Happy New Year 2025

Tag: Trump

Denmark increasing military spendingamid row with Trump over Greenland

The government of Denmark says it will increase military spending in the North Atlantic amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s bid to have Greenland sold or ceded to the United States.

Late Monday, the Danish government announced an agreement of 14.6 billion-kroner – or nearly $2 billion – with parties including the governments of Greenland and the Faroe Islands to “improve capabilities for surveillance and maintaining sovereignty in the region.”

The Defense Ministry in Copenhagen said those will include three new Arctic naval vessels, two additional long-range surveillance drones and satellite capacity.

On Tuesday, Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, traveled to several major European capitals, including Berlin, Paris and Brussels, where she met NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

DANISH LAWMAKER ADDRESSING EU TELLS TRUMP TO ‘F— OFF’ OVER GREENLAND BID

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen speaks to the media following talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (not seen) at the Chancellery on January 28, 2025 in Berlin, Germany. (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

Frederiksen warned that Europe faces what she called “a more uncertain reality” and said her country would be strengthening its military presence around Greenland.

The trip comes after Trump has repeatedly made various statements calling Greenland vital to U.S. national and economic security interests and expressed interest in purchasing it from Denmark. Trump has even said he wouldn’t rule out using military force to gain control of the island’s territory.

Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede (left) and President-elect Donald Trump (right). (Getty Images / Fox News Digital)

Frederiksen didn’t directly mention Trump’s threat in comments at a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, but she said that “we are facing a more uncertain reality, a reality that calls for an even more united Europe and for more cooperation.”

EU MILITARY CHIEF SAYS IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO PUT EUROPEAN TROOPS IN GREENLAND, WELT REPORTS

She pointed to Russian activities in Ukraine and beyond and said that “it is up to Europe to define the future of our continent, and I think we have to take more responsibility for our own security.”

In its announcement on the Arctic and North Atlantic region, the Danish Defense Ministry said that the parties agreed to negotiate a second agreement in the first half of this year focused on strengthening deterrence and defense.

Qaqortoq, Greenland. (Fox News)

“We must face the fact that there are serious challenges regarding security and defense in the Arctic and North Atlantic,” Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said. “For this reason, we must strengthen our presence in the region.”

His ministry said ensuring that investments provide support for local jobs and businesses in Greenland and the Faroe Islands will be “a focal point.”

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Greenland’s government has insisted that the territory isn’t for sale but that it is open to cooperation. The Defense Ministry statement didn’t mention Trump’s ambitions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues, and much more.

January 29, 2025
Six military members sue Trump admin over transgender military order

Six transgender members of the military are suing the Trump administration over an executive order pertaining to trans troops.

The lawsuit was filed by six current military servicemembers and two people who want to enlist. On Monday, President Trump signed an order stating the “adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life.”

“A man’s assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honor this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member,” it states.

Trump states in the order that the mission cannot be met if the military is accommodating “political agendas or other ideologies harmful to unit cohesion.” He also said longstanding Defense Department policy says service members must be free of medical conditions and physical defects that would require excessive treatment or hospitalization.

The “hormonal and surgical medical interventions” involved when an individual claims to be a gender differing from their sex do not meet the “rigorous standards” required of service members, including the commitment to being honorable, truthful and disciplined, the order states.

CRACKING DOWN ON TRANS TROOPS: TRUMP ORDER NIXES PREFERRED PRONOUNS, RESTRICTS FACILITY USE

The American flag on a U.S. Army uniform. (iStock)

Progress related to this order must be submitted by Defense Department Secretary Pete Hegseth and the homeland security secretary to the deputy chief of staff for policy to track implementation and to find recommendations, if any, to fulfill the order’s objective.

The lawsuit argues the order is unconstitutional and violates the Equal Protection component of the Fifth Amendment. The plaintiffs are asking a federal judge in Washington, D.C., to block it from being enforced. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House.

“Rather than being based on any legitimate governmental purpose, the ban reflects animosity toward transgender people because of their transgender status,” the suit claims.

