Happy New Year 2025

Category: Politics

People pounce on Rick Warren for tweet about Jesus: “you’ll find him in the middle”

Rick Warren faced a raft of backlash on X in response to a post in which he referred to the two thieves who were crucified on either side of Jesus, and declared, “If you’re looking for the #realJesus, not a caricature disfigured by partisan motivations, you’ll find him in the middle, not on either side.”

Warren, the author of the popular book “The Purpose Driven Life,” founded Saddleback Church with his wife Kay in 1980, according to pastorrick.com.

His Feb. 11 post has earned thousands of replies and more than 3 million views.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE ORDER CREATING TASK FORCE TO ‘ERADICATE ANTI-CHRISTIAN BIAS’

Pastor Rick Warren attends a ceremony honoring actress/producer Roma Downey with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Aug. 11, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif. (Tommaso Boddi/WireImage)

Seth Dillon, the CEO of the satire site the Babylon Bee, sarcastically quipped, “Yeah, because if there’s one thing Jesus was known for, it was his desire to meet in the middle and compromise on the issues that matter most.”

“This is possibly the worst Biblical interpretation I’ve ever seen, and that’s really saying something,” conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey declared. “Jesus is not ‘in the middle’ on the murder of children, gender deception, the definition of marriage, or anything else, for that matter. In fact, I seem to remember Him having a particular disdain for the lukewarm.”

CANDACE CAMERON BURE FEELS PEOPLE ARE ‘LESS AFRAID OF BEING CANCELED’ IN HOLLYWOOD FOR THEIR FAITH

Pastor Rick Warren and presumptive Democratic Presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., join hands during the Civil Forum on the Presidency at the Saddleback Church Aug. 16, 2008 in Lake Forest, Calif. (David McNew/Getty Images)

“What happens when the authorial intent of a biblical text is discarded? The text becomes a wax nose, bent according to our own intent. Case in point,” Brad Klassen, a professor at The Master’s Seminary, wrote regarding Warren’s post.

David Limbaugh, the brother of the late conservative radio icon Rush Limbaugh, tweeted, “Meaningless mush,” adding, “with all due respect.”

SOUTHERN BAPTISTS REJECT RICK WARREN-FOUNDED CHURCH’S APPEAL OF OUSTER OVER FEMALE PASTORS

President George W. Bush (R) talks with Dr. Rick Warren, founder of the Saddleback Church, before receiving the International Medal of PEACE during the Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health at the Newseum Dec. 1, 2008 in Washington, D.C. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

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In his most recent tweet prior to the one that came under so much scrutiny, Warren had written, “Jesus: “Whoever #serves me must #FOLLOW me.” Jn 12:26,” adding, “Seems obvious, right? But while serving Jesus in ministry, we can stop #following Him! Instead, we start following politicians, podcasters, or peers-and our vision, values & priorities come from social media, not Jesus. #bad”

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

February 13, 2025
Roughly 75,000 federal employees agree to Trump’s buyout offer

Roughly 75,000 federal employees have accepted President Donald Trump’s deferred resignation program, after the U.S. Office of Personnel Management offered more than 2 million federal civilian employees buyouts in January to leave their jobs or be forced to return to work in person.

Employees who accepted the so-called “fork in the road” offer will retain all pay and benefits and be exempt from in-person work until Sept. 30, a move that’s part of a broader attempt by the Trump administration to downsize the federal government.

“We have too many people,” Trump told reporters Tuesday in a press briefing. “We have office spaces occupied by 4% – nobody showing up to work because they were told not to.”

The White House confirmed to Fox News Digital that numbers had climbed to 75,000 as of Thursday morning.

JUDGE RESTORES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S BUYOUT OFFER TO FEDERAL WORKERS

Roughly 75,000 federal employees have accepted President Donald Trump’s deferred resignation program. (Fox News/Special Report)

The Trump administration’s offer faced scrutiny, and a federal judge temporarily blocked the administration’s plan from advancing amid challenges from labor union groups who voiced concerns that the law didn’t require the Trump administration to hold up its end of the deal.

However, U.S. District Judge George O’Toole of Massachusetts ruled in favor of the White House Wednesday evening, asserting the plaintiffs in the case aren’t directly impacted by the Trump administration’s offer.

They “allege that the directive subjects them to upstream effects including a diversion of resources to answer members’ questions about the directive, a potential loss of membership, and possible reputational harm,” O’Toole wrote.

