Happy New Year 2025

Category: Politics

Trump administration fires more than a dozen immigration judges

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More than a dozen immigration judges were fired on Friday, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s promise to trim the federal workforce.

A union official told the Associated Press that 13 judges who were set to be sworn in, and five assistant chief immigration judges, were fired on Friday without warning.

The move comes after two other judges were dismissed this week, the AP reported. No replacements have been announced.

The Trump administration dismissed more than a dozen judges on Friday. (Donald Trump/Truth Social)

US IMMIGRATION BACKLOG REACHES NEW RECORD OF 3 MILLION PENDING CASES: REPORT

Fox News Digital previously reported the U.S. immigration court backlog surpassed three million pending cases.

Immigration judges currently average 4,500 pending cases each, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.

The AP reported five top court officials were replaced by the Trump administration, including Mary Cheng, the agency’s acting director.

Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. (iStock)

TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP EXECUTIVE ORDER BLOCKED BY THIRD FEDERAL JUDGE

In a memo released on Jan. 27, Sirce Owen, acting director of the Department of Justice, noted the Biden administration “severely undermined” core values of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR).

“An effort to restore those values and to re-establish EOIR as a model administrative adjudicatory body is well underway,” Owen wrote. “If all employees are willing to join that effort, then there will be no limit to what EOIR can achieve.”

FILE PHOTO: A U.S. Justice Department logo or seal showing Justice Department headquarters, known as “Main Justice,” is seen behind the podium in the Department’s headquarters briefing room before a news conference with the Attorney General in Washington, January 24, 2023. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo)

The Trump administration on Thursday instructed agencies to lay off most probationary workers without civil service protection, the AP reported.

The International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, which represents federal employees, and the U.S. Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on Saturday.

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Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

February 15, 2025
Vivek Ramaswamy campaign files mandatory paperwork ahead of Ohio gov. bid

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Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign filed paperwork to begin his widely-expected run for governor of Ohio, Fox News Digital can confirm.

The venture capitalist’s campaign filed its Designation of Treasurer form with Ohio’s Secretary of State on Friday. The form is a requirement before a candidate’s campaign committee makes any expenditures or receives contributions.

The filing represents an official registration for Ramaswamy’s gubernatorial committee. While the filing was made under the name “Vivek Ramaswamy For Ohio” and online records did not note an explicit reference to the gubernatorial bid, Ramaswamy has been heavily hinting about the Ohio governor’s race, which will take place in 2026. Current Gov. Mike DeWine is ineligible to run, having taken office in 2019.

The filing comes nearly a month after it was revealed that Ramaswamy left President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative. In a statement to Fox News, Trump-Vance transition spokesperson Anna Kelly said that Ramaswamy “played a critical role in helping us create DOGE.”

MUSK AND RAMASWAMY IGNITE MAGA WAR OVER SKILLED WORKER IMIMGRATION

Vivek Ramaswamy speaks before Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump takes the stage at the campaign rally at Madison Square Garden on October 27, 2024 in New York City. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“He intends to run for elected office soon, which requires him to remain outside of DOGE, based on the structure that we announced today,” Kelly explained. “We thank him immensely for his contributions over the last 2 months and expect him to play a vital role in making America great again.”

Ramaswamy’s exit from DOGE came after he and Tesla CEO Elon Musk polarized Trump supporters over their support for H-1B temporary worker visas. At the time, Ramaswamy addressed his departure by saying it was an “honor” to help create DOGE.

“I’m confident that Elon & team will succeed in streamlining government,” he said. “I’ll have more to say very soon about my future plans in Ohio. Most importantly, we’re all-in to help President Trump make America great again!”

TOP JD VANCE POLITICAL ADVISORS TO STEER RAMASWAMY RUN FOR OHIO GOVERNOR

Then-Republican presidential candidate and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at the Republican Party’s First in the Nation Leadership Summit in Nashua, New Hampshire, U.S., October 13, 2023. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

Republican leaders have endorsed Ramaswamy in recent weeks, including GOP Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. In a post, Blackburn said that Ramaswamy has “a servant’s heart and a brilliant entrepreneurial mind.”

“The people of Ohio would be well served by his leadership, and if he chooses to run, he’ll have my full support,” the Tennessee Republican wrote.

Lee said that he was sure Ramaswamy would win a gubernatorial race in the Buckeye State and that he would “transform Ohio for the better.”

