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Tag: Trump

Nonprofit calling on Trump HHS, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reform ‘failed’ National Human Trafficking Hotline

A group of anti-human trafficking advocates called “Safe House Project” is urging the Trump administration and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reform the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

The hotline, which is run by HHS, was started in 2007 to provide 24/7 help for victims of human trafficking.

According to Safe House Project, which offers victims a range of services, including a network of shelters, the hotline has “lost all credibility” and simply does not accomplish the goal of ending human trafficking.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIM RECOUNTS HORRORS OF LIFE AT THE MERCY OF CRIMINALS

Community members listen to Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price before a march to raise awareness of human trafficking in Oakland, California, on Jan. 24, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times )

After Kennedy cleared a committee vote on Tuesday, bringing him one step closer to confirmation, the nonprofit released a statement celebrating the step, saying that “our nation is in dire need of leadership that will restore it [the hotline] to fulfill its purpose of identifying victims of trafficking, supporting victims escaping from their traffickers, and helping bring swift justice to those who abuse and victimize desperate and vulnerable populations.”

In line with the Department of Government Efficiency’s mission to slash government waste, Safe House Project says HHS can reform the hotline to conserve its tax-dollar funding and save more lives at the same time.

“The American taxpayers funded the National Human trafficking hotline, and the reality is it has failed,” Safe House Project CEO Kristi Wells told Fox News Digital.

Wells claimed that people who call the hotline often have to wait upwards of 45 minutes, resulting in many people hanging up before even reporting a human trafficking incident. She also said that in many instances, hotline staff fail to return calls or to share tips with law enforcement.

DOGE TARGETS MEDICARE AGENCY, LOOKING FOR FRAUD

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visits “The Story With Martha MacCallum” at Fox News Channel Studios on Sept. 25, 2024, in New York City. (Jason Mendez/Getty Images)

If he is confirmed by the Senate, Wells said Kennedy will have a “phenomenal opportunity” to save thousands of lives by moving quickly to increase the efficiency of the hotline.

“The National Human Trafficking Hotline, again, has the potential to save thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of lives,” she continued. “And so, [since] the Department of Health and Human Services is the one that oversees the effectiveness of the hotline, it’s really important that the current administration prioritizes and really holds the current hotline accountable and making sure that the services are operating the way that they need to be operating.”

In place of the current hotline, Wells is urging HHS to leverage modern technology – such as cellphone apps and AI – to create a new system that is “fast, actionable and easy to use.”

After conducting extensive research with law enforcement entities and related NGOs, Wells said she believes a new system could be created using modern technology that would make the tax dollars being spent by the government on this go much further and accomplish more.

BIDEN BORDER CRISIS LEADING TO INCREASE IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING, FORMER DHS OFFICIALS WARN

Trump is pictured in front of the US Capitol Building, surrounded by fencing in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 17, 2025. (Fox News Digital/Trump-Vance Transition Team)

“When you’re leveraging technology, you are really creating efficiencies of scale and really increasing scale,” she said. “And so, I don’t believe that this is a solution that would cost the government more money. I think it would allow them to use the dollars that are currently being spent on a national hotline more effectively and see more effective results.”

Wells said the Trump administration “has already shown an encouraging willingness to tackle human trafficking,” but noted, “We want to do our part to make sure that this is a top priority for them and make sure that correct actions are taken to bring victims out of the shadows, to increase reporting and to increase law enforcement and prosecution of traffickers and buyers.”

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“Human trafficking is happening all around us and we as community members have the opportunity to identify and respond to human trafficking and a new tool is really vital to us making sure that that happens,” she continued. “Whenever we have proper reporting mechanisms and we are ‘seeing something and saying something,’ then this idea that human trafficking is undercover and goes undetected is no longer the reality.”

“The reality is we’ll be able to see it more and when we start seeing it more, we’re able to empower our lawmakers with more effective data to create more effective policies. And so, I am excited about the trajectory that a more robust reporting mechanism can bring to the objective of eradicating trafficking in America.”

Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

February 10, 2025
Trump meets Patrick Mahomes’ family in Super Bowl LIX suite amid prior support

Members of the Mahomes family were vocal about their support for President Donald Trump.

Amid becoming the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl, he paid his fans a visit. The Mahomes family, sitting in a suite, was spotted taking a photo with the president while watching Patrick Mahomes on the field in his fifth Super Bowl contest.

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President Donald Trump waves to the fans during Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 9, 2025 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. (Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Mahomes’ mother, Randi, wore a red “Make America Great Again” hat with a Chiefs sweatshirt when K.C. hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the eve of the election.

“I think for a president of our country, of the United States, I think it’s amazing,” she told Fox News Digital in New Orleans this week. “I think whoever the president is, to support the teams, to support America’s best sport. … I think it’s really neat for a president to be able to support it. You know what, let’s do it.”

Randi Mahomes, the mother of Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes, wears a MAGA hat at game. (OutKick)

In his Super Bowl interview with Bret Baier, Trump also praised Patrick’s wife, Brittney, who first indicated her support for Trump on Aug. 13, when she liked Trump’s Instagram post that outlined the “2024 GOP platform.”

“She’s a Trump fan. She’s a MAGA fan, so I happened to love her, but she’s a great person,” Trump said in the interview.

President Donald Trump praised Brittany Mahomes on Truth Social. (IMAGN)

TRUMP GREETS CHIEFS STAR ON FIELD AT SUPER BOWL LIX AFTER PICKING THEM TO WIN LOMBARDI TROPHY

Trump was also spotted shaking hands with Chiefs star pass rusher Chris Jones on the field ahead of the game.

However, there was no Trump magic to rub off on Kansas City, as they suffered a 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Chiefs, one of the best offenses in the NFL this season, and a team that has obvious history in this game over the past two years, had just 34 total yards of offense in the first half as the Eagles defense was thriving against the offensive line.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, #1, celebrates with wide receiver DeVonta Smith, #6, after a touchdown by wide receiver A.J. Brown during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl LIX football game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025 in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Patrick Mahomes was never comfortable, and it showed as they punted their first three possessions. Mahomes threw two picks, one of which was taken to the house by rookie Cooper DeJean. The Eagles defense sacked Mahomes six times.

Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.

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

February 10, 2025
5-figure ad buy urges states to crack down as China floods market with illicit vapes: ‘Trump was right’

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FIRST ON FOX: The Protecting America Initiative (PAI), a Trump-aligned anti-CCP group, has launched a five-figure ad encouraging states to crack down against what they call illicit Chinese vapes in order to counter the communist country’s growing influence in the United States.

“It’s hip, it’s cool, but look closely on the box,” the new ad from PAI, which describes itself as a coalition of concerned public policy experts dedicated to combating China’s influence, starts out.

“It says, right there, made in China. New data shows the market is being flooded with unregulated e-cigarettes. Most vape products are made in China, and they’re not always regulated. They’re getting these products from China, where they can be tainted with God knows what. It’s been a struggle to keep illegal e-cigarettes from reaching young people.”

PAI says the ad is meant to remind viewers that “Trump in 2019 was right about the dangers of illicit Chinese vapes and of Biden’s failure to protect Americans from these unregulated illicit products.”

VAPING ADVOCATE WARNS DEM CRACKDOWN ON ‘COMMON SENSE’ TOBACCO ALTERNATIVES COULD BACKFIRE IN SWING STATES

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left and President Donald Trump. (Pedro Pardo – Pool/Getty Images | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“You watch prohibition, you look at, you know, with the alcohol, if you don’t give it to them, it’s going to come here illegally. But instead of legitimate companies, good companies, making something that’s safe, they’re going to be selling stuff on a street corner that could be horrible,” Trump is quoted as saying in the ad.

The ad will run on digital platforms in targeted markets across the country.

TRUMP ADMIN’S FDA WITHDRAWS PROPOSED FEDERAL RULE TO BAN MENTHOL CIGARETTES

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Bangkok on Nov. 19, 2022. (Ju Peng/Xinhua via Getty Images)

“Despite the warnings, Biden failed and China won,” the ad states. “Trump predicted this.”