The plaintiffs include a Sailor of the Year honoree, a Bronze Star recipient and several who were awarded meritorious service medals. They were identified as U.S. Army Reserves Lt. Nicolas Talbott, Army Maj. Erica Vandal, Army Sgt. First Class Kate Cole, Army Capt. Gordon Herrero, Navy Ensign Dany Danridge, Air Force Master Sgt. Jamie Hash, Koda Nature and Cael Neary.

The lawsuit charges that Trump’s order will unfairly halt their military aspirations and careers, including for Cole who’s been in the Army for 17 years.

DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH SAYS ‘NO MORE DEI AT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE’: ‘NO EXCEPTIONS’

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, left, and President Donald Trump have both vowed to eradicate “woke” policies within the armed forces. (Getty)

“Removing qualified transgender soldiers like me means an exodus of experienced personnel who fill key positions and can’t be easily replaced, putting the burden on our fellow soldiers left behind,” Cole said in a statement released by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law). “That’s just wrong — and it destabilizes our armed forces.”

Cole noted that she had served in combat in Afghanistan.

Herrero said his family has a long history of military service and that “it’s the only career I’ve pursued.”

“There’s nothing about being transgender that makes me better or worse than any other soldier I serve alongside,” Herrero said in a statement accompanying the lawsuit. “We are all here because we are committed to our country, and we are passionate, willing, and able to serve effectively.”

The suit was brought by attorneys from the National Center for Lesbian Rights and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law).

“The law is very clear that the government can’t base policies on disapproval of particular groups of people,” Shannon Minter, of the NCLR, said. “That’s animus. And animus-based laws are presumed to be invalid and unconstitutional.”

Trump and Hegseth have vowed to crackdown on “woke” initiatives in the military and focus on developing a lethal, effective fighting force without political agendas or various ideologies harmful to unit cohesion.

“Recently, however, the Armed Forces have been afflicted with radical gender ideology to appease activists unconcerned with the requirements of military service like physical and mental health, selflessness, and unit cohesion,” the order states.

American soldiers and the U.S. flag are pictured. Six transgender military service members are suing the Trump administration over an executive order banning them from serving openly. (iStock)

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The Pentagon told The Associated Press that it doesn’t comment on pending or ongoing litigation but “will fully execute and implement all directives outlined in the Executive Orders issued by the President, ensuring that they are carried out with utmost professionalism, efficiency, and in alignment with national security objectives.”

The Pentagon referred questions by Fox News Digital about the lawsuit to the Justice Department.

Fox News’ Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.

January 29, 2025
Trump endorsed candidate wins GOP primary in Florida race to replace Mike Waltz in Congress

The candidate endorsed by President Trump on Tuesday won the Republican primary in a special election in Florida’s 6th Congressional District in the race to replace former GOP Rep. Michael Waltz.

Waltz stepped down from his House seat last week to serve as national security adviser in Trump’s second administration.

The Associated Press projects that state Sen. Randy Fine will win the GOP nomination in the Republican-leaning district, which stretches from Daytona Beach to the southern suburbs of Jacksonville along Florida’s Atlantic coast.

Fine, who at one time was the only Jewish Republican lawmaker in the state legislature, topped a couple of other Republicans running in the primary. He will be considered the clear favorite in the April 1 general election.

IT’S PRIMARY DAY IN PARTS OF THIS CRUCIAL STATE

State lawmaker Randy Fine, a Republican from South Brevard County, Florida, speaks during a special legislative session, on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, in Tallahassee. (AP)

Republican and Democratic primaries were also being held Tuesday in Florida’s 1st Congressional District, in the special election to fill the seat left vacant after GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz resigned from Congress abruptly late last year after Trump tapped him to be his attorney general.

Gaetz eventually withdrew himself from consideration amid growing Republican opposition. The congressman’s resignation also came as the House Ethics Committee had been preparing its report on allegations against Gaetz that included illicit drug use and sex with a minor, all of which he has denied.

Then-Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida (left) introduces then-Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth during his Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on January 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Both of Tuesday’s Republican primaries in Florida are a test of Trump’s overwhelming clout over the GOP.

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The general election in Florida’s 1st District is also on April 1.

With a fragile, razor-thin majority in the House, the likely reinforcements from both districts will be welcome news to Republican leadership in the chamber as it tries to pass Trump’s agenda.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.

