Tag: Department
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White House press secretary on reports Trump will disband education department
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt breaks down President Donald Trump’s ‘day one’ goal as president during an appearance on ‘Varney & Co.’
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to reports that President Donald Trump is planning to use executive actions to dismantle the Department of Education during an interview on FOX Business, Tuesday.
“President Trump campaigned on that promise, and I think the American people can expect him to deliver on it,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Stuart Varney on “Varney & Co.” in response to a question on whether she can confirm Trump’s plan.
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION REVERSES COURSE, REOPENS INCOME-BASED STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAMS
Leavitt expanded, stating that it “goes back to his wanting to make this government accountable to the American taxpayer.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pictured alongside President Donald Trump. (Fox News / Fox News)
“When you look at the literacy rates, the math and the reading rates of young children and students in America, they are not good. Our nation’s report card was released last week, and it showed that only 40% of fourth graders are reading at a proficient level. So clearly, the tens of millions of dollars that the Department of Education is spending every single year is not working. And President Trump wants to empower parents to have a greater say in their child’s education system,” she continued.
Officials reportedly discussed an executive order that would shut down the functions not written into the statute of the department, or move certain functions to other agencies.
TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDERS STRIPPING FEDERAL FUNDING FROM SCHOOLS THAT TEACH CRT, SUPPORTING SCHOOL CHOICE
As the president starts to take action on education, a White House official confirmed to Fox that Trump plans to reevaluate the future of the Education Department throughout his presidency.
Last Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on education, one to remove federal funding from K-12 schools that teach critical race theory (CRT), and another to support school choice.
Chair of the Center for Education Opportunity at the America First Policy Institute Erika Donalds reveals the importance of school choice on ‘Varney & Co.’
The executive order states that any K-12 school that does not comply with the directive to end discrimination will lose all federal funding, citing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination over race, color, and national origin for any activity or program receiving federal funding.
According to Leavitt, closing down the Department of Education could be next on Trump’s agenda.
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Fox News’ Rachel Del Guidice contributed to this report.
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Senate confirms Doug Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs
The Senate confirmed former Rep. Doug Collins to lead the Department of Veterans’ Affairs on Tuesday.
Collins scored one of the widest bipartisan votes of any Trump Cabinet nominee so far: 77 to 23. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was confirmed 99-0.
The Air Force Reserve chaplain served in Congress from 2013 to 2021, where he defended President Donald Trump during the 2019 impeachment inquiry.
Collins also passed through the Veterans’ Affairs Committee on a wide bipartisan vote – only Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, had voted against him.
Collins will now head off an agency marred by budget shortfalls, millions paid out to executives who weren’t eligible to receive them, and complaints from veterans of long wait times for care. It’ll be his first time leading an organization as sprawling as the VA and its 400,000 employees and 1,300 health facilities.
HAWAII’S HIRONO ONLY SENATOR TO VOTE NO ON COLLINS, CONTINUING PARTISAN STREAK AT HEARINGS
Former Representative Doug Collins (R-GA), U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Veterans Affairs, testifies before a Senate Veterans Affairs committee confirmation hearing
“I do not come into this with rose-colored glasses. This is a large undertaking that I feel called to be at,” Collins said. “When a veteran has to call a congressman or senator’s office to get the care they have already earned, it’s a mark of failure.”
In response to questions about Trump’s focus on budget cuts and a hiring freeze, Collins said he would work to ensure that did not come at the expense of veterans’ care.
“I’m gonna take care of the veterans. That means that we’re not gonna balance budgets on the back of veterans benefits.”
Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., is pictured during his failed 2020 Senate bid (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Collins said he aligned with Trump on allowing veterans choice for their healthcare. Trump during his first term pushed through the Mission Act, which allowed veterans to choose the VA or private care in their communities.
“I believe you can have both. I believe you have a strong VA as it currently exists and have the community care aspect,” he said.
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Democrats repeatedly asked Collins to promise not to privatize the VA, so many times that Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., asked him to “pinky swear” not to do it. Collins held up his pinky to promise that would not happen.
