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Trader Joe’s puts cap on how many eggs shoppers can buy

National Restaurant Association president Michelle Korsmo unpacks the cost of eggs on ‘The Claman Countdown.’

Trader Joe’s is putting a cap on how many eggs its shoppers can purchase each day.

The company told FOX Business on Monday that it is “currently limiting egg purchases to one dozen per customer, per day.”

That cap applies to eggs at every Trader Joe’s grocery store in the U.S., according to the company. It operates hundreds of stores nationwide.

Trader Joe’s cited “ongoing issues with the supply of eggs” as the reason for the daily limit.

The Trader Joe’s in Shoreview, Minnesota. (Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via / Getty Images)

WAFFLE HOUSE, OTHER COMPANIES ADD EGG SURCHARGE AMID SHORTAGE

Eggs have been in short supply in the U.S. due to outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), known as bird flu.

“We hope these limits will help to ensure that as many of our customers who need eggs are able to purchase them when they visit Trader Joe’s,” the grocer said.

Eggs have been in short supply in the U.S. due to outbreaks of bird flu. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

A report published by the Agriculture Department late last week said shell egg availability “remains limited and inconsistent in many retail markets with many affected grocers employing steps to limit consumer purchasing to stretch their existing supplies.” Actions grocers have been taking include curbing promotional activities on eggs, implementing caps on the number of eggs consumers can buy at a time, and “holding prices at record or near-record highs to dampen demand,” according to the report.

EGG SHORTAGES FORCE SOME GROCERY STORES TO IMPOSE LIMITS

Bird flu has contributed to high egg prices in grocery stores in addition to shortages.

In the U.S., a dozen large Grade A eggs averaged $4.15 in December, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed. That marked a 13.7 % jump from the previous month.

More than two-thirds of surveyed shoppers said they pick up eggs from retailers on a weekly basis. ( / iStock)

A Numerator survey released in late January found 71% of U.S. egg shoppers thought eggs were “somewhat or very” pricey. More than half have recently experienced their grocery stores having a shortage of eggs or being completely out of stock, it showed.

EGG PRICES AREN’T COMING DOWN ANYTIME SOON, EXPERTS SAY

More than one-third of surveyed egg shoppers said they pick up eggs from retailers on a weekly basis. The same percentage – 34% – reported buying them “every couple of weeks,” according to Numerator.

February 10, 2025
Hegseth bans future trans soldiers, makes sweeping changes for current ones

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth instituted a ban on allowing transgender people to join the military late last week, following a directive from President Donald Trump.

A memo dated Feb. 7 and signed by the defense secretary says, “Effective immediately, all new accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria are paused.”

“All scheduled, unscheduled, or planned medical procedures associated with affirming or facilitating a gender transition for service members are paused.”

The memo also says service members with gender dysphoria “have volunteered to serve our country and will be treated with dignity and respect.”

But the memo was unclear about what would happen to those currently in the military and identifying as a gender different than that assigned at birth, delegating responsibility to the under secretary for personnel and readiness to provide policy and implementation guidance for active service members with gender dysphoria.

TRANSGENDER SERVICE MEMBERS AND RIGHTS GROUPS FILE SUIT AGAINST TRUMP’S PENTAGON DIRECTIVE

The Pentagon could not immediately be reached for comment on the status of current transgender service members.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth instituted a ban on allowing transgender people to join the military late last week, following a directive from President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

During a military town hall on Friday, Hegseth tore into diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

“I think the single dumbest phrase in military history is, ‘Our diversity is our strength.’ I think our strength is our unity,” he said.

Hegseth went on: “Our strength is our shared purpose, regardless of our background, regardless of how we grew up, regardless of our gender, regardless of our race. In this department, we will treat everyone equally, we will treat everyone with respect, and we will judge you as an individual by your merit and by your commitment to the team and the mission.”

Late last month, the Pentagon declared identity months, including Black History Month and Women’s History Month, “dead” within DoD and said it would not use resources to celebrate them.

An executive order signed by Trump last month required Hegseth to update medical standards to ensure they “prioritize readiness and lethality” and take action to “end the use of invented and identification-based pronouns” within DOD.

It says that expressing a “gender identity” different from an individual’s sex at birth does not meet military standards.

The order also restricts sleeping, changing and bathing facilities by biological sex. It’s not an immediate ban, but a direction for the secretary to implement such policies.

TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDERS BANNING ‘RADICAL GENDER IDEOLOGY,’ DEI INITIATIVES IN THE MILITARY

It revokes former President Joe Biden’s executive order that the White House argues “allowed for special circumstances to accommodate ‘gender identity’ in the military – to the detriment of military readiness and unit cohesion.”

The Pentagon declared identity months, including Black History Month and Women’s History Month, “dead” within DoD and said it would not use resources to celebrate them. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

A categorical ban on transgender service members was lifted in 2014 under President Barack Obama.

There are an estimated 9,000 to 14,000 transgender service members – exact figures are not publicly available.

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Between Jan. 1, 2016, and May 14, 2021, the DOD reportedly spent approximately $15 million on providing transgender treatments (surgical and nonsurgical) to 1,892 active duty service members, according to the Congressional Research Service.

February 10, 2025
Tulsi Gabbard faces next Senate challenge as she inches closer to confirmation

Former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard will face another test Monday night in the Senate as she hopes to be confirmed to one of the most important national security posts in the U.S. government.

President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Director of National Intelligence (DNI) will get a cloture vote at 5:30 p.m., when she will need to get more than 50 votes in order to advance to a final confirmation vote.

If the cloture motion passes, there will be 30 hours of debate on the Senate floor. Frequently, the debate between the cloture motion and the final vote is minimized in what’s referred to as a “time agreement” between Republicans and Democrats. But with the controversial nature of Gabbard’s nomination and ongoing frustrations with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its government audit, no such agreements are expected.

SCHUMER REVEALS DEM COUNTER-OFFENSIVE AGAINST TRUMP’S DOGE AUDIT

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s choice to be the Director of National Intelligence, appears before the Senate Intelligence Committee for her confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP)

This will set Gabbard up for a final confirmation vote on Wednesday at the earliest, when the 30 hours of debate expire.

The nominee advanced out of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence last week, snagging the support of crucial GOP Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Todd Young, R-Ind.

TRUMP’S KEY TO CABINET CONFIRMATIONS: SENATOR-TURNED-VP VANCE’S GIFT OF GAB

Collins came out in support of Gabbard despite concern she might not. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)

Her success on the cloture motion and with final confirmation are much more favorable than her initial odds in the Intel committee were.

In order to get the support of all the committee’s Republicans, Chair Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Vice President JD Vance worked around the clock. Their conversations with committee members and tireless efforts were credited with getting her past the key hurdle.

INSIDE SEN TOM COTTON’S CAMPAIGN TO SAVE TULSI GABBARD’S ENDANGERED DNI NOMINATION

Tom Cotton carried out a calculated effort to get Tulsi Gabbard past the Intel committee. (Reuters/Getty Images)

In a final vote, Gabbard can only lose 3 Republican votes, assuming she does not get any Democratic support, as was the case in the committee vote.

She already has an advantage over Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as Collins supports her. The senator was one of three votes against Hegseth.

LEADER THUNE BACKS SENATE GOP BID TO SPEED PAST HOUSE ON TRUMP BUDGET PLAN

Hegseth was confirmed after Vance cast a tie-breaking vote. (Tom Williams)

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Despite the limited votes Gabbard can afford to lose, Republicans appear to be confident about her odds. This was signaled through the White House dispatching Vance to Europe for events and meetings during the time of Gabbard’s cloture and confirmation votes. If Republicans expected to need Vance to break a tie in the upper chamber, they likely would not have slated her vote for this week.

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 10, 2025
McDonald’s takes massive sales hit from E. Coli outbreak

Former McDonald’s CEO Jim Skinner analyzes the state of fast food industry as the U.S. economy slows on ‘The Claman Countdown.’

McDonald’s sales took a significant hit in its latest quarter due to an E. coli outbreak linked to slivered onions that killed one person and sent over two dozen to the hospital.

CEO Chris Kempczinski told analysts during an earnings call on Monday that sales at U.S. stores slipped 1.4% during the fourth quarter, which was largely attributed to the “impact of the E. coli outbreak linked to slivered onions on our Quarter Pounders.”

The company reported revenue of $6.39 billion, missing Wall Street estimates of $6.44 billion.

Federal health officials declared that the outbreak was “closed” in December, after illnesses emerged in late October. There were 104 confirmed cases of the E. coli O157:H7 strain across 14 states, with hospitalizations climbing to 34. Four victims had developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can cause kidney failure, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). One death was linked to the outbreak early on, the CDC said.

