Happy New Year 2025

Tag: Trump

Into the ring: Trump education chief pick McMahon to testify on cutting ‘red tape’ amid DOGE sweeps

FIRST ON FOX: Linda McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Department of Education, will testify before the Senate on Thursday, centering her opening remarks around creating “a better future for every American learner.”

The Trump nominee, who was tapped in November, will kick off her confirmation process during a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Thursday morning. Republican Sens. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Katie Britt of Alabama will introduce McMahon before the hearing, Fox News has learned.

McMahon will focus her remarks on enacting Trump’s vision with the idea that “education is the issue that determines our national success and prepares American workers to win the future,” according to an excerpt of her opening remarks, shared first with Fox News Digital.

“I would like to thank President Trump for his confidence in me to lead a Department whose mission and authority were a special focus of his campaign. He pledged to make American education the best in the world, return education to the states where it belongs, and free American students from the education bureaucracy through school choice,” McMahon will say in her opening remarks.

TRUMP EDUCATION DEPT LAUNCHES PROBE INTO ‘EXPLOSION OF ANTISEMITISM’ AT 5 UNIVERSITIES

Linda McMahon arrives for a meeting in Washington, D.C. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg)

McMahon is being boosted to head the department that Trump has suggested he wants to dismantle during his term, recently saying that if McMahon is confirmed, he wants her to “put herself out of a job.”

Trump said Wednesday just hours ahead of McMahon’s hearing that he wanted to close the Education Department “immediately.”

“It’s a big con job,” he said. “They ranked the top countries in the world. We’re ranked No. 40, but we’re ranked No. 1 in one department: cost per pupil. So, we spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, but we’re ranked No. 40.”

His comments came as Trump’s executive agency, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) run by Elon Musk, continues its financial audit of the federal government.

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

McMahon previously served as the administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term before stepping down in 2019 to “return to the private sector.”

She plans to say during her opening remarks Thursday, “My experience as a business owner and leader of the Small Business Administration, as a public servant in the state of Connecticut, and more than a decade of service as a college trustee has taught me to put parents, teachers, and students, not bureaucracy, first.”

“Outstanding teachers are tired of political ideology in their curriculum and red tape on their desks. This is why school choice is a growing movement across the nation: it offers teachers and parents an alternative to classrooms that are micromanaged from Washington, D.C.”

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Linda McMahon after announcing her resignation on March 29, 2019. (Joshua Roberts)

The Trump nominee also plans to highlight antisemitism in schools and the issue of biological males competing in women’s and girls’ sports.

“If I am confirmed, the department will not stand idly by while Jewish students are attacked and discriminated against,” her remarks read. “It will stop forcing schools to let boys and men into female sports and spaces. And it will protect the rights of parents to direct the moral education of their children.”

In her opening remarks, McMahon will note that “many Americans today are experiencing a system in decline” but that “the opportunity before us these next four years is momentous.”

Linda McMahon speaks at the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024. (Mike Segar)

“It is my great honor to announce that Linda McMahon, former Administrator of the Small Business Administration, will be the United States Secretary of Education,” Trump said in his nomination announcement in November.

Before being tapped to head the Education Department, McMahon founded WWE with her husband in 1980, which has grown into a global wrestling entertainment network.

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“As Secretary of Education, Linda will fight tirelessly to expand ‘Choice’ to every State in America, and empower parents to make the best Education decisions for their families,” the press release added. “Linda served for two years on the Connecticut Board of Education, where she was one of fifteen members overseeing all Public Education in the State, including its Technical High School system.”

After McMahon’s confirmation hearing, the committee will schedule a vote on whether to advance her nomination to a full floor vote.

Aubrie Spady is a Writer for Fox News Digital.

February 13, 2025
8 inspectors general fired by Trump sue to get jobs back

Eight former inspectors general fired by President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit to get their positions back. In the complaint, the inspectors general claimed that their “unlawful and unjustified purported termination” constituted interference with their “non-partisan oversight duties.”

While President Trump has the authority to remove inspectors general, he did not give Congress the mandatory 30-day minimum notice ahead of removing those who launched the complaint. The eight former inspectors general say that the president also failed to provide a “substantive, case-specific rationale” for their removal.