“States are taking action against illicit Chinese vapes. More state leaders can act now to fight with Trump against illicit Chinese vapes.”

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Then-former President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Evan Vucci/AP)

Although the rate of youth smoking cigarettes is now at an all-time low, according to the CDC, youth usage of Chinese vapes has increased dramatically since 2020.

February 10, 2025
Florida Senator Rick Scott says Trump won because of Democrats’ ‘foolish decisions’

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., discusses how Democrats are outraged over Elon Musk and DOGE’s budget cuts on ‘The Bottom Line.’

Republican Senator Rick Scott credited the Democrats’ “foolish decisions” with propelling President Donald Trump back into the White House.

“The Democrats are in the stages of a loss. They’re either in the grief stage or the anger stage, but they don’t understand that Donald Trump won the presidency, and part of the reason he won is all the Democrats’ foolish decisions,” the Florida Republican told Fox News’ “The Bottom Line.”

Scott went on to say that Trump won on a pledge to make government accountable and transparent, and he claimed that the president and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) chair Elon Musk are fulfilling that promise.

The senator said Democrats were frustrated by Trump and Musk’s efforts to reform the government.

Florida Sen. Rick Scott praised Elon Musk’s management of DOGE.

ELON MUSK SLAMS ‘MEAN’ PODCAST HOSTS FOR CALLING DOGE EMPLOYEES ‘ARROGANT LITTLE PR—S’ AMONG OTHER THINGS

Musk announced a series of “super obvious” changes that the US treasury and DOGE jointly agreed to on Saturday. Among them was requiring the treasury to add a “payment authorization code” and rationale to all outgoing payments and strengthening implementation of the DO-NOT-PAY list to ensure federal funds aren’t going to terrorist fronts and other fraudsters.

President Donald Trump predicted that Musk is likely to find hundreds of billions of dollars in “fraud and abuse” once DOGE sets its sights on The Department of Education and Pentagon, in a pre-Superbowl interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier.

President Trump predicted that Musk will find hundreds of billions of dollars in fraud and abuse. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“The amount of waste is staggering,” Sen. Scott said.

DEMOCRATIC AGS FROM 19 STATES SUE TRUMP ADMIN OVER DOGE ACCESS TO SENSITIVE, PERSONAL DATA AT TREASURY

“Elon Musk is doing a great job, Donald Trump is doing a great job, and the Democrats cannot believe that all their failure, all their fraud and all their waste is being exposed, and it’s going away.”

Elon Musk announced a series of “super obvious” changes the treasury and DOGE jointly agreed to. (om Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images / Getty Images)

When asked if there were any Democrats willing to work with the GOP on reducing waste and fraud in federal spending, Scott said “there weren’t many.”

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“It’s nice that people will say some nice things, but they gotta vote with us,” the senator said.

February 10, 2025
House, Senate lawmakers move to slap limits on NGOs aiding illegal immigrants amid Trump funding crackdown

FIRST ON FOX: Two lawmakers in the House and Senate are introducing separate bills to slap limits on nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) they believe are undermining U.S. immigration law – coming amid broader questions about funding of NGOs and a funding crackdown by the Trump administration.

Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas is reintroducing the “Protecting Federal Funds from Human Trafficking and Smuggling Act,” while Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., is introducing the Fixing Exemptions for Networks Choosing to Enable Illegal Migration (Fence) Act.

Hagerty’s bill would end tax-exempt status for organizations that help illegal immigrants, requiring that exempt organizations do not engage in a pattern of providing assistance, benefits, services or other support to those who they know “to be unlawfully present in the United States.”

TRUMP’S ICE LIMITS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT RELEASES AMID MOVES TO SHAKE OFF BIDEN ‘HANGOVER’

“Tax-exempt status is a privilege, not a right, and these organizations will be able to preserve their tax-exempt status simply by ceasing these activities,” his office said in a release.