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Vivek Ramaswamy gestures from the stage on Day 2 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 16, 2024. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

“The results will benefit Ohioans—and Americans—for generations I’m honored to have worked with @VivekGRamaswamy, and I support him wholeheartedly,” Lee’s X post read.

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser, Alex Nitzberg and Sophia Compton contributed to this report.

February 15, 2025
Trump announces reciprocal tariffs in Truth Social post amid trade policy overhaul

President Donald Trump wrote a lengthy Truth Social post about his trade policy overhaul on Saturday, emphasizing his plans to charge reciprocal tariffs to countries that the U.S. does business with.

In a post published Saturday afternoon, Trump explained how his reciprocal tariffs will work in a great amount of detail. In recent weeks, he has announced 25% tariffs on all aluminum and steel imports into the U.S., plus 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on imports from China.

His recent move to implement reciprocal tariffs was decided “for purposes of Fairness,” Trump wrote.

“For purposes of this United States Policy, we will consider Countries that use the VAT [value-added tax] System, which is far more punitive than a Tariff, to be similar to that of a Tariff,” Trump wrote. “Sending merchandise, product, or anything by any other name through another Country, for purposes of unfairly harming America, will not be accepted.”

RED STATE AG PROMISES LEGAL FIGHT WITH ICE-RESISTING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House, where he signed an executive order, on Thursday, Feb. 13. (AP/Ben Curtis)

Most countries use a VAT system, including the United Kingdom, China and Mexico. Trump added that he will make provisions “for subsidies provided by Countries in order to take Economic advantage of the United States.”

“Likewise, provisions will be made for Nonmonetary Tariffs and Trade Barriers that some Countries charge in order to keep our product out of their domain or, if they do not even let U.S. businesses operate,” the president added. “We are able to accurately determine the cost of these Nonmonetary Trade Barriers.”

“It is fair to all, no other Country can complain and, in some cases, if a Country feels that the United States would be getting too high a Tariff, all they have to do is reduce or terminate their Tariff against us. There are no Tariffs if you manufacture or build your product in the United States.”

THIRD JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER

President Donald Trump speaks in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump concluded his post by claiming that the U.S. “has been treated unfairly by other Countries, both friend and foe.”

“This System will immediately bring Fairness and Prosperity back into the previously complex and unfair System of Trade,” the Republican continued. “America has helped many Countries throughout the years, at great financial cost. It is now time that these Countries remember this, and treat us fairly – A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR AMERICAN WORKERS”

“I have instructed my Secretary of State, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of the Treasury, and United States Trade Representative (USTR) to do all work necessary to deliver RECIPROCITY to our System of Trade!”

Earlier this week, Trump promised that U.S. will be “flooded with jobs” as foreign trading partners are incentivized to move their businesses to American soil – despite his tariffs being fiercely criticized in recent weeks.

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President Donald Trump speaks during the National Prayer Breakfast at Washington Hilton, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

“They can build a factory here, a plant or whatever it may be, here,” Trump said Thursday afternoon from the Oval Office. “And that includes the medical, that includes cars, that includes chips and semiconductors. That includes everything. If you build here, you have no tariffs whatsoever. And I think that’s what’s going to happen. I think our country is going to be flooded with jobs.”

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Andrea Margolis is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Readers can send story tips to [email protected].

February 15, 2025
Florida’s move from 2000s vexation to 2020s role model a blueprint for Arizona, lawmakers say

The 2000 presidential election was held up for weeks due to snafus across the state of Florida, and ultimately ended in a Supreme Court ruling effectively deciding that Texas Gov. George W. Bush would be named the victor.

In recent Arizona elections, voters and Republican politicians have complained of similarly grueling canvassing, wait times, alleged technical difficulties and a generally drawn-out process.

“How is it that Florida can have their results at 8:00 at night, and Arizona is the last in the country to report the electoral votes?” State Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, asked.

Petersen said that Arizona hopes to learn from Florida’s failures, and how it went from an unwittingly tardy linchpin in a historically narrow election to a well-oiled machine that counts 11 million votes more quickly than some smaller states.

AZ SENATE LEADER URGES BURGUM TO REVERSE OBAMA-BIDEN LAND GRAB AT URANIUM SITES

Petersen referenced what he called the “Florida model” that now restricts “late early” ballot drop-offs at county recorders’ offices – as Grand Canyon State voters could do so on Election Day while Floridians have only until the Friday before.

Tabulations of ballots will also occur on-site at offices, and address verification would occur every two to four years depending on the size of the Arizona county, he said.