The complaint, which details the backgrounds of the former inspectors general, insists that “until and unless” President Trump “lawfully removes” the plaintiffs from their positions, they remain “duly appointed” inspectors general.

President Trump removed inspectors general in his first term and gave Congress the required 30 days’ notice, which the complaint acknowledges.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 03, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

INSPECTOR GENERAL DISMISSED BY TRUMP CALLS MASS FIRINGS A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY

The inspectors general dismissed by President Trump served in several departments, including the Defense Department, the State Department, the Energy Department, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Veteran Affairs.

According to the complaint, each of the inspectors general were notified of their termination in what it classifies as “substantively identical” emails. The notices allegedly stated that they were terminated “effective immediately” due to “changing priorities.”

The firings, which occurred last month, were met with criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. In a letter to President Trump signed by several Democrats and one Republican, lawmakers expressed “grave concern” over the firings, saying they were done “unlawfully and arbitrarily.”

“Your actions violate the law, attack our democracy, and undermine the safety of the American people,” the letter reads.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Ia., a key player in the president’s party, called on Trump to provide a “lawfully-required substantive rationale” for the firings.

Grassley, who serves as the Senate Judiciary Committee chair, and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Il., the committee’s Ranking Member, sent a letter to President Trump urging him to reveal the reasons behind the firings so Congress and the public could be sure that the action was taken due to “real concerns.”

President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025. (Getty Images)

WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY DEFENDS TRUMP’S FIRING OF INSPECTORS GENERAL

Shortly after his firing, Mike Ware, who served as the chair of the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, called the firings a “threat to democracy.” Ware is one of the former inspectors general who filed the complaint.

“We’re looking at what amounts to a threat to democracy, a threat to independent oversight and a threat to transparency in government. This is no doubt. The statute isn’t just a technicality, it’s a key protection of IG independence is what it is,” Ware told MSNBC’s “Ana Cabrera Reports” back in January.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Miami to Joint Base Andrews, Md., on Jan. 27, as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt listens. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the mass firings last month, saying the Trump administration would “win in court” when asked if the actions would survive a legal challenge. President Trump said the firings were “a very common” and “a very standard” practice, which the former inspectors general deny in their complaint.

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.

February 13, 2025
Trump Education Department launches Title IX probes into 2 blue states allegedly ignoring trans athlete order

The United States Department of Education has launched Title IX investigations into athletic associations in California and Minnesota after they said they would ignore President Donald Trump’s executive order to keep transgender athletes out of girls and women’s sports.

The Minnesota State High School League announced Thursday it will continue to allow transgender athletes to compete against girls despite Trump’s executive order to probibit them from doing so.

That came just days after the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) said it will continue to follow the state’s law that allows athletes to participate as whichever gender they identify as.

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Donald Trump (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

“The Minnesota State High School League and the California Interscholastic Federation are free to engage in all the meaningless virtue-signaling that they want, but at the end of the day they must abide by federal law,” said Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights.

“(The Office of Civil Rights’) Chicago and San Francisco regional offices will conduct directed investigations into both organizations to ensure that female athletes in these states are treated with the dignity, respect and equality that the Trump administration demands. I would remind these organizations that history does not look kindly on entities and states that actively opposed the enforcement of federal civil rights laws that protect women and girls from discrimination and harassment.”

The Department of Education added that state laws do not override federal anti-discrimination laws, so the associations are subject to investigations.

Trump signed the executive order on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, which celebrates female athletes in women’s sports and those committed to providing equal access to sports for all females.

President Donald Trump signs the No Men in Women’s Sports executive order into law in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 5, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP)

The order states that “it is the policy of the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities” and to take “all appropriate action to affirmatively protect all-female athletic opportunities and all-female locker rooms and thereby provide the equal opportunity guaranteed by Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972.”

Prior to Trump signing the order Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said part of the motivation behind Trump’s executive order would be to create a “pressure campaign” for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and NCAA to follow and prevent transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.

In response to Trump’s order, the NCAA changed its policy, in place since 2010, to disallow transgender athletes from competing against women, requiring them to compete based on their birth gender.