Army soldiers patrol the U.S.-Mexico border at Eagle Pass, Texas, on Jan. 24, 2025. President Donald Trump ordered 1,500 more military personnel to the border with Mexico as part of a flurry of steps to tackle immigration, his spokeswoman said on Jan. 22. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)

Gooden’s bill would prevent federal contracts and grants being awarded to NGOs unless they certified to the Office of Management and Budget that they are not involved in human trafficking or smuggling. It also would yank tax-exempt status from organizations who knowingly violate federal law.

The bill also requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop a written strategy and best practices guide for non-profits to ensure they are in compliance with the law.

It also requires NGOs to go through a verification process to ensure illegal immigrants are not receiving benefits.

“For years, non-governmental organizations have exploited taxpayer dollars to facilitate illegal immigration under the guise of ‘humanitarian aid,’” Gooden said in a statement. “The exploitation of the American taxpayer will end under the Trump Administration. This bill ensures that not a single cent of hard-earned American tax dollars will fund organizations complicit in human trafficking and illegal border crossings.”

TRUMP DOJ SLAPS ILLINOIS, CHICAGO WITH LAWSUIT OVER SANCTUARY LAWS

Migrants seeking asylum in the United States who previously requested an appointment on the CBP One Mobile application, are silhouetted as they queue at El Chaparral border crossing toward the U.S. to attend their appointment, in Tijuana, Mexico, Jan. 18, 2025. (REUTERS/Jorge Duenes)

It comes amid longstanding concern about the role of NGOs in assisting the government during the 2021-2024 migration crisis at the southern border, where millions of dollars went to NGOs that would receive migrants, assist them and potentially give them shelter and travel to their final destination. The funding is provided via contracts and grants from DHS, Health and Human Services and the State Department.

Gooden has introduced a number of pieces of legislation on the matter, and has been working for years to bring attention to the issue.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced Wednesday that it has stopped funding nonprofits, saying they have been facilitating illegal immigration. It is part of a broad effort by the administration to ramp up border security and crack down on illegal immigration.

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“Many of these NGOs actually have infrastructure and operations set up in Mexico, on that side of the border, and are telling those illegal immigrants to come to them, and they will get them across the border,” Noem said on Fox News Channel’s “Will Cain Show.” “So they’re not just operating in the United States, they’re operating outside the United States to help make it easier for those who want to break our laws.”

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Until an evaluation is completed, Noem said the department is “not spending another dime to help the destruction of this country.”

Last week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order demanding a review of all federal funding going to NGOs. These two pieces of legislation would enshrine limits beyond this administration. Meanwhile, the administration has also frozen USAID as the agency’s funding is being reviewed over concerns about how the funding is being used.

Fox News’ Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.

He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter.

February 10, 2025
Trump DOJ calls judge’s DOGE order ‘anti-constitutional’

President Donald Trump’s Justice Department pushed to undo an “anti-Constitutional” ruling from a federal judge that blocked Elon Musk and any of his close associates from accessing Treasury Department data on Monday.

U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer’s Saturday ruling blocked Department of Government Efficiency officials from accessing personal data such as social security numbers and bank account numbers. While the Trump administration says it has “substantially complied” with the order, the DOJ has attacked the order as “anti-constitutional.”

The White House noted that the Senate-confirmed Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, is also prohibited from accessing the data under the order.

Vice President JD Vance argued that ruling was unconstitutional on X, saying it was an example of judicial overreach.

MEET THE YOUNG TEAM OF SOFTWARE ENGINEERS SLASHING GOVERNMENT WASTE AT DOGE: REPORT

President Donald Trump’s DOGE has had access to treasury department data blocked. (AP/Alex Brandon)

“If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal. If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that’s also illegal. Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power,” Vance wrote Sunday.

ELON MUSK OUTLINES ‘SUPER OBVIOUS’ CHANGES DOGE AND TREASURY HAVE AGREED TO MAKE

Other White House officials echoed Vance’s statement over the weekend, arguing the judge was blocking DOGE’s legitimate efforts to purge government waste.