Petersen said that such changes are necessary to restore public trust in the election process; something both states have historically struggled with.

In 2000, Bush supporters and conservative activists staged what became known as the “Brooks Brothers Riot” in Miami.

Longtime Republican consultant Roger Stone had reportedly help organize the group of well-coiffed protesters to converge on Miami-Dade County’s election office in hopes of halting the disputed ballot tabulations.

Bush later dubbed one participating lawmaker, then-Rep. John Sweeney, R-N.Y., “Congressman Kick-Ass” for his voraciousness that evening.

In Arizona in recent elections, right-wing activists, including commentator Alex Jones, converged on Phoenix election sites chanting, “1776” and demanding better oversight of the ballot count after allegations flew regarding problems with the long-winded canvassing.

Arizona Democrats, however, appear opposed to Republicans’ reform bill, claiming potential disenfranchisement among other critiques.

Gov. Katie Hobbs said that legislators are “attempting to jam through a partisan bill that guts vote-by-mail and makes it harder to vote.”

NYC COUNCIL MODERATES THRILLED WITH HOMAN MEETING

“I offered common sense compromises to count votes faster, and they were rejected. I refuse to let extremists make it harder for Arizonans to vote.”

State Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, disagreed, saying on X that he has voted early every election since turning 18 and finds no such issues with the legislation.

“I’ve read this bill over and over again and fail to understand how it ‘guts vote by mail and makes it harder to vote,’ Shope said. “There’s literally nothing in the bill that makes it harder to vote. Sign the Bill.”

Christian Slater, a spokesperson for Hobbs, also criticized AZGOP Chair Gina Swoboda over the legislation, saying the administration tried to “negotiat[e] in good faith,” but that Republicans “refused common sense compromises to protect voting rights.”

Former Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., who retired from Congress to pursue a seat on the county board in Phoenix, said she supports the legislation, particularly from the vantage of her new role.

“As a Maricopa County supervisor, I know this legislation will help instill more confidence in our elections process,” Lesko said in a statement.

“Governor Hobbs should sign this bill – it’s the right thing to do for the future of Arizona elections.”

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Maricopa County – home to nearly two-thirds of the state’s population – would, under the legislation, see its early-vote deadline be set Friday evening prior to election day.

In the other 14 counties, voters who choose to “late early” vote would be required to show ID to county staff – so recorders could skip the time-consuming verification process that can delay the final count.

To push back on allegations of disenfranchisement, the bill would also provide for three days of early in-person voting running up to Election Day proper.

One of Lesko’s counterparts on the Maricopa board said the measure appears nonpartisan.

“This carefully crafted … legislation is a commonsense solution that ensures election integrity while expanding access by adding two extra days to an already nearly month-long early voting period,” said Supervisor Mark Stewart.

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to [email protected].

February 15, 2025
DOGE scores big court win, allowed access data on 3 federal agencies

A federal judge in Washington on Friday handed Elon Musk’s government efficiency team a win by declining a request to temporarily block it from accessing sensitive data from at least three federal agencies.

Unions and nonprofits attempted to stop Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing records at the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

U.S. District Judge John Bates wrote in an opinion that the government was likely correct in categorizing DOGE as an agency, thereby allowing it to detail its staff to other government departments.

A federal judge in Washington on Friday handed Elon Musk’s government efficiency team a win by declining a request to temporarily block it from accessing sensitive data from at least three federal agencies. (AP Images)

LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS

However, Bates called his finding a “close question,” noting that the government did not want DOGE to be considered an agency for purposes of another federal law, which would subject it to open records requests.

Bates, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, said DOGE was a “Goldilocks entity: not an agency when it is burdensome but an agency when it is convenient.”

“Plaintiffs have not shown a substantial likelihood that [DOGE] is not an agency. If that is so, [DOGE] may detail its employees to other agencies consistent with the Economy Act,” he wrote in part.

The newly minted agency, a key promise of President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign, is aggressively slashing government waste when it comes to government spending. It was created via executive order and is a temporary organization within the White House that will spend 18 months carrying out its mission.

‘WASTEFUL AND DANGEROUS’: DOGE’S TOP FIVE MOST SHOCKING REVELATIONS

The Justice Department has argued that the DOGE personnel in question are “detailed” U.S. government employees who have access to the information under provisions of the Economy Act.

Musk hailed the decision by reposting the news on X with the caption: “LFG,” an abbreviation for “Let’s f—ing go.”