During Trump’s ceremony at the White House to sign the executive order, he announced that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will prohibit any transgender athletes attempting to compete as women from entering the country for the Olympics in 2028.

Former President Donald Trump is joined onstage by Riley Gaines at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, Texas, Aug. 6, 2022. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)

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The United Nations released study findings saying nearly 900 biological females have fallen short of winning medals because they lost to transgender athletes.

Minnesota, governed by Kamala Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, was home to a Supreme Court case in which a transgender powerlifter was continuing in a fight to compete against biological women.

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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February 13, 2025
CA Republicans urge Trump admin to fight state’s attack on natural gas: ‘It’s sick’

California’s top Republican leaders are asking the Trump administration “to intervene” against their own state’s push to get rid of traditional energy sources, especially gas, with one lawmaker telling Fox News Digital the push to ban gas appliances was particularly “sick” of the state’s liberal leadership.

In a letter sent to the Department of Energy Secretary Christopher Wright, California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher and state Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones urged the DOE to look at California’s efforts to “ban natural gas and gas appliances” and “evaluate these actions and their impact on issues of energy sufficiency, energy independence, and national security.”

“It’s a sick philosophy that tells fire victims we’re going to control how you build your home, we’re going to tell you all the things that you can and cannot have,” Gallagher told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview.

“This also has a lot of huge implications for the cost of living in California,” Gallagher said. “Let’s once and for all decide that you cannot ban gas appliances. People need these. They like having these. They’re more affordable. Let’s make sure that this is not going to get any further down the road.”

‘DEI ACTIVISM’: REPUBLICAN AGS PRAISE TRUMP SEC MOVE TO REVERSE BIDEN CLIMATE RULE THEY FOUGHT IN COURT

California Republican leaders like Assemblyman James Gallagher are asking the Trump Energy Department to intervene against the state’s climate agenda push to ban natural gas resources. (Getty Images | Fox News Digital)

California has intensified efforts to phase out natural gas appliances in recent years for what lawmakers claim will cut greenhouse gas emissions and improve indoor air quality. In 2022, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved a plan to ban the sale of new gas-powered space and water heaters by 2030, requiring homes and businesses to transition to zero-emission alternatives like electric heat pumps. The state’s 2023 energy code also encourages all-electric construction, making it more costly for developers to install gas appliances.

“I hope the federal government weighs in and restores consumer choice in California,” Gallagher said. “We should be able to choose whether or not we want electric or gas, and we especially need to make those choices so we can ensure that we can afford to live in this state, because right now, electricity, because of [Gov.] Gavin Newsom and the Democrats policies, has exploded the prices through the roof.”

The Republicans are also requesting that the DOE “engage legally with any California jurisdiction violating EPCA [Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975] in order to enforce the federal preemption of any state or local gas bans.”

“In light of these actions by a number of California state agencies, local governments, and regulatory bodies, we ask the Department of Energy to intervene where appropriate to overturn these overreaching policies,” the letter stated.

PRESIDENT TRUMP’S PRO-ENERGY AGENDA WILL UNLEASH AMERICAN JOBS AND ENERGY SECURITY

President Donald Trump has vowed to unleash American energy, including oil and natural gas. (Getty Images)

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has directed the DOE to implement policies to bolster natural gas production and exports. Late last month, he signed an executive order declaring a national energy emergency, which includes measures to enhance domestic energy production.

“Expanding consumer choice and removing burdensome restrictions on household appliances is a key component of President Trump’s agenda for reducing costs for the American people,” DOE spokesperson Ben Dietderich told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

While California — which has been a beacon of progressive environmental policies for other liberal states — participates in the federal government’s Appliance Standards Program, in some cases, the state’s stringent standards exceed federal requirements. Dietderich said the department is “conducting a comprehensive review and is working to advance a commonsense approach that prioritizes affordability and choice for all Americans” when asked about the California Republicans’ letter.

“Any standards should include a cost-benefit analysis considering the upfront cost of purchasing new products and reflecting actual cost savings for American families,” Wright said in a statement last week while announcing his first secretarial order.