January 29, 2025
Trump admin withdraws proposed federal ban on menthol cigarettes

The Trump administration’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) formally withdrew a proposed rule seeking to ban menthol cigarettes, after the Biden administration said it intended to make the ban become a reality after years of advocacy from anti-smoking groups.

Efforts to ban menthol cigarettes have been ongoing for multiple administrations, but, in April 2021, the Biden administration’s FDA announced plans to finalize the rule. The move was met with praise from anti-smoking advocates, such as the Truth Initiative, which argue that menthol in cigarettes makes them more addictive and disproportionately impacts minority communities.

The Biden administration subsequently delayed implementation of the rule out of concern that more time was needed to consider public comments and concerns.

DIET AND NUTRITION EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON HOW RFK JR’S NOMINATION COULD IMPACT HOW WE EAT

President Biden and menthol cigarettes (Getty Images)

But a regulatory filing from President Donald Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, which oversees the federal rulemaking process, slashed any hopes that the ban might come back any time soon. According to the filing, Trump moved to rescind the proposed rule during his first day in office.

When reached for comment, the FDA cited an ongoing communications freeze imposed on all Health and Human Services Department sub-agencies.

HHS WILL REEVALUATE PROGRAMS, REGULATIONS TO ENSURE TAXPAYER FUNDS ARE NOT PAYING FOR ELECTIVE ABORTIONS

“It is deeply disappointing that the FDA’s rule to prohibit menthol cigarettes was not finalized in a timely manner and has now been withdrawn,” the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids said in a statement. “We strongly support eliminating menthol cigarettes to end the tobacco industry’s decades-long, predatory marketing of these deadly products to kids, Black Americans and other communities.”

Packs of Newport cigarettes are seen on a shelf in a grocery store in the Flatbush neighborhood on April 29, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.

The campaign said it will remain committed to building support to eliminate menthol cigarettes nationwide, noting “it is more critical than ever that states and cities step up their efforts to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products.”

Those challenging a menthol cigarette ban, meanwhile, argue the move could create a massive black market for cigarettes. People against the ban also fear the impact it could have on policing in minority communities.

THE YEAR IN CANCER: ADVANCES MADE IN 2024, PREDICTIONS FOR 2025

A woman in New York City holds up a sign on the steps of City Hall on March 9, 2023 in New York City. Members of Mothers of the Movement, a group of women whose African American children have been killed by police officers or by gun violence, held a rally against racism, inequality, and policies targeting people of color.

“Remember Eric Garner? New York City’s exorbitant taxes on cigarette packages generated an underground market in untaxed individual cigarettes, called ‘loosies.’ In 2014, police infamously encountered 43-year-old Eric Garner selling loosies on a street corner, and a policeman’s chokehold led to his death as he repeated ‘I can’t breathe.’ And this happened without a menthol ban,” Jeffrey Singer, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute’s Department of Health Studies, wrote after the Biden administration moved to finalize the ban.

“With menthol cigarettes more prevalent among Black and Hispanic Americans, expect police to focus their attention on minority communities. This might make inequities in criminal justice even worse.”

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While Trump signaled he is against banning menthol cigarettes, the president did act during his first term to ban most flavored e-cigarette pods used in disposable nicotine vapes. However, while the ban prohibited future sales of sweet- and fruit-flavored nicotine cartridges, it permitted continued sales of pods that are either menthol or tobacco flavored.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.

January 29, 2025
Trump administration offers buyouts to remote employees who don’t return to the office

Comer vows to bring federal employees back to work

Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer delivered scathing remarks at the first hearing of the 119th Congress, criticizing the Biden administration’s handling of telework policies for federal employees.

The Trump administration is offering buyouts for all federal remote employees as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to get employees back into the office, but they only have until Feb. 6 to opt-in.

During Trump’s first week in office, he issued several directives to the federal workforce, including a requirement that remote employees must return to in-person work.

“After four years of incompetence and failure, President Donald Trump is committed to making our government efficient and productive again,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement on Tuesday. “American taxpayers pay for the salaries of federal government employees and therefore deserve employees working on their behalf who actually show up to work in our wonderful federal buildings, also paid for by taxpayers.

“If they don’t want to work in the office and contribute to making America great again, then they are free to choose a different line of work, and the Trump Administration will provide a very generous payout of eight months,” she added.