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Rubio says he’s USAID acting director as State Department absorbs agency
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that he is now the acting director of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Rubio told this to reporters while taking questions from the press in El Salvador.
“USAID is not functioning. It has to be aligned with US policy. It needs to be aligned with the national interest of the US,” he said. “They’re not a global charity these are taxpayer dollars. People are asking simple questions. What are they doing with the money? We are spending taxpayers money. We owe the taxpayers assurances that it furthers our national interest.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives to watch as people board a repatriation flight bound for Colombia at Albrook Airport in Panama City on February 3, 2025. Rubio is in Panama on a two-day official visit. (MARK SCHIEFELBEIN/Pool AP/AFP via Getty Images)
“I am the acting director,” he confirmed when asked if he is now in charge. “Our goal was to allow our foreign aid with the national interest. It has been 20 or 30 years. They have tried to reform it. That will not continue.”
USAID staffers were instructed earlier Monday to stay out of the agency’s Washington headquarters after Elon Musk announced President Donald Trump had agreed with him to shut the agency. Thousands of USAID employees already had been laid off and programs shut down.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
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Justice Department moves to prosecution of Trump co-defendants, ending classified documents case
The Justice Department filed a motion Wednesday to drop all criminal proceedings against two former Trump co-defendants charged in the special counsel’s classified documents case, putting a final end to the probe more than two years after it began.
The request for the charges to be dropped was filed Wednesday by the acting U.S. attorney in Miami, Hayden O’Byrne, without explanation.
The co-defendants, Carlos De Oliveira, a Mar-a-Lago property manager, and Walt Nauta, a valet at the property, were charged alongside President Donald Trump in the classified documents case led by former Special Counsel Jack Smith.
WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY DEFENDS TRUMP’S FIRING OF INSPECTORS GENERAL
Special Counsel Jack Smith arrives to offer remarks on an indictment including four felony counts against former President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Smith was tapped by Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 to investigate both the alleged effort by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, as well as his keeping of allegedly classified documents at his Florida residence after leaving the White House.
Both investigations were halted shortly after Trump won election for the second time in 2024, in keeping with long-standing Justice Department policy against investigating a sitting president.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT LOOKING TO WIND DOWN TRUMP CRIMINAL CASES AHEAD OF INAUGURATION
Photos from Mar-a-Lago that were included in the special counsel indictment of former President Donald Trump. (U.S. Department of Justice)
But the charges against Nauta and De Oliveira still stood.
Attorneys for two of Trump’s former co-defendants in the classified documents case filed an emergency motion to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to block the report’s publication earlier this year, alleging that their civilian clients would “irreparably suffer harm” as a result of its release.
A U.S. Coast Guard boat patrols outside the Mar-a-Lago Club on Nov. 8, 2024, across from West Palm Beach, Florida. ( Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
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Both had been charged with conspiring with Trump to obstruct an investigation, and making false statements to the FBI.
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Senate poised to approve Trump Transportation Department pick Sean Duffy
The Senate is scheduled to vote Tuesday to confirm President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Transportation Department, Sean Duffy.
The Senate voted Monday to advance Duffy’s nomination by a margin of 97-0, and his confirmation is expected Tuesday.
Duffy, who previously represented Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, appeared before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee this month and outlined his priorities for the Transportation Department including aviation and highway safety, addressing the air traffic controller shortage and restoring trust in Boeing following several major scandals.
TRUMP’S TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY NOMINEE ADVANCES TO FINAL SENATE VOTE
Sean Duffy greets Senators at his confirmation hearing on Jan. 15 with the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. (Fox News Digital/Charlie Creitz)
“No federal agency impacts Americans’ daily lives and loved ones like the Department of Transportation,” Duffy told lawmakers at his confirmation hearing on Jan. 15.
“We want the best and the brightest air traffic controllers. We must modernize our systems with cutting edge technologies. I’ll work with Congress and the FAA to restore global confidence in Boeing, and to ensure that our skies are safe,” he said.