NEW YORK ‘POLLUTERS PAY’ LAW BACKCHARGING OIL, GAS COMPANIES FACES REPUBLICAN AGS’ LAWSUIT: ‘DEVASTATING’

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday. (AP/Alex Brandon)

More than 70 cities in the Golden State, starting with Berkeley in 2019, enacted local ordinances prohibiting natural gas hookups in new buildings. However, a 2024 federal court ruling overturned Berkeley’s ban, prompting some municipalities to reconsider their policies. Meanwhile, the state legislature passed a bill requiring warning labels on gas stoves, citing health risks linked to indoor emissions. If signed into law, California would become the first state to ban gas appliances.

And California’s Democratic majority has the backing of Gov. Gavin Newsom. In recent years, Newsom signed laws restricting new oil and gas wells near certain sites and signed off on neighborhoods to transition to all-electric systems. Additionally, in December 2024, state regulators approved a plan to reduce reliance on a major natural gas storage facility.

In a recent interview with CNN’s Pamela Brown earlier this month, Newsom said homeowners who lost their homes in the Los Angeles wildfires “can’t rebuild the same, so we have to rebuild with science, we have to rebuild with a climate reality in mind […].”

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Fox News Digital did not hear back from Newsom’s office by time of publication.

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

February 13, 2025
Trump supporting California sheriff to launch GOP run for governor in race to succeed Newsom: sources

A tough-on-crime Republican sheriff in southern California who was a supporter of President Trump in last year’s election will launch a campaign for Golden State governor, a source familiar confirms to Fox News.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is expected to announce his candidacy at a scheduled event Monday in Riverside, California, about 50 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, in the 2026 race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Bianco, a vocal critic of Newsom and other state Democratic leaders when it comes to the issues of crime and punishment, was one of the leaders who helped push California’s Proposition 36 ballot measure to a landslide victory in last November’s elections.

WHAT SHERIFF CHAD BIANCO TOLD FOX NEWS

Sheriff Chad Bianco of Riverside County speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on May 15, 2024. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

The measure, which took effect in December, mandates stiffer penalties and longer sentences in California for certain drug and theft crimes.

MAJOR CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT PREEDICTS FORMER VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS WOULD CLEAR GUBERNATORIAL FIELD

Bianco, who has worked in law enforcement for more than three decades, was first elected sheriff in 2018. He’s been openly flirting with a 2026 gubernatorial run since at least last spring.

House Speaker Mike Johnson listens to Sheriff Chad Bianco speak during a news conference in the U.S. Capitol on May 15, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

When asked late last year in a Fox News interview if he knew of anyone who might be capable of producing change in Sacramento – California’s capital city – Bianco responded, “I might, I might know someone that would go there with nothing but common sense and the betterment of the citizens of California rather than some crazy ideological agenda that truly makes absolutely no sense to any of us.”

The news regarding Bianco was first reported by Politico.

It’s been nearly two decades since a Republican won statewide office in heavily blue California. You have to go all the way back to former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2006 re-election victory.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is term-limited and cannot seek re-election in 2026. (California Governor Gavin Newsom YouTube channel)

There has been plenty of speculation since former Vice President Kamala Harris’ election defeat last November to Trump regarding her next political move, with the two potential options likely being launching a 2026 gubernatorial run in her home state of California or seeking the presidency again in 2028.

Harris served as San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general and U.S. senator before becoming vice president.

Sources in the former vice president’s political orbit say no decisions have been made about any next steps.

Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks at the Democratic National Committee’s holiday reception in Washington, D.C., Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The Democrats’ field for governor in the heavily blue-leaning state is already crowded.

Among the more than half-dozen candidates already running for governor are Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, a Harris ally, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

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Former Rep. Katie Porter, who unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic Senate nomination last year, has expressed interest in launching a campaign.

Additionally, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who served in Congress and as California attorney general before joining the Biden administration, is also seen as a potential contender.

Former Fox News Channel host and conservative commentator Steve Hilton is considering a Republican run for California governor.

In California, unlike most other states, the top two finishers in a primary, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.

February 13, 2025
No longer taken advantage of: Trump signs order prioritizing ‘unified’ US foreign policy front

President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order reinforcing a “unified” voice for U.S. foreign policy that prioritizes his “America First” agenda.