HOUSE OVERSIGHT REPORT SAYS TELEWORK IS ‘WASTING BILLIONS’ IN TAXPAYER CASH AHEAD OF 1ST HEARING

President Donald Trump after signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, in Washington, D.C. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

On Tuesday, a government-wide email was sent out to ensure all federal workers were on board with the Trump administration’s plan.

The email pointed to four pillars that Trump set forth, to bring accountability back to the federal government, including a return to in-person work, restored accountability for employees who have policy-making authority, restored accountability for senior executives, and a reformed federal hiring process based on merit.

“The government-wide email being sent today is to make sure that all federal workers are on board with the new administration’s plan to have federal employees in office and adhering to higher standards,” a senior administration official said. “We’re five years past COVID and just 6 percent of federal employees work full-time in office. That is unacceptable.”

‘GET BACK TO WORK’: HOUSE OVERSIGHT TO TAKE ON GOVERNMENT TELEWORK IN 1ST HEARING OF NEW CONGRESS

Signage outside the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The email noted that the majority of federal employees who have worked remotely since COVID will be required to return to their physical offices five days a week.

“Going forward, we also expect our physical offices to undergo meaningful consolidation and divestitures, potentially resulting in physical office relocations for a number of federal workers,” the email read.

For those who returned to office, the Trump administration thanked them for their “renewed focus” on serving the American people. But the future of their position could not be guaranteed, according to the email.

SENATE DOGE LEADER ERNST TO TAKE ON GOVERNMENT TELEWORK ABUSE AT FIRST MEETING WITH MUSK, RAMASWAMY

The Pentagon is seen from Air Force One. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

For those who do not want to continue in their role with the federal workforce, the Trump administration thanked them for their services, informing them they will be provided with a “dignified, fair departure from the federal government utilizing a deferred resignation program.”

The program begins on Jan. 28 and will be available until Feb. 6, and should a federal employee choose to resign under the program, they will retain all pay and benefits, regardless of workload, and will be exempt from their in-person work requirements until Sep. 30, 2025.

The buyouts do not apply to military personnel of the armed forces, the U.S. Postal Services, positions related to immigration enforcement and national security, and any other positions specifically excluded by the agency the federal workers are employed by.

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“To be clear, as it was with President Trump’s executive order on Day One, implementation of return-to-work policies will be done by each individual agency in accordance with applicable law,” the senior administration official said. “We expect 5 to 10 percent of federal employees to quit, and it could lead to $100 billion annually in savings for federal taxpayers.”

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.

January 28, 2025
Judge pauses Trump administration’s federal funding freeze

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the pause on federal financial assistance will not include food stamps, Social Security, or Medicare and welfare benefits.

A federal judge on Tuesday paused the Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget memo, which aimed to freeze funding to various federal programs.

U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan for the District of Columbia, a judge appointed by former President Joe Biden, imposed an administrative stay on Tuesday afternoon, pausing the Trump administration’s action.

AliKhan ordered the pause on disbursements be stayed until Feb. 3 at 5 p.m.

During a virtual court hearing, AliKhan heard from a Department of Justice lawyer and a lawyer for the plaintiffs, as the 5 p.m. deadline for federal funding was ticking down.

A federal judge halted the Trump administration’s temporary federal funding freeze.

“I do think there is the spector of irreparable harm,” AliKhan said.

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AliKhan scheduled a hearing on the full temporary restraining order for Feb. 3 at 11 a.m.

Earlier in the day, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that the federal grants and loans pause would not impact individual assistance going directly to Americans.

January 28, 2025
NJ files lawsuit seeking to stymie Hochul’s NYC driving tax after asking Trump for help

New Jersey Gov. Philip Murphy announced the Garden State updated its lawsuit against the federal government over the Biden-era approval of New York’s “congestion pricing” that the Democrat claims is burdening working-class residents.

The news comes days after Murphy wrote a letter to President Donald Trump seeking assistance and “common ground” on an issue the Republican also railed against.

Approved in the waning days of the Biden administration, a $9 fee is charged for vehicles traversing below Central Park, or 60th Street, by the state-owned MTA.