“The unions do not have the required direct stake in the Fork Directive, but are challenging a policy that affects others, specifically executive branch employees,” O’Toole wrote. “This is not sufficient.”

The Trump administration praised the court’s decision, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described it as “the first of many legal wins for the president.”

‘GET BACK TO WORK’: HOUSE OVERSIGHT TO TAKE ON GOVERNMENT TELEWORK IN 1ST HEARING OF NEW CONGRESS

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the court ruling as “the first of many legal wins for the president.” (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)

“The court dissolved the injunction due to a lack of standing,” Leavitt said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “This goes to show that lawfare will not ultimately prevail over the will of 77 million Americans who supported President Trump and his priorities.”

The buyout program is one of several initiatives the Trump administration has unveiled to cut down the federal workforce. On Tuesday, Trump also signed an executive order instructing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to coordinate with federal agencies and execute massive cuts in federal workforce staffing numbers.

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The order instructs DOGE and federal agencies to work together to “significantly” shrink the size of the federal government and limit hiring new employees, according to a White House fact sheet on the order. Specifically, agencies must not hire more than one employee for every four that leave their federal post.

Agencies also are instructed to “undertake plans for large-scale reductions in force” and evaluate ways to eliminate or combine agency functions that aren’t legally required, the fact sheet said.

Fox News’ Andrea Margolis, Jake Gibson, Jacqui Heinrich and Patrick Ward contributed to this report.

Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.

February 13, 2025
Dems spar over DOGE cuts with Trump education nominee Linda McMahon

Democratic lawmakers on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee sparred with President Donald Trump’s Department of Education nominee Linda McMahon Thursday over cost-cutting efforts underway by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an agency led by tech billionaire Elon Musk.

“I believe the American people spoke loudly in the election last November to say that they want to look at waste, fraud and abuse in our government,” McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), said.

Pressed by Democrats including Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., if she would follow through with cuts suggested by the “DOGE brothers,” McMahon said she can be counted on to follow congressional statute “because that’s the law.”

TRUMP EDUCATION NOMINEE LINDA MCMAHON SAYS SHUTTING DOWN DOE WOULD ‘REQUIRE CONGRESSIONAL ACTION’

Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Education, testifies during her Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing on February 13, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee/Getty Images))

Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat, also asked if McMahon believes DOGE should have access to “private student data,” suggesting that their probes “should frighten everyone.”

“It is my understanding that those employees have been onboarded as employees of the Department of Education, and therefore, they operate under the restraints of utilizing access of information,” McMahon said

“That’s not my understanding,” Murray shot back.

“That’s my understanding,” McMahon responded.

Murray said it was “deeply disturbing” that DOGE staffers aren’t “held accountable” and that it should “frighten everyone” if they have access to students’ private information.

INTO THE RING: TRUMP EDUCATION CHIEF PICK MCMAHON TO TESTIFY ON CUTTING ‘RED TAPE’ AMID DOGE SWEEPS

LInda McMahon worked as head of the Small Business Administration in President Trump’s first term as president. They are shown together in this 2019 photo. ( REUTERS/Joshua Roberts)

The Department of Education canceled over $100 million in grants for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training as part of a broader cost-cutting effort led by DOGE, Fox News Digital previously reported. DOGE announced the termination of 89 DOE contracts, totaling $881 million, including $101 million allocated for DEI programs focused on educating educators about oppression, privilege, and power in a post on X Monday.

“Your tax dollars were spent on this,” Musk wrote of the DOE spending.

DOGE reported that the Department of Education spent an additional $1.5 million on a contractor to “observe mailing and clerical operations” at a mail center, a contract that was also terminated in the dramatic spending audit.

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Linda McMahon, shown on Capitol Hill in this Jan. 2025 file photo, is expected to receive the support of Republican senators but is unlikely to see many Democrats cross the aisle to vote for her confirmation. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

At one point moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine raised the terminated contracts as she asked about fears from some educators that grants for tutoring might be on the chopping block.

“There are many worthwhile programs that we should keep,” McMahon said in response to Collins. “But I’m not yet apprized of them. I want to study them. I’d like to get back and talk to you more and to work with you.”

DOGE has been on a tirade to cut spending within the DOE, including terminating three grants in early February, one of which funded an institution that had hosted faculty workshops on “Decolonizing the Curriculum.” President Donald Trump’s early executive orders launched a federal review of DEI practices in federally funded educational institutions.