GROCER WEIGHS IN ON DEADLY BOAR’S HEAD RECALL SHIFTING HOW CONSUMERS SHOP IN STORES

The raw onions served as a topping on Quarter Pounders were found to be the likely source of the outbreak after beef was ruled out. The agency said it has completed inspections at the Colorado processing plant of Taylor Farms, which supplied recalled onions to McDonald’s, and an unnamed onion farm in Washington state.

A Quarter Pounder hamburger is served at a McDonald’s restaurant. (Scott Olson/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Upon discovery of the outbreak, McDonald’s removed Quarter Pounders from the menu at 900 of its restaurants in the impacted areas and stopped purchasing onions processed at Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs facility.

Executives said that the company had been seeing “strong sales” during the first few weeks of October before the outbreak emerged.

In the fourth quarter, while there was slightly positive traffic at U.S. stores, the company said customers were spending less. Part of the issue was that its Quarter Pounder was “a high margin” item, according to executives.

Kempczinski said the E. coli impact is now “localized to the areas that had the biggest impact.”

A sign is posted in front of a McDonald’s restaurant on April 28, 2022, in San Leandro, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“Think about that as sort of the Rocky Mountain region. That was really the epicenter of the issue. And that continues to be down versus where we were heading into that impact,” he said, adding that the impact is contained to that region.

80,000 POUNDS OF COSTCO BUTTER RECALLED FOR LACKING DISCLAIMER ABOUT MILK

The company expects to have fully recovered from the food safety issues by the beginning of the fiscal second quarter.

Following the outbreak, executives said the company invested in “value, affordability and obviously in digital offers to get consumers back” and regain trust.

Ticker Security Last Change Change %

MCD MCDONALD’S CORP. 308.59 +14.26 +4.84%

McDonald’s plans to further enhance its value programs in the first quarter “to ensure that we are offering industry leading value and with good value at the foundation.”

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Still, CFO Ian Borden told analysts that its approach to 2025 “reflects the current environment of softer, declining restaurant industry traffic in the U.S. and many of our larger markets.”

February 10, 2025
Trump says he ordered firing of military academies’ Board of Visitors

President Donald Trump says he is dismissing members of the Board of Visitors for each of the U.S. military service academies on Monday.

Trump made the announcement on social media, saying the dismissals would impact the Boards of Visitors for the U.S. Army Academy, or West Point, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy and the Coast Guard Academy. Each academy’s Board of Visitors is tasked with influencing and maintaining the curriculum and culture at the schools.

The boards consist of appointees from various sources, with six members being chosen by the president, four from the speaker of the House, three from the vice president, and one each from the House and Senate Armed Services committees.

The White House did not immediately clarify whether Trump’s Monday order dismisses all members of the boards or only those who are presidential appointees.

HOUSE DEMOCRAT DITCHES DOGE CAUCUS, SAYS MUSK IS ‘BLOWING THINGS UP’

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. (Getty Images / Fox News Digital)

“Our Service Academies have been infiltrated by Woke Leftist Ideologues over the last four years. I have ordered the immediate dismissal of the Board of Visitors for the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard. We will have the strongest Military in History, and that begins by appointing new individuals to these Boards. We must make the Military Academies GREAT AGAIN!” Trump wrote Monday.

TRUMP DOD CREATES TASK FORCE TO ABOLISH DEI OFFICES THAT ‘PROMOTE SYSTEMIC RACISM’

Each of the academies declined to comment and deferred to the White House when contacted by Fox News Digital.

The move is the latest effort by Trump’s administration to combat “woke” influences across the federal government. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has vowed to dismantle DEI within the Pentagon and across America’s armed forces.

Trump’s administration has vowed to dismantle DEI initiatives in the Defense Department. (DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)

Hegseth said this weekend that he is also welcoming Elon Musk’s DOGE into the agency to streamline processes and “cut tail to put it to tooth,” he said Sunday on the Fox News Channel.

“We know in a world where America’s $37 trillion in debt, resources will not be unlimited, so every dollar we can find that isn’t being spent wisely is one we can put toward a warfighter, so we welcome DOGE at DOD,” he told “Sunday Morning Futures” anchor Maria Bartiromo.

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

Billionaire Elon Musk is leading the charge to gut spending across the federal government. ( Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

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The former “Fox & Friends Weekend” host took the helm at the DOD last month after a deadlocked Senate confirmation vote ended with Vice President JD Vance’s tiebreaker.

