Happy New Year 2025

Tag: overhaul

Trump announces reciprocal tariffs in Truth Social post amid trade policy overhaul

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THIRD JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

February 15, 2025
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
Trump announces FEMA overhaul during visit to Helene-stricken North Carolina

President Donald Trump said he plans to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency as North Carolina still recovers from Hurricane Helene – more than 120 days after the storm struck the state.

“I’ll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA,” Trump told reporters in North Carolina Friday morning. I think, frankly, FEMA is not good.”

Trump also promised his administration would step in and assist North Carolina to fix the damage quickly, vowing to “do a good job” for the state.

“We’re going to fix it, and we’re going to fix it as fast as you can,” Trump said. “It’s a massive amount of damage. FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down. And I don’t know if that’s Biden’s fault or whose fault it is, but we’re going to take over. We’re going to do a good job.”

Trump also said he would like to see the states assume more responsibility when disaster strikes, arguing those familiar with the state are better equipped to provide disaster response and relief.

TRUMP, GOP LEADERS MEET AT WHITE HOUSE AS PRESIDENT PLANS VISIT TO NC, DEFENDS EXECUTIVE ORDERS

An aerial view of destroyed and damaged buildings in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene flooding on Oct. 8 in Bat Cave, N.C. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Trump also promised to work with three of the lawmakers whose areas were affected by Hurricane Helene, claiming that FEMA was “not on the ball” in assisting North Carolina in the aftermath of the hurricane.

“So we’re going to be doing something on FEMA that I think most people agree [with],” Trump said. “I’d like to see the states take care of disasters, let the state take care of the tornadoes and the hurricanes and all of the other things that happen. And I think you’re going to find it a lot less expensive. You’ll do it for less than half, and you’re going to get a lot quicker response.”

So far, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claim that only half of debris recovery for Hurricane Helene is complete. Additionally, thousands of families in North Carolina remain in hotels FEMA is footing the bill for under its Transitional Housing Assistance (TSA) program.

TRUMP SAYS NEWSOM IS TO ‘BLAME’ FOR ‘APOCALYPTIC’ WILDFIRES

Photo of Hurricane Helene aftermath provided to Fox News Digital by the office of Congresswoman Kat Cammack. (Office of Congresswoman Kat Cammack)

While these families were approaching a late January deadline that would have removed them from the hotels, FEMA announced this week it extended the deadline to May 26. In total, more than 3,000 families are eligible for the program extension.

“It’s been a horrible thing the way that’s been allowed to fester and we’re going to get it fixed up,” Trump told reporters at the White House Friday prior to departing for North Carolina. “It should have been done months ago from the hurricane that took place almost four months ago. North Carolina’s been treated very badly so we’re stopping there.”

FAST-MOVING HUGHES FIRE ERUPTS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY AS CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS ORDER EVACUATIONS

U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One as he departs for North Carolina at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S., January 24, 2025. (Leah Millis/Reuters)

Trump said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity that “Democrats don’t care about North Carolina” and that’s why he would visit the state for his first official trip as president during his second term.

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Trump is slated to visit California on Friday as well to survey the damage from wildfires that have ravaged the state this month.

“It looks like something hit it, we won’t talk about what hit it,” Trump said. “But it is a bad, bad situation.”

Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich and Aubrey Conklin contributed to this report.

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

January 24, 2025
Trump approves Defense Department social media overhaul

The Department of Defense (DOD) has ordered an immediate worldwide pause to its social media pages and is pausing all posts on all social media platforms, unless the posts have to do with U.S. military operations and deployments to protect the southern border, Fox News has learned.

The order came with President Donald Trump’s approval from the White House and will remain in place until his pick for defense secretary is confirmed and directs otherwise, two senior U.S. defense officials told Fox News.

The temporary pause is expected to last a matter of days, while guidance is given to every uniformed and civilian public affairs officer responsible for social media websites.

All social media posts should reflect an emphasis solely on “warfighting and lethality,” sources said.

FLASHBACK: WHITE HOUSE ACCUSED OF US FLAG CODE VIOLATION OVER PRIDE MONTH DISPLAY

Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, arrives for the 60th presidential inauguration Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

A senior defense official said the new administration wants to ensure that “all communications are aligned” with its goals. The pause only applies to social media posts. Press releases will still be emailed to reporters and posted on DOD websites, sources said.

Civilian and military public affairs officers worldwide will soon receive internal guidance on all posts and social media outreach for military recruiting, posts from DOD schools and posts from combatant commands on ongoing military operations.

Social media accounts will be shut down, and past content won’t be erased, but no new posts will be permitted until the future defense secretary, once confirmed, directs otherwise, a senior U.S. defense official explained to Fox News.

“The Department of Defense is reviewing its social media programming to make sure it aligns with President Trump’s priorities on readiness, lethality and warfighting,” a senior U.S. defense official told Fox News in a statement. “This pause does not apply for content and imagery relative to the DOD’s current border security operations announced yesterday by Acting Secretary of Defense Robert G. Salesses.”

Under previous administrations, including the Biden administration, the military had been criticized for social media posts focusing on what critics called “woke” priorities.

The U.S. Army in 2021 released an animated recruitment ad telling the story of an Army corporal with two moms as part of a recruitment campaign, “The Calling,” which depicted the diverse stories of five different service members.

“It begins in California with a little girl raised by two moms,” the narrator, Cpl. Emma Malonelord, said in the video. “Although I had a fairly typical childhood, took ballet, played violin, I also marched for equality. I like to think I’ve been defending freedom from an early age.”

Critics quickly expressed concern about the ad undermining confidence in the strength of the U.S. military, Fox News Digital reported at the time. Many social media users posted side-by-side comparisons to ads released by other nations’ militaries.