NJ RESIDENTS HIT WITH DOUBLED BILLS AS LAWMAKERS FUME AT MURPHY’S ‘ENERGY DISASTER PLAN’, DEMAND HEARINGS

Murphy said the Federal Highway Administration [FHWA] wrongly “fast-tracked” approval of the tolling plan that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said would reduce gridlock, improve the environment and erase red ink on the New York City transit ledger.

“The decision by the federal government and the MTA to fast-track a proposal that solely benefits New York’s transportation system at the expense of hardworking New Jerseyites must be reevaluated and rescinded,” Murphy said in a statement, adding the “scheme” is causing “financial strain” on his constituents.

Murphy, New York City and Trump (Getty)

New Jersey officials said the tolls are affecting commuters both financially and geographically.

While drivers entering Manhattan via the Holland and Lincoln tunnels receive a small “rebate” on the driving tax, those who cut through Staten Island or cross the George Washington Bridge (GWB) receive no benefit.

In its amended complaint, New Jersey alleged the FHWA appeared to miss the effects that added traffic at the world’s busiest bridge would have on urban Bergen County communities already facing unfavorable air quality.

“Fort Lee has pre-existing pollution and chronic disease burdens at the 90th percentile. Under the congestion pricing scheme, Fort Lee is one of the communities with the ‘highest propensity for truck diversion if the proposed action is implemented,’” the lawsuit said, describing the city on the Jersey side of the GWB.

Murphy said the feds cannot “continue to turn a blind eye to the significant environmental impacts that congestion pricing will have on New Jersey, favoring New York at the expense of its neighbors.”

As Hochul and Lieber continue full steam ahead with the tax, suburban drivers have expressed outrage, including those from Long Island, who, because of the placement of toll gantries, cannot leave Manhattan without paying even if they do not intend to drive into the business district.

NJ GOV SAYS HE’LL ‘FIGHT TO THE DEATH’ AGAINST TRUMP ACTIONS CONTRARY TO ‘VALUES’

The tax is compounded by the $17 charged by the Port Authority to leave New Jersey eastward across water.

Last week, Murphy demanded that the bi-state agency’s chairman — Chris Christie appointee Kevin O’Toole — provide monthly data on revenue from changes in driving patterns for those trying to avoid New York’s new fees.

“The statistical information we are requesting will help us advocate for our commuters and the broader region as we fight this unfair policy,” Murphy said.

While Murphy previously pledged to “fight to the death” against White House attacks on New Jersey “values” and communities, he also said he would work with the administration when finding common ground.

In a letter to Trump, Murphy noted the president pledged to “terminate congestion pricing in [his] first week in office” as a “massive business-killer” and had knocked Hochul for devising the “worst plan in the history of womankind.”

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“I am open to congestion pricing in concept, but New York’s scheme has never been well-designed or adequately studied,” Murphy wrote, asking Trump for assistance and noting Hochul’s “indefinite pause” on the program only lasted until it was clear former Vice President Kamala Harris would not win the election last November.

N.J. Assembly Transportation Committee member Christopher DePhillips offered bipartisan support for Murphy’s position, telling Fox News Digital that while he backs the governor’s goal of ending the “scheme,” it will take Trump to “kill it.”

“I would also like [Murphy] to apply the same effort he puts forth to stop the congestion pricing to help the mass transit riders at home. Drivers shouldn’t have to pay more to cross into Manhattan, and [NJ Transit riders] shouldn’t have to pay 15% higher fares,” said DePhillips, R-Wyckoff.

Hochul recently said she has tried to work with New Jersey to avoid ongoing litigation.

She said Albany offered a “generous” nine-figure settlement that Trenton rejected.

MTA Chairman Janno Lieber and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (Getty)

“We’ve made multiple offers to settle this lawsuit. I wish I could describe them to you because you would say they’re generous. I’m not at liberty to do that,” she told New York Streetsblog.

Members of Congress from Big Apple suburbs called for Lieber’s ouster after he held a ceremony to unveil tolling signs on Broadway.

“Imagine being such an a–hole as to celebrate screwing New Yorkers out of their hard-earned money just for the privilege to drive to work,” Rep. Michael Lawler, R-Nyack, said.

MTA executive John McCarthy said in response that Lieber has overseen better service and on-time performance and that “out-of-touch politicians” are simply “bloviating.”