The executive order emphasizes the State Department’s responsibility to uphold the Trump administration’s foreign policy priorities, and that the agency has the proper channels to ensure that “officers and employees faithfully implement the President’s policies,” according to a White House fact sheet.

Additionally, the executive order instructs Secretary of State Marco Rubio to execute reforms to recruitment, evaluation, performance and retention standards to ensure that the State Department employs the most qualified individuals to represent the U.S., according to the fact sheet.

Likewise, Rubio has the authority under the order to update the Foreign Affairs Manual or other procedural documents pertaining to foreign service.

TRUMP MEETS WITH JORDAN’S KING AMID TENSE TALKS ABOUT RESETTLING PALESTINIANS

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has the authority under the order to update the Foreign Affairs Manual or other procedural documents pertaining to foreign service. (Mark Schiefelbein/The Associated Press)

“President Trump is committed to safeguarding the integrity of U.S. foreign policy by ensuring that America’s interests are prioritized through a unified diplomatic voice, with related personnel held accountable to the President’s vision,” the White House said in the fact sheet.

“No longer will America be taken advantage of by foreign nations or by rogue actors who undermine our sovereignty or security.”

The executive order expands upon Trump’s America First policy directive that he signed after his inauguration, which states that “the foreign policy of the United States shall champion core American interests.”

The Trump administration has put forward some bold foreign policy proposals during his second term, including unveiling an effort to shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a group that works to deliver aid to impoverished countries and development assistance.

Rubio, now acting director of the independent agency, said on Feb. 3 that USAID was not “functioning” and that the organization isn’t a “global charity.”

TRUMP NOT COMMITTING TO PUTTING US TROOPS ON THE GROUND IN GAZA, WHITE HOUSE SAYS

President Donald Trump announces plans to “take over” the Gaza Strip in a “long-term ownership position” to deliver stability to the region during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, on Feb. 4. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“It needs to be aligned with the national interest of the U.S.,” Rubio 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.”

Likewise, Trump also announced plans on Feb. 4 to “take over” the Gaza Strip in a “long-term ownership position” to deliver stability to the region during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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The proposal prompted swift backlash from Arab countries, including Jordan, and Egypt announced plans on Sunday for an emergency Arab Summit to discuss “new and dangerous developments” regarding the resettling of Palestinians on Feb. 27.

Trump met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Tuesday, who said he would wait for the Egyptians to take the lead on a proposal moving forward as they negotiate with the U.S. on plans to take over Gaza. However, Abdullah did reveal plans to accept 2,000 sick Palestinian children to Jordan.

“I think let’s wait until the Egyptians can come and present it to the president and not get ahead of us,” Abdullah said.

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

February 13, 2025
Trump nominee for antitrust chief says anti-conservative advertising group GARM engaged in ‘collusion’

President Donald Trump DOJ’s antitrust division chief nominee Abigail Slater testified in a Senate hearing about the now-defunct trade association Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM).

President Donald Trump’s nominee to head of the Department of Justice’s antitrust division said an infamous advertising trade association that allegedly organized a boycott of conservative media engaged in a “certain amount of collusion.”

The Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM), an advertising trade association founded by the World Federation of Advertisers, defined itself as a “voluntary cross-industry initiative created in 2019 to address digital safety.”

The group said it was established after the Christchurch New Zealand Mosque shootings to protect brands from having their advertisements placed next to “illegal or harmful content” such as child pornography or posts supporting terrorism. The group maintained that it was “apolitical.”

WHAT IS GARM? ‘COLLUSIVE’ AD GROUP ALLEGEDLY TARGETING CONSERVATIVES FACES GRILLING FROM TOP HOUSE COMMITTEE

President Donald Trump DOJ’s antitrust division chief nominee Abigail Slater testifies in a Senate hearing. (Fox News)

However, the House Judiciary Committee issued a report accusing the organization of colluding to punish organizations it didn’t approve of politically and engaging in industry-wide advertising boycotts on politically disfavored platforms, news outlets and podcasts including Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, Spotify, Fox News, The Daily Wire and Breitbart News.

When asked by Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) at a hearing on Wednesday if advertisers colluding to boycott a specific “conservative news site” was illegal price fixing under federal antitrust laws, the Trump DOJ’s antitrust division chief nominee Abigail Slater said she couldn’t answer a hypothetical but quickly steered the conversation toward GARM.