Duffy also vowed to initiate work on rebuilding a portion of Interstate 40 near the North Carolina-Tennessee line shut down by extensive Hurricane Helene damage in September.
TULSI GABBARD, RFK JR. EXPECTED TO FACE OPPOSITION IN SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARINGS
Sean Duffy at his confirmation hearing for Secretary of Transportation on Jan. 15. (Fox News Digital/Charlie Creitz)
“We’re continuing to try to work through this process to get that rebuild, but we need to know this will be front and center with you so we can get that interstate rebuilt and reopened,” Duffy said.
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Meanwhile, Trump visited North Carolina on Friday and promised some reforms to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that has overseen recovery of North Carolina following the hurricane.
“We’re going to fix it, and we’re going to fix it as fast as you can,” Trump said Friday. “It’s a massive amount of damage. FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down.”
Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
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Justice Department fires more than a dozen key officials on former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team
EXCLUSIVE: The Justice Department is firing more than a dozen key officials who worked on Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team prosecuting President Donald Trump, after Acting Attorney General James McHenry said they could not be trusted in “faithfully implementing the president’s agenda,” Fox News Digital has learned.
McHenry has transmitted a letter to each official notifying them of their termination, a Justice Department official exclusively told Fox News Digital.
TRUMP TO TAKE MORE THAN 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY ONE
It is unclear how many officials received that letter. The names of the individuals were not immediately released.
Donald Trump and Jack Smith (Getty Images)
“Today, Acting Attorney General James McHenry terminated the employment of a number of DOJ officials who played a significant role in prosecuting President Trump,” a DOJ official told Fox News Digital. “In light of their actions, the Acting Attorney General does not trust these officials to assist in faithfully implementing the President’s agenda.”
This action “is consistent with the mission of ending the weaponization of government,” the official told Fox News Digital.
The move comes after the Justice Department reassigned more than a dozen officials in the first week of the Trump administration to a Sanctuary City task force and other measures.
DOJ RELEASES FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH’S REPORT ON INVESTIGATION INTO TRUMP ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE
It also comes after Trump vowed to end the weaponization of the federal government.
Former Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith, a former Justice Department official, as special counsel in November 2022.
Smith, a former assistant U.S. attorney and chief to the DOJ’s public integrity section, led the investigation into Trump’s retention of classified documents after leaving the White House and whether the former president obstructed the federal government’s investigation into the matter.
HOUSE WEAPONIZATION PANEL RELEASES 17,000-PAGE REPORT EXPOSING ‘TWO-TIERED SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT’
Smith was also tasked with overseeing the investigation into whether Trump or other officials and entities interfered with the peaceful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election, including the certification of the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6, 2021.
Smith charged Trump in both cases, but Trump pleaded not guilty.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan created the subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government during the previous Congress. (Andrew Harnik/The Associated Press )
The classified records case was dismissed in July 2024 by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida Judge Aileen Cannon, who ruled that Smith was unlawfully appointed as special counsel.
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Smith charged Trump in the U.S. District Court for Washington D.C. in his 2020 election case, but after Trump was elected president, Smith sought to dismiss the case. Judge Tanya Chutkan granted that request.
Both cases were dismissed.
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Rubio pauses foreign aid from State Department, USAID
Secretary of State Marco Rubio paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to allow the Trump administration to review if the money puts “America First.”
On Sunday, the State Department released a statement about falling in step with President Donald Trump’s executive order to reevaluate and realign foreign aid from the U.S.
“Consistent with President Trump’s Executive Order on Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid, Secretary [Marco] Rubio has paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for review,” the statement read. “He is initiating a review of all foreign assistance programs to ensure they are efficient and consistent with U.S. foreign policy under the America First agenda. President Trump stated clearly that the United States is no longer going to blindly dole out money with no return for the American people.”
The statement continued, saying the review and alignment of foreign assistance on behalf of taxpayers is a “moral imperative,” adding that Rubio is proud to protect America’s investment “with a deliberate and judicious review” of how the money is spent on aiding foreign countries overseas.