Since then, he has overseen overhauls of Biden-era policies, including DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) initiatives within the agency.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to [email protected], or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

February 10, 2025
Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl on supersonic flight without audible sonic boom

Boom Supersonic founder and CEO Blake Scholl, whose company is working to develop supersonic passenger aircraft, discuses how it is possible to fly at supersonic speeds without a sonic boom being audible on the ground below.

Boom Supersonic, a company working to develop passenger aircraft capable of traveling faster than the speed of sound, announced that its planes will be able to fly at supersonic speeds without the sonic boom being audible on the ground below.

The company says that it accomplished the feat during a test flight of its XB-1 aircraft late last month.

“During its historic first supersonic flight on January 28, 2025, Boom’s demonstrator aircraft, XB-1, broke the sound barrier three times without generating a sonic boom that reached the ground, demonstrating that quiet supersonic travel is possible,” the aviation company noted in a press release on Monday. “Specialized microphone arrays placed in strategic locations under the flight path confirmed that sonic booms did not reach the ground as XB-1 flew at a top speed of Mach 1.12.”

Fast flights sans the sonic boom sound on the ground are possible due to the concept known as “Mach cutoff,” Boom Supersonic’s founder and CEO Blake Scholl explained.

In a thread on X, Scholl said, “It’s actually well-known physics called Mach cutoff. When an aircraft breaks the sound barrier at a sufficiently high altitude, the boom refracts in the atmosphere and curls upward without reaching the ground. It makes a U-turn before anyone can hear it.”

BOOM SUPERSONIC XB-1 BREAKS SOUND BARRIER DURING TEST FLIGHT

Boom Supersonic founder and CEO Blake Scholl speaks to Fox News Digital on Feb. 10, 2025. (Fox News Digital)

“Just as a light ray bends as it goes through a glass of water, sound rays bend as they go through media with varying speeds of sound. Speed of sound varies with temperature… and temperature varies with altitude. With colder temperatures aloft, sonic booms bend upward,” he noted.

“This means that sonic booms can make a U-turn in the atmosphere without ever touching the ground. The height of the U varies—with the aircraft speed, with atmospheric temperature gradient, and with winds. So making this work requires tech not available in Concorde’s era,” he indicated on X.

Scholl suggested that this could be possible with speeds as fast as Mach 1.3.

“Top speed for Boomless Cruise varies with weather and can be as high as Mach 1.3—but will usually be between Mach 1.1 and Mach 1.2. At higher speeds, the geometry doesn’t work and a boom will still reach the ground,” he tweeted.

Scholl told Fox News Digital during an interview on Monday that the ability to consistently avoid audible sonic booms will be “very reliable.”

CRAZIEST AIR TRAVEL MOMENTS OF 2024

Top Gun graduate Brig. Gen. Jim Demarest discusses the role supersonic flight will play in the future of commercial aviation on ‘Varney & Co.’

While supersonic flight over land is not currently permitted, Scholl hopes that will change.

“Currently, all civil aircraft flights are prohibited from operating above Mach one speeds over land in the United States. Aircraft companies seeking to advance the testing of civil supersonic aircraft require a special flight authorization,” according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Scholl said that the president could issue an executive order directing the FAA to allow for supersonic flight over land as long as there is not an audible sonic boom.

Though frequent fliers may find the prospect of dramatically slashing their travel times exciting, they will have to keep waiting as the company works to develop its Overture passenger aircraft.

Scholl said the company will begin building the first Overture aircraft at its factory in North Carolina in around 18 months and the first one will “roll off the line” in around three years, with the goal for passengers to be able to buy tickets aboard the supersonic planes by the end of 2029.

UNITED AIRLINES FIRST US CARRIER TO RESUME SERVICE TO ISRAEL

FOX Business correspondent Grady Trimble speaks with Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl after the aviation company’s test flight on ‘Varney & Co.’

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“Overture’s order book stands at 130 aircraft, including orders and pre-orders from American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines. Boom is working with Northrop Grumman for government and defense applications of Overture,” the company noted in its press release.

The company’s XB-1 aircraft is conducting its second supersonic test flight today.

February 10, 2025
Department of Veterans Affairs cancels $178K in subscriptions to Politico Pro

The Department of Veterans Affairs canceled $178,000 in subscriptions to Politico Pro, VA Secretary Doug Collins announced Monday.