Judge Bates suggested earlier Friday that DOGE’s creation and its hierarchy were “odd,” noting that it “was created in a way to get it out of OMB [Office of Management and Budget] and instead answering to the chief of staff of the president.”

Demonstrators rally in support of federal workers outside the Department of Health and Human Services, Friday, Feb. 14, in Washington. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

DOGE “took great effort to avoid being an agency, but in this case, you’re an agency,” he said of DOGE. “It just seems to strain credulity.”

Attorneys for unions representing Labor Department employees argued during last week’s hearing that, absent court intervention, DOGE could access protected agency information, including the financial and medical records of millions of Americans, as well as employee safety and workplace complaints.

The plaintiffs noted that Labor Department systems contain sensitive information about investigations into Musk-owned companies Tesla and SpaceX, as well as information about trade secrets of competing companies, sparking concerns about Elon Musk’s possible access to the information.

Attorney Mark Samburg argued that allowing DOGE access to this information could have a “chilling effect” on new employees coming forward, due to fear of unlawful disclosure or retaliation.

“The sensitive information of millions of people is currently at imminent risk of unlawful disclosure,” Samburg said.

The plaintiffs had urged Judge Bates to grant a temporary request to block DOGE’s access to the information, which they said would “force the agency to implement a more thoughtful process.”

President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office. DOGE was created via executive order and is a temporary organization within the White House that will spend 18 months carrying out its mission. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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Separately, on Friday, a federal judge extended a temporary order blocking DOGE from accessing payment systems within the Treasury Department.

That extension came after 19 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit claiming DOGE illegally accessed the Treasury Department’s central payment system at the Trump administration’s behest.

Fox News’ Brie Stimson and Reuters contributed to this report.

Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.

You can send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.

February 15, 2025
DOGE lays off 3,600 probationary HHS employees
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Government Efficiency terminated employment for 3,600 probationary Health and Human Services employees on Friday — but went through a careful process to exclude those who were serving in specialized or critical roles.

More than half of the agency’s probationary employees were retained.

The cuts are estimated to save about $600 million in taxpayer dollars annually.

DOGE SAYS IT DUG UP ANOTHER $1.9 BILLION IN TAXPAYER MONEY ‘MISPLACED’ BY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION

Elon Musk listens as President Donald Trump meets with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Oval Office of the White House, on Thursday, Feb. 13. (AP/Alex Brandon)

Probationary employees who were excluded from layoffs include:
- Employees working on refugee and resettlement within the Administration of Children and Families (ACF)
- Employees working on emergency preparedness and response within Administration for Strategy Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other divisions of HHS
- Scientists conducting research at the CDC and National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Frontline healthcare providers at the Indian Health Service (HIS)
- Employees working on Medicare and Medicaid at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
- Employees reviewing and approving drugs or conducting inspections at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
DOGE identified critical employees by first considering key functions of HHS — frontline healthcare providers, scientists conducting innovative research, personnel responding to emergencies – followed by employee roles, including work history, background, and job title screenings.

NEW SEN. JIM JUSTICE ‘ABSOLUTELY’ SHOCKED BY DEMOCRATS’ RESPONSE TO ELON MUSK’S DOGE REVELATIONS

Demonstrators rally in support of federal workers outside the Department of Health and Human Services, Friday, Feb. 14, in Washington. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

“In many cases where there was a lack of clarity, we worked directly with folks who either knew the employees or knew the work of the division to clarify the exact work they were doing,” a Trump administration official said.

While the exact process will differ with each federal agency DOGE examines, key functions, specialized responsibilities, and individual roles will be considered for each workforce-cutting analysis. HHS received special attention — especially within the CDC, with meticulous consideration of research functions, lab work, and outbreak surveillance and response.

“Healthcare is obviously an important goal for the new Secretary, for the President,” the official said. “We want to make the government more efficient and want to reduce the size of the federal workforce, but we also want to make sure we’re very thoughtful about the critical functions that the government needs to perform.”

Officials said DOGE does not begin any evaluation with any predetermined cost-cutting goal, and there is no official order through which federal agencies are lining up for examination.

People rally against the policies of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Wednesday, Feb. 12. (AP/Jose Luis Magana)

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“Typically, contracts and grants are the two main mechanisms the federal government has for dispersing funds,” the official told Fox News. “And then we’re also thinking about regulations. Every agency is different, but the things we’re looking at are pretty similar across every agency.”

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.

