deserves, and we’re doing it,” Trump said Tuesday evening. ‘This is a time for big dreams and bold action. Upon taking office, I imposed an immediate freeze on all federal hiring, a freeze on all new federal regulations and a freeze on all foreign aid.” GOP HARDLINERS RALLY AROUND TRUMP, MUSK SCALING BACK USAID The 47th president continued in his speech that Musk and DOGE have identified $22 billion in government “waste” across various federal agencies, including USAID. “Forty-five million dollars for diversity, equity and inclusion scholarships in Burma,” Trump said as he rattled off various examples of federal waste. “Forty million to improve the social and economic inclusion of sedentary migrants. Nobody knows what that is. Eight million to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of. Sixty million dollars for indigenous peoples and Afro-Colombian empowerment in Central America. Sixty million. Eight million for making mice transgender.” Democrats and government employees have railed against the Trump administration and DOGE’s work auditing the federal government, and some Democratic lawmakers even held up signs reading “Musk lies” during Trump’s address Tuesday. Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
Independents and Republicans went wild for Trump’s declaration that ‘America is back’
President Donald Trump’s declaration that “America is back” during his joint address to Congress was well-received by both Republicans and independents. “Members of the United States Congress, thank you very much. And to my fellow citizens, America is back!” Trump said at the conclusion of his speech Tuesday. The moment received an ovation from many of those in attendance and sparked a positive reaction among Republican and independent viewers, with Fox News voter dials showing those two groups, which were represented on the screen by red and yellow lines, immediately shooting up on the screen, indicating a positive response. Democrats, meanwhile, who were represented by the blue line, had a largely neutral reaction to the moment, with the line not deviating far from the middle of the screen. CONSERVATIVES ERUPT WITH PRAISE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER TRUMP’S SPEECH TO CONGRESS: ‘RUN THROUGH A WALL’ The moment was followed by chats of “USA” from those in attendance, with Trump as well as Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson joining in. That moment continued to receive a positive reaction from Republican and independent viewers, while Democrats remained neutral throughout. Tuesday night’s joint address to Congress was Trump’s second, coming eight years after his first speech in Congress in 2017. The speech is structured similarly to a State of the Union Address, though Trump will not give the first official State of the Union of his second term in office until next year. ‘HE’S BACK’: TRUMP’S JOINT ADDRESS TO CONGRESS TO BE BLANKETED WITH 6-FIGURE AD BUY TOUTING TAX PLAN Tuesday’s speech saw Trump boast about the early accomplishments of his second administration and lay the groundwork on the agenda for the rest of his presidency. “Six weeks ago, I stood beneath the dome of this Capitol and proclaimed the dawn of the golden Age of America,” he said at the conclusion of his speech. “From that moment on, it has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action to usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of our country. We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years or eight years. And we are just getting started. “Every single day, we will stand up, and we will fight, fight, fight for the country our citizens believe in and for the country people deserve,” Trump added. “My fellow Americans, get ready for an incredible future, because the golden age of America has only just begun. It will be like nothing that has ever been seen before. Thank you. God bless you and God bless America.” The Fox News Digital focus groups were conducted by maslansky + partners.