The FHWA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.

January 28, 2025
New York leaders express timid support for Trump ICE raids

New York political leaders are split over the recent increase in ICE deportation and removal operations of illegal immigrants under the Trump administration, with Republicans praising the crackdown and Democrats stressing authorities respect local migrant “sanctuary” policies.

ICE agents and federal authorities have been spotted in New York City and throughout the surrounding area, carrying out arrests of illegal immigrants.

Among those arrested on Tuesday was a 25-year-old Venezuelan migrant named Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, who is a member of the violent criminal group Tren de Aragua. Zambrano-Pacheco is charged with kidnapping, assault and burglary.

New York Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, said Tuesday afternoon that the New York City Police Department had supported federal authorities carrying out the criminal raid.

CHICAGO MAYOR RIPS ICE OPERATIONS, SAYS TRUMP ‘IS ATTEMPTING TO GET US TO SURRENDER OUR HUMANITY’

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem participates in an immigration in New York City. (Department of Homeland Security)

“Early this morning — as it regularly does as part of a multi-agency task force — our city coordinated with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on a federal criminal investigation involving a suspect hiding in New York City,” said Adams. “Beforehand, I directed the NYPD to coordinate with DHS’ Homeland Security Investigations and other federal law enforcement agencies — as allowed by law — to conduct a targeted operation to arrest an individual connected with multiple violent crimes, both here in New York and in Aurora, Colorado, including burglary, kidnapping, extortion, firearms possession, menacing with a firearm, crime of violence, and other charges.”

“As I have repeatedly said,” Adams went on, “we will not hesitate to partner with federal authorities to bring violent criminals to justice — just as we have done for years. Our commitment to protecting our city’s law-abiding residents, both citizens and immigrants, remains unwavering.”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul took a similar tone, saying: “My understanding is that they had specific names of people who committed crimes, serious offenders, and those are exactly the people that we want removed from the state of New York.”

“I want to be clear,” she said, “there has always been ICE raids in the state of New York, even in the past, and this is not a new dynamic.”

WH PRESS SECRETARY CAROLYN LEAVITT ANSWERS QUESTION ON HOW MANY ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE CRIMINALS

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, both Democrats, are seen side-by-side. (Getty Images)

New York Attorney General Letitia James, meanwhile, issued an apparent warning to state and local law enforcement cooperating with federal authorities, saying in a Tuesday X post that she would be monitoring the situation closely to ensure that state sanctuary policies are not violated.

“My office is aware of the increased presence of ICE across New York City,” she said. “I am monitoring the situation to ensure our laws are being respected and people’s rights are not being violated. We have sent guidance to law enforcement, and it must be followed.”

ICE SNAGS CRIMINAL ALIEN PAROLED 17 YEARS INTO LIFE SENTENCE FOR PREGNANT WOMAN’S MURDER

For its part, a spokesperson for the New York City Police Department clarified that the NYPD does not engage or assist in any manner with civil immigration enforcement, but rather does “work daily with federal law enforcement agencies in connection with a wide range of criminal investigations.”

The spokesperson told Fox News that “in particular, the Department participates in task forces with a variety of federal law enforcement agencies investigating violations of federal criminal law.”

Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

New York Republicans, on the other hand, were quick to express their relief over the ICE raids.

U.S. Rep Nicole Malliotakis, whose district includes portions of Staten Island and Brooklyn, issued a statement saying: “I thank President Donald Trump, Border Czar Tom Homan, and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristy Noem for their leadership and wasting no time to initiate the removal of dangerous, violent foreign criminals and gangs from New York City streets—groups that have wreaked havoc in our city over the past four years and have committed thousands of crimes including robberies, sex crimes, assaulting NYPD officers, and even murder.”

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“The mass illegal migration crisis created by the Biden Administration cost American lives and New York’s taxpayers billions of dollars,” Malliotakis went on. “New York City must fully cooperate with ICE to rid our city of this criminal activity. No local or state elected official or government agency should stand in the way as federal authorities enforce our nation’s immigration laws to ensure the safety of all Americans.”