Jacqui Heinrich currently serves as a Senior White House correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). She joined the network in September 2018 and is based out of Washington D.C.
February 15, 2025
Top 5 most shocking government waste secrets exposed by Elon Musk’s DOGE

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s efforts at President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have revealed a number of examples of government waste that have dominated headlines in recent weeks, as his team continues to audit the federal government despite Democrat opposition.

Here are some of the top-lines from DOGE’s findings:

Musk reveals ‘Iron Mountain’ mine nightmare

Musk revealed this week that DOGE is investigating a limestone mine in Pennsylvania where federal employee retirements are processed manually.

“Federal employee retirements are processed using paper, by hand, in an old limestone mine in Pennsylvania. 700+ mine workers operate 230 feet underground to process ~10,000 applications per month, which are stored in manila envelopes and cardboard boxes. The retirement process takes multiple months,” Musk announced on X.

ELON MUSK DESCRIBES LIMESTONE MINE USED FOR PROCESSING FEDERAL WORKERS’ RETIREMENT PAPERS: ‘LIKE A TIME WARP’

Elon Musk’s DOGE efforts have uncovered several examples of wasteful spending. (Getty,AP.DOGE/X.)

Musk said only 10,000 federal employees can retire a month because it takes so long to process the paperwork and sort through the millions of manila envelopes. He described the “Iron Mountain” mine as a “time warp” slowing down a completely manual federal retirement process.

This photo, posted by DOGE on Feb. 11, 2025, shows the old limestone mine in Boyers, Pennsylvania, where the organization says about 700 workers operate more than 230 feet underground to process about 10,000 federal retirement applications per month. (DOGE / X)

“The limiting factor is the speed at which the mine shaft elevator can move, determines how many people can retire from the federal government. The elevator breaks down sometimes, and then nobody can retire. Doesn’t that sound crazy?” Musk told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday.

DOGE-inspired EPA locates $20 billion in waste

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), inspired by DOGE’s crackdown on federal spending, said it had located $20 billion in tax dollars within the agency that the Biden administration reportedly “knew they were wasting.”

EPA administrator Lee Zeldin exposed $20 billion in wasteful spending at the agency. (Al Drago)

“An extremely disturbing video circulated two months ago, featuring a Biden EPA political appointee talking about how they were ‘tossing gold bars off the Titanic,’ rushing to get billions of your tax dollars out the door before Inauguration Day,” EPA administrator Lee Zeldin said in a video posted to X on Wednesday, citing another video from December.

The EPA found that just eight agencies were controlling the distribution of tens of billions of taxpayer dollars to different entities “at their discretion,” such as the Climate United Fund, which reportedly received just under $7 billion.

“The ‘gold bars’ were tax dollars, and ‘tossing them off the Titanic’ meant the Biden administration knew they were wasting it,” Zeldin said, vowing to recover the “gold bars” that were found “parked at an outside financial institution.”

EXPERT REVEALS MASSIVE LEVELS OF WASTE DOGE CAN SLASH FROM ENTITLEMENTS, PET PROJECTS: ‘A LOT OF FAT’

Signage at the headquarters of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington, D.C. (Reuters)

Zeldin said that the “scheme was the first of its kind in EPA history, and it was purposely designed to obligate all the money in a rush job with reduced oversight.”

In a Fox News interview, the EPA administrator praised DOGE’s work at the agency and said that the cost-cutting department is “making us better.”

“They come up with great recommendations, and we can make a decision to act on it,” Zeldin said.

DHS clawing back

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the government’s leading disaster-relief arm, gave over $59 million to house illegal immigrants in luxury New York City hotels just last week, DOGE uncovered.

Migrants are seen sleeping outside the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service)

The spending was exposed by Musk on Monday, who wrote in a post on X that “sending this money violated the law and is in gross insubordination to the President’s executive order,” which put FEMA under review to improve the agency’s “efficacy, priorities and competence.”

Of the $59.3 million, $19 million was for direct hotel costs, while the balance funded other services such as food and security, a New York City Hall spokesperson confirmed to Fox.

One day after the spending was uncovered by DOGE, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that “Secretary [Krisit] Noem has clawed back the full payment that FEMA deep state activists unilaterally gave to NYC migrant hotels,” a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

Asylum seekers line up in front of the historic Roosevelt Hotel, converted into a city-run shelter for newly arrived migrant families in New York City. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu Agency)

Shortly afterward, Trump, in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, suggested that FEMA should be abolished.