Missouri Sen.Eric Schmitt questioned Trump’s antitrust chief in a Senate hearing. (Fox News)

“What we’ve seen in terms of reporting and facts and evidence in from the House GARM report… what was evidence there was a pattern of conduct involving a trade association which for and on behalf of national brands and international brands selectively stopped advertising dollars or counsel companies not to send advertising dollars to certain companies,” Slater said.

CHAIR JORDAN DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM DOZENS OF MAJOR COMPANIES TIED TO SHADOWY ‘COLLUSIVE’ AD GROUP

President Trump nominated Slater to head the DOJ antitrust division. (Alex Scott/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“I think it’s fair to say, a certain amount of collusion went on via this trade association, and I think that pattern of conduct is is quite troubling,” she testified.

Slater claimed that GARM’s actions deprived the affected companies of 90% of U.S. ad spending.

Adidas, American Express, Bayer, BP, Carhartt, Chanel, CVS and General Motors, were all allegedly involved with GARM.

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GARM’s leader and co-founder, Rob Rakowitz, has expressed frustration with “extreme global interpretation of the US Constitution” and dismissed using “‘principles for governance’ and applying them as literal law from 230 years ago (made by white men exclusively).”

GARM shut down in 2024, citing “allegations that unfortunately misconstrue its purpose and activities have caused a distraction and significantly drained its resources and finances.”

February 13, 2025
LARRY KUDLOW: Trump is the most statesmanlike President in generations

With the passing of each day, President Donald Trump is proving to be the finest international statesman America has produced since Ronald Reagan — and surely harking back to the American and world leaders who defended freedom during World War II.

Trump critics, hearing his ‘America First’ North Star guiding principle, accuse him of being an isolationist, uninterested in other parts of the world or the complexities of foreign relations. But Trump is proving them all to be very badly wrong.

In just the few weeks since his inauguration, he has negotiated border-closing and deportation policies with Mexico, Canada, Colombia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and El Salvador.

He has focused, laser-like, on the Panama Canal and the importance of preventing China from running it. He is moving rapidly to prevent China from infiltrating Central and South America in violation of the Monroe Doctrine. And he has cast a sharp eye on the strategic value of Greenland to prevent Russia and China from advancing into the Arctic Circle.

Plus, he has directly engaged with Israel on the hostage release negotiations with the Hamas terrorists. He has offered an outside-the-box solution to the age-old Gaza problem.

And, now, he has finally broken through the Russia-Ukraine stalemate.

First, by meeting directly with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Then, this morning with an hour-long phone call to President Vladimir Putin of Russia.

In a lengthy Truth Social post, he laid out a brand-new U.S. strategy to end the war. In his own words:

I just had a lengthy and highly productive phone call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. We discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, Energy, Artificial Intelligence, the power of the Dollar, and various other subjects.

– President Donald Trump, Truth Social, February 12

Joe Biden never spoke to Putin since the war began. Not once. But Trump is clearly making good on his campaign promise to end the war, and he’s doing it at his usual warp speed.

Again, in his own words:

But first, as we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine. President Putin even used my very strong Campaign motto of “COMMON SENSE.”

– President Donald Trump, Truth Social, February 12

Common sense has been a constant Trump theme — on the economy, with the DOGE audit of the out-of-control federal budget, on ending the radical left-wing culture, on closing the border, and cutting taxes.

And foreign policy must have a strong common-sense theme to it, too.

Again, in his own words, Trump laid out the strategy and the key American players:

We will begin by calling President Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now. I have asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of the CIA John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Ambassador and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, to lead the negotiations which, I feel strongly, will be successful.

– President Donald Trump, Truth Social, February 12

This is a dramatic move by President Trump, not only to break the logjam of war, but to engage directly with the key players — Putin and Zelenskyy. And Mr. Trump is essentially orchestrating what will become a peace conference strategy, which will lead to cease-fire principles, and ultimately an end to the war.

Mr. Trump is essentially driving a process for all three sides — the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine — that will lead to an end to the violence and hostilities and the war. Mr. Trump’s actions are a breathtaking demarche. It is the most statesmanlike effort we have seen in generations.