AFTER RAUCOUS FIRST WEEK IN OFFICE, DONALD TRUMP TO KEEP HIS FOOT ON THE GAS
The front of the U.S. Agency of International Development (USAID) headquarters building is seen on September 15, 2014, in Washington, DC.
“The implementation of this Executive Order and the Secretary’s direction furthers that mission,” the statement read. “As Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said, ‘Every dollar we spend, every program we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified with the answer to three simple questions: Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?’”
The announcement comes after the Trump administration ordered staffers with USAID to stop providing foreign aid worldwide or face “disciplinary action” for not complying.
Reuters reported that the Trump administration sent a sharply-worded memo to more than 10,000 staff members at USAID on Saturday, offering a “stop-work” directive from Friday that put a freeze on U.S. foreign aid around the world.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION NEEDS MORE PLANES TO CARRY OUT DEPORTATIONS: REPORT
President Donald Trump wants all foriegn aid to put “America First.” (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The wire service reviewed the memo and said it laid out expectations for the workforce on how to achieve Trump’s goals to put “America First.”
“We have a responsibility to support the President in achieving his vision,” Ken Jackson, assistant to the administrator for management and resources wrote in the internal memo, titled “Message and Expectation to the Workforce.”
“The President has given us a tremendous opportunity to transform the way we approach foreign assistance for decades to come,” the memo added. Reuters reported that it confirmed the authenticity of the memo with several sources.
SPEAKER JOHNSON INVITES TRUMP TO ADDRESS CONGRESS AMID BUSY FIRST 100-DAY SPRINT
Secretary of State Marco Rubio paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Trump ordered a 90-day pause in foreign aid just hours after taking office, to review if the funding was in line with his foreign policy priorities.
On Friday, the State Department issued a pause on aid worldwide.
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The U.S. is the largest donor of aid globally. During fiscal year 2023, the U.S. dispersed $72 billion in assistance. It also provided 42% of all humanitarian aid tracked by the United Nations in 2024.
Fox News Digital has reached out to USAID for comment.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Kristi Noem sworn in as Department of Homeland Security secretary after bipartisan Senate vote
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was sworn in as Department of Homeland Security secretary by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at his home Saturday, following a scheduling hiccup earlier in the day.
The ceremony, which was originally slated to take place in the Indian Treaty Room inside the Navy Department Wing of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., at 3 p.m., was postponed multiple times.
Noem shared a video of the moment on X, just after 6:30 p.m.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas swears in Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry looks on. (X / @LAGovJeffLandry)
SENATE CONFIRMS KRISTI NOEM AS TRUMP’S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY
“It is such an honor to be sworn in as the United States Secretary of Homeland Security,” she wrote in the post. “It was made even more meaningful by being sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at his home. Thank you, President [Donald] Trump for putting your trust in me to help keep America safe.”
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry shared photos of the event on X, just before 6 p.m., expressing confidence in Noem filling the role.
“Sharon and I were honored to be a part of the swearing in ceremony for Homeland Security Secretary, @KristiNoem,” Landry wrote in the post. “America will be safer and stronger because of her and @realDonaldTrump [President Donald Trump]’s leadership. And once again Americans will be put FIRST!”
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, left, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and first lady Sharon Landry. (X / @LAGovJeffLandry)
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Sen Bernie Moreno and Sen Mike Rounds were in attendance in the Indian Treaty Room, awaiting the initial ceremony, Fox News correspondents reported.
Taylor Van Kirk, a spokesperson for the vice president, told Fox News the swearing in was delayed “due to a scheduling conflict.”
“We are excited for the work she will do to bring much-needed change to DHS and to secure the border,” Kirk said.
KRISTI NOEM BEATS SENATE CONFIRMATION HURDLE, ADVANCING TO FINAL VOTE FOR DHS ROLE
Earlier in the day, the Senate voted 59-34 to confirm Noem as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, making her the fourth Trump nominee to win chamber approval.
One of Noem’s top priorities is securing the southern border and repairing the “broken immigration system,” she said.