‘ON NOTICE’: EX-VENEZUELAN MILITARY OFFICIAL APPLAUDS TRUMP’S ‘FIRST GOOD STEP’ TARGETING BLOODTHIRSTY GANG

A Venezuelan migrant arrested during an ICE raid early on Jan. 28 was identified by the Department of Homeland Security as Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco. Zambrano-Pacheco was wanted by Aurora Police Department in Colorado and was one of the men who appeared in a viral security camera video from August 2024 who menaced an apartment building shortly before a fatal shooting. (City of Aurora, Colorado / www.auroragov.org)

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Rep. Claudia Tenney, a Republican who represents parts of Upstate New York, called the raids “tremendous” and said they demonstrate “true leadership” from the Trump administration.

“This is tremendous. … I am so happy to see this,” Tenney said on the Fox News Business Channel. “All I’ve heard from especially a lot of senior citizens and others is how thrilled they are that we’re seeing these absolutely violent criminal illegal immigrants that are being harbored by these sanctuary cities being taken out of our communities and making our communities safer. This is a huge win for the Trump administration. It shows that we have decisive leadership. We do not have the paralysis of analysis.”

Alexis McAdams and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

January 28, 2025
Leavitt says egg shortage, grocery prices why Senate must ‘move swiftly’ to confirm Trump nominees

President Donald Trump’s White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt urged members of Congress to confirm Trump’s nominees to address problems like the U.S. egg shortage and the cost of living crisis.

“This is an example of why it’s so incredibly important that the Senate moves swiftly to confirm all of President Trump’s nominees, including his nominee for the United States Department of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, who is already speaking with Kevin Hassett, who’s leading the economic team here at the White House, on how we can address the egg shortage in this country,” Leavitt told reporters Tuesday at her first White House press briefing.

“We also have seen the cost of everything, not just eggs, bacon, groceries, gasoline, have increased because of the inflationary policies of the last administration,” Leavitt said.

Leavitt’s comments came directly after Democrats took several jabs at Trump’s handling of the cost of living crisis just days after his inauguration, citing rising prices for eggs amid larger conversations about the price of groceries and cost of living as a whole.

While the consumer price index shows consumer prices increased roughly 20% under former President Joe Biden’s administration, Democrats remain skeptical that Trump’s economic proposals will prove effective.

“The price of eggs and the cost of living was supposed to go down. Not up,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a post on X on Friday.

SHELLING OUT: EGG PRICES RISE NEARLY 37 PERCENT

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., criticized President Donald Trump’s economic plans, saying, “The price of eggs and the cost of living was supposed to go down. Not up.” (Getty Images)

“Trump’s ‘concepts of a plan’ at work,” Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., said in a post on X on Friday, pointing to a photo claiming a dozen eggs cost nearly $9. It’s unclear where the photo originated or its authenticity.

Subramanyam’s post referenced Trump’s comments that he had “concepts of a plan” to replace the Affordable Care Act, during a September 2024 presidential debate with former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Meanwhile, the consumer price index shows egg prices have soared nearly 37% in the past year. For example, a dozen Grade A large eggs cost an average of $4.15 in December — up from $2.51 in December 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In some states like California, those numbers have gone up to nearly $9 per dozen in certain areas. California, like other states including Arizona, Massachusetts and Michigan, requires all eggs sold in the state to come from cage-free hens, which typically are more expensive.

The rise in egg prices comes amid high demand and a massive outbreak of avian flu, known as the highly pathogenic avian influenza, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture attributes to killing more than 20 million egg-laying hens in the last quarter of 2024. All birds from an infected flock are culled, exacerbating the impact of the flu.

Leavitt on Tuesday blamed this killing policy for contributing to the egg shortage.

“The Biden Administration’s slow and ineffective response to the avian influenza outbreak, which began in 2022, has negatively impacted U.S. poultry producers, and his USDA forced farmers to massively cut their livestock populations,” Anna Kelly, White House deputy press secretary, said in a Monday statement to Fox News Digital.

As a result, Kelly said Trump and Rollins would take “bold, decisive action” to address problems related to the avian flu, and direct the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to refocus on the health of animals and plants.

Democrats previously have questioned Trump’s ability to reduce grocery prices, and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said in early January that “Trump has no idea” how to cut down such prices.