Trump should’ve won a Nobel Peace prize for brokering the Abraham Accords during his term. What he’s doing now to end the seemingly intractable Russia-Ukraine war should earn him his second Nobel Prize.

But for him, it’s just promises made, promises kept.

February 13, 2025
Trump ‘not a fan’ of LIV format, on PGA Tour’s ‘side’ of discussions, Rory McIlroy says

President Donald Trump recently met with members of the PGA Tour in efforts to advance their discussions with LIV Golf and, apparently, he favors one side more than the other.

In June 2023, the rival tours announced that the two had been in discussions to eventually join forces. But, after stalled conversations, the PGA called on Trump to advance the negotiations.

Well, outside the negotiation table, golf legend Rory McIlroy said he played a round with Trump “a few weeks ago,” and the two had a “really good” discussion.

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Rory McIlroy hits his tee shot on the sixth hole during the final round of the BMW Championship golf tournament at Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock, Colorado, on Aug 25, 2024. (Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)

McIlroy then broke some news.

“I learned that he’s not a fan of the LIV format. I think he’s… he’s on the [PGA] Tour’s side,” McIlroy said.

Trump has hosted LIV Golf tournaments at his courses since the league’s inception in 2022; a Trump course last hosted a PGA event in 2016.

It is an about-face by McIlroy, who said in 2020 he would not play golf with Trump again as he questioned the president’s leadership in the early stages of the pandemic.

PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan recently said the tour “asked” Trump “to get involved for the good of the game, the good of the country and for all the countries involved.”

Former President Donald Trump follows his tee shot on the 3rd tee during the pro-am prior to the LIV Golf Invitational – Bedminster at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Aug. 10, 2023. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

TIGER WOODS WITHDRAWS FROM GENESIS INVITATIONAL AFTER DEATH OF MOM

Adam Scott, a member of the PGA Tour’s Player Advisory Board, was at the meeting, and said Trump’s “love” for the game could be “helpful” to an eventual deal.

“It’s just a positive thing that the President of the United States is such a lover of the game of golf and understands some of the challenges facing the professional game at the moment…” Scott told Golf Channel this week ahead of the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines in San Diego, California. “He’s a lover of the game and hopefully can be very helpful in getting a resolve for the professional game and help everybody move forward.”

“It’s pretty easy to tie him to the game of golf. He’s passionate about it, he owns several golf properties, fabulous destinations around the world, and he has a relationship with Saudi Arabia, the Public Investment Fund, and he’s a fan of the PGA Tour as well, certainly a fan of Tiger Woods, like we all are,” Scott added. “Given that this has been tied up in government beliefs, he can be very helpful.”

McIlroy did say back in November that he felt Trump becoming president for the second time could help “clear the way” for a deal between the PGA and LIV.

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy waves after his round during day two of The Open at Royal Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland, on July 19, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA Images via Getty Images)

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Four-time major champion McIlroy was recently a part of a 2-on-2 exhibition, partnering with Scottie Scheffler against Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka.

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February 13, 2025
Israeli hostage’s mom tells Trump, Netanyahu her son could die if war resumes

Idit Ohel, the mother of Israeli hostage Alon Ohel, urgently pleaded for President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure the release of the remaining Oct. 7 captives held by Hamas amid fears the current ceasefire deal is disintegrating.

“They have no more time. And please don’t go back to war. Please. Because if that happens, if we go back to war, the hostages could die. The hostages that are alive could die,” she told Fox News Digital. “That’s what happened last time. Last time we saw that after the hostages came out and war started, so many hostages died and were murdered by Hamas. So we cannot let this happen. Please do everything in your power and do something for my son. He’s in the tunnels. He’s crying for help.”

Idit Ohel said she received confirmation that her son is still alive from released hostages Eli Sharabi and Or Levy, two of the three gaunt, frail-looking Israelis forced to speak Saturday during a Hamas hand-over ceremony in Gaza.

The mother said the released hostages, who were held with her son for part of their nearly 500 days in captivity, told her that Alon Ohel is unable to see out of an eye after being struck by shrapnel when Hamas was closing in on Oct. 7, 2023. Alon Ohel, a civilian, was attending the Nova music festival when terrorists attacked, and he took cover in a bomb shelter. Hamas pounded the shelter with grenades and gunfire, and he “was taken, wounded, with blood all over him,” Idit Ohel said.