Collins announced the move on X, saying his office had only recently become aware of the contract. The cancelation comes after President Donald Trump’s administration revealed that the federal government had paid over $8 million to Politico in subscription fees in recent years.

“Ran across a $178,000 contract VA had with Politico and we promptly canceled it. That money can be better spent on Veterans health care!” Collins wrote.

EX-POLITICO REPORTERS REVEAL EDITORS QUASHED, SLOW-WALKED NEGATIVE BIDEN STORIES ‘WITH NO EXPLANATION’

The VA canceled a nearly $200,000 contract with Politico this week. (Screenshot/Politico, (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images) )

“It’s a new day at VA,” Collins told Fox News Digital. “We’re putting Veterans at the center of everything the department does, focusing relentlessly on customer service and convenience. We’re working every day to find new and better ways of helping VA beneficiaries. That means cutting wasteful spending and redirecting resources toward programs that benefit Veterans, families, survivors and caregivers.”

TOP DEM STRATEGISTS WARN USAID FUNDING FIGHT IS A ‘TRAP’ FOR THE PARTY

The move comes after Politico denied claims that it was a “beneficiary of government programs” last week upon revelations of millions of dollars worth of contracts with federal agencies.

“As surely many of you saw today, there was a spirited discussion at the White House and among officials connected to the Department of Government Efficiency on the subject of government subscriptions for journalism products, at POLITICO and other news organizations,” Politico’s CEO Goli Sheikholeslami and editor-in-chief John Harris jointly wrote to staff on Wednesday in a memo obtained by Fox News Digital.

“This is a fine conversation to have, and we welcome it. The value of POLITICO subscriptions is validated daily in the marketplace. Some parts of today’s conversation, however, were confusing and left some people with false understandings. For this reason, we want you to hear from us on several points.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a briefing at the White House on Wednesday, Feb. 5. (AP/Evan Vucci)

Sheikholeslami and Harris stressed Politico “has never been a beneficiary of government programs or subsidies—not one cent, ever, in 18 years” and touted that its subscription service Politico Pro “provides both private and public sector clients with granular, fact-based reporting, real-time intelligence, and tracking tools across key policy areas.”

There was speculation on social media that the $8 million in question all came from USAID, the agency currently being targeted by DOGE co-founder Elon Musk, but only $44,000 of it came from that agency. Base subscriptions are typically between $12,000 and $15,000 for three users.

VA Secretary Doug Collins announced he was cutting a six-figure contract with Politico.

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Politico received taxpayer funding for its costly subscription service from elsewhere in the federal government. The Department of Health and Human Services led the way, with $1.37 million followed by $1.35 million from the Department of the Interior, according to USAspending.gov.

The Department of Energy paid Politico $1.29 million, the Department of Agriculture paid $552,024 and the Department of Commerce paid $485,572.

Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to [email protected], or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

February 10, 2025
Trump to pardon former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, Fox News confirms

President Donald Trump is expected to pardon former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, Fox News has learned.

Blagojevich, a former “Celebrity Apprentice” contestant, served eight years in prison on charges stemming from his effort to sell Barack Obama’s Senate seat after Obama won the 2008 presidential election.

Former Illinois governor and convicted felon Rod Blagojevich speaks to the press outside the Dirksen Federal Courthouse on Aug. 2, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Trump commuted his 14-year sentence in 2020.

Fox News’ Pat Ward contributed to this report. This is a developing news story. Check back for updates.

Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on X: @danimwallace.

February 10, 2025
Tiger Woods withdraws from Genesis Invitational after death of mom

Tiger Woods announced Monday he will no longer participate in the Genesis Invitational as he was still “processing” the death of his mother.

Woods revealed last week that his mother, Kultida, had died. She was 78.

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Kultida Woods watches as her son plays in the Honda Classic, Feb. 24, 2018, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

“I planned to tee it up this week, but I’m just not ready,” Woods said in a statement. “I did my best to prepare, knowing it’s what my Mom would have wanted, but I’m still processing her loss.

“Thanks to everyone who has reached out. I hope to be at Torrey later in the week and appreciate the continued kindness since my Mom’s passing.”

Woods golfed with President Donald Trump on Sunday before the commander in chief took off for New Orleans to attend Super Bowl LIX, according to a White House official.

TRUMP GOLFS WITH TIGER WOODS AHEAD OF EXPECTED SUPER BOWL LIX VISIT

Tiger Woods, hugs his mother, Kultida Woods, during a news conference, Feb. 19, 2010, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

Trump sent his condolences to Woods and his family after the golfer announced the death of his mother.