“What we continue to see here is the idea that rogue bureaucrats who are elected by no one, who answer to no one, who have lifetime tenure jobs, who we would be told can never be fired, which, of course, is not true, that the power has been cemented and accumulated for years, whether it be with the Treasury bureaucrats or the FBI bureaucrats or the CIA bureaucrats or the USAID bureaucrats, with this unelected shadow force that is running our government and running our country,” Deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller said on “Sunday Morning Futures.”

Elon Musk called for a federal juge to be impeached after he blocked DOGE’s access to federal data. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Musk himself condemned Engelmayer as a “corrupt judge protecting corruption” and called for him to be impeached.

Trump weighed in on the issue later Sunday on his way to the Superbowl in New Orleans, telling reporters that he is “very disappointed” in the ruling, but adding that “we have a long way to go.

“No judge should frankly be allowed to make that kind of a decision,” he said.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies before a Senate Finance Committee hearing. (Getty)

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New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit claims Musk’s DOGE is seeking access to the data to “illegally block” payments to “essential programs.”

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

February 10, 2025
Trump says he is pulling security clearances for people he does not ‘respect’

President Donald Trump said Sunday that he has revoked the security clearances of people he does not respect, which includes his political enemies.

“There are people that we don’t respect. If there are people that we thought that were breaking the law, that came very close to it in previous years, we do it. And we’ve done it with some people,” Trump told reporters, according to The Hill.

This comes after Trump on Friday pulled former President Joe Biden’s security clearance and stopped his daily intelligence briefings.

‘JOE, YOU’RE FIRED’: PRESIDENT TRUMP REVOKES BIDEN’S SECURITY CLEARANCES, INTEL BRIEFINGS

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

“We’ve done it with Biden himself. Biden himself. We think our country is not as safe when you gave him clearance,” Trump said on Sunday.

“We don’t think he knows what he’s doing and what he’s done to this country is a disgrace, and what he’s done in terms of allowing criminals, murderers, drug lords into our country, people from mental institutions into our country, he should be ashamed of himself,” he added.

The president argued that there is no need for Biden to receive a security clearance or receive daily intelligence briefings.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

He had cited former special counsel Robert Hur’s report last year into Biden’s handling of classified materials. The report highlighted the former president’s frequent memory lapses and led to increased scrutiny from Republicans about his mental fitness.

“There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information,” Trump wrote Friday on Truth Social. “Therefore, we are immediately revoking Joe Biden’s Security Clearances, and stopping his daily Intelligence Briefings.”

“He set this precedent in 2021, when he instructed the Intelligence Community (IC) to stop the 45th President of the United States (ME!) from accessing details on National Security, a courtesy provided to former Presidents,” Trump’s post continued. “The Hur Report revealed that Biden suffers from ‘poor memory’ and, even in his ‘prime,’ could not be trusted with sensitive information. I will always protect our National Security — JOE, YOU’RE FIRED. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

TRUMP REMOVED ANTONY BLINKEN, LETITIA JAMES, ALVIN BRAGG’S SECURITY CLEARANCES, AMONG OTHERS

Former President Joe Biden walks down the steps of Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, Wednesday, July 17, 2024. (Susan Walsh/AP)

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Trump has also revoked the clearances of former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

He also pulled Secret Service protection for his former national security adviser John Bolton last month and security protection for his former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, despite both men facing threats from Iran over their hawkish foreign policy positions towards the country.

February 10, 2025
Trump admin files motion to vacate restraining order prohibiting DOGE access to Treasury payment systems

The Trump administration has filed a motion to vacate or modify a court’s temporary restraining order blocking the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and political appointees from accessing sensitive Treasury Department payment records.

In the motion, Cloud Software Group, Inc. CEO Tom Krause argued that “it is important that high-level political appointees, such as the Treasury Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Chief of Staff, and Under Secretaries, retain the ability to attend briefings concerning information obtained from the data or systems from Treasury employees with appropriate access to the data or systems in order to perform their job duties.”

Although Krause, who was working at Treasury as a special government employee, admitted that “these high-level officials do not ordinarily need to receive access to or review data from such systems,” he said an event could conceivably occur that could warrant them needing access.

Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly wrote in a temporary restraining order on Saturday that “political appointees, special government employees and any government employee detailed from an agency outside the Treasury Department access to Treasury Department payment systems or any other data maintained by the Treasury Department containing personally identifiable information.”

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS LIMITED DOGE ACCESS TO SENSITIVE TREASURY DEPARTMENT PAYMENT SYSTEM RECORDS

Elon Musk leads the Department of Government Efficiency. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Anyone covered under those categories who was given previous access to the sensitive data must “immediately destroy any and all copies of material downloaded from the Treasury Department’s records and systems,” the judge said.

This comes after a group of 19 attorneys general filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump, the U.S. Treasury and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent alleging that the Trump Administration illegally provided DOGE with unauthorized access to the Treasury Department’s payment systems.

Kollar-Kotelly had earlier said in a temporary restraining order on Thursday that Treasury officials “will not provide access to any payment record or payment system of records maintained within the [Treasury] Bureau of Fiscal Service,” a program that handles an estimated 90% of federal payments.

Elon Musk speaks during an America PAC town hall on October 26, 2024, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. (Getty Images)

Thursday’s order came a day after the Justice Department agreed in a proposed court order to limit access to the sensitive records to only two special government employees within DOGE who will have read-only permission. Kollar-Kotelly approved the motion in a brief order on Thursday.

The case in the Thursday order was brought by several government employee unions that sued over who could access the material as part of a government-wide evaluation of programs and systems led by DOGE. It argued that Bessent allowed DOGE improper access.

‘AMERICA HAS DOGE FEVER’: STATES FROM NEW JERSEY TO TEXAS DRAFT SIMILAR INITIATIVES AS FEDERAL LEADERS CELEBRATE

Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly temporarily blocked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing certain Treasury Department payment records. (Associated Press)

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Under that order, only Krause and Marko Elez — an engineer and former Musk company employee — were allowed continued access to Treasury’s Fiscal Service, but that changed with Saturday’s order.

Krause and Elez were both named as special government employees in the Department of the Treasury, but Elez has since resigned.

February 10, 2025
JD Vance’s Capitol Hill connections proving crucial to Trump Cabinet confirmations

Vice President JD Vance has emerged as a key player in President Donald Trump’s effort to close the deal with senators and move his Cabinet nominees through the at-times difficult confirmation process.

Vance is becoming an increasingly trusted voice among Republican senators, sources familiar shared with Fox News Digital.

Republicans in the upper chamber also view the vice president as an honest broker in their talks about how to push Trump’s agenda forward, sources added, noting that this had established trust in Vance.

TRUMP, GOP SENATORS TO DINE AT MAR-A-LAGO BEFORE CAMPAIGN RETREAT

Vice President JD Vance, center, was a key facilitator to getting vulnerable Cabinet nominees past committee. (Getty Images)

When it came to getting two of Trump’s most controversial nominees past their respective committees, Vance stepped up to assist, sources said.

Both Director of National Intelligence (DNI) nominee Tulsi Gabbard and Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced uncertainty ahead of key hurdles in the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Committee on Finance, respectively.

Each committee housed potentially hesitant Republicans, who expressed initial uncertainty about the nominees. During the crucial committee-level votes, Gabbard and Kennedy could not afford to lose even one Republican’s support.

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

Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be director of national intelligence, arrives to testify during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Jan. 30, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

Ultimately, Gabbard earned the support of moderate Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in addition to the last-minute backing of Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind.

Similarly, Kennedy managed to snag Young’s support before the committee vote, and holdout Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a doctor, announced his plan to vote for the nominee just minutes before it took place.

To lock down these votes, a significant effort was underway behind closed doors — which included Vance’s crucial counsel to the senators.

The vice president spoke to both Young and Cassidy several times in the days leading up to the recent committee votes that saw Gabbard and Kennedy advance to the Senate floor, the sources told Fox News Digital. In those conversations, Vance talked through any remaining concerns the senators had with the nominees.

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

Vice President JD Vance had several conversations with both Sen. Bill Cassidy and Sen. Todd Young, right. (Getty Images/ Reuters)

A number of other administration officials had phone calls with Young and Cassidy, as well, also helping to parse through their lingering doubts.