“We are so doomed,” Media Research Center’s Dan Gainor wrote at the time alongside the edited clip.

“Russians are building a military focused on killing people and breaking things. We’re apparently building a military focused on being capable of explaining microaggressions and critical race theory to Afghan Tribesmen,” John Hawkins concurred at the time.

American flags and a pride flag hang from the White House during a Pride Month celebration on the South Lawn June 10, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

TWITTER EXPLODES OVER RUSSIAN ARMY RECRUITMENT AD COMPARED TO ‘WOKE’ US VERSION: ‘WE ARE DOOMED’

At the start of Pride Month in 2022, the United States Space Force posted on X, highlighting Maj. Gen. Leah Lauderback’s comments on the “QueerSpace” podcast.

“Maj. Gen. Leah Lauderback spoke on how the LIT is working to change policy, change minds, and create opportunities for LGBTQ+ members of the military,” the post stated.

On the same day, the official U.S. Marines account on X shared an illustration of a Marine helmet with rainbow-colored bullets.

“Throughout June, the USMC takes #Pride in recognizing and honoring the contributions of our LGBTQ service members,” the military branch wrote. “We remain committed to fostering an environment free from discrimination, and defend the values of treating all equally, with dignity and respect.”

In June 2023, the U.S. Air Force posted an illustration to X during Pride Month, featuring a service member saluting in front of the rainbow flag.

The post received nearly 6,000 comments.

“As an Air Force vet, I am embarrassed by this,” one critic wrote. “How [far] we have fallen as a proud nation. This bulls— needs to end.”

“Pentagon and today’s Joint Chiefs are a national embarrassment and are destroying military readiness,” another wrote. “Disgraceful.”

The U.S. State Department recently adopted a “one flag policy” order from the Trump administration, which permits only the American flag to be flown at U.S. buildings at home and abroad, with two notable exceptions, the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action emblem and the Wrongful Detainees Flag.

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Trump also ordered all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) government offices to close. All DEI federal workers were placed on paid administrative leave.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for further comment.

Fox News Digital’s Yael Halon and Stephen Sorace contributed to this story.

Alexandra Koch is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Prior to joining Fox News, Alexandra covered breaking news, crime, religion, and the military in the southeast.

January 24, 2025
‘Complete failure’: Government shutdown crisis threatens Capitol Hill as Trump plans policy overhaul

There are less than two months until the next government funding deadline on March 14, and House lawmakers are growing increasingly concerned about the speed of their progress on spending talks.

“I think it’s a complete failure for us to not have a topline number,” said Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla.

Congressional Republicans have been busy negotiating a massive conservative policy and budget overhaul via a process called “reconciliation,” which allows the party holding both the House and Senate to enact sweeping changes by lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51.

But all the while, Republicans who spoke with Fox News Digital are worried about falling behind on the federal appropriations process for fiscal year (FY) 2025, with no topline funding numbers to work from yet and just 19 days left in session until the deadline.

TRUMP’S REMAIN IN MEXICO POLICY COULD BE REVIVED UNDER NEW HOUSE GOP BILL

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is navigating multiple critical legislative actions in the next few months. (Getty Images/AP)

Congress has extended the FY 2025 deadline twice since the period began Oct. 1 – most recently passing a short-term funding extension of FY 2024 funding levels, known as a continuing resolution (CR), in late December.

“Appropriation bills have to get done. If we end up with another CR, that would be catastrophic. That would mean, in essence, a reduction on defense [funding],” said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. “But for us to start doing it, we need a topline number. But I’m optimistic we’ll get there.”

If nothing is done by March 14, Congress could be forced to contend with a partial government shutdown in the middle of their reconciliation talks – and within the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term.

Other members of the committee suggested they were similarly in the dark about a topline number, but were cautiously hopeful.

“We are less than eight weeks away from the CR expiring. We need to be able to get those toplines as soon as possible and get to work,” said Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla. “I have full faith and confidence that Tom Cole will be able to make that happen in the next week or two.”

Rep. Cory Mills blasted Congress for not having a topline appropriations number yet. (David Dee Delgado)

Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., has been “in consultation” with his counterparts on a towline number.

Asked about the possibility of another CR, he said, “We have several things going on at once – the reconciliation package, raising the debt ceiling, and the appropriations process. So let’s just hope for the best and deal with the worst if we have to.”

Republican leaders have previously been forced to seek Democratic support to pass CRs, which normally hit a wall of opposition among a cross-section of the GOP.

TRUMP’S ICE RACKS UP HUNDREDS OF ARRESTS, INCLUDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED FOR HORROR CRIMES

Conservative hardliners told Fox News Digital they’re bracing for another CR or, worse in their eyes, a massive package combining Congress’ 12 regular appropriation bills into one massive “omnibus.”

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said he and other conservatives were working on a bill to keep border security operations funded in the event of a government shutdown.

“We’re running out of time,” he said, adding that Republicans should “probably stay in next week” instead of flying to their annual issues conference in Miami.

Rep. Ralph Norman said he is working on a bill to keep the border funded in the event of a shutdown. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Rep. Keith Self, R-Fla., pointed out that House lawmakers have just over two weeks’ worth of days in session to come up with a plan.

“I’m very concerned. I’m also concerned that if we screw up the CR on March the 14th, does it poison the reconciliation negotiations?” Self posed.

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But not all conservatives are concerned. House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, R-Md., said he would be in favor of a full-year CR if “we write it properly.”

“You tell me what the topline is, and I’ll tell you whether I’m concerned,” he said.

Fox News Digital reached out to congressional Republican leaders and the House Appropriations Committee for comment.

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]

January 23, 2025