“I was just informed that Tiger Woods’ wonderful Mother, Kultida, passed away — She has gone onto greener fairways!” Trump’s wrote in a post. “Kultida Woods was an amazing influence on Tiger, and gave him much of his strength and brilliance. Melania and I send our love and prayers to Tiger and his incredible family!”

Woods’ foundation organizes the Genesis Invitational. The event does not have cut line. If he did participate, it would have been his first tournament since he had a microdiscectomy in September to alleviate pain in his legs.

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Tiger Woods waves to fans at the start of a match of the TMRW Golf League against Boston Common Golf, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

The event is set to take place at Torrey Pines this season instead of Riviera because of the wildfires that plagued the Los Angeles area in January.

Fox News’ Ryan Canfield contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

February 10, 2025
The confirmation juggernaut: How Trump is getting everything he wants in building his Cabinet

President Donald Trump is getting what he wants.

Specifically, who he wants to serve in his administration.

The nomination of former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., for attorney general last November?

That was a lifetime ago. Pushed out. Withdrawn. Unconfirmable. Whatever you want to call it.

OUT OF POWER: DEMOCRATS DISORIENTED IN FIGHT AGAINST TRUMP AGENDA

Trump Capitol split image (Getty Images)

The Senate has already confirmed at least one nominee whom political experts deemed as potentially unconfirmable a few weeks ago: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth skated through to confirmation with three GOP nays. But Vice President JD Vance broke a tie. It was only the second time in U.S. history that the Senate confirmed a Cabinet secretary on a tiebreaking vote by the vice president.

And by the end of the week, the Senate will likely confirm two other controversial nominees who at one point seemed to be a stretch. The Senate votes Monday night to break a filibuster on the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard to serve as Director of National Intelligence. Her confirmation vote likely comes Wednesday. After that, the Senate likely crushes a filibuster on the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as Health and Human Services Secretary. The Senate could confirm Kennedy by late Thursday.

THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO HOUSE REPUBLICANS RELEASING THEIR TAX AND SPENDING CUT PLAN

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s choice to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, appears before the Senate Finance Committee for his confirmation hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite)

It was unthinkable in November that Trump may be able to muscle through certain nominees. But this is a confirmation juggernaut. Yes, challenges await former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., who’s up for Labor Secretary. Some Republicans believe Chavez-DeRemer is too pro-labor. And the Department of Education may not be around long enough for the Senate to ever confirm Education Secretary nominee Linda McMahon. But so far, Republicans are sticking together.

Many Senate Republicans aren’t willing to buck the president. They believe the GOP owes its majority in the House and Senate to him. So they’re willing to defer to Mr. Trump. Moreover, some Republicans worry about the president hammering them on Truth Social or engineering a primary challenge against them. Or, perhaps just pressuring them.

Groups aligned with the president went after Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, late last year after her initial meeting with Hegseth. Ernst served in the military and is a sexual assault survivor. In an interview on Fox, Ernst suggested she wasn’t on board with Hegseth yet and wanted “a thorough vetting.” But weeks later, Ernst came around and gave Hegseth the green light following a second meeting.

Pete Hegseth is surrounded by his wife Jennifer Rauchet and his 7 children as he is sworn in as the new Secretary of Defense by Vice-President JD Vance at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House in Washington, DC, on Jan. 25, 2025. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP)

Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., dodged reporters’ questions in the hallways for several days about his stance on Gabbard.

“We’re not taking any questions!” an aide hollered brusquely as the senator tried to evade the Capitol Hill press corps in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The same thing happened the next day.

“Sorry, we’re not taking questions today. Sorry guys, we’re not taking questions today. Thank you though. Appreciate it,” said an aide as Young maneuvered through the halls.

Young didn’t tip his hand on Gabbard until the Intelligence Committee prepared to vote on the nomination and send it to the floor. Young released a letter from Gabbard where the nominee apparently allayed the senator’s concerns.

“There was certain language I wanted her to embrace,” said Young.

In particular, he wanted Gabbard to state she wouldn’t push for a pardon for spy Edward Snowden.