“FEMA spent tens of millions of dollars in Democrat areas, disobeying orders, but left the people of North Carolina high and dry. It is now under review and investigation,” the president declared.

“THE BIDEN RUN FEMA HAS BEEN A DISASTER. FEMA SHOULD BE TERMINATED! IT HAS BEEN SLOW AND TOTALLY INEFFECTIVE. INDIVIDUAL STATES SHOULD HANDLE STORMS, ETC., AS THEY COME. BIG SAVINGS, FAR MORE EFFICIENT!!!” the president added.

Pentagon wasted thousands on coffee cups and soap dispensers

The Pentagon’s $850 billion budget could be next up on the bureaucratic chopping block. Fox News Digital reported this week accusations of waste and inefficiency within the U.S.’s largest discretionary budget.

The Defense Business Board found in 2015 that the Department of Defense could save $125 billion over five years by renegotiating service contracts and consolidating bureaucratic processes.

A congressional inquiry in 2018 found the Air Force was spending $1,300 for each reheatable coffee cup aboard one of its aircraft. The Air Force spent $32,000 replacing 25 cups, according to Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

A two-year audit by the Defense Department Inspector General last year found that Boeing overcharged the Air Force by 8,000% for soap dispensers. They overpaid by $149,072.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivers remarks during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Pentagon on Feb. 5 in Arlington, Va. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Trump’s new defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, said he welcomes DOGE at the Department of Defense.

“We will partner with them. It’s long overdue. The Defense Department’s got a huge budget, but it needs to be responsible,” Hegseth told Fox News.

Questionable spending in USAID’s $40 billion budget, including ‘Sesame Street’ in Iraq

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, the Senate DOGE Caucus Chairwoman, who says she speaks to Musk about spending cuts every few days, recently published a list of projects and programs she says the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has helped fund across the years.

Ernst described “wasteful and dangerous” spending that had gripped taxpayers until DOGE stepped in.

Sen. Joni Ernst highlighted that USAID “authorized a whopping $20 million to create a ‘Sesame Street’ in Iraq.” (Getty Images)

Ernst highlighted that the agency “authorized a whopping $20 million to create a ‘Sesame Street’ in Iraq.”

Under the Biden administration, USAID awarded $20 million to a nonprofit called Sesame Workshop to produce a show called “Ahlan Simsim Iraq” in an effort to “promote inclusion, mutual respect and understanding across ethnic, religious and sectarian groups.”

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Several more examples of questionable spending have been uncovered at USAID, including more than $900,000 to a “Gaza-based terror charity” called Bayader Association for Environment and Development and a $1.5 million program slated to “advance diversity, equity and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities.”

Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips and Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to [email protected].

February 15, 2025
Trump’s name fundraising focal point for Republicans and Dems

Fundraising messages centered around President Donald Trump have continued to dominate on both sides of the political aisle since his return to the White House.

The Democrats’ messages revolve around voicing their opposition to Trump’s second term, his executive orders, and action by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has become a cornerstone of Trump’s first month back in the Oval Office.

“Americans are starting to feel the disastrous effects of a Trump-Musk presidency, and we see that sentiment reflected in our top-performing messaging, which highlights the need to fight the extremes of Donald Trump and prepare for elections this year, in 2026 and beyond,” DNC Senior Spokesperson Hannah Muldavin told Fox News Digital.

Muldavin said the DNC’s most effective fundraising messages have centered around “the extremes of Donald Trump.”

FORMER DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SAYS HIS PARTY IS ACTING ‘PATHETICALLY’ TO THWART MUSK’S DOGE

Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump holds up a fist at a campaign rally at the Santander Arena on November 4, 2024 in Reading, Pennsylvania. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“Our most effective outreach to grassroots supporters right now comes from our new Chair Ken Martin, who talks about not just fighting the extremes of Donald Trump, but also on making the case to working families in both red and blue states that Democrats are the party fighting for them,” Muldavin added.

The Democratic National Committee’s website opened this week to a photo of Ken Martin, newly elected DNC Chair, with a simple message: “Ken Martin is the new DNC Chair. Help Democrats mobilize against Trump.” A fundraising message on the donation page invites Democrats to “pitch in to the DNC and help elect Democrats nationwide.”