SWALWELL SLAMMED ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR QUESTIONING HOW TRUMP WILL LOWER GROCERY PRICES

Rep. Eric Swalwell has cast doubt on President Donald Trump’s ability to reduce the prices of groceries. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“I don’t care if Donald Trump wants to buy Greenland. I just want to know what he’s going to do to lower the cost of groceries,” Rep. Swalwell wrote on X on Jan. 7.

Vice President JD Vance addressed the cost of groceries in an interview Sunday with CBS’ Margaret Brennan, citing several executive orders that Trump signed his first week in office focused on the economy and reducing energy prices. Among those orders was a directive instructing every department and agency to address the cost of living crisis.

VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE PRESSED ON WHEN GROCERY PRICES WILL COME DOWN: ‘WHICH ONE LOWERS PRICES?’

Vice President JD Vance clashed with CBS’ Margaret Brennan on several topics, including the prices of groceries in an interview on Jan. 26, 2025. (CBS screenshot)

“Prices are going to come down, but it’s going to take a little bit of time, right?” Vance said. “The president has been president for all of five days. I think that, in those five days, he’s accomplished more than Joe Biden did in four years.”

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The state of the economy ranked as the top issue in the 2024 election, according to a Gallup poll conducted in September 2024.

Voters also believed Trump better equipped to address the economy than his opponent, Harris. While 54% of American voters claimed Trump could better handle the economy, only 45% backed Kamala, the poll found.

Fox Business’ Alexandra Koch and Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.

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

January 28, 2025
Vance preaches unity to House Republicans as tensions boil at Trump retreat

DORAL, Fla. — Vice President JD Vance urged Republicans to stick together during a closed-door meeting at the House GOP annual issues conference on Tuesday, as tensions simmer over some lawmakers’ decisions to skip the multi-day event.

House Republicans are at President Donald Trump’s golf course and resort in Doral, Florida for three days of discussions on how to execute his legislative agenda.

Vance addressed the gathering on Tuesday in a speech that acknowledged the differences of opinion across the Republican conference, while imploring them to find a way to overcome those divisions and “be good” to one another, two lawmakers in the room told Fox News Digital.

Those fractures flared up a short while later, however, when two lawmakers stood up to criticize colleagues who were not attending the multi-day event during the question and answer portion of Vance’s appearance, two other sources said.

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Vice President JD Vance addressed House Republicans in a closed-door speech on Tuesday at Trump Doral golf course and resort. (Getty Images)

It comes after Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, posted on X that he was not attending the retreat, arguing the event was a waste of time.

“It is being reported I am not at the so-called Republican retreat in Florida. I am not,” Roy wrote. “I am in Texas, with my family & meeting with constituents, rather than spending $2K to hear more excuses for increasing deficits & not being in DC to deliver Trump’s border security [funding] ASAP.”

Roy told Fox News that he could not speak for fellow members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus who were missing from the retreat, adding, “we all have things that we’ve got to deal with.”

“If you’re asking me to go spend money to go sit in a resort rather than doing our damn job…no, I’m not going to do that,” he said.

Others argued that Roy and others’ absence was actively undermining attempts to unify behind a legislative roadmap.

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Rep. Chip Roy missed the GOP gathering in Florida. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“Sadly enough, we have people sitting at home complaining about the meeting on Twitter, and they’re the ones who’d rather complain, attack, argue, than be part of the solution,” Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital. “We know who they are. We just have to deal with it.”

With a razor-thin margin in the House, Republicans must vote in virtual lock-step to pass any legislation without Democratic support.

One lawmaker said Vance embraced a “team message” during his speech and “recognizes there will be differences, but we must come together once debate is over.”

Vance also told Republicans that Trump wants to raise the debt limit, something he will have to contend with this year, without support from or leverage by Democrats, Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., told reporters after the meeting.

President Donald Trump addressed the retreat on Monday. (Donald Trump 2024 campaign)

Other Republicans who spoke with Fox News Digital while leaving the event also embraced the Ohio Republican’s message and him as a messenger.

“He’s saying the things about fiscal sanity that we need to hear,” Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, said.

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“He’s smart as hell, he’s eloquent,” Murphy said. “Trump really nailed it on that one – he was a great pick.”

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 elizabeth.elkind@fox.com

January 28, 2025