TULSI GABBARD EXPLAINS WHY SHE WON’T CALL EDWARD SNOWDEN A ‘TRAITOR’ AHEAD OF TOUGH COMMITTEE VOTE

Nominee for Director of National Security Tulsi Gabbard, left, and Edward Snowden pictured in Moscow Russia, right. (AP/Getty)

Gabbard once advocated that a pardon was in order for Snowden – even though he made off with perhaps the biggest heist of U.S. intelligence secrets of all time – and fled to Moscow.

The committee then voted 9-8 to send Gabbard’s nomination to the floor with a positive recommendation toward confirmation.

What made the difference to Young?

He spoke with President Trump. He spoke with Vance. He even spoke with Elon Musk.

“Was there any implication that there would be recriminations if you voted a different way?” asked yours truly.

“Never an intimation,” said Young. “I think something the American people don’t understand is that this process sometimes takes a while.”

He argued that obtaining reassurances followed the process that “our Founding Fathers wanted people like myself to” do.

The road to a prospective confirmation for RFK Jr. isn’t all that different.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., is a a physician and chairs the Senate Health Committee. After Kennedy’s hearing with that panel, Cassidy signaled he wasn’t prepared to support the nominee yet and wanted to talk with him over the weekend. Cassidy was perplexed by RFK Jr.’s stance on vaccines. But Cassidy was in RFK Jr.’s camp when it came time for the Senate Finance Committee to vote on the nomination a few days later.

TRUMP’S HEALTH SECRETARY NOMINEE RFK JR CLEARS SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE CONFIRMATION VOTE

Left: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy. Right: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Health and Human Services. (Left: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Right: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“Mr. Kennedy and the administration committed that he and I would have an unprecedentedly close, collaborative working relationship if he is confirmed,” said Cassidy. “We will meet or speak multiple times a month. This collaboration will allow us to work well together and therefore to be more effective.”

Cassidy’s support dislodged RFK Jr.’s nomination from committee and sent it to the floor. That’s why, like Gabbard, he’s on cruise control for a confirmation vote later this week.

What made the difference in salvaging these nominations which once teetered on the edge?

Multiple Senate Republicans point to their former colleague, Vance.

Vance has worked quietly in the shadows, leaning on his relationship with senators, to convince skeptical Republicans into a comfort zone with controversial nominees. The Trump Administration saw how quickly the nomination of Matt Gaetz evaporated last fall. There was worry that robust GOP pushback could jeopardize an entire slate of nominees.

So has Vance deployed soft power with senators? Or has he dispelled concerns through brute force? Judge for yourself.

Vice President JD Vance reacts after the Electoral College vote was ratified during a joint session of Congress to ratify the 2024 Presidential election at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Consider what the vice president said about the role of senators during an interview on Fox last month:

“You don’t have to agree with everything Bobby Kennedy has ever said. You don’t have to agree with everything that Tulsi Gabbard has ever said,” said Vance of Republican senators. “You are meant to ask, ‘Do they have the qualifications and the character to do this job?’ The person who decides whether they should be nominated in the first place, he was the guy elected by the American people. That’s President Trump.”

The Senate has confirmed 13 of Trump’s nominees so far. Eleven obtained bipartisan support. Secretary of State Marco Rubio marshaled the votes of all 47 senators who caucus with the Democrats. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum secured 27 Democratic yeas. Attorney General Pam Bondi scored one Democratic yes. That was Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn.

JOHN FETTERMAN REVEALS HOW HE’LL VOTE ON TRUMP’S TULSI GABBARD AND RFK JR. NOMINATIONS

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, then-Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, accompanied by Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Pa., speaks in Philadelphia, Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022. (The Associated Press)

But Budget Director Russ Vought and Hegseth failed to win over any Democrats. That’s probably the same case with the upcoming confirmation votes for Gabbard and Kennedy. Not only do Democrats object to these nominees, but their base is compelling major pushback after the administration shuttered USAID and DOGE is mining for cuts – without congressional assistance.

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Some Democrats, like Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., believe that presidents deserve to have a cabinet of people they choose – unless they are egregious nominees or unqualified. But now Democrats are flexing their muscles. That’s why the Senate was in all night leading up to the confirmation vote of Vought. Democrats will likely require the Senate to burn all available time on Gabbard and Kennedy.

But Trump is getting what he wants when it comes to confirmations. Most Senate Republicans are unwilling to push back. And Democrats can make the Senate run the clock and speak out against nominees. But, proper or not, there is now a confirmation juggernaut for the president in the Senate.

Chad Pergram currently serves as a senior congressional correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based out of Washington, D.C.

February 10, 2025