DEMOCRATS ELECT NEW CHAIR WHO BRANDED TRUMP A ‘TRAITOR’ AS PARTY AIMS TO REBOUND FROM DISASTROUS 2024 ELECTION

Newly elected Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin speaks after winning the vote at the Democratic National Committee Winter Meeting at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

“The DNC is the organization best positioned to fight back, organize, and stop the worst impulses of a Trump administration. So please don’t wait: donate now to elect Democrats who will fight back against the MAGA agenda,” the message says.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has a similar strategy with a down-ballot focus. On the DCCC website, a photo of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries appears next to a fundraising message inviting supporters to “become a majority maker.”

“At the DCCC, we’re laser-focused on the midterms and taking back the House from the MAGA Majority,” the message says. “With just THREE seats standing between us and the Majority, your monthly donation will help us do everything we can to flip the House blue and build a firewall against the Trump Trifecta. Will you make a recurring monthly donation to the DCCC to fuel our work today?”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., conducts his weekly news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center on Thursday, May 23, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Trump’s fundraising apparatus has also capitalized on his return to center stage. Trump National Committee, the joint super PAC of Never Surrender and the Republican National Committee, have maintained consistent fundraising outreach since Trump’s election victory.

“Trump is the center of the universe at the moment,” Republican strategist Matt Gorman, who worked on Senator Tim Scott’s presidential campaign and as communications director for the National Republican Congressional Committee, told Fox News Digital. “It’s been pretty well proven over the last decade that Trump animates the fundraising base of both parties and utilizing him is an effective strategy.”

As soon as Nov. 6, just a day after the election, a message “from Trump” to his supporters read, “TOTAL VICTORY! Because of you, WE WON!” with a link to donate to Trump’s super PAC. The messages continued in the weeks and months leading up to his inauguration.

The tone of the messages took a turn after Democrat Rep. Al Green, D-T.X., who attempted to impeach Trump three times during his first term, announced that he would file articles of impeachment against the president for saying he would “take over” Gaza.

U.S. President Donald Trump, accompanied by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L), speaks during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on February 4, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Green said on the House floor the next day that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “should be ashamed, knowing the history of his people, to stand there and allow such things to be said.”

“Before Democrats introduce Articles of Impeachment, can you answer question #1?” a fundraising message from Trump’s super PAC asked the next day.

Then last week, the PAC sent a message from Vice President JD Vance that read, “Don’t pee on my boots & tell me it’s raining. It’s JD Vance. These are the top lies I’ve seen from Democrats.”

“Democrats don’t have any policies. All they have is lies. Nobody believes their crap. So on behalf of every American who is sick of their lies, I got one thing to say: Don’t pee on my boots & tell me it’s raining. Democrats can’t stand that we have a President who’s putting the working men & women of America first, AND NOW THEY’RE THREATENING TO IMPEACH TRUMP AGAIN!”

Senator JD Vance points toward Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally, March 16, 2024, in Vandalia, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean, File)

The message from Republicans is clear: Democrats do not have policies beyond resisting Trump.

“Their identity for the last ten years has been, simply, ‘Whatever Trump is for, I’m against,’” Gorman said.

While using Trump’s name can be an effective fundraising strategy, Gorman urged candidates to move past the moniker and step into policy discussions as well.

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“Policy is really important, too. Every candidate has to articulate what they stand for, how they’d be different from their opponent and what they bring to Washington or to the statehouse. Trump is helpful in every aspect, but it’s important to make sure you’re defining what you would do in your policies as well.”

Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

February 15, 2025
Dems torched over DOGE security claims after allowing ‘wide-open’ border

As Democrats lob claims that President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are a potential national security threat, Republicans are calling them out for what they perceive as hypocrisy after years of weak immigration and foreign policies.

“Being lectured by the Democrats on national security is pretty rich after they spent the last four years sending billions of taxpayer dollars to terrorists, letting suspected terrorists walk through our wide-open southern border and disgracefully retreating from Afghanistan, empowering Iran and kicking off the most destabilizing foreign policy paradigm in a generation,” Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., told Fox News Digital.

Democrats, led by Mark Warner, D-Va., vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, recently pressed White House chief of staff Susie Wiles over their “grave concern” that Musk and DOGE were illegally risking “exposure of classified and other sensitive information that jeopardizes national security and violates Americans’ privacy.”

TRUMP AGRICULTURE PICK CONFIRMED AS PRESIDENT RACKS UP CABINET WINS

Republicans slammed Democrats’ claims that DOGE’s actions potentially threatened U.S. national security. (Getty Images)

One GOP Senate leadership aide remarked to Fox News Digital that it was “absurd” to suggest cutting wasteful spending through DOGE amounts to a security threat.