McMahon testified during Thursday’s hearing that she has “not” had any conversation with Musk about the Department of Education.

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

February 13, 2025
Alabama’s What is a Woman Act, to ‘codify common sense,’ primed for gov’s signature

Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey is set to sign a new bill that she says answers a simple question: What is a woman?

The bill from state Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Leeds, and Sen. April Weaver, R-Alabaster, would adjust state law to explicitly define “man,” “woman,” “boy,” “girl,” “father,” “mother,” “male,” female” and “sex.”

It cleared the legislature in Montgomery on Wednesday.

Ivey is expected to sign the bill later Thursday; remarking, “In Alabama, it does not take a biologist to answer the question: What is a woman?”

KETANJI BROWN JACKSON REFUSES TO DEFINE THE WORD ‘WOMAN’

During Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing, the jurist told Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn she could not define the term “woman.” “In this context – I’m not a biologist,” Brown Jackson said.

“There are only two genders: Male and female,” Ivey told Fox News Digital.

“The What is a Woman bill by Rep. Susan Dubose and Sen. April Weaver is now heading to my desk. I look forward to signing it into law to codify common sense!”

The law would require the government to collect vital statistics to identify a person’s sex at birth and “delete obsolete or unnecessary definitions and make nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update the existing code language to current style.”

“For purposes of state law, a ‘female’ is an individual whose biological reproductive system is designed to produce ova, and a ‘male’ is an individual whose biological reproductive system is designed to fertilize the ova of a female,” a draft of the bill published on a government site read.

WOMANHOOD IS NOT A GAME OF SEMANTICS, ATTORNEY SAYS

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (Gov. Ivey via X)

Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter told Fox News Digital on Thursday the Yellowhammer State is one that “refuses to back down from commonsense conservative values.”

“We believe boys should play against boys and girls should play against girls. We believe that men have no business using the girls’ restroom,” said Ledbetter, R-Rainsville.

Ledbetter said every human is made in the image of God and their gender is defined by Him.

“I am proud that the House has passed Rep. Susan Dubose’s ‘What Is a Woman Act’ and look forward to Governor Ivey signing it into law,” he said.

The bill does have its opponents, including the ACLU of Alabama.

“We oppose House Bill 405. The ‘What is a Woman’ Act seeks to answer a question that is contextualized by far more than biological gender norms that this bill seeks to codify,” a statement from the group read.

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“The bill establishes a stringent assertion of the definition of a man or woman that completely cuts transgender people out of the picture. This bill attempts to place antiquated gender assumptions as a rule of law.”

The group added that the legislation will make it more difficult for transgender people to “authentically” live life.

Democrats, including state Reps. Barbara Drummond of Mobile and Napoleon Bracy of Pritchard, also objected to the bill only being slated for 10 minutes of floor debate.

The Blackburn-Jackson incident and ensuing public debate also led conservative commentator Matt Walsh to produce a documentary on the matter called “What is a Woman?”

When the issue first came up in the Jackson hearing, Blackburn said the jurist being unable to give a “straight answer” about “something as fundamental as what a woman is” underscores the dangers of progressive education.

Blackburn suggested that biological male athletes should not be allowed to compete against women.

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 13, 2025
Death tax repeal effort gets more than 200 Republican lawmakers on board

FIRST ON FOX: Republican lawmakers are mounting a massive effort to repeal the federal inheritance tax, colloquially known as the “death tax.”

Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, is leading more than 170 House Republicans on the “Death Tax Repeal Act,” which is also backed by the House’s top tax writer, Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo.

An inheritance or estate tax is levied upon the beneficiary who receives assets upon a person’s death. Republicans have long criticized the estate tax as a needless financial burden on grieving families, particularly hitting small family-owned businesses.

It comes as Republicans work on extending President Donald Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, whose provisions expire at the end of this year. Among the measures sunsetting in 2026 is a doubling of the estate tax exemption.

SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN

Rep. Randy Feenstra and Senate Majority Leader John Thune are leading a new effort to repeal the federal estate tax (Getty Images)

Supporters of the federal estate tax point out that it affects a relatively small number of estates. Penalties are triggered for estates worth roughly $13.9 million at the time of death, according to the latest IRS data.

A counterpart bill in the Senate is being led by Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and is backed by 44 senators.