Vance’s conversations proved persuasive, in part because of his long-maintained relationships with both senators, whom he served with up until January, the sources detailed.

“I think he’s been tasked with this role because of his preexisting relationship with us,” Young told reporters.

According to the senator, Vance was respectful and actually “listened a lot more than he talked.”

FORMER GOP LEADER MCCONNELL FALLS WHILE EXITING SENATE CHAMBER AFTER TURNER CONFIRMATION VOTE

Vice President JD Vance served in the Senate until last month. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The vice president was also “effective” in getting the necessary concessions that Young, in particular, needed to get to a yes on the nominees.

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“He came through, he delivered for me, and I’m grateful for that,” Young said, noting he also delivered for Trump.

The Indiana senator further explained he has “a certain affinity for Senator Vance,” adding, “He’s a Midwesterner. He is a U.S. Marine. And we share a lot of concerns about people who are left behind and overlooked and underprivileged.”

Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.

Follow Julia’s reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to [email protected].

February 10, 2025
Trump remains committed to US owning Gaza, says Middle East states could help rebuild war-torn area

U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that he remains committed to the U.S. purchasing and owning Gaza, but that he may allow Middle Eastern countries to rebuild sections of the area ravaged by the Israel-Hamas war.

Trump made the comment when speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to New Orleans for the Super Bowl.

“I’m committed to buying and owning Gaza,” Trump said. “As far as us rebuilding it, we may give it to other states in the Middle East to build sections of it, other people may do it, through our auspices. But we’re committed to owning it, taking it, and making sure that Hamas doesn’t move back.”

“There’s nothing to move back into. The place is a demolition site. The remainder will be demolished. Everything’s demolished,” he said.

SAUDI ARABIA CONTRADICTS TRUMP, VOWS NO TIES WITH ISRAEL WITHOUT CREATION OF PALESTINIAN STATE

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One as he travels from Las Vegas to Miami on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP)

The president also said he was open to the possibility of allowing some Palestinian refugees into the U.S. but that those requests would be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Trump said last week at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he wants the U.S. to take over Gaza after Palestinians are resettled in other countries.

“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too,” Trump said at the time. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexplored bombs and other weapons on the site.”

“Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area,” he added. “Do a real job. Do something different. Just can’t go back. If you go back, it’s going to end up the same way it has for 100 years.”

‘LEVEL IT’: TRUMP SAYS US WILL ‘TAKE OVER’ GAZA STRIP, REBUILD IT TO STABILIZE MIDDLE EAST

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

Several countries have criticized Trump’s comments about taking over Gaza, which was bombarded by Israeli forces in the conflict sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack against the Jewish State.

Trump also said on Jan. 25 that he wanted Jordan, Egypt and other Arab nations to accept more Palestinian refugees from Gaza, potentially moving out enough people to “just clean out” the area.

“You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say, ‘You know, it’s over,’” he said at the time.

Palestinians feared during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, which is now under a ceasefire, that they would suffer from another “Nakba,” meaning catastrophe in Arabic, which refers to the displacement and dispossession of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians during the 1948 war at the birth of the State of Israel.

Earlier on Sunday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo when asked about Trump’s plan to take over Gaza that the U.S. president was slated to meet with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and possibly Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media before boarding Marine One at the White House in Washington, D.C. on January 31, 2025. (BRYAN DOZIER/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

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“President Trump is due to meet with major, major Arab leaders, first and foremost the king of Jordan and the president of Egypt and I think also the crown prince of Saudi Arabia as well,” Herzog said.

“These are partners that must be listened to, they must be discussed with. We have to honor their feelings as well and see how we build a plan that is sustainable for the future,” he added.

Saudi Arabia is among the many countries that have rejected Trump’s plan to take over Gaza. Jordan’s King Abdullah II reportedly plans to tell Trump during their scheduled meeting on Tuesday that the proposal is a recipe for radicalism that will spread chaos throughout the Middle East and put at risk the kingdom’s peace with Israel.

Reuters contributed to this report.

February 10, 2025