“The Trump Administration will once-again empower our brave men and women in law enforcement to do their jobs and remove criminal aliens and illegal gangs from our country,” Noem wrote in a statement. “We will fully equip our intelligence and law enforcement to detect and prevent terror threats and will deliver rapid assistance and disaster relief to Americans in crisis.”
The Trump administration has already taken steps to secure the border, including deploying the military, restarting wall construction and ending the previous administration’s parole programs.
Before the swearing in, the president shouted out Noem, describing her as “tough,” at a rally in Las Vegas.
“I thank President Trump and the US Senate for their trust in me,” she wrote. “Together, we will ensure that the United States, once again, is a beacon of freedom, safety, and security for generations to come.”
Prior to her new role, Noem served as South Dakota’s first female governor. She pledged in 2021 that she would not take any more migrants from the Biden administration, and deployed the National Guard to the Texas border.
Noem, who was a rancher, farmer and small business owner, served in the South Dakota legislature before being elected as South Dakota’s sole member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
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Fox News’ Julia Johnson, Lillian Lecroy, and Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
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Senate confirms Kristi Noem as Trump’s Department of Homeland Security secretary
The Senate on Saturday voted to confirm South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, making her the fourth of President Donald Trump’s nominees to win approval from the chamber.
The vote was 59–34, with all Republicans present voting yes. Noem had been expected to be confirmed comfortably, having faced no significant issues during her confirmation hearing. Her nomination advanced out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee by a vote of 13–2. Only two Democrats voted against her.
Noem becomes the fourth of President Donald Trump’s picks to be confirmed, behind Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
KRISTI NOEM BEATS SENATE CONFIRMATION HURDLE, ADVANCING TO FINAL VOTE FOR DHS ROLE
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem will lead the Department of Homeland Security at a time when securing the border and tackling illegal immigration are top priorities for the new administration. ((Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images))
Noem will lead the department at a time when securing the border and tackling illegal immigration are top priorities for the new administration. The administration has taken a number of actions to secure the border, including deploying the military, restarting wall construction and ending Biden-era parole programs.
Meanwhile, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been launching deportation operations throughout the country to fulfill Trump’s promise of a “historic” operation.
The Department of Homeland Security has issued a slew of memos since Trump’s inauguration, ordering reviews of parole and expanding the ability of officials to quickly deport illegal immigrants from the U.S. who have recently arrived. Those memos have been signed by Acting Secretary Benjamine Huffman.
TRUMP DHS PICK NOEM PLEDGES TO END CONTROVERSIAL APP USED BY MIGRANTS ON ‘DAY ONE’
At her confirmation hearing, Noem pointed to other parts of the Homeland Security mission, including cybersecurity, disaster relief and counterterrorism.
As governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem pledged in 2021 not to take any more migrants from the Biden administration and also deployed the National Guard to the border in Texas. ((Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images))
“We must be vigilant and proactive and innovative to protect the homeland,” she said. “The challenges in front of us are extremely significant, and we must secure our borders against illegal trafficking and immigration. We must safeguard our critical infrastructure to make sure that we’re protected against cyber attacks, respond to natural disasters and also terrorism.”
However, she emphasized that border security is a “top priority.”
ICE have made a number of raids throughout the U.S. this week. (X/ @BillMelugin_)
“As a nation, we have the right and the responsibility to secure our borders against those who would do us harm. And we must create a fair and lawful immigration system that is efficient and is effective, and that reflects our values,” she said.
As governor, she pledged in 2021 not to take any more migrants from the Biden administration and also deployed the National Guard to the border in Texas. She also had experience with disaster response, working with federal officials to tackle floods that hit the state in June.
At her hearing, Noem was also asked about how she would work with border czar Tom Homan, who has been tapped to lead the deportation effort and secure the border.
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Noem responded by saying that she and Homan “work very well together and talk and communicate all the time. And we’ll be working together on a daily basis when we’re in our positions under the new administration. And I would say there’s no authority being planned to be taken away from the department or myself if I’m in the role.”
Fox News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report.