Both Feenstra and Thune argued it was an unnecessary tax that unfairly affected family farms and small businesses in their home states of Iowa, South Dakota and elsewhere.

BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘PURGE’ OF ‘MINORITY’ FEDERAL WORKERS

It comes as Republicans work to extend President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts (AP/Alex Brandon)

“The death tax is an egregious double tax that unfairly targets American family farms and small businesses and directly threatens long-held farming traditions in rural Iowa and across the country,” Feenstra told Fox News Digital. “It is ridiculous that the federal government sends grieving families a massive tax bill when a loved one passes away.”

He said it amounted to “double taxation.”

“Family farms and ranches play a vital role in our economy and are the lifeblood of rural communities in South Dakota,” Thune told Fox News Digital.

“Losing even one of them to the death tax is one too many. It’s time to put an end to this punishing, burdensome tax once and for all so that family farms, ranches and small businesses can grow and thrive without costly estate planning or massive tax burdens that can threaten their viability.”

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If Republicans fail to extend Trump’s tax cuts before the end of this year, the estate tax would affect any estates worth roughly $7 million or more, according to Modern Wealth Law.

House Ways & Means Committee Republicans shared a memo late last year that said everyday American households could see taxes rise by over 20% if the tax cuts expired.

Feenstra and Thune’s bill would abolish the tax altogether, however.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to [email protected]

February 13, 2025
Trump’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ commission to target autism, chronic diseases

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FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Thursday establishing the Make America Healthy Again Commission, which will be led by newly confirmed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Fox News Digital exclusively learned.

The commission will be chaired by Kennedy and will be “tasked with investigating and addressing the root causes of America’s escalating health crisis, with an initial focus on childhood chronic diseases,” the White House explained of the commission to Fox Digital.

Kennedy was confirmed as the nation’s leader of the U.S. Health and Human Services on Thursday, and is expected to be sworn in later in the afternoon. He will chair the upcoming mission, which will work to “restore trust in medical and scientific institutions and hold public hearings, meetings, roundtables” to receive input from health leaders.

The commission, Fox Digital learned, will focus on four policy directives to reverse chronic disease, including: providing Americans transparency on health data to “avoid conflicts of interest in all federally funded health research;” prioritizing “gold-standard research on why Americans are getting sick” in all federally-funded health research; working with farmers to ensure food is healthy, as well as affordable; and expanding health coverage and treatment options “for beneficial lifestyle changes and disease prevention.”

The commission will initially focus on childhood chronic diseases, such as autism and fatty liver disease, and also investigate adult chronic diseases, such as asthma and the U.S. average life expectancy compared to other nations.

RFK JR. VOWS HE WON’T TAKE CHEESEBURGERS AWAY, JUST HIGHLIGHT HEALTH ISSUES: ‘MY BOSS LOVES’ THEM

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President Trump’s nominee to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services testifies during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing for his pending confirmation on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Within 100 days of the commission’s founding, it is expected to publish “an assessment that summarizes what is known and what questions remain regarding the childhood chronic disease crisis, and include international comparisons.” Within 180 days, it’s expected to “produce a strategy, based on the findings of the assessment, to improve the health of America’s children,” Fox Digital learned.

SENATE CONFIRMS ROBERT F KENNEDY JR. TO SERVE AS TRUMP’S HEALTH SECRETARY

Kennedy and Trump vowed on the campaign trail to “Make America Healthy Again,” including directing their focus on autism among youths in recent years. The commission will investigate chronic conditions for both adults and children, including those related to autism, which the White House said affects one in 36 children.

President Donald Trump speaks about the economy during an event at the Circa Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

TRUMP HEALTH SECRETARY NOMINEE RFK JR. SURVIVES HEATED HEARINGS

Trump in recent months has cited autism stats while previewing his second administration, balking at the number of children currently diagnosed compared to just 25 years ago.

“When you look at, like, autism from 25 years ago, and you look at it now, something’s going on,” Trump said in December 2024 ahead of his inauguration. “Think of this: 25 years ago, autism, 1 in 10,000 children. Today it’s 1 in 36 children. Is something wrong? I think so, and Robert and I, we’re going to figure it out.”

Trump also vowed while on the campaign trail in June that he would “establish a special Presidential Commission of independent minds who are not bought and paid for by Big Pharma, and I will charge them with investigating what is causing the decades-long increase in chronic illnesses.”