ISRAEL SLAMS PALESTINIAN ‘DECEPTION SCHEME’ OVER CLAIM IT HALTED TERROR REWARDS PROGRAM

A placard of Alon Ohel seen during a rally marking his 24th birthday in Tel Aviv. (Eyal Warshavsky/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Alon Ohel’s ancestors survived the Holocaust, including his great-grandfather who weighed just 30 kilos [about 66 pounds] when he was released from the Auschwitz concentration camp, Idit Ohel said. “So if he was alive today, he would probably die instantly just knowing that his great-grandson in the year of 2025 is starving,” she said. “Alon has these genes. So he’s fighting. He’s fighting for his life every day.”

Under the deal, another three hostages were due to be released by next Saturday, but Hamas said Monday that the group would not let them go, accusing Israel of violating terms of the ceasefire agreement.

Concerns that fighting will resume are rising. Trump has since said that Hamas must release all remaining 76 hostages by noon Saturday, or he would demand the ceasefire deal be canceled and “let all hell break out.” Netanyahu backed the demand.

Israeli media is reporting that Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is being dispatched to Israel and Qatar this week to prevent the ceasefire deal from unraveling. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected in Israel on Saturday.

To Trump and Netayanhu directly, Idit Ohel said, “Do something and bring them home. Please. Please.”

Idit Ohel speaks to the crowd during a Tel Aviv rally marking the 24th Birthday of her son Alon Ohel who is held hostage by Hamas. (Eyal Warshavsky/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“Give him a chance. It’s unbearable. Something has to change. You have to do everything in your power to bring him home to me, to his family,” she said. “There’s still hostages alive. There’s still hostages alive. Please. Please, do something.”

Idit Ohel said she learned her son is being held in tunnels without medical attention and little food and has been “tortured, chained and starved.”

“It’s not humane. There’s so much food getting into Gaza, and he’s not getting any of it,” she said.

HAMAS SAYS IT’S DELAYING NEXT HOSTAGE RELEASE, CLAIMING CEASEFIRE VIOLATIONS

“Alon, right now as we speak, is still being not fed, sleeping on the floor, being chained, constrained. So he cannot move for 494 days,” Idit Ohel said. “My son is important. My son is only an innocent civilian. He went to the Nova festival to have fun. He’s a pianist. He loves music. He did nothing wrong to nobody. We need to get him out now. He cannot continue. This is humanitarian.”

Days before Trump took office, Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement. Former President Joe Biden said at the time that the first phase involved a “surge of humanitarian assistance into Gaza” – something Idit Ohel stressed her son is not getting.

She said the International Committee of the Red Cross “have never seen Alon and have never seen any of the hostages – [he] didn’t get any treatment.”

Israelis stand under placards with photos of hostages during a rally in Tel Aviv marking the 24th Birthday of Alon Ohel, who is held by Hamas in Gaza. (Eyal Warshavsky/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“Where is he? Why is he not coming?” Idit Ohel added. “I do not understand it. I will never understand it. This is wrong. This is not moral.”

Ohel rallied thousands in Tel Aviv over the weekend on her son’s 24th birthday – the second birthday he has spent in captivity since the Oct. 7 attacks.

“I wanted to say happy birthday to my son. I couldn’t even talk [to him] and see and hear his voice,” she said. “When I heard about his condition, I fainted … I haven’t been sleeping for days … I cannot control what Hamas is doing to my son.”

“Every mother in this world. Think just for a second. If there’s one night that your son or daughter doesn’t eat, you can’t even live with yourself,” Ohel added. “My son has not been getting food for 494 days.”

The mother also delivered a message directly to her son.

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“If you’re listening to me, you know I love you and your father loves you. And we’re doing everything in our power to make sure that you’re home alive. You’re coming home. And there’s so many people all over the world and in Israel that are with you and are praying for you,” Ohel said, asking fellow musicians to play songs in her son’s honor in the coming days. “And you are not alone, Alon. You are not alone.”

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 13, 2025