“This is the Russia hoax all over again, with an attempt to scare Americans by making preposterous claims that Elon Musk is going to steal their identity,” the aide said.

Sheehy added in his response, “America is lucky to have President Trump, Elon and DOGE working to restore accountability and fix our government. Perhaps the Dems should just say ‘thank you’ for cleaning up their mess.”

Warner wrote to Wiles that “unauthorized access to classified information risks exposure of our operations and potentially compromises not only our own sources and methods, but also those of our allies and partners. If our sources, allies, and partners stop sharing intelligence because they cannot trust us to protect it, we will all be less safe.”

TULSI GABBARD SWORN IN AT WHITE HOUSE HOURS AFTER SENATE CONFIRMATION

Elon Musk speaks during an event in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump at the White House Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Images)

The Democratic letter was sent amid uproar over Musk and DOGE’s shake-up of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), followed by other agencies and departments in the executive branch.

As DOGE has pressed on with the effort, Musk has revealed expenditures considered wasteful and the amount of contracts he is instructing agencies to cancel.

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Intel Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., pushed back on those claims by his Democratic counterparts, writing on X, “The reaction from the Dem and media to DOGE conducting audits and cutting waste has been downright hysterical. It’s reminiscent of the Russia collusion hoax — a sad and dishonest attempt to scare Americans.”

The Senate GOP leadership aide said, “Senate Republicans are going to keep supporting this crucial work” through DOGE.

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While DOGE continues to scrutinize spending, courts across the country have begun to issue rulings and injunctions limiting the agency’s ability.

Trump and Musk have hit several judicial roadblocks, from a temporary halt to DOGE access to Treasury systems and a restraining order on attempts to shut down USAID.

Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.

Follow Julia’s reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to [email protected].

February 15, 2025
Red state AG promises legal fight with ICE-resisting local governments

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is threatening to sue two local jurisdictions in his state that are refusing to comply with President Donald Trump’s mass deportation program of illegal immigrants.

“Now that’s a problem in Indiana, particularly because there’s an Indiana state statute that I enforce that says what you have got to give, whatever level of cooperation is allowed by federal law, you shall give it as a state or local law enforcement official,” Rokita told Fox News Digital in an interview Friday.

“And, so, that’s what’s happening here. That defiance I need to look into now.”

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) and Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) have indicated they would not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.

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ICE agents arrested seven illegal immigrants during a workforce operation raid. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

IMPD Chief Chris Bailey said local police have no authority to enforce federal immigration law and have no plans to participate in immigration sweeps. Similarly, IPS officials announced the district would not allow ICE agents onto school grounds without a criminal warrant.

“We still have pockets of either elected officials or those that work for elected officials, or some just on their own, that have their own ideas of what the law should be — that is to say not following the law,” Rokita said.

Rokita urged IPS and IMPD this week to cooperate with ICE or face legal consequences from his office. And it wouldn’t be the first time he’s sued a jurisdiction in his state for not cooperating with federal officials.

REPUBLICAN STATE AGS BACK TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER IN COURT FILING: ‘TAXPAYERS ARE ON THE HOOK’

State AG Todd Rokita says Indiana law requires state and local officials to fully cooperate with federal authorities and that he will require compliance from local jurisdictions looking to evade cooperation. (AG Todd Rokita/X)

Rokita filed a lawsuit against the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department and its sheriff, William Redman, last month, alleging a persistent refusal to comply with federal immigration detainer requests. The lawsuit claims that, between March and September 2024, nine detainer requests from ICE were not honored, hindering ICE’s efforts to apprehend illegal immigrants in the county.

Indiana University and the local sheriff’s office have refused to cooperate with federal immigration laws, Rokita said, “so we’re going to be in court, and I’m planning to get an injunction against their bad behavior.”

TRUMP ADMIN HITS BACK AS ACLU LAUNCHES LAWSUIT ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP: ‘READY TO FACE THEM’

President-elect Donald Trump arrives before his inauguration at the United States Capitol Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Melina Mara/Pool/Getty Images)

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President Donald Trump’s ICE raids continue across the country, and the agency detained 700 illegal immigrants last weekend, 500 of whom had prior convictions or charges, according to a senior official from the Trump administration who previously shared the details with Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital has reached out to IPS and IMPD for comment.

Jamie Joseph is a writer who covers politics. She leads Fox News Digital coverage of the Senate.

February 15, 2025