TRUMP INNER CIRCLE SHARES MCDONALD’S MEAL AS DONALD JR. JOKES ‘MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN STARTS TOMORROW’

The Republican-controlled Senate voted 52–48 on Thursday to confirm Kennedy. His confirmation hearings before the Senate in late January included a few outbursts from protesters, as well as Democrats grilling him over his vaccine stances.

Kennedy, who ran for president as a Democrat in 2024 cycle before ultimately dropping out and endorsing Trump, clarified to the Senate that he is not “anti-vaccine.”

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsing former President Donald Trump set off a wave of intense reactions from the mainstream media. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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“I worked for years to raise awareness about the mercury and toxic chemicals in fish. And nobody called me anti-fish. And I believe that … that vaccines play a critical role in healthcare. All of my kids are vaccinated. I’ve read many books on vaccines. My first book in 2014, a first line of it is ‘I am not anti-vaccine’ and last line is ‘I am not anti-vaccine.’ Nor am I the enemy of food producers. American farms are the bedrock of our culture, of our politics, of our national security,” he said during his hearing before the Senate Finance Committee in January.

February 13, 2025
Trump funding freeze judge hit with impeachment threat by House lawmaker

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., is threatening to file articles of impeachment against a federal judge who blocked President Donald Trump’s federal funding freeze.

“I’m drafting articles of impeachment for U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr.,” Clyde wrote on X.

“He’s a partisan activist weaponizing our judicial system to stop President Trump’s funding freeze on woke and wasteful government spending. We must end this abusive overreach. Stay tuned.”

SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN

U.S. District Judge John McConnell, inset, is under fire by President Donald Trump’s allies after he blocked a federal funding freeze, (Getty)

U.S. District Judge John McConnell filed a new motion Monday ordering the Trump administration to comply with a restraining order issued Jan. 31, temporarily blocking the administration’s efforts to pause federal grants and loans.

McConnell’s original restraining order came after 22 states and the District of Columbia challenged the Trump administration’s actions to hold up funds for grants, such as the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant and other Environmental Protection Agency programs. However, the states said Friday that the administration is not following through and funds are still tied up.

A three-judge panel on the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration’s appeal of the order on Tuesday.

Rep. Andrew Clyde, pictured here, pledged to work up articles of impeachment against U.S. District Judge John McConnell. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

McConnell has come under fire by Trump supporters and conservatives who have accused him of being a liberal activist.

Clyde and others have cited a video of McConnell in 2021 saying courts must “stand and enforce the rule of law, that is, against arbitrary and capricious actions by what could be a tyrant or could be whatnot.”

“You have to take a moment and realize that this, you know, middle-class, white, male, privileged person needs to understand the human being that comes before us that may be a woman, may be Black, may be transgender, may be poor, may be rich, may be — whatever,” McConnell said in the video, according to WPRI.

Elon Musk wrote on X in response, “Impeach this activist posing as a judge! Such a person does great discredit to the American justice system.”

BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘PURGE’ OF ‘MINORITY’ FEDERAL WORKERS

Clyde confirmed he was preparing articles of impeachment when asked by Fox News Digital on Thursday.

“For a federal judge to deny the executive their legitimate right to exercise their authority is wrong,” Clyde told Fox News Digital. “This type of judge, this political activist – this radical political activist – should be removed from the bench.”

Elon Musk has called for that judge and others to be impeached. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

When reached for a response to Clyde’s threat, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island said McConnell “often sits down with members of the media upon request” but did not comment on pending cases.

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Trump’s allies have been hammering the judges who have issued a series of decisions curbing the president’s executive orders.

Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., threatened to prepare impeachment articles against another judge earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer of the U.S. Southern District of New York, for blocking Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury records.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to [email protected]

February 13, 2025
Shapiro latest Democrat suing ‘unconstitutional’ Trump admin

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro sued President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday to unfreeze federal funds. Pennsylvania is now one of at least 24 states and the District of Columbia with lawsuits challenging Trump’s allegedly “unconstitutional” federal funding freeze.

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed agencies to halt federal funding on January 27. Pennsylvania state agencies have been unable to access $1.2 billion in federal funds with an additional $900 million requiring federal review, according to the lawsuit. Shapiro is seeking to unfreeze those funds.

The lawsuit names Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and OMB Director Russell Vought in their respective capacities.

“The federal government has entered into a contract with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, promising to provide billions of dollars in Congressionally approved funding that we have committed to serious needs – like protecting public health, cutting energy costs, providing safe, clean drinking water, and creating jobs in rural communities. With this funding freeze, the Trump Administration is breaking that contract – and it’s my job as Governor to protect Pennsylvania’s interests,” Shapiro said.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION APPEALS FEDERAL JUDGE’S ORDER TO UNFREEZE FEDERAL FUNDS

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro speaks on Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center, in Chicago, Illinois, August 21, 2024. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

The Trump administration has called the legal challenges to Trump’s executive orders “an attempt to undermine the will of the American people.” The White House on Thursday dismissed Shapiro’s lawsuit as an extension of the “Left’s resistance.”

“Radical Leftists can either choose to swim against the tide and reject the overwhelming will of the people, or they can get on board and work with President Trump to advance his wildly popular agenda. These lawsuits are nothing more than an extension of the Left’s resistance — and the Trump Administration is ready to face them in court,” White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields said.

WHITE HOUSE STILL COMMITTED TO FREEZING ‘WOKE’ FUNDS DESPITE RESCINDING OMB MEMO

Shapiro said federal funding could jeopardize Pennsylvania projects, including “reclaiming abandoned mine land, capping and plugging orphan wells, and lowering consumer costs.” Meanwhile, the Commonwealth is incurring debt on federally approved projects.

Pennsylvania has joined at least 23 states and Washington, D.C., who have sued the Trump administration to unfreeze federal funds. Federal judges have issued a temporary restraining order to block the funding freeze in states with litigation against the Trump administration. Because Pennsylvania did not sue the Trump administration to unfreeze funds, they were not impacted by the order releasing funds.

Josh Shapiro, governor of Pennsylvania, during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. The race for the White House will reach a fever pitch this week, with Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump battling for momentum, and attention, around the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“While multiple federal judges have ordered the Trump Administration to unfreeze this funding, access has not been restored, leaving my Administration with no choice but to pursue legal action to protect the interests of the Commonwealth and its residents,” Shapiro said.

Shapiro is suing the Trump administration to reap the benefit of the federal judge’s order.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on February 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. After signing a series of executive orders and proclamations, Trump spoke to reporters about a range of topics including recent negotiations with Mexico on tariffs. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Democratic groups quickly came out in support of Shapiro’s lawsuit.

“We strongly support Governor Shapiro’s action to protect Pennsylvanians, support communities and cut costs by challenging this funding freeze. Blocking these critical funds is an unacceptable attack on Pennsylvania families, communities and economic stability. These funds were legally approved by Congress and are crucial to supporting working families, rural communities and public safety initiatives across the commonwealth,” the Pennsylvania House Democrats said in a statement.

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Evergreen Action, a progressive climate action organization, applauded Shapiro for standing up for Pennsylvanians.

“Pennsylvania and its communities, businesses, and local governments must regain access to their funds immediately and be freed from this chaos and uncertainty. We are grateful for the governor’s leadership and hope these critical funds are soon able to reach the people who need them most,” Evergreen Action Deputy State Policy Director, Julia Kortrey, said.

Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

February 13, 2025
New poll shows what Americans think of Trump’s record setting first 3 weeks

President Donald Trump took to social media on Thursday morning to showcase his frenetic pace since reentering the White House on Jan. 20.

“THREE GREAT WEEKS, PERHAPS THE BEST EVER,” the president touted.

Trump has signed 64 executive orders since his inauguration, according to a count from Fox News, which far surpasses the rate of any presidential predecessors during their first weeks in office.

While Trump is never shy about advertising his accomplishments, new polling indicates Americans are divided on the job the president is doing so far in his second administration.

CLICK HERE FOR FOX NEWS COVERAGE OF TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS

President Donald Trump speaks as Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is sworn in at the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. (AP/Alex Brandon)

Trump stands at 48% approval and 47% disapproval in a national survey conducted for AARP.

The poll is the latest to indicate an early split when it comes to public opinion regarding Trump.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLING

Some surveys, including Pew Research, indicate Trump’s approval ratings are slightly underwater, while others, including a poll from CBS News/YouGuv, suggest the president’s ratings are in positive territory.

Trump’s poll position among Americans stands in stark contrast to his first term in office, when he started out underwater in surveys and remained in negative territory for all four years in the White House.

President Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Melania Trump holds the Bible during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (MORRY GASH/AFP via Getty Images)

The surveys are in agreement when it comes to the massive partisan divide over Trump.

The AARP poll indicates Trump holds a net approval of 83 points with Republicans, a net disapproval of 76 points among Democrats and that he is underwater by 19 points among independent voters.

THE TRUMP POLICIES AMERICANS LOVE, AND HATE

“Trump’s ratings are stronger among men, white voters, and those without college degrees. He is seen more negatively by women, Hispanic and Black voters, and those with college degrees,” the survey’s release highlighted.

While Trump’s approval ratings for his second term are a major improvement from his first term, his numbers are below where his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, began his single term in office.

Former President Joe Biden speaks about his administration’s accomplishments during a speech on Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Biden’s approval rating hovered in the low to mid 50s during his first six months in the White House, with his disapproval in the upper 30s to low to mid 40s.

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However, Biden’s numbers sank into negative territory in the late summer and autumn of 2021, in the wake of his much-criticized handling of the turbulent U.S. exit from Afghanistan and amid soaring inflation and a surge of migrants crossing into the U.S. along the nation’s southern border with Mexico.

Biden’s approval ratings stayed underwater throughout the rest of his presidency.

Fox News’ Mary Schlageter contributed to this report

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.

February 13, 2025
Ways and Means chair calls for de-weaponization, overhaul of IRS after ‘lawless’ behavior

FIRST ON FOX: House Ways & Means Committee Chair Jason Smith is calling for a complete overhaul of the Internal Revenue System, demanding the agency be de-weaponized, and telling Fox News Digital that “business as usual at the IRS is unacceptable.”

Smith, R-Mo., wrote a letter to IRS Acting Commissioner Douglas O’Donnell on Thursday, calling for ongoing oversight of the agency to ensure it takes steps to “rebuild trust” with Americans after “lawless and politically motivated behavior.”

HOUSE GOP DEMANDS ‘IMMEDIATE ACTION’ ON ALLEGED RETALIATION AGAINST IRS WHISTLEBLOWERS

“The story of the last two years at the IRS is one of both failure and outright weaponization of the agency driven in part by the Democrats’ decision to prioritize hiring 87,000 new IRS agents to audit working families over providing basic customer services,” Smith told Fox News Digital. “There are too many examples of problems at the IRS to count.”

Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., wrote a letter to IRS Acting Commissioner Douglas O’Donnell on Feb. 13, 2025, calling for ongoing oversight of the agency to ensure it takes steps to “rebuild trust” with Americans after “lawless and politically motivated behavior.” (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

In the letter, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital, Smith lays out concerns at the agency, including its alleged retaliation against the two IRS whistleblowers who brought claims of corruption and preferential treatment for Hunter Biden — Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler.

Smith also pointed to the IRS’s support for $80 billion in mandatory funding that prioritized “aggressive audits over customer service,” the “failure to take aggressive action against tax-exempt organizations that have caused antisemitic chaos on college campuses, in American cities, and those that may be supporting terrorism” and more.

“Aggressive oversight of the IRS continues to be a top priority for the Committee, and the election results made it clear that the American people are looking for accountability,” Smith wrote. “President Trump has shown in his first three weeks that he meant what he said during the presidential campaign.”

HOUSE GOP PROBES WHETHER SPECIAL COUNSEL OFFICE HELPED RETALIATE AGAINST HUNTER BIDEN WHISTLEBLOWERS

Smith said the government “has not been working effectively for the American people, and it needs to change.”

“We will be watching closely to make certain that the IRS timely complies with all laws, executive orders, direction from the secretary of the Treasury, and requests from the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Finance,” Smith said.

“Business as usual at the IRS is unacceptable,” Rep. Jason Smith told Fox News Digital. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Smith told Fox News Digital that the agency has “acted outside its authority by refusing to apply the law when it hurts Democrats, like in the case of delaying the unpopular $600 Venmo reporting law, and by promoting Democrat interests without authorization, like when it turned a tiny feasibility study into a massive Direct File program costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.”

“We know that the IRS has retaliated against the two brave investigators that blew the whistle on preferential treatment for Hunter Biden,” Smith said, pointing to Shapley and Ziegler.

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“Business as usual at the IRS is unacceptable,” Smith told Fox News Digital. “The acting commissioner needs to clean things up quickly to meet the expectations of the committee and the American people have of the agency.”

Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.

February 13, 2025